In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns

🍄🍄🍄🍄

I am celebrating National Maple Syrup Day by sharing with you my review of In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is hosting a pie-baking contest. Unfortunately, after sampling one of the pies, a neighbor drops dead. In an effort to bring the killer to justice and save her farm, Leila is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery even if it means risking her own life.

I requested this ARC on NetGalley a while ago. I didn't think I would be approved because a long time had passed. To my delight, I was approved! I hadn't even begun the series yet, but I knew I wanted to read it. So I read the first one (A Doomful of Sugar, which I enjoyed), then skipped the second one (for now) and finally read In the Blink of a Pie. I'm happy to say, I didn't feel lost at all. Clearly, some things had progressed in the second book, but the author does a good job bringing the reader up to speed in a concise way.

I really enjoyed my visit to Sugar Ridge, just as I did the first time. All of the main characters are delightful, including Toast, the cat. Some of my favorite scenes are when everyone is sharing meals together. It sets a tone of warmth and love. The food descriptions are also delicious. There are some Lebanese dishes that I made notes of and I will surely be researching them.

I wasn't completely sold on how Leila's and Noah's life-changing decision was handled (no spoilers, so I won't say exactly what that decision was), but I felt more at ease when even Noah recognized it might not have been dealt with in the best way. I'm curious to see how next steps will unfold in future installments of the series.

The mystery was fun, especially with all the talk about pies. Although I identified the whodunnit very early in the book, along with the motive, I still enjoyed seeing how Leila and the authorities would finally solve it. I thought the answer was clear, but sometimes when you're in the situation it's difficult to see. So I understand why Leila may not have seen it sooner.

I love how the title was woven into the story. It certainly fits with the mystery. If you're a fan of culinary cozies, you will be happy to find six pie recipes at the end of this installment. I was hoping for more savory recipes, but the theme of this book is all about pie, so the plethora of pie recipes certainly makes sense.

My next step in this series is to go back and read Syrup to No Good, which is set in the spring. Although I know how everything plays out in this third installment, I'm curious to see how it all came together in the second book. After, that, I hope there will be more in the series. It definitely fits the bill for a cozy and I'm here for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.