3.5

I think marketing this book as a cozy mystery does it a disservice because it's more of a cozy suspense if that's a thing. Think genre mashup along the lines of Jesse Q. Sutanto's Dial A for Aunties but with a main character that's like a less vindictive Scarlett from Layne Fargo's They Never Learn. Oh and Daisy, the main character, uses magic pies to kill her victims.

If you go into this expecting a typical cozy mystery, you might be disappointed. While it has the light tone of a cozy, there is swearing (usually a no no in cozies) and a lot of commentary on social justice movements, which might not work for some who go to cozies for escapism. Though as is typical of cozies, there is no on page violence, murder, or sex.

On the whole, I found this an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. I liked Daisy as a main character and I liked her found family. I also loved that she was so openly bisexual and had potential love interests of more than one gender.

This was marketed as a series starter, and I would be interested to see where the series goes as this book seems to have wrapped up nicely.

I am super in favor of cozy mysteries that push the genre, so if you’re also into that, check this out. That said, I struggled with the tonal mismatch of the cutesy magic of the book and the grim subject matter (the fairly well-trod territory of women’s vengeance against bad men). Not that this book needs to appeal to my personal sense of justice, but I don’t think I’m as enthused about the execution of this premise as I might have been once. Still, it’s worth a read and I’m genuinely excited about the pie recipes at the end.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the arc. What a fun cozy mystery! Love visiting these cozy little towns. Author did a great job loved all the characters.
Definitely recommend!

When I saw #MagicLiesandDeadlyPies being offered on #NetGalley, I thought it sounded like another fun and magical cozy mystery. As I started to read Misha Popp's book, I realized that it is a gem in an overcrowded genre, and I feel lucky to have been able to get my hands on an ARC.
When I started reading this book, judging from the title, I expected something light and frivolous. It's nothing of the sort. Sure, a healthy dollop of humour is included, but there's also an equal measure of social commentary and vigilantism - an anti-hero of sorts who is sympathetic and relatable.
Popp's words throughout the book are sure to hit home with women - whether they point out the tendency of men to tell women to smile, or the various levels of harassment that most women are familiar with. As I reader, I found myself rooting for Daisy and her pie-delivered justice.
More importantly, I found it extremely difficult to put down the book, staying up far too late reading than I should have for a 7 a.m. commitment. That got me thinking - perhaps, just as Daisy adds magic to her ingredients, perhaps Popp weaves magic into her words as she writes. The book is certainly magical enough. As she herself says in the book, her bakers are "shapers of worlds", and so, I would argue, is she.
Regardless, the book is well-written, gripping, and entertaining, with complex characters and plenty of twists and turns. I look forward to more in the series.

This book was a perfect read for pi day, and has a really interesting/weird cozy mystery concept of the main character Being a Hired Pie-sassain? It’s definitely a little Out There for cozy mystery concepts, so if you’re looking for a cozy mystery that goes a little bit off-book, this one’s for you. Four stars.

*I was provided with a free ebook copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for this opportunity.

This book follows Daisy Ellery, a young woman who runs a pie business in Massachusetts. Daisy lives in a converted RV with her pitbull and travels around selling pies across town and also bakes for the diner where she keeps the RV.

Except, it's not that simple. We learn that the women in Daisy's family have magical powers that shine through in their talents. Daisy can bake magic into her pies. And she doesn't always do positive magic. Daisy visits domestic violence support groups to find men who abuse women and then bakes pies that will kill only them. It's the perfect murder because there is no evidence... anyone else who eats the pie will be fine and there is no poisin. This is all going fine until she starts receiving anonymous threats from a stranger saying she must kill 3 women or he will expose her murderous secrets.

This is marketed as a cozy mystery and whilst it doesn't exactly fit the category, I think it still gives off a cozy vibe despite the dark topics. Daisy and the other characters are instantly likable and the book still manages to be lighthearted and funny. I was hooked from the first chapter. I really enjoyed this book and would definitley recommend it.

"After all guys are always telling us to smile. Truth is, they should be really nervous when we do."
Daisy Ellery is a special pie maker. She rights the wrongs that men afflict on women. She sells magic pies that have essences of love and strength during the day, and justice pies at night.
This book is more magical Realism thriller than cozy mystery. I loved it. A bit dark but with quirky characters and magic. I'm hoping this continues as a series. Thank you, Crooked Lane for the free copy.

Charming, quirky, and a little dark. Despite the cover this is NOT a cozy! I adore the pop culture references, the inclusiveness of the cast, and the styling of the characters and locations. 50s dresses, dogs, cider, pie, humor, and a tiny bit of romance make for a perfect read.

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is a great cozy mystery. This book seems to have it all. Romance, mystery, magic.

The main character Daisy is a pie baker who infused magic into her pie making. Daisy's magic is from a line of magical women in her family. She is trying to save the world one pie at a time by getting rid of horrible men who hurt women. She has a word of mouth club called Pies before Guys, that helps women with the men in their lives. Someone finds out that Daisy is the face behind the Pies before Guys and blackmails her into getting rid of three women they want gone.

I have to say this book was a hit for me. I thought the element of the magical pies was really interesting along with the mystery part of the book. This book did had some language in it which kind of threw me with it being typed at a cozy mystery.

I really enjoyed how the story ended. It really left me wanting to read more about these characters.
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies comes out on May 10th 2022. Thank you to Crooked Lane and NetGalley for and advanced reader copy.

I received an early version of this book via NetGalley.

This book is being categorized as a cozy mystery, but it doesn't neatly fit into that genre: the main character is a murderer who bakes magical pies that can channel intent and emotion. She uses murder-pies to help free women from horrific abuse. Magical abilities run in her family, and that's as far as the mystical aspect of the book goes. When main character Daisy starts getting messages from someone threatening to out her as a murderer--and blackmailing her to send murder-pies to other women, something she never does--she goes deep into investigative mode, baking all the way.

I went into the book expecting something more quaint and cozy. This was considerably darker than I anticipated. I wasn't bothered by Daisy's homicidal ways so much as I was some of the brief descriptions of abuse and manipulation; this is a book that will need trigger warnings, but at the same time, there's something cathartic and satisfying about seeing these awful men get their due. The book has a touch of bad language (normally a no for cozies) and Daisy is also blatantly bi (which I haven't encountered in another cozy, so I was pleasantly surprised by the queer rep). The author writes about pies and baking with passion and authority, and the back of the book even includes recipes.

<i>Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies</i> strikes an odd balance between grim vigilante justice and homey baking show, and I eventually got into it; however, I can see other readers bouncing off this book, hard. The ending is quite satisfying, though I am left wondering how it will work as a series since this book wrapped things up nicely.

So this was an interesting book as it crossed multiple genres from murder mystery to romance. However, it was an interesting concept and not one I had read about before. It also made me want to bake a pie or two as each creation from the flaky, buttery pastry to the fresh, sumptuous filling made me salivate although perhaps not all Pies…

I must admit I didn’t like the main idea of vengeance in a pie at first and the whole “murder pie” idea as I don’t really like vigilantes (apart from superheroes when it’s clearly fantasy) so it was hard to connect with the main character as her values were not something I agree with.

However, this was still a fun read for the most part, I liked Frank, the owner of the diner. His work ethics combined with his family values is something which I connected deeply with.

This book is very much about the families we make and not the ones we are necessarily born into which I especially like reading about. The whole atmosphere at the diner is like one big family and their complete support for Daisy, someone who doesn’t have any blood family was so moving and beautiful.

I also liked Noel, the manager of a local family orchard who is trying to keep his family business running by coming up with new and exciting ways to bring in my visitors. His drive to succeed combined with his great ideas and friendly personality really brought the character alive.

However as the story progresses I found myself enjoying the story more and as the true background to the murder pie reveals itself you start to understand more about Daisy and her true motive in these Pies (hint- its not all to do with murder)

One thing I loved about this book is the idea of baking magic into a pie. When we bake we all often do it with love, or nostalgia if it is a special dish baked by previous generations. But imagine if these feelings could truly be baked and sealed into your baked treats? I thought that was a wonderful idea!!

Overall I thought it was a cute read, yes it was unsure about the genre of book it was at times and some ideals I didn’t share but in general I had fun and definitely gave me an appetite. The pie recipes at the end is also a nice touch. For a debut novel I thought it was great and very creative and I look forward to seeing what comes next.

⭐⭐⭐💫 – a fun read with a cute storyline, however this will leave you hungry!!

I was drawn to this book because it had mystery, magic and baking all wrapped up in one and also right now I'm in love with cozy-mystery novels. This definitely is one!

The main character Daisy I loved and could understand her reason for many of the things that she did. Whereas I think some people would find it hard to get behind why she does what she does.

Daisy comes from a long line of women that are able to create magic. They use their magic only for good, but Daisy believes her magic is broken and not the same as her ancestors. I think you can look at this and rationalize that she is using her magic for the greater good. There were times that I felt like she was pushing "pinstripe" to use the magic when she hadn't tried any other options to get out of her situation.

The mystery-suspense part was trying to find out who was blackmailing Daisy and I do have to say it took me a while to figure out who was blackmailing her. I liked the fact that it wasn't easy for me to guess, but I could guess who was involved in it. Just not the true blackmailer.

I would love for this to became a series and see what happens in Daisy's life moving forward with the cast of characters that are in there. I think they could have left a cliffhanger for a follow up book!

Genre: mystery
Pub date: 5/10/22
In one sentence: Daisy Ellery's pies are to die for - literally.

I expected a typical cozy mystery, but this book has some tricks up its sleeves! Daisy uses her piemaking gifts to avenge women who've been wronged, helping them escape from bad situations where they have no other options. I don't love vigilante justice in real life, but a baker meting out justice through deadly pies? Yes, please. I love books with strong feminist themes, and this one fit the bill. Pies Before Guys (yes, this is the name of her deadly pie service)! The mystery here was compelling, with plenty of twists, and I enjoyed it a lot.

If you like offbeat mysteries like Finlay Donovan is Killing It, give this one a try! I think cozy mystery readers will also enjoy this one, even though it's a little more violent than the average cozy.

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley.
Posted to Goodreads on 2/13/22, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date.

Daisy is the main protagonist. She infuses magic into her pies. When she discovers that the magic in her pies can be deadly, she decides to help avenge women who've suffered at the hands of evil men. The plot got me hooked and hence I asked for an ARC. Unusual yet fascinating with delectable scenariors where food is mentioned. Great read!

Great first in the series; super cute outfits, delicious pies, and just enough quirks with the side characters. Magic mushroom testing? Love it! The mystery was fun and not what I was expecting when I realised that there wasn't murder. Or, at least no murder in the traditional sense. Cannot wait to read more in this series!

This was a truly enjoyable read, and when the book came to an end, I found myself wanting to know more about pie girl and her adventures! The storyline was unique as were the characters. I didn't see it as a cozy mystery exactly, as there wasn't necessarily a murder to be solved, but I did enjoy the other cozy elements.

Daisy Ellis comes from a long line of magical women, each able to harness their magic in different ways. Daisy's grandma was able to sew magic into clothes, her mom able to use her magic while cutting hair. Daisy is able to bake magic in to pies. She is able to bake hope, love, calmness and courage in to the pies she makes. She also has the unique ability to avenge women who were wronged. She starts "Pies Before Guys" and when a woman comes to her who has been abused she makes and delivers that man a special pie, one that will right the wrong, which usually ends up in the man dying.

Daisy and her faithful pup, Zoe live in their van outside a small diner where Daisy trades pies for a place to park and hook up her van. She serves her magical pies at various locations around the city and meets Farmboy, a local apple farmer trying to save his families orchard. They become fast friends and he helps her sign up for a pie making contest. Daisy learns that someone outside the PBG circle has found out her secret and is threatening to out her. There are a few subplots throughout the book, which are very enjoyable.

I was quite intrigued when I read the synopsis of this book.

Daisy is the main protagonist. She infuses magic into her pies. When she discovers that the magic in her pies can be deadly, she decides to help avenge women who've suffered at the hands of evil men. Cute cover although it's quite a dark book but it's a decent read. I hope there are more coming!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to review.

This book is amazing! It's not a typical cozy murder mystery. It's really unique and fun. I love the cover, too! The recipes are a wonderful added touch. Definitely recommend if you need something a little different with a touch of magic and mystery.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Daisy Ellery sure can bake some potent pies. Maybe the better description would be deadly. When a murder occurs that wasn't on Daisy's agenda she has to solve the murder. This is a fascinating storyline. I love the characters in this book. I am looking forward to more of Daisy's adventures.

This was an unusual book. It took a little bit to figure it out. But once I did, it was a thoroughly enjoyable book.

The protagonist has some unusual skills. Once the reader gets used to who she is, or what she is, she is a very delightful character. She has a job to do. And she is falling in love while doing it.

The offbeat plot of the book made it stand out from the crowded field of mystery/action/adventure novels. It's a wonderful book to read.