I am becoming a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery. A quick entertaining read.

This was an easy read cosy murder mystery and is touted as the first in the series however it became clear that there was a previous novella which I think it would have been best to read first.

The author in this book alluded to things that had happened in the past but we jumped straight in and not having the backstop really made a difference.

It was an easy if obvious read but I did enjoy the genre. I've had enjoyed it more if id read the previous book.

Thank you for the arc.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon has Mia Malone working on the renovations of the schoolhouse she purchased for Mia’s Morsels. She is catering Adele Simpson’s birthday party the next evening at the Lodge as commanded. The day of the party, Adele is found dead at the Lodge. Officer Mark Baldwin has Mia and her roommate, Christina on the suspect list which will not do. Mia decides to do a little nosing around to see if she can reveal the killer. One Poison Pie is the first full length novel in A Kitchen Witch Mystery series. I suggest reading Chili Cauldron Curse first because it gives you needed background information on Mia, Grans, and the town of Magic Springs. I like the characters especially Grans along with the setting. Mia is a great protagonist. She is smart, strong, and a fabulous chef. She is becoming an independent woman. Mia is getting over her former boyfriend, Isaac who is also Christina’s brother. No one knows what she saw in the man. We are introduced to Trent Majors and his brother, Levi. They are both good men with great qualities (strong, dependable, handsome, funny). Two love interests for two women. I want to see the romance play out slowly. I was not a fan of the mention of Mia’s sexual feelings (this is a cozy mystery). Mia is a kitchen witch like her grandmother. I enjoy the paranormal elements and would like more of it. I want to know more about Mia’s magic, and I would like to see spells performed. I also would like to know more about the history of kitchen magic. I loved the addition of Dorothy, a spirit who visited Mia. The mystery was straightforward but there was a surprise or two. There are a couple of suspects, active investigating, and good clues as well as threats to Mia. Avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving this one. One Poison Pie is a busy book which I loved along with the vivid descriptions. I enjoyed Lynn Cahoon’s conversational writing style that made the book easy to read. I look forward to the next book in A Kitchen Witch Mystery series. One Poison Pie is a charming tale with tasty treats, a gorgeous grocery guy, coven conundrum, a cookbook bandit, a vanishing feline, a door dilemma, and a mysterious murder.

I loved this book! It was fun that it was set in Idaho and I recognized some landmarks (with slight name changes). It made it so much more fun for Mia. I like Mia and her dream to turn a school house into a a new gourmet dinner delivery business. She does all this while getting over the betrayal of her fiance. She has to sift her way through real clues and red herrings to discover the murderer. Who can she trust and is she next?

Great, fun story. It is the first in the series and I would recommend it for anyone wanting a fun, little escape.

Kitchen witch Mia Malone is settling down into life in Magic Springs, Idaho, with her beloved grandmother Mary Alice Carpenter and her almost-sister Christina Adams, in actuality the vulnerable younger sibling of her good-for-nothing ex-fiance Isaac. Mia is nearly ready to open her gourmet dinner business out of a former school turned into a take-away cafe hybrid, when she gets a catering offer she can’t refuse. Her grandmother’s best friend, the prickly Adele Simpson, wants a caterer for her upcoming birthday bash. Though wary of Adele and her less than stellar attitude, Mia is hardly going to say no to someone so important to her grandma, even if Adele does keep changing the menu on her.

Since her own commercial kitchen isn’t quite ready to handle the event, Mia is relieved that the kitchen of the resort where the party will be held is happy to accommodate her. The head chef there is an affable host, and with the help of handsome grocery store owner Trent Majors, Mia thinks she finally has the menu under control. But then someone stabs the guest of honor to death and Mia’s favorite knife goes missing, and Mia finds herself under suspicion of murder. As if being a murder suspect wasn’t enough, a real estate developer is making nasty moves in an effort to get her new property out from under her. And then Isaac shows up again, making a big deal about looking out for his sister, when Mia knows he’s really come in search of the recipe book she created to make their previous joint venture a success, that he’s now claiming belongs to him even though she was the only one to work on it.

It’s a stressful time for a kitchen witch, but luckily she has a little magic on her side to help her out of all these sticky situations. For a paranormal cozy, there wasn’t a huge amount of the supernatural on display, particularly at the start of the book, but by the end, the magic feels like a seamless, if subtle, part of the narrative. I also really enjoyed the frank way Lynn Cahoon discusses sexuality and politics in this novel, and how she points out how easy it is to blame the “other” or outsider, who often suffers a much harsher punishment than a member of the in-group would. I would recommend that new readers check out the novella Chili Cauldron Curse that precedes this novel first, however, as it fills in a bit of backstory missing from this otherwise satisfying paranormal culinary cozy.

There’s one recipe included, and since it has the word “easy” in the title, I decided to eschew my habit of using store bought pie crusts to try out the entire thing:

QUOTE
Magic Springs’s Easy Apple Pie

Pastry:
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
⅔ cup shortening (I use butter)
4-6 Tbsp cold water

Mix the salt into the flour. If you use butter, use right out of the fridge and cut into squares. Fork the butter into the flour until you don’t see any butter and it’s all crumbling. Once you do that, dribble the water into the mix until you can hand mix it into a ball. Divide these into two balls and wrap in plastic. Then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes.

Roll out the bottom pastry and fit into a pie plate.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Filling:
Peel, core, and slice 6-8 tart apples (Granny Smiths are great)

In a bowl mix the following dry ingredients:

¾ cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
½ cup flour

Put the apple slices into a large bowl, then sprinkle with 1 Tbsp lemon juice. Then add dry ingredients and stir well to coat the apple slices. Pour into the bottom pie shell. Top with 1 Tbsp of butter.

Roll out the second ball of pastry into a circle. Cut a design into the middle of the circle to allow steam to vent (I like a stem and leaves.)

Put top circle on pie and seal the edges with a crimping motion.

Sprinkle top of crust with sugar or brush with an egg white.

Bake 35-40 minutes until filling bubbles inside the crust.

Serve at room temperature with ice cream or warm with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
END QUOTE

This is definitely an easy recipe to follow but it is time-consuming, so feel free to set aside a few hours to complete it! Also feel free to get started on the filling while the dough sets in the refrigerator, since it took me almost 45 minutes to make the filling even using only 6 apples. I sprinkled my crust with sugar after making a simple vent pattern, and am incredibly pleased with how prettily this pie turned out. And how deliciously! Everyone in my family loved this pie, even if I was the only one to enjoy it with cheese.

Next week, we stay in the Pacific Northwest to investigate a mysterious death in the sand dunes while trying out another sweet treat. Do join me!

ONE POISON PIE by Lynn Cahoon
The First Kitchen Witch Mystery

Mia Malone is not like other witches. She's a kitchen witch, reveling in food and creating comfort in it. That's why after leaving her cheating almost fiance and business partner, Mia's arrived in her grandmother's hometown of Magic Springs in order to convert the town's old school house into a cooking school and catering business. But things aren't off to a smooth start. The developer who also wanted to buy the school has warned her away and Mia's first customer is murdered before her first event! Mia will have to trust her culinary magick in order to root out the malevolence that's in Magic Springs.

The magick in the first Kitchen Witch mystery is subtle, making it more realistic. You almost wouldn't even think of it as a paranormal until the book nears its conclusion. I like getting to know Mia as she struggles with opening a business, being a suspect, being threatened, and not being sure of her own feelings. She has a cadre of good people surrounding her, interesting characters with substance. I hope to learn more about Mr. Darcy. There's much more to his story and I hope we get to delve into it. There are plenty of bad eggs here, as well as some who come off as hard-boiled, but are really good, deep down. I enjoyed the sparks of romance, even as Mia discounts her attraction, and look forward to getting to know the Major boys much better.

I really love the ending of the novel as it opens a whole doorway for evil to enter. It will be interesting to see what forms the Big Bad will take and watch Mia and her friends prepare for it and ultimately take it on in future books.

ONE POISON PIE is a complex mystery seared with the ties of friendship and family. I look forward to reading more about Mia, her food, and the rest of her magickal world.

5 stars

This is the first book in the Kitchen Witch mysteries series by Lynn Cahoon.

I knew when I picked this up and saw it was Lynn Cahoon that I would love this. This is a new area for Cahoon. Now she is delving into a witchy cozy with culinary themes. What a great combo!

This story really captivated me. I had read the teaser novella that came before this story. Definitely check it out for some much needed back story. It’s called Chili Cauldron Curse.

The mystery was great and it totally holds your attention. Plus, I love a good witchy story with cozy themes. I am definitely hooked on Mia Malone and her Kitchen Witch series. Magic Springs might be my new favorite place to be.

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

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

A good start to a new series. While I usually don't care for books with magic, witches and covens, this book was still pretty darn good. Mia's type of witch used their spells for spreading warmth and positivity, but it was not so pronounced in the book that it was the main focus. Mia was starting a catering business in an old school house. Her competition for the building was a realtor who wanted to tear it down and build a supermarket. He caused as many problems as he could, others in the community welcomed her and her dream. At her first event the hostess was killed - Mia was a suspect However as usual good triumphs over evil. Warning, the food she makes will stir up hunger pangs. Keep snacks close while reading..

One Poison Pie is the first in series story of Mia Malone. As the story progresses we discover that she had left her cheating fiancee in Boise and moved to her family’s hometown of Magic Springs to make a fresh start. Just the name makes it sound like a wonderful place before we even get to know anything about it. It is a classic small town located in the mountains of central Idaho. Description of the area makes me yearn for snow despite the two feet of it outside my window. Her grandmother has helped her to procure an old schoolhouse with a bit of a past. Her plan is to restore it and open a cooking school along with a catering kitchen. Everything is going mostly smoothly when her first client, a longtime friend of her Gran’s, ends up dead and Mia is the prime suspect.

The author has done a wonderful job of introducing the characters that will make up the core MC’s moving forward, including a plucky sidekick and a love interest. Gran, I do believe will be my favorite character. She is the perfect mix of spunk and decorum, plus she’s a little bit nosey. We all know granddaughters cannot be trusted to find the right guy. ::wink wink:: The secondary cast is fun and vibrant and they have a secret or two hanging around. In addition to the murder mystery there a couple of other side questions that need answering; Where does her cat keep disappearing to? Why is her Ex really in town? What lengths would the aggressive real estate developer actually go to to get what he wants? Why does the detective seem to be out to get her young sous chef?

It is a solid start for what I believe will be a fantastic series. I am really looking forward to learning more about the witches in the area and how “Kitchen” magic differs from traditional witchcraft.

This is the first book in the Kitchen Witch series and the first from this author that I have read. I will say that adored this book so much. I am a huge sucker for paranormal and then add in the cozy mystery aspect and I am there. All of the characters were so much fun and they were well written. it didn't seem cheesy as some paranormal cozy mysteries can.

Mia was so wonderful and I'm gonna be honest some of those customers were just difficult enough that I certainly would have poisoned them. There are enough twists and turns in this book that it kept me guessing right up to the end.

Lynn Cahoon introduces the Kitchen Witch murders with the cozy One Poison Pie. Mia is starting a catering service in her grandmother's home town. Her first client is found dead and someone attacks her. She is being stocked by her ex boyfriend. Her witchy senses are coming alive. What could go wrong? Read and enjoy.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon is the first in a new series around kitchen witch Mia Malone. I love finding new-to-me authors and even better if I can get in on the start of a new series. The idea of a cozy with a touch of paranormal appealed to me, so I took a chance.

Honestly, I’d never heard of a kitchen witch before. In Ms. Cahoon’s world, they are witches that focus on healing and peace. I’m down with that idea. So far, Ms. Cahoon’s paranormal world consists of a few ghosts and little unexplained instances. I’m curious to see it evolved a little more as the series progresses.

Mia’s a likable character. She’s just off a bad relationship and moved closer to be near her grandmother, who is also a witch. She’s starting her own catering business and getting used to being the new person in town. She takes a job from her grandmother’s best friend, who ends up dead, and then the mystery begins.

In all honesty, the mystery was a little weak for me. I didn’t care for the ending and the reason for the murder. I think it came out of left field, and I would have preferred it a little more tidy. But that said, I did enjoy the book. I mean, it’s the first in a series, so there’s a lot of world-building and character introductions. And I really did like all the characters and can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next.

If you like cozy mysteries, you might enjoy this one. The kitchen witch theme is interesting, and I was pulled into Ms. Cahoon’s world. I personally wasn’t thrilled with the ending, which is why the book only got 4 stars, but I am hopeful that the series will get better now that the stage is set and less world-building will need to be done.

After the breakup with her boyfriend Mia has moved to Idaho where her grandmother lives and is looking toward a new future. She has bought a property and will soon be opening up a Gourmet Dinner Delivery Service. When her exes sister comes to town Mia gives her place to stay along with a job until she can get her life sorted out. She is excited for her first catering job but things take a turn .for the worse when the client is found dead before her party even begins. It soon becomes apparent that she is a suspect and that isn't a good feeling at all. Mia realizes she must figure out who the killer is before she herself ends up on his list. With her friends and families help she hopes that she can solve this puzzle before more harm is done. This is such a fun new series filled with wonderful characters, A great plot, and a touch of magic to help you believe.

This book is very fun and entertaining. Its got an intriguing plot- part magic, part mystery, part romance, part familial- and sweet characters. Its a perfect little mass market to stick in your pocket or purse for stolen moment of reading, to take to the park, or to curl up on the couch. I would definitely read the next book in this series.

One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon
Book #1: Kitchen Witch Mysteries
Source: NetGalley and Kensington
Rating: 4/5 stars

Mia Malone truly doesn’t go looking for trouble. In fact, Mia looks for everything but trouble, and she’s currently looking for a bit of good luck with the launching of her new business just around the corner. With the help of her grandmother, Mia has a huge event to cater and if it goes well, her reputation will be solidified.

And then the guest of honor/client ends of dead . . . . with Mia’s knife in her back.

Before her business can even officially open, Mia is struggling and trying to figure out who is looking to frame her for the murder of Magic Springs crankiest resident. Sure, no one really had any great affection for the old bird, but no one deserves to die at their own party. Furthermore, Mia doesn’t appreciate one of her best knives being used to kill the old bat and making her the primary suspect in the case. The way Mia sees it, she can sit back and be railroaded, or she can dig in and figure out who did the deed.

Adding to Mia’s murder suspect stress is the presence of her ex-boyfriend’s little sister. While Mia wants to believe the girl is true blue and simply looking for a new start to her young life, she can’t shake the feeling that the girl has an ulterior motive. As if confirming her suspicions, Mia’s ex shows up on her doorstep claiming he only wants to see his little sister. As if Mia doesn’t have enough to worry about, now she’s got a rat bastard to deal with too.

While it would be easy for Mia to feel completely alone and isolated in her current situation, she isn’t alone and, in fact, she has quite a crew backing her. Her grandmother is always willing to weave a little magic and mayhem to help Mia, her ex’s sister appears to be on Mia’s side and willing to help, and, inexplicably, the local hardware store owner is suddenly a helpful Harry. With so much on her mind, Mia doesn’t necessarily have time to sort out the motives of every person she encounters and given her present circumstances, she’s willing to extend a little grace in order to receive the help she desperately needs.

The Bottom Line: There’s a novella introduction to this series that I found somewhat lacking, but not so much that I wasn’t willing to stick around for the first full-length book. I’m glad I stuck to my guns because this book delivered on the promise of the novella. Mia and her grandmother are crazy interesting characters, each holding secrets that will eventually be revealed (I hope). Mia’s new business brings with it the promise of greater involvement with the community as a whole, and the hardware guy brings his own set of promises. If anyone is asking, I would suggest skipping the novella and moving straight to this book as it is a much better representation of the author’s abilities and what I think this series is going to be in the future.

One Poison Pie is the first full-length book in the Kitchen Witch Mystery series. There is an introductory novella titled Chili Cauldron Curse that introduces you to Mia and Gran. I highly recommend the novella; however, you won't be too lost by the events in One Poison Pie if you don't read it first.

Mia has made Magic Springs, Idaho her new home. Her recent building purchase, and subsequent renovation, will soon be home to Mia's new gourmet catering business. Meanwhile, she already has a client. The very first event Mia has lined up is the birthday party for a local client. After the client changes the menu the day before the party, Mia scrambles to pull everything together. As prep work begins the next morning in the Lodge where the party is taking place, the body of the client is found in the dining room. Now, Mia is a suspect who is also clearly on the killer's most wanted list.

I enjoyed One Poison Pie. The mystery was tangled up and hard to unravel. Mia may have been a suspect but there are so many other people in the town who are more viable suspects than her. Mia is surrounded by danger and she's unsure to trust, especially since the one person who should be on her side, a local police officer, doesn't seem to believe she's innocent. Police department aside, Mia tries to figure out who wanted her client dead and has their sights now set on her. Mia's ex, Isaac, also drops back into her life, adding another layer of stress to her life.

One Poison Pie is a well-written story with likable, relatable characters. There is continued character development in the book, allowing the reader to become more familiar with Mia and Grans and get to know them. The world building was creative and allowed the reader to visualize the setting. I'm excited to continue in the world created by the author and look forward to the next novel.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

After reading Chili Cauldron Curse I dove right into One Poison Pie. Mia has broken up with her cheating boyfriend and returned to Magic Springs to restart her life by opening Mia’s Morsels in an old school building. She plans to do some catering but to also build a client list of people that would enjoy a gourmet dinner delivered to their home one or more times a week. While the school is being revamped for her business her grandmother pushes her to cater a friend’s birthday party. It ends up being harder than she thought when her client, Adele Simpson, changes the entire menu at the last minute but Mia rolls with the changes committed to make her first event a hit, hopefully gaining her several new customers.

Sadly the event takes a deadly turn when Adele’s body is found under the head table stabbed with a knife. When Mia is tapped as the prime suspect she can’t believe it. Adele was a difficult client but Mia wouldn’t kill her over a few changes. There has to be someone else the police should be questioning and Mia is going to do a little snooping to give them several options . . . that is unless the killer murders her next.

Mia is a fantastic protagonist. She is smart, strong, and getting more independent every day. She has a great business plan along with the support she needs to get Mia’s Morsel’s up and running. We met her Gran and her ex-boyfriend’s sister Christina in Chili Cauldron Curse. They continue to immerge as important supporting characters. We are introduced to brothers Trent and Levi, and also Chef James. Trent has some romantic notions with Mia and Levi is just fun to be around. James allows Mia to use his kitchen to prepare the meal for Adele’s party. All the characters are very well crafted, some are more magical than others. Ms. Cahoon has fleshed them out pretty well but has left them plenty of room to grow over what I hope will be a long-running series. The relationships between the characters really drew my attention and the dialogues were true to life.

The mystery plot was complex with a lot of things happening. Someone definitely wants Mia off the case and out of the way. Physical attacks, threatening messages, chilling calls, and more show the danger Mia is in. I love that witches and warlocks are common in Magic Springs and they have a variety of talents. Some are more active in the craft than others but coexist easily. I enjoyed the ghost stories and an actual ghost appearance. The paranormal elements are all well placed and did not overtake the main mystery at all. That mystery has plenty of twists and turns and surprises. A subplot with Mia’s ex adds another interesting element to the story.

I find the author’s writing style very comfortable with clear descriptions without being too wordy. People and places are easily visualized and the characters really come to life. The pace was perfect and humor popped up in all the right places.

I found One Poison Pie to be totally entertaining and easy to escape right into. The characters are engaging and I can’t wait to visit them again in Two Wicked Desserts this summer.

First I would like to thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I have enjoyed every book that I have read from this author, and this first book in a new series was no exception. Mia is starting over with her own catering business, her Grandmother has been a big help in getting her name out there and securing Mia's first catering job. Unfortunately the hostess is found dead before her big day and now Mia may lose everything.

I enjoyed the characters, the setting and the premise for this new series. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

I seriously just love cozy mysteries. There is just something so "fun" about them, even when they all include murders. 😂 I've never read this author before, and that is an oversight I will definitely fix as soon as possible because this book was fantastic!

It was well written. The mystery(ies) were well developed and kept me guessing until the end. The characters were fleshed out well, but with enough "mystery" left to carry us through to future books. They were also quite likable, which for me is an important part to me enjoying a cozy.

I honestly cannot wait to get my hands on the next book!

Mia Malone moves to Magic Springs, Idaho after a nasty break up not only to be closer to her grandmother but also to open a catering business and cooking school. The old schoolhouse she buys for this purpose understandably will take both time and money to renovate.
As a favor to her Grans, Mia agrees to cater a birthday dinner for one of the town's oldest residents. Adele is also Ma's gran's longest friend, with a reputation for being difficult -- OK outright mean.
She is also a very wealthy woman.
Surprises arise all through this book, from menu changes, to unwelcome visitors, to stormy weather.
There are some positive surprises also but the worst is when the guest of honor, Adele, is murdered before the appetizers are served. Will this also kill Mia's chances for a new business and new life?

The characters are amazing. I want to be best friend's with several, even if they are cloaking secrets.
The book is very fast paced, flowing smoothly, more so than Mia's dreams.
Mia has a cat, who is not exactly a cat, but also not her witch's familiar. I know we all want to know more about him. Even those with magical powers learn that not all witches or all magic are the same. Once again, I am not letting any secrets out of the bag. Trust me that you will not be disappointed.

I look forward to further adventures, but I feel in my bones that Magic Springs is in for more unpleasant moments.