The second book in Kristen Weiss’s Pie Town Mystery series brings us on a whole new adventure with Val. While delivering pies to Bar X in an attempt to build a long term recurring customer, first Val’s pie is struck by a stray bullet, and, as she is recovering from that scare, she then stumbles upon a body.
In this book we also meet Charlene’s life long arch rival. Pretty sure Charlene is officially my favorite sidekick in a cozy mystery series, and given that I started the genre with Grandma Mazur from Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series, that’s saying something.

Val Harris and her co-worker Charlene, are dropping off some pies at the Bar X, which is a Old West style saloon. The pies are for a pie eating contest that Val hopes will drum up more business for her shop. Bringing in a stack of pies, one of them is shot right out of her arms. Then Val discovers the dead bartender. She promised a certain cop that she wouldn't investigate. But, asking questions isn't really investigating, right?

I loved this book! It's the perfect escapism read. Fantastic characters and mystery. I couldn't venture a guess as to who the killer was. The pie descriptions made me quite hungry, and I'm hoping the hubby will bring me a pie when he goes to the store. Lol. Cozy mystery fans are sure to love this series.

Great start to this cozy mystery series. We meet Val who runs a Pie shop is a small town that she moved to for her rotten fiance who dumped her later. The business is still new so when a man drops dead in the dining room and it is rumored that her quiche was to blame she starts asking questions. On top of that her employee pretty much blackmails into helping as well though not in a bad way. This was a great mystery with quite a few twists to thrown the reader off with plenty of food related tidbits thrown into the mix to keep you hungry throughout. Overall it is well written and a good read for fans of the genre. I really enjoyed it so I give it 5/5 stars.

This is a great book; this is the second book in the Pie Town Mystery series written by Kirsten Weiss.
This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author.

This is the second book in the Pie Town Mystery series. I read the first book, and this is a worthy follow-up. They can be read as stand-alone books however because the plot doesn't pick up from one book to the other.

Val Harris has a pie shop and she's making pies for a pie eating contest to be held at Wild West Town. Unfortunately, she finds a dead body when she makes her pie delivery and Val wants to find the killer.

I liked the characters in this book, they were fun and quirky.

Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35881948-bleeding-tarts" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Bleeding Tarts (Pie Town Mystery #2)" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510115013m/35881948.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35881948-bleeding-tarts">Bleeding Tarts</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5346143.Kirsten_Weiss">Kirsten Weiss</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2276678485">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
Old West ghost towns are as American as apple pie. So what better place to sponsor a pie-eating contest than the Bar X, a fake ghost town available for exclusive private events on the edge of Silicon Valley. Valentine "Val" Harris is providing the pies, hoping to boost business for her shop Pie Town and become a regular supplier for the Bar X. But no sooner do Val and her friend and co-worker Charlene arrive in the ghost town when a stray bullet explodes the cherry pie in Val's hands. The delicious dessert is not the only victim, Val finds the Bar X bartender shot dead in an alley. Egged on by Charlene, Val aims to draw out the shooter, but solving a real murder in a fake ghost town won't be easy as pie. And if Val doesn't watch her back, her pies won't be the only thing filled full of lead . <br /><br />The characters are diverse, quirky, well written, and well developed which makes them all seem believable and life like. The mystery moves along at a nice pace while also being filled with twists, suspects and clues for you to sort through to figure out who the killer is before it is revealed in the surprising conclusion. The author does a nice job of describing the characters and the scenes in the book so you can picture what is going on in the book.<br /><br />The one thing that I could have done without in this book would be Charlene's obsession with fairies, ghosts, and aliens, her obsession really didn't add anything to the books story line the author could have dropped this sub plot and the book would be just as good. I liked the friendship between Val and Charlene they seem to be such a mismatched pair with their personalities, yet they are so perfectly suited to be friends. I hope that the relationship between Val and detective Gordon Carmichael gets a chance of actually turning into something real instead of just a bunch of rescheduled dates, or dates that are cut short. I'm looking forward to see what Val and the rest of San Nicholas get into.<br /><br />I got an ARC of this book from Kensington books and Netgalley for my honest opinion of the book.
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I absolutely loved this book just like the first in the series!!!😍 I totally #fangirl over this series! Not only do I just love Charlene's never-ending humorous behavior! I am totally jealous that a woman in her 70-80s can have that much fun sleuthing around and I can't! Man, responsibilities!😤 This was a great mystery, had a good plot and I wasn't expecting the ending! I love this series because there is no insta-love or anything like that just fun and sleuthing. I highly recommend this series!

Bleeding Tarts has a well developed story with interesting characters who will.make you laugh out loud more than once. I read it so quickly and was sad when it was over. I really liked this book and look forward. to the next installment.
Thanks for the arc netgalley. Athens opinion are my own.

This food based cozy focuses on a pie contest held in an Old West ghost town. It's fun and piqued my curiousity many times as Val and Charlene investigate all kinds of mad cap goings on.

This was the first book I have read in the Pie Town Mystery series and I should have made room in my to-read list sooner for this scrumptious cozy series. The Baker Street Bakers, Val & Charlene, in addition to Frederick the cat and Gordon make this series unbelievably yummy and the constant mention of pie will begin to make your mouth water. The character development that has been created is so strong that the characters and setting feel like you could very well walk into Pie Town, sit at the counter and order up a slice of pie from Val herself. I found the mystery to be very deep and intriguing and I admit it took me right up until the end to figure it out. I very much look forward to venturing back to San Nicholas and seeing just what Val and Charlene get themselves into next.

This is the second book in the Pie Town Mystery series, but I did not read the first book and had no problem following this story. Val Harris owns Pie Town and is trying to drum up new business after hiring new employees. She had taken on a catering job for the Bar X Ghost Town that is holding a benefit. When Val and Charlene (her pastry baker) arrive at the fake ghost town, Val is shot at along with finding a dead body. As the story continues, Val is the victim of a couple more attempts on her life. Obviously, she is not taking that sitting down and is out to find the murderer as well as whoever is trying to kill her.

Charlene and Val are the Baker Street Bakers, sleuths ready to solve a mystery. Charlene, who says she is 42 but more like 82, is a hoot. She and her old nemesis Marla are trying to outdo each other in solving the murder and their encounters are so funny. She and Val get themselves in some sticky situations while trying to sort out the situation, but her individual investigations almost always end up in hilarity. The murder in this story happens right at the beginning of the story and the plot moves along quickly. The setting of a fake ghost town is pretty interesting and certainly very different from any others I have read about. If you are looking for a fun cozy mystery with a good mystery, pick up this book. I will definitely go back and read the first book in this series to see what I have missed.

I always enjoy a cooking or baking contest mystery. I'm not sure why this didn't really grab me. Well written but I didn't fall for the characters.

It's fun to get back to these characters. I liked both in this series so far. I love the pie shop and its employees. I enjoyed the mystery and wasn't quite sure whodunit.

This is a great book 2 in the Pie Town Mystery series. Val's Pie shop is doing well and she is donating pies to the Bar X pie eating contest in hopes of securing their business. Bar X is a Old West Ghost Town nearby. Val and Charlene are delivering the pies when someone shoots a pie out of her hands and kills a local bartender. Between Charlene's belief in Fairies, Ghosts and aliens and her cat Frederick, Val has her hands full. This is funny and a very good cozy mystery. Gordon and Val are still trying to get that 1st date in the books but fate seems to be against them. This can be read as a stand alone but book 1, The Quiche and the dead , will help with background. I received a copy of the ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

The second Installment from Pietown goes along pretty well with a nice cozy mystery but the main characters seem to me a bit stagnant. Charlene is a bit too loopy - carrying a cat around her neck, always a bit alien/fairy/ghost excessive. Not sure that I can take much more of that. It definitely IMO needs to be toned down. Charlene's antics really detract from the mystery. Maybe a different sidekick? Petronella maybe?
I like the premise and other characters, but Charlene I can do without.

Kirsten Weiss' second book in the Pie Town Mystery series is Bleeding Tarts. Val's pie shop gets a boost when she is asked to provide pies for the fake ghost town Bar X. While delivering the pies, a stray bullet blows apart a cherry pie she is carrying, and the town's bartender is soon found dead. She and her pie crust maker, Charlene, begin an investigation. It seems they are getting close when Val finds her own life threatened. Charlene and Val are an unlikely duo that works very well. The other characters are just as wacky which makes for a fun book. It is a light, fun read!

Valentine Harris is a baker who does a bit of amateur sleuthing on the side. She's a bit stressed lately because she recently expanded her pie shop and it's been a bit difficult juggling finances. To bring in a bit of money, she's providing the pies for an eating contest at an area tourist attraction. Bar X is a fake ghost town and Valentine wants a contract with them. Supplying pies for the tourists would bring in some much needed steady income for Pie Town. As she is delivering the pies for the event, things get a bit dicey. Sharp Shooters are practicing for an event at the ghost town, and a stray bullet slings through one of the pie boxes she's carrying. Valentine is hardly recovered from the explosion of cherry filling and pie crust when she sees a dead man on the ground. The Bar X bartender has been shot dead. Calling the police covered in bright red cherry pie filling makes her a suspect at first, but soon Valentine is on the case, doing whatever she can to identify the killer. Baiting a killer is dangerous though. If she's not careful, it won't be just the pie and the bartender that have a couple extra holes in them.

Bleeding Tarts is the second book in the Pie Town cozy mystery series. It isn't necessary to have read the first book, The Quiche and the Dead, to enjoy this mystery. A bit of the character background is continued from the first book, but there is enough background info included in the second book to make it easy to just jump in and read.

I enjoy this series. It has a nice mix of humor, background theme and mystery. There are recipes included at the end of the mystery as well. Pie recipes of course! Not all are dessert pies though. One is savory and involves cheese...definite yum there. :)

The mystery in this newest addition to the series moves along at a nice pace. The murder happens pretty quickly in chapter one, so there isn't a lot of waiting for the dirty deed to be done. The setting of a fake ghost town with every sort of tourist trap trick is very entertaining and fun. I thought it was hilarious when Valentine gets shot right in the pie....and then the police think she's covered in blood when it's actually cherry pie filling. :) The rest of the book was just as cute and fun. Definitely a great cozy!

A 3rd book in the series, Pie Hard, is coming out in February 2019.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Bullets are blazing everywhere when Val arrives with her delivery to the Bar X, one even takes out a pie SHE WAS HOLDING!! Covered in cherry pie she discovers one of the bullets hit someone. She finds the bartender from the Bar X Saloon dead in the alley when she runs for cover. She really wants the business from this fake ghost town to improve her bottom line but is it worth getting killed over? Charlene has one of her “pie in the sky” ideas that she and Val (the Baker Street Bakers) can prove her old friend Marla is the murderer, I mean find the killer. But someone is not happy with their interference and lets them know it in some very dangerous ways.

Charlene is flakier than any of her fabulous crusts and Val loves her too much to call her out on her weird conspiracy theories. That is until she decides her old arch enemy Marla is guilty from the moment the shots were fired. Instead of trying to catch the real killer, who could still be Marla, Charleen tries to twist up all the facts. I will admit to laughing out loud as Marla and Charlene’s rivalry soared to new heights throughout the story. The author also introduces a supporting cast at the Bar X. These characters, like the ones we met in the first story, are very well written. We learn a lot about all of them within these pages.

I really enjoyed the setting of the Old West ghost town. Still new and just getting ready to open with a big event, a pie eating contest. A great way to mesh together the Pie Town shop with a new business. I also liked the little place Val has moved into. A very unique idea and the views are to die for.

The murder at the ranch gave a wide range of suspects. Who had alibis and who didn’t? Was it two people working together? Another murder shakes the investigation up as the fingers are being pointed at almost everyone.

A lot of drama took place away from the Bar X too. Val is being targeted by the killer, Heidi, owner of the gym next door is still on her SUGAR KILLS rampage, Val ex is still hanging around every though Val is trying to actually make it through a date with Detective Gordon Carmichael, and there may be fairies or ghosts in the local dog park.

Between Charlene’s trying to divert attention to Marla and the nice twists given by the author, I found this mystery very entertaining. Life at Pie Town and Val’s personal life added a lot to the story. I have never watched Stargate, but fans will love that Val and Charlene are watching the series and will enjoy the references to the characters.

Put all of this together along with all the pies and you have a delightful cozy mystery. I really like the cover too!

You are going to want to have pie available as you are reading. I recommend cherry, but skip the bullet!

I just could not connect with the characters. There was nothing about Val,Charlene or the story that interested me enough to continue past 47%.

The one plus is that the detective actually acts like one and cuts off his relationship with Val until she is (presumably) in the clear.

I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Val may be turning her smile into a frown instead of the other way around., as her advertising suggests. Her business is doing well but she may have over extended and if she doesn’t make the deal to supply a local ranch with her baked goods, her business may bite the dust. That is if she doesn’t bite the dust herself.
She not only discovers a body on the ranch shortly after a pie was shot out from her arms but there have been a number of close calls and she is starting to take it personally. She questions if she is the target or just caught up in the cross-fire, some of it literal and some figurative. It seems her crust maker is in the midst of a showdown with her life long nemesis and neither one is taking any prisoners. Quite frankly Val has the patience of Job to put up with either of these two senior ladies. They his and claw at each other so much you would think they were having a cat fight.
Anyway, it is all good fun and light and entertaining reading. I give four purrs and two paws up.