Pies and Prejudice (A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery) [Mass Market Paperback]

Ellery Adams (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 3, 2012 | Series: A Charmed Pie Shoppe Mystery (Book 1)

When the going gets tough, Ella Mae LaFaye bakes pies. So when she catches her husband cheating in New York, she heads back home to Havenwood, Georgia, where she can drown her sorrows in fresh fruit filling and flakey crust. But her pies aren't just delicious. They're having magical effects on the people who eat them--and the public is hungry for more.

Discovering her hidden talent for enchantment, Ella Mae makes her own wish come true by opening the Charmed Pie Shoppe. But with her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor making trouble, and her old crush Hugh Dylan making nice, she has more than pie on her plate. and when Loralyn's fiancé is found dead--killed with Ella Mae's rolling pin--it'll take all her sweet magic to clear her name.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“[A] savory blend of suspense, pies, and engaging characters. Foodie mystery fans will enjoy this.”—Booklist

"[A] delicious, delightful, and deadly new series...will leave readers longing for seconds."—Jenn McKinlay, New York Times bestselling author of the Cupcake Bakery mysteries

"Enchanting! As sweet and tangy as a warm Georgia peach pie."—Krista Davis, author of the Domestic Diva series

About the Author

Ellery Adams has had a lifelong love affair with both stories and food. As a child, she used to make mud pies and eat them. Over the years, she became more adept in the kitchen, and when she's not writing, she loves to don an apron and fill her home with the sweet, buttery scent of baking pies. Ms. Adams has held many jobs, including caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all while penning poems, children's books, and novels. She writes and creates culinary delights from her home in central Virginia.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 3, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425251403
• ISBN-13: 978-0425251409
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (68 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,185 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

New York Times Bestselling author Ellery Adams grew up on a beach near the Long Island Sound. Having spent her adult life in a series of landlocked towns, she cherishes her memories of open water, violent storms, and the smell of the sea. Ms. Adams has held many jobs including that of caterer, retail clerk, car salesperson, teacher, tutor, and tech writer, all the while penning poems, children's books, and novels. She now writes full-time from her home in Virginia.

Ellery also writes as J.B. Stanley and Jennifer Stanley.

For more killer mysteries, visit www.elleryadamsmysteries.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A sweet start to a new cozy mystery series July 3, 2012

By Book of Secrets VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

PIES AND PREJUDICE was the kind of story that I wanted to jump inside of. The charming setting, engaging characters and well-crafted mystery made this one of my favorite cozies to date. The book begins with Ella Mae LaFaye returning to her hometown of Havenwood, Georgia, right after leaving her cheating husband back in New York. Instead of letting anger and sadness take over, Ella Mae decides to live her dream by opening a pie shop in downtown Havenwood, with a little financial and a lot of emotional support from her mother and three aunts.

There's something very unique about Ella Mae and her delectable desserts. She not 100% sure, but it appears that somehow she's able to influence the behavior of others by baking emotions into her pies. This strange ability comes in handy when police find her fingerprints on the murder weapon that killed a local racehorse veterinarian, who happened to be engaged to Ella Mae's lifelong nemesis, Loralyn Gaynor. Afraid that the bad press of being a person of interest in a murder investigation will ruin her business before it can get off the ground, Ella Mae sets out to find other suspects so investigators will point their fingers elsewhere.

This is the first book by Ellery Adams that I've read, and I have to say that I'm an instant fan! I adored the setting - a small mountain town in northwestern Georgia, but the well-drawn characters were what pulled me into the story. Even the secondary characters popped off the page. The aunts were a hoot, Loralyn was so wicked, and even Ella Mae's dog "Chewy" was a huge presence. I also enjoyed the paranormal elements in this book. I'm intrigued by Ella Mae's transference ability, and it looks like she comes from a long line of women blessed with magic. This is a fabulous start to Ms.... Adams' new cozy mystery series, and I'm looking forward to the next one.

Review copy courtesy of the publisher. Read more ›

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic new southern cozy series July 3, 2012

By M. Lapierre

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Recipe for the perfect Southern cozy: Start with a cast of strong, sassy women; mix in delectable dollops of mystery, magic, mayhem, and mouthwatering descriptions of scrumptious sweet and savory pies; add in a dash of romance. Grab a tall glass of iced cold sweet tea, head out to the sunniest spot in your yard and let Ellery Adam's charming town of Havenwood, Georgia whisk you away to the genteel south.

Women's relationships are a hallmark of great Southern lit (think Fried Green Tomatoes and Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood), and Ella Mae has surrounded herself with a special group of women: her mother, aunts, and special friends. (Her aunt Dee is my favorite with her menagerie of pets, and how I'd love one of her specially crafted with love metal sculptures of dearly departed pets.) I loved the process of Ella Mae discovering her magical powers as she strived to learn more about herself (especially the scene where the uninhibited townsfolk started taking their clothes off!) I also enjoyed the horse racing element to the mystery, and was saddened, but not shocked at the extreme measures greedy owners and breeders will take to win the big bucks, putting their animal's safety and well-being on the back burner.

Any new release by Ellery Adams is cause for celebration in my book, and this first Charmed Pie Shoppe mystery is a winner right out of the starting gate!

17 of 20 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A Little Disappointing July 8, 2012

By Chris

Format:Mass Market Paperback

I so wanted to love this book. I've had it on my wishlist since the moment Amazon first listed it as an upcoming release and fully expected to love it. I'm a huge fan of the author's other series so I was basing my expectations on that. Unfortunately this book just fell flat for me. I never really got swept away in the book and for me that's a rarity. Instead of staying up way too late because I just couldn't put the book down, it took me twice as long to read as normal. Too much of the same things over and over had me skimming here and there. The plot had potential, just seemed to get crowded out by the scenery and descriptions. The aunts were by far my favorite characters...they were a total hoot. I guess even our favorite authors can write a book, that for whatever reason just don't suit us and that seems to be the case for me with this book.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magical and tasty mystery! July 26, 2012

By Ronna

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Ella Mae LaFaye left her small hometown of Havenwood, Georgia to move to the big city of New York with her husband. But when she found him cheating on her with two women, her small hometown dreams sounded good again.

Ella Mae has always loved baking her sweet and savory pies and now she's decided to drown her sorrows in doing just that. Her Mom and aunts are choosing to support Ella Mae by investing in her Charmed Pie Shoppe. Problems arise when her old time rival, Loralyn, wants to buy the same spot to build a tanning salon. Loralyn, finance has agreed to buy this for her as a wedding present, but he's found murdered with Ella Mae's rolling pin.

Ella Mae needs to prove her innocence, but she also needs to get her pie shop up and running. With amazing help from her Mom and aunts the shop opens. 'Amazing' seems to be magical when it comes to Ella Mae's pies. Does she have special powers? Will she prove her innocence? Can she find a new love? Are the woman in the LaFaye family all a bit special?

This magical cozy is a yummy read for the brain cells!! The descriptions of the pies alone are worth the read---and the bonus recipes are mouth watering too! I really enjoyed the magical aspects of the story. Loved all the 'sister support' too!! Sometimes I do feel food made with love has magical aspects to it.

I'm usually not into magical books that are hard core magic, but i loved the lightness of the magic in this book. Loralyn was fun to hate too! Seems she'll live to flirt her way through more messes in other books. All the characters have become part of my world now, so I'm glad that more magical Charming Pie Shoppe mysteries are part of my future!