One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon – Review #NetGalley

One Poison Pie is the first full book in Lynn Cahoon’s new cozy mystery series, A Kitchen Witch Mystery.

Lynn Cahoon is a superb storyteller and has written several delightful cozy mystery series, including one of my other favourites, The Cat Latimer Mysteries. This one looks like it will be another favourite for this blogger!

In the first in New York Times bestselling author Lynn Cahoon’s Kitchen Witch series, Mia Malone is starting over in Magic Springs, Idaho—where murder is on the menu . . .

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. . . .

Available on Amazon and via Kindle Unlimited.

The Magic Springs setting is a fictional small town in Idaho where the extraordinary exists alongside the regular, but is kept secret from those not in the know! It’s quite fun as you never know just who has some paranormal powers… and they crop up sometimes in the oddest of places!

Our series heroine, Mia Malone, is a kitchen witch. Her powers are tied to feelings and food. In fact, she’s a pretty amazing cook and the descriptions of meals prepared made me hungry! Mia has moved to Magic Springs to be closer to her grandmother and to get away from her scheming, obnoxious ex-boyfriend. She also manages to take in his younger, far sweeter sister. The relationship between Mia and Christina is very endearing and shows the desire for both to belong to a caring family. Mia’s grandmother, Maude, provides the matriarchal figure and several moments of comic relief.

Of course, there’s a little romance too. Magic Springs grocery store owner, Trent, seems willing to handle more than Mia’s food supply requirements. The two have far more in common than they would have originally thought and their burgeoning friendship crackles with something more.

The mystery to solve is who killed Adele, Maude’s not-so-well-liked best friend. Officer Baldwin is no great fan of Mia and Christine and is quick to point a finger at Mia. As Mia sets out to prove her innocence, we meet several Magic Springs residents and start to piece together the mystery. There are several suspects and each has a viable motive. As more is revealed about Adele’s past and activities, more possibilities emerge creating a great combo of real clues and red herrings. There are also two secondary issues regarding Mia’s ex and an unscrupulous businessman (who may or may not be involved in the murder). In the final showdown(s) all the pieces fall into place and were even treated to some details about an overarching paranormal element.

The A Kitchen Witch Mystery series has certainly caught my attention. One Poison Pie is a great first installment and introduces a cast of intriguing characters. I give it 4/5 espresso shots.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for my copy of the book. All opinions are my own.