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The Drunken Pie Cafe #1
Peach Cobbler Poison
Indulge in a Slice of Freshly Baked Murder!Welcome to Sunshine Springs, the idyllic wine country town where Isabelle "Izzy" James has moved to follow her dream of opening a pie shop that serves boozy pies. Everything is going according to plan, until a customer drops dead from poison right in front of her café.That’s not so good for business.Izzy suddenly finds herself accused of murder, and she’s in a race against time to find the true criminal. Luckily, she has her faithful dog Sprinkles at her side to help her sniff out clues.But the more clues Izzy discovers, the more she realizes that the secrets in this town go deeper than she ever thought possible. Can this amateur sleuth find the murderer before she loses the pie shop she’s worked so hard to open?You will love this cozy mystery, because it features unexpected twists and a town full of interesting characters!Read it today!
268 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 8, 2019
352 people are currently reading
237 people want to read
About the author
Diana DuMont
7 books19 followers*** To get an exclusive, FREE Drunken Pie Café book, "Strawberry Pie Stabbing," copy and paste the following link into your browser: http://bit.ly/2C36V5z ***
Diana DuMont is the author of the Drunken Pie Café series of cozy mysteries. Diana lives and writes in Northern California. When she’s not reading or dreaming up her latest mystery plot, she can usually be found hiking in the nearby redwood forests.
Happy reading, and happy sleuthing!
Diana DuMont is the author of the Drunken Pie Café series of cozy mysteries. Diana lives and writes in Northern California. When she’s not reading or dreaming up her latest mystery plot, she can usually be found hiking in the nearby redwood forests.
Happy reading, and happy sleuthing!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
November 11, 2024
Meh. Nothing special and fairly pedestrian. A woman is murdered by poisoning and there are a number of suspects including a new owner of a pie and wine shop, new to the area, a small wine town. The captain books her on murder charges without any distinguishable evidence.
I was not invested in any of the characters, they were kind of boring and predictable.
I give this a 3.5
I would like to try one of her boozy pies though
I was not invested in any of the characters, they were kind of boring and predictable.
I give this a 3.5
I would like to try one of her boozy pies though
July 10, 2025
За разтоварване е идеална! Сюжетът сякаш е по сценарий на Холмарк-кримка - всичко е ясно, но ненужно усложнено, а главната героиня е супер мега добрият детектив, всички ѝ се доверяват и изслушват теориите ѝ...
Но така или иначе - допадна ми, че е лека, лековата дори, и не ме затормози по никакъв начин.
А и далматинецът на главната героиня се казва Sprinkles 😏 супер сладко 🧡
Но така или иначе - допадна ми, че е лека, лековата дори, и не ме затормози по никакъв начин.
А и далматинецът на главната героиня се казва Sprinkles 😏 супер сладко 🧡
March 13, 2023
Gotta admit this is one of the more “realistic” cozy mysteries I’ve seen. Although I had the suspect from very early on, and it was a little frustrating how they kept missing them completely, but it was still good. The characters were charming and the wine town reminded me a lot of Niagara-on-the-lake. I look forward to reading more from the “boozy pie”
April 3, 2019
When you move to wine country, what better thing to do than open a pie shop that serves boozy desserts. That is exactly what Izzy James has done after moving to Sunshine Springs in the midst of a bitter divorce. What she wasn’t expecting was a customer to drop dead outside of her café on opening day. Now Izzy and her dog Sprinkles are on the case to solve the mystery before her dreams of running a successful café are ruined.
This is a cozy mystery with a smart and very lovable main character, humorous situations and supporting cast of characters, a good mix of unexpected twists and turns, and of course lots of madcap adventure all rolled into one very well written book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a cozy mystery with a smart and very lovable main character, humorous situations and supporting cast of characters, a good mix of unexpected twists and turns, and of course lots of madcap adventure all rolled into one very well written book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 17, 2019
Isabelle "Izzy" James has moved from San Fransico to small town Sunshine Springs. Don't let the name fool you, outsiders are not all that welcomed here even if they do have a relative living there. Izzy opens up a pie shop that serves up boozy pies. Everything is going pretty well until someone drops dead right out front of her cafe. Now she is arrested for murder! Even her own grandmother is not helping her. Thank goodness she has Sprinkles her faithful dog to help her sniff out clues to what the town is trying to keep hidden and who the real killer is. I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book from Hidden Gems.
June 28, 2025
I enjoyed this mystery.
November 8, 2019
I enjoyed the characters in this book. Looking forward to the next in the series.
July 23, 2019
Fun characters. Lots of potential. The killer was so obvious but I liked it over all.
November 19, 2025
1.5 stars
Why is it called Cobbler instead of pie? There’s no cobbler anywhere in the book and she owns a pie shop.
The title should have clued me in that this was going to be a terrible book. The mystery is so simple and the killer,
No one would have been arrested until the end. There was no evidence and the possibility of their guilt was circumstantial. They would have been questioned not arrested. She’s a lawyer and it didn’t occur to her to get a criminal lawyer right away? Even non-criminal lawyers would know that. They have to pass the bar.
She’s also a terrible investigator. They all are. Why are there only four suspects when there are gobs of other people who could have done it? Anyone at the winery tasting could have done it. Why did the author only establish so very few named characters (as opposed to extras) to have opportunity? By 43% there hadn’t been any detective work done and that was the point where she got her first clue which she got by accident. The next time they got a clue, it was a lot of evidence that just happened to be dropped in front of them. There was no other evidence. This was just too simple an investigation.
She’s a very linear thinker. Someone does something sneaky then they must be guilty of murder. If there’s a clue, she comes up with one explanation for it then follows that track. She doesn’t come up with multiple reasons for it. If someone does something nice they’re suddenly innocent and they become friends. If someone has rich clothes and allegedly lost their fortune, they must still be rich. Wouldn’t they still have the clothes they had when they had money? The MC would have been killed as well if the solution were true.
I liked some of the characters but I couldn’t stand the grandmother we were supposed to love. I suspected her at one point. The MC never suspects the people she befriends at the beginning even though they, too, could have done it.
All anyone eats is sugar and they eat it constantly. Not just pie but ice cream too. There was one scene when they have cheese and crackers and call it a meal. It could be a light meal if they ate anything else but they didn’t. No fruits or vegetables or anything with vitamins. No other proteins or complex carbs. I started to feel sick reading it and decided to have a salad. And I am not a very healthy eater.
There is more: She is obsessed with “becoming a local” and it comes up regularly. A macho man cried because he arrested a friend. Seriously? The friend who was also male was near tears, too. I think he’d be furious.
This was awful and the wonderful dog didn’t save it. I have no intention of reading the next one.
The narrator, Elise Arsenault was very good. She had a fair range of voices and a pleasant and consistent narrative voice.
Why is it called Cobbler instead of pie? There’s no cobbler anywhere in the book and she owns a pie shop.
The title should have clued me in that this was going to be a terrible book. The mystery is so simple and the killer,
No one would have been arrested until the end. There was no evidence and the possibility of their guilt was circumstantial. They would have been questioned not arrested. She’s a lawyer and it didn’t occur to her to get a criminal lawyer right away? Even non-criminal lawyers would know that. They have to pass the bar.
She’s also a terrible investigator. They all are. Why are there only four suspects when there are gobs of other people who could have done it? Anyone at the winery tasting could have done it. Why did the author only establish so very few named characters (as opposed to extras) to have opportunity? By 43% there hadn’t been any detective work done and that was the point where she got her first clue which she got by accident. The next time they got a clue, it was a lot of evidence that just happened to be dropped in front of them. There was no other evidence. This was just too simple an investigation.
She’s a very linear thinker. Someone does something sneaky then they must be guilty of murder. If there’s a clue, she comes up with one explanation for it then follows that track. She doesn’t come up with multiple reasons for it. If someone does something nice they’re suddenly innocent and they become friends. If someone has rich clothes and allegedly lost their fortune, they must still be rich. Wouldn’t they still have the clothes they had when they had money? The MC would have been killed as well if the solution were true.
I liked some of the characters but I couldn’t stand the grandmother we were supposed to love. I suspected her at one point. The MC never suspects the people she befriends at the beginning even though they, too, could have done it.
All anyone eats is sugar and they eat it constantly. Not just pie but ice cream too. There was one scene when they have cheese and crackers and call it a meal. It could be a light meal if they ate anything else but they didn’t. No fruits or vegetables or anything with vitamins. No other proteins or complex carbs. I started to feel sick reading it and decided to have a salad. And I am not a very healthy eater.
There is more: She is obsessed with “becoming a local” and it comes up regularly. A macho man cried because he arrested a friend. Seriously? The friend who was also male was near tears, too. I think he’d be furious.
This was awful and the wonderful dog didn’t save it. I have no intention of reading the next one.
The narrator, Elise Arsenault was very good. She had a fair range of voices and a pleasant and consistent narrative voice.
April 17, 2019
Izzy has escaped San Francisco and her shattered marriage to rebuild a new life as a pie shop owner in wine country where her grandmother lives. She has the great idea of opening a shop featuring pies with alcohol cooked in and paired with wines or coffee. On her first day in business, a customer is killed right in front of her store. Although it appears at first to be an accident, Izzy and the woman's other friends become suspects.
Was the woman killed, and if so by whom? Are Izzy's business and freedom at stake?
As we expect from cozy mysteries, this book is full of twists, turns, and madcap adventures as Izzy tries to figure out what precisely happened in front of her little pie shop that fateful day. The story is full of quirky characters who add much to the delight of reading the story. I felt there was perhaps a little too much emphasis on the zany plot machinations and not the characterization, but hopefully the author will work that out as she continues the series. Even in a mystery, character should not take the backseat to the plot.
I have one tiny quibble with the book. I grew up and spent most of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the book, the author has Izzy state that the residents of the small fictional town of Sunshine Springs refer to that city as the “big city.” Actually, the residents of the greater Bay Area don't refer to San Francisco as that; we simply call it “the city.”
If you enjoy cozy Mysteries with a culinary bent, you might enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but this did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
Was the woman killed, and if so by whom? Are Izzy's business and freedom at stake?
As we expect from cozy mysteries, this book is full of twists, turns, and madcap adventures as Izzy tries to figure out what precisely happened in front of her little pie shop that fateful day. The story is full of quirky characters who add much to the delight of reading the story. I felt there was perhaps a little too much emphasis on the zany plot machinations and not the characterization, but hopefully the author will work that out as she continues the series. Even in a mystery, character should not take the backseat to the plot.
I have one tiny quibble with the book. I grew up and spent most of my life in the San Francisco Bay Area. In the book, the author has Izzy state that the residents of the small fictional town of Sunshine Springs refer to that city as the “big city.” Actually, the residents of the greater Bay Area don't refer to San Francisco as that; we simply call it “the city.”
If you enjoy cozy Mysteries with a culinary bent, you might enjoy this book.
I received a free copy of this book, but this did not affect my review.
Read my other reviews at https://www.readingfanaticreviews.com.
August 10, 2019
Her dream is to open a boozy pie shop. Not your typical dream, but for Isabelle James, or Izzy, giving up a good job in San Francisco and moving to Sunshine Springs in the wine country seemed like the best place to open her pie shop, the Drunken Pie cafe. Grams is her biggest supporter along with Sprinkles her Dalmatian. She is shocked when a customer storms out after an argument with her sister only to be hit by a car and killed seconds later. Later, it is discovered that she was actually poisoned and Izzy is one of the suspects.
This is a good first cozy mystery in this interesting new series. The characters were creatively developed and seemed a bit hostile at first but as the story continued they became a lot more mellow. This was due to Izzy being an outsider but by the end considered much more part of the community. The mystery was good, filled with lots of clues, twists, turns and surprises that kept you interested until the end. The storyline was easy to read and the narrative was good. Overall, I liked this mystery and the main character and would like to follow her adventures in the books to come.
This is a good first cozy mystery in this interesting new series. The characters were creatively developed and seemed a bit hostile at first but as the story continued they became a lot more mellow. This was due to Izzy being an outsider but by the end considered much more part of the community. The mystery was good, filled with lots of clues, twists, turns and surprises that kept you interested until the end. The storyline was easy to read and the narrative was good. Overall, I liked this mystery and the main character and would like to follow her adventures in the books to come.
April 16, 2020
Quick Info
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Izzy,
Theo
Scott
----------------------------------
What happens?
Izzy is accused of murder after a customer walks out of her shop and dies on the road. seemingly hit by a car but later found out that instead of being killed by the car she instead was poisoned.
Izzy doesn't need to start her new life in town being accused of murder and starts her own investigation into possible suspects like Theo. The man the woman was accusing of stealing from the town.
Final thoughts
Interesting first book, I'm curious enough to carry on. I'd already ruled out the two obvious suspects - just too obvious but the murderer didn't surprise me as much as please me it wasn't too obvious...
Still curious enough to read the next book.
Would I read again?: Yes
Would I read this author again?: Yes
Would I continue on with the series?: Yes
Standalone/Cliffhanger?: Standalone
Part of a Series?: Yes
----------------------------------
Meeting the Characters
Izzy,
Theo
Scott
----------------------------------
What happens?
Izzy is accused of murder after a customer walks out of her shop and dies on the road. seemingly hit by a car but later found out that instead of being killed by the car she instead was poisoned.
Izzy doesn't need to start her new life in town being accused of murder and starts her own investigation into possible suspects like Theo. The man the woman was accusing of stealing from the town.
Final thoughts
Interesting first book, I'm curious enough to carry on. I'd already ruled out the two obvious suspects - just too obvious but the murderer didn't surprise me as much as please me it wasn't too obvious...
Still curious enough to read the next book.
Would I read again?: Yes
Would I read this author again?: Yes
Would I continue on with the series?: Yes
March 30, 2019
Dutch courage
A good read. Not great but should improve with further books as the characters expand and develop. A plot full of greed, misdirection and malice.
She has opened the pie shop after the divorce and business was slow. That is until a reporter (who had just come out of her shop) died after being run over just outside. Now however she is a suspect as are the two people that had been with the reporter just before she stormed off (her sister and a photographer). Looking for help from her Gran was useless as her Gran firmly believed that the truth would come out regardless. Throw in an attempt on her life, poisoning, lost city funds and an arrest of an innocent man. Can she find the real illegal and what happened to the funds?
A good read. Not great but should improve with further books as the characters expand and develop. A plot full of greed, misdirection and malice.
She has opened the pie shop after the divorce and business was slow. That is until a reporter (who had just come out of her shop) died after being run over just outside. Now however she is a suspect as are the two people that had been with the reporter just before she stormed off (her sister and a photographer). Looking for help from her Gran was useless as her Gran firmly believed that the truth would come out regardless. Throw in an attempt on her life, poisoning, lost city funds and an arrest of an innocent man. Can she find the real illegal and what happened to the funds?
June 9, 2024
It was great meeting Izzy and her new friends—and Grams of course. Molly was the perfect best friend and sleuthing buddy. Scott was such a sweet guy and I’m definitely Team Scott if Izzy’s ever ready for a relationship. Her other possible guy turned out to be nice as well, but there’s just something I like better about Scott. Guess we’ll find out eventually.
That showdown was really good, and Izzy finally caught the killer. And she even got the person angry enough they confessed, my favorite way, with the sheriff and officers standing there listening. I’ve already borrowed the next book and can’t wait to dig in. Those pies sounded delish!
That showdown was really good, and Izzy finally caught the killer. And she even got the person angry enough they confessed, my favorite way, with the sheriff and officers standing there listening. I’ve already borrowed the next book and can’t wait to dig in. Those pies sounded delish!
July 29, 2024
The protagonist apparently has a law background (contracts) however they don't seem to know anything about the law. Why give them a lawyer background and then make them so painfully clueless about basic things? Even if your background was in contracts you would have a basic understanding of criminal law, at least enough to... I don't know... be represented by someone who knows what they are doing? Just couldn't get past that part of the story as it's difficult to root for someone so painfully bad at protecting their self interest.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 17, 2019
This was a good book. Wine Country was a great setting and I loved how everyone thought of San Francisco as the big city. I love it when characters have an animal and a Dalmatian, names Sprinkles, was a wonderful choice. In addition to solving murders, Izzy need to choose between Scott and Theo. I personally like Theo. He grew on me as the book went on.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 1, 2020
A Poisonous Mystery
Peach Cobbler Poison is an addictive mystery of a baker whom moves to a small town only to be involved with a murder. The majority of the book has the main character being treated badly by the majority of the town however she is written in such a way that you feel what she feels: isolated. Written similar to that of Joanne Fluke’s Murder She Baked series, this book is hard to put down however the ending can be guessed.
Peach Cobbler Poison is an addictive mystery of a baker whom moves to a small town only to be involved with a murder. The majority of the book has the main character being treated badly by the majority of the town however she is written in such a way that you feel what she feels: isolated. Written similar to that of Joanne Fluke’s Murder She Baked series, this book is hard to put down however the ending can be guessed.
April 13, 2019
Who doesn't want to open a pie shop that makes pies with booze in them this a first from this author for me and I hope there are many more because this book was so well written and the antics of the characters hilarious.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 21, 2019
She has done what she has wanted and opened her boozy bakery and she loves it so much. A dead body appears on her doorstep and she becomes a suspect. Now she needs to try to clear her name. Who did it? Why? See if she can
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 21, 2019
Great New Cozy Mystery Series!
Welcome to The Drunken Pie Cafe! What a wonderful combination of wine, drunk pies, heartwarming characters, murder, romance and sweet HEA. This is the first book in the series and the unique storyline is filled with suspense, twists, funny situations and an adorable Dalmatian sidekick. Enjoy!
I received an advance copy and am happy to leave my honest review.
Welcome to The Drunken Pie Cafe! What a wonderful combination of wine, drunk pies, heartwarming characters, murder, romance and sweet HEA. This is the first book in the series and the unique storyline is filled with suspense, twists, funny situations and an adorable Dalmatian sidekick. Enjoy!
I received an advance copy and am happy to leave my honest review.
December 11, 2020
Next stop crazy-town. Full of fun and eccentric characters.
Lots of potential, but a bit OTT dramatic what with all the crazy, gun swinging, throat throttling, nighttime-ambushing people. Plus the whodunit was pretty obvious early on
Still it was a fun quick read. Just the thing when you're trying to reach a reading target.
Lots of potential, but a bit OTT dramatic what with all the crazy, gun swinging, throat throttling, nighttime-ambushing people. Plus the whodunit was pretty obvious early on
Still it was a fun quick read. Just the thing when you're trying to reach a reading target.
April 21, 2019
Cozy mysteries can be predictable but not this one. I loved the characters and the fresh take on a cozy mystery. Cannot wait for the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 23, 2019
The change from big town lawyer to small town pie maker is fraught with problems.
The biggest one comes when she is accused of murder!
A well written story line with credible characters
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The biggest one comes when she is accused of murder!
A well written story line with credible characters
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 3, 2019
I enjoyed it
I liked the story line and the characters. I also like the idea of the drunken pie. It makes me want a piece. I thought I knew who done it and I was correct. Nice clues
I liked the story line and the characters. I also like the idea of the drunken pie. It makes me want a piece. I thought I knew who done it and I was correct. Nice clues
June 19, 2019
Great start to a new series. Fun characters, even though some are a little over the top, in a quirky small town
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2020
A good book.
This was a lovely book. There was enough danger and intrigue, some interesting characters. Add a plott with twists and turns galore, and you have hours of reading to relax with.
This was a lovely book. There was enough danger and intrigue, some interesting characters. Add a plott with twists and turns galore, and you have hours of reading to relax with.
December 17, 2021
The main character is Awful. Just. Awful. Calling everyone a murderer in public while hating other people do the same to her. Talking about an elderly lady constantly as Crazy and Delusional just for a bit of a personality. The word crazy was used 4 times in one sentence. Just... a horrible insensitive human being thorough the whole book.
March 14, 2025
It just kind of blah. Nothing really pulled me into the story. I was shocked by who the killer was but overall shrug. I listened to the audio book and I don’t feel like it helped the story out in anyway.
June 26, 2025
When you remember everyone’s name in the book and their details and you can’t remember anything about the sleuth other than she has a dog and owns a pie shop you know there is an issue with the sleuth. The book wasn’t great but it wasn’t awful either
March 28, 2019
Great First in Series!
I really liked this book! The characters were interesting and the plot was different.Already purchased next book out in May!
I really liked this book! The characters were interesting and the plot was different.Already purchased next book out in May!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews