The life of a diner owner is not conducive to sleeping in. That was a hard truth I learned when I took over the Lucky Pie Diner from my parents, making me a third-generation diner owner. I don’t think you could have convinced grouchy teenaged Este that she would one day be an early bird, but someone needs to wake up to get the pies in the oven and the coffee brewing.

Pies are what we’re known for, in case the diner’s name didn’t give it away. My grandmother put us on the map with her heavenly, flaky, wondrous creations, then she taught my mom, and my mom taught me. But what makes our pies famous both in my small hometown of Split Pine Island, Michigan, and around the country, is this fun little rumor that the pies are magical. Lucky, some might tell you. Can eating a pie from our diner bring you good fortune? Well, my lips are sealed, but is certainly wouldn’t hurt to try a slice of that Blueberry Billions while you’re here.

On my early morning walk into work I usually spot Mayor, an ancient bloodhound who is, as his name suggests, the mayor of our little town. When I spot Mayor I’ll usually do a quick check to make sure I’m not about to bump into his owner, Mick Gorley, who has the exact opposite effect on my morning as a nice cup of coffee would.

I wouldn’t mind bumping into a certain handsome Sherriff who used to be a major league baseball superstar, but the chances of him looking for a slice of pie first thing in the morning are slim-to-none. Once I get to the diner, I get things going with my trusty cook Seamus, who doesn’t have much to say but makes the best soups and sandwiches known to man. You can never go wrong with Seamus’s club or grilled cheese. Yum. My bestie Kitty will usually stop by before she opens the bar she manages. She and Seamus were married once upon a time, but they get along despite their divorce. Thank goodness, because I would not have wanted to choose sides.

As the diner gets busy for the day I usually wander between tables to overhear the local gossip—hoping it’s not about me—before heading home with some leftover pie for my retired grandfather. Life on the island is slow and relaxed, especially during the winter offseason when we’re closed off to tourists. It’s a lovely place to live, the kind of place where nothing can go wrong… unless a body were to show up at the marina one night.

That could certainly stir up some trouble in Split Pine that would need more than magical pie to help resolve it.

A Pie to Die For, A Lucky Pie Mystery Book #1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Release: February 2024
Format: Print, Digital
Purchase Link

For fans of Sofie Kelly and Joanne Fluke, it’s the end of the tourist season in Split Pine– but a murder at the Lucky Pie Diner stirs up trouble for the sleepy town in this series debut.

Este March runs the family-owned Lucky Pie Diner on Split Pine Island in Northern Michigan. The pies at Lucky Pie aren’t just good, they’re magical, with a family recipe that grants certain customers their greatest hopes and dreams when they eat the pie. The remote island is closed to outsiders over the winter months, but on the last day of the season, the unpopular new produce vendor, Jeff, turns up dead on his boat, and Split Pine Island’s peace goes up in smoke.

Tom Cunningham, the local sheriff, casts suspicion onto Este, who may have been the last person to see Jeff alive. Not to mention several people witnessed her getting into an argument with the rude vendor in some of his final hours. Este decides to clear her name and her diner’s reputation by launching her own investigation, which means she must turn suspicion on her friends and neighbors, because only a local could have murdered the victim.

As Este investigates, she uncovers a deeper web of secrets, finding that many of the locals had reason to either frame her, or kill the victim. The clock is ticking to figure out the killer, and the clues in the case are flakier than an apple pie. Este will have to uncover the killer before her future crumbles.

About the author
Gretchen Rue lives in the Canadian prairies, which affords her ample time to read during six months of winter. She plays cat mom to four mostly indifferent fur children, and plant mom to roughly 100 very demanding flora. When she isn’t sipping tea and working on her next novel, she enjoys swimming, hiking, and watching baseball.