I really tried to like this one - the setting and the descriptions of food are a real draw – but the characters are so unlikeable and annoying that it really ruined the story for me. Between Lydia constantly feeling like she has so much to do but she can’t do it because she has to investigate and her grandmother throwing her at male suspects to get clues, it just got to be too much. Add in that in just about every chapter she has to mention the previous book and murder she solved and it got tiring. This really was not for me.

I love the premise to this series. 1980 Buffalo NY with a crime solving Polish grandmother and granddaughter. How could you not love it. Unfortunately the second book did not hit the mark for me. Still a delightful read. But not as good as the 1st book in the series.

I love the main characters but the new cast brought into the story weren't as interesting and felt predictable. The prose & dialogue felt clunky and lacked rhythm.

I will still read another in the series & I still score Geri Krotow's writing. This one just didn't hit the mark for me.

Thank you meatballs & Severn House for the eARC.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

I love a cute murder mystery and love Pierogis so I truly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, fun and an enjoyable read.

I highly recommend this one.

I was drawn to this book because of the name and cover! As a first generation Polish American, I loved reading a story with tidbits of Polish heritage and culture. I was hungry the whole time reading this, and was craving some homemade Polish cuisine afterwards :)

I didn't read the first book in the series before picking this one up, but I think that's ok! You get enough backstory/"reminders" of what happened that you can enjoy it without having read book one. For me, though, this book was pretty middle of the road. I wanted a little bit more from the mystery side of the story, and wished there was a little more seriousness to the sleuthing — it was just another comedy-type cozy mystery.

I’ll take some blame here. I didn’t read the first book in this series. There are already established relationships and roles that certain characters have settled into. I’m pretty sure my issues with the character work can partially be explained by the previous book.
However, I’ve dnf’ed the book after getting 36% into it. That’s largely due to the huge jump that the main characters, Lydia and her grandmother. Rather than allow the police to conduct an investigation on their own, these two decide that they HAVE to be involved, they HAVE to “conduct their own investigation”, and the part that made me close out my kindle app was Grandma telling Lydia she MUST play the part of the lover of the son of the deceased. For what?
I’m no stranger to a cozy mystery that requires a little suspension of disbelief. But this was a step too far for me.
I did enjoy the family aspects. The 80’s nostalgia was fun. And of course the food descriptions are mouthwatering.
I just don’t think this was the story for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Severn House for this ARC of The Pierogi Peril. I was excited to read this book as I grew up eating pierogi's so the title caught my eye. It revolves around Lydia and her grandma who are crime solving sleuths because at Lydia's cafe her culinary instructor - Madame Delphine - is found dead at the back of her cafe. So in order to keep the cafe open and not ruin her new business, Lydia and her grandma play detectives to find answers to how Madame passed away.
This is the second book in a cozy mystery style. I like the mention of Polish foods. It was a good read.

A very fun sequel! If you liked The Kielbasa Killer, you will love Pierogi Peril. Lydia has finally opened her dream polish bakery and her relationship with The Guy is going strong. Pop is back to work after healing from his stroke. Seeing Lydia solving a mystery under these new conditions of her lifestyle changes was very interesting. And things heating up between Nowicki and Grandma made me giggle, but also I love seeing Grandma happy.
The mystery itself was very good and full of twists. In some ways this doesn’t feel like a typical cozy mystery. An example of this would be that Lydia running her new business is written very realistically - happy yes, but more stressful than adorable and happy all the time. Also the characters do make occasional sexual references and use some swear words. Again, it just gives the novel a more grounded and realistic feeling. In my opinion, it also makes the murder more believable.
I like the writing very much and I enjoyed seeing these characters progress. Lydia, Grandma, Teri, Stanley, Pacha the cat, all these characters are so fun and I hope to see more of them.

A fun read! Being from a Polish-American family, I loved the tidbits about Polish culture that were added in. I especially loved the ever feisty and fun Grandma Mary.

I hadn’t read the first in the series but didn’t have a problem jumping in on this book. It was a little slow to start, but I really enjoyed the characters.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #SevernHouse for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Severn House for my copy of The Pierogi Peril by Geri Krowtow in exchange for an honest review. It published January 2, 2024.
First off, the cover and title of this book totally drew me to it. I have Eastern European ancestry that got lost upon immigration generations ago, and anything that I feel can teach me about my ancestors' culture is instantly exciting for me! This book totally delivers on all the delicious foods, and even has some recipes! The book itself wasn't my favorite cozy mystery that I've read. I found it to be a little more crass than you're typical cozy, with lots of innuendo, this isn't your grandma's cozy mystery! The writing itself was pretty good, and I loved the descriptions of the restaurant, Buffalo and the setting itself. I could totally picture it based off of the description, and that is wonderful!

Knee Deep…
The second outing in the Kielbasa Queen mystery series and Lydia may just find her newly found dreams already being dashed. Her lakeside Polish-American cafe and bakery is everything to her but when a death occurs things begin to come crashing down and Lydia finds herself knee deep in mystery. A nicely drawn mystery with a deftly drawn cast, a likeable protagonist and an engaging plot laced with gentle humour. A worthy follow up to the first in the series.

I think I would have enjoyed this more if I had read the previous book. There were many references to it but not enough information for me to get a clear picture.

I was initially attracted to the book by it's title. After all, who can resist a pierogi? I also enjoy a good cosy crime book so I was very excited about reading it.

Sadly, it didn't live up to my expectations, I found it very hard to get into and persevered until 58%. Usually, I give up long before that if I am not enjoying a book but I really wanted to like this and so I kept reading. At that point, I realised I wasn't invested in this book and wasn't enjoying it sufficiently to keep going.

It may have simply been that I was very busy with other things when I was reading it and thus prevented me getting into it properly. It may not have been the fault of the book.

So even though it did not work for me I would still encourage you to give it a read.

This was a fun, cozy mystery that hooked me quickly and kept me intrigued to the end. The scene is Buffalo, New York, in the early 1980s, and a Polish-American café owner who stumbles over her second dead body in a few months. Though I haven't (yet) read the first book in the series, enough backstory is provided for the references to make sense.

Lydia returned to her home and family in Buffalo after leaving pastry school in Ottawa over differences with her instructor, Madame Delphine. She splits her time between helping her father with his butcher business and running her newly opened café and bakery, with little left to spend with her boyfriend, Stanley. I like Lydia's close relationship with her family; the love, respect, and support are clearly there.

The story begins with an unexpected visit from Madame Delphine and others from the pastry school. Lydia is wary, as they did not part on the best terms. But the visit is surprisingly cordial, with both admitting to mistakes made. I liked the prospect of a friendly and professional relationship between the two former adversaries. Matters become complicated the next morning when Lydia discovers Madame's dead body in the lake behind the café.

I enjoyed Lydia and Grandma's investigation into the murder. Though the local cop writes it off as a suicide, Lydia is sure it was murder and sets out to prove it. The clues are few and far between, and there is a wide range of suspects, from Delphine's husband or son to students from the pastry school. Despite warnings from the local cop to stay out of it, Lydia is determined to solve the mystery before it impacts her business. I liked following her thought processes, though sometimes they led her to take risky chances. The final confrontation was well done, with enough intensity to keep me on the edge of my seat until it was over.

The story's characters were well-portrayed and unique enough to keep them straight. Lydia was fervently family-oriented but also looking for her place separate from them. She has her moments of unlikeable behavior, but it is easy to see the changes she undergoes during the book. Her boyfriend, Stanley, is a law student who is as busy as she is. I liked how they worked at their relationship. I loved his support and protectiveness as she got more involved in the investigation. I adored Grandma Mary. She reminds me a lot of Grandma Mazur in the Stephanie Plum books. She is feisty and outspoken, making me laugh at some of her comments.

1982. Lydia Wienewski's Polish/American cafe, Lydia's Lakeside Cafe and Bakery, is now open in Buffalo, New York. Lydia's pierogi is hailed as the best in the area, and everyone wants her to enter the pierogi contest at The Buffalo International Food Festival. But when her former mentor, Madame Delphine, comes to town, along with some of her students, she dredges up memories that Lydia would sooner forget. And then Lydia finds Delphine dead at the cafe. Lydia and her grandmother, Mary, again team up to try to solve the murder. This is Book Two of the Kielbasa Queen mysteries.

I loved the portrayal of Polish/American culture, the 1980s Western New York setting, and the delicious descriptions of all of the food. Lydia's grandmother steals the show with her unconventional behavior, such as getting caught making out in the car with her boyfriend. At times I felt the overall mystery moved too slowly. There were plenty of red herrings, but the conclusion was a little bit predictable. However, the characters and the setting make it well worth another trip to Lydia's cafe.

I received a free copy of this book from Severn House via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Move over Banacek!

In reading Geri Krotow’s Pierogi Peril, I felt like I had met a sleuthing baker cousin in Lydia Wienewski and was right there alongside her in Lydia’s Lakeside Café and Bakery, enjoying the smell of Polish breads and cakes, kielbasa and pierogies fried in butter and onions coming from her kitchen and of course helping my cousin and Grandmom Mary to solve the murder of Lydia’s one-time nemesis.

I loved the relationships between the cast of characters, the tension between the detectives and. Lydia and Grandmom’s Angie Dickinson attitude.

While I guessed the murderer early on, though you never really know until the end, I enjoyed every minute of this delightful cozy mystery, the second installment of A Kielbasa Queen Mystery series. I can’t wait to go back and read the first book in the series, The Kielbasa Killer.

I highly recommend Pierogi Peril for cozy mystery lovers, especially those of Polish descent. I received this Advance Reader’s copy of Pierogi Peril from Severn House, courtesy of NetGalley.

The 80s vibes are strong in this book! It really helps immerse you in the setting. I loved seeing Lydia succeeding with her cafe. Seeing Madame and her family was an unexpected delight. I so enjoy Lydia, her family, and the setting.
The mystery and the investigation were good. Lydia and Grandma Mary make a great sleuthing duo. The romance is developing nicely. It is just awesome.

The big day has finally come and Lydia’s new shop had opened. Much to her surprise, her former teacher, Madame Delphine shows up. While Madame was never nice to anyone, moreover Lydia, the two actually have a rather pleasant conversation and amends appear to have been made.

When Madame is murdered, Lydia and Grandma but on their sleuthing chaos. While Lydia may be busier than ever, she and Grandma feel they must solve the mystery of whodunit. Will whomever did the ghastly deed get away with it, or will Lydia and grandma be next on their list?

This was a super fun read. Grandma can be a but much at times, but ya gotta love her. Looking forward to more hi jinx and murder with Lydia and grandma.

3.5 Stars

I just want to preface this by saying I did not read book one but I find with cozy good murder mysteries you don’t really need too. This book did talk about some things from book one but it gave you the information that you needed.

When I saw this title I could not, not request this book. Pierogis are one of my staple foods and I could live solely off of them. The cover page was cute and matched the title.

I recently delved into cozy food murder mysteries and I haven’t been disappointed yet. I enjoyed the Pierogi Peril, it was decently paced and had characters that I liked reading about. The twist at the end was a twist but I kind of had figured it out I just didn’t have the “why” it happened.

I would recommend this book to those who like cozy murder mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this eBook for free to read and give and honest review.

I am grateful to Net Galley for letting me read this book before it was released. I was so excited by the premise of this book and the fact that it’s set in my hometown. Being of Polish descent as well, I found the characters relatable.

However, I have so many issues with this book. First, I was so excited to read how the author would weave Buffalo into the narrative. It was completely clunky. It seemed as if the author had a list of places she had to mention in the story but it was done superficially and didn’t give the reader any real connection to the area. She made great pains to name Cheektowaga, Union Road, the East Side of Buffalo…but then made up a fictional town where the murder actually took place. I don’t get it. There is no such place as Acorn Bay…but she took great pains to include the names of a local hospital and the international bridge. It was weirdly specific while simultaneously being extremely detached.

Second, a big plot point was the tide on Lake Erie. Scientifically speaking, there is a tide on the Great Lakes but it’s not anywhere near as dramatic as the ocean tides. The tides on Lake Erie are diurnal and change the water level no more than 5 centimeters a day. So using the “low tide” as a plot point is ridiculous to anyone who understands the difference between lakes and oceans.

Plot-wise, there was way too much of characters discussing the crime and analyzing it. The reader never had a chance or reason to go back and look for clues in the text. The dialogue was tiresome. I did like how some of the minor early events in the book showed up as critical at the end. I would say if you liked Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers you might enjoy this. It was a light-hearted murder mystery. If you’re from Buffalo, you’ll be disappointed other than seeing some familiar names of places in print.

The ending felt rushed and was unsatisfying after so much interminable drudgery of pointless dialogue. I thought about going back and reading the first book but I’ve changed my mind.

This was such a comforting read for my Polish soul. I have really been enjoying cozy mysteries, so I was excited to give this one a read. I loved all of the small touches that reminded me of my family, but some parts definitely fell flat for me. Around 70%, I started losing interest and just wanted them to solve the murder already! However, the granddaughter/grandmother teamwork was super cute and was definitely my favorite aspect of the story.

If you like murder mysteries and Polish jokes, this one is for you!

I love a good cozy mystery, however the Pierogi Peril is not neither good nor cozy. The characters and dialogue are just awful. Save your money!