This is not your normal cozy mystery. I found this to be a delightful story —although in a totally bizarre way. It started with her Daisy’s grandmother and her gift with sewing: the dresses that Daisy still wears for her pie business. Darcy’s gift: the most delicious small pies that are baked with her special kind of magic that gives comfort to her customers. Except….for a special male person when it is specifically requested by a female for revenge purposes. Other complex issues present themselves through this story. Daisy has been running for a long time keeping to herself but she finds herself drawn to this town and the interesting personalities particularly Farm Boy. I received an ARC copy of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books; this is my honest review.

Daisy's pies have something a little extra: magic! And if she uses that magic to help women in need sometimes, who can blame her? Even if it is murder. But someone knows her secret and Daisy has to decide what she's willing to do to keep it secret.

Every time I thought I knew where this one was going, I was completely wrong! The mystery was interesting and definitely kept me guessing. I think I'm most impressed that this book, even with the heavy subject matter, managed to keep such a light tone. Several difficult topics are woven throughout, usually hinted it if not bluntly discussed. But those conversations were brief and, I felt, handled appropriately.

I enjoyed the characters too, but I'd be lying if I said they were my favorite part. I think it's just part of a mystery that your suspicions along the way can color your view of the characters. Still, the story felt unique and more than made up for this!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an arc via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

I LOVED this book. Between the magic pies and all the characters it’s just a spellbinding story. I sincerely hope this is just the beginning of a long series we get with all these characters! And if the author includes recipes at the end well that’s just an added bonus!!!!

Do not let the adorable cover of Magic, Lies and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp fool you into thinking this is a traditional cozy mystery–this was intense! Many thanks to @Netgalley for the ARC. I really enjoyed this one. “Daisy Ellery’s pies have a secret ingredient: The magical ability to avenge women done wrong by men. But Daisy finds herself on the receiving end.” There’s magical realism, romance, suspense and it does not shy away from tough topics like domestic abuse. Looking forward to book 2! 4 stars Pub Date is Tuesday 5/10

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book was so much fun to read, I absolutely loved Daisy Ellery, our homicidal heroine with a heart of gold (yes, seriously) and her misfit band of friends. This was a cracking story with plenty of twists and turns to keep a reader interested. i read this in one sitting and enjoyed every delicious moment. And now all I want is pie!

Seriously, do not read when hungry!

Loved it and can't wait for more.

I have a thing for cozy paranormals, so I requested this one. First off, this really isn’t a cozy, but to be fair, I’m not sure how I would characterize this book. That sort of threw me off the book at first, and I was a bit put off about her being a killer. However, once I got into it, I warmed up to the book quite a bit. Technically, Daisy doesn’t kill with her pies, but I’ll let you discover that on your own, so she isn’t really a killer even though that’s just a technicality. This has a tad bit of bad language, but there isn’t that much. All that aside, I really did enjoy it once I got into it. This is well-written, and I really liked Frank, Juan, Noel, and Melly. I will read the next one now that I know what to expect. Recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

This is an excellent cozyish, socially aware debut that I'm really hoping turns into a series of more of the same. This is very contemporary and takes a hard look at politics and abuse while still churning out a solid mystery plot and charming characters.

I really wanted to enjoy this book, but it was a miss for me. This book does not have the elements of a cozy mystery and the protagonist, Daisy, is far too happy to be killing people. Lastly, I can understand if the political element of this book turns readers off. Be advised.

I am not sure how I feel about this book. If I am being honest, I am not sure how I feel about the protagonist Daisy Ellery. The premise sounded interesting but the book does not have all the cosy elements and lighthearted moments (even in the midst of murder) that one expects from cosy mysteries. Daisy seems a little too comfortable with the concept of killing people no matter what her justification for doing so is. I love the description of the pies though which are absolutely yummy sounding delicacies (minus the deadly magic) and the author even provides a few recipes in the end.

In short, this book was a mixed bag for me.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Crooked Lane Books and the author Misha Popp for an e-Arc of the book.

I liked the concept of a lethal pie that exacts revenge on targeted men. It’s a unique plot so I wanted to read more.
What I liked: the RV, all the yummy pies, the power and magic Daisy has, and her community support.
What I didn’t like: the thinly veiled political pontifications interlaced in the narrative. It really turned me off.

I read fiction to escape the realities of life, not get pummeled by politics.

Daisy Ellery is a special pie maker. She imbues her pies with magic. Daisy can make a person feel courageous, she can make them tell the truth, or she can kill. She has rules in place regarding her deadly pies. The main rule is that they are only for men who have done terrible deeds. Daisy does not kill women with her pies. It seems that someone is on to her secret, and they intend to blackmail her. The blackmailer wants Daisy to deliver a special pie to three different women in exchange for his silence. Daisy needs to find out who is behind the blackmail and stop them before they share her secret. Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp is the debut of A Pies Before Guys Mysteries. I thought the story had an interesting premise (I have a weakness for paranormal cozy mysteries). I was looking forward to reading a fun cozy mystery (based on the blurb). Not long after I began reading, I was disabused of that notion. Daisy is basically a gun for hire. She may not get paid, but she does kill. It is hard to like a character who manages to justify her misdeeds. I felt there should be another way for her to use her gift. Daisy said her magic was different from her ancestors, but she is not sure why it is different. I kept hoping this would be addressed (maybe in future books). I did love the descriptions of Daisy’s dresses made for her by her grandmother. I was shocked at the significant amount of foul language in this book (I find it offensive and off-putting). I like to read cozy mysteries because they do not contain that type of language. I liked Daisy’s dog, Zoe. She is a friendly dog with a sweet temperament. I also liked Daisy’s pink retro trailer, Penny. Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies does not have the fun cozy adventure that I was hoping for from the blurb. It is a dark story. The story touches upon some serious subjects (domestic violence, addiction, rape). There is no mystery to solve much to my disappointment. Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies reads more like a romantic suspense novel than a cozy mystery. There is also a pie competition and romance with a man trying to save a family orchard. The story was missing the cozy elements and the lightheartedness. As you can tell, I did not enjoy reading Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies. While Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies was not for me, I suggest you try a sample to judge for yourself. Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is a dark magical tale with a cute canine, a retro trailer, pie happy people, an outgoing orchard owner, a persuasive speaker, a bullying blackmailer, a pie competition, and a supernatural pie maker.

Nice cozy mystery about a pie maker who can infuse pies with magic. She can add positive things like strength or concentration, or, occasionally under the right circumstances, murder. This was different than a lot of the cozy mysteries I've read and I found it to be an enjoyable page turner. There are recipes in the back for the pies in the book. CW: There is quite a bit of political messaging in this book which may be off-putting to some, especially if your political views lean to the right.

Know in advance that this is not a classic cozy by any means and I suspect some who choose it will be horrified but it's a pretty good read. Daisy comes from a magical family and she's made a business of baking pies. And a side business of baking pies that kill men who have abused women. All is going well until one day she gets a note from someone threatening to expose her! Who is is? No spoilers from me but there are a number of suspects. Daisy and her loyal pup must find the villain - and they do. Yes, she's a murderer and it's easy to judge her but she's an intriguing character, complete with 50s style dresses and a 2022 attitude. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Daisy Ellery was proud of her family name and the gift that had been passed down for generations. The ability of imbibing their magic into whatever their chosen career – her grandmother with sewing, her mother with hairdressing, Daisy with baking pies – was an ability for the greater good. But Daisy’s ability had skewed a little to one side although she never, ever, crossed her specific lines. Daisy’s mobile baker’s van – Penny – had also been passed down through the family, and now she had Penny parked by Frank’s diner, cooking pies for him and cooking her delectable pies to take to the markets to sell. With Zoe – her dog – always by her side, Daisy was a loner – until she met Farmer Boy, Noel.

Daisy’s online business – Pies Before Guys – was a side business which was private, only passing on names by recommendation, and Daisy would look into the background before accepting or denying. Daisy did all she could to help women who were in a bad relationship, domestic violence victims and more, but sometimes she couldn’t help. And sometimes she found herself in way too deep and with blackmail arriving on her doorstep, that was one such occasion. But ignoring it and getting on with the statewide pie competition was her goal. What would be the outcome after the blackmailer’s deadline had arrived?

Although Magic, Lies and Deadly Pies is marketed as a cozy mystery, it doesn’t follow the guidelines of same. The reason being, well two actually – one is the language which is never in a typical cozy, and the other is the darkness of the plot. That said, author Misha Popp has the light fantasy (with the magic) and the mystery/suspense genre down well. If you don’t mind swearing and a dark plot in your cozy, it’s one I recommend.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

An ARC was provided to me on NetGalley. I enjoyed reading this book. It was quirky and fun and different from what I usually read. I was drawn to the book because of the cover. The protagonist, Daisy, is a baker but she adds a little ''magic'' to her pies. I liked the character, yet I thought there was not a whole lot of character development throughout the book. I thought the other characters were fun and the setting was nice. This book is easy to read in one sitting and would be perfect for the beach.

Really enjoyed the book from beginning to end. Loved the concept of pies and magic to help people in need. Read it in one sitting and I can not wait for more books like this one. Highly recommend.

wow! this book truly blew me away! i mean, i could not even stay in my seat! it was so much fun to read and i'm so entirely glad that i got to read this one early. thank you so much, netgalley!!!!

Wow! What an unusual concept for a book. A pie maker who adds magic to her pies. Daisy makes pies and sells them from her van which is also her home. She always adds a sprinkle of magic to them, whatever the recipient needs, calm, level headdress or resilience. She helps students before their exams and women who meet to discuss their abusive relationships. All this is done without the eaters knowledge but it helps them. On occasion Daisy also makes pies that kill. They aren't laced with poison but magic that gives them a chance to change......
Daisy meets Noel at a craft market. He produces cider and honey. They strike up a friendship and on Noels suggestion Daisy enters a pie contest. Things turn bleak when Daisy is blackmailed Into making pies to kill women. She tracks down the blackmailer and is shocked by who it is..... and the pure contest carries on in the background.
A charming quirky book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading.

Such a fun read! Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies hooked me from the get go. This was a super fast read and I am looking forward to reading more from Misha Popp.

So.. it’s a big question mark for this one. I loved the cover and thought I was embarking on a cosy mystery - my choice of book nowadays, but my gosh it’s not cosy at all.

There were times when it had the cosy vibe, but it’s a lot more menacing, and Daisy’s abilities are cool, but she read more like an antagonist than the protagonist. Which I totally get and I’m all for morally grey characters but there didn’t seem to be a lesson learnt at the end of it, no reckoning and the whole ‘change the errors of my ways’ speech. It just was. Which didn’t really sit well with me. If you like morally grey characters who don’t really figure out the errors of their way and fix up, then this book is for you!