What do you think?
Rate this book
A Pie Shop Mystery #1
A Good Day to Pie
No one can die from a pie . . . or can they?
Hanna Denton has returned home to Crystal Cove, California, to take over the pie shop her Grannie Louise owned for thirty years. Grannie has now moved to the ritzy retirement community on the hill and Hanna is working her hardest to live up to Grannie’s reputation for baking the best pies in the state. However, between rolling dough, slicing rhubarb, and trying to find the magic ingredients that made Grannie’s pies so popular, Hanna is suddenly faced with an even bigger challenge: convincing the handsome new police chief (her ex-high school crush Sam Genovese) that Grannie couldn’t possibly have committed murder.
Filled with simple pie baking tips, plus recipes for: Fuji Apple Southern Pecan Caramel Pie, Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie, and Killer All-Butter Pie Crust.
Hanna Denton has returned home to Crystal Cove, California, to take over the pie shop her Grannie Louise owned for thirty years. Grannie has now moved to the ritzy retirement community on the hill and Hanna is working her hardest to live up to Grannie’s reputation for baking the best pies in the state. However, between rolling dough, slicing rhubarb, and trying to find the magic ingredients that made Grannie’s pies so popular, Hanna is suddenly faced with an even bigger challenge: convincing the handsome new police chief (her ex-high school crush Sam Genovese) that Grannie couldn’t possibly have committed murder.
Filled with simple pie baking tips, plus recipes for: Fuji Apple Southern Pecan Caramel Pie, Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie, and Killer All-Butter Pie Crust.
427 pages, Paperback
Published November 16, 2011
6 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
About the author
Carol Culver
21 books22 followersCarol Grace Culver aka Carol Grace is the author of over 30 romance novels, 3 Young Adult Novels and 2 new mystery series. Her 12 most popular romance novels such as Mail-Order Millionaire and Lonely Millionaire are now available as e-books. In her past life she worked as a TV spokesperson for Julia Child and as an ESL teacher in Algeria and Iran. She speaks French whenever she can and teaches writing classes aboard cruise ships where she can be found in a deck chair sipping Margaritas and reading novels on her Kindle. A tough job, but somebody's got to do it.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 23, 2022
A cute and quirky book about pie and murder!
A Good Day to Pie takes place in a beachy area of California in a small town that is safe and wealthy… Until a woman is murdered in the upscale retirement home.
This was a quick read & is part of a collection of dessert themed murder mysteries!! I will likely read the others in the future!
A Good Day to Pie takes place in a beachy area of California in a small town that is safe and wealthy… Until a woman is murdered in the upscale retirement home.
This was a quick read & is part of a collection of dessert themed murder mysteries!! I will likely read the others in the future!
March 29, 2012
Just okay. There is a death at a retirement home, and Hanna's grandmother is suspected of murdering a rival bridge player (Mary), who was very rich. So Hanna sets about finding the killer so her grannie won't be sent to jail. It turns out Mary was hated by everyone, including her family (of which we only get to meet a couple - Blake, her grandson, and granddaughter Melissa, who is in one whole scene in the entire book).
Hanna has moved back from the Big City and of course, her high school crush has also moved back from wherever and is now chief of police. I guess he was supposed to be the love interest, but he acted more like she was a cousin he didn't like until the last couple of chapters (you know, the one you have to talk to but really don't want to spend any time with). In fact, it seemed he was only spending time with her because he thought SHE might be involved in the murder somehow, since it seems the woman died because of a medication reaction to the cranberries in her pie. Hanna has a pie shop, and everywhere she goes she brings a pie with her - not any pie, but different pies each time. A lot of pies. She even makes pies for lunch (asparagus, spinach, etc.). I was beginning to wonder if she ate anything else. The author also doesn't describe Hanna (or anyone else) very well, and the only impression I came away with was that she had long brown hair and was probably slender. Nothing else. That should tell you how well she fleshed out the characters.
There also were too many unanswered questions: What exactly happened on prom night? Why was the "gang from a rival school" trying to kill her, so that Sam (the sheriff) had to protect her? (As far as I know, gangs from rival schools don't go around trying to kill people on prom night unless you live in a really bad place, and nothing much ever happened in this town). And where was this rival school? This town is so small only two sweet shops are in it (hers and a cupcakery), and has a police force they want to disband. So why do they have two high schools? A town that small would have only one. Why is Mary's will being contested? We are given the impression that the family gets everything, then Sam tells her that the will is being contested, but we never find out why. Who gets all the money? Who is contesting the will? So we're supposed to believe Mary's family are suspects without giving any reason why. Especially since Hanna's friend Kate (who was minding the pie shop) tells her that Mary's family members came to the shop for pie to celebrate after reading the will. Excuse me? If they're contesting the will, why are they celebrating? And who 'celebrates' the reading of a will by going out and eating pie? I can see it: "Gee, that was great!" "Yeah, I didn't get everything I wanted, but, you know what, I feel like a piece of pie. Let's go celebrate! We'll buy every pie in the place!" Who is Lurlene the cupcake lady? She appears to be some kind of a tart (no pun intended). She dresses like one and acts like one, appears in a couple of scenes being downright nasty to Hanna and accuses her of murder, but we never find out why she says these things or anything else about her.
Also, no one seems to resent the fact that she's trying to pin the murder on anyone else but her grannie. No one seems to mind her poking around asking questions, either, except Sam, who keeps telling her to stop it, but that's about it. There's no confrontations between them, just him telling her to let him do the investigating; but HE doesn't want to investigate, because he's already decided her grannie is guilty. What a man.
In my opinion, the characters were boring and I really didn't care about any of them. I sure hope the next book is better than this one.
Hanna has moved back from the Big City and of course, her high school crush has also moved back from wherever and is now chief of police. I guess he was supposed to be the love interest, but he acted more like she was a cousin he didn't like until the last couple of chapters (you know, the one you have to talk to but really don't want to spend any time with). In fact, it seemed he was only spending time with her because he thought SHE might be involved in the murder somehow, since it seems the woman died because of a medication reaction to the cranberries in her pie. Hanna has a pie shop, and everywhere she goes she brings a pie with her - not any pie, but different pies each time. A lot of pies. She even makes pies for lunch (asparagus, spinach, etc.). I was beginning to wonder if she ate anything else. The author also doesn't describe Hanna (or anyone else) very well, and the only impression I came away with was that she had long brown hair and was probably slender. Nothing else. That should tell you how well she fleshed out the characters.
There also were too many unanswered questions: What exactly happened on prom night? Why was the "gang from a rival school" trying to kill her, so that Sam (the sheriff) had to protect her? (As far as I know, gangs from rival schools don't go around trying to kill people on prom night unless you live in a really bad place, and nothing much ever happened in this town). And where was this rival school? This town is so small only two sweet shops are in it (hers and a cupcakery), and has a police force they want to disband. So why do they have two high schools? A town that small would have only one. Why is Mary's will being contested? We are given the impression that the family gets everything, then Sam tells her that the will is being contested, but we never find out why. Who gets all the money? Who is contesting the will? So we're supposed to believe Mary's family are suspects without giving any reason why. Especially since Hanna's friend Kate (who was minding the pie shop) tells her that Mary's family members came to the shop for pie to celebrate after reading the will. Excuse me? If they're contesting the will, why are they celebrating? And who 'celebrates' the reading of a will by going out and eating pie? I can see it: "Gee, that was great!" "Yeah, I didn't get everything I wanted, but, you know what, I feel like a piece of pie. Let's go celebrate! We'll buy every pie in the place!" Who is Lurlene the cupcake lady? She appears to be some kind of a tart (no pun intended). She dresses like one and acts like one, appears in a couple of scenes being downright nasty to Hanna and accuses her of murder, but we never find out why she says these things or anything else about her.
Also, no one seems to resent the fact that she's trying to pin the murder on anyone else but her grannie. No one seems to mind her poking around asking questions, either, except Sam, who keeps telling her to stop it, but that's about it. There's no confrontations between them, just him telling her to let him do the investigating; but HE doesn't want to investigate, because he's already decided her grannie is guilty. What a man.
In my opinion, the characters were boring and I really didn't care about any of them. I sure hope the next book is better than this one.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2011
This book is the debut of a new mystery series that I will certainly continue to purchase and read with enjoyment.
Hanna Denton, is the new owner of her Grandmother's Pie Shop, in her hometown of Crystal Cove, CA. The Upper Crust sounds just like the old bakery of my youth, only it specializes in pies. I adore that the pies are now expanding into fruit and savory. Why? Because, Ms. Culver tantalizes us with recipes for us to try on our own. The 'Hanna's Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie' has me in transports.
Oh, the murder? Right. There is one and it happens at Grandmother's retirement community while they are playing Bridge. Someone vandalized Hanna's "Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie" and made it to 'die for.' Shocking but what a way to go!
Hanna isn't the only person returning to town, the New Police Chief, is the former bad boy of Hanna's high school days. Only, she knows the truth about his leaving...you must read to find out.
Hanna decides to aid the police force and find the killer herself when Grandmother is implicated in the crime. As she attends funerals, sex-toy parties, swimming aerobics, and even Bridge games, Hanna will find the truth and proof needed to put the true criminal behind bars.
There are other crimes being committed during the search and keeps this book jogging along. A very good read.
Hanna Denton, is the new owner of her Grandmother's Pie Shop, in her hometown of Crystal Cove, CA. The Upper Crust sounds just like the old bakery of my youth, only it specializes in pies. I adore that the pies are now expanding into fruit and savory. Why? Because, Ms. Culver tantalizes us with recipes for us to try on our own. The 'Hanna's Black-Bottom Raspberry Cream Pie' has me in transports.
Oh, the murder? Right. There is one and it happens at Grandmother's retirement community while they are playing Bridge. Someone vandalized Hanna's "Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie" and made it to 'die for.' Shocking but what a way to go!
Hanna isn't the only person returning to town, the New Police Chief, is the former bad boy of Hanna's high school days. Only, she knows the truth about his leaving...you must read to find out.
Hanna decides to aid the police force and find the killer herself when Grandmother is implicated in the crime. As she attends funerals, sex-toy parties, swimming aerobics, and even Bridge games, Hanna will find the truth and proof needed to put the true criminal behind bars.
There are other crimes being committed during the search and keeps this book jogging along. A very good read.
September 30, 2011
Picked this book from the library's new book display. I was drawn to it because it is set in a pie shop. I still don't even know why I finished it. Even the pie descriptions didn't appeal to me. I should have read the "about the author" page first. She usually writes Harlequin romance novels, and this was her "mystery debut". It might be an okay script for an episode of the old TV show "Murder She Wrote"!
January 26, 2013
OK mystery with uneven writting (could be first time writer). The characters were interesting, and although I knew the killer from the start, the plot was well developed. I hope the next book shows a little more craft.
July 24, 2011
Pretty good first outing. All the talk about pies made me hungry! Give it a solid 7 in my own grading system. I'll read the next one!
June 27, 2017
I loved the recipe at the end of the book
February 26, 2019
New series and new author for me. I enjoyed the book but the MC was almost too over the top to the point of becoming irritating. I will try book two and hope she isn't as bad.
May 2, 2019
Very fun book to read! I really liked how the main character’s sense of humor and her funny thoughts. I look forward to the next one in the series.
April 20, 2024
Ok book, not great. I found the main character annoying. There was nothing about it that made me want to read a second one.
June 25, 2024
Nice cozy mystery in a rainy day.
abandoned
September 24, 2022I got this book from the library because I needed "a book with a food pun in the title" for a reading challenge. I didn't manage to read it before it was due, so the day I returned it I quickly read the first chapter to see if it was worth getting out again.
Overall it looks like your standard cozy mystery fare. Set in a bakery, introduction (at least at a distance) of potential love interest, catty old high school acquaintances, best friend/sidekick. But the bit that decided me was the circumstances behind the main character taking over the pie shop. The entire first chapter is all about how she has practically no business now that she's running it instead of her grandmother. But she didn't inherit the bakery after her grandmother died. Her grandmother retired and moved to a nearby retirement community.
If she was going to take over her grandmother's business--especially one that flourished for many years--why the heck didn't her grandmother stay on for a bit and transition the change of ownership? If she was so successful, with lots of regular customers, surely she could have hung around for a month or two and introduced her granddaughter to all her old customers as the new owner and made them all promise to give her granddaughter a chance as new owner, etc.
The entire first chapter that nagged at me and I knew that if I read the entire book, it would nag at me through the entire book. I wasn't in the mood for that kind of major plot hole.
Maybe the reason is eventually explained, but honestly catty old high school acquaintances and rekindling a romance with an old flame (formerly town bad boy, now cop) is also not really my cup of tea. I found another book to fill the category on my challenge and this one won't be getting checked out a second time so I can finish it.
Overall it looks like your standard cozy mystery fare. Set in a bakery, introduction (at least at a distance) of potential love interest, catty old high school acquaintances, best friend/sidekick. But the bit that decided me was the circumstances behind the main character taking over the pie shop. The entire first chapter is all about how she has practically no business now that she's running it instead of her grandmother. But she didn't inherit the bakery after her grandmother died. Her grandmother retired and moved to a nearby retirement community.
If she was going to take over her grandmother's business--especially one that flourished for many years--why the heck didn't her grandmother stay on for a bit and transition the change of ownership? If she was so successful, with lots of regular customers, surely she could have hung around for a month or two and introduced her granddaughter to all her old customers as the new owner and made them all promise to give her granddaughter a chance as new owner, etc.
The entire first chapter that nagged at me and I knew that if I read the entire book, it would nag at me through the entire book. I wasn't in the mood for that kind of major plot hole.
Maybe the reason is eventually explained, but honestly catty old high school acquaintances and rekindling a romance with an old flame (formerly town bad boy, now cop) is also not really my cup of tea. I found another book to fill the category on my challenge and this one won't be getting checked out a second time so I can finish it.
January 19, 2012
“A Good Day to Pie,” the first in the Pie Shop Mystery series by Carol Culver, introduces readers to Hanna Denton, who has returned to her home town of Crystal Cove, California, to take over The Upper Crust, the pie shop her Grannie Louise ran successfully for thirty years. Grannie has hung up her apron and retired to a ritzy local senior community, Heavenly Acres, and taken up playing Bridge—with a vengeance. These folks take playing Bridge very seriously. I mean, very seriously. They live for their daily games, and, even more importantly, their local and regional Bridge tournaments.
In an effort to boost Hanna’s pie sales, Grannie invites her to bring some pies to a Bridge group. Hanna chooses to make one of Grannie’s favorite recipes—Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie. The pie is a real hit among the group, until one of them, Mary Brandt, keels over. Dead. Sheesh.
Grannie and Hanna become the chief suspects for the new chief of police, who just happens to be Hanna’s bad boy high school boyfriend. Hanna knows they’re both innocent and starts to investigate on her own. Turns out Mary had more enemies than friends, even among members of her own family. In fact, Hanna is hard-pressed to find anyone in town who has a good word to say about poor, dead Mary.
“A Good Day to Pie” is a good way to spend some time. And pick up some dandy new recipes just in time for the holidays. I’ll have another slice, please.
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine
In an effort to boost Hanna’s pie sales, Grannie invites her to bring some pies to a Bridge group. Hanna chooses to make one of Grannie’s favorite recipes—Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie. The pie is a real hit among the group, until one of them, Mary Brandt, keels over. Dead. Sheesh.
Grannie and Hanna become the chief suspects for the new chief of police, who just happens to be Hanna’s bad boy high school boyfriend. Hanna knows they’re both innocent and starts to investigate on her own. Turns out Mary had more enemies than friends, even among members of her own family. In fact, Hanna is hard-pressed to find anyone in town who has a good word to say about poor, dead Mary.
“A Good Day to Pie” is a good way to spend some time. And pick up some dandy new recipes just in time for the holidays. I’ll have another slice, please.
Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Moving Can Be Murder” for Suspense Magazine
April 26, 2015
The first in the Pie Shop series introduces Hanna Denton who has returned to her hometown of Crystal Cove, CA to take over her Grannie Louise's Pie Shop. Hanna is working hard to overcome the disappointing failures of both a relationship and the Tech company she had started from the ground up. Grannie has retired to the Heavenly Acres rest home on top of the hill and has developed quite a competitive Bridge playing streak.
Working hard to meet Grannies pie baking expectations Hanna is delighted to deliver a Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie to the weekly Bridge game - that is until Grannie's arch rival, Mary drops dead from eating a slice of pie, or did she? With the help of her best friend Kate, Grannie and her friends, and Police Chief Sam Genovese (who is also Hanna's high school crush) Hanna sets out to clear both her name and Grannies.
Mary was the least popular person at Heavenly Acres and also was not well liked by her family. With an overabundance of suspects on her list Hanna delves into the interactions of the rest home residents and the lives of the greedy Brandt family members.
A quick and easy read punctuated with some delicious sounding pie recipes. A scrumptious sounding Black Bottom Raspberry Pie recipe at the back left me once again wishing I knew how to bake.
Working hard to meet Grannies pie baking expectations Hanna is delighted to deliver a Cranberry Walnut Cream Pie to the weekly Bridge game - that is until Grannie's arch rival, Mary drops dead from eating a slice of pie, or did she? With the help of her best friend Kate, Grannie and her friends, and Police Chief Sam Genovese (who is also Hanna's high school crush) Hanna sets out to clear both her name and Grannies.
Mary was the least popular person at Heavenly Acres and also was not well liked by her family. With an overabundance of suspects on her list Hanna delves into the interactions of the rest home residents and the lives of the greedy Brandt family members.
A quick and easy read punctuated with some delicious sounding pie recipes. A scrumptious sounding Black Bottom Raspberry Pie recipe at the back left me once again wishing I knew how to bake.
August 13, 2017
Hanna Denton has returned to her small California hometown, where her grandmother has retired to an upscale home for the elderly and given Hanna her pie shop in town. Hanna used to work there as a teenager, so she jumps right in, with a few revitalization ideas in her head and her grandmother's recipe box in the kitchen. When one of the residents at the home dies after eating a specially requested pie made by Hanna, both Hanna and her grandmother are on the suspect list, especially since the grandmother "wins" by securing her lead in the bridge tournament. Really? Murder over a card game? Guess it happens... Turns out the new chief of police is someone Hanna knew in high school...knew very well. But he's no longer the bad boy he was; he has changed, and so has Hanna.
I've read a few cozies over the years, and this one was a miss for me. I get that Hanna was trying to clear her grandmother for murder (how many times did Culver tell us that?), but she seemed more invested in it than her grandmother, who seemed rather laissez-faire about the situation. Too much repetition and Hanna being so nosy and defiant. Should have been arrested a couple of times.
I've read a few cozies over the years, and this one was a miss for me. I get that Hanna was trying to clear her grandmother for murder (how many times did Culver tell us that?), but she seemed more invested in it than her grandmother, who seemed rather laissez-faire about the situation. Too much repetition and Hanna being so nosy and defiant. Should have been arrested a couple of times.
September 17, 2012
i chose this book cause it said coastal ca and pie shop, how could i go wrong. it was a good story line but too long and lots of it were so inaccurate it detracted from teh story
girl moves away, grandma who raised her owned pie shop in small coastal ca town. grandma moves into expensive rest home with x husb's money. girl moves back and takes over pie shop. doesnt seem to be doing any business
police station across street, x boyfriend from high school, but that whole relationship was cloudy as is current friendship
she snoops to find out how lady playing bridge with her grandma was killed as was another man in resthome both after eating her pies but that does not stop her from handing them out free all over the place
i was really disappointed as the plot seemed good, but theres no way the police were going to share the conf info with her and having her running amoke and not asking her grandma questions, no one contacted lawyer after police think her grandma did it
the bridge partner killed the woman, im not sure about the man...
girl moves away, grandma who raised her owned pie shop in small coastal ca town. grandma moves into expensive rest home with x husb's money. girl moves back and takes over pie shop. doesnt seem to be doing any business
police station across street, x boyfriend from high school, but that whole relationship was cloudy as is current friendship
she snoops to find out how lady playing bridge with her grandma was killed as was another man in resthome both after eating her pies but that does not stop her from handing them out free all over the place
i was really disappointed as the plot seemed good, but theres no way the police were going to share the conf info with her and having her running amoke and not asking her grandma questions, no one contacted lawyer after police think her grandma did it
the bridge partner killed the woman, im not sure about the man...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2015
There was enough to make me want to read it until the end (or at least read the end to see whodunnit), but otherwise it felt raw and incomplete. Too many strings that didn't go anywhere.
The author could have compressed the whole book into some 20 pages and then it would have been an ok beginning to a completer book. Also, the repeats drove me mad: I have to find out who did it, because... (Reader: OK...) I have to find out, because... (Reader: Yes, you said...) I have to find out, otherwise... (Reader: Yes, that's thrice already!)... Also, I need to find out, or my granny... (Reader: WTF, seriously?)
The author could have compressed the whole book into some 20 pages and then it would have been an ok beginning to a completer book. Also, the repeats drove me mad: I have to find out who did it, because... (Reader: OK...) I have to find out, because... (Reader: Yes, you said...) I have to find out, otherwise... (Reader: Yes, that's thrice already!)... Also, I need to find out, or my granny... (Reader: WTF, seriously?)
Read
April 12, 2013Hanna Denton has returned home to Crystal Cove, California, to take over the pie shop her Grannie Louise owned for thirty years. Grannie has now moved to the ritzy retirement community on the hill and Hanna is working her hardest to live up to Grannie's reputation for baking the best pies in the state. However, between rolling dough, slicing rhubarb, and trying to find the magic ingredients that made Grannie's pies so popular, Hanna is suddenly faced with an even bigger challenge: convincing the handsome new police chief (her ex-high school crush Sam Genovese) that Grannie couldn't possibly have committed murder.
June 3, 2019
Great mystery and lots of delicious pies. When Hanna returns home to run her grandmother's pie shop she is trying to live up to the great amazing reputation her grandmother had for making the best pies in the state. Her grandmother moves to a ritzy retirement community and loves to play bridge with the residents. When a murder is committed at the retirement home, grandmother is suspected since no one liked the lady that died. Hanna is out to convince the town police chief that her grandmother is not the murderer. All kinds of sleuthing is done by Hanna and at times can be very funny with how she discovers the person who did it.
August 3, 2012
Hanna has returned to her hometown, beautiful Crystal Cove, having lost her heart and her money in the big city. Her Grandmother has retired, and Hanna is running her pie shop, but business is slow. Who should Hanna see but her bad-boy high school crush, now the police chief? Unfortunately, a woman at Grannie's posh retirement center has died suddenly, and her family knows she had enemies there. Sam, the police chief, thinks that Grannie mixed up the woman's pills, on purpose. Before he has a chance to arrest her, Hanna rushes to find the real murderer.
December 14, 2011
This could be a good series with interesting small town dynamics. The first book is nothing but redundant scenes.
I need to prove my Grandma is innocent - Stay out of the investigation. Over and over. Or I am going somewhere need to pack up pies in my pie basket to take with. These scenes are 80% of the story.
Characters were not developed and the entire mystery comes to a conclusion on 1 page.
Probably will not continue this series, there are many far better books to read.
I need to prove my Grandma is innocent - Stay out of the investigation. Over and over. Or I am going somewhere need to pack up pies in my pie basket to take with. These scenes are 80% of the story.
Characters were not developed and the entire mystery comes to a conclusion on 1 page.
Probably will not continue this series, there are many far better books to read.
November 3, 2011
The story was really paper thin. I don't have very high expectations for a cozy mystery, but this is not a page turner by any means. The main character is pretty annoying and the mystery of her past is more of a snooze. The book reads like a PG rated romance novel mixed with a mystery and satisfies in neither category. The target audience for this one seemed to be middle-aged to elderly women who love chaste romance novels and dull mysteries.
July 14, 2014
I loved everything about this book, but as I was closing in on the last few pages I thought to myself, "There is no way she can wrap the book up in so few pages!" Culver did, but I wasn't happy with the abrupt ending. It felt like she got bored with the idea of the book and just stopped writing. All that said I still can't wait to pick up Never Say Pie, her next addition to the Pie Shop Mysteries.
July 31, 2013
I actually am going against the grain here and saying I liked this cozy mystery. There was a lot of redundancy..could cut quite a bit from that aspect and still be okay. The main character is rather ditzy but I found myself chuckling at some of her comments.
Since this is the first in the series, I'll reserve harsher judgment until we see if the author and the characters grow.
Since this is the first in the series, I'll reserve harsher judgment until we see if the author and the characters grow.
January 26, 2018
DNF - 192/302 (64%)
This cozy is boring me.
Comienza bien, pero poco a poco se vuelve aburrido. Y se supone es un cozy así que no deberían estar hablando tanto de sexo y DE. Pero lo peor es la costumbre de la prota (y la autora) de esta repite una y otra y otra y otra y otra y otra y otra vez lo que ya sabemos.
This cozy is boring me.
Comienza bien, pero poco a poco se vuelve aburrido. Y se supone es un cozy así que no deberían estar hablando tanto de sexo y DE. Pero lo peor es la costumbre de la prota (y la autora) de esta repite una y otra y otra y otra y otra y otra y otra vez lo que ya sabemos.
June 14, 2019
Took me 2 months to finish this book because I am so busy at work and barely have no time to read but then again I manage to relax myself for a bit before going to work.
There may be a bit questions in the story that is left unanswered, the plot of the story was good and recipes in the end was great. I hope I get to read the book 2 and hoping to be great as this first book. :)
There may be a bit questions in the story that is left unanswered, the plot of the story was good and recipes in the end was great. I hope I get to read the book 2 and hoping to be great as this first book. :)
March 1, 2017
this was a cool story but there were some sexual content in it. Not something that I would have expected from this genre. I did like the recipes at the end and all the yummy refrences to pie. Making pie is one of my favorite things to do.
October 16, 2011
Halfway thru and I am giving up. There is so little attention to detail that it's distracting. I agree with Betsey- that the author normally writes romance novels is telling. This is a poorly crafted novel; an easy read but not worth the effort.
January 9, 2013
Ugh, this was a horrible cozy mystery. The entire time I was reading, I wanted to grab a red pen and edit it. I made it through 150 pages, though it felt like the same two pages 75 times. I have no idea why I didn't put it down sooner- life is too short to read crappy mystery novels!
April 2, 2012
Full review is here
Unlikeable characters, repetitive narration and dialogue, you get the picture.
Unlikeable characters, repetitive narration and dialogue, you get the picture.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews