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Pies Before Guys Mystery #2
A Good Day to Pie
Daisy bakes a little murder into every pie she creates, and she and her dog, Zoe, deliver them to the town's worst cads. Now, Daisy's entered a televised, elimination-style competition and has a shot at $100k in prize money, but she still has a murder pie to deliver between filming. In a completely unexpected turn of events, she discovers that her intended victim is one of the competition judges, and he turns up dead before the pie even arrives. Now, Daisy has to solve the murder, even if it means working a bit of magic, before someone calls foul play and exposes her murderous secret. For anyone who's ever fantasized about the world of competitive baking à la the Great British Bake Off, or has ever dreamed of getting back at that guy who wronged them years ago, Popp's culinary cozy series is as alluring as a perfectly baked pie. This edgy yet utterly charming novel takes the idea of a dessert to die for to a whole new level.
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First published February 7, 2023
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About the author
Misha Popp
4 books200 followersMisha Popp (she/her) enjoys writing about murdery women and over-the-top baked goods, but not so much about herself. She lives in rural Massachusetts where she bakes entirely too many pies and sculpts things out of chocolate. An unrepentant school nerd, she has a collection of degrees that have nothing to do with the jobs that pay her.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 458 reviews
February 7, 2023
3⭐
Book 2 in the Pies Before Guys Mystery ~ I suppose fine as a standalone.
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, cooking competition, cozy mystery
Daisy is back and making her deadly pies. She enters a cooking competition and the judge is the intended victim.
While I love watching them on tv, and it was a fun part of the story, I felt like it took up too much of the book. It was a bit slow going trying to figure out who killed Brian before Daisy was able to. I wanted more killer pies. There were some good concoctions made though and I like how recipes are listed at the end.
Overall, this was fine and if you're into cozy mysteries you might like this one.
I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Tanya Eby did an alright job for 7 hours and 43 minutes.
*Thanks to the author, Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
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Book 2 in the Pies Before Guys Mystery ~ I suppose fine as a standalone.
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, cooking competition, cozy mystery
Daisy is back and making her deadly pies. She enters a cooking competition and the judge is the intended victim.
While I love watching them on tv, and it was a fun part of the story, I felt like it took up too much of the book. It was a bit slow going trying to figure out who killed Brian before Daisy was able to. I wanted more killer pies. There were some good concoctions made though and I like how recipes are listed at the end.
Overall, this was fine and if you're into cozy mysteries you might like this one.
I was fortunate enough to receive a kindle copy and the audiobook to review. Tanya Eby did an alright job for 7 hours and 43 minutes.
*Thanks to the author, Crooked Lane Books, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the ARC and audio copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
March 31, 2023
I went into this so excited when I saw the second book was already out.
If you're a diehard, obsessive fan of The Great British Bake Off you might love this book. A murder mystery at a GBBO inspired baking competition. Unfortunately, the quirky, unique, magical charm of the first book was gone replaced with what felt uncannily like reading weekly episode recaps of GBBO. The main characters beside Daisy only made quick appearances at the very beginning and very end of the book. Which is disappointing to say the least.
If a third book is released I hope the author goes back to what made the first book so unique and spunky in cozy mysteries. This felt like I was reading a book from another series.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my review from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books.***
If you're a diehard, obsessive fan of The Great British Bake Off you might love this book. A murder mystery at a GBBO inspired baking competition. Unfortunately, the quirky, unique, magical charm of the first book was gone replaced with what felt uncannily like reading weekly episode recaps of GBBO. The main characters beside Daisy only made quick appearances at the very beginning and very end of the book. Which is disappointing to say the least.
If a third book is released I hope the author goes back to what made the first book so unique and spunky in cozy mysteries. This felt like I was reading a book from another series.
***I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my review from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books.***
January 29, 2023
This was so much better than book one this is what I get for trying to be a good noodle and read series in order 😭
January 19, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books, and Dreamscape Media for the ARC. It hasn't affected the content of my review.
I read the first book in this series on a whim when I saw it was available on Libby last year and immediately after finishing, I went to NetGalley and found the sequel. I've left the reading and reviewing a little late, but I'm getting to it before pub-day, so I consider myself a success. Anyway, this book was just as fun as the first one, but in a different way. Same tone, same fun writing style (same audiobook narrator), different setting and format. Part of me wishes Popp would have saved the veering off of format for further into the series when it would have been better appreciated, but the story works, so I really can't complain too much.
Here, instead of being in our main character Daisy's chosen hometown in her trusty RV with her dog Zoe, baking up murder (or vengeance) pies for men who deserve it, Daisy is competing on a new baking show that is a completely rip-off of The Great British Bake-Off in almost every way (down to the very American characters using very British words like "sponge" and a host who has a catchphrase she uses before every bake). The next part is spoiled in the blurb but if you don't want something spoiled that doesn't happen until 42% of the way into the book, don't clicky. The twist here is that Daisy decides to take on several Pies Before Guys clients on her way to the competition, and on her way back home, but one of the judges on the TV show turns out to be one of the men she's baked a pie for. Only, he is murdered before she can actually do it.
As a dealer of murder and a possessor of magic, Daisy feels it her responsibility to figure out what happened, all while they keep filming the show (not even death can stop capitalism).
One of the most notable things about this book is that it's the first book set on a Bake-Off type TV show that got the baking part completely right. As much as I love Alexis Hall's baking books, and Battle Royal, there wasn't nearly enough focus on the baking for my tastes. Here we get it in abundance, almost as if you're watching the episodes yourself. This may (and hasn't) worked for everyone, but I liked it a lot.
I have two hopes for this series going forward. The first is that it has more books but doesn't overstay its welcome, and the second that it continues to shake things up a little bit in future books, not just leave things the same. That's one of the things I don't really like about traditional cozy mysteries. The sameness doesn't read as cozy to me, it just feels stagnant. This series so far has managed to feel both cozy and let Daisy experience growth.
I do recommend the audiobook. Tanya Eby has a charming narrative voice that works for the type of book this is.
I read the first book in this series on a whim when I saw it was available on Libby last year and immediately after finishing, I went to NetGalley and found the sequel. I've left the reading and reviewing a little late, but I'm getting to it before pub-day, so I consider myself a success. Anyway, this book was just as fun as the first one, but in a different way. Same tone, same fun writing style (same audiobook narrator), different setting and format. Part of me wishes Popp would have saved the veering off of format for further into the series when it would have been better appreciated, but the story works, so I really can't complain too much.
Here, instead of being in our main character Daisy's chosen hometown in her trusty RV with her dog Zoe, baking up murder (or vengeance) pies for men who deserve it, Daisy is competing on a new baking show that is a completely rip-off of The Great British Bake-Off in almost every way (down to the very American characters using very British words like "sponge" and a host who has a catchphrase she uses before every bake). The next part is spoiled in the blurb but if you don't want something spoiled that doesn't happen until 42% of the way into the book, don't clicky. The twist here is that Daisy decides to take on several Pies Before Guys clients on her way to the competition, and on her way back home, but one of the judges on the TV show turns out to be one of the men she's baked a pie for. Only, he is murdered before she can actually do it.
As a dealer of murder and a possessor of magic, Daisy feels it her responsibility to figure out what happened, all while they keep filming the show (not even death can stop capitalism).
One of the most notable things about this book is that it's the first book set on a Bake-Off type TV show that got the baking part completely right. As much as I love Alexis Hall's baking books, and Battle Royal, there wasn't nearly enough focus on the baking for my tastes. Here we get it in abundance, almost as if you're watching the episodes yourself. This may (and hasn't) worked for everyone, but I liked it a lot.
I have two hopes for this series going forward. The first is that it has more books but doesn't overstay its welcome, and the second that it continues to shake things up a little bit in future books, not just leave things the same. That's one of the things I don't really like about traditional cozy mysteries. The sameness doesn't read as cozy to me, it just feels stagnant. This series so far has managed to feel both cozy and let Daisy experience growth.
I do recommend the audiobook. Tanya Eby has a charming narrative voice that works for the type of book this is.
May 6, 2023
This started off as a pleasant and fun 3 star read for me, and then in the second half it really lost its wheels.
A note: I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I started, and while I think it did fine as a standalone (the very beginning and end have some characters that presumably are dealt with in the first book) the majority of it is self-contained. It’s possible some of my complaints would be dealt with in the first book, however as I will note when they come up, they should have been addressed in this book anyway.
This reads a lot like a script for GBBO
I mean this very strongly. While the GBBO is lovely, and I enjoy watching it, this dominated the book to a degree that it lost it’s shine. It was fun in the beginning and could make a good framing device, but the sheer amount of detail ended up making it feel more like a recap of the show or a recipe book. It lacked balance here, I think.
The magic
This is one of those things that maybe was addressed in the first book, but I strongly feel should have been explained in this book anyway. It’s good to remind readers about this kind of plot-critical mechanic. It was frustrating to be wondering what she could do to the point it felt a little like deus ex machina at times.
My gripe here is that I never quite understood what the heck she could do with her magic. She can use it …in baking. Only in baking? Can she infuse anything into it? It reads like she bakes compulsions, which I am …iffy about on a moral level here. I understand the whole mission of murdering horrible men (we will ignore the problems of ignoring female abusers for the sake of plot) to rescue women in need, always a fan of poisoning terrible people, but the way she uses it during the contest made me less a fan. It’s a shotgun approach and she manages to take out several innocent bystanders with it (makes one of the judges brutally honest and he then absolutely shreds another contestant unfairly) which I do not respect. If it was targeted that would be one thing, but she hits everyone and everything without seeming to care much.
The concept was intriguing and I liked parts of it, but the haphazard collateral damage approach was less admirable for what is a more fluffy book.
Her innate suspicion of men to the extent of being blind
Ok, this one is hard to phrase. It works well as a character flaw - it makes perfect sense given her side business, but it was very frustrating to read how completely biased she was. It was most notable between Nell and Tony after the police interviews. Suddenly the implications that Tony killed someone (no details!) means that he went from shy man to lethal threat with zero proof. (And as we learn later, she is horribly wrong about him. bitch.)
On the other side, when the cops insinuate the exact same thing about poor little Nell, she is immediately on her defense, no question about it. That level of blindness made me distrustful of her ability to judge her murders to be honest, which …yeah. Distracting.
Her abject failure as an amateur sleuth and the nonsensical justifications for it
This one is a major flaw in the book in my opinion. There is zero reason - she is reassured by her magical hacker friend or whatever - for anyone to connect her to the dead judge. And yet she continues to pry into the crime for…reasons? The blurb suggests that she’s under threat of discovery and that’s why she does it, but she never is. It has nothing to do with her. Less than nothing considering the reveal!
This did not pass the suspension of disbelief test, which for me is about as high a hurdle as a piece of spaghetti on the ground that's been stepped on. I couldn't buy that she could do or infer any of these things (and many made no sense), and I was constantly irritated by her general incompetence and nonsensical motivations.
general plot notes
More of a summary of the issues: this failed to balance the baking and the crime mystery and her side business. It felt scattered and jumpy at times, and that feeling really increased for me as the book continued.
I was also zero percent a fan of how self-centered she was. She was already a right bitch to Tony earlier, and then she ruins his moment of happiness by jumping on a table to solve the crime like a total loser. It was just so cheesy and rude. I don’t know. It really rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, while the start was interesting, the concept kind of cute and something I was curious about, this did not deliver on any front for me.
A note: I didn’t realize this was part of a series when I started, and while I think it did fine as a standalone (the very beginning and end have some characters that presumably are dealt with in the first book) the majority of it is self-contained. It’s possible some of my complaints would be dealt with in the first book, however as I will note when they come up, they should have been addressed in this book anyway.
This reads a lot like a script for GBBO
I mean this very strongly. While the GBBO is lovely, and I enjoy watching it, this dominated the book to a degree that it lost it’s shine. It was fun in the beginning and could make a good framing device, but the sheer amount of detail ended up making it feel more like a recap of the show or a recipe book. It lacked balance here, I think.
The magic
This is one of those things that maybe was addressed in the first book, but I strongly feel should have been explained in this book anyway. It’s good to remind readers about this kind of plot-critical mechanic. It was frustrating to be wondering what she could do to the point it felt a little like deus ex machina at times.
My gripe here is that I never quite understood what the heck she could do with her magic. She can use it …in baking. Only in baking? Can she infuse anything into it? It reads like she bakes compulsions, which I am …iffy about on a moral level here. I understand the whole mission of murdering horrible men (we will ignore the problems of ignoring female abusers for the sake of plot) to rescue women in need, always a fan of poisoning terrible people, but the way she uses it during the contest made me less a fan. It’s a shotgun approach and she manages to take out several innocent bystanders with it (makes one of the judges brutally honest and he then absolutely shreds another contestant unfairly) which I do not respect. If it was targeted that would be one thing, but she hits everyone and everything without seeming to care much.
The concept was intriguing and I liked parts of it, but the haphazard collateral damage approach was less admirable for what is a more fluffy book.
Her innate suspicion of men to the extent of being blind
Ok, this one is hard to phrase. It works well as a character flaw - it makes perfect sense given her side business, but it was very frustrating to read how completely biased she was. It was most notable between Nell and Tony after the police interviews. Suddenly the implications that Tony killed someone (no details!) means that he went from shy man to lethal threat with zero proof. (And as we learn later, she is horribly wrong about him. bitch.)
On the other side, when the cops insinuate the exact same thing about poor little Nell, she is immediately on her defense, no question about it. That level of blindness made me distrustful of her ability to judge her murders to be honest, which …yeah. Distracting.
Her abject failure as an amateur sleuth and the nonsensical justifications for it
This one is a major flaw in the book in my opinion. There is zero reason - she is reassured by her magical hacker friend or whatever - for anyone to connect her to the dead judge. And yet she continues to pry into the crime for…reasons? The blurb suggests that she’s under threat of discovery and that’s why she does it, but she never is. It has nothing to do with her. Less than nothing considering the reveal!
This did not pass the suspension of disbelief test, which for me is about as high a hurdle as a piece of spaghetti on the ground that's been stepped on. I couldn't buy that she could do or infer any of these things (and many made no sense), and I was constantly irritated by her general incompetence and nonsensical motivations.
general plot notes
More of a summary of the issues: this failed to balance the baking and the crime mystery and her side business. It felt scattered and jumpy at times, and that feeling really increased for me as the book continued.
I was also zero percent a fan of how self-centered she was. She was already a right bitch to Tony earlier, and then she ruins his moment of happiness by jumping on a table to solve the crime like a total loser. It was just so cheesy and rude. I don’t know. It really rubbed me the wrong way.
Overall, while the start was interesting, the concept kind of cute and something I was curious about, this did not deliver on any front for me.
January 20, 2023
Murder is simply delightful in this humorous and entertaining cross of the Great British Bake Off and the Glass Onion movie. Our delightful murder pie maker finds herself locked into a hotel while competing on an American cooking competition television show when someone on her murder pie list is killed by someone other than herself. The twists and turns are fun and when you are becoming friends with people who might be murders then you must hurry to find the culprit without outing yourself as the murder pie girl! The author once again delightfully wove the characters into the likeable, or unlikeable as the case may be, people that are the current center of our favorite pie makers world. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorite series to look forward to!
While the book was great, the audio book is so much better as it really brings Daisy and the other characters to life! The narration was fantastic and added that wee bit of edge to make the book just that much better. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series to listen to when it comes out! I can't wait to see what antics Daisy and crew get into in the next book!
While the book was great, the audio book is so much better as it really brings Daisy and the other characters to life! The narration was fantastic and added that wee bit of edge to make the book just that much better. This is quickly becoming one of my favorite series to listen to when it comes out! I can't wait to see what antics Daisy and crew get into in the next book!
January 28, 2023
This is book 2 in the Pies Before Guys series, but can 100% be read as a standalone.
This was a really fun book!
The plot of a baking show was totally fun, and the characters were all really well developed.
A very cute little cozy mystery with a dash of magic.
The addition of recipes at the end of the book was very sweet.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC
This was a really fun book!
The plot of a baking show was totally fun, and the characters were all really well developed.
A very cute little cozy mystery with a dash of magic.
The addition of recipes at the end of the book was very sweet.
Much love to NetGalley & Dreamscape Media for my DRC
February 13, 2023
If I had to describe this book then it would be a cross between cozy mystery, the lost apothecary, and the magic of lemon drop pie. This book was ad ode to baking shows and competitions with a dash of murder, a sprinkle of murder for hire and a smidge of lgbt+ . This book had me smiling and Daisy is really just a lovely character who you really want to succeed.
I’m gonna have to go back and read the first book in the series but honestly this book can be read as a standalone. If you are looking for a book with a diverse cast and a fun mystery with lots of food in the mix then this book is really for you.
I’m gonna have to go back and read the first book in the series but honestly this book can be read as a standalone. If you are looking for a book with a diverse cast and a fun mystery with lots of food in the mix then this book is really for you.
February 11, 2023
Huh. 2.5-3 stars. I loved the first book, this one I’m struggling to rate. I’m disappointed the author jumped in the baking show bandwagon for this character because I think she got lost in the plot. What made Daisy standout in the first book was her uniqueness, her quirks, her going against the norm, instead her the author seemed to have her “fit in”. Additionally, the secondary characters from book one that helped make the book so fantastic were only mentioned in passing and that left a huge hole in this book. There was no real character development etc. There was no real working at solving a mystery, or delivering pies etc. if there is a third book, I’m hoping the author goes back to what made Daisy and the first Cozy really stand out. Book two was just blah.
December 19, 2024
A GOOD DAY TO PIE is baked to perfection, with just the right blend of sweet and savory flavors, and an impeccable presentation. Misha Popp combines two of my favorite ingredients - GBBO and murder - to make a flawless showstopper!
(And also? Dessert is a totally acceptable breakfast choice.)
(And also? Dessert is a totally acceptable breakfast choice.)
February 6, 2023
I love cozy mysteries but feel like sometimes they are overly cutesy so A Good Day to Pie and the Pies Before Guys series as a whole are a refreshing change for me: they have all the cozy elements such as amateur sleuth, small community, no gore, but with more of an edge. Add in the baking competition, one of my favorite things to be included in cozies, and I had to give this one 5 stars. I love how the focus of the book was the bake off, and we got lots of details about the various entries at each stage of the competition. The story flowed well and I enjoyed this one so much. Can’t wait for the next one.
January 10, 2023
A very entertaining, compelling, and fast paced cozy mystery that I thoroughly enjoyed. The author delivers a solid mystery that kept me guessing and i liked the fleshed out characters.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
May 11, 2023
Boring. This lost all the heart that the first one had.
February 14, 2023
read for Reading Challenge Champs: TBR Knockout !
Prompt: Book that came out in 2023
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!
I almost went into this book without reading the first one. However, if I did, I think I would’ve been fine. This book could’ve been a standalone with some background info about Daisy and Pies Before Guys added in, alongside Noel’s role and their relationship.
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I liked this one better than the first book. It felt like there was more of a mystery here and a much more intriguing one (I read the first book not so long ago and don’t really remember what the main mystery was, so take that as you will).
If this series continues, I'll definitely read the books to come!
Prompt: Book that came out in 2023
Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!
I almost went into this book without reading the first one. However, if I did, I think I would’ve been fine. This book could’ve been a standalone with some background info about Daisy and Pies Before Guys added in, alongside Noel’s role and their relationship.
I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion, but I liked this one better than the first book. It felt like there was more of a mystery here and a much more intriguing one (I read the first book not so long ago and don’t really remember what the main mystery was, so take that as you will).
If this series continues, I'll definitely read the books to come!
dnf
September 12, 2023DNF at 15%. Not grabbing me, and also the present tense narration doesn't help!
Read
February 6, 2023This was super fun! So in this book we follow Daisy as she bakes in the American version of Great British bake off. As we get more of these style of books people either hate how baking / food focus they are or they love it. I am in the camp of loving it. Maybe that's because I'm a baker myself but I love hearing about the weekly bakes and how things go wrong and the different flavors. I think that's a super fun element and is enjoyable for me. If for some reason, you don't like GBBO, maybe don't read this. I mean I don't trust people who don't like Great British bake off but you do you I guess.
So Daisy's at this baking competition and she's supposed to be delivering a murder pie on her way home but then she finds out that one of the judges is the man that her murder pie is supposed to go to. And then he ends up dead. Without her pie. So now she's got this mystery to solve and they all kind of band together as little baker mystery solvers. It honestly gave some clue vibes because they're all stuck in this hotel of sorts and they can't leave and they don't have any communication and so that's up to them to figure out what happened.
This book again is intensely queer. I love Daisy, but there is another character on the baking show who calls herself the ace of cakes and bakes the ace flag into all sorts of things and that is the type of representation that I want in GBBO. I didn't know that the author was ace before I started this and it makes so much sense. I love it. As a fellow asexual baker It's brought me immense joy. Also yeah there are not very many things that are gray and tasty.
So if you are looking for a culinary mystery set on a TV baking competition with magical baking, this is the book for you. I thought about whether or not I'm going to throw this one on my favorites list because I definitely am for the first one and you know what, fuck it, I'm putting this one on there too. This duology made me laugh and is so memorable. Yeah. It's going on there.
So Daisy's at this baking competition and she's supposed to be delivering a murder pie on her way home but then she finds out that one of the judges is the man that her murder pie is supposed to go to. And then he ends up dead. Without her pie. So now she's got this mystery to solve and they all kind of band together as little baker mystery solvers. It honestly gave some clue vibes because they're all stuck in this hotel of sorts and they can't leave and they don't have any communication and so that's up to them to figure out what happened.
This book again is intensely queer. I love Daisy, but there is another character on the baking show who calls herself the ace of cakes and bakes the ace flag into all sorts of things and that is the type of representation that I want in GBBO. I didn't know that the author was ace before I started this and it makes so much sense. I love it. As a fellow asexual baker It's brought me immense joy. Also yeah there are not very many things that are gray and tasty.
So if you are looking for a culinary mystery set on a TV baking competition with magical baking, this is the book for you. I thought about whether or not I'm going to throw this one on my favorites list because I definitely am for the first one and you know what, fuck it, I'm putting this one on there too. This duology made me laugh and is so memorable. Yeah. It's going on there.
September 24, 2022
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!
I was looking for a mystery/murder-ish books and I came across this, so why not try this one? At first, this book is quite interesting to read, but after a few chapters I kinda lost my mind and suddenly feel out of my element. But it doesnt mean this book isnt good. It just means this book was not 'it' for me. Well, lets talk about this book. What is this book about?
This book is about a cooking show narration with a dash of mystery and magic. The majority of the book narrates the main character's cooking show competition, the actions and dialogue of other characters during the competition and her own internal monologues.
The writing is clear, it wasnt exactly fast-paced like how i preferred for myself, but it was well-paced. This book is also has some fillers that I found a bit bland, but overall, it was quite interesting to read.
This book is great for starters, but I think I should have read the first book before jump into this one. I was quite confused since I didnt read the first book beforehand. While at that, I highly recommend readers to read the first book before reading this one. But some people said that this book can be read as a standalone, but it wasnt the case for me.
I was looking for a mystery/murder-ish books and I came across this, so why not try this one? At first, this book is quite interesting to read, but after a few chapters I kinda lost my mind and suddenly feel out of my element. But it doesnt mean this book isnt good. It just means this book was not 'it' for me. Well, lets talk about this book. What is this book about?
This book is about a cooking show narration with a dash of mystery and magic. The majority of the book narrates the main character's cooking show competition, the actions and dialogue of other characters during the competition and her own internal monologues.
The writing is clear, it wasnt exactly fast-paced like how i preferred for myself, but it was well-paced. This book is also has some fillers that I found a bit bland, but overall, it was quite interesting to read.
This book is great for starters, but I think I should have read the first book before jump into this one. I was quite confused since I didnt read the first book beforehand. While at that, I highly recommend readers to read the first book before reading this one. But some people said that this book can be read as a standalone, but it wasnt the case for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2024
LOVE a cozy mystery that is so staunchly anti-cop in a sea of cozies where the cop is the love interest
This book diverges from the first, as we're trading killer pies for a GBBO-inspired competition. As someone who just watched 2 seasons of GBBO last weekend, I enjoyed the competition element, but I think that made this installment unique and kept the plot from repeating the first books'. The competition was fun, but did get a bit repetitive, as they were filming the entire show over two weeks rather than the 10 weekends that is standard for GBBO. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one, but I'm definitely ready to get back to the roots of Pies Before Guys and see some killer pies in action, as well as see more of the other main characters.
This book diverges from the first, as we're trading killer pies for a GBBO-inspired competition. As someone who just watched 2 seasons of GBBO last weekend, I enjoyed the competition element, but I think that made this installment unique and kept the plot from repeating the first books'. The competition was fun, but did get a bit repetitive, as they were filming the entire show over two weeks rather than the 10 weekends that is standard for GBBO. Overall, I had a lot of fun with this one, but I'm definitely ready to get back to the roots of Pies Before Guys and see some killer pies in action, as well as see more of the other main characters.
February 8, 2023
A Good Day to Pie is the follow on instalment in Misha Popp's mystery series featuring pie baker Daisy Ellery. However, like her hairdresser mother and seamstress gran, Daisy has another special talent - she has the ability to include a special magical ingredient in her creations. When she realised she could kill people with them after accidentally killing a man, she decided to make avenging women who suffered at the hands of evil men her calling and starts a word-of-mouth free service she calls Pies Before Guys, delivered using a bakery van. This storyline centres around a reality TV baking competition in which Daisy is participating.
A fun, paranormal and immensely compelling read that ensures I'll be looking out for book three. The characters are interesting and well constructed. Fresh and unconventional.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
A fun, paranormal and immensely compelling read that ensures I'll be looking out for book three. The characters are interesting and well constructed. Fresh and unconventional.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.
June 25, 2023
This series is so fun! I don’t consistently read cozy mysteries all year long, but every few months it’s exactly what I’m craving! This hit the spot!
August 12, 2022
This was a lot of fun, but probably has a tighter, more niche readership than the first book in the series.
This is cooking show narration with a dash of mystery. The majority of the book narrates the main character's cooking show competition, the actions and dialogue of other characters during the competition and her own internal monologue. Baking show enthusiasts will love it! I've never gotten around to the Great British Baking Show, which is referenced several times, but I was definitely getting strong Nicole Byer vibes from the show's host. There are a few flubs, but it's not a Nailed It -type show.
The cast is HUGE-- too big for me to remember much about any except the ~3 who ended up being more important. With a competition pool of 12 (including the main character), 3 judges, 1 host, 1 producer, 1 production assistant, and 1 make-up artist-- who all have names, lines, and recurrent appearances! A friend, a boyfriend, and a dog from the first book all reappear for bit parts. Additional one-off characters with lines, some with names, but without reappearances, also popped up. The cast seemed to be handled pretty well, or at least I didn't notice any conflicting info. In what may be a meta-joke, one of the other contestants says early in the competition that they each are a "type" or fit into a role (villain, diva, etc.) for the show, and most of them don't move much past this during the book.
One thing that bothered me a bit is that the main character spends a fair bit of time thinking about her guilt and her status as a "murderer," thoughts brought on by the deaths both in the book and in other characters' backstories. An important distinction that is glossed over is that the character doesn't use magic to kill-- her magic forces abusers to "stop," and it's the unconscious choices of the abusers and their previous life choices that choose for them how they are going to interpret that directive.
Readers should start with Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies to properly establish the character and her powers, but broad strokes only are needed for reading this book-- ok to read much later, having forgotten a lot of the fiddly details. eARC from NetGalley.
This is cooking show narration with a dash of mystery. The majority of the book narrates the main character's cooking show competition, the actions and dialogue of other characters during the competition and her own internal monologue. Baking show enthusiasts will love it! I've never gotten around to the Great British Baking Show, which is referenced several times, but I was definitely getting strong Nicole Byer vibes from the show's host. There are a few flubs, but it's not a Nailed It -type show.
The cast is HUGE-- too big for me to remember much about any except the ~3 who ended up being more important. With a competition pool of 12 (including the main character), 3 judges, 1 host, 1 producer, 1 production assistant, and 1 make-up artist-- who all have names, lines, and recurrent appearances! A friend, a boyfriend, and a dog from the first book all reappear for bit parts. Additional one-off characters with lines, some with names, but without reappearances, also popped up. The cast seemed to be handled pretty well, or at least I didn't notice any conflicting info. In what may be a meta-joke, one of the other contestants says early in the competition that they each are a "type" or fit into a role (villain, diva, etc.) for the show, and most of them don't move much past this during the book.
One thing that bothered me a bit is that the main character spends a fair bit of time thinking about her guilt and her status as a "murderer," thoughts brought on by the deaths both in the book and in other characters' backstories. An important distinction that is glossed over is that the character doesn't use magic to kill-- her magic forces abusers to "stop," and it's the unconscious choices of the abusers and their previous life choices that choose for them how they are going to interpret that directive.
Readers should start with Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies to properly establish the character and her powers, but broad strokes only are needed for reading this book-- ok to read much later, having forgotten a lot of the fiddly details. eARC from NetGalley.
December 17, 2022
This was the second in the series and I haven’t read the first, but it was easy to catch up on the basics of the story to follow along.
It started a little slow, but by the middle of the book I was really into the mystery of it.
It’s an easy whodunnit kind of book, the kind you’d see as a Hallmark mystery, but if (like me) that’s your sort of thing, you’ll like it.
*I got this as an arc through NetGalley
It started a little slow, but by the middle of the book I was really into the mystery of it.
It’s an easy whodunnit kind of book, the kind you’d see as a Hallmark mystery, but if (like me) that’s your sort of thing, you’ll like it.
*I got this as an arc through NetGalley
May 24, 2023
3.5 stars. After having never really read a book based on a cooking show, I've now read a few and I've really enjoyed all of them. This one was a great addition but I did love a lot of the things that make this story unique.
First, the MC. I love her old-fashioned dressed and her sweet and yet sassy personality. She's trying her hand on a baking show and, of course, murder and mayhem ensues. It was fun to be back with the murder pies and to see the stories advance. I still really like the sidekick and her addition to the story, even though she was only over the phone. I found the mystery cute and I didn't even try to solve it, I just enjoyed the contests, interesting baking challenges and each unique character.
I did this one as an audio book and the narrator did a great job of really making the story feel engaging and entertaining. I really liked this one and hope we have more from this series coming soon!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
First, the MC. I love her old-fashioned dressed and her sweet and yet sassy personality. She's trying her hand on a baking show and, of course, murder and mayhem ensues. It was fun to be back with the murder pies and to see the stories advance. I still really like the sidekick and her addition to the story, even though she was only over the phone. I found the mystery cute and I didn't even try to solve it, I just enjoyed the contests, interesting baking challenges and each unique character.
I did this one as an audio book and the narrator did a great job of really making the story feel engaging and entertaining. I really liked this one and hope we have more from this series coming soon!
A huge thank you to the author and publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.
November 5, 2022
Daisy is back and this time she enters a contest to win $100k in prize money. She also has to deliver a murder pie, but it turns out the intended "victim" is a judge. Unfortunately he turns up dead before the pie is ever delivered.
I really liked the first book in the series, but this one didn't live up to that one. This one was more focused on the cooking show and describing in detail the bakes and filming.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
I really liked the first book in the series, but this one didn't live up to that one. This one was more focused on the cooking show and describing in detail the bakes and filming.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
March 4, 2023
I love this series so much!
November 1, 2023
A Solid sequel with magic pies, American version of the Great British Bake Off and some dead bodies 👌
May 24, 2023
This is a pleasant beach-read of a book. Daisy Ellery is a pie-maker (with a sideline delivering magic-laced "murder pies" to bad guys, but that only minutely figures into the plot here). She has won a spot on the inaugural season of the food network reality TV competition Bake My Day, where a dozen contestants face-off.
Although the series will be aired one episode per week, the filming is all taking place during a single two-week period. The 12 contestants, 3 judges, 1 host, and entire production crew are all housed together at the "Longborough Estate, a sprawling historical manor house in North Carolina," where the competition occurs. From arrival until the end of the competition, the contestants are prohibited from leaving the grounds and are without their cellphones & other devices, creating the setting for this locked-room murder mystery. There are murders, and they do get solved. But the characters and the details of the baking competition are the heart of the story. And there are recipes at the back of the book for cookie dough, quick breads, and donuts -- Mmmmmmm.
Although the series will be aired one episode per week, the filming is all taking place during a single two-week period. The 12 contestants, 3 judges, 1 host, and entire production crew are all housed together at the "Longborough Estate, a sprawling historical manor house in North Carolina," where the competition occurs. From arrival until the end of the competition, the contestants are prohibited from leaving the grounds and are without their cellphones & other devices, creating the setting for this locked-room murder mystery. There are murders, and they do get solved. But the characters and the details of the baking competition are the heart of the story. And there are recipes at the back of the book for cookie dough, quick breads, and donuts -- Mmmmmmm.
March 25, 2023
This book took me by surprise in the best way! A cozy mystery full of queer characters on a fictional version of the Great British Baking Show and a tad bit of magic!
Daisy has a business where she bakes a little magic into pies that, uh, takes the lives of the terrible people they’re intended for. She finds out right before the baking competition she is in begins that the recipient for her current magical pie is one of the judges. But he’s ended up dead before the pie has gotten to him and this leads Daisy on a race to find out what really happened and to protect her secret!
This was so fun and it had a great Asexual side character who dubs themself the Ace of Cakes and finds a way to bake the Ace flag colors into many different confections.
4 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank You to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the E-ARC in exchange for and honest review.
Daisy has a business where she bakes a little magic into pies that, uh, takes the lives of the terrible people they’re intended for. She finds out right before the baking competition she is in begins that the recipient for her current magical pie is one of the judges. But he’s ended up dead before the pie has gotten to him and this leads Daisy on a race to find out what really happened and to protect her secret!
This was so fun and it had a great Asexual side character who dubs themself the Ace of Cakes and finds a way to bake the Ace flag colors into many different confections.
4 stars!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank You to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the E-ARC in exchange for and honest review.
September 2, 2023
i can’t lie, i really missed noel and daisy’s interactions but i’m glad that this sequel had a bit more of a mystery at its core.
because it is about a baking competition, there are a lot of characters. thus, some of them are more fleshed out than others but i still think that misha popp managed to navigate them well enough.
because it is about a baking competition, there are a lot of characters. thus, some of them are more fleshed out than others but i still think that misha popp managed to navigate them well enough.
August 5, 2023
I honestly am so into this series, and I had so much fun with this book! An American version of great British bake off, mixed with murder, honestly sign me up. I think I might actually like this one more than the first one lol
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