Magic, Lies and Deadly Pies- ARC Book Review

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 in Misha Popp’s cozy series debut, a sweet-as-buttercream treat for fans of Ellery Adams and Mary Maxwell.

The first time Daisy Ellery killed a man with a pie, it was an accident. Now, it’s her calling. Daisy bakes sweet vengeance into her pastries, which she and her dog Zoe deliver to the men who’ve done dirty deeds to the town’s women. But if she can’t solve the one crime that’s not of her own baking, she’ll be out of the pie pan and into the oven.
 
Parking her Pies Before Guys mobile bakery van outside the local diner, Daisy is informed by Frank, the crusty diner owner, that someone’s been prowling around the van—and not just to inhale the delectable aroma. Already on thin icing with Frank, she finds a letter on her door, threatening to reveal her unsavory secret sideline of pie a la murder.
 
Blackmail? But who whipped up this half-baked plot to cut a slice out of Daisy’s business? Purple-haired campus do-gooder Melly? Noel, the tender—if flaky—farm boy? Or one of the abusive men who prefer their pie without a deadly scoop of payback?
 
The upcoming statewide pie contest could be Daisy’s big chance to help wronged women everywhere…if she doesn’t meet a sticky end first. Because Daisy knows the blackmailer won’t stop until her business is in crumbles.
 

So this is one of those books that piqued my interest from the first chapter to the end, with an unusual plot and setting.

Daisy Ellery is a talented pie maker and her pies are special–she adds a certain magical element in the pie to help the women take revenge on the men who had wronged them. Her unusual business is successful and started after she accidentally killed a man with a pie. But then someone knows her secret and asks her to kill three women–if she didn’t follow the orders, her secret will be let out. Daisy has a certain rule–she will never harm a woman and she was determined to find out who this person was, who was determined to bring her dow.

Reading about the pies is actually making me hungry–those descriptive crusy words and fillings made my mouth water. From the first chapter to the end, it was really interesting–like a typical cozy mystery novel. I was literally hooked into the book and what made it more interesting is when Daisy joins the pie baking contest while trying to find the person who had sent her the message. The writer did a good job of drawing the reader into the story and I actually enjoyed reading the book! Oh, the ingredients of those pies are given at the back which I want to try at home. I hope this is not a standalone novel and would like to read more from this author. Overall, this book worth five stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opnion only.