Pies and Prejudice

I am behind the times!  I never read the Ellery Adams Charmed Pie Shoppe series!  I finished the first in the series last night.

Pies and Prejudice follows Ella Mae LeFaye and her return to her hometown of Havenwood, Georgia.  Ella Mae left Havenwood to marry Sloan and live in New York. She is a very gifted baker and was being trained in NYC when she discovered her husband of 7 years in a compromising position in the elevator with not one, but both of the reheaded twins from down the hall.  When she lands back home to the welcoming arms of her aunts, mother and Reba (her mom's maid and Ella Mae's caretaker from youth), her family surrounds her and supports her as she strikes out on a path to open a pie shop.

These efforts are quickly met with outright hostility by Loralyn Gaynor, Ella Mae's nemesis from as far back as she can remember.  Loralyn and her family have made a name for themselves in the equine world of the south.  Loralyn has used these connections to marry well...multiple times. She owns several nail salons in Havenwood and sets her sights on the shop Ella Mae wants to purchase. Ella Mae flies off the handle in a public place (due to baiting by Loralyn) and appears to threaten Dr. Knox, who is Loralyn's much older fiance and a very well known equine doctor.  Dr. Knox ends up dead in one of Loralyn's shops...smacked over the head with a rolling pin with Ella Mae's fingerprints on it!  Ella Mae must figure out the crime to keep herself out of jail and to keep her fledgling pie shop going strong.

I enjoyed the first book in the series. Ellery Adams is a very descriptive writer and I think that lends itself well to the story.  As we discover throughout the course of this book, there is more to the "Charmed Pie Shoppe" than just the name.  It seems the Ella Mae and her aunts have special gifts...Ella Mae's is transferring her feelings into what she bakes. This is reminiscent of the movie with Sarah Michelle Gellar "Simply Irresistible"...minus the magical crab...and better written with greater backstory. Ellery Adams brings these gifts, and the senses related to them, to life on the page.

The mystery in the first book is well-written and though the unveiling of the murderer was not overly surprising, it was engaging.  I think the point is that the first in the series is an enjoyable introduction to the characters and world of Havenwood. I have started the second book, Peach Pies and Alibis, and can tell you that there is an overarching story line that will continue as Ella Mae learns more about herself and her family.

One and a half books in, and I do recommend giving this one a go.

(Also...recipes!  I haven't tried them yet, but I plan on giving a few of them a try!)