I received a free copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

After reading the prequel to this series I was looking forward to reading book and when I was in the mood for a paranormal cozy mystery book I decided to pick this one up. One Poison Pie starts like a typical cozy mystery the main character just moved to a new town, leaving her cheating ex behind and starting her own business. And then there is the dead body ofcourse.

This book started off good, I liked the cooking theme and seeing Mia make a new start in life. I liked how she had a close bond with her grandma and also had a roommate. Then there is the dead body and Mia is a main suspects, her ex is showing up and a competitor for the building Mia bought is determined to make her sell. I liked that there were multiple things going on besides the mystery. This book had all the ingredients for a great cozy mystery, but unfortunately this book didn't work for me.

I considered DNF'ing this book, but by then I was far enough in the book I figured I might as well finish, but in the end I wish I had just DNF'd it. At the start I was still liking it well enough, the writing style was decent enough and I liked the set up for the different plot lines and wonderign whether certain mysterious events where connected or not. Sadly the issues I had with the book are the kind that kinda get worse the more you read and by the end of the book I was just happy it was over.

The mystery fell flat for me unfortunately. There's a decent set up with an unlikable character being killed and Mia being one of the main suspects. Which both gave Mia reason to get involved and it which would give plenty of people motive, which I figured would make for an interesting mystery. Sadly it wasn't. For some reason the book never dives into other possible suspects and motives or even what happened or what clues are there. For that matter Mia hardly looks into the mystery. There is not much of trying to solve the mystery and the only reason she does is mostly by coincidence. Mostly she tries to stay save and focus on her business and own problems.

I would've liked to see Mia more actively involved in trying to solve the mystery. There is an interesting twist related to a side character involved in the mystery toward the end, but by then I had already lost interest. Then the climax scene at the end felt very anti climactic and Mia did something not so smart there whcih made me annoyed, compounded by something not working just when she needs it to.

Besides the mystery, there's the issue with Mia's ex as well as a competitor who is angry she got the building instead of him. Neither of these plot lines were particular interesting to me either. I do feel that with the whole ex plot line it helps to have read the prequel novella as I am not sure if the book gives the reader enough information if you haven't read it. I sure think reading the prequel helps get a better understanding of some side plot lines regarding Mia's cat, Christina and Mia's ex.

While there is plenty going on the book mostly felt like a slice of life type of story. The mystery mostly takes a backseat and Mia doesn't really get involved into trying to solve the mystery. And another small thing that bothered me is the title. There is no poison or pie in this book, so I have no idea why the title mentions a Poison Pie.

For some reason I had a hard time liking Mia. She seemed nice enough at first and I like her passion for cooking and how she cooks to de-stress. I didn't really care for how much she still thought of her ex, but that made sense given he was such a big part of her life for so long, it just wasn't particularly interesting. I also never got why they were together in the first place, he is painted like such an unlikable character who doesn't fit with Mia at all, that I just couldn't grasp how they ever had a relationship. Then there is Mia herself who could be quite rude and judgmental at times. Mostly these are small things like her inner thoughts or how she interpreted things that just rubbed me wrong. There are also some scenes where she isn't acting smartly and she keeps secrets from both her friends and family and forgets to give important clues to the police. She also seemed to dislike the police officer, who had his own issues with Mia, but in my opinion Mia's behavior sure didn't make it better. She also keeps thinking she isn't ready for a romance, which she said so often, but then didn't act on it and never communicates that with the love interest. I didn't really feel the romance.

I had expected this to be a paranormal cozy mystery and I loved the idea of a kitchen witch. There just isn't a lot of paranormal at all. There is no explanation, we don't get a feel for the paranormal element and it doesn't come alive. I loved the idea, but we see so little of it, it was disappointing. By the end of the book I still had no clue what a kitchen witch could do or a normal witch for that matter, as those exist too. The magic doesn't really play a role in the story and doesn't even add much flavor as it just isn't there for enough. Mostly it's hinted at, Mia makes some assumptions of other people's magic and we hear multiple times about the role kitchen witches had in previous times. I am just sad there wasn't more about the magic.

To summarize: I really wanted to like this book, but sadly it didn't work for me. After the promising prequel I was looking forward to this book, but unfortunately I didn't like it. The set up was promising and I liked the idea of a kitchen witch. Unfortunately the mystery fell flat for me. There wasn't as much focus on the mystery, the main character didn't do much investigating, there are hardly any suspects and the ending felt anticlimactic. There are some other side plot lines beside the main mystery, but they didn't really catch my interest either. I didn't like Mia, she seemed nice enough at first and I liked her passion for cooking, but she could be rude and judgmental and some of her inner thoughts rubbed me wrong. I also was disappointed there isn't more magic and paranormal. Mia is a kitchen witch, but there hardly is any information about how it works. Sadly this book didn't work for me.

Readers were introduced to this world in the novella, Chili Cauldron Curse. Now Mia’s moved to Magic Springs, Idaho, where she’s building a catering business and living in an old schoolhouse. Unfortunately, her first big dinner client, who is grandmother’s bff has been murdered.
This book introduces Mia to more of the town and its inhabitants. It’s a bit clunky in that it seems that many of them are under suspicion - making any positive interaction questionable in terms of building ties. Mia has hired her ex’s sister, Christina, who has some private drama going on and it’s unclear what her true motives are. The mystery works out well in the end but the character development is hindered. While the book is enjoyable, I struggled to think of what could make it stand out from others. It will work well for those interested in magical cozy mysteries.

It's always fun to read about a good witch, reminding me of Glinda, the Good Witch of the North from the Wizard of Oz. In this new series, Mia Malone, a kitchen witch, has return to Magic Springs and is starting a catering business. She has an ex-boyfriend/chef who is after her recipe book, while at the same time sharing her home and business with the ex's sister. Mia's first client is murdered just before the birthday party that Mia is catering and the murder weapon could be Mia's missing chef's knife.

There is a full cast of characters that is integrated well into the story which leads to more character development.

My only question is - where is the poison pie?

Gah I LOVE Lynn Cahoon! When I saw the synopsis for this one I knew I'd love it! I really loved Mia and her grandmother. The setting of a caterer witch! The character development was fluent throughout the book and the mystery was drawn out just enough. Highly recommend

Mia Malone has moved to Magic Springs, Idaho bought an old school and plans to renovate it into a cooking school. Mia plans to do catering and offer delivery meals to the residents of Magic Springs. Her first job is for the birthday party of her grandmother's best friend, Adele.
The morning of the party Adele is found dead in the dining room of the lodge. Mia is Detective Bowman's main suspect.
Strange things start to happen. Mia meets the eminently available Trent, owner of the local grocery store. Mia is in danger multiple times. It's hard for Mia or the reader to know who to trust in this interesting cast of characters.
The murderer turned out to be someone that wasn't even on my radar. This is an interesting first book in a new cozy mystery series called Kitchen Witch Mysteries.
I was a bit taken aback by Mia several times throughout the book thinking in her head about sex with Trent. It seemed a little out of place. Trent was attractive based on description and nice but it seemed an odd reaction for a cozy mystery and different from other series by Lynn Cahoon.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review the book prior to release.

This is the first in a new series by Lynn Cahoon. The murder victim us Mia's first client whose only friend is Mia's grandmother. The client accuses Mia of murdering his aunt. Mia's best friend is the sister of her ex fiance. The ex wants Mia's recipe book since she was responsible for the cooking side of their catering business. Though to understand a few things in the book you need to read the novella that proceeds this book.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I am very much liking this new series by Lynn Cahoon. My only problem with the book was the title because no one was poisoned by pie?

Mia Malone is working on starting her catering and meal delivery service, Mia's Morsels and her first client is her Grans' best friend, Adele, who seems to be hated by everyone but Grans. When Adele turns up dead, Mia gets caught in the middle. To add to her stress level, an evil developer is out to buy her building, no matter the cost. Mia is forced to fight him off and solve Adele's murder before she ends up arrested.

I think Mia is a great strong character. I like that she is a kitchen witch and works with healing magic. Her Grans is also a fun, charismatic addition to the stories. I like the description of Magic Springs and the bits and pieces Cahoon weaves into her stories to really make the reader feel like they are there with the characters. I thought the plot was interesting and I kept guessing until the end. I look forward to more books in this series.

It takes a gentle hand to make a paranormal cozy work for me, and I thought this did that well- my preference is that the mystery doesn't rely on the use of magic to solve it, and this incorporated it very gently. It's technically the first book in the series, but apparently there is a short story ahead of it that I did not read, and I felt that there must be a good deal of set up information included in that one because previous events are referred to as if readers know about them. Overall though, it was a pretty good start to a new series and one I'd continue.

This was a fun new cozy from the amazing mind of Lynn Cahoon. I love her other series, so I was excited to read this one, with it's paranormal element. I love the writing style and the character development. Mia Malone has moved to Magic Spring, ID to be near her grandmother. She buys an old school house which she transforms into her very own catering business. Mia has magic in the kitchen, literally, her magic is harnessed in her cooking. Mia's first gig is for her grandmother's best friend, Adele. No one likes Adele, except her grandmother. so when Adele is found dead at her own party, the suspect list is endless.

I love how Mia starts building relationships with the towns folk and how her magic is subtle. She has a psychic connection to her grandmother, which is amazing, and is also boarding her ex-boyfriends sister. I am really looking forward to the next book. There are so many story lines that I want to see play out.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon is the first book in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series, and it's off to a great start. I enjoy all of Ms. Cahoon's series, and was excited to read this one too. Mia Malone is a kitchen witch who is starting over in Magic Springs, Idaho where her grand mother lives, and witches and warlocks are accepted. Mia has open a new gourmet dinner delivery business and her ex's sister Christina is helping her out. At Mia's first catering job, they find her client's body. Mia and her grandma are determined to find the truth. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. The characters are delightful. I highly recommend this cozy mystery with a little magic.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A fan of Lynn Cahoon can expect an intriguing setting, characters that are funny, often quirky and smart, and a mystery paired with a soupcon of romance. In her new Kitchen Witch series, she has added paranormal elements to the brew (pun intended). Mia Malone is a kitchen witch. As Mia tells us, her variety of witches is not the fly around the moon broom stick type. Instead her craft focuses on good magic, adding spells that promote positive energy for all. Mia is recovering from a nasty relationship. Her ex ( business partner/lover) decided to dump her. Stupid man. Smart sister of the ex who now lives with Mia.

Mia has returned to Magic Springs Idaho. The small town has an open secret that people who practice the craft, both warlock and witch, live in this community. Mia plans to bring her talents to the town, offering both catering and cooking classes. Her grand mother, who helped raise Mia is enthusiastic. On the other hand, Adele, her grand mother's BFF is sour. Nothing new, Adele has the reputation of the town's meanest citizen. Now the town's meanest dead citizen, it is up to Mia to solve the mystery before she is arrested for the crime. Plenty of characters fill out the story. The plot dances between suspense and romance, making for a very satisfying read.

Highly recommended for all readers of light fiction

Full disclosure: I received the ARC from netgalley and Kensington in exchange for an honest review.Thank you for this opportunity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this advanced readers edition. I enjoyed this book and thought it read well. It is a light murder mystery and the characters are super cute and memorable. I love Mia's relationship with her Gran and Cristina. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series as we are left with an intriguing cliffhanger at the end of the story.

I loved this first book in this new series by Lynn Cahoon. I loved getting to know Mia. The mystery was well written and several twists and turns. I can't wait to read more in this series.


I received an advanced copy of this book from Netgalley and Kensington in return for my honest review. Thank you for the opportunity.

One Poison Pie is the first book in Lynn Cahoon's new paranormal cozy series, The Kitchen Witch.
Mia has moved to Magic Springs and purchased an old school house to begin her catering business &
cooking school. Of course we have murder, possible future romance and witchcraft! Couldn't put it
down - looking forward to more in this series.

"New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Lynn Cahoon launches a sparkling new series featuring Mia Malone, a kitchen witch who's starting over in her grandmother's Idaho hometown of Magic Springs, where the use of magic is an open secret and murder is on the menu...

What's a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer's simple: move to her grandmother's quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business--and a touch of magic in her recipes - Mia's hopes are high. Even when her ex's little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client's body is found, stabbed and stuffed under the head table. Mia's shocked to learn that she's a suspect - and even more so when she realizes she's next on a killer's list. With Christina, along with Mia's meddling grandma, in the mix, she'll have to find out which of the town's eccentric residents has an appetite for murder...before this fresh start comes to a sticky end..."

Witches and kitchens go together like witches and black cats!

Mia is a kitchen witch, when her former fiance leaves her single and unemployed. Mia decides the solution to her problems would be to pack up and move to a small town in Central Idaho where most witches and warlocks are welcome. She purchases an old school house in hopes of making it her new home and location for a catering/gourmet dinner delivery business. Her first event goes bad when the woman that hired her is found dead and stuffed under the head table prior to dinner. Items come up missing, and Mia feels as though she is being set up. It takes the help of her grandmother and a few neighborly warlocks to help her sort out the mess.

Having spent a decade of my life in the area that the mystical Magic Springs is located, I got a huge kick out of reading about the local townsfolk. The author has certainly captured the true spirit of the valley. It was a lot of fun for me to take a trip down memory lane as she talked about the trips to Boise and Twin Falls.

Overall, the story was well written. Once I started reading, I was unable to put this one down until the mysteries had been solved. I get the feeling there are more stories to come from this initial story and am looking forward to the rest of the series. I mean, who can turn down a sexy warlock and a kitchen witch?

I received an advance readers copy for the purpose of review. All thoughts and opinions shared are my own.

First in a new series by Lynn Cahoon. I really enjoyed this start to the new series. I found Isaac creepier and more loathsome than in the prequel.
Adele, Grans friend and not a friend to anyone else, is killed. The initial suspect is Mia Malone.

I loved all the twists, turns and misdirections. There is a lot going on in this book.
I can’t wait for the next issue.

I enjoyed this so much I read it and then listened to it on audio. I thought the story couldn’t get any better but Angie Hickman does a wonderful job reading the book. It only enhanced the story.

I was given a copy of the book by Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for a gifted copy of One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon. All opinions are my own.

One Poison Pie is the first book in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series. This is a fun and witchy new cozy mystery series. Mia Malone is a kitchen witch. It runs in her family. After breaking up with her boyfriend she moves back home to be near her grandmother. As she is setting up her new gourmet dinner delivery service her grandmother convinces her to cater a friend's birthday party. Sadly, the client's body is found under a table on the day of the party and Mia seems to be the number one suspect. How is she going to prove her innocence and move forward in this new place?

The story is told from Mia's point of view. The town has a history of witchcraft and families who have passed down the gene of witchcraft. There are a number of storylines which kept me on my toes and helped to build the groundwork for the characters and town in this series. I loved the relationship between Mia and her grandmother.

There is a recipe for Magic Spring's Easy Apple Pke at the end. I have a weakness for cozies with recipes. My physical copy is an ARC so I am not sure if the number of recipes is the same as the final edition of One Poison Pie.

Audiobook: I alternated between a physical copy and an audiobook for this one. The narrator, Angie Hickman, was pleasant. She has clear and concise speech which made it possible to listen to the audiobook at 1.5x to 2.0x speed, which is my preference for listening to audiobooks.

I enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more in this series.

Mystery & Thrillers
January 26, 2021

Mia has a messy relationship with her now ex-fiancé, who basically stole all of her recipes and took credit. Defeated, she trudges back to Magic Springs to vamp up her catering business. She’s not there long before trouble finds her. Her first client is found dead, and everyone is suspicious.

This book has a lot of everything. You have a vindictive ex-fiancé, you have a sad love story, you have an amazing granddaughter/grandmother bond, you’ve got ghost, you’ve got witches.. I mean what else could I ask for besides probably like delicious food. Oh wait. We have that too. I love that magic is out in the open here. “Girl, you got powers too?!” It was nice that it was normalized and not something spooky.

I loved the relationships in this book. Mia and Christina seemed an odd pair. (Christina is Mia’s ex fiancé’s sister.. got that? 😂) but they worked so well as friends. I loved it. Grans was the best. She was so wonderful and everyone needs a Grans in their life. It really made me fall in love with these characters.

There was some sexual discussions that did have me clutching my pearls a bit (for a cozy) but I felt it was still very clean. I know some are put off by that, but it was truly only a few pages.

I did a reading and audio switch of the two. The narration was almost rebotic. You know how you can get your kindle to have Alexa read your book but there’s ZERO inflection? That’s what it sounded like. I am one of those people that do listen to audiobooks like Twista is rapping, but even at regular 1x speed, I could not get into the audio.

I did not realize there is a novella before this book, and I will be picking it up ASAP. As the first in the series, One Poison Pie is a fun cozy that just hits the mark of being unique enough that it pulls away from the rest. The Kitchen Witch mysteries series is definitely one I will be on the look out for when the next installment hits.

Thank you Kensington for this wonderful ARC! One Poison Pie is out January 26th. #AndThatsTheWayTheCozyCrumbles

I have to say that I am not a fan of the witches genre and characters 'praying' to the Goddess. I am, however, a great fan of Lynn Cahoon. She has created a wonderful character in Mia with an intriguing surrounding cast. I will stick with it, but it is by far my least favorite of Lynn Cahoon's.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.