I love this series! Each book has a different flavor but all are consistently delicious with a good bite of mystery and murder for a good cause. This one's delving into an abused wife who suddenly goes missing gave me chills and was carefully and skillfully handled.

Daisy is back with her Murderous pies! This is one of my most anticipated books of this year. There is something about this series of cozy mystery books, Daisy, and Murderous magic pies that has me hooked.

Daisy is living her best pie life! She is in love and still going strong with Noel. She is still making pies for the diner, and some murdedous ones on the side 😉. This time though Daisy receives a pie request that she isn't sure is quite legit. A woman has reached out for a pie for her abusive boyfriend cop. Daisy is hesitant and with good reason. Could this be a trap and the police are on to her operation? But things take a turn when the cop's girlfriend all of a sudden disappears. Now, Daisy is on a mission to find out what is really happening. Can she find the missing girlfriend or is it too late?


What I love:
- Daisy! Seriously, I love her. She is a baddie who rocks 1950's frocks, makes murderous magical pies, and tries to help abused women. I wish I could make magical pies! Of course, not to murder anyone. 🤭
- As always, I love the LGBTQI+ representation in each book!
- The fall vibes in this book has me wanting to fast forward time to October. This book would be amazing cozy autumn/Halloween read
- Found family 🥹 I love Daisy and her found family. Her friendships with Juan, and Mellg make me smile. Also, her friendship with our fave grouch Frank warms my heart too!
- I love the romance parts! Her and Noel make my heart smile. They both deserve the world!

I love the book series so much! This book was probably my favorite of the three! I am not sure if this will be the last one. But I would be happy with more of Daisy and her pies. Solid 4 stars out of 5. But I may bump it up to 5 stars.

As always, thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Last to Pie is the 3rd book in the Pies before Guys series by Misha Popp. The series is about Daisy Ellery who owns a pie truck and business called Pies before Guys.
The Ellery family has been magical when it comes to making things in the kitchen, putting a little magic into the food they create can provide much needed focus, bravery, or honesty to the intended patron. However, magic can also cause undetected death to others that deserve to pay for their sins. In this edition Daisy has the task of going up against a dirty cop who not only has a habit of beating his wife, but also commits all kinds of horrors behind the safety of his badge and fellow officers.
I enjoyed this story about Daisy and her determination to help others at the risk of being discovered. She shows the grit and determination we already expect, but we also learned more about her relationships to those she holds close. This cozy mystery will make you question who exactly are the "good guys" and what exactly counts as a crime.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Publishing, NetGalley and Misha Popp for an ARC to review. #Netgalley

I was BEYOND excited to get an eARC of this book the other day because I didn't think I would. It felt like Christmas 🎄, winning the lottery, and scoring front row seat tickets to Beyonce and BTS!

This book was a very, very good installment for my first and loved cozy mystery series, Pies Before Guys. Daisy Ellery is back and she's killing men and making pies! And I love her for that. This series has all I want in a book: pies, murder, taking down the "pietriarchy", adventure, mystery, hot bakers, hot farmers, hot smart hacker/cyber sleuths and food puns!

I love the relationships throughout this book. Juan and Daisy, Daisy and Noel, Daisy and Frank, Daisy and Zoe, and of course Daisy and Melly. Each relationship is different and distinct because the characters are. No charcter is alike in this series, not the victims and not the bad guys. Which is something I really like about it. The writing is simple, yet the plot is so fun, cozy and light. Daisy is easily one of my favorite characters. She is so real and relatable and Obsessed with her dog, like me! I loved when we got more glimpses of Daisy's family and backstory. I love Noel and Melly alot as separate characters, so IF a love triangle does happen I won't mind who Daisy ends up with. I had a lot of emotions when reading this book from joy, to coziness, happy to excited then fear to anxiousness back to joy and excitement! I really enjoy the found family trope underlined in this whole series, it is my favorite trope.

The themes presented in this book are what made my reading experience even more enjoyable. Which are: community, love and magic will be what ends white supremacy which enables the patriarchy, capitalism, racism, homophobia, sexism & ableism & many more. That we all have magic inside of us it is just our hobbies, or how charming we are, or our skills, etc.... Another theme is that we do have the magic to do something & take a stand against injustice. That life is live-able because of the small things, which is only strengthened via community, unconditional love and pies!

I am so excited for book 4 and honestly, anything Misha Popp writes including a grocery list.

Definitely pick up this book if you are a fan of: cozy mysteries, cozy mysteries with food, food puns and pie!

Above is my honest, yet unhinged & jumbled, review of The Last to Pie. An eArc from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books, releasing May 21st, 2024.

This book wasn’t for me. It did not speak to me, I didn’t like the story and had to DNF at 24%. The characters were also boring.

If you haven't read a Pies before Guys mystery, I would suggest going back to “Magic, Lies and Deadly Pies” which was a good kick-off to the series. Daisy has the magical ability to bake delicious pies that will cause you no harm if you are a good human, but will kill you if you are an unrepentant abuser of women. This ability comes with some ethical dilemmas. The great thing about this third book is that Popp lets the characters’ wrestle with all of this. Daisy's amazing, adorable boyfriend Noel knows what she does and knows that she isn't going to stop doing it. How he wraps his head around this is a really well captured part of the book. One thing that I appreciate about this series is that it does not shy away from hard conversations. I give props to Daisy and Noel for making the effort to communicate their conflicting feelings over the whole situation and to listen to and respect each other even in the midst of serious disagreements. I really like Melly who is Daisy’s best friend. She really helped Daisy in this book and it was nice to see the two of them together more. Sometimes while reading, it seems like the two of them have chemistry. I don’t know if the author is going to go that route or not, but it does seem like it’s there. Popp’s writing creates a vivid picture of the world Daisy inhabits. The incorporation of dark humor serves to lighten the mood amid the serious themes explored, demonstrating Popp’s spectacular writing ability. I am eagerly awaiting the next book in the series. Thanks to Misha Popp, Netgalley, and Crooked Lane Books for an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts.

What if you could request a pie that would kill only the person who's done you wrong? Everyone else could eat it and be fine, but only the person the poison is meant for would get poisoned. That's exactly what Daisy Ellery does in her business Pies Before Guys. A baker can't make a living on making murder pies alone, so she also bakes safe bakes, with a little magic, at a local diner. When a domestic abuse victim emails her seeking a murder pie for her abusing partner, Daisy looks into the details. As she starts to look closer and the woman goes missing, her abuser sets his sights on Daisy as his next target.

This is the latest in a mystery series, the third book in it, but I had no idea that it was a series when I started. I honestly thought it was the first book in a series when I picked it up. I had no problem finding myself among the characters or the story. Misha Popp did a fantastic job reminding readers what happened before, for those that are in the same shoes as me. I definitely want to go back and read the other two books in the series and I hope she'll write more in the future with these characters.

Trigger warning for domestic abuse.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for a copy in exchange for review consideration.

Readers who may have not connected with the structure of book 2 ([book:A Good Day to Pie|61819089], set in a cooking show filming) will be happy to get back in the swing with book 3, which is set back in town and over the course of a few weeks.

I still like the general premise, and I think there's a lot of opportunity to tell more stories in this paranormal universe. But I'm ready to be done with this series. There's a lot of repetitive narration as the main character continues to ruminate on whether or not-- or to what degree-- she may be evil. Although it is specified once that the magic doesn't necessarily or automatically kill abusers, this is again mostly ignored, and I think that's a big disservice to the character and the premise. And the boyfriend, who the MC things is pretty perfect, in a heated moment calls her both a psychopath and a serial killer. So, not really so perfect.

The series has a lot going for it and will continue to be good to suggest to many readers. Mysteries with romantic elements, a Bi MC who is a trauma survivor, significant side character in an interracial gay marriage raising an adopted daughter, and more. The discussion of domestic violence feels authentic and never flippant, but prioritize here the voices of readers who are themselves survivors. Added (?) in this book were more comments and minor reflections on privilege, especially white privilege, as the main character has a number of encounters with a police officer who is abusing his girlfriend-- <spoiler> and who is part of a group of officers abusing other women</spoiler>. I appreciate these, but the exact timing of them could be finessed a little more.

eARC from NetGalley.

Another great edition in this quasi-cozy dark mystery. I am always so surprised by the direction that each book takes. Usually there is a particular formula that a series takes and repeats, but every single book in this series is completely different than the last, but still brings that je ne sais quoi that pulls me in and has me love everything about this darker than usual fare.

Popp doesn't shy away from the darker sides of the world, and in this book there is a long look at policing and domestic violence - so be warned if those are not topics you want to dive into. She doesn't soften or skip over the darker truths that come with that world. But she pulls it off very well, and balances what could have felt voyueristic with other plotlines as well as some personal growth of Daisy herself to keep this in the sweet spot of dark cozy mystery instead of graphic thriller/mystery.

I don't generally read dark books, but there is something about this series that I don't think will ever push those lines in a way that pushes me away. I am always ready for the next one, and I think I will happily read every adventure that Daisy embarks on.

I really liked the first installment because it was fresh, original and also not too politically correct in terms of language and morality (I mean the lead character does bake murder pies as some kind of avenger for women mistreated by men). Anyway, it was a "fun" change in some twisted kind of way, in the cozy mystery genre. The second one had lost what made the initial concept interesting, so when I saw that the third one was coming back to basics, I had big hopes. Sadly, I found it a bit boring. Took too long for the suspense to kick in.

The Last to Pie is the third book in this series and can probably be read as a standalone but some of Daisy’s history is mentioned in this book. A killer with a cause, Daisy uses her magic to run Pies before Guys a specialty pie business to help out abused spouses or significant others. Her latest request is for a murder pie for an abusive cop but Daisy is unsure of the request and hesitant to take the case. Her hesitant results in the woman gone missing. Now Daisy and her friend are trying to beat the clock to save an abuse victim and put an end to a dirty cop. Full of suspense righteous indignation, Daisy latest case is a doozy as she once again scrapes by with the skin of her teeth. Another page turning addition to this unique and colorful cozy series. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a free review copy from NetGalley.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

You would not believe how cozy this book is considering what it focuses on! But it is really sweet and cozy.

The book opens with a look at police injustice and brutality in the US. Each book has a different focus and I enjoyed the treatment of the topics in this one. As is standard for this series, there are a lot of descriptions of heavy topics, such as domestic abuse, violence, death, police brutality, racism, sexual assault, and mental health struggles. But Popp is very careful to avoid giving Daisy a white savior mentality around the subject. Rather, Daisy recognizes her white privilege while still facing the reality of police injustice and its effects on other people and communities.

The side characters in this novel continue to enchant. They have always been so realistic and in tune with the tone of the novel and the content level. Ana came off as such a real kid, not a stereotyped one who’s exaggerated or anything. Especially the challenges of adult life complicated by a kid and the considerations for her welfare that ensue. When Evelyn Greco was first introduced, I was immediately intrigued to find out more about her. I wanted to know what her story was. And there are some very interesting threads teased about her life from the very beginning. None of the characters, whatever their role in the book, felt like throwaways. They were all substantial characters with potential. I liked the character of Heath. He is adorable and fills out a lot of subtopics for the situations that the book is centered around. The complicated nature of abusive relationships and the isolation that the abusers often create plus having a person of color refer to police injustice and brutality, rather than only Daisy, felt important. The heavy topics of the book are not only commented on, detailed, etc. by Daisy, the narrative and story are created by all the characters. We got to see the struggles of the side characters without the easy solution always being presented. Sometimes things just suck and there isn’t an easy answer.

Noel was, again, a solid love interest. He and Daisy are an adult couple. Not every moment is smooth, but working on it is what matters. Daisy has to make adult choices, sometimes quite deadly choices. And seeing her also make serious choices in her romantic relationships has been a great way to flesh out her character. I like my (book) relationships with tension and could have enjoyed more tension from the two of them, I think that might have helped. Their relationship was still cute, but it felt like so much less of a narrative priority. Daisy, in my opinion, is not perfect in the relationship. I don’t mind that, no one is and I, again, enjoy tension. But the missteps in her relationships never go anywhere in terms of the tension, there’s just the potential.

I did struggle with a few things in the book. There are mentions of mental health struggles that really felt drawn over and rushed through. The pacing often threw me off, going way too fast through high-impact moments. And in the tough conversations between characters, the conversations felt so fast and a little inorganic. Also, I really hope the epilogue gets flushed out in the final version, as some of the threads felt really rushed and even out of place, disconnected from each other.

It’s a mystery with hope and drama. I love the comfy nature of these books and the importance that is placed on the little things that make life worth living and saving. The book sees the terrible things and provides a solution if a unique one. I will always enjoy the cozy, justice-oriented character of this book and the whole series.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for giving me early access to this book in return for a review.

This book was a lot of fun. The Last to Pie is the third book in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series by Misha Popp. This was the first book in the series that I've read and the first book by Misha.

It follows Daisy Ellery who has special magic that allows her to infuse her pies with different emotions, including so much guilt that you will die. She welds this magic for good, making pies for the local diner that give patrons the feeling of comfort, selling pies at the local college campus that help students focus and feel confident, and of course baking murder pies for women escaping abusive relationship. She gets an order for her murder pie business from a partner of a police officer. When the woman mysteriously disappears before the pie can be delivered, Daisy knows something is wrong. She goes on an adventure to find and save the woman and puts her life in danger in the process.

Like most cozy mystery series this book doesn't require you read the first two in the series, and does a really good job at catching you up on where Daisy is in her life and what her relationship with her friends are like. I found the characters mostly believable and fun.

It was a cute quick read. The relationships were good and the setting was really charming, I am going to look at finding the first two books in the series because this one was so fun.

An unfortunate DNF for this one. When I requested this book, I didn’t realize it was the third in a series. When I tried to read the other two, I DNFed those as well.

I do not like the characters or the plot of this book. It was way too slow. I also feel like we’re supposed to like the main character but it’s really hard to when she kills people. I could get behind that whole idea if she was actually likeable, but she is not. I was so bored reading this. I also feel like it’s marketed as cozy mystery when it is definitely not.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t get over this series and will be recommending it to anyone who enjoys anything remotely mystery-ish.
I genuinely thought from the first book the series was going to be a cozy mystery series with diversity and inclusivity, and while it is, it is also a series that isn’t afraid to tackle current topics. And I love it for that.

DNF @ 22%

This book made fun of me and my job the whole time, to a point where it wasn’t tolerable. I will therefore not be finishing this book.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but the characters are stagnant and boring, show no growth, and aren’t very exciting. The book is written okay, no worse than average. I would love to see actual development, as opposed to the regression of characters behaviour, such as Melly becoming incredibly insufferable and annoying, constantly ignoring people’s boundaries.

I want to start off by saying, I did enjoy my time reading this book but this was my least favorite of the series so far.
One thing I always appreciate about this series is that it doesn’t always follow the same cozy mystery formula. Each book in this series presents the story in its own unique way. The mystery in this one is quite a bit different from past books. There weren’t quite as many twists and turns in this book, because we knew who the bad person was the whole time. There were some aspects of the story that I felt could have had more explanation. Particularly the past bad deeds of the bad person/ their coworkers.
I liked that we found ourselves back the town from the first book. I was able to get to know some of the side characters better. I felt like we didn’t see much of them with the location change in book 2. We also got a brief visit with some favs from book 2 as well.
I like the romance within the book. I liked the little bit of discussions they had about the safety of her pie business. I don’t really enjoy the little hints of jealousy that have been sprinkled throughout the story. I wish that we could just have a friendship without being accused of cheating.
Overall, I enjoyed myself reading this. I definitely plan on continuing the series and seeing what hijinks they find themselves in next.

Daisy is still pulling double doing making helpful pies for the general public and for domestic abuse women with her special brand of magic. However, this time one of her Pies Before Guys clients is needing help with a cop boyfriend and disappears before she can complete a contract with Daisy. This stirs up lots of drama with Daisy in how she sees what she does and her relationships since she can't ignore an obvious need.

Very action and investigation, not enough mystery for what I look for in a cozy mystery. I hope of the series continues it goes back to the mystery side of things. This one did end a bit like it could be a final book but also left it open to more.

3.5⭐

I had a good time with this! The premise sounded delightful, and I love a pie-baking protagonist. I knew starting with the third entry was probably going to result in feeling rather lost, but I was pleasantly surprised! You should definitely start at the beginning, but I was able to pick up on the setting and the dynamics very quickly (with exception of Melly, I still don’t know what her deal was supposed to be.)

I am having a hard time telling if this is supposed to be a ~Cozy~ Mystery, though. I don’t read tons in the subgenre, but enough to know the common tropes, like found family(which was great here, I liked Juan and Melly, and even Frank and Noel were likable in their own way), add in the heavy focus on food and cooking, and it sounds like it should be a cozy. But oof the mystery got real dark real fast. I’m usually expecting more “oh no, this rando died! Welp, time to solve some crime” and not “rapist cops are going to kill you” you know? I typically want something a little more lighthearted if I’m picking up a cozy. (I was happy to read one where the cops were the villain of the story rather than the love interest though)

I was pretty hooked with the plot, although the pacing was a little slow in some parts and there were some contrived plot beats. But I cared a lot about what was going to happen to Jodie, so I wanted to keep reading.

Best book of the series so far. A compelling story that solidifies why Daisy does what she does with Pies Before Guys. I would still like a better description of the 'science' behind her magic but that is the fantasy reader in me.