I love this series so much!!! Misha Popp has created the coziest of cozy mysteries that not only has delicious pies, but also explores the growing cases of misogyny, spousal abuse, police brutality and femicide in the United States. Pies Before Guys is a love letter to the unbreakable bonds sisterhood, magic & some damn good pies! 🥧

📚 Third in the Series
🔍 Cozy Mystery
🗣️ Social Commentary
🥧 Magic Pies
💀 Pies Before Guys
🪦 Vigilante Justice
💅🏼 Nail-Biting Suspense

This series is such a great read and I am keeping my fingers crossed for more installments! 🤞🏼

Thank you so much Crooked Lane Books for the gifted copy!

I personally found the story telling in this book to be confusing. I understood that this was a 3rd book in a series which is probably why the story didnt make a lot of sense as i feel like you have to read the first two books to understand this book. But that is not why I gave this one star. The characters are just boring and tbh the story was boring, like it deals with very serious themes and did tackle it well but I found the characters morals to be odd like male abusers must die but female abusers must not? I would have preferred there not to be this moral distinction especially when the rest of the characters appear woke and modern. I found it repetitive too and just had to give up.

This is another great story in a cool series. I love the magical element and the justice combined is just fabulous. I wish I had a taste of a couple of these concoctions for sure! I look forward to seeing how the story continues!

I love this series; such a cool idea and total GIRL POWER vibes. This, like the others, was a solid mystery with just the right amount of pie!

I received an advanced copy. All thoughts are my own.

I accidentally read this one before reading the second book in the series (it might be the first), and it was just as good as the first one I read and easy to follow along! I don't think I've read a more feminist cozy mystery than this one. There's been a few, but this one is really obvious about it, which I like.

In this latest installment of the Pies before Guys series, Daisy has her most complicated request yet from a domestic abuse victim. When Daisy discovers that the abuser is a police officer, she realizes she needs to tread even more carefully than usual, to help the woman who ordered the pie. Complicating matters further, Daisy finds herself keeping secrets from boyfriend Noel, causing stress and tension in the relationship.

Book number three gives readers more insight into Daisy’s background, a peek into the lives of her coworkers at the diner, and her relationship with friend Melly. Daisy takes more risks than in the first two books, with the stakes higher than ever. Best read in order, invested readers will appreciate the intensity in the third book.

I received a copy of the book from Net Galley and have written an objective review.

The Last to Pie
So interesting I wish I could have read the first and second book. The murder pies the villain was so evil! Every time he was in the scene I was nervous. What is going to do next? Some things I wish were explained but probably would have made sense if I read the first and second book: I did not understand the tension between the best friend and her boyfriend. I was left wondering about her own trauma. The entire diner dynamic. But knowing this was the 3rd book and that I didn’t read the first two, those questions were forgiven. I felt for the victim I really wanted a happy ending for her and luckily us readers got that, thankfully.

Looking for a fun cozy? This one is a hoot. I loved it and the mystery was great. I loved the descriptions of all the food.

Another in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series! This one is #3 - and, although the mystery is contained and would stand well on its own, I highly recommend starting with book 1, Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies because it really sets the stage for all the characters, storylines, and helps you understand how Daisy got to this point.

And there's a lot to this one! Daisy is back to her pie-making-ways, keeping her new rules in place. But when she gets a request skirts some of her new rules, she has to wonder if her new rules are more helpful or hurtful.

Daisy also needs to make some hard decisions in here. It involves her life, her future and what all this means for her. I loved being back in the town, with these characters I know so well. I loved the uncomfortable storyline and the twists it gave. It really is a great book 3 and I hope it means we'll get more in this series!

A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

A quirky twist on the murder mystery. In this case, we know the murderer, we just don't know who and why they will get a special pie! The plot is woven with wonderful detail and entwines the personal lives of the characters throughout the pie business antics. It is interesting how the author weaves such a serious issue of domestic violence into such a lighthearted appearing story line. The witty dialogue, the unique characters, the unique interpersonal relationships and of course the murder pies all come together to make a fun story to read and is definitely on my favorite series list! I'm already chomping at the bit for the next book to be written so I can see how things go for the characters in their personal lives!

Daisy has received a request to help bake one of her magic pies but it didn’t come in by the normal ways, even so she agrees to take it. I have liked the previous book and the premise of baking magic into pies to kill abusive men however I ended up not finishing this book as I didn’t enjoy reading about abusive situations, even if the main character was out for revenge.

Another fun read. I love Daisy and her crazy jobs. Her relationships feel real and I was totally drawn into this new story. I'm looking forward to the next book/story..

This series is so different from any other that I read and I love it! Daisy is smart, savvy, and her need for justice is unparalleled. The series seems to get better as it goes on, and we really get to know more about Daisy and her family as it continues. The secondary characters are equally wonderful and round out the small-town feel. There’s plenty of humor to go with the action but still cozy enough to satisfy readers who don’t want too much violence or language. Can’t wait to read the next!

3.25

I think I liked this more than Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies but less than A Good Day to Pie. Here we follow Daisy as she struggles with a request that didn't come in with the required referral information, and even more than that, the request is seemingly from the wife of a police officer asking to kill her abusive boyfriend. Popp's plot is engaging and I liked how she wove in Daisy's personal relationships with the mystery of the missing requestor. We see this case cause some drama in her relationship with Noel, and Melly get more involved in the murder pie business. I also liked how we see Daisy struggle with finding which lines she should or should not cross.

I think if you've enjoyed the series so far, you will enjoy this one as well. I'm not sure if/when there will be a next book, but I'm interested to see where Daisy goes next.

Daisy runs a pie business unlike any other- she bakes pies that contain magic. As a businesswomen, she has whole contact and vetting process for new clients. So she is very confused when she receives a request to kill a local police officer but none of the usual procedures are followed. While hesitant, Daisy is also incredibly worried about the sender who indicates their boyfriend, a police officer, is abusing them. After some sleuthing, Daisy figures out who submitted the request but her concern increases when she goes missing.

When I requested this book I didn't realize it was part of a series. So, I was a bit worried I'd be lost since I didn't know anything about it. However, the author did a nice job explaining Daisy's pie shenanigans. I'm normally not a huge fan of books with magic but I really enjoyed this. I've read a lot of mysteries and I think this is the first one with a touch of magic.

The Last to Pie: A Pies Before Guys Mystery
By Misha Popp
Crooked Lane Books
May 2024

Pies Before Guys food truck owner Daisy Ellery has set rules for the “special” pies she makes. They are never given to women nor the marginalized, clients are only accepted through a referral, they are never for her own personal gain, and she never accepts money. That is because these are murder pies, treats that she enrobes with her magical talent to kill only the designated recipients without leaving any forensic evidence. She has is willing to break one of those rules when she receives an anonymous email from JodieL, which includes pictures of her abuse and identifies her abuser as her policeman husband. The more Daisy learns the more she realizes that the corruption spreads to several of his fellow police officers, meaning that the only justice that can be merited out will be through her fatal bakery confections.

The ability to incorporate feelings and encourage behavior into their arts has been passed down to the women of Daisy’s family for generations, but while her mother and grandmother used their gifts with sewing and hairstyling, only Daisy has been able to magic in more lethal elements. Her motorcycle-riding friend Melly encourages Daisy to be more proactive in her targeting, but she finds that when attending domestic violence support groups that the women often are able to find ways to save themselves. Meeting Jodie only makes Daisy realize just how helpless the library volunteer is though, and when she goes missing Daisy and Melly realize that the time to act is now. That doesn’t mean that Daisy still doesn’t have time to bake a special pie for a cult leader though, or put an end to an abusive father. For all of these bad men in the world good ones still exist though, and Daisy has found a wonderful one in the farmer Noel. She has even felt comfortable enough to share her magical secret with him, although he would prefer that she not risk her life or imprisonment to save those she barely knows.

This series achieves the delicate act of balancing the dark themes of domestic balance with the cozy element of baking. Daisy’s romance with Noel is handled realistically, as while being completely honest and open is necessary for a healthy relationship, that also comes with the risk of his being unable to handle the danger she may encounter. The fact that during an argument the word “serial killer” is thrown out certainly doesn’t help, nor does their disagreement over the topic of ever having children. The previous installment in the series explored the fun but cutthroat world of baking competition, but here the Thin Blue Line and abuse takes the series in a darker direction. Thankfully the exuberant Melly always keeps things light with her enthusiasm for helping women and eliminating their abusers, riding in on her motorcycle just at the nick of time. Delicious-sounding recipes are included at the end, although readers will have to add their own homicide to one for Chocolate Orange Murder Pie. This continues to be a charming cozy mystery that sneaks in dark humor along with complex topics. The found family she has gained from working in the kitchen of a diner provide her with the comfort and laughs she needs, especially when one of their beloved suffers from a health crisis. Following Daisy’s growth as she accepts her gifts while choosing to follow her own path is so rewarding that readers will look forward to seeing where she goes next.

The Last to Pie by Misha Popp is a sweet magical realism/cozy mystery about a vigilante 🥧 pie maker. This is the 3rd novel in the Pie before guys series

Daisy helps women take care of their problems in the sweetest way possible... a homemade 🥧 pie.

When a local women needs help with her abusive policeman spouse, Daisy will stop at no lengths to help her

A fun, Dexter like novel that will have you craving your own homemade pie

I'm still rather bemused by this series. The characters are well-developed, the premise is interesting (murder by magic pies... cool). The plots are not always coherent and heavy topics are sometimes explained oddly. I think regular readers won't find this book to be very different from the first two.
Daisy is up against a crooked cop in this book. He is beating his wife and she needs help. But it's not just one cop and, in the end, Daisy and Melly may be fighting for their own lives in addition to the client's.

Three stars
This book comes out May 21, 2024
Follows A Good Day to Pie
ARC provided by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

This series really has a hit in this one. Characters and the magic are well established, and there is so much room for the action in this one. It's full of interesting plot and progresses the characters, including further developing their relationships, forcing Daisy to really think about her future and connections.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for a ARC copy of this book. This was an honest review.

This book kept me glued to the page. There was a lot of suspense and tension. In spite of the story being fiction, the plot felt real in the sense that these things really happen. Daisy's pies have a kind of magic that makes the bad guy see the error of his ways. She can murder them with her pies. My favorite part of her story was her connection to her diner family even in times of trouble. The motivation behind Daisy's efforts to help save women that have been abused is heartwarming to me.