BOOK REVIEW: Pie Hard by Kirsten Weiss

Pie Hard

(Pie Town Mystery #3)

by Kirsten Weiss (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 352 pages

Published February 26th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads synopsis:

Will Val pie hard on national TV? 

Business at the bakery may have slowed down, but Val Harris isn't about to eat humble pie--not until a reality cooking show decides to whip the struggling Pie Town into shape. If Val can tolerate criticism from an abrasive pastry chef during filming, the free publicity might turn the unusual opportunity into the sweetest deal she didn't know she needed.

Except no one in San Nicholas has an appetite for dessert once murder steals the spotlight. When the show's bossy producer gets pushed to her death, Val and her flaky, septuagenarian pie crust expert, Charlene, follow crumbs in hopes of finding the killer. But with cameras still rolling and the shocking identity of the victim's replacement a guaranteed recipe for disaster, Val needs to stay cool long enough to solve the crime and keep Pie Town from falling apart--or else she just might go up in smoke before she ever graces the small screen.

***

4 Stars

Pie Hard is the third book in the Pie Town series of cozy mysteries but it totally reads like a standalone. The book starts with Val Harris being awakened to what seems like an earthquake and then a blinding light. At first she thinks it is a UFO since she has a phobia about them. But soon she realizes that a huge truck has driven onto the property and her tiny home was shaken due to its sheer heaviness. Her abode isn’t the most stable place to live. 

It is 4am and a yurt is being delivered into her front yard. Come to find out, Val rents her tiny home, more like a fancy storage container, from her next door neighbor Charlene. Charlene has invited a group of metaphysical goddess types to hold their annual retreat in her yard and she had forgotten to tell Val about their arrival. 

And that wasn’t the only thing Charlene failed to tell Val about. She had gone behind Val’s back and requested that a reality TV show, Pie Hard, use Val’s business, Pie Town, as a guinea pig for their television antics Pie Hard was known for really bashing new businesses and Val’s business had only been open for less than a year. It wasn’t doing great but it wasn’t in dire straights either.

And so starts the roller coaster ride that is Pie Hard. It was truly an excellent cozy mystery that I recommend highly. So many great antics happen in the book that I don’t want to spoil anything for you. Trust me. This is a must read. I am putting Kirsten Weiss on my must read author list for sure. Kensington Books sure has a lot of great authors in their cozy mystery line up. I feel truly blessed to be able to read them and relate these great books to you. Definitely read this one. 

BTW, I read Pie Hard on Pi Day (3.14). I thought that was not only funny but pretty ironic. I was driving home and heard on the radio it was Pi Day 3/14/19. I laughed out loud. The funniest thing was… I hadn’t done that on purpose.

A delicious mystery with a super sweet conclusion. The Baker Street Bakers had done it again

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.