Pies Before Guys, Kirsten Weiss

By Printed Pages and Coffee on April 19, 2020 • ( 0 )

Hahahahahahahaha you thought I had moved beyond cozy mysteries, didn’t you?

Never.

This latest installment of books-I-get-up-at-6-am-in-order-to-read is Pies Before Guys by Kirsten Weiss. This is (as indicated by the frankly hilarious and also painfully accurate title) another baking-type mystery.

AND.

This one has recipes as well, people! I cannot even describe how happy that makes me. Plus, they seem like wicked good recipes, too – I can’t wait until the stars align and I have the money, the time, and the kitchen equipment and facilities to try some of them. So, it could be a while.

Still, this is another series that I think I will start trying to hunt down in physical copy – and yes, it is a series. I’ve given up completely on landing upon the first book in a series at this point – Pies Before Guys is in fact the fourth book in this particular series (Pie Town Mysteries). Fortunately for me, this is another book series written in such a way that you can in fact pick one up at random (at least from what I gather about this one).

Now: the story. Our main character is Val, owner and baker of Pie Town in the small town of San Nicholas. She is involved with the local detective (who sounds like an absolute winner, let’s be real here) and he best friend is also her chief pie-crust-maker: 70-something-year-old Charlene. Now, I find Charlene both absolutely hilarious and an absolute danger to herself and those around her – I’m sure we all know someone like that, but it speaks to Ms. Weiss’ writing that Charlene frustrated me as much as she did.

The murder mystery in this book actually involves more than one death – a multi-murder, if you will. Somewhat ominously, it also centres around a university (college, because America) faculty, and for those who don’t know, I am a student in, a tutor for, and a staff member of a university faculty in addition to being a campus resident. Concerning, no?

Now the mystery was one that I had figured around two thirds of the way through, so it wasn’t as snarly as some I have read – then again, it is a cozy mystery and I don’t read them to give myself a headache trying to figure out whodunnit. I read them because they are fun, and because some of them come with recipes. Which I want to try, because they sound amazing.

This is well worth a look (though, maybe start at the first book? Which is called The Quiche and the Dead, if anyone was wondering), and an enjoyable way to pass a few hours reading and, should you so wish, maybe a few hours in the kitchen as well.

Disclaimer: I asked for, and Netgalley provided, an electronic copy of this book for review. I’m pretty good at targeting books I think I will enjoy, but if I hadn’t like it you all would have known.

Image credit: from the publisher’s web site.