Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss

Gourd to Death

by Kirsten Weiss

Series: Pie Town Mystery #5
Series Rating:
on August 25, 2020
Genres: Cozy Culinary Holiday Mystery
Pages: 302
Format: Kindle
Goodreads
BookBub
Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Book Depository

This Halloween, pie shop proprietor Val Harris must patch together clues to solve a murder by pumpkin . . .

As the owner of Pie Town, Val's been tapped to judge the pie making contest at the annual pumpkin festival in the coastal California town of San Nicholas. Things could get sticky though--her boyfriend, cop Gordon Carmichael, is entering the competition with his "special" family pumpkin pie recipe. But Val's got bigger problems than a conflict of interest when she and her flaky piecrust-maker Charlene discover another contestant crushed under an enormous pumpkin.

When grudge-holding Chief Shaw comes up with a half-baked reason to toss Carmichael off the case and onto the suspect list, it's up to Val and Charlene to find the tricky killer. But as they dodge lethal pumpkin cannons and follow the clues into a figurative and literal maze, the pie pals are in for the scariest Halloween of their lives--and it may be their last . . .

Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss is a wonderful mystery filled with lots of character growth and humorous scenes.

Will Val and the Baker Street Bakers find the culprit before it’s too late?

Valentine Harris

Val is our sleuth, but she is also the owner of Pie Town, the local pie shop in town. She not only has a nose for yummy pie filling but also helps with murder investigations. However, she does have the assistance of the Baker Street Bakers. Charlene and other local ladies find clues to help Val with the puzzles.

I enjoyed getting to know Val and her friends. Her boyfriend Carmichael is a police detective, and they are happy. Val has this way of helping people without hurting their feelings or upsetting them. She knows how to listen. I like Val and Charlene. The two of them keep each other in check. Well, as much as anyone can when with Charlene.

The Mystery

A few things are going on. First, we have the death of a local eye doctor, possibly by a great pumpkin falling on her. The pumpkin in question belongs to a relative of Carmichael, which leads the Police chief to take him off the case. Then we have the whole pie contest and the pranks being played on Val. Oh, and the rivalry between the two towns and their pumpkin festivals. Add in a new acquaintance with Val’s stepmom and Carmichael’s elderly parents having issues. It’s all a big happy mess. Well, once Val gets it all figured out.

Five Stars

My rating for Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss is five stars. This is the first installment I have read in this series, and I hope to read the others soon. Ms. Weiss has a way of dropping you into the world she has created and making you forget about the real world. I love when this happens.

I highly recommend Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss. Make sure you check out Val’s Pumpkin Bread recipe at the end of the book. It sounds delicious. Maybe I can get Karen to whip one up.

Pie Town Mysteries Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss.

Until the next time,

 

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• Jenz 2022 Beachcomber Crime Scenes Bag
• Jenz 2022 Beachcomber Detectives Bag
• Jenz 2022 Beachcomber Victims Bag
• Jenz 2022 Beachcomber Weapons Bag
• Jenz 2022 Cloak and Dagger
• Jenz 2022 Craving the Cozies
• Jenz 2022 Cruisin’ thru the Cozies
• Jenz 2022 Goodreads RC
• Jenz 2022 Medical Examiner’s Mystery RC
• Jenz 2022 Six Shooter RC

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