Val’s crime-solving club digs into a piping hot new case! A poetry slam at a bakery? Why not! Even though Pie Town proprietor Val Harris would rather be spending time with her newfound half-brother, she knows her employee Abril is beyond excited to be hosting the event. Especially since it stars the apple pie of Abril’s eye, poet and professor Michael Starke. But the evening ends on a sour note … evening ends on a sour note when Professor Starke is found murdered mere moments after being accused of plagiarism.
Just like that, Pie Town is at the center of another criminal inquiry. At Abril’s request—and much to Detective Carmichael’s consternation—Val and Charlene decide to investigate Starke’s death. But the case is as tough as an overworked crust and the Baker Street Bakers are only coming up with scraps. If they don’t pinch the cultured killer soon, Pie Town’s reputation could crumble.
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Val isn’t very into having a poetry slam at her pie shop but her young employee Abril who set it up is very excited. Val can’t believe how boring the evening is until several of the posts get into a shouting match, one of those being Abril’s professor. The other combatant is accusing the professor of plagiarism and just won’t let it go. All goes from bad to worse when the body of the professor is found dead not long after the evening shut down. Val can’t believe her pie shop is in the cross hairs again and knows that investigating is in her future. Val and Charlene start looking for clues but end up empty handed when it comes to clues. Val realizes they need to dig deeper otherwise it could be.The end for Pie Town. Meanwhile Val is trying to work on her new found relationship with her half-brother, he has moved to town which.gives them a chance.to get.to know each other better. Follow along as Val does her best to get Pie Town out of a bad light, works on her relationship with her half-brother, and keeps Charlene out of trouble. This series is filled with eccentric characters that will keep.you.coming back for more!
Val Harris is reluctantly hosting a poetry slam for the local community college at her bakery, Pie Town. But the evening turns into a nightmare when a professor is found murdered after being accused of plagiarism by another professor. Val and her pie crust maker/sidekick, Charlene, work together to catch the killer.
Pies before Guys by Kristen Weiss has everything I love in a cozy mystery- quirky characters, the small tight-knit community feeling, and a mystery with plenty of suspects and red herrings. Val’s character was well-developed and I found it very easy to like her. But she came across as a bit of a pushover and I was happy to see her stand up for herself in the end. Charlene’s over the top behavior annoyed me at times, but she grew on me as the story progressed and I really enjoyed the subplot with her pie tin UFOs. This was an enjoyable and entertaining cozy mystery and I definitely recommend it. It is the fourth book in the A Pie Town Mystery series, and can easily be read as a stand-alone.
I received an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Fun book! Val’s college student employee, Abril, has talked her into hosting a poetry slam at her pie shop, Pie Town. During the event, two of the professors get into an argument with the one accusing the other of plagiarism. At the end of the event, Val is cleaning up when her half-brother, Doran, arrives and informs her that he is planning to return to Southern California as he has had trouble finding a job and the cost is too much. Val is disappointed, but right after that, they find out that Professor Starke has been found murdered nearby. Doran decides to stay to help with the investigation and seems interested in Abril. The Baker Street Bakers, Val and Charlene, are on the hunt for the killer and trying not to interfere with Gordon’s investigation (at least Val is). The main suspects include the dean of the English department, the professor who accused Professor Starke of plagiarism, Professor Starke’s ex-wife (also a professor at the college), and Professor Jezek, who is a bit creepy. When another person is murdered, a smoke bomb is thrown into the pie shop, and a Molotov cocktail is thrown the window of Charlene’s house, Val and Charlene are determined to get to the bottom of things. I love Val and her crazy pie-crust-maker friend, Charlene. Charlene always seems to get them into trouble no matter how hard Val tries to stay out of things. I hope to see Val and Doran get to know each other better and see more of Val and Gordon’s relationship. I love the pie recipes in the back of the book. Reading this series always makes you hungry for pie!
Enjoyed this book. Great characters and recipes (even though I am a cake and cookie lover not a pie eater).
Another great mystery from this author. I love the mysteries and the situations that Val and Charlene seem to get themselves into. I’m ready for the next adventure for the Baker Street Bakers.
Val and Charlene are trying to stay out of trouble – again. When a poetry slam is hosted by their bakery Pie Town, it doesn’t end well. Not just bad poetry is served up at the event but the ending turns deadly for Prof. Michael Starke. After reading a strange poem he is accused of plagiarism but is that any reason to kill him with his saber? The list of possible killers includes past amorous partners, other faculty members and it makes for a tough case for Val and Charlene to tackle. Can they find the killer without putting their safety on the line? Working with a rather reluctant Det. Carmichael they are faced with plenty of suspects hiding secrets galore.
This series always brings together a great cast of characters, humor, friendships and a well crafted puzzle to solve. Plus there is a cat. And pie! Just right for a quick reading getaway. I’m looking forward to book #5 Gourd to Death, due out August 25, 2020. I’ve saved a spot on my TBR list for it.
The story was ok but I didn’t like the heroine constantly allowing herself to be badgered into dangerous situations by her coworker. These actions lead to her business almost being destroyed and her relationships endangered.
I had a hard time getting into it. I can’t even remember finishing it. I just came off of a excellent book reading and this one just did not spark my interest.
Didn’t really keep my interest but might be different for others
Boring.
This has been a very enjoyable series for me. I love the small-town setting and the great cast of eclectic characters that surround Val and Pie-Town. This installment was a bit of a miss for me. As I read my way through the story, I thought it had a good plot, solid mystery and the usual cast of characters make a return appearance to round out everything. Usually, I don’t seem to mind Charlene’s quirky personality and her hair-brained antic. This time around, however, I thought that they went beyond that to actually put Val in danger without any second thought about the repercussions. In that respect, I thought Val came across as a little weak. I know the author has written this relationship where Charlene serves as a surrogate mother for Val but I thought Val should have stood up for herself a little sooner and not let herself be put in those dangerous situations without calling them out to Charlene.
I thought the mystery was well done and it kept me guessing as to the motive and identity of the killer. I also like the way the relationship continues to progress between Val and Gorden as well as her relationship with Doran, her half brother.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher, Kensington Books, through Netgalley.