Take a photo of a barcode or cover
avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Quick Synopsis: When Daisy is threatened with her "murder" pie business of abusive men being exposed, she finds a family she didn't think she needed or wanted, and maybe even a significant other. She finally discovered that maybe what she thought was evil was justice.
Quick Review:
I LOVE this book! The feminism, the Buffy references, the dark humor mixed with emotional depth! Just *a chef's kiss* I can't wait to read the next book! I also loved the mythos of her family's magic.
The one thing I didn't understand was why she didn't just tell her half-brother that their dad had turned into an addict who was causing so much pain and suffering. It may or may not have helped.
I also loved the thinly veiled President Donnelly discussions!
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
The narrator did an excellent job, but some voices were annoying.
Quick Review:
I LOVE this book! The feminism, the Buffy references, the dark humor mixed with emotional depth! Just *a chef's kiss* I can't wait to read the next book! I also loved the mythos of her family's magic.
I also loved the thinly veiled President Donnelly discussions!
Narrator Rating: 4.5 stars
The narrator did an excellent job, but some voices were annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Body shaming, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy
shottel's review
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fun novel with a touch of macabre. Daisy Ellery outwardly sports the role of a 50’s housewife, but really comes a hair shy of being a serial killer. Her targets are all awful men, but this only offsets the vibes so much, as she hums cute little murder ditties while baking specially-ordered death pies.
This tonal dissonance is can be very amusing, but sometimes is too outwardly stated; by 50 pages in the very pleasing image a housewife intent on killing abusive men has set in, so when she acts cheery as can be while lying about her weekend there’s no need to state that she’s lying. We can pick it up on our own.
Other than being a little too forward with the protagonist’s moral complexity and the rare confusingly constructed sentence, the mystery also didn’t take too much hold on the plot. By the halfway point the picture was fairly clear, and the question began to shift to “well, how do we solve this problem?” Not complaining too much about it, just found it odd it was billed as a mystery novel.
Despite these issues, I enjoyed reading it. It got several laughs out of me and I loved the representation. The love triangle was also well done, nuanced by the way their very different personalities influenced Daisy. Some people may not like how the love triangle is resolved, but I was okay with it.
Overall, if this book seems interesting to you, I recommend it.
This tonal dissonance is can be very amusing, but sometimes is too outwardly stated; by 50 pages in the very pleasing image a housewife intent on killing abusive men has set in, so when she acts cheery as can be while lying about her weekend there’s no need to state that she’s lying. We can pick it up on our own.
Other than being a little too forward with the protagonist’s moral complexity and the rare confusingly constructed sentence, the mystery also didn’t take too much hold on the plot. By the halfway point the picture was fairly clear, and the question began to shift to “well, how do we solve this problem?” Not complaining too much about it, just found it odd it was billed as a mystery novel.
Despite these issues, I enjoyed reading it. It got several laughs out of me and I loved the representation. The love triangle was also well done, nuanced by the way their very different personalities influenced Daisy. Some people may not like how the love triangle is resolved, but I was okay with it.
Overall, if this book seems interesting to you, I recommend it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Murder
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Kidnapping, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Abandonment
mandareads222's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Sexual harassment
hal2499's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies is about the main character Daisy, and how she can put magic into the pies she makes. Her family has always had some type of magic. Specifically the women. She puts magic feelings into her pies so if she wants someone to feel calm or happy she can mix it in like how you would say it was made with love. The thing with her though is that she can kill men with her pies. When someone needs to kill a man she has special areas where they have to check off first. The ladies that use this service have to be told by someone else that has already used the service and the men have to be someone that is very bad like they are violent in some type of way to the woman. When she starts getting blackmailed by someone to kill women though all things get flipped upside down.
There is a cute romance in this book and the stakes are high but not terribly.
(Also there are pie recipes at the end of the book!!!)
There is a cute romance in this book and the stakes are high but not terribly.
(Also there are pie recipes at the end of the book!!!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
leandrathetbrzero's review
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Magic, Murder, and So Much Sugar #PiesBeforeGuys
↓ Similar Reading Experiences ↓
1. Baking Bad (on my TBR!)
2. A Study in Scarlet Women
3. Still Lives
Daisy Ellery’s magical pies have the ability to make one tell the truth, feel confident or hopeful or calm…and for a particular few, one slice can kill. Unlike the Ellery women before her, Daisy uses her magic to free women from their abusive partners by making and delivering murder pies. She has lived a nomadic lifestyle with her pitbull, Zoe, for most of her adult life, but she finally begins to settle in Turnbridge, MA. There, she has loyal customers, a found family, and love in the air. One thing she also has, however, is a blackmailer. This person knows about Daisy’s murder pies and, in exchange for silence, she might be forced to serve up murder pies to three innocent women. Can Daisy unmask her blackmailer before she has to use her magic for true evil?
I am obsessed with this new cozy mystery series! And I cannot wait for a Pies Before Guys sequel. Listening to this title on audiobook through Hoopla, I instantly fell in love with Daisy as a vigilante badass with a 1950s wardrobe. I have purchased a physical copy since completing this gem. The cast of characters surrounding our heroine is just as vivid and endearing. I felt emotionally invested in their growing and fluctuating relationships. This is a fascinating mystery because it focuses on uncovering a blackmailer in order to prevent the death of innocents. Daisy has killed many abusive, violent men before, but she has protocols and rules that must be strictly adhered to before any of this takes place. I appreciated the system, and I honestly found it to be a sound one. She was a gray character with sense no matter where your own morals stand, and I believe that’s what a true gray character should be. This was a cozy with crucial messages and themes I 100% could get behind: domestic violence awareness, feminism, and women supporting women. Popp balances these important topics with some subplotted romance, an adorable dog and community, and a most captivating mystery.
As the series moves forward – hopefully to many, MANY more books – I hope Popp delves deeper into examples beyond domestic violence performed by straight cis men toward straight cis women. With the amount of diversity and care she has put into this first book, I have full faith in her and her characters to face these challenges head-on.
↓ Similar Reading Experiences ↓
1. Baking Bad (on my TBR!)
2. A Study in Scarlet Women
3. Still Lives
Daisy Ellery’s magical pies have the ability to make one tell the truth, feel confident or hopeful or calm…and for a particular few, one slice can kill. Unlike the Ellery women before her, Daisy uses her magic to free women from their abusive partners by making and delivering murder pies. She has lived a nomadic lifestyle with her pitbull, Zoe, for most of her adult life, but she finally begins to settle in Turnbridge, MA. There, she has loyal customers, a found family, and love in the air. One thing she also has, however, is a blackmailer. This person knows about Daisy’s murder pies and, in exchange for silence, she might be forced to serve up murder pies to three innocent women. Can Daisy unmask her blackmailer before she has to use her magic for true evil?
I am obsessed with this new cozy mystery series! And I cannot wait for a Pies Before Guys sequel. Listening to this title on audiobook through Hoopla, I instantly fell in love with Daisy as a vigilante badass with a 1950s wardrobe. I have purchased a physical copy since completing this gem. The cast of characters surrounding our heroine is just as vivid and endearing. I felt emotionally invested in their growing and fluctuating relationships. This is a fascinating mystery because it focuses on uncovering a blackmailer in order to prevent the death of innocents. Daisy has killed many abusive, violent men before, but she has protocols and rules that must be strictly adhered to before any of this takes place. I appreciated the system, and I honestly found it to be a sound one. She was a gray character with sense no matter where your own morals stand, and I believe that’s what a true gray character should be. This was a cozy with crucial messages and themes I 100% could get behind: domestic violence awareness, feminism, and women supporting women. Popp balances these important topics with some subplotted romance, an adorable dog and community, and a most captivating mystery.
As the series moves forward – hopefully to many, MANY more books – I hope Popp delves deeper into examples beyond domestic violence performed by straight cis men toward straight cis women. With the amount of diversity and care she has put into this first book, I have full faith in her and her characters to face these challenges head-on.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Stalking, and Death of parent