The last to pie

Daisy Ellery (last seen in A Good Day to Pie, 2023) is a serial killer. Her primary business is making pies for the local diner in western Massachusetts, where she has parked her RV, named Penny. But for her side business, Pies before Guys, she makes murder pies infused with magic that only works on its intended victim, usually an abusive man. It's strictly a word-of-mouth business, so when Jodie contacts her outside the normal avenues, Daisy is wary. Jodie goes silent for a bit but then sends a long, rambling message with an address and the information that the pie will be for a police officer. When Daisy tries to deliver the pie, the officer answers the door, saying there is no Jodie there. And Jodie isn't at her job, either. After some balancing of the risks or doing what's right, Daisy and her friends at the diner, her boyfriend, and her friend Melly undertake the search for Jodie, hoping they'll find her in time. This quirky, baking-based tale will appeal to fans of Mia P. Manansala and Jennifer J. Chow.

A pie maker fights an internal battle over morally ambiguous decisions. Members of Daisy Ellery's family have always had magical powers. Daisy's is her ability to bake both empowering and dangerous things into her Pies Before Guys treats. Although most of her pastries do good deeds, she has a secret sideline in pies that can kill men who mentally and physically abuse women and children. Containing no poison, they allow men willing to seek redemption to get a new start but offer only death for the others. Daisy lives in an RV parked behind Frank's Roadside Diner, where she bakes pies in lieu of paying rent when she's not staying with her boyfriend, Noel, who runs a flourishing apple orchard. Then a phone request for a murder pie from JodieL endangers everything she holds dear. Jodie's abusive boyfriend is a cop, so she can't go to the law for help, and she's desperate to escape. When Jodie vanishes before signing a contract for a murder pie, Daisy can't let it go. She starts digging into the life of Jodie, who's sent information about herself and Troy Sullivan, her controlling abuser. Noel doesn't want Daisy to get involved, but her best friend, Melly, is willing to help. After meeting Troy, a poster boy for crooked cops and self-satisfied abusers, Daisy's more determined than ever to find Jodie. And her time is limited. A search-and-rescue mission certain to raise your blood pressure as it explores the double standard in justice for women. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.