I love this series and it never fails to amuse me. This is the second book in the series. Poppy and her Aunt are working to get their BB open. There are a rash of neighborhood break ins and when one of the victims is found dead Aunt Ginny is arrested. Poppy sets out to solve the murder. I love the Cape May setting and the characters. The mystery was good with plenty of suspects. These books never fail to make me laugh out loud. Enjoy

I liked Aunt Ginny and Georgina when they were funny. I liked Smitty. I didn't know who to suspect for the murder.

I received an arc from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review.

Poppy and Aunt Ginny are set to test run their B&B
It is a stress filled time, not made any easier by the presence of Poppy's Mother-in-Law, Georgina.
She seems to take joy in tortuting their handy man and changing Poppy's plans.
Add in some sleepwalking by Aunt Gnny, hijinx by Figaaro and a special guest, two potential boyfriends for Poppy and a murder close to home. (Within walking distance, or sleepwalking distance)

This fast paced page turner is hilarious and may make you hold your breath.
When you think you are following there is always a new twist.

Midnight Snacks are Murder is the second book in Libby Klein’s cozy A Poppy McAllister Mystery series. I enjoyed the first book, but this one was even better. There are things that are over the top, which I loved and a lot of humour. I do recommend reading this series in order, but this one can be read as a standalone. This book we find Poppy and Aunt Ginny are dealing with all the work around the house as they are preparing to open up their new B&B. Aunt Ginny has a dizzying episode and Poppy rushes her to the doctor. The doctor gives her some prescriptions to help her with stress and to sleep, but they have some side effects. It seems they have Aunt Ginny sleepwalking and she enters houses of friends eating and taking trinkets. When a local humanitarian is found murdered in his home with snacks eaten, Aunt Ginny is suspected. She is placed on house arrest with an ankle bracelet so she can't leave her property. Poppy knows she couldn't kill anyone, so enlists the help of some friends to gain information and begins her own investigation.

I really enjoyed this book and spent a lot of time laughing. Poppy is a plus sized woman who has an autoimmune disease and has begun to eat gluten free. She bakes amazing pastries and has been hired by the hunky, Italian cafe owner to provide them for his shop. There is a bit of a romance brewing there as well. This book has quirky Aunt Ginny up to her old tricks. I loved seeing what she would do next to try and escape her home to do something fun. Then we have Georgina, Poppy's former Mother-in-law. She is there to make sure her investment in the B&B is going well. She sticks her nose in everything to do with the renovations, and has Poppy losing her cool more than once. The final character that had me laughing out loud was Smitty, the handyman trying to complete the renovations. His 3 Stooges sounds and interactions with Georgina are priceless. With all this going on, Poppy is trying to find the person who is responsible for the murder and in order to do that, she needs to find a motive. It seems everyone likes Poppy and talks freely with her, which gives her evidence that the police might not have. There is an interesting mystery to solve and it is well plotted with clues sprinkled throughout. Some of the characters lie and send Poppy in the wrong directions, but she eventually follows the right clues. I laughed my way through this one and can't recommend it enough. I am moving right on to the next one.

Thought it was a great premise--Aunt Ginny's sleepwalking after receiving a new prescription really makes Poppy have her hands full as she tries to also get her baking business of the ground. Poppy seems to be settling down in Cape May, and really wants to help with her aunt is being framed for the murder. Well written, good guessing murder mystery.

I apologize due to a death in the family I was unable to read and review this book. I apologize to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my inability to follow through.

I love Poppy and her Aunt Ginny. The situations that they get into make me laugh out loud, especially between Poppy and her mother-in-law. There is a good mystery in the book, but I enjoy spending time with the characters and seeing what will happen next. I like that Poppy seems like a real "person" and gets herself into some situations that could happen in real life. I can't wait to see what will happen next with these characters!

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This is my favorite book of the series - hands down! I could not put it down!

Hee main character, Poppy, is so realistic. The fact that Libby has given Poppy something to handke that many struggle with in thekr own daily lives is what makes her realistic, I love the setting of a bed and breakfast is perfect and something I enjoyed.

I cannot wait to see what happens next!

I loved the first book in the series and found this one enjoyable as well. My only comment is that I didn't think that the characters hadn't developed much since the first book. However, the mystery was a page-turner and I found intriguing. This one had twists and turns and I was guessing until the end. I'm looking forward to the next one in the series!

This was a very good book but I just food that some of the things Aunt Ginny got into were ridiculous and over the top. While in the first book, I found that funny, in this book it was just obnoxious.

Over all, I still enjoyed the book and will continue on with with series.

This is the 2nd Poppy McAllister Mystery. The first one was a funny and charming cozy mystery and this one is a great follow-up. Poopy is remodeling the house into a B&B, and her Aunt Ginny, who is a real character, is sleepwalking at night into other people's houses as a side effect of her new medication. Unfortunately, a man is found dead and Aunt Ginny becomes the number one suspect. Poppy has to solve the crime to clear her aunt's name.

This was a fun cozy with a great setting and quirky characters. I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed seeing these characters again. This is a fun, easy and quick read. I enjoy this author and look forward to the next book in this series.

This is book 2 in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series and is stand alone. I don't know how I missed book 1, Class reunions are murder but I've already got it on top of my TBR pile. Set in Cape May, New Jersey it's very apparent that Ms. Klein is familiar with the area. I lived there for 30 years and she is sport on with the seaside Victorian town. As Poppy and her Aunt Ginny are almost finished with their renovations on their B&B and the kitchen is getting ready for her baking business a new medication has Aunt Ginny sleep walking and picking up items in the neighbors houses. Now, 2 murders later she is the prime suspect. Well written, looking forward to book 3, Restaurant weeks can be murder. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This series is laugh out loud funny! Poppy's inner monolog is the best. This was a pure joy to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book, which I voluntarily chose to review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I had seen the first book in this series and remember thinking it looked really good. Haven't read it yet but definitely plan to purchase it now. So I was super excited to read this book and it did not disappoint. I would say this is not your typical cozy. It actually reminded me a bit of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series. Aunt Ginny reminds me a lot of Stephanie's grandmother. Both are great characters and very enjoyable to read about.

Poppy, the main character, I found to be realistic and relate-able. All of the characters definitely had distinct personalities and there was a nice mixture of personality types, which made things interesting. My favorite thing about this book was the humor. There were many things that literally made me laugh out loud and there aren't a ton of cozies that have that level of humor.

The mystery itself was well plotted and the ending was definitely unpredictable and certainly very difficult to figure out before it was revealed in the book. I was not able to figure it out but it was still fun getting there. This is now one of my favorite new series and I'll be keeping an eye on this author for sure!

“Your next strike for…buying drugs?”
“It’s called possession. Don’t you watch TV or anything?”
“Nobody gets arrested for possession on Cake Boss.”
“What’s Cake Boss?”
“It’s like Breaking Bad, but with frosting.”
Libby Klein, Midnight Snacks Are Murder, Kindle Loc. 2115

Cape May is being turned upside down as someone is breaking into neighbor’s houses, stealing their knickknacks and eating their goodies.

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 . . .
https://libbykleinbooks.com/books/midnight-snacks-are-murder/

There were so many quotes I highlighted in Libby Klein’s LOL Midnight Snacks Are Murder, the second in her Poppy McAllister mystery series, it was had to choose. Here’s the runner up: “I’d been stranded in Cape May with my eighty-ish great aunt ever since I was lured up here to attend my twenty-fifth high school reunion a few weeks ago and was voted most likely to kill a cheerleader.”

Libby’s books are fun reads. Her characters are delightful even when they are annoying. Even the cat, Figaro, is three-dimensional. But then when I went to Libby’s website and hit on the link to Figaro’s World, I found that Libby gets cats.

The first in her series, Class Reunions Are Murder, I haven’t read yet, but after reading the second, this is one series that I will go back and read the first—which for me is saying a lot!

Please welcome Libby Klein to WWK. E. B. Davis
Poppy is converting Aunt Ginny’s house into the Butterfly B & B in Cape May, NJ to support Aunt Ginny, her great aunt, who raised her. Did Poppy work when she lived in Waterford, VA? What did she do?
Poppy supported her late husband while he finished law school by working as a checker at the A&P. It was never her dream to one day wear a smock to work, but you do what you gotta do to pay the bills. Having only a high school diploma herself, Poppy bounced around between a few minimum wage jobs for years until she went to work as a receptionist in her husband’s law firm in Waterford.

Why isn’t Aunt Ginny in better financial shape?
Aunt Ginny’s Grand Victorian has been owned by the McAllister family for generations, but the taxes on a property like this in Cape May are well above the ability for someone living on a small pension and social security to pay. And with old houses, things tend to need repair often. She used to share the cost with her sister, but Emmy died a few years earlier and thus far, Aunt Ginny’s plan to win the lottery has not paid off.

Why are they naming the B & B, Butterfly?
In Class Reunions, Poppy breaks out of the bondage of shame and self-pity that she’d been living in. She’d been hiding from the world instead of living her life because of depression over her past, her weight, and fear of not being acceptable by society norms. Aunt Ginny encourages her to love herself and embrace life right now. It’s not too late to change and be who she was meant to be - like a butterfly. It’s the second pivotal moment in the story where Poppy has to choose to rise up and fight for herself.


When Aunt Ginny goes on her sleepwalking raids, does she help herself to snacks because of the Paleo Diet she’s adopted to support Poppy, whose doctor recommended it for weight loss?
Well. We can only assume. Sleepwalking can be a manifestation of your subconscious desires. When Aunt Ginny signed on to support Poppy in bettering her health and fighting depression, she had no idea that the cost would be so high as to remove peanut butter. Of course, Aunt Ginny might subconsciously just want a hunk of pie.

Amber, a local cop, does her job, but she has history with Poppy. I’m surprised a former cheerleader became a cop, which may be my own prejudice. What was the history between Amber and Poppy?
Life is all about the choices we make and their ensuing consequences. Amber was one of the bullies who tormented Poppy through high school. She was second in command of the bully squad, if you will. The friction between Poppy and Amber goes deeper than juvenile name calling. The rest of the bad blood between them is a bit of a spoiler revealed in Class Reunions. Poppy does learn a lesson that we all have moments where we are not our best and hurt others, and not all situations are black and white. More is revealed about their relationship as the series progresses.

Aunt Ginny’s dubbed the “Snack Bandit,” but unfortunately someone, a murderer, copycats her M.O., putting Aunt Ginny in the frame for murder. Since the elderly are the least likely to kill, why are the police so sure Aunt Ginny is the culprit?
If you ask Aunt Ginny, the police can be lazy and try to convict the easiest target. Aunt Ginny will also tell you that bit about the elderly being the least likely to kill is hogwash. You haven’t been to Bingo when the jackpot has been tampered with. If you ask Poppy, certain blonde officers have it in for her and her family. But if you ask the police, the crime scene for the murder matches the M.O. for the crime scenes for the break-ins and there are no coincidences.

Was Poppy’s best friend, Sawyer, responsible for getting Poppy to Cape May?
In Class Reunions, Sawyer used the age-old contract of the pinky swear to convince Poppy that she had to return home as her bully backup for the reunion. Sawyer was also expecting a rather unpleasant run-in with her newly divorced ex-husband and his bad choice of the month. Poppy could never say no to a friend in need, so she returns home to Beach Hell – just for the weekend.

Poppy hasn’t been back to Cape May since she graduated from high school due to her embarrassment about jilting Tim, who was her fiancé and sweetheart from high school. I’m surprised. Even with being embarrassed, she loves Aunt Ginny and her BF, Sawyer. Was that all there was to it?
Poppy’s avoidance of Cape May goes much deeper than her breakup with Tim. Cape May holds all the bad memories and feelings from childhood and adolescence. Her one big goal in life was to get out and move far away. Away from abandonment, away from isolation, away from not fitting in. Now that she’s back, she has to face her fears and try to make peace with her past.

Like many of us, Poppy blames herself for the original jilting of Tim, who she is now seeing again, but she’s also interested in Italian barista, Giampaolo, aka=Gia. So, in addition to feeling like she’s two-timing Tim again, she’s also feeling unfaithful to her late husband. Is she missing the obvious or doesn’t want to admit to herself the truth?
At the beginning of Class Reunions, Poppy’s husband of nearly twenty-five years had died about six months earlier. Poppy’s been grieving her way through the snack food aisles of the local grocery store. Now that she finds herself in Cape May, she comes face to face with Tim, her first love, and has to relive one of the biggest regrets of her life. Her emotions are all over the map. Add the attraction to Giampaolo to the mix and it’s no wonder Poppy’s a hot mess. Aunt Ginny would tell Poppy, “There’s no ring on your finger; go out and have a good time.” But Poppy’s past impetuous choices have left her terrified of making another mistake.

I like “Itty-Bitty” Smitty or “I-can-fix-that” Smitty. He’s seems incompetent, even if persistent. Why does Poppy continue working with him?
Partly because he was all she could get at the last minute and within her budget, but mostly because Poppy is loyal to a fault. Once you’re her friend, she’ll stand by you no matter what. She can be patient with your mistakes because she knows she’s made so many of her own.

Why does Gia’s mother dislike Poppy so much? She and her daughter are passive-aggressive, which I hate!
Hmm. That’s a good question. Gia doesn’t seem too concerned about either of their opinions. He’s interested in Poppy and no one will deter him from pursuing her.

Why is Karla, Gia’s sister, so cryptic? Snob. What is that all about?!





Georgiana is a dislikable character who seems bent on gaining power and control over the household. Even though she comes clean in the end, it doesn’t end her horrible behavior. Is it something she can’t control?
She doesn’t know any better. Georgina has had a life of privilege, and financial power often comes with social power and the misconception that one should have power over everything else. And it usually does. Money solves a lot of problems. Georgina has wielded that power over Poppy for most of her life because she married her son and became part of her domain. In Midnight Snacks, it’s up to Poppy to stand up for herself and take that power back.

My daughter has Celiac Disease and my son is now trying out the Paleo Diet for three months to discover if it helps inflammation. He and his wife are visiting next weekend. I’ve done pretty well doing GF cooking and baking, but I’m at a loss with Paleo. I read the recipes at the back of your book, such as Paleo Espresso Brownies, and I have a few questions.

Aren’t eggs considered dairy?
No, but a lot of people ask this question. Dairy is milk and things made from milk. (cheese, cream, sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, kefir) It comes from cows. (And sheep and goats.) Eggs are sold in the “dairy aisle” of the grocery store, but they are in the meat food group. In a sense, eggs are baby chickens the way veal is baby cow. (If I think about that too hard I won’t be able to eat either one.) Dairy is hard to digest and very inflammatory. That’s why its not popular on anti-inflammatory diets like FODMAP and Paleo.
*Note – eggs are not allowed if you’re allergic to them. I’m not. I have enough trouble with grains, sugars and milk stuff.


If there isn’t any sugar, how can coconut sugar or honey be allowed?
There is a difference between sweet and sugar.

You can have natural sweeteners in moderation – fruit, honey, pure maple syrup, stevia, natural sugars from coconut, dates, monk fruit. They’re natural, less refined, have some vitamins. But even though a brownie is made from honey instead of white sugar, it should still be considered a treat and eaten in moderation – not three times a day – no matter how irritated you are. (Sorry. Talking to myself for a minute.)

You want to avoid the highly processed sweeteners of bleached white cane sugar, corn sugar, corn syrup, glucose syrup, invert sugar - because they’re super sugars, highly processed. Highly inflammatory (and light your brain up like cocaine.)

Paleo Diet = Nothing fake. Ingredients exist in nature.

Isn’t yogurt dairy? (Paleo Granola Parfaits)
The Paleo granola parfaits are made from coconut yogurt, nuts, coconut and fruit.

Yogurt made from dairy [milk] is not allowed on the Paleo diet. Food scientists have found a way to make “dairy” products out of non-dairy ingredients. That’s why you have almond milk, cashew milk, macadamia milk, coconut milk. These things have zero milk in them. No dairy at all. No cows (or sheep or goats) were involved. But no one wants to buy a bottle of “Nut Juice.” In the same way, they’ve found a way to make “yogurt” out of these alternative “milks”. And there are some really good soft “cheeses” on the market made from nuts.

*Note – you can also get all these things, ie – “milk”, “yogurt”, “cheese”, “ice cream” made from soy as well. Soy is NOT Paleo.

Your book covers are fabulous. Who creates them?
Thank you. Kensington has wonderfully talented designers who’ve made three beautiful covers for me.

What’s next for Poppy and the gang?
Restaurant Weeks Are Murder is released in March, 2019. Poppy will get to live out a lifelong dream of working in a professional kitchen next to Tim in the first annual Cape May Restaurant Week Chopped-style Competition. Unfortunately, Gigi - Tim’s perky blonde mentee/girlfriend wannabe is also on Tim’s team. Some dreams should never come true.



Libby Klein’s secretary—will get back to you when he feels like it.

Every bit as awesome as book one! Poppy is trying to get the new B&B off the ground but the stress is causing issues with her Aunt who goes on some new meds to help. Unfortunately they cause sleep walking that comes with some strange behavior. Just when they figure out what is going on a murder victim is found with an MO that matches the Aunt's nightly routine. With Amber as the officer in charge Poppy feels compelled to investigate only to uncover a nasty surprise. This book is just full of great characters, action, and laughs on every page. Keeping up with the Aunt and Mother-in-Law are full time jobs that Poppy does her best to juggle. I love how real she is with her breakdowns with food and more. Beautifully written and it really is a must read for fans of culinary cozy mysteries. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

I enjoyed the first in this series and can happily say the same about the second! This one was just as laugh out loud funny as book number one.  In case you’re wondering, you really don’t need to read the first to enjoy the second. Midnight Snacks works as a stand alone. You can catch up on any key info easily and there are no spoilers in case you do want to go back to book one.

The characters:

Poppy is going strong in her journey of self-betterment. She’s committed to her diet and exercise and to standing up for herself more.  The scene where she finally tells her (former) mother-in-law a thing or two was glorious.

Aunt Ginny is a crazy as ever.  We get bits of info about her past and see how devoted Poppy is to her.  Libby writes this eccentric old lady who is beloved by friends and neighbours and who always delivers a great laugh.

Sawyer is back.  We see Poppy's best friend hiding a secret of her own yet still trying to make time for her friend in need.

The love triangle: I’m not a huge fan of love triangles so this is not my favourite part of the story. However, it’s so well-written! And it’s not a secret. Gia is suave and sweet and hot... ask Judy who insisted on walking behind him just to enjoy the view! Tim is nostalgic and charming and cute. He was Poppy’s first love. I have no idea which one Poppy will eventually pick. But I think part of me is rooting for Gia.

The murder mystery aspect is very well plotted. There were several possible murder weapons, suspects, good motives and opportunities. The red herrings abound as well. A couple of those suspects I would have happily seen tossed in jail though!

The pacing is done right throughout the book. The tension is also well-done. Poppy finds herself in just the right amount of hot water to make the tale interesting but not too much to induce eye rolling.

Favourite parts:

I wanted to choose just one favourite part but I couldn’t decide between these two:

The party bus search party for Aunt Ginny.
Aunty Ginny playing escape artist.


Least favourite:

Amber.  We gotta get to the bottom of the real Amber story!



Favourite quotes:

...I was too tired to grouse this morning about what God had given me and Betty Crocker had perfected...



...I let a bleary-eyed Sawyer in to help keep an eye on the Gangsta Granny. “How’d it go last night?” 

I sighed. “The schnapps helped. She didn’t try to escape until around five a.m.” 

“Is that why there’s an Officer Birkwell in front of the mailbox?” 

“He had the pleasure of frisking her, to fish her spare car keys out of her bloomers this morning.”



Those kids could text the Constitution in thirty seconds using just emojis.



Overall this was a very fun read and a great follow-up to Class Reunions Are Murder.



I give this book 4.5/5 snacking espresso shots!

This was my first book by this author. I haven't read the previous book in this series, but I didn't feel like I was missing anything so this book can definitely stand on it's own.

This book just wasn't a good fit for me personally. I wasn't very interested in or invested in any of the characters, so that made it really hard for the story to keep my attention. I was just kind of indifferent to the characters. The mystery aspect of the book was intriguing though and I was not able to guess the killer - I was not expecting that when it was revealed.

Midnight Snacks are Murder by Libby Klein is the second book in A Poppy McAllister Mystery series. Poppy McAllister has her hands full with completing the renovations on Aunt Ginny’s Victorian home to turn it into the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast, whipping up goodies for her gluten-free baking business, and keeping an eye on Aunt Ginny and her cat, Figaro. But then her mother-in-law, Georgina decides to visit to check on her investment and proves more of a hinderance than a help (as usual). Georgina has her own ideas for the B&B and is constantly undermining Poppy’s instructions to the contractor, Smitty. Thank heavens for Giampaolo and his soothing presence. Then strange thefts start plaguing the neighborhood where the thief is taking knickknacks and eating snacks. It seems Aunt Ginny’s new medications have caused her to sleepwalk. After a visit to the doctor, Poppy takes Aunt Ginny around the neighborhood offering apologies and returning the stolen items. The next day, police arrive to arrest Aunt Ginny for the death of Brody Brandt whose crime scene looks similar to those of the Snack Bandit as Aunt Ginny has been dubbed by the press. Someone is framing Aunt Ginny and Poppy intends to reveal the truth to keep Aunt Ginny out of the slammer. Poppy needs to work quickly, though, because Aunt Ginny is on house arrest which gives her too much time to plot mischief.

Midnight Snacks are Murder will have you laughing the whole way through with Aunt Ginny and Georgina’s antics. While this is the second book in the series, it can be read alone. I thought Midnight Snacks are Murder to be nicely written, to have a steady pace and smooth transitions. While Poppy is the main character, she is overshadowed by Aunt Ginny, Georgina and Figaro (the cat). I like finding out more about Georgina and the reason for her behavior. However, I do not see her changing her behavior overnight. I find Aunt Ginny to be too over-the-top. She comes across as crazy instead of eccentric. I did not understand why the local cops did not just stick her in a cell and throw away the key when she kept escaping house arrest. The city had a cop stationed outside the house (no city can afford to waste manpower in that manner). I was happy that Poppy actively investigated the murder. I am surprised, though, that people were so willing to talk to her (it is New Jersey) considering she is not with the police or a private investigator. I thought it was a breeze to finger the culprit, but others may be surprised when the solution is revealed (depends on your sleuthing level). I did not like the love triangle present in the story or the amount of time devoted to romance. I felt Gia was coming on too strong and seems too perfect (of course, there is his mother). The presents he bought Poppy were considerate and expensive. I was drooling over the description of cobalt blue Viking dual fuel range (I want it). I enjoyed the ending with Mrs. Galbraith (it gave me a good laugh). A couple of Poppy’s recipes are included at the end of the book. If you enjoy amusing cozy mysteries with comical hijinks, then you will not want to miss Midnight Snacks are Murder.