Summary: Pies before Guys (Pie Town Mystery #4)
Val’s crime-solving club digs into a
piping hot new case!
A poetry slam at a bakery? Why not! Even though Pie Town proprietor Val Harris would rather be spending time with her newfound half-brother, she knows her employee, Abril, is beyond excited to be hosting the event. Especially since it stars the apple pie of Abril’s eye, poet and professor Michael Starke. But the evening ends on a sour note when Professor Starke is found murdered mere moments after being accused of plagiarism.
Just like that, Pie Town is at the center of another criminal inquiry. At Abril’s request—and much to Detective Carmichael’s consternation—Val and Charlene decide to investigate Starke’s death. But the case is as tough as an overworked crust and the Baker Street Bakers are only coming up with scraps. If they don’t pinch the cultured killer soon, Pie Town’s reputation could crumble.
A poetry slam at a bakery? Why not! Even though Pie Town proprietor Val Harris would rather be spending time with her newfound half-brother, she knows her employee, Abril, is beyond excited to be hosting the event. Especially since it stars the apple pie of Abril’s eye, poet and professor Michael Starke. But the evening ends on a sour note when Professor Starke is found murdered mere moments after being accused of plagiarism.
Just like that, Pie Town is at the center of another criminal inquiry. At Abril’s request—and much to Detective Carmichael’s consternation—Val and Charlene decide to investigate Starke’s death. But the case is as tough as an overworked crust and the Baker Street Bakers are only coming up with scraps. If they don’t pinch the cultured killer soon, Pie Town’s reputation could crumble.
Book Review: Pies before Guys (Pie Town Mystery #4)
When a brutal
murder takes place close to family restaurant Pie Town, restaurant owner Val
Harris sets out to solve the case in her amateur-sleuthing way, which gets her
in serious danger.
English
professor Michael Stark is invited to Pie Town for a poetry reading event. He chooses
to read a rather strange poem, which gets him into a heated argument with
another member of the local college English department. He is accused of plagiarism.
Soon after he is found dead, stabbed with a saber.
Worried about the
reputation of the restaurant, Val finds it crucial to solve the case. Her
boyfriend, Detective Gordon Carmichael, risks being kicked off the murder
investigation for the third time because of Val’s interfering. He makes her
promise to keep all talk about the case to Pie Town. Charlene and Val invent
new and creative ways around that promise. She tries to make sure her business
isn’t in jeopardy being connected to a murder case again.
I like Val Harris. She seems a sweet, sensible girl
who is building a successful pie business. She may come across as somewhat of a
pushover at times, but for the most part she seems to find it important to keep
her promises and be reliable. But being close friends with Charlene, she is sometimes
“forced” to color outside the lines a bit, which gets her into trouble with her
local police detective boyfriend.
Charlene McCree is the second main character who adds
a funny and interesting spin to the story. She is a creative and industrious busy-body
with a vivid imagination that enjoy coming up with antics supposed to have favorable
outcomes. She stops at nothing to make her ideas happen, but has a good
heart. She is a firm believer in UFOs and the use of social media, which
creates vital and enjoyable additions to the plot.
Charlene’s social
media activity plays a crucial role in the development of the plot as she
tries to draw crowds to Pie Town. While I found it entertaining and interesting,
I felt it took up a lot of space in the plot and might have been shortened a
bit.
I really enjoyed the vibe of small-town living where everybody knows everybody else.
In spite of all the craziness, the plot seems to progress steadily, which I am pleased to see. There seem to emerge useful clues for the investigation, which became interesting elements to the story.
I really enjoyed the vibe of small-town living where everybody knows everybody else.
In spite of all the craziness, the plot seems to progress steadily, which I am pleased to see. There seem to emerge useful clues for the investigation, which became interesting elements to the story.
Pies Before Guys is
recommended for fans of Kirsten Weiss and for readers of cozy mystery. Thank
you to Kensington Books via Netgalley for this eARC in return for my honest
review.
All opinions are completely
my own.
My rating:
4 stars / 5
Book Details:
Publisher: Kensington Books (March 1, 2020)
Publication Date: February 25, 2020
Sold by: Amazon.com Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07RBMXGKY
About The Author
Kirsten Weiss has never
met a dessert she didn't like, and her guilty pleasures are watching Ghost
Whisperer re-runs and drinking red wine. The latter gives her heartburn, but
she drinks it anyway.
Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.
If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Paranormal Museum and Wits' End books. If you're looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you'd like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Now based in San Mateo, CA, she writes genre-blending cozy mystery, supernatural and steampunk suspense, mixing her experiences and imagination to create vivid worlds of fun and enchantment.
If you like funny cozy mysteries, check out her Pie Town, Paranormal Museum and Wits' End books. If you're looking for some magic with your mystery, give the Witches of Doyle, Riga Hayworth and Rocky Bridges books a try. And if you like steampunk, the Sensibility Grey series might be for you.
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you'd like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
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