A cute and cozy mystery.

Daisy is back at it again, but this time she’s not the one at the center of a murder.

I really enjoyed how this was about Daisy doing the detective work, while testing out her baking skills outside of just pies on a cooking show.

I liked the friends she made and how it ended.

Overall easy read. Very light hearted.

I do miss her cute pittie 🐶 since she was away from her while filming on the show.

Thank you for the arc Netgallery!

Murder is simply delightful in this humorous and entertaining cross of the Great British Bake Off and the Glass Onion movie. Our delightful murder pie maker finds herself locked into a hotel while competing on an American cooking competition television show when someone on her murder pie list is killed by someone other than herself. The twists and turns are fun and when you are becoming friends with people who might be murders then you must hurry to find the culprit without outing yourself as the murder pie girl! The author once again delightfully wove the characters into the likeable, or unlikeable as the case may be, people that are the current center of our favorite pie makers world. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite series to look forward to!

I read the first book in this series on a whim when I saw it was available on Libby last year and immediately after finishing, I went to NetGalley and found the sequel. I've left the reading and reviewing a little late, but I'm getting to it before pub-day, so I consider myself a success. Anyway, this book was just as fun as the first one, but in a different way. Same tone, same fun writing style (same audiobook narrator), different setting and format. Part of me wishes Popp would have saved the veering off of format for further into the series when it would have been better appreciated, but the story works, so I really can't complain too much.

Here, instead of being in our main character Daisy's chosen hometown in her trusty RV with her dog Zoe, baking up murder (or vengeance) pies for men who deserve it, Daisy is competing on a new baking show that is a completely rip-off of The Great British Bake-Off in almost every way (down to the very American characters using very British words like "sponge" and a host who has a catchphrase she uses before every bake). The next part is spoiled in the blurb but if you don't want something spoiled that doesn't happen until 42% of the way into the book, skip to the next paragraph. The twist here is that Daisy decides to take on several Pies Before Guys clients on her way to the competition, and on her way back home, but one of the judges on the TV show turns out to be one of the men she's baked a pie for. Only, he is murdered before she can actually do it.

As a dealer of murder and a possessor of magic, Daisy feels it her responsibility to figure out what happened, all while they keep filming the show (not even death can stop capitalism).

One of the most notable things about this book is that it's the first book set on a Bake-Off type TV show that got the baking part completely right. As much as I love Alexis Hall's baking books, and Battle Royal, there wasn't nearly enough focus on the baking for my tastes. Here we get it in abundance, almost as if you're watching the episodes yourself. This may (and hasn't) worked for everyone, but I liked it a lot.

I have two hopes for this series going forward. The first is that it has more books but doesn't overstay its welcome, and the second that it continues to shake things up a little bit in future books, not just leave things the same. That's one of the things I don't really like about traditional cozy mysteries. The sameness doesn't read as cozy to me, it just feels stagnant. This series so far has managed to feel both cozy and let Daisy experience growth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the e-ARC to read and review. When I requested the ARC, I didn't realize this was a second installment of a mystery series vs. a standalone within a collection, so I tried to catch myself up to Daisy's magic ahead of the read. I did find that the magical realism element that caught my interest initially (a baker weaving her magic into her delicious baked goods to right wrongs in the world) was mostly absent from my read, which is why I felt like I had to go back and understand it - but then it also didn't come to life much in this story at all. Descriptions of the magic itself were more like "I'm going to have to put my magic in the pies," and not what that entailed or what it looks like/feels like/ something else I could be drawn into. Beyond the very light magical element, I thought the murder mystery plot was a fun and engaging read, but ultimately a bit bogged down for my liking on the descriptions of the reality TV baking show Daisy was part of. I have read a lot of fiction lately that imagines the extra drama that goes on behind-the-scenes and off-air of our fave reality series, and this one had a cool concept (what if there were mysterious deaths/murders/deception/lies etc. going on during filming of a popular show?!). But ultimately I felt like I was reading recaps or transcripts of on-air shows I've seen, with every judge's comment or criticism but not the tastiness of enjoying it myself. I am interested to go back and fully read the first one and hope to be more immersed in this world though!

A Good Day to Pie is the second book in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series. I recommend reading that book before this one, as it will give you a general understanding of Daisy and her magic.

In this book Daisy finds herself in a baking competition. Unexpectedly, one of the future recipients of her murder pies is one of the judges on the show and he turns up dead before the pie is delivered. This is a closed door mystery, and Daisy needs to solve the murder before she can be added to the suspect list.

I enjoyed this book. We have a great cast of characters that we get to know and love. I only wish we could get more from these characters, as they all had their own back stories that you wanted to delve more into. You also can work along with Daisy to solve the mystery and figure out who the culprits were.

I enjoyed the T.V. show aspect, but after a while it did start to feel a bit redundant. I also missed that we didn't get to see as much interactions with the characters from the previous book as these were characters I started to love and found myself missing them!

I enjoyed the second book in this series and will continue to check out Misha Popp's books. If you love a cozy mystery, with a touch of magic this book and series would be perfect for you! Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of this book. All opinions are 100% mine.

This is the second book in. a cozy mystery series about a baker who bakes murder (of bad men only) into her pies. I absolutely loved the first book and I really enjoyed this one too. It has a setting around a Great British Bake Off-type show and was fun. The only thing I found a little lacking was more presence of some of my favorite side characters from the first book.

Daisy is back in the next installment Misha Popp’s Pie Before Guys Mystery series with a murderously delicious new book!
A Good Day to Pie mix of a the Great British Bake Off and magic with a side of murder! 💀 🥧
Innovative, hilarious and full of just desserts - this series has become one of my absolute favorites.
Be sure to check out A Good Day to Pie coming to a bookstore near you soon!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a sweet mystery series! I wish there were more of the regulars from the first novel present but I loved this one as much as that one.

I’ll be honest I was so wrapped up in the cooking contest that at times I forgot to try and figure out whodunit.

I really hope there is many many more in this series.

This was a great little cozy mystery....I loved the take on murder pies and murder pie magic. Who doesn't love a little well deserved vigilante justice?! Our lovely main character has a wee bit 'o magic and can bake murder into pies for those who deserve it. A more subtle magic than many of our other books with witches, goblins, vampires now-a-days.

And my only disappointment was not having read the first in the series (which has apparently garnered many wonderful reviews). You can dive into this book without reading the first...although you will want to go and read the first. (And I will proceed to do that one soon).

I enjoyed the tv show aspect...although, as many reviewers have pointed out, it began to feel redundant. Some snippets about how cooking shows were made was intriguing. I almost wish our heroine had some sort of kerfuffle in the contest early on (argument or hugely disastrous baking debacle).

But I want more murder pie mayhem....hope there are many more sequels to come. This is a new favorite

A very entertaining, compelling, and fast paced cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author delivers a solid mystery that kept me guessing and i liked the fleshed out characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

this was such an action-packed novel filled with delicious sounding treats! i was extremely excited to read “a good day to pie” after having listened to the audiobook version of “magic, lies, and deadly pies.” i really enjoyed how the first installment combined murder mystery with romance but i found myself missing the chemistry between daisy and noel in the sequel. i also wished to have been reacquainted with other characters i’d grown to love - like frank and melly. having said that, there are many new names introduced in “a good day to pie” and i was still extremely hooked onto this plot. it’s fast-paced and there’s something new being uncovered in each chapter so it’s really hard to put down!

i was especially drawn towards the contestants’ bakes because all of them were super creative and made my tummy grumble! but i also came to love the time the bakers had amongst each other. i thought freddie was especially funny and his humor added a level of lightness in otherwise serious situations. gemma was also a sweetheart and based on her talent, i kept forgetting she was the youngest competition! i’m super curious to find out if there will be other installments in this series and whether characters introduced in “a good day to pie” will reappear in daisy’s future!

The second pies before guys mystery finds Daisy competing in a cooking competition that turns deadly. I hadn’t read the first one so I wish there had been a bit more explanation or recap about Daisy’s magic, how it works etc. I enjoyed a lot of the rest of the mystery, but was just a bit confused on those parts!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

A Good Day to Pie was delightful! In the second book of the series we head to a fancy hotel where a baking show is cooking on a very tight timeline. I missed the pie truck, but definitely enjoyed the competition aspect.

This was a delight! It felt like a really good cozy mystery. I thought it was full of fun parts that made it a quick and fun read.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

A Good Day to Pie was a lot like a baked good. It was sweet and delightful, but a little light on the actual substance.

A sort of magical cozy mystery, this book follows Daisy as she heads to a baking competition, basically an Americanized version of the Great British Baking Show. The winks and nods towards the actual show were among the best parts of the book, making me laugh more than once. But since this is a mystery, the competition comes with a side of murder. The mystery element was also completely fine, with enough twists and turns to keep me engaged and guessing. The contrast between the lightness of the competition (or as light as a competition for $100K can be) and the ongoing whodunit worked well, although the shifts from one story element to another could be a little choppy.

This book fell a little flat for me, though, when it came to the characters. A few of the contestants sparkled - Tony was a standout - but I got the others mixed up frequently. And Daisy, though an engaging narrator, didn't evoke any particularly strong emotions in me. I also felt like the book never quite figured out how to strike a good balance with the Murder Pies vs. the actual murders happening. I wanted to buy into the concept, but it never entirely landed.

Overall, though, this book was a quick, fun read, with plenty of baking banter. Definitely hits the spot for a GBBO fan and anyone who likes their mystery with a side of magic.

3.25/5

I don't often watch baking or cooking shows, but I have watched enough to find the behind-the-scenes plot of this book a lot of fun. AND OMG have a tissue close by to wipe the drool. The description of all the amazing desserts the bakers create will seriously have you salivating. If you don't already follow the author's Instagram, do yourself a favor and go follow. She posts gorgeous photos of her homemade pies and desserts. YUM!

The supporting cast we came to know and love in Book 1 of the series is not in this novel much, necessary due to the baking show setup. All the "weeks" of the shows are actually filmed in just one day. The bakers all live together at a luxurious home for two weeks. They aren't entirely cut off from the outside world - they can use their phones if they can manage to track down the staffer who is in charge of keeping them. Thus, we do get some touches to friends back home. This is especially useful when Daisy needs to figure out if her murder pie business can in any way be implicated in the deaths of one of the other bakers and one of the judges - the judge who was destined for a murder pie once filming wrapped!

The other bakers more than makeup for missing out on the supporting cast in Daisy's life. They all bring interesting personalities - and secrets - to the mix. Another great book in this very unique series - how many other series is the main protagonist also a murderer?

This story is a fun read, it's dark, humorous and a cozy mystery all in one. The main character is a great character, and she is full of female empowerment. She's just trying to help her fellow human beings. There are some parts that make you laugh and want to cheer for the main character. The story made me wonder about my own sense of humor. But it's a wonderfully written cozy read, and it's fast paced. A nice winter story.


Disclaimer: Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books, for this ARC copy, I received this review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Daisy has a magic hand with pies, which is perfect as she goes on a new reality baking show. The only problem with the show is that death seems to be lurking at every station. Unweaving the lattice work of their pasts, the competitors team up to try to solve the mystery themselves, who is the killer and who will survive to win the competition?

I didn't realize until I was reading that this is book#2 of a series. While I had to surmise some information, this could be a standalone book. Some of the twists were expected, others weren't. All in all, a good read if GBBO and mysteries are your cups of tea.

#netgalley
#arc
#agooddaytopie

At first glance you wouldn't think a book that features 'murder pies' would be a fun read, but author Misha Popp presents this second book in her series with aplomb and imagination, and ends up with another entertaining page-turner.
The new slate of characters, who are participating in an American baking show, are varied and fascinating; the setting of a mansion complete with hidden tunnels is absolutely perfect and almost a character in itself; the tension of the baking competition is palpable, as is the tension the main character Daisy experiences when the possibility of being outed for her special pie ingredient; and the mystery of the murders which had nothing to do with her pies is complex.
Popp has written another wonderful tale, once again featuring various recipes that amateur bakers will appreciate. The baking competition in the book provides plenty of information on the craft without distracting from the storyline, along with some wonderful puns with ties to pop culture - not unlike the title itself. With this second book, Popp has cemented herself as one of the cozy mystery writers to watch.
I consider myself fortunate to get an advanced copy of #AGoodDaytoPie from #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks.

This is a fun second entry in Misha Popp's Pies Before Guys series, but for me, it doesn't carry the oomph of the first entry. Daisy is back, but this time around, she is off to participate in a "Great Baking Show " type competition, and one of the judges turns out to be an intended recipient of one of Daisy's potentially deadly pies. That means there's less Noel, the cider guy, and Melly, the computer wizard (I missed them) and more snarky on-set infighting and background shenanigans (and death) in the production of the show. Daisy also can't cheat by weaving magic into her competition baking, and I missed that, too.
This is still a charming read. I'm hoping that at least one of the new characters will stick around for future installments. The cover art is even more fabulous than on the first book. Overall, this is pretty close to a 4 star read for me, and I'll be back for the next book. Thanks to @netgalley and @crookedlanebooks for the advance copy. #Bookstagram #AvivaAndFriendsRecos #PiesBeforeGuys #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks