Review + Tour GIVEAWAY: Midnight Snacks Are Murder by Libby Klein

Midnight Snacks Are Murder
By Libby Klein
A Poppy McAllister Mystery #2
Kensington, 2018


Summary

When her sleepwalking aunt is accused of committing murder, Poppy McAllister finds out there’s no rest for the weary . . .

Between trying to get her gluten-free baking business off the ground and helping her aunt remodel her old Victorian into the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, Poppy is ready to call, “Mayday!” And now Aunt Ginny—who’s a handful wide-awake—is sleepwalking on her new sleeping pill prescription and helping herself to neighbors’ snacks and knickknacks.

Even more alarming, a local humanitarian who worked with troubled teens is found murdered, and the police suspect the “Snack Bandit.” Other than a bad case of midnight munchies and some mild knickknack kleptomania, Aunt Ginny is harmless. Someone’s trying to frame her. Poppy will need to work tirelessly to uncover the killer and put the case to rest—before Aunt Ginny has to trade in her B & B for a bunk bed behind bars . . .

Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

Amazon    B&N    Kobo   Google Play  BookBub


My thoughts

The success of a series depends on the lead character, and Poppy McAllister is a winner! Author Libby Klein has drawn this character so realistically and so human that she could be a reflection of someone you meet on the streets of your community. A tightly-written narrative, strong supporting cast, and tons of humor combine to make Midnight Snacks Are Murder a thoroughly entertaining read.

The story takes place in the picturesque seaside community of Cape May, New Jersey, where Poppy is helping her Aunt Ginny remodel her Victorian home in preparation for the opening of a bed & breakfast inn. One strength of this story is its lively supporting characters that includes a sleepwalking Aunt Ginny, a take-control mother-in-law, and a construction worker with an “I-can-fix-that” attitude. I loved that Poppy isn’t presented as a “perfect” leading lady, but as middle aged, with normal weight issues, and a most delightful personality. Amidst the fascinating interplay between Poppy and these characters is a murder investigation that leads to a local Teen Center, with elements of drugs, embezzlement, etc. Layers gradually unfold, revealing that nothing is like it seemed at first. I loved the murder mystery theme and the revelation wasn’t obvious to me.

Romance plays a large part in this story, with two possible love interests for Poppy. I’m not a fan of love triangles and wish romantic themes hadn’t been as prominent, but that in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the story. It’s also a clean story, which I very much appreciated. Libby Klein has proven herself to be an author to watch and the Poppy McAllister series is one of my very favorites.

Highly recommended to all cozy mystery fans.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

_________________________

Libby Klein dabbles in the position of Vice President of a technology company which mostly involves bossing other people around, making spreadsheets, and taking out the trash. She writes culinary cozy mysteries from her Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat Figaro off her keyboard.

Website │ Facebook │ Twitter │ Pinterest │ Cozy Mystery Crew
Goodreads │ Bookbub │ Instagram │ Amazon/Author


GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway