Fun to be back at Pie Town, especially during pumpkin season. The ladies are trying to solve another murder, while adding recruits to their "gang." A charming and clever story. Many fun and surprising events. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley.

I'm normally a horror reader, but every year about this time I get an itch to read some Halloween themed cozy mysteries. Gourd to Death did not disappoint, having everything you want in a cozy mystery: a small town where everyone knows everyone else's secrets, a little old lady who provides comic relief, a hunky police detective to provide romantic interest, and of course a mystery to be solved by a plucky but flawed heroine.

Pumpkin festivals, corn mazes, pie, and murder - what more could you want to get you in the mood for autumn?

Gourd to Death is the fifth book in the Pie Town Mystery series. It is one of the more quirky cozy series that I follow. This book was no exception. Charlene has a pumpkin robot and a drone with which she generates trouble. The murder victim is found under a giant pumpkin. The next town over incites a bunch of pranks. There is a nearly lethal pumpkin cannon and a corn maze with attitude. There is a creepy older woman who Val thinks might be a witch. Doran’s mother comes for a visit and Val is having a hard time being away from Pie Town. Her relationship with Gordon maybe in jeopardy.
All these things combine to make it feel like you’re in a merry-go-round. There are a limited number of suspects for the murder but it’s hard to narrow down the scope with so many distractions. The climax to the story involves fire, which might sound exciting if there weren’t fires endangering lives in California even as I finish this book in August 2020.
All in all it’s a pretty good book.

Val is gearing up for the upcoming Pumpkin Festival, she has even agreed to be a judge for the Pumpkin Pie making contest. Even her boyfriend is getting into things and will be entering a pie into the contest. Val and Charlene decide to take a look at the booths and what all is going on before the festival opens to the public. When the two find their way to the giant pumpkins to see who might have a winning entry they discover a body under one of them. Chief Shaw decides to head the investigation pushing Val's Detective boyfriend to the side. The Chief isn't very good at his job leaving Val and Charlene to start their own investigation. They soon find that there is danger around every corner and they must act quickly before someone else ends up dead. Follow along as they question witnesses, enjoy the festival, and try to vanquish their enemies! This was a fun read filled with odd but definitely likable characters and a plot that will keep you guessing.

Who knew that having a pumpkin festival would lead to the death of a local optometrist in the area. The Baker Street Bakers are on the case, even if they know they're going to get in trouble. Help is limited this time as the amateur sleuths try and solve the murder and judge the winning pumpkin pie for the festival. A great read, as always from Kirsten Weiss, I can't wait for the next installment!

Gourd to Death earns 5/5 Pumpkin Predicaments...Engaging Fun!

Kirsten Weiss is a favorite author, blogger, and all-around tarot resource, and she’s added a fifth book to her popular Pie Town Mystery series with cooler weather, plenty of outdoor festivities, and of course, pumpkins! It’s Halloween in St. Nicholas, California, and residents are ready for the Pumpkin Festival. It’s also Pie Town owner Val Harris’s first pumpkin pie contest, but she’s a bit taken aback by the fact her boyfriend and detective Gordon Carmichael is also a contestant. The situation is made worse by the discovering of the dead body of another contestant crushed under an oversized pumpkin. Due to the fact the pumpkin belonged to Gordon’s uncle and Chief Shaw is jealous of the “hero” status Gordon received in the press, he’s unceremoniously and brusquely removed from the case. Not so fast...How better to investigate, however unofficially, than to enlist Val and her pie crust wizard/sleuthing partner Charlene and the Baker Street Bakers, but of course not without some delicious peril. Never thought a pumpkin pie contest could be so murderous an event.

Kirsten Weiss’s story follows the traditional cozy formula that has made me a fan; the crime occurs quickly putting the investigation at the center of the drama, cleverness and humor are common elements. The well-paced drama is also quite engaging well beyond competitors in a pie contest or sabotage from a nearby town, and with two felonies to investigate, the danger doubles, too. Weiss’s writing style is very entertaining with descriptive language to fill the reader’s senses and dialogue that illustrates well the emotions and personalities. I enjoy Val and her interactions with Carmichael; Charlene seems more comic relief and Chief Shaw is just...a pain, but both are important characters as contrast to Val and Gordon. Bonus! Weiss included a marvelous treat for pumpkin lovers: Val’s Pumpkin Bread!

Love these characters in this series. I can relate to Charlene, not that I can make a great pie crust, but I often times forget how old I am. I think she is a hoot! This book definitely has some interesting people, and of course that makes for great reading. If you like Halloween stories, I think you’ll enjoy this one as much as I did. Who doesn’t love a festival? I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This is the fifth in the series. I was drawn in by the inviting cover and description. Another bonus is Ms. Weiss includes recipes at the end of the book.

I enjoy this series. The characters are wonderful, the plots creative, and this one deals with Halloween.

It was great how Val and company pull together to help solve the deaths. Detective Gordon Carmichael is prohibited from being involved officially since his uncle’s pumpkin was involved in the murder.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley. Thank-you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing. I am not required to leave a positive review.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. It has a great plot, funny characters and crazy funny and outlandish happenings.

It’s coming up on Halloween in San Nicholas and what else could make the holiday sing than a pumpkin festival?

Val Harris, the owner of Pie Town (everyone’s favorite pie shop in town – not to mention the only one), has been tasked with being one of the judges of the pumpkin pie contest. She can’t compete because she is a professional but it seems like all sorts of other people are jumping in.

The idea of giant pumpkins sounds great until a body is found squished beneath one. The townsfolk get up in arms over the thought that sabotage of the festival is going on.

Val, on the other hand, is concerned with finding out who murdered the victim.

The story veers all over the place, as is usual with this series. It ties it all nicely together at the end. I had an idea of whodunnit but did not get the whydunnit until close to the end.

I enjoyed the laughs and the time spent with my friends (old and new) in San Nicholas!

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Cozy Pumpkin Festival Mystery
This book is 5th in the series and stands alone quite nicely. This episode takes place during the Pumpkin Festival weekend. The rival town has its festival the following week and things get sticky! The rivalry gets way out of hand, but caused the murders? It is a fun story with lots of humor and childish behavior. My cheeks hurt from smiling. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

Val owns Pie Town, a pie restaurant in San Nicholas, California. It's time for the annual pumpkin festival, which also brings about the annual rivalry with another local town over their dueling pumpkin festivals. So when Val and her employee Charlene discover local doctor murdered - beneath a giant pumpkin - some people in town suspect their rivals in the other town. Val, whose boyfriend Gordon is an investigator for the police department, isn't so sure. After another local murder, Val is convinced it's someone local with a grudge.

Along with several other locals, Val is one of the "Baker Street Bakers," who have solved some local mysteries and crimes. The Bakers begin to investigate the murders when it's clear the police chief is heading in the wrong direction after taking Gordon off the case.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, so I enjoyed this story. Nothing beats pumpkins, trick-or-treating, and spooky atmosphere. The residents of San Nicholas are rather quirky, from an old woman who might be a real witch to a local health nut shopkeeper who thinks sugar is evil to the customers of Val's shop, there are lots of characters to enjoy.

This is the first book in the Pie Town Mystery series by Kirsten Weiss I've read, and I look forward to reading more tales about Val and the mysteries at Pie Town.

Gourd to Death is the fifth book in the Pie Town Mystery series! We meet up again with the coastal California town of San Nicholas during Halloween season. Someone dies by pumpkin, and of course, Val and Charlene are on the case.

I cannot say enough positive things about this series. It’s just that good. I love it so much. The characters have so much depth, and they’re so amusing and everyone just feels so real. I love it. The mysteries are always twisty and entertaining, and I just love that they always surprise me in some way. I read at least a few cozies a week, so it’s hard to really surprise me, but somehow, this author does.

My favorite thing about this series is Val, the main character. I love how she shows real character growth in every book. She’s constantly growing as a person while also moving forward and growing with her business. I really like seeing that. Some cozies forget to show that growth, which makes some MCs feel stagnant and dull after a while.

Overall, this book is another great addition to a wonderful series. If you’re already a fan of the series, you’ll love this book, and if this is your first introduction to the series, I feel like you’ll love it too!

Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss is the 5th book in the Pie Town Mystery series. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for my advanced copy. I loved this fun cozy mystery. Gourd to Death is a perfect blend of mystery and humor. Val owns the restaurant Pie Town, and she solves murders with her sidekick, Charlene her pie crust maker. I often found myself laughing out loud a lot, the mystery kept me guessing until the end. I found this book to be a quick read, I read it in one day, with a well-developed plot and unique characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book and series. All opinions are my own.

Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss is the 5th book in the Pie Town Mystery series, and I loved it. Gourd to Death is a perfect blend of mystery and humor. Val owns the restaurant Pie Town, and she solves murders with her sidekick, Charlene her elderly pie crust maker. Not only is this book really funny, I often found myself laughing out loud a lot, the mystery kept me guessing until the end. I found this book to be a quick read, I read it in one day, with a well developed plot and unique characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love humorous cozy mysteries, I strongly recommend this book and series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

4.5 stars

This is the fifth book in the Pie Town mystery series by Kirsten Weiss.

Really enjoyed this installment of the Pie Town mysteries. Weiss has really ramped up her writing game. The mystery was compelling and the character insight was bang on.

I have noticed that a number of minor characters in recent books coming out around this time have centered around the death of loved ones or the need to take care of their aged parents. Maybe this is just me manifesting since these similar issues have cropped up in my own life. I really appreciate all the depth these authors put into their books. Just these little mentions here and there give me a great deal of comfort that I am truly grateful for.

I get a little frustrated with the Charlene character at times but I guess that is just what she is there for… to distract us from the real mystery and take us on a red herring ride.

Overall it is a great series that just keeps getting better. Take a trip to Pie Town and you won’t regret it.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

Val's already facing a tough one- her boyfriend Gordon is entering his pie in the contest she's judging- when she finds the. body of the local ophthalmologist under- wait for it- a gigantic pumpkin owned by - wait for it- someone they all know! Once again, our intrepid amateur is on the case but this time, Gordon has been sequestered from officially investigating so he works in concert with Val begins Chief Shaw's back. Val's friend Charlene (who's wonderful btw) and her other friends get together on this one, which has the usual twists. AND, Val's got to get to know her step mother, Takako, who has a few secrets of her own. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books, this will be fine as a standalone. I like this group of characters (the Baker Street crew), the setting, and the fact that there's pie! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre.

Grab your coziest sweater and a warm drink because it is Autumn in San Nicholas. Val Harris has never experienced the San Nicholas Pumpkin Festival before, and starts to question the sanity of some of her neighbours who seem too invested in the Pumpkin Festival and the not so friendly rivalry with San Adrian. Brought in to help judge the local pie contest, Val Harris is hoping that the Pumpkin Festival will be successful both for the town and her own Pie Shop.

What she doesn't expect is to find the body of the local ophthalmologist underneath one of the could-be prize winning pumpkins belonging to her assistant managers Father. What follows is a maze of clues pointing to so many suspects that this mystery will leave you trying to guess the killer right till the last page.

As each new Pie Town book comes out, it is great to learn more about the various people in Val's life. We see lots of Gordon Carmichael and Charlene. We also see some old favourites such as Ray and Wally. There is some character growth with Val as well.

Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss
Kensington Books
Release Date: Aug 25, 2020

Gourd to Death is the fifth book in the Pie Town Mystery series. I have not read the previous books (which I will be very soon!), but that did not take away from the story at all. This book was a great standalone mystery.

While this book seem to start off a little slow, it may have been because I was becoming acquainted with the characters and setting. The story line was incredible and moved at a great pace. I really enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing all the intricate dynamics come to light.

This book takes place in mid- to late-October, during Fall Festival season. It definitely made me long for a hot apple cider, cooler temps, and being able to spend some time outside enjoying the new season.

This is the first book I have read by the author, but I will be quickly correcting that. I plan on binge-reading the first four books in this series and any future books, as well as checking out some of her other works!

I'm so grateful for NetGalley, Kirsten Weiss, and Kensington Books for providing me with a free copy of this ARC ebook in exchange for my honest review.

Delightful addition to the Pie Town Mystery series.
While checking out San Nicholas' annual Pumpkin Festival, Val and Charlene discover a body under one of the huge pumpkins. Was it an accident or murder? Does the feud between San Nicholas and neighboring San Adrian have anything to do with the death? Happening at the pie contest. haunted house and corn maze factor in to solving the murder.

The town's annual pumpkin festival is a bigger deal than Val imagined, and it takes awhile for her to realize just how much it means to her friends and neighbors. Besides the haunted house, the corn maze and the pumpkin cannon, Val has been asked to be a judge at the pie-making competition. When one of the contestants is found crushed to death under giant pumpkin and the police chief removes his detective from the case – and puts him on the suspect list – Val and Charlene take it upon themselves to figure out the real identity of the killer.

This is the fifth book in the Pie Town series, which I really enjoy. My part of the country doesn't enjoy the perpetually nice weather that seems to be a given in San Nicholas, so that seems a bit unrealistic, but I would still like to visit and get to know most of the residents of the town, especially Charlene and Val. The mystery was a good one, although with not as many suspects as there usually are in this type of book. As the book progressed, I continued to narrow down my list, and thought I had the killer pegged relatively early in the story, which is rare for me :) I look forward to reading more of Val and Charlene's adventures in the next book in he series.