On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released that have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.
I must apologize to the author for getting behind on this series. I was ill when I was supposed to read and review this book and failed to get it back on my calendar and I am very sorry, especially because Poppy is one of my favorite fictional characters.
Antique Auctions Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
7th Book in Series
Setting – New Jersey
Publisher : Kensington (February 22, 2022)
Mass Market Paperback : 464 pages
ISBN-10 : 1496733142
ISBN-13 : 978-1496733146
Kindle ASIN : B0964HDJ85
When vintage items go up for auction, gluten-free baker and B&B owner Poppy McAllister discovers some people will pay the ultimate price. . .
It’s peak summer season at the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, with tourists fluttering in and out and wreaking enough havoc to rival a Jersey Shore hurricane. Also back in town is Courtney Whipple and his family of antique dealers for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. Courtney’s son Auggie has a unique piece he believes will fetch them a fortune if he can get it authenticated in time—a piece rival dealer Grover Prickle insists was stolen from his store.
Poppy and her Aunt Ginny attend the auction, hoping to bid on an armoire for the B&B, and discover a veritable armory for sale—everything from ancient blades and nineteenth-century guns to such potential killing devices as knitting needles and a blacksmith hammer. Strangely, they don’t see either Auggie or Grover—or the mysterious item they both claim to own. Then during the auction, a body falls out of the very armoire Poppy was hoping to acquire, stabbed through the heart. Now, surrounded by competitive dealers and makeshift weapons, she must find out who turned the auction house into a slaughterhouse . . .
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!
Dollycas’s Thoughts
The Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast is full of guests and it’s time for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. A unique piece has drawn a lot of interest pitting two dealers against each other. Poppy is on the lookout for some special things to add to the rooms at her B&B but she never thought the armoire she had her eye on would be the hiding place for a dead body.
I was thrilled to get back to the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast to catch up with Poppy McAllister, Aunt Ginny, Victory, Joanne, Gia, Amber, the Biddies and Figaro. I love that Poppy and Gia’s relationship is getting stronger and all the time they spend together with his son Henry. Aunt Ginny and her friends are in rare form and Figaro has a small black kitty, Cleo, and a huge Maine Coon, Svetlana, hoping to steal his heart. These are some of my favorite fictional characters for good reason. All these characters including the felines are so realistic that they jump off the pages and invite us in to enjoy all the shenanigans within the story.
Libby Klein has stellar comedic timing. Her characters deliver zingers and get themselves into the craziest situations all while moving the mystery forward. I found myself laughing out loud and shaking my head often. The guests at the B&B are a quirky bunch who test Poppy in a variety of ways, along with Courtney Whipple’s daily deliveries of unwanted kohlrabi, and guests finding narcoleptic sunburned Victory in a variety of strange places, it is a wonder Poppy has time for anything else let alone a murder. As if she needs any more drama in her life, Georgina pops in for a visit. It is not just the human characters that bring the humor. Figaro dealing with the antics of Svetlana and Cleo was so darn funny.
Amongst all the hilarity Ms. Klein has penned a compelling murder mystery. When the body falls out of an armoire at an auction, an armoire that Poppy wanted, practically at her feet, she knew she was going to be involved. Then she learns her “friend” on the police force, Amber has a new by-the-book partner so getting information about the case isn’t going to be easy. Nevertheless, Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and the Biddies are on the case. Joanne even gets involved. There were several suspects and I selected the wrong one. The twists did a great job of misdirecting me. I was surprised at the reveal but that is what I have come to expect from this author. She tests her characters and her readers and I love that.
Antique Auctions Are Murder was a terrific read. Fun and engaging characters and a marvelous mystery kept me delightfully entertained from beginning to end. If you ever have a down day or need some “me time”. I highly recommend any and every book in this series to turn your day around. Laughter is good medicine and Libby Klein delivers that spectacularly in every book. Mischief Nights Are Murder is screaming at me from my To-Be-Read shelf. I can’t wait to see what mischief Poppy and her family and friends get mixed up in next.
Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”
