Game More, Pay Less
Kindle Unlimited
Unlimited reading. Millions of titles. Learn more
Read now
OR
£3.19

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Sold by Amazon Media EU S.à r.l..
Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will pre-order your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships and Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Julie Smith
Follow
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Sourdough Wars (The Rebecca Schwartz Series, Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Julie Smith (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 out of 5 stars 4,147 ratings

“…a brisk and breezy item, which—like sourdough itself—has its own distinctive and satisfying flavor.” -San Diego Union

“…an awful lot of fun, and it will make you unbearably hungry for fresh-baked bread.” -San Jose Mercury-News

TO YOU, ITS JUST A FROZEN LUMP OF DOUGH; TO SOME, IT'S LIFE AND DEATH...

Especially to handsome Peter Martinelli, who wants to auction off the fabled sourdough starter from his family’s famous bakery. But who’d buy a frozen hunk of flour and water? Only, it turns out, every bakery in San Francisco, a national food conglomerate, and an upstart ringer with a mysterious backer. Someone would even kill for it. And does.

Enter lawyer sleuth Rebecca Schwartz, whose client is her own partner, glamorous Chris Nicholson, Martinelli’s main squeeze before the ill-starred auction. Rebecca noshes her way through the case in hilariously unorthodox style, tasting some great bread along the way, but also uncovering so many ancient jealousies, long-simmering feuds, and seething resentments that she barely escapes death by doughball.

NOTE: THIS STORY IS COMPLETELY REALITY-BASED! A SAN FRANCISCO BAKERY MADE PAGE ONE NEWS BY FREEZING THEIR STARTER — ONLY WITHOUT THE BLOODSHED. The slapstick style, over-the-top action, and witty dialogue make Rebecca Schwartz an easy choice for fans of Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Bond, Dorothy Cannell, Elizabeth Peters, Sarah Strohmeyer, and Jennifer Crusie. A tasty treat of a San Francisco mystery—a crisp, tangy story you’re sure to get a rise out of.



Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 2 of 6
    The Rebecca Schwartz Series
  2. Print length
    165 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    14 Dec. 2013
  6. Reading age
    14 - 18 years
  7. File size
    3.0 MB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
Next slide of product details

Shop this series

 See full series
There are 6 books in this series.

In this series (6 books)

Product description

From the Inside Flap

r to the Martinelli family's renowned sourdough starter is murdered before they were to auction it off, Rebecca Schwartz is determined to discover if he died for a handful of dough. The more she sifts through the tangled relationships of the city's bread-making dynasties, though, the closer she gets to the recipe for murder....

From the Back Cover

r to the Martinelli family's renowned sourdough starter is murdered before they were to auction it off, Rebecca Schwartz is determined to discover if he died for a handful of dough. The more she sifts through the tangled relationships of the city's bread-making dynasties, though, the closer she gets to the recipe for murder....

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009FN1DA4
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ booksBnimble
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ 14 Dec. 2013
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.0 MB
  • Simultaneous device usage ‏ : ‎ Unlimited
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 165 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1617507922
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Book 2 of 6 ‏ : ‎ The Rebecca Schwartz Series
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 - 18 years
  • Customer reviews:
    3.7 out of 5 stars 4,147 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Julie Smith

Julie Smith

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Visit Julie at http://www.booksbnimble.com

I first knew I wanted to be a writer at seven, knew it was mysteries I'd write at 12, was desperate to win the Edgar at 13, but became a journalist to...well...keep from starving till I had the courage to actually try it. I had a great time and learned more than ten colleges could have taught as a reporter for first the New Orleans Times-Picayune and later the San Francisco Chronicle. Finally, I wrote six or seven mysteries (I've lost count!) over a period of eight years, to absolutely no avail, and was about to give up when I made my first sale. DEATH TURNS A TRICK was my first published book, and the Rebecca Schwartz series was born. I later added a second San Francisco series, plus two in New Orleans, and guess what? My first New Orleans book, NEW ORLEANS MOURNING, won the Edgar for Best Novel.

So some dreams come true! Boy, it was hard, and it took forever, but mine actually did. I'm still pinching myself. After wanting something so much and finally getting it, who would have thought I'd turn to something else after twenty-one books? (That's right, twenty-one not counting a non-fiction one on writing itself. So, twenty-two, really.) My whole identity was writing. But along came ebooks! Suddenly a gigantic opportunity opened up. I realized I could be a publisher myself---I could help other people achieve their own dreams. I couldn't help it, I got the publishing bug. Bad.

In 2010, I founded www.booksBnimble.com, a digital publishing company that focused at first on video-enhanced ebooks, but now not so much enhanced as just great quality---and, as you might imagine, with an emphasis on mysteries. So far, we've published eight authors (including me). It's been a treat to learn to function in another whole world and it's been incredibly rewarding to be able to help other writers, to bring back people's backlists, and to discover new, exciting talent.

Check out some of our terrific authors--Patty Friedmann, Marika Christian, Tony Dunbar, Anneke Campbell, Whitney Stewart, and Lee Pryor. Coming soon: mystery authors Greg Herren, Liz Zelvin, Shelley Singer, and Mickey Friedman.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
4,147 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book easy to read and well-written, with the plot cleverly interwoven through the story. They appreciate its humor. However, the character development receives negative feedback, with one customer describing the characters as wooden.

Select to learn more

ReadabilityPlotWriting qualityCharacter development
19 customers mention ‘Readability’19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and easy to read, with one mentioning it's a lovely holiday read.

"...Well written except for the usual kindle errors. Good bedtime read." Read more

"...Nice try but not my thing in the end." Read more

"...A lot of fun." Read more

"Another enjoyable, light- weight mystery. The story is fast-paced, with some unexpected twists. A lovely holiday read for me." Read more

14 customers mention ‘Plot’11 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the plot of the book, with its cleverly interwoven narrative and good twists and turns, and one customer notes that the action is fast and funny.

"I wanted so much to like this. I thought the basis for the plot was great and (initially) totally plausible. I also thought the writing was good...." Read more

"It has a strong quirky lead character and a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end. A lot of fun." Read more

"...whilst the relationships of the central characters was cleverly interwoven through the plot, I found the first half of the book quite slow and the..." Read more

"...that it is an improvement on 'Death turns a Trick', but while the plot is unusual, Rebecca, the self-styled 'Jewish, feminist lawyer' is just as..." Read more

5 customers mention ‘Writing quality’5 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing quality of the book well-crafted and humorous.

"A mildly humorous tale of how a small town lawyer conquers a murder and burglary. Well written except for the usual kindle errors...." Read more

"...I also thought the writing was good. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't like the characters - not one of them...." Read more

"...I appreciate that the book is described as 'cosy and humorous', but the humour isn't always best-placed, and 'cosy' might be better described as '..." Read more

"Sourdough Wars by Julie smith manages to be charming, humorous, well written and informative...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Character development’0 positive3 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the character development in the book, with some finding them wooden and annoyingly dim.

"...plot, I found the first half of the book quite slow and the characters a little wooden...." Read more

"...Everything explained, not shown. No sympathy for any of the characters" Read more

"...away from hard-boiled crime, but sadly, I just found these characters frustratingly silly, so I won't be looking to read any more of the series -..." Read more

Top reviews from United Kingdom

  • Jaycee B
    4.0 out of 5 stars A good little tale
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 January 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A mildly humorous tale of how a small town lawyer conquers a murder and burglary.
    Well written except for the usual kindle errors.
    Good bedtime read.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Raemamba
    3.0 out of 5 stars I wanted so much to like this. I thought the basis for the plot ...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 18 December 2016
    Verified Purchase
    I wanted so much to like this. I thought the basis for the plot was great and (initially) totally plausible. I also thought the writing was good. However, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't like the characters - not one of them. They all deserved each other. I also didn't get on with the humour, I consistently found myself more offended than amused. Nice try but not my thing in the end.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A really good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 11 June 2018
    Verified Purchase
    It has a strong quirky lead character and a mystery that keeps you guessing to the end. A lot of fun.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Perkins
    4.0 out of 5 stars Keep reading as it just gets better and better
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 February 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Rebecca is in partnership with her friend Chris, running a law practice together. Rebecca's sister, Mickey, has persuaded them to give her part-time actor boyfriend a job as their secretary, something he is not very good at. He is appearing in a play with Peter, an up and coming actor who is also Chris's new boyfriend. Peter comes from a well-known family of sourdough bakers but having stated that he has no aptitude for business, decides to sell off his family's secret sourdough 'starter', the original recipe from which their delicious bread was made. When Peter is found murdered, Rebecca is determined to track down the killer. I had not read the previous books in this series and whilst the relationships of the central characters was cleverly interwoven through the plot, I found the first half of the book quite slow and the characters a little wooden. At times, some of the scenes devised to inject some interaction between the characters weren't terribly convincing, although they did serve to move the story along and increase the pace a little. However, about half way through the book, everything started to liven up. Rebecca's feisty character began to shine through and everything started to come together as the interaction between the characters really took off. Once the story really got going, then it was almost impossible to put down. From feeling quite lukewarm about Rebecca, I quickly grew to love her although I'm not sure I didn't side with her mother about her reporter boyfriend, Rob. In addition to the murder mystery, the book deals with sibling rivalry, the gay scene in San Francisco, family relationships and the personal and working lives of two professional women. I thought the plot came together really well, the action was fast and funny and I would certainly read more books in the series.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Mrs. Barbara Korzeniowska
    2.0 out of 5 stars Bread no butter
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 April 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A potentially interesting mystery spoilt by very facile writing. Everything explained, not shown. No sympathy for any of the characters
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Annie W
    3.0 out of 5 stars Lightweight with an annoyingly dim heroine
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 August 2013
    Verified Purchase
    The best that can be said for this story is that it is an improvement on 'Death turns a Trick', but while the plot is unusual, Rebecca, the self-styled 'Jewish, feminist lawyer' is just as irritating as before. There are the conventional, stereotypical Jewish parents; the sister's boyfriend (a permanently-unemployed actor) working (?) - because her mother insisted - as an extremely inefficient and inappropriately-behaved secretary to Rebecca's law practice; Rebecca's own boyfriend/lover, the equally cardboard, obsessed-by-a-story-to-the-exclusion-of-real-life, journalist; and a whole cast of oddballs around whom the latest investigation is set. I'm not quite sure where the 'feminist' claim comes in, since all Rebecca's actions seem to be based on finding a man, then relying on him or her father to get her out of trouble. When she does decide to take action, it's usually badly planned and poorly handled, and ends up in disaster. Her thought-processes are also a bit odd, such as when she finds her business partner's lover's dead body, and says 'I thought I should call the police, but I was worried about messing up fingerprints.' There's the weirdness of her and her lover pursuing someone whom they've disturbed attempting a break-in, speeding without lights through the city following the other car, being spotted by a police car, and upping the speed, enjoying the chase to the full, and, when the police car collides with another vehicle at a junction, only regretfully coming to realise the potential dangers of their actions.

    I appreciate that the book is described as 'cosy and humorous', but the humour isn't always best-placed, and 'cosy' might be better described as 'sliding along the surface, avoiding any sense of reality'. If all you're looking for is slightly dated chic-lit, with no depth, some farcical descriptions, and shallow characters, then this is for you. I downloaded it because it was free, and I, too, like the occasional read away from hard-boiled crime, but sadly, I just found these characters frustratingly silly, so I won't be looking to read any more of the series - even if the books were to be offered free of charge.
    6 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • madforbooks
    5.0 out of 5 stars You'll never look at sourdough bread again without thinking of R Schwartz
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 August 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Another enjoyable, light- weight mystery. The story is fast-paced, with some unexpected twists. A lovely holiday read for me.
    Helpful
     Report
  • Adrian R
    4.0 out of 5 stars It's different!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 29 September 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Who would have thought that you could make a murder mystery story around sourdough? It is well planned, more of a lighthearted murder mystery, but an enjoyable read.
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

  • Tip Toe Thru da Tulips
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good.
    Reviewed in Canada on 10 August 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Had some funny spots. Liked the character interplay. The mystery had a nice twist too.
    Nice enjoyable read for a weekend away.
    Report
  • Lesley Forbes
    4.0 out of 5 stars Beginning a beautiful friendship
    Reviewed in Australia on 22 November 2016
    Verified Purchase
    Loved this story and the characters really came to life. I am eagerly anticipating reading the next instalment and eating sourdough.
    Report
  • R.L.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Sourdough Wars by Julie Smith
    Reviewed in the United States on 6 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    This was an easy read - fast-paced, fun and has a well-developed storyline. I enjoyed the many twists and turns this mystery contained.
    The author developed her characters with depth - back stories contained information that I found relatable. The main character had certain weaknesses that while I know are realistic, I found difficult to accept in a person who could be so objective about who she is and what she would tolerate in her personal life.
    I believe that's why I gave the book 4 stars; I wanted a stronger main character. Thank you Julie Smith for your humor, style and cute "Jewishness" infused in your "parents."
    Report
  • Donna Marcoe
    5.0 out of 5 stars love it
    Reviewed in the United States on 19 December 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a great read. Storyline is light yet it makes you stop and think. The plot of the book is unique, the adventures are average but the characters are wonderful. Rebecca, Rob and Chris are fun people with complicated lives yet they smart, funny and accomplished although somewhat dysfunctional. I think most readers will identify with what these people go through. I'm glad this is a series, it would be such a waste of talent for it to end here. Thanks Julie Smith for a terrific book
    Report
  • Suzanne Bonner
    4.0 out of 5 stars Four Stars
    Reviewed in Australia on 20 February 2016
    Verified Purchase
    It was a fun read.
    Report

Report an issue


Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report