Friday, April 10, 2015

Cozy Mystery Review ~ LEMON PIES AND LITTLE WHITE LIES by Ellery Adams

Lemon Pies and Little White Lies (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery, #4)
by: Ellery Adams
Series: A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release Date: April 7, 2015
Source: Publisher ~ Penguin: Prime Crime


After Pecan Pies and Homicides comes another tangy slice of life—and death—in a charmed, and charming, small town...
Ella Mae LeFaye’s Charmed Pie Shoppe has become a phenomenon beyond her wildest dreams, providing the enchanted town of Havenwood, Georgia, with spellbinding desserts and magical pies. Her personal life is also heating up as she takes on the responsibilities of leadership within her magical community. In fact, the only thing weighing her down is the fact that handsome Hugh Dylan won’t return her calls…
Still, when Havenwood is rocked by a series of mysterious deaths, Ella Mae must put romantic longings aside—especially when she realizes that the mystical symbols left at each crime scene are dangerously personal. Now she will have to whip up all her supernatural skills to uncover a killer out to settle an ancient score—before the murderer devastates everything Ella Mae is determined to protect…

Includes pie recipes!

REVIEW
I had several reasons for wanting to read Lemon Pies and Little White Lies. One reason was because I loved the cover.  The second reason was because the word “pie” is in the title.  I mean a cozy mystery about a pie baker, come on. Unfortunately, the story and I did not mix well together.  But that is definitely NOT the story’s fault or Ellery Adams’ fault.  The blame is squarely on me. Lemon Pies and Little White Lies is the fourth book in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Series.  However, this is the first book I’ve read in the series.  The books aren’t standalones, at least not this one.  Events from past books are mentioned and play a role in this story.  For that, I was confused most of the time, trying to figure out what I missed previously.

Setting aside my confusion, I can say that I enjoyed this story.  It definitely wasn’t what I expected the story to be.  I expected your typical cozy mystery, where a lady owns a bake shoppe and stumbles upon a murder and insists that she can solve the crime better than the police.  Lemon Pies and Little White Lies is different because it mixes the cozy mystery I was expecting with fantasy that I wasn’t expecting.  The protagonist, Ella Mae LeFaye and her family and friends are magical.  They each have unique powers, which I assume were discussed in previous books.  This installment of the series focuses on the magical part of Havenwood, Georgia; thus adding to my confusion.

Havenwood gets rocked with unexpected deaths.  And the killer is leaving a calling card.  Added to that mystery are several storms of unprecedented size and strength, wreaking havoc on the homeland of Ella Mae’s ancestors.  Before all is said and done, alliances will be formed and Havenwood and Ella Mae will never be the same.

I truly believe readers of this series will love this latest installment.  The characters are funny and interesting.  Ellery Adams has written an intriguingly, wonderful story that shows what family, friendship, and leadership is all about. Even while suffering a broken heart, Ella Mae puts her feelings aside in order to do what she needs to do for those who put their loyalty and trust in her.  I definitely recommend reading the previous three books (Pies and Prejudice, Peach Pies and Alibis, and Pecan Pies and Homicides) before reading Lemon Pies and Little White Lies.  I have no doubt that I would have enjoyed the story more if I did that myself.


**Received a copy from Penguin Berkley Prime Crime for an honest and unbiased opinion.**

Rating: 3

Purchase Lemon Pies and Little White Lies from:

The Charmed Pie Shoppe Series:

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