A Good Day to Pie is the second in book in Misha Popp's Pies Before Guys Mysteries. In this book, Daisy has been invited to compete in a baking show on television. Melly has arranged a number of "Murder Pie" drop offs on Daisy's route to the where the filming is being done. When the judges for the competition are introduced, Daisy discovers that one of the judges is on her list of deliveries after the competition is over. Unfortunately, before the competition really gets started, one of the other contestants is found dead at her station in the kitchen and shortly after that the judge Daisy was to deliver the pie to also dies.

After the first book in this series, I wasn't really sure what to expect from this book and seriously considered passing on it but I'm glad that I didn't. In this book, the author allowed Daisy to come more out of her shell and as a result expanded her circle of friends and became a better rounded protagonist. This book focused more on the actual mystery than Daisy's self-proclaimed mission to serve justice to men who cross the line in their personal relationships. This plot was also well thought out and constructed in an unusual setting that had Daisy utilizing the other competitors in the investigation instead of her previous sidekicks. I found that this also encouraged additional growth on Daisy's part as she had to rely on newly formed relationships to help her solved the mystery. I look forward to how the author continues to have these characters grow and develop in future installments of this series and would love to see some of the characters here return in future books.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books and am leaving this review voluntarily.

I wanted to read Misha Popp’s first Pies Before Guys cozy mystery before this one, but time didn’t allow it (too many arcs got in the way) - but A Good Day to Pie completely read as a standalone and as far as I could tell, I didn’t miss out on anything. I still plan to go back for book 1!!

I totally enjoy a good cozy mystery to mix-up my standard reading habits - and A Good Day to Pie is a perfect choice for anyone who, like me, would normally gravitate to romance. It’s especially great for those who love cooking and baking competition shows, because it entirely revolves around the taping of one, and the losing of cast members (it’s a cozy mystery, after all).

The difference here is that main character Daisy isn’t just a baking contestant on this American type version of Great British Bake-off - nope! She has a magical pie baking ability she was going to put to special use after filming wrapped… now she doesn’t need to - but also needs to figure out who beat her to the task of taking care of somebody, and why (and also… the other(s)).

I really enjoyed the way this one was written, all of the cast of kooky characters, the twists - hey, it’s a mystery, of course the author is going to throw everyone off and write in red-herrings to keep us guessing along the way. Very well done.

I received an advance review and audio copy from NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media, and this is my honest review.

Daisy is back in her second book. Daisy has entered a baking competition. Set in an impressive mansion in North Carolina (that reminds me of Biltmore House), everything is fine until one contestant ends up dead. Daisy sets out to find the culprit all the while concerned that her next pie victim is also there.
Opinion
This is the series that you don't want to love but do. The whole vigilante making of murder pies bothers my conscience. However, when you look at how the victims are chosen, it is easy to get over that (especially since it is just a book.)
I personally love how Daisy is wrapped up otherwise in baking good foods and making friends with other contestants. The book gives off a small town feel where you get to know everyone. I look forward to more in this series. If you haven't checked out the first book, Magic, Lies and Deadly Pies, go read it first. This is definitely a series I watch for new releases on and I'm sure you'll love it.
Many thanks to Net Galley and to Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I didn't realize going into this that it was the second to the series and I don't have access to the first book. So I didn't finish this book.

What a joy it is to be back for another Culinary Cozy Mystery adventure with Daisy. Popp’s characters are not only quirky and relatable but I love the out-in-the-open diversity spanning the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum on display. Popp’s writing is also effortlessly witty and oh so puntastic. Most importantly, the mystery plot is incredibly well-balanced with enough suspects, clues and red herrings to keep you guessing till the last page. And let me just say the Great British Bake Off style cooking completion was mouthwateringly delicious to read, you will not want to go into this one hungry but if you do there are 3 great recipes included that will make your day yummier. I very much enjoy this entire series and can’t wait to see what Daisy’s up to next. This is the book two in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series, so be sure to pick up the first book, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

I love the first book in this relatively new cozy mystery series and the second does not disappoint! Fantastic narrator and great story that kept the series moving forward. I honestly didn't know where it was going but it was a delicious cozy mystery until the end! I definitely recommend this series and can't wait for more!

A Good Day to Pie comes out next week on February 7, 2023, and you can purchase HERE!

This is the pie that's going to kill me.

No, not the pie.

The process.

It's one thing to bake a honey crunch pie, but it's a whole other thing to bake it in the glare of studio lighting with a pair of cameras tracking my every move.

Daisy is taking part in a baking contest, spin-off of that great British baking show. All episodes are shot over the course of two weeks and candidates have to stay at the venue where filming takes place.

That’s not the most complicated thing about this competition. There are two deaths. First a candidate and later a judge. Daisy decides to investigate and with the help of a little magic she tries to get to the bottom of it.

I loved the baking competition. The murder investigation was less interesting. It lacked urgency for Daisy to get involved. We hardly got to know Chloe before she died, and David … Well, it made more sense for Daisy to make sure her tracks were covered and to lay low.

Thank you to Mischa Popp, Dreamscape Media, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for chance to read A Good Day To Pie in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a fantastic book! This book was my first time reading Micha’s work. It does work as a standalone, however, I do wish I had read first book to become a bit more familiar with the characters. It is baking based book and if you love The Great British Bake Off this book is for you! Due to me not reading the first book in this series, I was a bit confused at points and found some of the filler to be a little bit of a drag.
I would still recommend this book just would advise that reading the first book is highly recommended.

Have you watched the reality TV show called The Great British Bake Off? Well, Daisy is going to take part in the reminiscent of the Great British Bake Off. Daisy is famous for murder pies so when she finds out that one of the judges in the competition was the one that she was supposed to be making the murder pie for, she was shocked. Competitions and drama enfold in the competition and one of them soon gets murdered...

This is the second book of the Pies Before Guys mystery and I was super excited to read the second book as I enjoyed reading the first book. This book was OK to me. The first part of the book was slightly boring--all about setting up the competitions--baking cakes and puddings and breads and of course a bit of drama off the screen. A girl named Chloe gets murdered first and soon one of the judges gets murdered. Daisy was determined to find out who the killer was even if she was eliminated from a round. I enjoyed reading this book and I do like the fact that there are recipes behind the book so we could try them at home! The descriptions of the food in general made my mouth water. Overall, this is an OK thriller which worth 3.5 stars! Cannot wait for the third book of the series.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

An unusual heroine enlivens this cozy about a baker who finds herself investigating the death of a judge of the baking competition she's meant to be part of. Daisy has a business as a piemaker- a pie maker who bakes pies that kill rotten guys and she had a commission to serve one up to the judge but someone else got to him first. Cozy fans know there will be more than one suspect and a twist or two. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Daisy (and her little dog) is a hoot.

The deadly desserts series continues…
Daisy enters a pie contest, naturally,, but one of the judges ends up being her victim.
Now she must track down the answers.
This is a different take on baking and revenge.
I like all the pies and also trying to figure out who really do what to whom.
It may not be for all readers, but sometimes the darker elements of a read are appealing.

Pub date: 2/7/23
Genre: cozy mystery
Series: Pies Before Guys, book 2
Do I need to read book 1 first: Yes! The narrative will make much more sense if you do.
Quick summary: Daisy has the power to kill with a pie - but what happens when someone gets to her target first? She can't let a baking competition distract her from finding the truth.

It feels like baking competition books are becoming their own subgenre, but honestly, I'm here for it. We all need more Great British Bakeoff-style competition in our lives. The murder threw Daisy for a loop, and I enjoyed seeing her try to figure out what was going on. There was a good balance of mystery and baking - delectable recipes plus plenty of suspects.

I enjoyed this follow up to MAGIC, LIES, AND DEADLY PIES - the only thing to note is that Daisy's business, Pies Before Guys, is not heavily featured in the narrative since the baking competition is the focus. This didn't bother me, but I think readers should know that book 2 is a bit of a departure plot-wise from book 1. I'm excited to see where book 3 goes!

Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second in the Pies Before Guys series. I absolutely devoured this book! I didn't want to put it down. This was a bit different than the first in that the setting was a baking competition, and the main characters we loved so much in the first one weren't super involved. I really enjoyed the baking competition aspect and the twists and turns among the contestants.

Daisy becomes a contestant on Bake My Day where she is challenged to make not only her signature pies, but other desserts as well. She plans to drop off a murder pie after the competition, but learns that one of the judges is, in fact the intended recipient of her murder pie. People related to the show start dying and everyone is a suspect. The story has a locked room feeling, complete with secret passageways, secrets and scandals.

I can't wait to read the next one.

I loved this book! I read the first one thanks to Netgalley and it did not disappoint. This was a really fun book!
The plot of a baking show was totally fun, and the characters were all really well developed.

I love that there are always recipes at the end of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Daisy Ellery returns to baking her magical pies and other desserts in a TV Baking Competition reality show: Bake My Day. Daisy road trips up with her new Beau to the Estate where the show is being filmed. This way, she can drop off her Pies Before Guys Murder Pies on her way there and back to the men who truly deserve to die.

As she begins the competition, she realizes one of the judges is someone she was planning to drop a pie off to on her return, as ordered by his wife. The judge dies before she has the chance to serve him the murder pie. What happened? Who killed him? Will someone find Daisy’s correspondence with the wife and find out her business?

Overall, I adore bake off competitions and the cozy genre and so I enjoyed the book in general.

The mystery itself was good and played out well. I appreciated the build up and it felt realistic. I didn’t guess the entire outcome and I was pleasantly surprised.

I was impressed with the representation of diversity and inclusion within the book.

I could not give this book the 4 stars I gave to the first book. I was disappointed in this sequel because I loved the first one so much and this one didn’t have as much charm. The “Pies Before Guys” Murder Pies were not the main focus at all in the book and it takes away from why I love Daisy so much. This felt more like a side quest.

I found the setting of a reality baking competition to be unique and compelling but the author was very repetitive in describing all three rounds, each day, of the competition. As I mentioned, I love these type of shows and am a baker myself so I was still interested.

That being said, the fact that this was a reality show competition filmed in a hotel with strict deadline, NDAs, and zero internet access or contact with the outside world made for a modern twist on a Locked Room Mystery.

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for an ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I am so glad I discovered this author this year, although I am a little sad I will have to wait so long for another entry. Daisy is empathetic, smart, and morally grey. Cozy mysteries, baking shows, this one is a winner!!!

This is a great cooking mystery that toes the line between cozy mystery and a bit darker suspense. I have read a few cooking competition show books and this one I think does a great job making the cook authentic. All the new characters were interesting and well rounded and there are a good amount of twists and turns layered in with the cooking show plot and this is a great read overall.

As the second book in a series, this one is different than the first one. While I really enjoy both books I can see where the appeal for one or the other might lie. I think this book leans a bit more cozy than the first, and really only the main character returns since this book is more of a locked room mystery so we don't see any side characters from the first book really. There is also a lot less magic in this book than the first which was one of my favorite parts.

Baking "murder pies" would be the perfect way to kill bad people, wouldn't it? I was intrigued by this book when I saw it was a murder mystery version of The Great British Bake Off. Having not read the first book, I cannot comment on the series as a whole. It did seem like a great standalone. 'A good day to Pie' has a magic element that I found intriguing and entertaining. As the murder victim turned out to be the person who would consume the "murder pie," made the plot interesting.
I love this book, the baking competition aspect was top-notch.

Thank You to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC of this book. This was an honest review.

https://wellreadpiratequeen.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-good-day-to-pie-by-misha-popp-tuesday.html

I think I have a problem. Lately I've fallen in love with the first book of a series and get all giddy about being able to read the second .... and then it falls horribly flat for me. Well, maybe not horribly flat, but they almost never seem to be as "omigoodnessyouhavetoreadthis" as the first. There have been some notable exceptions : Jacqueline Frost and Kim Nash spring to mind. More often than not, though, it's like the second weigh-in on The Biggest Loser when the great week one losses were often replaced with gains.

Now, I didn't dislike A Good Day to Pie. It's just so different from Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies and I absolutely loved that one and have already re-read it and loved it just as much the second time around. It has cozy elements but is far from actually being cozy. That's actually one of the reasons why I had chosen this one to read now. I can't handle sweet and super cozy and was hoping for some good ol' snark and serial killing like the first one. Maybe it would have helped if I actually enjoyed the one episode I ever bothered to watch of Great British Bake Off .... or if my life wasn't such a mess. It definitely would have helped had it felt more like the unique first book and less like so many other "cozies."

I love cozies. I do. I'll probably be reading a lot of them this year thanks to my challenges .... but I really wanted that first book feel. There was just (barely) enough of it scattered here and there that I'm still hopeful for when the third book rolls around, but not enough to make this particular book one I'll re-read when I'm in a serial killer kind of mood. A cozy mood re-read? Probably.

This is the second book in the murder pie series. Daisy is a magical basket who is capable of baking pies laces with magic that kill the horrible men who get served them by the women they have abused. She joins a televised baking competition that follows the general structure of the Great British Baking Show, and everything goes well until until one of the contestants and a judge die on set. The wildest part, though, is that the judge as a future murder pie target! Daisy spends the rest of the competition trying to figure out who beat her to the punch.

I didn't read the first book in the series, but it looked like a fun read. I fully plan on going back to read the first in the series soon, because it was certainly a delightfully well-crafted story, and I want to see where this all started. The main character is clever and you can't help but cheer her murderous self on as she not only serves up some justice for the abused, as well as competing in a over-produced but compelling baking contest. I really enjoyed the book, and have already suggested that we get our hands on these books for our library.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!