Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Magic, Lies, and Deadly Pies by Misha Popp

6 reviews

knitterscasket's review

Go to review page

mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I wanted to like this more. 

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

callidoralblack's review

Go to review page

funny mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

basicallyki's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark funny lighthearted mysterious tense medium-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? No

4.75


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

lulu_canread's review

Go to review page

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Magic Lies and Deadly Pies is a fantastic, cosy mystery about our entrepid magical pie girl, Daisy, who not only runs a pie business, but has a side hustle in murder. The mystery of this story is not how Daisy makes her magic pies infused with emotions, but on who is blackmailing her with information about her customers and the victims they order pie for. 
This is a fun, mostly lighthearted story with a great sense of humour and a strong message about empowering domestic abuse victims and not letting 'victim' define who they are. While some of the dialogue is a little awkward at parts, and the ending was a little predictable. This is still a fun read with a great change of the typical cosy, baking mystery tropes.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings

mamawantsbooks's review

Go to review page

dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


Expand filter menu Content Warnings

emmylamptey's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark funny inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing medium-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

Daisy Ellery and her homemade pie business are more than meets the eye. From a glance, Daisy looks like a sweet, 1950s style housewife who bakes pies for a local diner, farmers markets, support group meetings, and college campuses. Her pies are sweet, delicious and customers swear they feel happier, stronger, or more focused. These customers are right. 

Daisy comes from a long line of Ellery women who are all witches. These women’s magic is channeled through traditionally feminine skills like sewing, hair styling, and in Daisy’s case, baking pies. Daisy bakes magic into all her pies to help her customers improve their lives. 

However, Daisy also possesses a power her ancestors did not: she is able to kill bad men without a trace with her magical pies (or so she believes). Daisy is a vigilante and passionate about social justice; creating pies to help local women who have been wronged by violent partners, abusers, and rapists. When someone finds out what Daisy is doing and contracts her to bake pies as blackmail, she is put into a compromising position. 

While this mystery is not cozy in the traditional sense, the small town, farmers markets, and pie baking certainly are all very cozy plot devices. The book’s themes are likely darker than anticipated due to the nature of the crimes the men have committed and also that the protagonist is a murderer herself. 

The writing was quirky and fun and I loved the diversity and inclusion present in the book. The authors politics are quite apparent in the book, which could be a turn off for some but not for me. This book is totally “Witches vs. The Patriarchy” baked up into a pie. 

Thank you to Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing me with an Advanced Reading Copy ebook in exchange for an honest review. 


Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...