Thursday Thoughts: Blog Tour/Review and Giveaway--Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein

Today I'm participating in the Class Reunions Are Murder Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.

About the Book . . .

Class Reunions Are Murder: A Poppy McAllister Mystery

 Cozy Mystery
1st in Series
Kensington (January 30, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 Pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496713032
E-Book ASIN: B072HS2JGM

 

Synopsis . . .  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 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!


My Review . . . They say you can't go home again . . . or can you?  Poppy McAllister is less than thrilled at the prospects of returning to the town she couldn’t wait to escape and attending her 25th high school reunion.  In fact, the only thing she dreads more than being seen by her former classmates as “fat, frumpy, and a failure” is running into her former fiancé after all these years.  Both things are about to happen as she makes the trip from her home in Virginia to Cape May, New Jersey.  Back on familiar turf, Poppy is happy to catch up with her closest high school pals—a group who were bullied by the mean girls—and they vow to present a united front against any unpleasantness from their former tormentors.
 

At the reunion, ex-prom queen and mean girls ringleader Barbie Clark proves that she hasn't mellowed with age.  Barbie has quite a volatile history with many of her former classmates, and she seizes the opportunity to publicly humiliate and embarrass them and their guests during the reunion.  Following several ugly scenes, Barbie is found dead in front of Poppy’s old locker, making Poppy the prime murder suspect.  But there is no shortage of others with strong motives for revenge among Barbie’s old flames, rivals, and the other reunion attendees. Was Barbie killed due to a recent slight or because of a grudge that has been stewing for years?  Poppy and her friends must work quickly to find out, as local police officer Amber Fenton—another former mean girl from the class of 1989—works diligently to pin the murder on Poppy.  

There is plenty to hold readers’ attention in this novel beyond the murder mystery aspect.  Several interwoven story lines add depth to the main characters, and Poppy’s attempts at self-improvement give Class Reunions Are Murder plenty of laugh out loud dialog and scenes. Also adding to the enjoyment are the Jersey shore setting; Poppy’s mischievous cat Figaro; eccentric elderly Aunt Ginny; and two love interests—her former fiancé Tim and steamy local barista Gia. 

All in all, Poppy McAllister is a very likeable, relatable character with an unpredictable life and lots of possibilities going forward.  This series is an entertaining addition to the cozy mystery genre, and I’m eagerly awaiting the second book, Midnight Snacks Are Murder, which will be published in July 2018. 

Giveaway . . .  Enter for a chance to win a copy of Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein by visiting this Rafflecopter link.


About the author . . . 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 Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat Figaro off her keyboard.

 

Author links . . . 

Webpage – https://libbykleinbooks.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/libbykleinbooks/

Twitter – https://twitter.com/LibbyKleinBooks

Pinterest – https://www.pinterest.com/libbykleinbooks/

Purchase links . . .  

Amazon      B&N    kobo

 

Tour Participants . . . 

January 30 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
January 31 – Readeropolis – INTERVIEW
January 31 – Girl with Book Lungs – REVIEW
February 1 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
February 2 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 2 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
February 3 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
February 4 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW
February 5 – Queen of All She Reads – REVIEW
February 6 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – SPOTLIGHT
February 7 – Maureen’s Musing – SPOTLIGHT
February 7 – Sneaky the Library Cat’s Blog – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
February 8 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
February 9 – The Book’s the Thing – REVIEW
February 10 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW  
February 11 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW
February 12 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW
February 12 – Socrates Book Reviews – REVIEW


Note:  I received a complimentary advance copy of Class Reunions Are Murder from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.


Thursday Thoughts:  Blog Tour/Review and Giveaway--Class Reunions Are Murder was originally published by Catherine for bookclublibrarian.com.  This post cannot be republished without attribution.  Retweeting and sharing on Google+ are appreciated.