In The Blink of a Pie is the third book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries by Catherine Bruns. This book takes place at a Sugar Camp in Vermont that Leila owns. Leila owns Sappy Ending Farms where she hosts a pie contest. Little does she know, someone may be out to get her!

I was given a chance to read this title early through Netgalley. I loved the author's writing style. The mystery behind it was fantastic and kept me guessing!

This is the third book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series. I enjoy this series set in Vermont on a family maple sugar farm with a café.

There is a lot going on in this story. The café gets a new hire suggested by Noah. Some kills the overbearing neighbor who fancies herself as food taster beyond compare at the pie contest held on the grounds of the maple sugar farm. The son of the overbearing neighbor wants to sue the maple sugar farm into oblivion.

While the mystery unfolds, Leila realizes that the intended victim was not the neighbor.
I enjoyed the story and the reveal. The epilogue was the best in the series.

I highly recommend this cozy mystery with a strong female lead and a host of supporting characters.

Netgalley gave me an advanced copy of the ebook and am not required to leave a positive review.

Unfortunately this was too predictable for me to enjoy. :/
Right away I knew who the killer was (and was thinking I was wrong, because that’s too easy, surely?) and it made me just want to finish the book & be done with it.
That is saying a lot, because I am not the “my theory is” kinda gal. I don’t really think about who’s done it when I read, I just read and enjoy. The fact that without even trying I knew where it was heading is disappointing.
I mean, if we’re talking about a MYSTERY book, it should be a bit more mysterious than that?!
Plus, the ending felt really sloppy and rushed and if I’m being honest most of it was ridiculous, especially the big speeches and “revelations”, the dialogues were a hard read. :/

I knew this was an easy/fun read so I wasn’t expecting some great literature masterpiece, I just didn’t expect it to be so underwhelming either.

That being said, the first 30% of the book was really enjoyable and very cozy, fall vibes, cute set up! If that had continued, I would have really like this.
But, this is a pretty well received series, and most ratings are high, so maybe it’s me? Maybe I just picked the wrong book.

In any case, thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me this book in exchange for an honest review. I really wish it could have been a great one!

A pie contest turned deadly sends Leila off to find the villain in this nicely done cozy. While the third in the series it will be fine as a standalone for cozy fans because it has all the feels- the small town. the maple syrup, the pie, the victim who wasn't perhaps the intended victim, and a bit of romance. Leila and her boyfriend Noah are struggling a bit as his daughter hasn't fully accepted Leila. And she's got her birth family to deal with as well. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

In the Blink of a Pie is the 3rd book in Catherine Bruns' enjoyable Maple Syrup Mysteries. It works well as a stand alone book. The characters are likable and the cozy mystery kept me guessing. Leila Khoury works at her family's maple sugar farm along with her Mom, Selma and boyfriend Noah. Noah has a 6-year old daughter Emma who is cute. It is right before Thanksgiving and there is a pie competition at the farm. Leila, Noah and Selma are the judges. A local lady wants to help with the judging but ends up dead. Was the poisoned pie meant for her or Leila? They are shorthanded and they need to hire someone. Little Emma suddenly doesn't want Leila around both of which add to the story. There is a little family drama but it is mostly resolved by this book but it keeps the story interesting. The characters, their growth and relationships are what makes this book so enjoyable and the ending was great! #InTheBlinkOfAPie #MapleSyrupMysteries #NetGalley #PoisonedPenPress #SourceBooks #CatherineBruns

This was my very first Catherine Bruns book and I can happily say that it will not be my last. I thought the idea of a mystery surrounding a maple syrup farm to be very intriguing. The story moves pretty quickly which I like and soon we were off to the races when it came to the beginning of the mystery.

Even though this was the latest book, I had an easy time getting to know all of the characters and how they fit into the world of maple syrup. I really enjoyed the family dynamic of how everything and everyone worked together. You don't see that as often anymore these days. It brought back a semblance of a hope still in humanity for me. That not everything about the old ways was completely gone.

I thought Leila was a really great character. Though she's stubborn as a mule, determined, and driven, she's also completely sweet, charming, and thoughtful as well. I really liked her a whole lot. The same with her best friend, boyfriend, and her mom. All are great well fleshed out likable characters.

I also thought that Noah and Leila's chemistry was off the charts. You can so clearly see how into each other they are and how well they fit together. And I loved little Emma. What a doll. I thought how each character's past traumas were all handled well and it neither made them look weak or gave them excuses to behave badly. I really liked that as well. Sometimes it is so easy to use the past to choose to be a nasty person because of it. But they all used it as motivation to be better human beings. Incredible.

As far as the mystery went, well that one really kept my head spinning. I had no idea who it was up until the end. Crazy how everything came back together full circle. I love when that happens. An absolutely enjoyable book. I will be reading the others previous in the series. I happily recommend this book 100%.

Thanks to Net Galley, the publishers, and to Catherine Bruns for the ability to read and review this book. All opinions are mine and are completely honest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery and my time in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. In the Blink of a Pie is book 3 in the series and I had not previously read the first two. Even so, the author did a fantastic job of getting me acquainted with Leila Khoury, her wonderful family and friends, as well as her maple syrup farm, Sappy Endings. All of the suspects fit well and the author did an excellent job of crafting motives and dropping red herrings along the way. I'm rooting for Leila and Noah and can't wait to catch up with everyone in the next book. Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Many thanks to Netgalley for this arc. I received this book in exchange for my honest review. My thoughts are entirely my own.


Leila Khoury is the manager of Sappy Endings Farm and a few weeks before Thanksgiving she decides to host a pie eating contest. Leila, Selma her mother, and Noah her boyfriend are the judges for the pie eating contest. Leila goes to interview an assistant to help her mom at the cafe on the farm and when she returns Margaret, a friend of her moms decides help judge. Leila tells her that the judging will be done by employees of the farm and Margaret goes into the crowd where she convulses and dies from cyanide poisoning. Margaret’s son wants to sue the farm and nobody wants to buy maple syrup from Sappy Endings. Leila and her family discover that someone wants to kill her and Leila tracks down her ex, an old college roommate, and a former student. Leila slowly crosses them off the list. Leila ends up realizing that the women that she hired for her mom’s assistant is in love with Noah and wants to take over Leila’s life. The woman is arrested and Leila and Noah end up engaged.

This was the perfect Fall mystery read! I loved the drama, the characters, and suspense! The MFC was very likable and I kept thinking I knew what happened but I was so wrong.

IN THE BLINK OF A PIE is the newest addition to the Maple Syrup Mysteries series, written by Catherine Bruns. Leila Khoury is the manager of Sappy Endings Farm in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. During a pie-eating contest held at the farm, a next-door neighbor of the Khoury family dies after sampling a pumpkin pie. What causes her death?

I like the Sappy Endings Farm setting and enjoy catching up with Leila, her family, and other series characters. Leila’s relationship with her mother rings true. I enjoy the backstory as much as the central mystery. This cozy mystery surrounds me with good feelings as Thanksgiving approaches. I look forward to following Leila and Noah's relationship and reading the next book in the series. Thank you, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley, for the chance to read and review an advance reader copy of IN THE BLINK OF A PIE.

Leila and her mother are running the family business her father left them after he passed away the year before. It’s a wonderful farm, with maple trees that they tap to produce syrup to sell along with many other by products and goodies made from the sweet, sticky substance. Leila, her mom, and her fiancé Noah work together to make the business a success and one of their latest ideas is a Harvest Festival that takes the form of a Pie Contest. Folks have come from all over to compete for the honor of being the top pie baker, and many are there just to taste the entries for themselves. Unfortunately, someone has other ideas for the day and their brilliant idea for the business may just be their downfall. Although this book was not the only one in a series, it was written as a standalone, meaning you could easily read it on its own without having read any other books first and not be lost. I thoroughly enjoyed the characters, the plot with its twists and turns, and the homey feel to the background that makes the whole thing work so well. I can’t wait to see what happens in her next book!

" In the Blink of a Pie (Maple Syrup Mysteries #3)" by Catherine Bruns starts with a fall pie contest and leading up to Thanksgiving. While at the contest, Leila's 1st mom's sort of friend, ends up eating a poisoned pie intended for Leila. Then a series of events really start making everyone think Leila was the intended victim.

While all this is going on Leila and Noah are trying to figure out how to get his daughter to accept Leila moving in with them. She's suddenly not liking the idea of having Leila around. There's also a new employee at the farm that's getting a little too cozy towards Leila's mom and Noah.

In the Blink of a Pie is a delightfully charming cozy mystery that takes place in Sugar Ridge, Vermont. This is the third book in the Maple Syrup Mystery series and is just as entertaining as the first two installments. Leila is preparing Sappy Endings Farm for the holidays, and to start off Thanksgiving week, she has organized a pie-baking contest. With over a dozen pies to sample and the beautiful autumn weather, what could go wrong? In the midst of her contest, one of Leila's neighbors is poisoned, and, unfortunately, it's by one of the pies. In order to save the farm and ensure a happy holiday for her family and friends, Leila is determined to find the killer.

In the Blink of a Pie is a fantastic cozy mystery. I absolutely adore this series. I love the small-town vibes of Sugar Ridge, especially Sappy Endings Farm. I grew up collecting sap and making maple syrup with my grandpa, and this book brings back all of my amazing memories. In addition, I absolutely love Lebanese food, and all of the dishes described in these books sound delicious. I can't wait to try some of the recipes! I will definitely be continuing with this series! In the Blink of a Pie is a perfect cozy read for this fall!

I loved this book so much. A maple syrup farm is the perfect fall setting and this was the best time of year to read it. The mystery had me guessing to the end and I have loved how the characters have grown together through this series. I honestly cannot wait for the next book and hope there will be many many more!!!! Loved it!!!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this early review copy.

I've really enjoyed reading this series so far. I've enjoyed the setting, the characters, the mysteries. But unfortunately, I just wasn't crazy about this book. I still love the characters and the setting, but the mystery and "red herrings" in this one just didn't work for me. It all seemed way too obvious and very predictable. When Leila was solving the crime by herself, she was just making stupid choices, putting herself in danger, and not involving the police in things any intelligent person would. I understand that's kind of what characters do in cozy mysteries typically, but this was just too much in this book. The detective was practically praising her for things that were just pure stupidity while he sat back and did absolutely nothing. I will continue to read this series; this book just didn't do it for me.

Another sweet tasty mystery in the Maple Syrup Mystery series. Leila, Noah, and Mom, with Heather's help, are running a pie tasting contest at Sappy Endings to bring folks to the farm and raise funds for the local food bank. When Selma's neighbor tries to push her way in as a judge while Leila is tied up doing an interview and downs a mouth full of pumpkin pie, she immediately falls over and is dead within moments. Was she the actual target, or was it someone else? Who wanted to bring harm to the farm? Can they save farm from the bad publicity? You know Leila can't just stand buy and watch everything her parents worked for go down the drain so she's on the job. Come along for a wild ride! Thanks to #Netgalley, #PoisonPenPress, and the author for an opportunity to read. #IntheBlinkofaPie #CatherineBruns #MapleSyrupMysteries #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

Thank you, NetGalley, Poisoned Pens and Catherine Bruns for this ARC.

This is the 3rd book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries and just as enjoyable as the first one.

The characters in this book are all relatable and realistic. Leila's relationship is getting better with her mother, Selma, which I'm loving. They still have their moments but I think that is pretty much any mother and daughter relationship. Her best friend, Heather is still around. I love their relationship, we all need that one friend who is going to always be there with no questions ask. As for her relationship with Noah, it is getting stronger along with her relationship with his daughter, Emma. I love reading about Leila and Emma's relationship. It is just so sweet.

The mystery had so many suspects, I kept going back and forth since there were so many motives. I should have followed with my gut because I was right, but it is so much fun to guess who the murderer is and what the motive is. I love those little red herrings that make me second guess who I think it is and I always love the reveal.

This book was entertaining and such a fun read. I can't wait for the next one in this series. I really want to get know Leila and her friends/family more.

Vermont, poisons, unpleasant-friend, local-law-enforcement, local-gossip, newspapers, reporter, small-business, small-town, rural, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, recipes, maple-syrup, family, farming, siblings, family-business, friendship, friends, murder, murder-investigation, grieving, poison-pen-letters, attempted-murder, relatives, relationships, relationship-issues, suspense*****

Call it two mysteries: Who poisoned the pie at the contest? and Who was the DESIRED victim? And why?
Leila's dad started Sappy Endings Farm and its maple syrup refinery and bakery in 1998 but died over a year ago. She still misses him but has the love of her mother, brother, a young widower and his daughter. The horrible things start happening. One of her mother's friends dies very publicly at a pie contest at the farm, someone causes a CO2 buildup in Leila's home while she's there alone, and other inexplicable things as well. The plot does some interesting twists, and the red herrings are pretty sneaky, but it is a very good read.
Now I plan to go out and get some Baklava!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Poisoned Pen Press via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MapleSyrupMysteriesBk3 Avail Oct 22, 2024

In the Blink of a Pie is the 3rd book in the Maple Syrup Mysteries.
Leila Khoury has arranged for a pie baking contest to be held on the farms grounds.
When an elderly neighbor who always insist on doing what she wants no matter what inserts herself into the judge's chair while Leila had to go interview a potential new employee.
As Leila returns, and tries to get the neighbor to taste the contestants pies.
She quickly eats a bite of one of the pies.
This was a fatal mistake as she is dead within five minutes.
With sales at the farm now alost nonexistant.
Leila has to find out where the deadly pie came from, znc sho ghd murderer is before the farm has to be closed permanently.

This was another fun story in this series with developed characters, a solid story, and several red herrings.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and author Catherine Bruns for the opportunity to read this Advanced Reader Copy.

I have read this series and each book just keeps getting better.. I love Sappy Endings as a setting and have really come to love every character in this book.

This particular story had enough red herrings to keep me guessing throughout the book.

I am very happy in the direction the storyline is headed and am looking forward to the next chapter in Leila and Noah’s snd Sappy Endings story.

5 stars!!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me read this advance copy. All opinions are my own.