Ella Mae LeFaye has fled the big city of New York after catching her husband in bed with twins. She's back home, seeking refuge with her family in Havenwood, Georgia, while baking pies, which is what she does best. She rebuffs her husbands attempts at a reconciliation (which is conditioned upon her returning to New York, as he makes it clear he will not be moving to Georgia), and decides to open The Charmed Pie Shoppe. There is no way to describe her pies except charmed or magical, as they seem to take on whatever emotion she is feeling when she makes them. Then, when a customer eats the pie, that feeling is transferred to them.

Trouble starts when she bids on shop space and finds out that the other bidder is her childhood nemesis Loralyn Gaynor. Loralyn wants to expand her salon business and her rich fiance, Bradford, has promised the property to her. But Ella Mae and her family get the property, much to Loralyn's displeasure. But when Bradford is found dead with one of Ella Mae's rolling pins, things get messy.

Loralyn is convinced that Ella Mae killed her fiance, but two good samaritans show up at the police station to provide an alibi. But in a small town, gossips have already started to do what they do best, so Ella Mae not only wants to prove that she's innocent, but she also sets out to solve the murder. Bradford was a local who specialized in equines and specifically worked with owners of racehorses. Ella Mae can't imagine who would want to kill someone who treated horses, but she's determined to find out.

Meanwhile, her husband is reluctant to give up his claim on her, her old crush seems eager to cozy up to her, and she's still trying to figure out exactly what's going on with her special talent. And is it just her imagination or do her family members seem to have particular talents of their own, as well?

PIES AND PREJUDICE is a fun book, and I enjoyed Ella Mae's particular talent. It is a little odd, though, when she made a blueberry pie and people cried blue tears; I enjoyed it more when the emotions carried over in more abstract ways. I like Ella Mae and her determination to carry on resolutely and not feel sorry for herself, while still allowing herself time to get closure. Her family members are colourful without being caricatures, and her feud with Loralyn is tense without being overplayed.

The mystery is well-written and well-paced. The number of suspects is just right, and the reveal plays out as it should. PIES AND PREJUDICE is a great series debut!

Book Summary

When the going gets tough, Ella Mae LaFaye bakes pies. So when she catches her husband cheating in New York, she heads back home to Havenwood, Georgia, where she can drown her sorrows in fresh fruit filling and flakey crust. But her pies aren't just delicious. They're having magical effects on the people who eat them--and the public is hungry for more.

Discovering her hidden talent for enchantment, Ella Mae makes her own wish come true by opening the Charmed Pie Shoppe. But with her old nemesis Loralyn Gaynor making trouble, and her old crush Hugh Dylan making nice, she has more than pie on her plate. and when Loralyn's fiancé is found dead--killed with Ella Mae's rolling pin--it'll take all her sweet magic to clear her name.