In this second book of the series Poppy finds herself on the jury of a high profile assault case. Did she mention she was the only female on said jury? While on the jury she runs into Rod Harper, a man from her past who needs her help in finding his daughter who is missing. Poppy thinks she'll be able to handle the case no problem but can she ward off Rod's charms before she gets herself in trouble. As Poppy works the case she ends up finding a fellow juror floating dead in a pool. What is going on and who would have killed the man is all she can think of. She decides that she will take on the murder case in addition to her missing persons. She soon begins to wonder if the two cases are indeed connected but if so how? I'm the midst of looking for clues she soon learns that the killer doesn't want to be discovered. Can she figure out the answer of who the killer is before she herself becomes his next victim? This is such a fun series, it will make you laugh, root for Poppy, and wish you had a grandma like her. She is such a fun loving and vivacious character, I look forward to seeing what she gets into next!

In this second book in the Desert Flowers Mystery series, Poppy Harmon is settling in, along with her two best friends, to being a real private detective.

Her daughter has returned to live with her, having served her time. That brings her boyfriend, Matt, ever more into her life.

If that weren’t enough, Poppy is serving on a jury in a trial which involves a famous singer who has been accused of assaulting a famous chef.

Poppy also runs into an old co-star of her ill-fated television mystery series. The co-star was also an old flame, of sorts. He wants Poppy to find his adult, though young daughter, who has recently disappeared. He also wants to take up where they left things in the past.

Poppy isn’t quite sure what she wants but she does want to make money, so taking a case is not something she can walk away from.

She also comes across the dead body of an individual who was also a former jury on her trial. She and the crew get busy trying to find the daughter (for pay) and solving the murder (no pay but someone needs to investigate it!)

There is a lot of plot twists and hi-jinks. Old flames and new ones. I had fun visiting with the ladies and Matt, not to mention Wayne (the precocious grandson of one of the ladies who is constantly hacking into places he should not be.) I’ll be looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

This is the next installment of the "Desert Flowers" mystery series and my first read of the series. I was easily able to follow along and know the characters. This can be read as a stand alone. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I love that the main characters are seniors portrayed as savvy , smart and capable. Thank you to the author for making seniors your main character. 3 seniors are friends that form a detective agency with help behind the scenes . When no one will hire them because they are seniors they hire a front man for their agency to draw in customers and it works. Soon they are involved in a multi faceted case. The story is smart and well plotted. I enjoyed all the characters and loved the twists and turns to the sleuth. This is a smart fun series . I look forward to the next in series. I highly recommend this series.

Very enjoyable cozy mystery, well written and with great characters. There is actually more than one mystery, and the pace is very good.

Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury is the second installment of the Desert Flowers Mystery series. Lee Hollis delivers another fun cozy. I love when the sleuths are senior citizen age. They're always so spunky. Poppy, Iris and Violet are three friends who open up a detective agency. No one was willing to hire them so they have an actor friend named Matt Flowers front the agency. The other person involved in the agency is Violet's 12 year old grandson, Wyatt. He helps them with the computers. All five are characters on their own, but add all five together and I found myself laughing in several areas. I also enjoyed the fact that I did not guess who the murderer was right away. I also appreciated that Poppy was giving any information that they uncovered to the detective working the case. You don't necessarily have to read the books in order. However, the author makes references to the first book so it may be helpful to read it to alleviate any confusion. This is a great series and I can't wait for the next book! Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

After enjoying the first book in a new series I brace myself when starting the second entry, wondering if the sophomore slump will strike. Joy of joys, this is even better than the first. I'm ready to pre-order book three. Poppy, Iris, Violet, Sam and Matt are back. Poppy has served on a jury that ends as a hung jury because of one holdout. Poppy is sure that she saw a wink and a nod between the juror in question and the defendant. When the juror is later killed, Poppy is convinced that it's murder and it's all connected to the trial. As if that wasn't enough, the Desert Flowers Detective Agency (Poppy, Iris and Violet) has a paying case complete with strings attached to Poppy's days acting in a tv series that brings to mind Perry Mason and Remington Steele. Boy, those were great shows. Just like Remington Steele, Poppy and her partners hired a young man, Matt, to be their front man. Somehow prospective clients accept Matt faster that they might accept three over 60 ladies. Their loss. This new client starred with Poppy and wants her to track down his missing daughter. At the same time he has hope that he can rekindle their spark from those days.
There isn't anything I didn't like in this mystery. It satisfied my list of must haves in my cozies - likable characters, clever premise, properly complex puzzle and enough red herrings to keep me guessing. I hope this series has a long run. I want to spend more time with the Desert Flowers Detective Agency.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

These books just keep getting better! Poppy is on a jury, on several cases, deciding how she feels about her latest client - the actor she starred with, on a tv show years ago and keeping Matt, Wyatt and Violet on task!
This along with - a "planted" juror, a case involving stolen gems in a senior living community, the murder of a singing legend's wife and making sure Heather (Poppy's daughter) starts her life over on a positive note - makes for a rollercoaster ride you'll love!

I love the fast-paced mystery and varied storylines. The dialogue is witty and has the perfect blend of mystery, humor and romance. You become invested in all the characters and not just Poppy. For me, that makes a difference in a good book and a great one - one where the supporting characters are just as well-written as the main character. Poppy, Violet, Iris, Wyatt and Matt are the best sleuthing team around!

I can't wait for the next case!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury is the second book in Lee Hollis’ A Desert Flowers mystery series. This is a well-plotted fun and humorous read, with interconnecting investigations and twists and turns, likable characters.

Poppy Harmon is a sixty-two-year-old former actress whose deceased husband left her almost penniless. Poppy has one adult daughter, Heather, who spent the past year in prison. Poppy, who has a knack for solving puzzles, decided to become a licensed private investigator. Once she passed the exam, she opened the Desert Flowers Detective Agency, with her two best friends, Iris Becker and Violet Hogan. People were hesitant to hire three elderly women, so Poppy brings Heather’s handsome actor boyfriend, Matt Cameron, into the agency as its “face.” In this installment, Poppy is the jury foreperson during the trial of Tony Molina, a popular singer, for assaulting Chef Carmine Cicci. The judge declares a mistrial when the jury is hopelessly deadlocked with a vote of eleven to one to convict. Poppy sees a small exchange between the defendant and the holdout, Alden Kenny, and suspects there was jury tampering. When Alden contacts her, she believes he’s ready to come clean. When she finds him floating in his pool, she believes he was murdered. Meanwhile, Rod Harper, her former co-star, hires Desert Flowers to find his missing twenty-two-year-old daughter, Lara, a very troubled habitual liar. Even though Poppy tells Rod that she’s seeing someone else, he declares his love for her.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I love Poppy Harmon! She's 62 and active. With her two friends, Violet and Iris (all 60+) they are the Desert Flowers Detective Agency, fronted by a young actor Matt Cameron, known as Matt Flowers on their website.

Poppy finds herself the only female juror in a case against Tony Maleno, a beloved crooner.

The agency is hired to find a missing person and suddenly Poppy's romantic life gets complicated.

Plot twists and interconnecting investigations create more complications before they all wrap up in this cozy mystery.

Looking forward to more of this interesting group of characters.

Poppy, a retired television series actress joins her fellow retired friends to solve a mystery. Fun characters and lighthearted situations make this a comforting, satisfying read. Recommend to readers who enjoy Joanna Fluke and Leslie Meier.

Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury by Lee Hollis is the second installment in A Desert Flowers mystery series but can be read as a standalone.

Although most past references are clearly explained as it is the case with books that are part of series it is always better to read them in order.

Poppy is serving in a jury when renowned but a bit shady singer is acquitted from assault charges due to hung jury due to only one juror. Not long after the trial the same juror contacts Poppy because he needs to see her urgently, however when she arrives she finds him floating in a pool.
At the same time her former co-star hires her detective agency to find his missing daughter as he is trying to improve their relationship.
Now the agency is handling two cases and Poppy is trying to juggle two love interests.

Absorbing and well told mystery, with enough red herrings to keep readers interested. Clues are clearly shown and it is easy to follow the clues that lead to the culprit.
Poppy's domestic situation is progressing further and well as her daughter's current situation. It would be nice to see characters of the other members of the agency develop more as see get to see them only as background characters and in relation with the case.
Engaging, fun and easy to read this is the perfect choice for those who enjoy light cozy reads.

The second installment of the Dessert Flowers Mystery Series has Poppy Harmon on a jury and dodging advances for a client (and former co-worker) looking for his daughter. Poppy is a retired and became a private investigator for the Dessert Flowers detective agency with her two best friends and Matt an actor to be the face of the agency (ala Remington Steele). Poppy is on a jury of a popular singer and one juror is a holdout and Poppy has seen the singer and juror exchanging looks and she thinks something fishy is going on and when that juror ends up dead she knows she was right. When Rod Harper comes in looking to hire the agency to find his daughter he begins making moves on his former co-star Poppy. What a fun and fast paced read. Love this series.

Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury
(A Desert Flowers Mystery #2)
by Lee Hollis

Hardcover, 288 pages
Expected publication: December 31st 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation




Goodreads synopsis:
For retiree-turned-PI Poppy Harmon, spending her golden years running the Desert Flowers Detective Agency is far from the glamorous life she once knew. But becoming ensnared in two twisted Palm Springs crimes might be her worst look yet . . .

If Poppy didn't believe she was in too deep as the only female juror in a high-profile assault case involving an infamously hot-tempered crooner, she's sure of it upon meeting blast-from-her-past Rod Harper. A former TV co-star from her short-lived acting days, Rod is as dashing as ever, and now he wants to partner again--this time to locate his missing daughter . . .

Returning a pampered songstress with a penchant for running away back home unscathed shouldn't be too challenging. But dodging Rod's charms while on the job is another story--and so is finding a dead body! When Poppy discovers a fellow juror face down in a swimming pool, she's unwittingly thrust into a murder investigation with sinister parallels to the troubled chanteuse's disappearance . . .

As Poppy struggles to survive a steamy love triangle while deciphering the connection between two seemingly unrelated cases, the Desert Flowers Agency must outsmart a ruthless killer who will do anything to keep hideous secrets hidden away . . . including ensuring Poppy becomes the next forgotten ex-actress to bite the dust . . .

***

5 Stars

This is the second book in the Desert Flowers mystery series by Lee Hollis.

What a hoot this was. Every child of the 80’s will get a kick out of this cozy mystery! This is Remington Steele meets Charlie’s Angels meets Magnum PI meets Perry Mason all wrapped up in one delicious cozy of a mystery.

Poppy Harmon used to be the Della Street to Rod Harper’s Magnum PI/Perry Mason character for three seasons in the 80’s. Poppy has since retired from working on television and now owns a PI agency with her two best friends Violet and Iris. In order for their agency to be taken seriously, Poppy has hired a young 28 year old actor named Matt to be the face of their business (a la Remington Steele). Now Rod Harper has come to their agency in order to find his daughter who has disappeared. Once he sees Poppy again, Rod wants to rekindle their one time relationship into something much bigger.

In the meantime, Poppy has been serving on the jury of a popular singer which resulted in a hung jury when one man remained a standout and wouldn’t even consider the facts of the case. Poppy sees this juror and the singer exchange telling look which makes Poppy believe this could have been a case of jury tampering. And when this juror is found dead a few days later, Poppy knows something fishy is going on.

There was an interesting dynamic in this book between Poppy’s current on again/off again beau Sam and the shiny new blossoming relationship with Rod. I loved every second of this and plan to pick up book one in the series ASAP.

If you love a good cozy mystery that gives you all the feels, definitely pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

I can't get enough of this series! I LOVED the first book and the second book is just as good. I love the writing, the characters, especially Poppy, and the plot lines! It wold be so much fun if The Desert Flowers Detective Agency made its way onto TV. I HIGHLY recommend this series!

Poppy Harmon was a TV actress, then a pampered wife. Then things fell apart. Poppy's drive and determination have gotten her through a lot and now she has her own detective agency. Her life is still complicated, and the last thing she needs is jury duty -- but that's what she's got.
What's more, she's got one juror who seems determined to ignore the evidence. Is there something more than meets the eye?
Poppy and her friends and family are likable and interesting. But that doesn't keep any of them out of danger. I like the way they're developing through the series and look forward to learning more about them in the future... if they survive their adventures.

The second book in the series was even better than the first.
The protagonist is absolutely delightful and with humor and some wonderful friends continues her new life as a private investigator.
The whodunit was well written and had twists that kept me enthralled until the very end.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next one.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

What a fun book! It's the second in a series involving a lovely retired actress turned private investigator now living in Palm Springs. She turns back to her show biz days to solve this mystery. While it is a cozy, its not a light cozy. It held my interest until the end and kept me guessing. I am going to go back now and read the first and hope for a third! Thank you NetGalley for the advanced readers copy for review.

retirees, actors, private-investigators, crooks, investigation, cozy-mystery, situational-humor, verbal-humor, California

Poppy's a widowed retired actor, a fellow juror exhibits more than a little suspicious behavior, her daughter is about to be paroled, the investigation agency she shares with friends gets hired by a former costar, and then there's that murder. Lots of sleuthing in Southern California and lots of name dropping, too, but it's the situational humor that got me! Loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.

I received a free copy of POPPY HARMON AND THE HUNG JURY (Book 2 of the Desert Flowers Detective Agency Mysteries) by Lee Hollis in exchange for an honest review. Poppy Harmon is back, and she’s sitting on the jury of a high-profile assault case involving both a famous singer and an equally famous chef. one of the jurors acknowledges the defendant’s guilt but resolutely refuses to return a guilty verdict; this results in a mistrial. When Poppy witnesses a wink and a nod between the juror and the defendant after the trial, Poppy feels an urge to figure out whether there had been jury tampering. However, Poppy and her friends are distracted by an actual, paying case. Soon, the paying case and a couple of non-paying cases return Poppy to her jury tampering inquires and take up most of Poppy’s attention. With so much going on, Poppy can barely spare any worry for her convict daughter and the sudden appearance a love triangle, or two.

I liked this book and enjoy the series. The first book set the series up as Murder She Wrote meets The Golden Girls meets Remington Steele. I recommend this series to fans of cozy mysteries featuring active seniors, actors, singers, gambling, golf, and murder.

#PoppyHarmonandtheHungJury #NetGalley