Book Review: Pies and Peril by Janel Gradowski #WeekendCooking

Book: Pies and Peril: a Culinary Competition Mystery by Janel Gradowski
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Gemma Halliday Publishing
Publication date: July 8, 2014

Source: e-ARC from the author, a Weekend Cooking participant

A fun cozy mystery with descriptions of amazing baked goods and other foods

Summary: Amy is the least well-educated among her circle: a business-savvy husband, an ER nurse best friend and her new boyfriend, a sharp-eyed police detective. But everyone humors her by listening to her half-baked theories, while enjoying her full-baked muffins, cakes, and pies. Will she solve the mystery of who killed the reigning winner of the pie-baking contest before the killer turns on her?

Thoughts: What a fun choice for summer-reading! And not a single calorie to enjoy the wonderful descriptions of baked goods and other foods. Just the title of Amy’s entry in the pie contest sounds delicious: Bumble Apple Crumble Pie.

Amy is the sort of friend to bake quadruple chocolate muffins after a bad night. I’d like to be her friend, Carla.

Carla peeled the paper wrapper off a muffin and took a bite. Heavenly was too weak a word to describe the taste. Tender, intensely chocolate cake studded with pockets of gooey, melted chocolate. If there was a more decadent thing to eat for breakfast, she couldn’t think of one at the moment.

I enjoyed, most, the insights into the sort of mind that can draw inspiration from the world around her to create wonderful new recipes for baked goods. The small town setting, culinary competition milieu, and delightful characters make reading this book a great summer past-time.

Appeal: Lovers of cozy mysteries with themes will enjoy this world of baking contests.

Challenges: This is my second book for the Foodies Read Challenge of 2014. Is that all? I’m going to have to step it up if I want to make my goal of 9 books.

Reviews: Check out the Blog Tour for Pies and Peril for more thoughts about this book.

Thanks, Beth Fish Reads, for hosting Weekend Cooking each week. Watch this space next Saturday for a foodie interview with Janel Gradowski, author of Pies and Peril.