Cover Image: Pie Hard

Pie Hard

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

It's the second book i read in this series and I really liked it.
It's entertaining and fun to read.
The plot is action packed, full of twists and turns; the cast of characters is likable and it was great to meet them again.
The mystery was good and kept me guessing till the end.
I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Was this review helpful?

Pie Hard by Kirsten Weiss is the 2rd book in the Pie Town Mystery series, and I loved it. Pie Hard is a perfect blend of mystery and humor. Val owns the restaurant Pie Town. Charlene her elderly crust maker, signs the restaurant up for a make over on network television. When the shows producer gets murdered, thrown over a cliff, the mystery begins. Not only is this book really funny, I often found myself laughing out loud a lot, the mystery kept me guessing until the end. I found this book to be a quick read, I read it in one day, with a well developed plot and unique characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book and series.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Was this review helpful?

In this next book of the series Charlene has taken upon herself to get the Pie Shop involved in a reality TV Series. Val is totally surprised and isn't sure that she wants anything to do with the show, from what she has seen they are quite harsh and critical. Val ends up agreeing and hopes that the show can help boost the Pie Shops sales and maybe give them some ideas to improve upon business. When the producer dies from a fall off a cliff the police think it may have been an accident or suicide but one of Val's regulars from the gaming group was there and he thought she had been murdered. Val insists on figuring out just what happened to the woman but gets a shock when the new producer turns out to be her father, a man who left her life when she was a few years old and never returned. What has brought him back into Val's life and why now? There is also a strange young man hanging around all the time, does he have anything to do with the woman's death or is it just a coincidence? Val already has a lot going on in her life as it is, Charlene didn't tell her about a group of women who would be staying in a yurt for a week on the property that Val lives on. The death of the producer and some other incidents have become a burden on the Pie Shop, keeping people away from eating there. The sudden appearance of her father hasn't helped the situation either. Follow along and see how Val deals with each new direction she is pulled into and where it all leads. Will she find a killer and get her Shop back on track or will a new death close her down for good? This is a funny series filled with a great cast of main characters. I love the direction that the author is taking and can't wait to see what Val and Charlene get into next.

Was this review helpful?

A tasty read! This series is really hitting its stride, with another installment. I love how the mystery is twisted with humor form the characters. Once again Val is just trying to get ahead, but forward motion is stunted by murder. With superb writing, a great cast of characters, and a delightful mystery, this book is hard to put down until the very last page.

Was this review helpful?

Val's right to have been a little skeptical about working with the reality tv show Pie Hard. Her bakery, Pie Town, is doing ok but this is a chance to get publicity etc. Sigh. Of course, because that's the sort of luck she has, a producer on the show is murdered and Val, along with Charlene, must investigate. Charlene, btw, is a terrific character. She's a mature woman who says what she thinks. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC . A good cozy. This is the third installment but and while I've read them all, am sure you could enjoy this equally well as a standalone.

Was this review helpful?

This is the third book in the series. I think it is fine to read as a stand alone. This cozy mystery is action packed- car bombs, murders, and a mini car chase. Lots of secrets!!! Who knows what next for Pie Town? Love is in the air. I liked the Ray character. He was a hoot.

Was this review helpful?

Val's pie shop has been chosen to appear on the reality show Pie Hard, but she doesn't like the way the crew invades the shop and takes over almost everything. When one of the crew members is found dead, in an apparent accident, one of her shop's regulars thinks he saw something that would indicate it was anything but an accident. When he becomes a person of interest to the police department, Val and Charlene make it their business to find out what really happened.

This is the third book in the Pie Town series, and I liked it as much as I did the first two books. The small town setting appeals to me a lot more than books set in big cities, and most of the characters seem like people I would like to get to know. I like the way the relationships between the characters are developing as the series progresses, and Charlene's antics keep things interesting. There were plenty of suspects to choose from, but as the story continued, that list got shorter and shorter. I thought I knew who the bad guy was, but wasn't certain until it was revealed in the book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

This is the third Pietown mystery, and unfortunuately I haven't read the others. It is unfortunate because this one was very good, and I enjoyed my time spent with Val and Charlene very much! They were a quirky pair that made for a very different kind of cozy, and I must say Val puts up with a lot from her crazy land lady and her schemes! It all works out though, and a murderer is of course caught after some sleuthing. The only bad thing about this book is the multiple references to microwaved water for tea...I know there can't be anything WRONG with it exactly...but there is something wrong with it haha.

A fun series with Pie themes that are sure to make your mouth water. Four stars.

Was this review helpful?

Pie Hard, the third installment in the Pie Town mystery series, is just as fantastic as it's predecessors. Kristen Weiss really knows how to write and bring to life these culinary mysteries. Filled with delicious desserts, and loveable characters who readers will miss when they finish the last page, this is a must have book and series for fans of the genre. With each and every book that publishes I get more and more excited for the next one!

Was this review helpful?

This is the 3rd installment of the Pie Town series. Val Harris runs Pie Town and when Charlene (her pie crust expert) signs up the bakery to be on Pie Hard a reality series (of course to be known to be really harsh and critical .. good reality TV right? ) Val reluctantly agrees and as new customers appear who seem oddly familiar appear and when the show’s producer is killed and then one of the new customers is the new producer .. seems like that is just a little too convenient not to mention he claims to be Val’s Father. Val and Charlene begin investigating and bring in some regulars in the shop like Ray to help (after all he is the one who alerted Val to the dead body). Another crew member is found dead along with a lot of other stuff. Val and Charlene ultimately put it all together and it was a busy mystery with lots going on so it kept me engaged the entire time. Looking forward to the next one.

Was this review helpful?

This series gets better and better. Every character was well drawn and even with a number of them, nothing got lost. And the action didn't stop! Now I want pie ❤

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book it was a great experience

Was this review helpful?

Pie Hard is a really enjoyable cozy mystery. I had read the first book in this series, but not the second. Honestly, I don't feel like I was too lost even though some stuff obviously happened in the overall growth of the main characters. This book introduced a couple of new characters that I hope we learn more about in future books. The murder mystery aspect of the story was good, but I was honestly more interested in the other mysteries going on in Val's life. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series to see how certain aspects of Val's life evolve after this book.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion.

Was this review helpful?

An engaging and entertaining cozy mystery. A reality show brings murder and notoriety to the pie shop. Any publicity is good publicity may not be true in this case. Some surprising family issues. A little romance. Good friends and a strange yurt appearance keep things hopping.

Was this review helpful?

Title: Pie Hard



Author: Kirsten Weiss



Genre: Murder Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Food, TV Reality, Sequel



Plot: Val Harris has her own little cozy pie shop that is doing well. It's not going to make her rich anytime soon but she's not living on the street either and has employees so that's a plus. She lives in a little converted shipping container and her landlady is her friend and employee, Charlene. Together they form Baker Street Bakers and stick their noses into trouble whenever trouble comes around. Detective Grumpy Cop supports her meddling - with the argument that she needs a PI license first.



Val has her hands full when Charlene surprises her with a reality TV crew to film their little pie shop for their show, Pie Hard. Uncertain but lured in with the promise of publicity, Val reluctantly goes along with the scheme. When producer Regina turns up dead, Val decides that TV reality might not be so hot for business after all.



Likes/Dislikes: A pie shop isn't something you hear about every day and a murder mystery with a reality tv crew always sounds intriguing. Unfortunately, this mystery never quite gripped me like previous mysteries. I didn't feel connected to or interested in the characters (I don't really know how old they are or what they look like either). And I really would've had Maureen be the killer because it would've stumped my husband. But I liked the pies and the recipes at the back of the book and I liked Grumpy Cop (whose name eludes me because of reasons), and I thought it was a well-constructed mystery that kept me guessing till the end. It just won't top my favorites list.



Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (it's a murder mystery).



Date Review Written: February 1st, 2019



I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Was this review helpful?

It was great to return back to the San Nicholas and checking back in on these characters. I had read Bleeding tarts before, but this book could be read as a stand-alone. This was a great mystery that kept me guessing. I am looking forward to more books in this series.

Was this review helpful?

This is the third book in what has been a really entertaining cozy mystery series to date. I love all of the titles. In fact, the title of the first book is what drew me to check out the series. Then I read it and fell in love. This book is a nice addition to the series. The characters are fun, eccentric, quirky and seriously, who can resist a book with a narcoleptic cat. Val and her sidekick Charlene are going to be featured in a new reality show that will help the struggling Pie Town. And......you guessed it, something goes wrong leading to murder and mayhem. I love how the author has written Val and Charlene. The complement each other in personality and temperament. Who know two bakers could find so much trouble. This time around, we get a glimpse into Val's past with the arrival of the crew that will be filming the reality show.

The mystery is well done and while there are not that many suspects to choose from, trying to guess the identity of the killer was harder than I thought. The author did a great job of distracting me with clues and backstories that made me continue to second guess myself. The book had a nice pace and I thought it was well plotted. I like how the characters are growing and developing and I'm looking forward to reading more books to come in the series. I'm hoping one day we will get the answer to whether or not Charlene's cat Frederic is really narcoleptic or just incredibly lazy and spoiled.

Was this review helpful?

Pie Hard is the third book in Kirsten Weiss’ A Pie Town Mystery series. The mystery is well plotted and entertaining, the characters are eccentric and likable. There are plenty of suspects to choose from and lots of clues to sift through in order to try to figure out whodunit.

Valentine ‘Val’ Harris is the owner of Pie Town in the small town of San Nicholas in California. Charlene, Pie Town’s talented piecrust maker, poses as Val’s business partner and arranges for a reality TV show, which focuses on struggling bakeries, Pie Hard, to feature Pie Town in one of their segments. Val isn’t thrilled with the surprise and is worried because the show has the reputation of being overly critical and harsh, but reluctantly agrees to allow them to proceed because it will provide much-needed exposure for them. While it was common for strangers to come into Pie Town, two new customers were there the same morning as the TV crew, and they both seemed familiar to her, but Val couldn’t place either of them. Ray MacTaggart, a Pie Town regular, calls Val and tells her that he’s on the trail beneath the cliffs at the Belinda Hotel and needs her to come right away because someone was dead. When Val and Charlene arrive at the hotel, Ray tells them he heard shouting and then a woman, later identified as Regina Katz, the show’s line producer, flew off the cliff; and he’s convinced she was pushed. Val spots the two Pie Town “strangers” up on the cliff. The next morning, Frank Harris, one of the “strangers,” announces he’s the replacement producer, and later claims to be Val’s estranged father. Chief Shaw removes Detective Gordon Carmichael from the investigation, claiming he’s lost his objectivity. Val and Charlene start asking questions and looking into the murder, bringing Ray in to help with research. When a second member of the show is murdered, and other crimes are committed, Val worries about the impact it will have on her business. Gordon, who’s trying to build a relationship with Val, is supportive of their investigative efforts, but only if they study for and obtain PI licenses.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

Was this review helpful?

Pie hard is a solid cozy mystery with quirky, likable characters and a dash of suspense. Val Harris, owner of Pie Town, a bakery specializing in pies in San Nicholas California, is about to be thrust into the spotlight on an episode of Pie Hard, a reality-based show that promises to turn businesses into instant successes. When the TV producer plunges to her death the same day she arrives in town Val can’t help but suspect foul play. But that is not the only mystery to be solved. The strange man that had shown up in her bakery that morning, is on the beach as the tragedy happens and fills in for the deceased producer has something oddly familiar about him. When the foodie star of Pie Town turns up dead Val knows she needs to get to the bottom of things fast. I highly recommend this book to cozy mystery fans. The Pie Town Mystery series is fun, light and entertaining.

Was this review helpful?

I agree with the review that said it, there’s a lot going on here, though I enjoyed the book, I might have seriously hurt someone if they pulls the filming ambush on me. Fun with great characters.

Was this review helpful?