Review & Giveaway: Pies and Prejudice by Ellery Adams

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Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Expected publication: July 2012 by Berkley Publishing Group

more details...ISBN: 0425251403 (ISBN13: 9780425251409)

edition language ; English

series ; A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery #1

When 32 year old Ella Mae LeFaye Kitteridge catches her hubby in flagrante delicto in the elevator, with twins no less, she decides she wants out. Sooner rather than later. Where to go?

She hightails it back to Havenwood, Georgia to her childhood home.  In times of stress, Ella Mae overdoes it on her favorite occupation; baking pies! When her beloved three aunts,her mother and her mother's housekeeper, eat her pie and all have the same reaction, they figure out the pie makes whoever is eating it feel the same way that Ella Mae did while she was baking it. It's as if Ella Mae can magically imbue  her pies with her own emotions.

Ella Mae's mom and her three aunts decide Ella Mae should open her own pie shoppe so they become silent partners and make a bid on a local shop. Unfortunately, her childhood nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor wants the same piece of real estate for another one of her nail salons. Ella Mae discovers after an untimely screaming match run-in with Loralyn, that she is still as nasty as she was way back when. Too bad that Dr. Knox happened to be present during her outburst to Loralyn. So, when Loralyn's fiancé, local vet Dr. Brad Knox, is found murdered in one of Loralyn's nail salons, the finger of blame points to Ella Mae. Somehow her marble rolling pin is found beside the victim.

Seemingly, the horse vet had no enemies, so is someone setting up Ella Mae or is there some hidden agenda going on? There are some funny rumors going around the horsebreeding community. After all, Loralyn couldn't possibly be in love with the 70 year old vet, could she? It might just be another one of her "marry for money" schemes.

With law enforcement breathing down her neck, Ella Mae knows if she wants to keep baking, she needs to find the real killer to clear her own name. It's the only way she can keep her shoppe in business. No one else has her magic touch with piecrust!

Absolutely magical! I was definitely charmed with this new series. The characters come alive on the page and are downright endearing. Well, except for Loralyn, or course. She makes the perfect villain. Every good cozy needs one!

 If you like the magical elements of Sarah Addison Allen's books or Bailey Cates's Brownies and Broomsticks, you may very well like this one. Besides that, it's a darn good  mystery!

Disclosure: A review copy of the book was provided by Berkley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Due to the ever so generous Berkley, I am able to offer a giveaway of one copy of this book. Open to US only. Be sure to leave an e mail address in your comment. Deadline to enter is July 20th at 5 PM (est). Bonus entries are as follows:

+4 for following on Networked blogs. Just remind me under what name.
+3 for blogging (sidebar is fine) or tweeting about the giveaway. Leave me a link, please.

If you cannot comment you can still enter by sending me an e mail with Pies and Prejudice in the subject line. Include your name and e mail and send to florida982002[at]yahoo.com

Good luck!