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Baker Street Mystery #1

Cherry Pie or Die

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After a traumatic life event, Georgie Tanner returns to her hometown to start her life over... at 31 years old. Add sporadic memory loss to the mix and Georgie is a certified hot mess. Luckily, Aunt Cecelia is there with a job for Georgie. She might not feel able to take on the world, but she’s think she’s up for taking tourists through Gainesville, Pennsylvania's historic downtown. The place is as American as apple pie, steeped in rich Revolutionary history, Amish settlements, ghost stories, and colonial manors. Georgie knew it was a safe place to go to piece back her memories.After all, what could go wrong in a sleepy town like this?Until she leads a group of tourists through the Three Maidens’ Manor, a battle site converted into a museum. When the power goes out during the tour, Georgie thinks it’s a crazy fluke. But when it returns, she has six panicked guests, and a dead man in her midst. Who would want to kill him? And more importantly, which one of them was the murderer?

250 pages, Paperback

Published December 29, 2017

1465 people are currently reading
1051 people want to read

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CeeCee James

88 books452 followers

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5 stars
774 (41%)
4 stars
691 (36%)
3 stars
341 (18%)
2 stars
61 (3%)
1 star
18 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
Profile Image for Brenda.
5,102 reviews3,019 followers
September 1, 2022
Georgie Tanner was back in Gainesville, Pennsylvania working as a tour guide out of her aunt Cecilia's B&B as well as helping her with the guests when it was necessary. She enjoyed her work as it a lot less stress than her previous job. The day she took a bus load of tourists to the haunted Three Maidens' Manor, she had no idea what was about to happen.

The murder of one of the guests of the B&B was being investigated by Cecilia's grandson and friend of Georgie's, Frank Wagner, while Georgie was doing some investigation on the side. But was it one of the guests who were staying at the B&B, or a complete stranger who'd been lying in wait?

Cherry Pie or Die is the 1st in the Baker Street Mystery series by CeeCee James and I quite enjoyed it. Light and entertaining, a pleasant way to while away a few hours. I'm looking forward to checking out #2 in the series. Recommended. Oh, Cecilia's cherry pie recipe at the back sounds delicious!
Profile Image for Karen.
503 reviews66 followers
December 31, 2017
Friday night I finished Cherry Pie of Die which is a first in series by CeeCee James. This is a new cozy mystery which is expected out early next year and I was very thrilled to be one of the first people to read it. The main character is a bit of a mystery herself and I love that she remains that way for most of the story. Working for her "aunt" and returning to a small town way of life rooted in history both personal and geographical.
The bed and breakfast is full of suspects and a grumpy neighbor round out the cast. I found this to be a very good start to the series and I think cozy mystery fans are going to love this new series by CeeCee James.
Profile Image for JoAn.
2,463 reviews1 follower
March 30, 2020
Cherry Pie or Die by CeeCee James was an engaging cozy mystery. The first in a series that introduces Georgie Tanner who has returned to her hometown after the tragic loss of her boyfriend. Ms. James has written a story filled with twists, red herrings, some unlikable suspects that kept me turning the pages to the reveal. Georgie grew by leaps and bounds in this book as she finally begins to recover from the trauma of her loss. I will be looking for more in this series.

I won a copy of this book from the author at Dru's Book Musings.
Profile Image for Cat Freeman.
188 reviews12 followers
January 13, 2018
This book jumped to the top of my TBR pile by way of getting added to my Kindle app in case of power outage. We didn't lose power, but the book was intriguing me nonetheless and I jumped in and read it. I'm happy to say I enjoyed it very much, and am glad I let it skip to the head of the line!

I very much enjoy history, so the book involving Revolutionary War site tours was a big sticking point in making me so eager to read it. Plus, what a novel idea! I enjoyed the history in the book, though there was only enough to make the story make sense. Definitely not a historical fiction novel!

The characters were great, as was the mystery. I surely didn't suspect the killer, and after all was revealed I was very impressed with their cleverness. They were nearly clever enough to get away with it! But not with a cozy mystery sleuth around, of course.

All in all, a great start to a new series. I'd recommend it to all cozy lovers, but with especial gusto to a cozy lover with a love for history as well!

*4.5 Stars rounded up to 5
Profile Image for MelMon Sanchez.
587 reviews8 followers
February 24, 2018
Nothing like a little pie to set the mood!

Trying to piece her life back together after a tragic event, Georgie Tanner moves back home to Gainesville, Pennsylvania. Her grandmothers best friend Cecilia, who is like an Aunt to Georgie, welcomes her with open arms.

Working at The Baker Street Bed and Breakfast as a tour guide, along side Cecilia brings a smidge of happiness and normalcy back to Georgie's life.

That is, until the new guests arrive and a simple history tour to The Maidens Manor turns into a modern day game of Clue. With the suspect pool being holed up at the B&B things get really heated. Secrets and lies come tumbling out, throwing Georgie together with Aunt Cecilia's only grandson Officer Frank Wagner.

Bumping heads with every clue, the murder mystery brings Georgie to a point where she will be forced to face her past trama. A well written cozy mystery filled with suspense, a variety of characters and a little extra; for those of us who love to bake. Take a look at the scrumptious recipes provided at the ending.
Profile Image for Jules Inman.
253 reviews55 followers
September 29, 2024
I had a fine time with this. Most of the characters are referenced as Mr. or Mrs. so it was hard to keep track of who was who. Not many likable characters. It very much had clue vibes. The cover is a bit deceiving as there isn’t a lot of baking happening though a cherry pie is made and shared with the neighbor. All of the covers of this series have a baked good theme so hopefully we get more of that. I loved the B&B vibe and her “like and aunt” Cecilia who runs it. The grief representation in this is good and I think the main character will open up about that more into the series. Will continue in the series.
Profile Image for Nola Arganbright.
1,592 reviews32 followers
April 23, 2020
Blue Ribbon

This book deserves a blue ribbon as it is a first prize win. Georgie is still recovering from her husband's death but is working at her Grandmother's best friend's Bed & Breakfast as your guide and helper. When a guest is killed at a haunted mansion Georgia helps childhood friend and detective sort the clues to find the murderer.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
126 reviews14 followers
September 28, 2024
I really enjoyed this cozy! And it’s the first time I ever guessed the killer from the beginning!
Profile Image for Suzanne.
363 reviews8 followers
April 9, 2018
B&B, Tour, Cooking. Three mystery books in one.

Georgie Tanner has moved back home to try and put her life back together.
Her Aunt Cecelia has offered her the job of tour guide for her B&B. Tours of historic Gainesville, PA.
While on a tour someone is murdered. Could it be the ghosts said to haunt the 3 Maiden Manor?

This is a great mystery for a mystery lover. The odd guests, the little hints sprinkled through the story had me even wondering about the neighbors.

And through it all was Georgie, trying to pull her life back to something close to normal and watching the glorious food coming out of Aunt Cecelia's kitchen and thinking, I can do that.
Which leads to the wonderful recipes at the end.
Profile Image for Patrizia.
1,954 reviews42 followers
January 24, 2018
Confesso di essere stata attratta dalla copertina dal sapore vintage e dal fatto che il libro sia ambientato in una località (fittizia) impregnata di ricordi della Rivoluzione Americana, uno degli avvenimenti storici da me preferiti; inoltre, tale località si trova nella Lancaster County, cioè nella zona a più alta concentrazione di insediamenti Amish della Pennsylvania (e, infatti, nel libro viene citato uno dei loro calessi). Devo dire che sono stata catturata dalla storia e da una protagonista dal passato doloroso che cerca di rifarsi una vita. Mi è dispiaciuto aver già finito il libro e credo che mi butterò subito sul secondo, visto che ce l'ho già sul mio fedele kindle... E già questo la dice lunga perché normalmente non leggo mai due libri della stessa serie di seguito uno dall'altro.
Profile Image for Audrey.
176 reviews1 follower
August 31, 2022
3.5/5
Surprisingly enjoyed it. Only the motive did not convince me completely but that's a detail. Will try the next one in the series.
Profile Image for Jeannie and Louis Rigod.
1,991 reviews40 followers
January 10, 2018
Georgie Tanner is recovering from a traumatic loss and is offered a home and solace from her adopted (unofficially) Grandmother, Cecilia. Cecelia owns a Bread and Breakfast in the Revolutionary War grounds of Gainesville, Pennsylvania. Georgie's job? A tour guide through various war sites.

Georgie is overwhelmed when not only has she a mixed group, but, one of her charges get stabbed with a replica of a 1779 sword.

This book was the first in a new series and I found that I enjoyed it a great deal. I liked Georgie and her Grandmother, and most of the characters were well developed. The dialog was snappy and the locations were edgy.

I look forward to reading future episodes in Georgie's life as she heals and becomes whole again.
Profile Image for Katherine.
1,016 reviews150 followers
September 20, 2024
3.5
so much fun. quick read.

Read for Hannah the Teachers TBR -Comfy Cozy book club
Profile Image for QNPoohBear.
3,589 reviews1,564 followers
August 24, 2019
Georgie Tanner leads historical tours of her hometown of Gainesville, Pennsylvania for her Aunt Cecelia's bed and breakfast guests. Aunt Cecelia was Georgie's grandmother's best friend and had always been there to help Georgie in need but when one of the guests is murdered touring a Revolutionary War house museum, it brings back horrific memories from Georgie's recent past that she has difficulty coping with. Can Georgie pick the pieces of her life back up and will there be any clients left for her tours if word gets out?

This mystery was disappointing for numerous reasons. First, I strongly object to the stereotypes about spinsters and librarians. I also find it incredibly unrealistic that a curator of a historic museum would lead a tour down a dark stairwell with the light bulb out, leaving the tour guests to guess where the light at the bottom is and turn it on. There's no way. None! I know it sets up the murder and makes a good story but I don't want people to get the wrong idea about historic house tours. I personally would check ahead of time and make a note for someone to replace the light bulb if I couldn't reach it myself and not brings guests down there. I work at a museum very much like that one and we don't even take guests down the stairs. (Modern people don't even really fit down those stairways either). It ruined the entire mystery for me. Additionally, I found the motive for murder insanely lame. The story of Three Maidens Manor is crazy and weird. I love historic homes but I think I'd give this one a pass. The history is too dark and too bizarre. I'm not sure that would have ever happened. The way the murder happened was clever and creepy but really could never happen in real life.

As for coziness... I like it well enough but there's not enough of Cecelia or the inn. If this is going to be a baking mystery then I want more baking. The regular characters are OK. I feel awful for Georgie and the traumatic event she witnessed. I can't even imagine! She's kind of ... dim... when it comes to her own personal safety and also in trusting people. She needs to hone her instincts better if she's going to keep solving crimes. Aunt Cecelia seems firm but kind. Frank, Aunt Cecelia's grandson, is an injured veteran and rough around the edges. He and Georgie may have had an antagonistic relationship as a child but I think he is fond of her and is there for her when she needs comfort. Frank takes his job as a cop very very seriously and Georgie can't seem to think of him in that role but she needs to because he is a very good cop. I really like how perceptive Georgie is with Oscar next door. Like her, I was able to see past his grouchiness and see the real problem. I adore Peanut/Bear! She steals every scene she's in and there needs to be more of her!

The problematic characters are the guests. They're all very two-dimensional. Georgie doesn't know anything about them until after the murder. Mr. and Mrs. Green are a May/December couple. It's unclear whether he's a Sugar Daddy or if they genuinely love each other. They don't seem like a happy couple. Eliza Sue Remington, a self-proclaimed "spinster" fits every stereotype you can think of. I can't stand this. It's possible to be unmarried and not be frumpy, awkward mom-jean wearing and snippy. Mr. Peterson is the player of the group. He likes to flirt with everyone which just makes him look sleazy. Mr. and Mrs. St. Claire are another possibly fake couple. Their stories about how they met don't match and their efforts to seem lovey dovey seem forced to me.

Mrs. Stilton, the aforementioned curator, needs to retire. She's nervous about ghosts when alarms go off all the time for no good reason, especially in old homes where there are spiders and people trying to open locked doors. I didn't hate her but I didn't love her because of the mistakes she made.

It's a good thing I read Cookies and Scream first or there would be no way I would read any more of this series.
Profile Image for Susie.
765 reviews4 followers
December 9, 2021
This book was dumb. Dumb dumb dumb. The descriptions of pie didn't even save it. And since I haven't had sweets since before Labor Day, that's really saying something.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,661 reviews103 followers
January 15, 2020
This is another book I've had for a couple of years and have been wanting to read. I'm so glad I started the series, because I know I'm going to love it. Georgie is a great character and even her sometimes-grumpy chldhood friend Frank (now a cop) grew on me. He could actually be nice as he proved several times. The book didn't go into much detail about Georgie's fiance Derek having died in a car accident, so I'm betting that it's going to be a thing that she just has to work through. She did seem to improve from the beginning of the book to the end and had promised herself not to be haunted by memories.

Speaking of haunted, it was fun to read as Georgie's tour group went through a supposedly-haunted old manor where soldiers had died. The curator always said that the soldiers came and moved things around, although they didn't really touch much on it. It was just a fun little spooky element, kind of like what we loved about Nancy Drew books. I hadn't guessed the killer, and the showdown was exciting. Georgie really used her head in the situation with the killer. It looks like I have all but the newest to be published in this series, so I'm definitely going to get to the next one soon.
Profile Image for Jamie (TheRebelliousReader).
6,968 reviews30 followers
April 19, 2018
3 stars. This was a pretty good first book in the series. I think my main gripe was that it definitely just felt like the start of a series so there wasn't much to it except to set up the rest of the series. Not a bad thing at all but I wish it would've been a bit more solid.

The writing was really good and simple. The pacing was pretty good and made the story read really quickly. I enjoyed the crime solving aspect and I think Georgie was a great character. We only get a glimpse of who she is as a person but I liked what I saw. She has an interesting backstory and I can't wait to learn more about her in the next books.

This was my first cozy mystery and I mainly picked it up because I've been watching a bunch of cozy mystery movies on the Hallmark channel this month. I'm glad I picked this up because it was fun and had more depth to it than I was expecting. Also, there's recipes in the end and that made me so excited. I have the second book already on my kindle and ready to go so I'm looking forward to getting to it soon.
62 reviews4 followers
January 8, 2018
I got through this book pretty fast, and I was surprised at the killer. The characters are all memorable and I would've liked to read about them more.

There are a few issues I have with it, though:
1. The book lagged for the first half. I found myself making excuses to put it down or eagerly playing a round of solitaire before picking it back up.
2. While the characters were memorable (The Greens, Mrs. St. Claire) the dialogue and the details got muddled and mixed together. Oscar was introduced but largely left (he could've been tied in by seeing something), Leslie was as well. Maybe they get bigger parts in the sequels?
3. The ending felt rushed and forced. Don't get me wrong - the killer was surprising, as they were down on my list of suspects.
Profile Image for Dallass.
2,284 reviews
January 22, 2020
It was okay

Definitely not my favourite cosy mystery, but there is potential in this series. The MCs were fine, and the plot was, once again, fine. Just an average read.

2.5 stars ⭐️
Profile Image for Miss W Book Reviews.
1,783 reviews153 followers
July 16, 2019
Cherry Pie or Die is the First Book in the Baker Street Mysteries. I listened to the audiobook version of this story and I absolutely LOVED IT.

Georgie Tanner is the main character that I instantly connected to and was so invested in. She has just moved back to her grandmother's town to do some work for her grandmothers friend. She is a recent widow. She stumbles upon a dead body during her work as a tour guide at a Bed and Breakfast.

This was a well written mystery that kept my attention as I was turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the characters, especially Georgie. She is moving past a tragedy and in her current state is calm and light hearted but still sad about the past which makes for an incredibly well crafted complex character.

This story had an Agatha Christie vibe feeling and I really enjoyed that. I can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.

Profile Image for Jane.
1,272 reviews16 followers
November 23, 2020
Georgie Tanner moved back to her hometown of Gainesville, Pennsylvania from Pittsburgh where she worked as a paralegal to a lawyer who specialized in estates. She’s been working for her Aunt Cecelia—who owns a B&B called Baker Street Bed and Breakfast—as a historical tour guide. Aunt Cecelia’s technically her aunt because she and Georgie’s grandma had been best friends.

Georgie’s first guided tour of the Three Maidens’ Manor takes a different turn when one of the seven guests is found stabbed to death in the manor. Fun mystery steeped in history and you’ll never guess who the killer is till the end.

The book concludes with two mouthwatering recipes🍒 🥧
Profile Image for Cara Devlin.
Author 38 books436 followers
November 18, 2021
OK, this was a great Free Booksy find! Short, entertaining, and cozy, this mystery is set at a B&B in Pennsylvania, where Georgie (grappling with a recent tragedy of her own) is leading a historic house tour when one of the B&B guests is murdered. Really well written, fast-moving, well edited, I think this is a great start to a whole series. The cast of suspects was wide, and I admit I was confused about who was who a few times, but I think that was a "me" problem. :-) Looking forward to trying the recipe at the back of the book!
Profile Image for Dasha.
1,584 reviews21 followers
abandonados
February 25, 2024
La primera en la frente: esa escena ridiculizando a una “solterona” de cuarenta y pocos… Lo siento pero no.
Además, la escena es una tontada. Todos están esperando a que la “solterona” termine de prepararse para salir de tour y parecen estar exasperados por lo mucho que tarda cuando es una situación que se hubiese solucionado ayudándola. Lo que pasa es que esta mujer no puede meter su abrigo dentro de una bolsa.
Así que lo único que consigue esta escena es que me caigan mal todos por tener tan poca empatía. Sobre todo la protagonista.
No es plan empezar una saga de esta manera, así que ni lo voy a intentar.
Profile Image for Cheryl.
1,167 reviews7 followers
November 26, 2020
This is the first in the series. The main character is Georgie. She is working for her Aunt as a tour guide for the groups that stay at her B & B. They are exploring an old manor when the lights go out and one of her group is murdered. But by who and why. Can she figure this out before it's too late ?
Profile Image for Paula Sayers.
446 reviews12 followers
December 8, 2020
A quick read cozy mystery. I enjoyed this book. I plan to read the other 6 books in the series. I love cozy mysteries and this one hit the spot. A murder takes place while a tour is being done at a B & B. Does the murder have anything to do with this B & B? We meet the characters and get to know them through this book while the mystery of the murder is solved.
Profile Image for Lauren.
1,397 reviews24 followers
April 5, 2018
It was hard to keep the characters straight for me. Probably because it only used their last names. Also the motive for murder was ...different
Profile Image for Wendy | Wendy’s Inspired Reads.
397 reviews53 followers
September 22, 2024
It has been a minute since I’ve really loved a cozy. Honestly the only cozy series I have loved is Live and Let Chai. And now this one!!
I loved this book so much! I can’t put my finger on it exactly but I just loved the characters and the writing style. I loved the history and air b&b aspects! (I love historical fiction).
I enjoyed it so much and felt like it flew by! I finished it in 24 hours and I’m already looking forward to reading the next.
Perfect for fall! 🍒👏🏻👏🏻
Profile Image for Laurie.
76 reviews
Read
January 14, 2019
I enjoyed this book. A book that can grab and keep my attention, make me laugh, and include a mystery that keeps me guessing is a hit. This was a new author to me, and I look forward to reading more by her.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews

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