The Last to Pie is the third book in this series and can probably be read as a standalone but some of Daisy’s history is mentioned in this book. A killer with a cause, Daisy uses her magic to run Pies before Guys a specialty pie business to help out abused spouses or significant others. Her latest request is for a murder pie for an abusive cop but Daisy is unsure of the request and hesitant to take the case. Her hesitant results in the woman gone missing. Now Daisy and her friend are trying to beat the clock to save an abuse victim and put an end to a dirty cop. Full of suspense righteous indignation, Daisy latest case is a doozy as she once again scrapes by with the skin of her teeth. Another page turning addition to this unique and colorful cozy series. My voluntary, unbiased, and non mandatory review is based upon a free review copy from NetGalley.

Thanks to the author and publisher for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley for an honest review.

You would not believe how cozy this book is considering what it focuses on! But it is really sweet and cozy.

The book opens with a look at police injustice and brutality in the US. Each book has a different focus and I enjoyed the treatment of the topics in this one. As is standard for this series, there are a lot of descriptions of heavy topics, such as domestic abuse, violence, death, police brutality, racism, sexual assault, and mental health struggles. But Popp is very careful to avoid giving Daisy a white savior mentality around the subject. Rather, Daisy recognizes her white privilege while still facing the reality of police injustice and its effects on other people and communities.

The side characters in this novel continue to enchant. They have always been so realistic and in tune with the tone of the novel and the content level. Ana came off as such a real kid, not a stereotyped one who’s exaggerated or anything. Especially the challenges of adult life complicated by a kid and the considerations for her welfare that ensue. When Evelyn Greco was first introduced, I was immediately intrigued to find out more about her. I wanted to know what her story was. And there are some very interesting threads teased about her life from the very beginning. None of the characters, whatever their role in the book, felt like throwaways. They were all substantial characters with potential. I liked the character of Heath. He is adorable and fills out a lot of subtopics for the situations that the book is centered around. The complicated nature of abusive relationships and the isolation that the abusers often create plus having a person of color refer to police injustice and brutality, rather than only Daisy, felt important. The heavy topics of the book are not only commented on, detailed, etc. by Daisy, the narrative and story are created by all the characters. We got to see the struggles of the side characters without the easy solution always being presented. Sometimes things just suck and there isn’t an easy answer.

Noel was, again, a solid love interest. He and Daisy are an adult couple. Not every moment is smooth, but working on it is what matters. Daisy has to make adult choices, sometimes quite deadly choices. And seeing her also make serious choices in her romantic relationships has been a great way to flesh out her character. I like my (book) relationships with tension and could have enjoyed more tension from the two of them, I think that might have helped. Their relationship was still cute, but it felt like so much less of a narrative priority. Daisy, in my opinion, is not perfect in the relationship. I don’t mind that, no one is and I, again, enjoy tension. But the missteps in her relationships never go anywhere in terms of the tension, there’s just the potential.

I did struggle with a few things in the book. There are mentions of mental health struggles that really felt drawn over and rushed through. The pacing often threw me off, going way too fast through high-impact moments. And in the tough conversations between characters, the conversations felt so fast and a little inorganic. Also, I really hope the epilogue gets flushed out in the final version, as some of the threads felt really rushed and even out of place, disconnected from each other.

It’s a mystery with hope and drama. I love the comfy nature of these books and the importance that is placed on the little things that make life worth living and saving. The book sees the terrible things and provides a solution if a unique one. I will always enjoy the cozy, justice-oriented character of this book and the whole series.

Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for giving me early access to this book in return for a review.

This book was a lot of fun. The Last to Pie is the third book in the Pies Before Guys Mystery series by Misha Popp. This was the first book in the series that I've read and the first book by Misha.

It follows Daisy Ellery who has special magic that allows her to infuse her pies with different emotions, including so much guilt that you will die. She welds this magic for good, making pies for the local diner that give patrons the feeling of comfort, selling pies at the local college campus that help students focus and feel confident, and of course baking murder pies for women escaping abusive relationship. She gets an order for her murder pie business from a partner of a police officer. When the woman mysteriously disappears before the pie can be delivered, Daisy knows something is wrong. She goes on an adventure to find and save the woman and puts her life in danger in the process.

Like most cozy mystery series this book doesn't require you read the first two in the series, and does a really good job at catching you up on where Daisy is in her life and what her relationship with her friends are like. I found the characters mostly believable and fun.

It was a cute quick read. The relationships were good and the setting was really charming, I am going to look at finding the first two books in the series because this one was so fun.

An unfortunate DNF for this one. When I requested this book, I didn’t realize it was the third in a series. When I tried to read the other two, I DNFed those as well.

I do not like the characters or the plot of this book. It was way too slow. I also feel like we’re supposed to like the main character but it’s really hard to when she kills people. I could get behind that whole idea if she was actually likeable, but she is not. I was so bored reading this. I also feel like it’s marketed as cozy mystery when it is definitely not.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I can’t get over this series and will be recommending it to anyone who enjoys anything remotely mystery-ish.
I genuinely thought from the first book the series was going to be a cozy mystery series with diversity and inclusivity, and while it is, it is also a series that isn’t afraid to tackle current topics. And I love it for that.

DNF @ 22%

This book made fun of me and my job the whole time, to a point where it wasn’t tolerable. I will therefore not be finishing this book.

I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but the characters are stagnant and boring, show no growth, and aren’t very exciting. The book is written okay, no worse than average. I would love to see actual development, as opposed to the regression of characters behaviour, such as Melly becoming incredibly insufferable and annoying, constantly ignoring people’s boundaries.

I want to start off by saying, I did enjoy my time reading this book but this was my least favorite of the series so far.
One thing I always appreciate about this series is that it doesn’t always follow the same cozy mystery formula. Each book in this series presents the story in its own unique way. The mystery in this one is quite a bit different from past books. There weren’t quite as many twists and turns in this book, because we knew who the bad person was the whole time. There were some aspects of the story that I felt could have had more explanation. Particularly the past bad deeds of the bad person/ their coworkers.
I liked that we found ourselves back the town from the first book. I was able to get to know some of the side characters better. I felt like we didn’t see much of them with the location change in book 2. We also got a brief visit with some favs from book 2 as well.
I like the romance within the book. I liked the little bit of discussions they had about the safety of her pie business. I don’t really enjoy the little hints of jealousy that have been sprinkled throughout the story. I wish that we could just have a friendship without being accused of cheating.
Overall, I enjoyed myself reading this. I definitely plan on continuing the series and seeing what hijinks they find themselves in next.

Daisy is still pulling double doing making helpful pies for the general public and for domestic abuse women with her special brand of magic. However, this time one of her Pies Before Guys clients is needing help with a cop boyfriend and disappears before she can complete a contract with Daisy. This stirs up lots of drama with Daisy in how she sees what she does and her relationships since she can't ignore an obvious need.

Very action and investigation, not enough mystery for what I look for in a cozy mystery. I hope of the series continues it goes back to the mystery side of things. This one did end a bit like it could be a final book but also left it open to more.

3.5⭐

I had a good time with this! The premise sounded delightful, and I love a pie-baking protagonist. I knew starting with the third entry was probably going to result in feeling rather lost, but I was pleasantly surprised! You should definitely start at the beginning, but I was able to pick up on the setting and the dynamics very quickly (with exception of Melly, I still don’t know what her deal was supposed to be.)

I am having a hard time telling if this is supposed to be a ~Cozy~ Mystery, though. I don’t read tons in the subgenre, but enough to know the common tropes, like found family(which was great here, I liked Juan and Melly, and even Frank and Noel were likable in their own way), add in the heavy focus on food and cooking, and it sounds like it should be a cozy. But oof the mystery got real dark real fast. I’m usually expecting more “oh no, this rando died! Welp, time to solve some crime” and not “rapist cops are going to kill you” you know? I typically want something a little more lighthearted if I’m picking up a cozy. (I was happy to read one where the cops were the villain of the story rather than the love interest though)

I was pretty hooked with the plot, although the pacing was a little slow in some parts and there were some contrived plot beats. But I cared a lot about what was going to happen to Jodie, so I wanted to keep reading.

Best book of the series so far. A compelling story that solidifies why Daisy does what she does with Pies Before Guys. I would still like a better description of the 'science' behind her magic but that is the fantasy reader in me.

Having read a previous book in this series, I was better prepared for this book. Daisy Ellery has magical skills. She inherited them from a long line of females with magical skills. When I read the first book, it took me a bit to understand what was going on. A woman with magical skills bakes pies to kill men who abuse women. Okay, that took a little doing to wrap my mind around it. But now I know the drill.

So, having that under control, I was able to really enjoy this book. The author included a lot more information on surrounding events in this book. We got more into her love life with Noel. We spent more time with the precocious child of her co-worker, Juan. We got more cozy with her friend, Melly. And we had the scare of her
"employer" Frank's heart attack.

This book was a good read. The ending was unpredictable. The character development was nicely done. The writing was smooth and fluid. I really enjoy this series and this particular book.

Daisy is back with her found family in tow. Whether she’s making diner pies for Frank, cutie pies for customers, or murder pies for Pies Before Guys, each one gets exactly what is needed. You won’t be able to resist turning page after page until the very end.

In this book you meet Daisy and Neal and I adore both of these characters. Another book in the series and how can you not like a good Cozy Mystery.

Some parts felt rushed but after you read you understand due to character build. I hope to read more in the series and by this author. I will continue to read the series.

Thanks NetGalley for letting me read and review.

God, I have a love/hate relationship with these books.

I love the characters. I love Daisy and Noel, and I adore Daisy's diner family. Melly was a lot to take in and I wasn't a huge fan of her, but she's grown on me; despite her constant pushing and ignoring of Daisy's boundaries. The magic and world building is so cute, and I adore what we know about Daisy's family and their own magic.

I have...disliked a lot of it though. Some parts of it feel very much like forced ally ship and I dislike Daisy's point to pretty much not help anyone who is in an abusive situation with anyone who isn't a straight, white, heterosexual cis man. I understand to a certain point, but as someone who is a part of a marginalized group, it just leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I do enjoy a lot of it, and I will definitely read the next book in the series! But I do dislike the almost patronizing attitude when topics of LGBT+ and other things are mentioned.

Ahhhh another amazing book by Misha Popp.
Book 3 of the pies before guys series is just as amazing and engaging as the other books.
A series that never disappoints and makes me feel like I'm inside the world.
Amazing and recommended to everyone I know.

The Last to Pie is the third book in Misha Popp's Pies Before Guys series. Daisy Ellery is a pie baker with a very unusual business model. Sure, some of her pies are baked just to be tasty. But for very specific clients Daisy's pies can be used to regain their lives by permanently removing the worst men from the world. In this book Daisy is recruited to bake a pie for a woman trying to flee her abusive cop boyfriend. Daisy has a slight hesitation due to the potential for this to be an undercover operation designed to trap her. When the woman goes missing Daisy must investigate the police. She quickly discovers he is not only abusive at home but also at work.

I absolutely love a cozy mystery. My biggest hang up usually is the way police are treated in the books. They are not intelligent enough to solve the crime. They have blinders on and are willing to convict a person just because it is the easiest answer. But in the end are way too often treated with respect and end up dating the MC. I love this series because of the more realistic view on policing. Daisy is a great main character. I love the light touch of the magic in the books. She has a very specific power and uses it to do good. I hope Misha writes a dozen more of these books. I will be first in line every time to buy!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book! Even though it's the third book in the series, I was glad to be able to enjoy this as a standalone. This was marketed as a cozy mystery, but I think this was more like your typical thriller read. There was magical realism, mystery, action, and intensity. All that rolled into such a sweet and intense book.

The main character Daisy can make magical pies, where she puts magical poison in them for the intended victim to well, die from eating it. But all that became the background for the story was more about Daisy and her quest (with her friend Melly's help) in saving a girl that contacted her for a pie. The magical part just sat on the sideline really throughout the book. The book moved and it kept me rooting for Daisy and Melly to succeed. The sub characters were also done well. I enjoyed that her boyfriend was hesitant about all that encompassed these murder pies, but he understood it. Her sidekick, not the other hand, was kinda annoying but I was able to get over that.

The only quirky thing I experienced was that I actually forgot the MC's name was Daisy. I think it was said like 3 times, and when it happened, I was like...wait, who? Oh yeah, the main chick. So obviously this was from a first-person point of view.

Pub date: May 21, 2024

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My least favourite things about cozy mysteries are usually the lack of swearing, and the fact that frequently the love interest is some form of law enforcement. The PBG series has neither of these problems, and this entry delves into why the latter is so problematic.


I'll never be a fan of the first person present tense narrative, and I do feel like some social activism topics get covered in a sort of hand-holdy way that I find off-putting. BUT this one is definitely my favourite of the series so far, and I'll continue to read them as they come out.

The Last To Pie
Written By Misha Pop
Published By Crooked Lane Books
Release Date May 21, 2024

A pies before guys cozy mystery, it is the story of Daisy Ellery who makes pies that kill guys. Daisy understands how hard it is to be a police officer and how rampant domestic violence is in their relationships. When she receives a message in her inbox she is not sure if it is from a woman who is trying to escape a relationship or a cop that is looking for info. Into her side hustle as a man killer. Now, the woman who sent the message is missing and Daisy must do what she can to find her but can she? This is a really good mystery that will keep you invested in the novel from the start.

4 out of 5 stars


Thank you to NetGalley as well as the author and publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my unbiased and honest review..

Daisy Ellery has a gift for baking pies, infusing them with magic, so those eating them either realize their crimes (rarely) or die (more often). She’s set up a ‘service’ so to speak, providing pies by request to victims of domestic violence in order for them to silence their abuser. She gets an unusual request; turns out it’s the partner of a cop. Is it some sort of setup? She hesitates, then the woman disappears. Daisy knows that her disappearance won’t get solved by the cops, so she starts looking into it discovering the abuser has even more secrets.

So, a friend had recommended this series to me, making it sound sort of light, but in reality it was a lot darker than I expected and much more in the 'Thriller' category than 'Mystery.' Daisy is constantly afraid of getting caught (which didn’t make a lot of sense? Getting caught baking a magic pie?). There’s lots of domestic abuse going on in the background - a woman requests a pie to protect her and her daughter and another knows all the excuses for the hospital about what happened. And Daisy is technically a serial killer, if by pie. She does mention that there is a sort of escape in each pie, if the abuser repents, but it’s not stressed, just mentioned once. The book just wasn’t what I was expecting, and thus I didn’t enjoy it. I’m not saying it was a bad book necessarily, but If you’re expecting Barbie, and get Oppenheimer, chance are you’re not going to appreciate it.

I did enjoy the relationships between everyone - how people at the diner took care of each other, covering for each other. I’m debating about picking up an earlier book in the series knowing what to expect, see how I like it. Overall, if you’ve read early books, and appreciate the darker atmosphere, that I’d recommend it. Otherwise, I’d suggest looking for another book.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley.com that I voluntarily chose to review.