I am celebrating National Maple Syrup Day by sharing with you my review of In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mystery 3), by Catherine Bruns.

Thanksgiving is fast approaching in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Farm, is hosting a pie-baking contest. Unfortunately, after sampling one of the pies, a neighbor drops dead. In an effort to bring the killer to justice and save her farm, Leila is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery even if it means risking her own life.

I requested this ARC on NetGalley a while ago. I didn't think I would be approved because a long time had passed. To my delight, I was approved! I hadn't even begun the series yet, but I knew I wanted to read it. So I read the first one (A Doomful of Sugar, which I enjoyed), then skipped the second one (for now) and finally read In the Blink of a Pie. I'm happy to say, I didn't feel lost at all. Clearly, some things had progressed in the second book, but the author does a good job bringing the reader up to speed in a concise way.

I really enjoyed my visit to Sugar Ridge, just as I did the first time. All of the main characters are delightful, including Toast, the cat. Some of my favorite scenes are when everyone is sharing meals together. It sets a tone of warmth and love. The food descriptions are also delicious. There are some Lebanese dishes that I made notes of and I will surely be researching them.

I wasn't completely sold on how Leila's and Noah's life-changing decision was handled (no spoilers, so I won't say exactly what that decision was), but I felt more at ease when even Noah recognized it might not have been dealt with in the best way. I'm curious to see how next steps will unfold in future installments of the series.

The mystery was fun, especially with all the talk about pies. Although I identified the whodunnit very early in the book, along with the motive, I still enjoyed seeing how Leila and the authorities would finally solve it. I thought the answer was clear, but sometimes when you're in the situation it's difficult to see. So I understand why Leila may not have seen it sooner.

I love how the title was woven into the story. It certainly fits with the mystery. If you're a fan of culinary cozies, you will be happy to find six pie recipes at the end of this installment. I was hoping for more savory recipes, but the theme of this book is all about pie, so the plethora of pie recipes certainly makes sense.

My next step in this series is to go back and read Syrup to No Good, which is set in the spring. Although I know how everything plays out in this third installment, I'm curious to see how it all came together in the second book. After, that, I hope there will be more in the series. It definitely fits the bill for a cozy and I'm here for it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Its Thanksgiving and Sappy Endings Farm is getting ready to hold its first ever pie baking contest. Leila has the whole day planned from judges to the fun holiday drink they will be offering. The day starts off hectic and continues in that vein up to the contest. When a neighbor tries to take Leila's place at the judging table and ends up dead the whole day is ruined. It comes to light that the pie she tried was poisoned but who was it meant for? She realizes someone is trying to kill her and she needs to figure out who before she herself ends up dead. Can Leila find a killer and save her family business or is it to late?

I really like this series.
I like the murder mystery settings. it is not like other cozy mystery setting with random cases, the cases in this series are with real reasons , more make sense ( at lease I think so).
I like every single characters in here. Emma is my favorite. specially in this one. she has a very important role. I did figure it out about the murder. but I still enjoy the reading.
I can't wait to read the next one.

5 stars cozy

Welcome to Vermont’s own Sappy Endings maple syrup farm, where the syrup is sweet and the pastries are perfect. Well, at least the tasty treats that Leila’s talented cook of a mom, Selma, bakes at the Sappy Hour Café. This is the 3rd book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series and it has been perfectly named. In the blink of a Pie/eye the well-earned reputation of the Sappy Endings farm goes from great to deadly because of a killer pie baking contest. Leila, manager of her family’s farm was just trying to do a good deed and generate some revenue for the local food bank. No one could have could have foreseen the community backlash due to an unexpected death that turns out to be murder. It does not help that the local paper where her brother Simon is the lead journalist, has printed an article sensationalizing the unfortunate incident. This isn’t Simon’s doing but he cannot stop the rumor mill in this small cozy town. If only gossip was as slow as the molasses in a Shoofly pie. Did they not get the email that this was really an attempt on Leila’s life and not someone out to get Margaret Middleton. Although, I could see how one could think that Margaret, with her acerbic tongue, could incite negative thoughts or even actions, in others. Someone is out to get Leila.

This stand-alone story does a good job of keeping the reader in the loop by giving plenty of backstory to explain how this is not Leila’s first time dealing with a murder. Leila takes on the management of the farm while at the same time getting to know and coming to love farm worker Noah and his daughter Emma. Leila and her best friend Heather start looking for clues in a variety of places. Suspects include a past high school student who was turned in for cheating. Also on the list, is Leila’s former college roommate who was in trouble for stealing money from Leila to buy drugs. Margaret’s own son Eric, the big city New York attorney is threatening to sue the farm for his mother’s death. Eric may still be upset with Leila for not agreeing to date him in the past. Last but not least is the mysterious pie baker named Sandy Sweets, who could in fact be one of the aforementioned suspects.

As you can see there are multiple threads for Leila to pull while trying to keep from safe. The story is engaging as well as entertaining. The clues are well placed as are the red herrings. In addition to a happy ending the book also delivers on some sweet and satisfying pie recipes. There are six recipes to choose from and I selected the Pumpkin Spice Maple Pie and can attest that is perfect for pairing with this Thanksgiving themed cozy.

This has become one of my favorite cozy mystery series! I love Leila and Noah and seeing how their relationship is progressing, along with her relationship with her mother. I love the setting and all of the maple syrup stuff! The mystery in this one, I think, is my favorite so far. There are many red herrings and some great twists I didn't see coming. And while I did figure out who the bad guy was, I loved learning the motivations behind the murder.

This great series will keep you guessing and on the edge of your seat, and has characters you can fall in love with. I can't wait to see where the story is going to go next, and Im super excited to try out the recipes in the back!

Nice fall vibes especially prepping for Thanksgiving. It's been a year since Leila's father was murdered and she took over the maple farm. Business has been going well, until the pie contest and her mother's surly friend dies from poisoning. The business takes a nose dive and things only get worse from there.


Nice cozy mystery. Well written and progresses well. Character and relationship building goes along with solving the murder. Was it an easy guess who done it? Well, perhaps. I say just sit back, enjoy the story, let the pieces fall into place. Just enjoy the cozy murderous vibes.

It’s Thanksgiving in Sugar Ridge, Vermont and Leila Khoury manager of Sappy Endings Farm is ready for the holiday season by hosting a pie baking contest. But when a neighbor drops dead from sampling a poisoned pumpkin pie. It’s not just Leila’s perfect day at jeopardy but her entire livelihood at stake. Then after another near fatal incident she realizes an even more terrifying truth the killer is someone even closer to home. I enjoyed reading this story was very fun trying to find who they were after and save the farm. I would recommend it to everyone.

In the Blink of a Pie is the 3rd book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series by Catherine Bruns. Set in small town Vermont on a maple syrup farm that is run by former teacher Leila Khoury. Leila inherited the farm after her father's murder and is working along side her mother and boyfriend to keep the farm a success. She decides to through a pie baking contest at the farm to drum up business and raise money for charity. Things backfire when a woman is poisoned after tasting one of the pies. Leila starts investigating after the farm is blamed for the death and business tanks. She quickly begins to realize that she, the contest's original judge was likely the actual target of the fatel pie. Can she figure out who the killer is before they try again? This series has lots of family drama and romance to flesh out the mystery, plus some mouth watering food, poison pies excluded!

The third Maple Syrup Mystery finds Leila and Sappy Endings hosting a pie competition in the lead up to Thanksgiving. However, things turn deadly when a woman ends up dead from a piece of poisoned pie. Soon it becomes clear that Leila was the target all along.

This continues to be a fun series! I sometimes forget how few books there have been in this series with the level of character storyline that has happened (not in a bad way - it's nice that there's not a "will they/won't they"). I do think the whodunit was pretty obvious, but I read a lot of cozies, so maybe that is just me? That didn't take away from my enjoyment of it though! Definitely recommend this series for anyone looking for a new cozy series.

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

This series was the first that I read by this author. I did enjoy the first 2 in the series.
I did enjoy reading the third installment. However, I thought it fell thru on some parts.
I figured it out who done it, before I got halfway thru the story. It seemed to me that it ended too soon.
I still enjoyed the book and the ending. I hope you continue the series with number 4.
I would love to see if Leila gets married. Maybe she will end up with a surprise pregnancy.
You never know.
Her other series are also excellent. Especially the Cookies & chance series. You should definitely give them a shot.

This has been a series I always enjoy. This latest outing is no exception. Leila is happily in love with Noah and Noah’s daughter Emma. She is looking forward to moving in with the two after the holidays. Her maple syrup farm is doing well and she is excited to be holding a pie making contest where all the entries had to use her syrup in the recipe. It turns out, however, this is a recipe for disaster that starts out with a woman sampling a pie and dropping dead. Clearly the pie was poisoned by someone but was the intention to murder randomly or was there a more specific victim intended.

The death seems to herald an overwhelming desertion of her customers and even worse, something seems to have driven a wedge between her and Emma. When it seems things could not get worse, there are obvious attempts on Leila’s life which answers the question. Someone wants Leila dead and is willing to do anything to make it happen. There are some tense moments as Leila’s family and friends try to protect her. But the killer is watching and when the final attempt is made, the killer reveals some very troubling motives and Leila is saved by an unusual hero. I had my suspicions but the story was pretty scary. I enjoyed the read which will set the reader up for the holidays. Five purrs and two paws up.

This is the 3rd book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series by Catherine Bruns. Each book could be read as a stand alone but it's best to read them in order to get to know the characters, their backgrounds and connections to each other.

Lelia Khoury has been running her family's maple syrup farm for a year, ever since her father was murdered leaving the business to her. As Thanksgiving approaches she sets up a pie baking contest with proceeds to help the local food bank where her friend volunteers. All is going well until one of the attendees eats a pie filled with poison and dies. The death leads to customers pulling contracts and leaving the farm hanging by a thread. To save the business. Lelia takes matters into her own hands to figure out who is behind the poison laced pie and who it was intended for .

The characters are multi-dimensional and the family drama adds to the story and helps to develop the characters further. The whodunit is a well crafted, engaging , cozy mystery offering many viable suspects. There's even a touch of romance! I enjoyed this latest opportunity to revisit Vermont , the farm and the entire Khoury family. The ending not only reveals the killer but sets up the characters for , hopefully, a fourth book.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC copy. Opinions are my own

Also reviewed on Goodreads, Amazon, BookBub

I absolutely loved this cozy mystery about Leila and a murder that happens at her family business, Sappy Endings Farm. The main character is great and I also liked all the supporting ones. I now must read the series from the beginning!

Leila Khoury’s life has certainly changed considerably – and for the better – since returning home to Sugar Ridge to take over her family’s maple syrup farm following her father’s untimely death. Since apprehending her father’s murderer and falling in love, she’s felt more and more comfortable living at home again in Vermont with her mother Selma and their new cat Toast. But now her boyfriend, the widowed Noah Rivers, is talking about moving in together. While Leila is certainly looking forward to forming a family with him and his delightful six year-old daughter Emma, she’s worried about the impact of their status change on the latter. Not being able to have kids herself, she desperately wants Emma to understand that Emma means just as much to her as any child she might have been able to bear herself.

As part of these efforts, she makes sure that Emma is fully involved in the Thanksgiving festivities Leila has thought up for the Sappy Endings Farm. The highlight of the celebration is the pie contest, which attracts a surprisingly large number of entries. While the official judges are Leila, Selma and Noah, a pushy neighbor named Margaret Middleton volunteers herself to help them out. When Margaret begins convulsing after tasting one of the pies, everyone is shocked – everyone except the baker who poisoned the dessert, that is.

Unfortunately for Leila, the poisoner has no interest in revealing themselves. Sappy Endings’ profits take the hit instead, as people start staying away from the farm and its products even though they had nothing to do with baking the desserts. Leila can’t help but worry that someone deliberately poisoned the pie in order to wreck her family business. But after Leila herself is nearly murdered, she and her friends will have to race against time in order to find and stop a reckless killer before anybody else gets hurt.

There were a lot of twists and oodles of character development in this engrossing third installment of the Maple Syrup mysteries. I did not care for Leila’s attitude in the first book of the series but have really enjoyed watching both her and Selma mellow and mature as they deal with their own prickly relationship. The narrative was genuinely suspenseful, with a convincing array of suspects, some of whom were far more deranged than others. Perhaps most of all, I really appreciated Leila’s relationship with Emma and her commitment to listening to and understanding the little girl.

As with the other books in the series, there is a wonderful selection of recipes at the end of this volume. Fittingly, the recipes here are all for various delicious pies. I decided to try out this one:

QUOTE
Maple Cream Pie

9-inch pre-baked graham cracker crust, cooled
¼ cup and 1 tablespoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¾ cups whole milk, divided
¾ cup pure maple syrup
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups heavy whipping cream, divided
3 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, divided

Combine the cornstarch and salt in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in ½ cup cold milk until the mixture is smooth. Gradually whisk in the remaining milk and ¾ cup maple syrup. Cook over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Stir frequently starting out but as the mixture heats, stir constantly to keep from scorching. Reduce the heat to low once it begins bubbling and cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the egg yolks. Whisking constantly, add a ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture to the egg yolks. Slowly and whisking constantly, add the egg yolk mixture into the saucepan containing the milk mixture. Over medium-low heat, cook the mixture until it begins to bubble, then cook an additional 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter until melted. Cool to room temperature without stirring.

Once filling has cooled, add 1 cup heavy cream to a chilled, medium-sized bowl. Whip on high until soft peaks form. Reduce speed to low and slowly add 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the fully cooled filling. Pour filling into the cooled pie crust. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the pie filling. Refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, whip the remaining ¼ cup heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Reduce speed and add 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar, then increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a piping bag and large star tip, pipe the whipped cream around the edges of the pie to decorate.
END QUOTE

This was so delicious, even if I accidentally used the entire egg instead of just the yolks, oops. That was likely part of the reason why the filling didn’t really set, though there were certainly no complaints from anyone who tasted the pie. I brought it over to an impromptu neighborhood Halloween gathering and everyone there enjoyed it, even if it was a bit runny. The flavors otherwise were terrific. It didn’t even need a second round of whipped cream on top, which I’ll admit to skipping because I was afraid the pie filling would overflow the pan entirely. My neighbors did have fun guessing what pattern the whipped cream I put on the night before was supposed to be though. Guesses included a ghost, a bat and a ghost bat, all of which I enthusiastically said yes to.

Next week, we travel to the midwest for another food festival, and whip up a sweet treat while investigating the death of a politician’s wife. Do join me!

Dollycas's Thoughts

Leila Khoury, manager of Sappy Endings Maple Syrup Farm in Sugar Ridge, Vermont has much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. Her relationship with Noah is moving along nicely and her relationship with his daughter Emma continues to grow. The family farm is doing well but she is looking for ways to increase business and bring more visitors to the farm. This year the Sappy Endings Farm is kicking off the holiday season with a pie-baking contest. While there was a little confusion about where to drop off the pies, the judges were ready and there were some sweet samples on hand for the entrants and all the people attending to enjoy.

Then Leila was called away from the event and one very pushy neighbor took it upon herself to step in to do a little judging. It was a terrible decision because the pie she sampled was laced with poison. Margaret Middleton had taken her last bite of pie and now the Sappy Endings Farm could go out of business. Leila can't let that happen. With the farm on the line, Leila sets out to find the killer. She soon comprehends that Margaret wasn't the intended victim. The killer is after her.

______

I really enjoy the maple syrup theme for this cozy series. With each book, I learn more about tapping the trees, the syrup-making process, and the sweet treats that can be made with it including maple sugar.

Ms. Bruns has created an excellent core cast of characters including Leila, her mother, her best friend Heather, Noah, and his daughter Emma. Her mother has a hard time keeping an assistant to bake and work with at the cafe. In this story, Leila hires a new one who hits it off right away with her mom, taking a little pressure off Leila. The relationship Leila has with her mother continues to evolve. Noah and Leila are preparing to take a big step after the holidays but his daughter Emma has an unexpected reaction. All these relationships make these characters authentic and true to life. I had some issues with Leila a few times throughout this series, but I truly have been invested in all the character's lives from the beginning and am happy with how they continue to grow.

The author has penned a well-plotted and well-written mystery with many twists and turns that kept the pages turning. The actual guilty party was on my suspect list but not at the top. The author gave all the right clues to keep her moving up, but I never imagined it would play out in such a suspenseful showdown or how the cavalry would be called in. I found myself on the edge of my seat reading those pages. I loved that Detective Barnes actually gave credit to Leila for finding Margaret's killer. That doesn't happen often.

After all the details of the mystery were revealed and wrapped up, the characters had a heartwarming Thanksgiving dinner and a delightful surprise. It generated a great big "Aw"! Be sure to check out the recipes for some pies you may want to try this holiday season. They all have tempted my tastebuds.

In the Blink of a Pie is an extraordinary and entertaining read with a true focus on family. The characters are engaging, the mystery unique, and the setting so perfect for this time of year. I am eager for this series to continue. I can't wait for my next visit to Sugar Ridge, Vermont, and the Sappy Endings Farm. I do wish the books came with some maple candies to sample. :-)

In the Blink of a Pie is the third book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series written by Catherine Bruns.
Leila Khoury manages Sappy Endings Farm.
This year there is a pie baking contest at Thanksgiving time. When the judges were busy one was unlucky enough to taste the pumpkin pie and die. Now the race is on to find who poisoned the pie. To complicate things further there are things that happen, and it appears that Leila was the intended victim!
The author has given enough hints along with twists and turns to keep reading. I really like a cozy mystery that does not make the guilty person to easy to figure out.
Thank you, NetGalley Catherine Burns and Poisoned Pen Press, for the copy on In The Blink Of A Pie. This is my personal review.

If you are looking for a fast easy, light read, this is a pretty decent choice. The murderer is pretty obvious almost as soon as we have met all the characters, so I spent much of this book grumbling at how dumb all the characters were for not seeing the obvious. I also spent a lot of time wondering how they managed all the logistics after the pie contest, since we spent so long on all the details of setting up for this event (a bit too long for such a short book). Why did the police not take everything relating to the murder weapon? Shouldn't they have seized more of the potential evidence? ... But, if you don't get hung up on police procedures, and you are more interested in the relationships and recipes, and less interested in the crime solving, this is a cute, fast, enjoyable book.

This engaging read strikes the perfect balance between cozy mystery and light psychological thriller, with a touch of romance and action to keep things lively. Following Lelia as she navigates both danger and unexpected romance, readers are drawn into a suspenseful yet charming narrative. The plot unfolds as Lelia tries to uncover who’s targeting her, creating an intriguing blend of tension and warmth.

Despite some suspenseful moments, the story remains accessible, never veering too far into dark thriller territory. This installment serves as a delightful introduction to the series and leaves readers eager to explore more. The characters are endearing, and the storyline has a gentle charm that fans of cozy mysteries will appreciate. A cute and thrilling adventure, perfect for readers looking for a light yet suspenseful escape.

This is the third release in the charming series 'Maple Syrup Mysteries" by cozy author Catherine Bruns. I so enjoy this series for the beautiful setting, the receipes and the wonderful characters. The murder was quite involved and this avid reader did not guess the suspect. I loved the supporting characters and the maple syrup business which is a devoted generational family business. ,This is a must read cozy series with all the cozy elements readers enjoy. Well done to the author.

Thank you to the publisher, the author and Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of In the Blink of a Pie. This is the first book of Catherine Braun’s I’ve read. I really enjoyed it. Perfect for the fall season with a twist of mystery. Highly recommend!