One Poison Pie

What’s a kitchen witch to do when her almost-fiancé leaves her suddenly single and unemployed? For Mia Malone, the answer’s simple: move to her grandmother’s quirky Idaho hometown, where magic is an open secret and witches and warlocks are (mostly) welcome. With a new gourmet dinner delivery business and a touch of magic in her recipes, Mia’s hopes are high. Even when her ex’s little sister, Christina, arrives looking for a place to stay, Mia takes it in stride.

But her first catering job takes a distasteful turn when her client’s body is found, stabbed, and stuffed under the head table. Mia’s shocked to learn that she’s a suspect, and even more so when she realizes she’s next on a killer’s list. With Christina, along with Mia’s meddling grandma, in the mix, she’ll have to find out which of the town’s eccentric residents has an appetite for murder…before this fresh start comes to a sticky end.

Series: Kitchen Witch Mysteries – Book #1
Author: Lynn Cahoon
Genre/Category – Cozy: Culinary/Witch
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 272

Rating:

I adore almost everything Lynn Cahoon writes; I rarely dislike any character or a plot. Certainly, never the writing. The first book in her new kitchen witch series, One Poison Pie, is not perfect, but close enough. Even though there are some minor personality flaws with the main character Mia, it is evident that she will become a strong, fun heroine that readers will come to love, if they don’t already.

I thoroughly enjoyed meeting Mia and her grandmother, who is a real spitfire, as well as Mia’s ex-future sister-in-law, Christina. All of the secondary characters are warm, lovable, and entertaining. They should make for positively charged interesting additions to future books. Trent and Levi add a touch of romance that isn’t over the top but will keep readers happy.

I could have done with more of the magical, paranormal, witchcraft side of things in this first book; hopefully, it will grow along with the characters and the series. Having Mia be a kitchen witch was fun and makes readers hungry for more than the next book. There were plenty of twists and turns. Suspects were carefully crafted to keep the reader guessing; just when you think you have it figured out, a new piece of evidence comes along, and you realize you are wrong from the start. The killer is unveiled in the end and may not be who the reader thought it was. It was a lovely way to keep the mystery alive without being too convoluted.

One Poison Pie is absorbing, easy to read, and filled with captivating characters, a touch of the paranormal, and a location that would inspire anyone, as well as a mystery that most readers will not figure out until the end. In other words, precisely what you would expect from a cozy and an author of Lynn’s caliber. I am elated to have a new witch series to read from a writer I feel is one of the industry’s finest authors. I heartily recommend this book and series to readers who love kitchen witches who give you riddles, thrills, and savory pleasure.

Another kitchen witch or food-based paranormal series I recommend is Angela M. Sanders’ new witch series “Witch Way Librarian Cozy Mysteries” or the yummy Bailey Cates’ bakery/food series “A Magical Bakery Mysteries”.

About the Author:

Lynn Cahoon is an Idaho ex-pat. She grew up living the small-town life she now loves to write about. Lynn started her career writing sweet contemporary romances with heroes ranging from cowboys to warlocks An over ten-year breast cancer survivor, she lives with her husband and two fur babies in a small historic town on the banks of the
Mississippi River, where her imagination tends to wander.