For fortysomething Poppy McAllister, taking a stroll down memory lane in Cape May, New Jersey, isn’t just awkward—it’s deadly. Newly widowed and stuck in a middle-aged funk, Poppy has been running on cookies, infomercials, and one-sided chats with her cat for months. There’s no way on earth she’s attending her twenty-five-year class reunion—especially after receiving a very bizarre letter … very bizarre letter from Barbie, the popular cheerleader who taunted her all through high school. At least, not until Poppy’s best friend practically drags her to the event . . .
Using the dreaded homecoming as an excuse to visit her eccentric Aunt Ginny, Poppy vows to leave Cape May with pride and Spanx intact. Too bad Barbie is still the queen of mean at the reunion. And worse, that her dead body is lying right in front of Poppy’s old locker. Singled out as the killer, it’s up to Poppy to confront her past and clear her name. But between protecting her aunt from disaster and tackling a gluten-free diet, can Poppy crack the case before she’s voted “Most Likely to Die” by the murderer?
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!
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Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein was an entertaining introduction into this new cozy series.
Poppy McAllister is an older heroine with several issues going on in her life. She has been depressed due to her husband’s death and her treatment by her bully mother-in-law. Aunt Ginny is a fabulous supporting character and I loved getting to know her. Poppy’s best friend, Sawyer, is also a likable character that I enjoyed getting to know. I found the retrospective of high school episodes of bullying by the “mean girls” was turned on it’s head at the end of the book. The mystery itself was complex as there were so many suspects who had motives. I cheered for Poppy as she began to take her life back and find the real killer. The plot was smoothly paced, there were plenty of twists, interesting information about making healthy choices for a better life and the reveal was intense.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Widowed and stuck in a middle-aged funk, Poppy has been running on cookies, infomercials, and one-sided chats with her cat for months. The last thing she wants to do is attend her 25th class reunion. After receiving a bizarre letter from Barbie, the popular cheerleader who taunted her all through high school, she is positive that the reunion is going to be a horrible experience. Her best
friend practically drags her to the event only to end in Barbie being murdered.
Using the dreaded homecoming as an excuse to visit her eccentric Aunt Ginny, Poppy vows to leave Cape May with pride and Spanx intact and as quickly as possible. Too bad Barbie is still the queen of mean at the reunion. Worse yet, her dead body is lying right in front of Poppy’s old locker, where Poppy finds her.
Singled out as the killer, it’s up to Poppy to confront her past and clear her name. But between protecting her aunt from disaster and tackling a new lifestyle change, Poppy must crack the case before she’s sent to prison for murder or becomes the next victim?
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Series: A Poppy McAllister Mystery
Author: Libby Klein
Genre: Cozy Mystery/ Culinary
Publisher: Kensington
Class Reunions Are Murder is a thought-provoking and interesting take on class reunions and everything bad that happened to us as students in high school. It shows how the past catches up with everyone, even the bullies we dealt with on the road to adulthood.
Poppy is a wonderful, well-rounded character with flaws and insecurities on a grand scale. After the death of her husband, she sinks into a routine of watching television infomercials, eating anything sweet and brooding about life. She is older, with half her life gone and has no desire or ambition to change things. But when she returns home and renews her friendships and confronts the past, she realizes that she still has dreams and wants to start over. Her outlook on life is very relatable for any reader who has experienced the heartbreak and devastation of life’s turmoil.
Aunt Ginny is wonderfully eccentric with an attitude that people half her age envy. She has everything Poppy doesn’t, spunk, motivation and a way of doing things her way regardless of what anyone thinks. She makes readers hope that they are like her when they grow older.
The supporting cast of characters are interesting and entertaining, some of which such as Bebe and Tawnika should have their own series. They are funny and very likable, even under the circumstance of being behind bars.
The setting of the story is described in enough detail that the reader wouldn’t mind visiting and spending time discovering. It is the perfect location for this story, and hopes are that the author will flesh it out more in future installments.
Overall Class Reunions Are Murder is an enjoyable book. However, it isn’t as fast-paced as many would like and is a bit on the long side. There is a lack of real action until the end, and this makes it difficult to keep turning the page. The reader will dislike many of the characters and will have no empathy for those that the writer may have intended to come off as someone you would have compassion for. They might also have trouble figuring out the clues to the killer’s identity. The romantic interests are a bit confusing as the reader is never sure who the main interest is though they will cheer for one over the other.
This book is recommended to anyone who has the time to sit down and read the story uninterrupted, and with the knowledge that not everything will be easy to figure out. That said, the plot is interesting and the story although a bit complex is fun to read. The recipes in the back are great to try!
What a fun book! I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next one.
Poppy, the main character of this novel, reluctantly attends her high school reunion. While she is in town she finds herself in the midst of a family crisis, a murder, a life change and a potential love triangle. She solves everything but the love triangle with self-deprecating humor, snarky sarcasm and food. Poppy, along with a supporting cast of strong-willed and slightly friends, family and her cat Figaro will tease and tempt you into laughter, a snack attack and an effort to solve the crime before she does.
This is a great debut novel from a talented writer. Spend some time getting lost inside one of Ms. Klein’s upbeat and clever novels and you’ll feel like you’ve found a second home.
One of the best cozy mysteries that I have read in awhile. It made me laugh. It made me mad ( because how could people be so mean?! ). And it made me regret not visiting Cape May when I had a chance.
The drama was very realistic, but with plenty of humor mixed in. And the main character, Poppy, went through some intense personal development that made me say “ you go girl! “
The writing was great, and I loved all the pop culture references. I am interested to see how Poppy’s love life turns out, as well as the lives of all the wonderful side characters.
Now I need to go buy more Libby Klein books!
I am so glad that I’ve never gone to a class reunion! And you know that Poppy regretted going even BEFORE she got there.
But what a mess she got tangled in. Not only do old high school resentments still run deep, add to it that Poppy’s Aunt Ginny REALLY needs her help.
Klein weaves a lively tale of misdirection and misunderstanding. Watching Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and the girls chase down clues and find the culprits makes for an entertaining, fast moving read. While the conclusion is more than a little surprising, it’s oddly fitting too.
You’ll love these characters, you’ll be avidly waiting for the next installment.
A wonderful cozy and funny start to a new series.
Good humour mystery
I love happy endings!