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In the Blink of a Pie by Catherine Bruns Review

 Happy Friday Sweet Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you've taken the time to drop on by The Preppy Book Princess today for another book review.

I'm Kirby, and I'm excited you're here.

If I'm being honest, I'm done with summer already. It's one of those years where the summer weather just doesn't want to disappear, and I'm ready for the heat, the bugs, and people's grumpiness to go away for another year. Unfortunately, we're currently in the midst of another heat wave however, so I'm turning to fiction to get my fill of the lovely Autumn vibes right now.

I recently had a chance to read a lovely Autumn themed cozy mystery that I was looking forward to after loving the first two books in the series.

If you'd like to check out my reviews of the first two titles in the series, you can do so using the links below:

A Doomful of Sugar

Syrup to No Good


Otherwise, I hope you'll keep on reading down below for today's full review.


In the Blink of a Pie by Catherine Bruns:



Source: Publisher via NetGalley

Publisher: Poisoned Pen Press

Publication Date: October 22nd, 2024

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Series: Maple Syrup Mysteries


Synopsis:


USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bruns is back with the third installment in the "delightfully sweet" Maple Syrup Mysteries, transporting readers back to the cozy town of Sugar Ridge, Vermont, where things are bound to go from sweet, to sour.

Sometimes, there's no one you can crust...

It's Thanksgiving in Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is ready to usher in the holiday season by hosting a pie-baking contest. The day is meticulously planned, from the judging panel to the maple lattes, and Leila can't wait for the entire town to enjoy some sweet treats.

But when a neighbor drops dead from sampling a poisoned pumpkin pie, it's not just Leila's perfect day that's in jeopardy—her livelihood is now at stake. And after yet another near-fatal incident, she realizes an even more terrifying the killer wasn't targeting her neighbor, but someone even closer to home! 

Can Leila figure out who's behind the murder, before the dough hits the fan?

Includes delicious holiday pie recipes!

(synopsis from goodreads)



My Review:

In the Blink of a Pie is the third installment in Catherine Bruns' wonderful Maple Syrup Mysteries series, and this series overall has become a new favorite of mine. I couldn't wait to dive into this one after loving the first two books in the series, and the synopsis sounded both intriguing and terrifying.

It was definitely a worthy addition to the series, and I continue to find Leila a relatable character. I enjoyed the fact that this one dives into more of her complicated relationship with her mother, and what her past entailed during her time in Florida. The relationship progression between herself and Noah seemed natural and realistic, and the struggles they go through during this story felt like something that could easily happen to anyone else facing that particular situation. The setting was also a continued delight, and I love how atmospheric and cozy this series is a whole.

The only thing that kept this one from being another five star read for me was the fact that the I thought the killer was incredibly obvious by about a third of the way into the story, and I was left slightly disappointed when almost everything was revealed to be exactly what I was expecting.

Overall, I still loved the story and would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries, but I think I preferred the first two titles to this one personally.

Final Rating: 4/5.


Thanks so much to Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to advance read and review this title!

I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary advance reader copy of this novel from the publisher (Poisoned Pen Press) via NetGalley. I was not required to give a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own, and this is my honest review. 


Thanks so much for reading guys! I pray you all have a wonderful weekend :)

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