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Pie Town Mystery #1
The Quiche and the Dead
Is Val's breakfast pie the quiche of death?
Owning her own business seemed like pie in the sky to Valentine Harris when she moved to the coastal California town of San Nicholas, expecting to start a new life with her fiancé. Five months—and a broken engagement—later, at least her dream of opening a pie shop has
become a reality. But when one of her regulars keels over at the counter while eating a quiche, Val feels like she's living a nightmare.
After the police determine the customer was poisoned, business at Pie Town drops faster than a fallen crust. Convinced they’re both suspects, Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene drags her boss into some amateur sleuthing. At first Val dismisses
Charlene’s half-baked hypotheses, but before long the ladies uncover some shady dealings hidden in fog-bound San Nicholas. Now Val must expose the truth—before a crummy killer tries to shut her pie hole.
Owning her own business seemed like pie in the sky to Valentine Harris when she moved to the coastal California town of San Nicholas, expecting to start a new life with her fiancé. Five months—and a broken engagement—later, at least her dream of opening a pie shop has
become a reality. But when one of her regulars keels over at the counter while eating a quiche, Val feels like she's living a nightmare.
After the police determine the customer was poisoned, business at Pie Town drops faster than a fallen crust. Convinced they’re both suspects, Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene drags her boss into some amateur sleuthing. At first Val dismisses
Charlene’s half-baked hypotheses, but before long the ladies uncover some shady dealings hidden in fog-bound San Nicholas. Now Val must expose the truth—before a crummy killer tries to shut her pie hole.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 31, 2017
201 people are currently reading
2195 people want to read
About the author
Kirsten Weiss
110 books1,302 followersKirsten Weiss writes laugh-out-loud, page-turning mysteries. Her heroines aren’t perfect, but they’re smart, they struggle, and they succeed. Kirsten writes in a house high on a hill in the Colorado woods and occasionally ventures out for wine and chocolate. Or for a visit to the local pie shop.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
She is best known for her cozy and witch mystery novels. So if you like funny, action-packed mysteries with complicated heroines, just turn the page…
Kirsten sends out original short stories of mystery and magic to her mailing list. If you’d like to get them delivered straight to your inbox, make sure to sign up for her newsletter at kirstenweiss.com
Feel free to follow her on Twitter @KirstenWeiss or Bookbub, get in touch on Facebook, post a picture of this book to Instagram and tag her @kirstenweissauthor, or send her an email. She’ll answer you personally…which may be a good or a bad thing, depending on your perspective.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
October 7, 2017
Valentine Harris had moved to San Nicholas along the coast in California thinking she was going to be starting a whole new life by opening up her own business and marrying her fiance. Six months later all Val is left with is her business when her fiance had called off their wedding and having put all her money into her dream, Pie Town, she's now putting in everything she can to make the business a success. What Val didn't need was one morning one of her customers dies in the middle of eating her quiche.
After the police and paramedics are called to the scene it becomes apparent that the death is suspicious looking to be a possible homicide by poisoning. Even though it's quickly found that Val's cooking was not the cause the customers are still staying away after the death becomes a headline in the small town. Looking to save her business and make sure she's not a suspect Val teams up with her seventy something pie crust maker to begin to investigate and find out just what happened.
The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss is the first book in the new Pie Town Mystery cozy mystery series. This was a wonderful start to what will hopefully be a great series with all the fun stuff I just love in a cozy read. I have to say as much as I enjoyed Val she was way overshadowed in this first book by Charlene, her pie crust maker. Charlene and her adventures along with pet kitty were absolutely hilarious and completely made the entire book so much more enjoyable the second she stepped into the story.
Besides the likable characters the story was also one that unfolded at a nice pace giving the reader plenty of action along the way as the ladies try to figure out just what was going on in their town. There's also a bit of a glimpse into a possible romance in the future for Val which was nice that it was not pushed so early on with her fresh out of a relationship. When finished I found this one quite enjoyable all the way around and will definitely look forward to more of this series in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
After the police and paramedics are called to the scene it becomes apparent that the death is suspicious looking to be a possible homicide by poisoning. Even though it's quickly found that Val's cooking was not the cause the customers are still staying away after the death becomes a headline in the small town. Looking to save her business and make sure she's not a suspect Val teams up with her seventy something pie crust maker to begin to investigate and find out just what happened.
The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss is the first book in the new Pie Town Mystery cozy mystery series. This was a wonderful start to what will hopefully be a great series with all the fun stuff I just love in a cozy read. I have to say as much as I enjoyed Val she was way overshadowed in this first book by Charlene, her pie crust maker. Charlene and her adventures along with pet kitty were absolutely hilarious and completely made the entire book so much more enjoyable the second she stepped into the story.
Besides the likable characters the story was also one that unfolded at a nice pace giving the reader plenty of action along the way as the ladies try to figure out just what was going on in their town. There's also a bit of a glimpse into a possible romance in the future for Val which was nice that it was not pushed so early on with her fresh out of a relationship. When finished I found this one quite enjoyable all the way around and will definitely look forward to more of this series in the future.
I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.
For more reviews please visit https://carriesbookreviews.wordpress....
February 3, 2023
The Quiche and the Dead
By Kirsten Weiss
This is a cute cozy mystery with fun characters. Val was engaged but a few months before the wedding they broke it off and she continued on with her goal to start a pie shop. She gets the best pie shell maker around, Charlene. On Charlene's application she put her age as 42 when she is really about double that! As the story continues, we find out why most people call her Crazy Charlene behind her back. Don't we all need that one Crazy Charlene as a friend? Charlene becomes the mastermind behind the illegal investigation following a death in the pie shop. Of course Val goes along with it because it was a death in her shop!
It's lots of craziness, good plot, fun characters (even the gamers), and unpredictable. Definitely going to follow this series.
By Kirsten Weiss
This is a cute cozy mystery with fun characters. Val was engaged but a few months before the wedding they broke it off and she continued on with her goal to start a pie shop. She gets the best pie shell maker around, Charlene. On Charlene's application she put her age as 42 when she is really about double that! As the story continues, we find out why most people call her Crazy Charlene behind her back. Don't we all need that one Crazy Charlene as a friend? Charlene becomes the mastermind behind the illegal investigation following a death in the pie shop. Of course Val goes along with it because it was a death in her shop!
It's lots of craziness, good plot, fun characters (even the gamers), and unpredictable. Definitely going to follow this series.
September 26, 2017
This ARC had been provided complements of NetGalley. My thanks. Gratitude sent to Kensington Publishing Corporation for making this pre-release available.
Thanks to Kirsten Weiss, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the mystical, fictitious town of San Nicholas. A quaint village tucked away along the Northern California coastline. Buzzing, naturally, with tourist trade on bright, sunshiny weekends. Seemed like the perfect place to plant a pie shop. And so the author did. The storyline commingled a well-written narrative that marched with intrigue and suspense from the very start. Never a dull moment. All ending with a sonic boom that would turn the town on its ear.
San Nicholas had been home to "Pie Town" for five months. Clever name. Owner, manager and chief bottle washer, Val Harris, age twenty-eight, was giving it a go. Her first business venture. Hopefully, not her last. Those cherished hopes quickly took a nosedive when one of her regulars keeled over and died in her shop. Not good for business.
It had been a typical day. Pies here, pies there. In the midst of eating a quiche, Joe, the comic shop's owner from next door slumped to the floor. Val immediately dialed 911. Paramedics arrived within minutes. Too late. Her neighbor, her friend, could not be resuscitated. He had cashed in all his chips. Val thought, "It couldn't have been the quiche. Could it? No. Couldn't be. Naw." The day was not off to a great start.
That made two deaths in this small town in the past month. A record. The first had been Joe's best friend, Frank. He had fallen down the stairs in his home. Now, the medical examiner concluded that Joe had died of poisoning. Castor beans. No accident. Val knew something was amiss. Felt it in her bones. Too much of a coincidence. And she was not one to believe in coincidences. If Joe had been murdered then perhaps the same fate befell his friend Frank. A murderer was on the loose.
Charlene McCree, her chief piecrust connoisseur had an on again - off again relationship with Joe. Just good friends, really. She did not pin high hopes on the police solving the crime. This was not the big city. She enlisted Val's help to help find what lurked behind these mysterious deaths. Find the killer. Or killers. Val was reluctant at first. Admittedly, the only thing she claimed talent for was baking pies. Eventually she succumbed. Together they became the undercover sleuths of San Nicolas.
One by one, two more towns folk were murdered. San Nicholas was in crisis mode. No longer the carefree sleepy town of yesteryear. One of the library board members had been found dead in her home. A drapery cord wrapped around her neck. Plain to see she did not die of natural causes. Shortly following, her husband had been discovered floating face-down in a pond in back of his home. No accident. The bodies were piling up.
Joe and Frank shared a common interest. They were the pie shop detectives assisting authorities in solving local crimes. Anyway, it kept them off the streets, literally. Both regulars of Pie Town. They shared a notebook of all of the goings-on in the community. Cats up trees, domestic disputes - things of that nature. Lately, their direction was largely focused on the newly built state-of-the-art library. Actually, the library board members. Some of the notes were written in cryptic fashion. Was that due to paranoia? What had they stumbled upon to give them such concern? Or fear?
After Joe's death, Val and Charlene had come into possession of the notebook. The hidden meanings were not clear it first. In their initial investigation, they had been thrown well off track. Then one night while enjoying root beer and Kahlua floats at Charlene's house, Val had reached an epiphany. She cracked the code. Couldn't believe it! It had been staring right at her all this time. At me too. Now the string of all these deaths were beginning to make some sense. Sadly. Would this knowledge in hand put them next on the killer's hit-list? Maybe they already were...
Thanks to Kirsten Weiss, I had the pleasure of making the acquaintance of the mystical, fictitious town of San Nicholas. A quaint village tucked away along the Northern California coastline. Buzzing, naturally, with tourist trade on bright, sunshiny weekends. Seemed like the perfect place to plant a pie shop. And so the author did. The storyline commingled a well-written narrative that marched with intrigue and suspense from the very start. Never a dull moment. All ending with a sonic boom that would turn the town on its ear.
San Nicholas had been home to "Pie Town" for five months. Clever name. Owner, manager and chief bottle washer, Val Harris, age twenty-eight, was giving it a go. Her first business venture. Hopefully, not her last. Those cherished hopes quickly took a nosedive when one of her regulars keeled over and died in her shop. Not good for business.
It had been a typical day. Pies here, pies there. In the midst of eating a quiche, Joe, the comic shop's owner from next door slumped to the floor. Val immediately dialed 911. Paramedics arrived within minutes. Too late. Her neighbor, her friend, could not be resuscitated. He had cashed in all his chips. Val thought, "It couldn't have been the quiche. Could it? No. Couldn't be. Naw." The day was not off to a great start.
That made two deaths in this small town in the past month. A record. The first had been Joe's best friend, Frank. He had fallen down the stairs in his home. Now, the medical examiner concluded that Joe had died of poisoning. Castor beans. No accident. Val knew something was amiss. Felt it in her bones. Too much of a coincidence. And she was not one to believe in coincidences. If Joe had been murdered then perhaps the same fate befell his friend Frank. A murderer was on the loose.
Charlene McCree, her chief piecrust connoisseur had an on again - off again relationship with Joe. Just good friends, really. She did not pin high hopes on the police solving the crime. This was not the big city. She enlisted Val's help to help find what lurked behind these mysterious deaths. Find the killer. Or killers. Val was reluctant at first. Admittedly, the only thing she claimed talent for was baking pies. Eventually she succumbed. Together they became the undercover sleuths of San Nicolas.
One by one, two more towns folk were murdered. San Nicholas was in crisis mode. No longer the carefree sleepy town of yesteryear. One of the library board members had been found dead in her home. A drapery cord wrapped around her neck. Plain to see she did not die of natural causes. Shortly following, her husband had been discovered floating face-down in a pond in back of his home. No accident. The bodies were piling up.
Joe and Frank shared a common interest. They were the pie shop detectives assisting authorities in solving local crimes. Anyway, it kept them off the streets, literally. Both regulars of Pie Town. They shared a notebook of all of the goings-on in the community. Cats up trees, domestic disputes - things of that nature. Lately, their direction was largely focused on the newly built state-of-the-art library. Actually, the library board members. Some of the notes were written in cryptic fashion. Was that due to paranoia? What had they stumbled upon to give them such concern? Or fear?
After Joe's death, Val and Charlene had come into possession of the notebook. The hidden meanings were not clear it first. In their initial investigation, they had been thrown well off track. Then one night while enjoying root beer and Kahlua floats at Charlene's house, Val had reached an epiphany. She cracked the code. Couldn't believe it! It had been staring right at her all this time. At me too. Now the string of all these deaths were beginning to make some sense. Sadly. Would this knowledge in hand put them next on the killer's hit-list? Maybe they already were...
May 19, 2018
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Welcome to the California coastal town of San Nicholas. A place where Valentine Harris expected to live a happy life with Mark Jeffreys. She was going to open a pie shop and he was going to sell real estate and they would live happily ever after. But that didn’t happen. Mark is selling real estate, his face is on signs everywhere. Val did open her pie shop. But there is no happily ever after, in fact, Val is living in her pie shop until she can afford to rent a place and she tries as hard as she can to avoid her ex. What did she ever see in that man?
The pie shop has a few regulars and the tourists love the place. Val is hoping to add to her business by adding breakfast pies to the menu. She cooks up a quiche to give to her new neighbor that has opened a gym, but the woman wants nothing to do with it. Regular Joe says he’ll take the quiche off her hands and quickly starts chowing down. Then just a quickly drops dead. The police say the man was poisoned and the future of Pie Town and its owner are in jeopardy. When septuagenarian pie crust baker Charlene decides she and Val need to start their own investigation Val just thinks its another of Charlene’s pie in the sky ideas. Then she finds herself out in the fog, in the middle of the night, trying to find out who really killed her customer. They may find out a lot more than they bargained for.
Pie Anyone?? Have one handy when you start reading!
I like Valentine Harris. She could have packed it in or moved her shop to another town, but she is sticking it out in San Nicholas. She is a smart woman with delicious ideas and a can-do attitude. I LOVE Charlene! Pie crust maker extraordinaire, a conspiracy theorist and owner of a very unique white cat. She had me laughing out loud time and time again. Their sleuth abilities may be a bit lacking but they do make a great team. The supporting cast is diverse and really adds to the story.
I really enjoy the atmosphere of Pie Town, sans the murder, of course. Val has the coffee set up as self-serve, she offers a variety of sweet and savory pies, and allows a group of young adults who take a table daily to play games. It just feels very welcoming to residents of San Nichols and tourists too.
The mystery is very well plotted and written. Our victim Joe was a bit of a sleuth himself along with his friend Frank. When Val and Charlene start to dig into some of their “cases” they uncover some very interesting things that take their own investigation in many different directions. I followed all the clues and solved the murder right along with them.
This series is off to a wonderfully mouthwatering start. The main characters are fun and engaging and take us along on a fun whodunit. I really enjoyed my first trip to Pie Town and am excited that the second book in the series, Bleeding Tarts is already on my Kindle not so patiently waiting for me to read it.
Welcome to the California coastal town of San Nicholas. A place where Valentine Harris expected to live a happy life with Mark Jeffreys. She was going to open a pie shop and he was going to sell real estate and they would live happily ever after. But that didn’t happen. Mark is selling real estate, his face is on signs everywhere. Val did open her pie shop. But there is no happily ever after, in fact, Val is living in her pie shop until she can afford to rent a place and she tries as hard as she can to avoid her ex. What did she ever see in that man?
The pie shop has a few regulars and the tourists love the place. Val is hoping to add to her business by adding breakfast pies to the menu. She cooks up a quiche to give to her new neighbor that has opened a gym, but the woman wants nothing to do with it. Regular Joe says he’ll take the quiche off her hands and quickly starts chowing down. Then just a quickly drops dead. The police say the man was poisoned and the future of Pie Town and its owner are in jeopardy. When septuagenarian pie crust baker Charlene decides she and Val need to start their own investigation Val just thinks its another of Charlene’s pie in the sky ideas. Then she finds herself out in the fog, in the middle of the night, trying to find out who really killed her customer. They may find out a lot more than they bargained for.
Pie Anyone?? Have one handy when you start reading!
I like Valentine Harris. She could have packed it in or moved her shop to another town, but she is sticking it out in San Nicholas. She is a smart woman with delicious ideas and a can-do attitude. I LOVE Charlene! Pie crust maker extraordinaire, a conspiracy theorist and owner of a very unique white cat. She had me laughing out loud time and time again. Their sleuth abilities may be a bit lacking but they do make a great team. The supporting cast is diverse and really adds to the story.
I really enjoy the atmosphere of Pie Town, sans the murder, of course. Val has the coffee set up as self-serve, she offers a variety of sweet and savory pies, and allows a group of young adults who take a table daily to play games. It just feels very welcoming to residents of San Nichols and tourists too.
The mystery is very well plotted and written. Our victim Joe was a bit of a sleuth himself along with his friend Frank. When Val and Charlene start to dig into some of their “cases” they uncover some very interesting things that take their own investigation in many different directions. I followed all the clues and solved the murder right along with them.
This series is off to a wonderfully mouthwatering start. The main characters are fun and engaging and take us along on a fun whodunit. I really enjoyed my first trip to Pie Town and am excited that the second book in the series, Bleeding Tarts is already on my Kindle not so patiently waiting for me to read it.
October 14, 2017
Release Date: October 31, 2017
Genre: Cozy Mystery. Culinary Mystery
Series: Pie Town Mystery #1
The Quiche and the Dead is the first book in a brand new mystery series by Kristen Weiss. It's an enjoyable "who-dun-it" with delicious recipes and a fantastic set of characters. Readers may not have a hard time figuring out the person behind the murders, but this doesn't take away from the story especially considering the fact that you won't figure out WHY they happened until the very end. I look forward to reading the next one in the series and seeing how the characters progress. I am also excited to see what kind of Pie Town Recipes will be included in the next one!
Fans of culinary cozy mysteries, this is a great book for you! And, seeing as it is the first in a brand new series, you won't have to catch up!
Genre: Cozy Mystery. Culinary Mystery
Series: Pie Town Mystery #1
The Quiche and the Dead is the first book in a brand new mystery series by Kristen Weiss. It's an enjoyable "who-dun-it" with delicious recipes and a fantastic set of characters. Readers may not have a hard time figuring out the person behind the murders, but this doesn't take away from the story especially considering the fact that you won't figure out WHY they happened until the very end. I look forward to reading the next one in the series and seeing how the characters progress. I am also excited to see what kind of Pie Town Recipes will be included in the next one!
Fans of culinary cozy mysteries, this is a great book for you! And, seeing as it is the first in a brand new series, you won't have to catch up!
November 16, 2017
Val Harris loves her bakery shop, Pie Town. It offers everything from mini pastries to quiche, and almost makes up for the disastrous last five months of her life. She expected to start a new life and marriage when she moved to San Nicholas, CA with her fiance, but now all she has from that relationship is a beautiful wedding gown she never got to wear. Val has been so busy starting her new business that she hasn't had a chance to make friends or really learn much about her new home, but she's hopeful that things will start to come together. When a personal trainer opens a gym next to her shop and shames her for selling products that promote obesity and a customer drops dead in her store while eating one of her breakfast pies, her future seems bleak at best. One of her employees, Charlene, becomes a suspect in the killing. Val realizes to help her and save Pie Town she needs to do some snooping around to discover the murder's identity.
I like Val as a main character. She is intelligent, resilient and spunky. I had to chuckle a bit each time she cringed at seeing her ex-fiance's face plastered all over local real estate signs. That would really suck. I would go around with a sharpie and draws horns on all of them. :) Not mature, I know....but therapeutic. Charlene is also a hoot with her belief in conspiracy theories of all sorts and her white cat that seems to go everywhere with her. The cat reminded me of the Boneless Cat from old Peanuts cartoons.
This mystery is a great start to a new series! It is a nice mix of humor and mystery. The story moved at a nice pace, with plenty of suspects and surprises. I will definitely be reading more of this series! The next book in the series, Bleeding Tarts, will be out in April 2018. :)
For more information about the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.kirstenweiss.com/
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
I like Val as a main character. She is intelligent, resilient and spunky. I had to chuckle a bit each time she cringed at seeing her ex-fiance's face plastered all over local real estate signs. That would really suck. I would go around with a sharpie and draws horns on all of them. :) Not mature, I know....but therapeutic. Charlene is also a hoot with her belief in conspiracy theories of all sorts and her white cat that seems to go everywhere with her. The cat reminded me of the Boneless Cat from old Peanuts cartoons.
This mystery is a great start to a new series! It is a nice mix of humor and mystery. The story moved at a nice pace, with plenty of suspects and surprises. I will definitely be reading more of this series! The next book in the series, Bleeding Tarts, will be out in April 2018. :)
For more information about the author and her books, check out her website: http://www.kirstenweiss.com/
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Kensington via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**
June 23, 2018
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Great start to this cozy mystery series. We meet Val who runs a Pie shop is a small town that she moved to for her rotten fiance who dumped her later. The business is still new so when a man drops dead in the dining room and it is rumored that her quiche was to blame she starts asking questions. On top of that her employee pretty much blackmails into helping as well though not in a bad way. This was a great mystery with quite a few twists to thrown the reader off with plenty of food related tidbits thrown into the mix to keep you hungry throughout. Overall it is well written and a good read for fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 5/5 stars.
Great start to this cozy mystery series. We meet Val who runs a Pie shop is a small town that she moved to for her rotten fiance who dumped her later. The business is still new so when a man drops dead in the dining room and it is rumored that her quiche was to blame she starts asking questions. On top of that her employee pretty much blackmails into helping as well though not in a bad way. This was a great mystery with quite a few twists to thrown the reader off with plenty of food related tidbits thrown into the mix to keep you hungry throughout. Overall it is well written and a good read for fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 5/5 stars.
October 30, 2017
Val has always dreamed of opening a pie shop, but when a customer is stricken while eating one of her breakfast pies, she and her paranoid pie crust maker feel compelled to figure out who was responsible for the man's death.
I have enjoyed the books from this author's Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museumseries, and I'm a food-themed cozy junkie, so I was looking forward to reading this book, but went into it with my usual first-in-a-series wariness. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, that this book didn't seem to suffer from many of the new series pitfalls that I encounter so often. The characters seemed realistic to me, although some of them were rather over the top in their actions and behaviors. The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until it was revealed in the book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I have enjoyed the books from this author's Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museumseries, and I'm a food-themed cozy junkie, so I was looking forward to reading this book, but went into it with my usual first-in-a-series wariness. I was pleasantly surprised, therefore, that this book didn't seem to suffer from many of the new series pitfalls that I encounter so often. The characters seemed realistic to me, although some of them were rather over the top in their actions and behaviors. The mystery was well written and kept me guessing until it was revealed in the book. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
April 27, 2020
I really enjoyed this cosy mystery which is the first in a new for me series. Val is running a Pie shop in a small seaside town that she moved to after she was dumped by her fiancee, a real estate agent. The story opens when Joe, the owner of a comic and gaming shop attached to her shop, drops dead in the dining room and the rumour goes out that her quiche poisoned him. Val's crazy seventy-something chief pie crust maker, Charlene, drags Val into some amateur sleuthing to solve Joe’s murder. At first Val dismisses Charlene's wild investigation ideas, but before long she realises that some shady dealings are hidden in fog-bound San Nicholas. I didn’t get the murderer before the great unveil - one of my suspects was murdered so that left them of - I changed my mind a few times during the story but didn’t pin the correct one down.
October 19, 2018
"The Quiche and the Dead" is book one of the Pie Town Mystery by Kirsten Weiss. Valentine Harris moved to San Nicholas to be close to her fiance and open a pie shop. However, the beautiful and rewarding life that Valentine was hoping for never happen. First, her engagement ended, and then the customer dies. after eating one of her quiches in her shop. The local law enforcement had Valentine as a prime suspect, and it was affecting her pie shop. This cause Valentine to start with the help of her friend Charlene to investigate the death herself. The readers of The Quiche and the Dead will continue to follow Valentine and Charlene to find the killer.
"The Quiche and the Dead" is the first book I have read of Kirsten Weiss, and I will read more in this series. I was unable to stop laughing while reading this book. Kirsten Weiss portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other was well done. "The Quiche and the Dead" was well written and researched by Kirsten Weiss, and I engaged with the plot from the start.
The readers of "The Quiche and the Dead" will start to understand the problems for business in small communities when something terrible happens. Also, the readers will learn about local government corruption.
I recommend this book.
"The Quiche and the Dead" is the first book I have read of Kirsten Weiss, and I will read more in this series. I was unable to stop laughing while reading this book. Kirsten Weiss portrayal of her characters and the way they interact with each other was well done. "The Quiche and the Dead" was well written and researched by Kirsten Weiss, and I engaged with the plot from the start.
The readers of "The Quiche and the Dead" will start to understand the problems for business in small communities when something terrible happens. Also, the readers will learn about local government corruption.
I recommend this book.
Want to read
November 14, 2017A delightful mystery that has me longing for more! Looking forward to more from author Kirsten Weiss.
October 5, 2017
The Quiche And The Dead is the first book in the A Pie Town Mystery series.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, Valentine has set off earning a living by opening Pie Town in coastal San Nicholas. Val has sunk her heart and soul and all her money into the cafe and has seen a clientele of regular customer until the fatal day this story begins with.
Joe comes into Pie Town for his usual cup of coffee and as he is tasting his coffee he makes a face just as Valentine comes out with a mini quiche. When Val asks about the face he says he has had a bad taste in his mouth all morning. They make a friendly wager over the quiche that Val is taking next door to Heidi who has recently opened her health and fitness salon. If Heidi refuses the quiche, it will be Joe’s. Val returns with the quiche and gives it to Joe. After a couple of bites, Joe slumps to the floor and dies. The police arrive and Detective Shaw comments that Joe was poisoned.
Charlene, the crusty pie crust maker, is sure that it is a case of murder and that she and Val need to investigate. Charlene holds out a nice living arrangement of Val, who has been living in her office closet, as an enticement to help find Joe’s killer.
There is a lot of humor in this book, maybe too much for me. I started out liking Charlene, but after a while, she became just crazy with why they should continue looking for the killer. On the other hand, I just couldn’t get into her character. For me she did the “woe is me” and hand-wringing. I really tried to get into the story, but these two characters just put me off and I couldn't.
After breaking up with her boyfriend, Valentine has set off earning a living by opening Pie Town in coastal San Nicholas. Val has sunk her heart and soul and all her money into the cafe and has seen a clientele of regular customer until the fatal day this story begins with.
Joe comes into Pie Town for his usual cup of coffee and as he is tasting his coffee he makes a face just as Valentine comes out with a mini quiche. When Val asks about the face he says he has had a bad taste in his mouth all morning. They make a friendly wager over the quiche that Val is taking next door to Heidi who has recently opened her health and fitness salon. If Heidi refuses the quiche, it will be Joe’s. Val returns with the quiche and gives it to Joe. After a couple of bites, Joe slumps to the floor and dies. The police arrive and Detective Shaw comments that Joe was poisoned.
Charlene, the crusty pie crust maker, is sure that it is a case of murder and that she and Val need to investigate. Charlene holds out a nice living arrangement of Val, who has been living in her office closet, as an enticement to help find Joe’s killer.
There is a lot of humor in this book, maybe too much for me. I started out liking Charlene, but after a while, she became just crazy with why they should continue looking for the killer. On the other hand, I just couldn’t get into her character. For me she did the “woe is me” and hand-wringing. I really tried to get into the story, but these two characters just put me off and I couldn't.
August 25, 2021
All I could see was the dress.
Val owns a pie shop that is still a fledging trying to make it in a small town. Val must find the culprit of a murder when the local comic bookstore owner dies while eating one of her breakfast pies.
What a great start to the series! I loved the idea of a pie shop. I am much more of pie eater than cake. I loved that Val offered sweet and savory pies (quiche for you traditionalists). The secondary characters are amazing! I love, love, love Charlene! What an absolute hoot! Her relationship with Frederick her deaf, narcoleptic cat is so funny. I must admit that I had to take a stroll with my Velcro kitty, Clancy, wrapped around my neck after reading about Charlene.
The murder victim had casebooks on various "crimes" going on in town. It is up to Val and Charlene to work through them to see if this was the root cause of his death.
There is an obnoxious ex and his equally obnoxious new girlfriend. The new potential love interest is a police officer. He seems to be a sweetie so I'm looking forward to seeing where this may lead.
The mystery (or mysteries) are very well done. The characters are well thought out and believable. I nibbled on a few red herrings along the way to the revelation of the murderer.
Recipes in the book look quite tasty although I am not the crust maker that Charlene seems to be.
I enjoyed my introduction to Pie Town and look forward to the next book.
Val owns a pie shop that is still a fledging trying to make it in a small town. Val must find the culprit of a murder when the local comic bookstore owner dies while eating one of her breakfast pies.
What a great start to the series! I loved the idea of a pie shop. I am much more of pie eater than cake. I loved that Val offered sweet and savory pies (quiche for you traditionalists). The secondary characters are amazing! I love, love, love Charlene! What an absolute hoot! Her relationship with Frederick her deaf, narcoleptic cat is so funny. I must admit that I had to take a stroll with my Velcro kitty, Clancy, wrapped around my neck after reading about Charlene.
The murder victim had casebooks on various "crimes" going on in town. It is up to Val and Charlene to work through them to see if this was the root cause of his death.
There is an obnoxious ex and his equally obnoxious new girlfriend. The new potential love interest is a police officer. He seems to be a sweetie so I'm looking forward to seeing where this may lead.
The mystery (or mysteries) are very well done. The characters are well thought out and believable. I nibbled on a few red herrings along the way to the revelation of the murderer.
Recipes in the book look quite tasty although I am not the crust maker that Charlene seems to be.
I enjoyed my introduction to Pie Town and look forward to the next book.
October 29, 2017
The Quiche and the Dead by Kirsten Weiss is the first book in A Pie Town Mystery series. Valentine “Val” Harris opened Pie Town in San Nicholas, California five months prior. She is finally starting to break even and is happy with her choice to settle in San Nicholas. Val made a quiche to welcome Heidi Gladstone and her new business Heidi’s Health and Fitness to the neighborhood. Unfortunately, Heidi is against sugar (and anything with flavor along with Val’s slogan for her business) and shop regular Joe wins the quiche (he made a bet that Heidi would not eat it). Unfortunately, Joe soon clutches his stomach and keels over. Officer Gordon Carmichael responds to the 911 call with Detective Shaw. It is determined the Joe was poisoned and business grinds to a halt at Pie Town. Charlene McCree, pie crust maker extraordinaire, believes she is a prime suspect and ropes Val into doing some snooping. They uncover that Joe liked to investigate local crimes along with his recently deceased friend, Frank Potts. What had Joe uncovered that got him killed? It seems that San Nicholas is not the sleepy little town it appears.
The Quiche and the Dead starts off with a murder in the very first chapter. I liked the method of murder (poisoning) and the pie shop (it sounded cute). The main character, Valentine Harris was not appealing. I found her whiny and unlikeable (her overreaction to each and every encounter with Heidi became annoying). Charlene is supposed to be a secondary character, but she dominates the book. She is over-the-top, quirky and a conspiracy theorist. Charlene goes around town with a lazy cat around her shoulders like it is a fur stole (she states the cat is narcoleptic and would get lonely at home). It sounds humorous, but after numerous mentions of said cat it starts to become tedious and repetitive. The mystery was simple with a small suspect list. The killer’s identity can be distinguished early in the story (the person stands out—no clues needed). The story dragged along towards the end with much speculation and talking (along with more wackiness from Charlene). There is also flirting between Valentine and Officer Carmichael (Val is getting over a broken engagement). I found The Quiche and the Dead reminiscent of Scooby Doo with his sidekick Shaggy (but not as cute and funny). The author failed to adequately set up the backdrop of San Nicholas (we are given scant details). My rating for The Quiche and the Dead is 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). The Quiche and the Dead did not inspire me to want more A Pie Town Mystery novels.
The Quiche and the Dead starts off with a murder in the very first chapter. I liked the method of murder (poisoning) and the pie shop (it sounded cute). The main character, Valentine Harris was not appealing. I found her whiny and unlikeable (her overreaction to each and every encounter with Heidi became annoying). Charlene is supposed to be a secondary character, but she dominates the book. She is over-the-top, quirky and a conspiracy theorist. Charlene goes around town with a lazy cat around her shoulders like it is a fur stole (she states the cat is narcoleptic and would get lonely at home). It sounds humorous, but after numerous mentions of said cat it starts to become tedious and repetitive. The mystery was simple with a small suspect list. The killer’s identity can be distinguished early in the story (the person stands out—no clues needed). The story dragged along towards the end with much speculation and talking (along with more wackiness from Charlene). There is also flirting between Valentine and Officer Carmichael (Val is getting over a broken engagement). I found The Quiche and the Dead reminiscent of Scooby Doo with his sidekick Shaggy (but not as cute and funny). The author failed to adequately set up the backdrop of San Nicholas (we are given scant details). My rating for The Quiche and the Dead is 3 out of 5 stars (it was okay). The Quiche and the Dead did not inspire me to want more A Pie Town Mystery novels.
November 25, 2021
After a brutal break up with her fiance, Valentine “Val” Harris refuses to let things get her down. She is determined to make her Pie Town shop a success. It’s a struggle, but owning a pie shop has always been a dream and she has no intention of not seeing it through.
To say it’s been difficult, would be an understatement. However, when a customer dies eating one of her pies, difficult is taken to the next level. Val becomes one of the main suspects. The only customer she has now is a cop.
Val’s seventy-something pie crust maker, Charlene, is also a suspect. Charlene vows to find the real killer and she insists Val is going to help her. Although Val is skeptical that they will find something the cops haven’t found, she agrees when another dead body shows up. She’s really concerned about what’s going on in their small town. They definitely don’t want to be the next victim.
This is the first book in the Pie Town Mystery series. I’ve had it on my Kindle for awhile now and I can’t believe I let it sit there. This is a fun, quirky cozy mystery that kept me engrossed and, I must admit, hungry for pie.
It’s a fast-paced story that I didn’t want to put down. I loved Val’s sidekick Charlene, who has a deaf white cat she walks around with wrapped around her shoulders. The dialogue is witty and I was totally off on who the killer was. It came as a surprise to me. I’m looking forward to reading more in this delicious cozy mystery.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
To say it’s been difficult, would be an understatement. However, when a customer dies eating one of her pies, difficult is taken to the next level. Val becomes one of the main suspects. The only customer she has now is a cop.
Val’s seventy-something pie crust maker, Charlene, is also a suspect. Charlene vows to find the real killer and she insists Val is going to help her. Although Val is skeptical that they will find something the cops haven’t found, she agrees when another dead body shows up. She’s really concerned about what’s going on in their small town. They definitely don’t want to be the next victim.
This is the first book in the Pie Town Mystery series. I’ve had it on my Kindle for awhile now and I can’t believe I let it sit there. This is a fun, quirky cozy mystery that kept me engrossed and, I must admit, hungry for pie.
It’s a fast-paced story that I didn’t want to put down. I loved Val’s sidekick Charlene, who has a deaf white cat she walks around with wrapped around her shoulders. The dialogue is witty and I was totally off on who the killer was. It came as a surprise to me. I’m looking forward to reading more in this delicious cozy mystery.
FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.
February 15, 2018
Synopsis:
Is Val's breakfast pie the quiche of death? Owning her own business seemed like pie in the sky to Valentine Harris when she moved to the coastal California town of San Nicholas, expecting to start a new life with her fiance. Five months--and a broken engagement--later, at least her dream of opening a pie shop has become a reality. But when one of her regulars keels over at the counter while eating a quiche, Val feels like she's living a nightmare. After the police determine the customer was poisoned, business at Pie Town drops faster than a fallen crust. Convinced they're both suspects, Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene drags her boss into some amateur sleuthing. At first Val dismisses Charlene's half-baked hypotheses, but before long the ladies uncover some shady dealings hidden in fog-bound San Nicholas. Now Val must expose the truth--before a crummy killer tries to shut her pie hole. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I thought Val was smart and a hard worker who has realized her dream of owning a pie shop. When one of her customers dies after eating a quiche, she realizes that she is going to have to search for the killer herself. And she needs to do it fast, before her pie shop goes up in smoke. She’ll have the help of her pie crust maker, who is not afraid of digging deep for clues. Their escapades in crime solving lead to some very funny situations.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. She is talented in creating small town settings and all the gossiping and neighborliness that occur in them. She is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there in San Nicholas, visiting, meeting people and watching all the action taking place. I thought the mystery was well written and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through, and I was surprised who the culprit was.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in the hopes of receiving a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Is Val's breakfast pie the quiche of death? Owning her own business seemed like pie in the sky to Valentine Harris when she moved to the coastal California town of San Nicholas, expecting to start a new life with her fiance. Five months--and a broken engagement--later, at least her dream of opening a pie shop has become a reality. But when one of her regulars keels over at the counter while eating a quiche, Val feels like she's living a nightmare. After the police determine the customer was poisoned, business at Pie Town drops faster than a fallen crust. Convinced they're both suspects, Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene drags her boss into some amateur sleuthing. At first Val dismisses Charlene's half-baked hypotheses, but before long the ladies uncover some shady dealings hidden in fog-bound San Nicholas. Now Val must expose the truth--before a crummy killer tries to shut her pie hole. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. I thought Val was smart and a hard worker who has realized her dream of owning a pie shop. When one of her customers dies after eating a quiche, she realizes that she is going to have to search for the killer herself. And she needs to do it fast, before her pie shop goes up in smoke. She’ll have the help of her pie crust maker, who is not afraid of digging deep for clues. Their escapades in crime solving lead to some very funny situations.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is a quick easy read. She is talented in creating small town settings and all the gossiping and neighborliness that occur in them. She is very talented in her descriptive writing and through much of the book, I felt like I was right there in San Nicholas, visiting, meeting people and watching all the action taking place. I thought the mystery was well written and there were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through, and I was surprised who the culprit was.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. This is the first book in this series and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in the hopes of receiving a honest review. I would like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.
October 8, 2017
I read Kirsten Weiss' The Quiche and The Dead last week and it is a unique and fun cozy. It has a good mystery tied up in conspiracy and that perfect balance of small town political power meets unsuspecting and unwilling amature sleuth! But it is also a great book about standing your ground even when your legs are shaking, because it is the right thing to do. Loved the over the top support characters Charlene especially. Looks like Kirsten Weiss has laid the groundwork for a great new series.
March 27, 2021
Val started a pie shop in her ex-fiancee's small hometown that is in danger after a customer dies.
What I enjoyed:
* I like Val, but she is a bit of a pushover
* The gamer group were a neat touch
* The investigations they took up were interesting but the main mystery was fairly predictable
* I want to learn more about Petronella
What could have been better:
* Charlene is too kooky. I get that she is lonely, but basically blackmailing Val into helping the investigation and taking all her free time is a bit much.
What I enjoyed:
* I like Val, but she is a bit of a pushover
* The gamer group were a neat touch
* The investigations they took up were interesting but the main mystery was fairly predictable
* I want to learn more about Petronella
What could have been better:
* Charlene is too kooky. I get that she is lonely, but basically blackmailing Val into helping the investigation and taking all her free time is a bit much.
December 23, 2020
Excellent, fast paced and hard to put down.
October 16, 2017
The first in a new cozy mystery set in a background of a small town and a store specializing in making various types of pies. The cover caught my eye so I requested it. I found it an intriguing story. The descriptions of Valentine and Charlene left a bad taste for me. I didn't like either one but Charlene's actions were more likable. A customer dies in the pie shop. The police keep the reason a secret and business falls off. Charlene pushes Val to investigate the death. The story was choppy and didn't hold together. Will dream of owning her own pie shop fall apart?
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kennington Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Kennington Books through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions expressed are my own.
November 4, 2017
What a fun beginning to a great new series. Val opened her business Pie Town five months ago and things seem to be going well. When a customer does after eating one of her pies she knows it can't be good for business but isn't sure what she can do to fix it. Her pie crust maker Charlene thinks they should investigate and the craziness begins. Running into a burglar, tripping over dead bodies, and dealing with an ex are just some of the complications the duo cu s into. Jump in and find out what what they get themselves into. With a lovely main character who is relatable and a set of unique characters throughout you'll fall in love with this new series. One of the best is Fredrick, a cat who has more issues than a cat should ever have but is hilarious in his own right.
October 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the writing
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the cozy small town mystery vibes and colorful characters
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for the cozy small town mystery vibes and colorful characters
October 12, 2017
Valentine Harris thought life was going to be great. She would be a business owner and have a new life with her fiancé after moving to the town of San Nicholas, CA. Five months later her engagement was over. Her dream of running a pie shop was real, but she was barely scraping by. As luck would have it one of Val’s regular customers dies at the counter while eating one of her quiches. Now she must find the killer to save her business from ruin.
The police determine the customer was poisoned, and business at Pie Town drops to nothing. Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene convinces Val that they are both suspects. They decide, Val unwillingly, to investigate on their own. After all, Charlene was a bit odd and her half-baked hypotheses unlikely. It doesn’t take long for the two of them to uncover some shady hidden dealings and become real targets.
--
Series: A Pie Town Mystery – Book 1
Author: Kristen Weiss
Genre: Culinary Cozy
Publisher: Kensington
The Quiche and the Dead is an excellent start to a new series. Kristen Weiss has composed a highly enjoyable and exciting story with a cast of characters the reader will fall in love with. The town of San Nicholas is a quaint setting for this story and holds plenty of mystery that is sure to keep the reader captivated.
Valentine Harris a great character filled with hopes and dreams, and a broken heart. Her life gets thrown into chaos after her fiancé tells her he doesn’t want to get married after all. Unfortunately, he waits to tell her this until after she has moved away from everything and everyone she knows and puts her life’s savings into opening Pie Town. Realizing that she still has feelings for Mark her ex-fiancé, she tries her best to move on and works night and day to make her shop successful. Val is like a lot of people who puts everything they have on the line and risks failure. The character is unmistakably relatable to anyone that has ever had a dream and risked everything to make that dream a reality.
Charlene is one of those eccentric characters that audiences love. She is mischievous, set in her ways, and downright strange. All of these qualities make her a fun and genuinely likable character that readers will want to hear more about. She may be old, but she has spunk and determination that rivals that of anyone half her age.
The remaining characters, especially Petronella Val’s employee, are well rounded and enjoyable. Readers will have mixed feelings about the victims but will ultimately cheer on Val and Charlene in their investigation and unmasking of the killer.
The Quiche and the Dead will leave readers craving pie of all types, and hungry for the next book in the series. The writing is smooth, fast-paced and filled with details that make you want to visit Pie Town. This book is highly recommended to readers of cozies that keep them on their toes and keeps them guessing until the very end.
The police determine the customer was poisoned, and business at Pie Town drops to nothing. Val's flaky, seventy-something pie crust maker Charlene convinces Val that they are both suspects. They decide, Val unwillingly, to investigate on their own. After all, Charlene was a bit odd and her half-baked hypotheses unlikely. It doesn’t take long for the two of them to uncover some shady hidden dealings and become real targets.
--
Series: A Pie Town Mystery – Book 1
Author: Kristen Weiss
Genre: Culinary Cozy
Publisher: Kensington
The Quiche and the Dead is an excellent start to a new series. Kristen Weiss has composed a highly enjoyable and exciting story with a cast of characters the reader will fall in love with. The town of San Nicholas is a quaint setting for this story and holds plenty of mystery that is sure to keep the reader captivated.
Valentine Harris a great character filled with hopes and dreams, and a broken heart. Her life gets thrown into chaos after her fiancé tells her he doesn’t want to get married after all. Unfortunately, he waits to tell her this until after she has moved away from everything and everyone she knows and puts her life’s savings into opening Pie Town. Realizing that she still has feelings for Mark her ex-fiancé, she tries her best to move on and works night and day to make her shop successful. Val is like a lot of people who puts everything they have on the line and risks failure. The character is unmistakably relatable to anyone that has ever had a dream and risked everything to make that dream a reality.
Charlene is one of those eccentric characters that audiences love. She is mischievous, set in her ways, and downright strange. All of these qualities make her a fun and genuinely likable character that readers will want to hear more about. She may be old, but she has spunk and determination that rivals that of anyone half her age.
The remaining characters, especially Petronella Val’s employee, are well rounded and enjoyable. Readers will have mixed feelings about the victims but will ultimately cheer on Val and Charlene in their investigation and unmasking of the killer.
The Quiche and the Dead will leave readers craving pie of all types, and hungry for the next book in the series. The writing is smooth, fast-paced and filled with details that make you want to visit Pie Town. This book is highly recommended to readers of cozies that keep them on their toes and keeps them guessing until the very end.
December 17, 2017
Val Harris moved to San Nicholas to be with her fiancee, but then the engagement failed. But she stayed to run her shop, Pie Town. Then one day her neighbor, who runs the comic shop next door, drops dead after taking a bite of her quiche. After that business drops off. When a member of the library board dies, and Val finds the body, the local police term her unlucky, and say the deaths are accidents, even when the woman's former husband dies, too.
Val and her crust maker, Charlene, are not so sure the deaths are accidental, and they set out to get to the bottom of things before the person responsible for the deaths add Val and Charlene to their list of those who need to be six-feet under.
I absolutely loved this book. Val is a strong character who is willing to work to overcome her woes, including her break with her fiancee. She won't lie down when things start to go wrong at Pie Town and is willing to join with Charlene to investigate.
For me, Charlene was a perfect side kick. She is a conspiracy theorist who wears her deaf cat around her shoulders. I should have marked the number of time I laughed out loud at Charlene's antics. She is the perfect addition to this book. As are the gamers who stick around Pie Town, no matter that others stay away after the death.
All in all I could see myself in Pie Town, enjoying food and a book while Val and Charlene puttered around and solved the mystery, which was wonderfully plotted. I hate to admit I did not figure it out and was just as shocked as Val at the killer's identity.
This book has put this series on my favorites list. I'm looking forward to another slice of mystery from Pie Town.
Val and her crust maker, Charlene, are not so sure the deaths are accidental, and they set out to get to the bottom of things before the person responsible for the deaths add Val and Charlene to their list of those who need to be six-feet under.
I absolutely loved this book. Val is a strong character who is willing to work to overcome her woes, including her break with her fiancee. She won't lie down when things start to go wrong at Pie Town and is willing to join with Charlene to investigate.
For me, Charlene was a perfect side kick. She is a conspiracy theorist who wears her deaf cat around her shoulders. I should have marked the number of time I laughed out loud at Charlene's antics. She is the perfect addition to this book. As are the gamers who stick around Pie Town, no matter that others stay away after the death.
All in all I could see myself in Pie Town, enjoying food and a book while Val and Charlene puttered around and solved the mystery, which was wonderfully plotted. I hate to admit I did not figure it out and was just as shocked as Val at the killer's identity.
This book has put this series on my favorites list. I'm looking forward to another slice of mystery from Pie Town.
August 7, 2019
The Quiche and the Dead is book #1 in Kirsten Weiss’s Pie Town series. This story is a fun mystery with a bit of romance, which I’m finding is my favorite combination when it comes to cozies.
Valentine (Val) Harris was excited to move to the small town of San Nicholas, where she planned on getting married and opening her own pie shop. Her plans take a sharp detour when her fiancé breaks off their engagement. Thankfully, Val has Pie Town to devote all her time and energy to as she recovers from that heartbreak.
But disaster strikes when one of Val’s customers dies at her counter while eating one of her quiches—and the cause of death is found to be poisoning. Val knows she’s not guilty, but who would want to kill Joe? Alongside her crusty, 70-year-old crust maker Charlene, Val starts her own investigation into Joe’s death.
I loved this book! Val is a fun protagonist who serves as a perfect foil to Charlene’s cantankerous ways. Throw in a jerk of an ex-fiancé, an annoying business owner next door, an intriguing police officer, and a hilarious cat—this cast of characters makes for a great start to the Pie Town series.
Kirsten Weiss excels at humorous dialogue as well as mystery with a touch of romance. I really love cozies that take place in bakeries of any kind, and I can tell that Pie Town is going to be a delightful setting for the rest of the books in the series.
Valentine (Val) Harris was excited to move to the small town of San Nicholas, where she planned on getting married and opening her own pie shop. Her plans take a sharp detour when her fiancé breaks off their engagement. Thankfully, Val has Pie Town to devote all her time and energy to as she recovers from that heartbreak.
But disaster strikes when one of Val’s customers dies at her counter while eating one of her quiches—and the cause of death is found to be poisoning. Val knows she’s not guilty, but who would want to kill Joe? Alongside her crusty, 70-year-old crust maker Charlene, Val starts her own investigation into Joe’s death.
I loved this book! Val is a fun protagonist who serves as a perfect foil to Charlene’s cantankerous ways. Throw in a jerk of an ex-fiancé, an annoying business owner next door, an intriguing police officer, and a hilarious cat—this cast of characters makes for a great start to the Pie Town series.
Kirsten Weiss excels at humorous dialogue as well as mystery with a touch of romance. I really love cozies that take place in bakeries of any kind, and I can tell that Pie Town is going to be a delightful setting for the rest of the books in the series.
June 20, 2018
Avevo subito adocchiato questo libro, ma mi tratteneva la coprotagonista anzianotta e un po' sopra le righe, non proprio il mio genere di personaggio. Poi ho trovato il libro scontato e, visto che mi permetteva di finire una delle mie (numerose...) challenges, mi sono decisa a leggerlo. Devo dire che mi è proprio piaciuto: l'ho trovato molto scorrevole e mi sono immedesimata nella protagonista. Per quanto riguarda la signora anziana, mi c'è voluto mezzo libro, ma poi sono riuscita a digerirla. Dopotutto mi sono accorta che, probabilmente, condivido con lei un po' della sua fissa per le cospirazioni, visto che ho capito subito chi fosse il colpevole... Sì, lo so, questa frase non ha molto senso, almeno che non abbiate letto il libro...
Confesso, infine, che ho dato mezzo punto in più solamente perché nella storia appare una minicasa... Non esattamente del tipo che piacciono a me, ma pur sempre una minicasa!
Confesso, infine, che ho dato mezzo punto in più solamente perché nella storia appare una minicasa... Non esattamente del tipo che piacciono a me, ma pur sempre una minicasa!
October 12, 2020
There is so much to like about this book. Val’s budding friendship with her piecrust maker Charlene is super endearing and also hilarious. They are the perfect crime-solving duo, with a great balance of skepticism, determination, and wonkiness (mostly on Charlene’s part!).
I loved how other aspects of Val’s life were woven into the story, such as her struggle as an entrepreneur, her unbalanced work-life balance, and her failed personal relationships. Weiss’ writing was so clear, and I could easily picture San Nicholas, Pie Town, and all these very distinct characters.
Plus, this book is laugh-out-loud HILARIOUS! I cackled many, many times whilst reading, and if that isn’t a sign of a solid and enjoyable read, then I don’t know what is.
THE QUICHE AND THE DEAD has the hilarity and fast pace of a romcom with the thought-provoking mystery of a super serious mystery. I’ve already ordered the next four books in the series, and I’m looking forward to diving in this Fall!
I loved how other aspects of Val’s life were woven into the story, such as her struggle as an entrepreneur, her unbalanced work-life balance, and her failed personal relationships. Weiss’ writing was so clear, and I could easily picture San Nicholas, Pie Town, and all these very distinct characters.
Plus, this book is laugh-out-loud HILARIOUS! I cackled many, many times whilst reading, and if that isn’t a sign of a solid and enjoyable read, then I don’t know what is.
THE QUICHE AND THE DEAD has the hilarity and fast pace of a romcom with the thought-provoking mystery of a super serious mystery. I’ve already ordered the next four books in the series, and I’m looking forward to diving in this Fall!
November 3, 2017
Kirsten's storytelling abilities are extraordinary. She evokes emotions, excitement and laughter. This cozy mystery has the usual suspects, heroes and laugh-out-loud humour but the development of the characters and their relationships are much more than the usual. The story starts out a bit slow as Kirsten paints us a picture of the people and settings. Then the story takes off and I couldn't put it down until I was finished. Multiple murders, an ex-fiancé, an eccentric septuagenarian and our reluctant hero and pie shop owner Val. A very well written cozy mystery.
December 6, 2020
Wow what a great cozy. I love Val and Charlene. What an interesting duo. I cannot wait to continue this series, thankfully there’s more. She is one of my top five cozy writers.
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