Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer by Lee Hollis is the third book in the cozy A Desert Flowers Mystery series. As with most cozy mysteries each book of this series contains it’s own mystery that is fully solved within the book so they could be read as a standalone if choosing to do so. There is however some character building that carries over book to book for those that follow the series from the beginning.

In the first book of the series readers were introduced to Poppy Harman who is a sixty something retired actress who thought she was going to be living out the rest of her life comfortably with her husband. However, after Poppy’s husband passed away quite suddenly she found out that her rather comfortable life was all a lie and that her husband had gambled away their last cent.

When Poppy sat down with her two best friends, Iris and Violet, trying to brainstorm ideas to earn money with no real experience other than acting the trio came up with the idea that Poppy has rather remarkable investigative skills so why not become a detective? With a bit of effort the Desert Flowers Detective Agency was opened with Iris and Violet coming in to assist.

Things weren’t going so well with the new business when it seemed no one wanted to hire three “older” ladies so Poppy got a plan to use her daughter’s boyfriend, an actor, to be the face of the firm. Now that the ladies are up and running and have a few solved cases under their belt it’s time to dust off Poppy’s own acting talent. The ladies have been hired to keep an eye on rising star Danika Delgado and being in front of the camera again keeps Poppy close to Danika while keeping an eye out for her possible stalker.

I have followed the Desert Flowers Mystery series from the beginning and have compared this one to turning the Golden Girls into detectives. The books have an extremely humorous vibe with quirky fun characters which is what I enjoy in my cozy mysteries so of course I love coming back to the series each time. Along with the quirky character and fun vibes there’s also an engaging mystery in each book so I will continue to follow this series in the future!

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

This was an entertaining cozy mystery. I love Poppy Harmon and her Desert Flowers Detective Agency cohorts. Their personalities are different and their interactions keep you chuckling. It was appealing to read about senior adult ladies running a private investigator service. They may be older, but they’re smart and really care about each other. Lots of characters but they are developed well enough that you can keep track of them. I’ll definitely read more books in this series!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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I like this series. This installment I enjoyed more than the last one, but I like when a series can make me appreciate the characters as it goes on, feels like growth. I enjoyed poppy and Matt! It was a fun, quick read and I would recommend it to others.

Poppy Harmon was a TV actress in the 80s but now she runs the Desert Flowers Detective Agency which has been hired to protect Danika Delgado, a rising starlet and social media influencer, from a stalker. while she is filming in the Palm Springs area. The director remembers Poppy from the past and convinces her to take on the part of the hotel owner in the film.

When Poppy discovers Danika smothered in her trailer, she is reminded of a serial killer in the 80s who was never caught. Was this a copy cat killer or has the Pillow Talk killer resurfaced?

Fun characters and well-written.

With the first installments of this series, I was a little bit surprised and confused by the different writing style and target audience, but now that I’ve got a couple of books under me, I felt like I was better prepared for this third installment.

The difference in writing style is still definitely there, but I found that I enjoyed it more this time. It has grown on me the more I read and I think the only reason why it tipped me off was because of the difference in the authors. But this time, the theme of the story was something that really resonated with me. Poppy and her crew are dipping their toes back into acting. Since Poppy is double my age, I thought that it was a little hard to relate to her with the first book, so I worried if something like this would be something I would enjoy. But the acting premise definitely closed that age gap for me and made things more enjoyable this time around.

That being said, I definitely enjoyed this installment more than the first and I’m looking forward to reading more of this crew in the future books!

Lee Hollis brings us another Desert Flowers mystery in Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer. Poppy and her investigative team are hired by actress Danika to find the man who is stalking her. They are on the movie set and Poppy finds herself acting after being away from movies for years. Danika ends up dead but her murder is like serial murders of the Pillow Talk Killer from years ago that tangentially involved Poppy. The investigative team is under threat. Whodunit? Read and find out in this intriguing cozy.

Princess Fuzzypants here: How could you not like Poppy Harmon? She is a former tv star who has been forced to reinvent herself as a private investigator but recognizes the hurdles of her age and sex and has brought in a hunky young actor named Matt as the face of the Matt Flowers Agency. What was once a matter of convenience has turned into a very good and effective duo, ably assisted by Poppy’s two senior partners, Violet and Iris.

After they are hired by the young actress starring in a new movie, both Poppy and Matt get hired on as actors too. There job is protect the woman from a stalker until she fires them. Bad move on her part with disastrous consequences. When Poppy finds her body, it brings back memories of a similar crime wave from the early 80s. Has the serial killer returned or is it a copycat?

There is a ton of action, lots of intrigue and a riveting story. Poppy, Matt and the other characters are not only likeable and intelligent but they are so well fleshed out that I have been able to visualize certain actors playing the characters. That is an excellent sign. I did twig to the killer on the set really early on but the reasons behind the actions were a revelation later. The cold murders were another surprise and both story lines had me hooked. Parts of the storyline could have been ripped from recent headlines. Here is hoping there are a lot more Poppy adventures to come.

Five purrs and two paws up.

I liked this outing with Poppy and the team (though this primarily features Poppy and Matt) more than I recall liking the first book. It takes advantage of Poppy and Matt's personal and professional experience in show biz to good effect. The story was also so well developed and full of detail that it read more like a (clean) standard mystery than a cozy.

I ultimately read a hardcover version from the public library, but also was given access to a free review copy from Netgalley (in exchange for my honest review) which I neglected to download in time.

I absolutely love Poppy and her pals, even if almost every single thing that happens to them is completely unrealistic! The dynamics between the multi-generational characters is unique and enjoyable. As someone who was a tween/teen in the 1980s, I love the references to old TV shows and pop culture, and Poppy reminds me of Cybill Shepherd. The flashbacks to the 1980s were done very well and I was actually able to identify who the original Pillow Talk Killer was, as well as the copycat, but the twist about their connection threw me! My only quibble with the book is that while the older characters are very well written, the younger ones don't always come off as well. For instance, I find it hard to believe that someone in their 60's (Poppy) would find it incredulous that someone in their 30's (Matt) would know who Pink Floyd was. The multiple car crashes and left for dead scenes started to get a little over the top by the end, but...this is just a fun read that I was able to overlook that.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of POPPY HARMON AND THE PILLOW TALK KILLER (Book 3 of the Desert Flowers Mysteries) by Lee Hollis in exchange for an honest review.

The Desert Flowers Mystery series is a lot of fun. Poppy Harmon and her two friends, Iris and Violet are the Desert Flowers Detective Agency. Because no one will hire three, female, seniors to investigate for them, they bring on Matt Flowers, their Remington Steele. (If you don't get that reference, you will need to google it). They are a hoot and I always enjoy seeing what they get up to while working on a case. In this story, Poppy and Matt find themselves on a film set trying to find a stalker who is infatuated with Danika Delgado, a rising starlet and social media influencer with a large following. To remain undercover, they are both given parts in the production. Unfortunately, Danika ends up dead, smothered in her trailer. This has Poppy very worried that The Pillow Talk Killer from years ago, is back and killing again.

This book and series is packed with great characters. They are all so different, but have such great personalities, quirks and are a great team. I love Matt. He started out as a bit of a heel in book 1, but I like him as much as Poppy now. There are so many suspects in this story that I had no idea who had killed Danika. The twists and the humour kept coming, so not only was I reading quickly to see whodunnit, but to enjoy the story and have some good laughs as well. The showdown was great and gave me the conclusion I was hoping for. If you haven't read any of the books in this series, you can read this one as a standalone, but I recommend you start at the beginning of this series, because you won't want to miss any of the Desert Flowers Mysteries.

Poppy's detective agency has been asked by Danika Delgado to look I to a stalker situation for her. The young social media influencer is the main character in a new film and she worries about someone vetting to her on the set. Matt, Poppy's sidekick, is happy to look after the young woman while Poppy tries to figure out who the stalker may be. While on the set of only does Poppy get asked to join the cast but Matt does as well. The two are looking at crew members, other cast mates, and any outside people in hopes of coming up with just one suspect. The whole gang is in on the action and secrets start to come to light. Follow along as the Desert Flowers Detective Agency does everything they can to keep a.young woman out of harms way. Will they succeed or will death visit the set in the end?

This is the 3rd installment in the Desert Flower Mystery series. Poppy Harmon is a private investigator in her golden years along with her two best friends Violet and Iris and Matt Cameron (aka Matt Flowers) is the cover or face for the agency (aka Remington Steele). The agency is hired by the new star Danika Delgado who has a stalker and has been receiving threats. The movie is a 1960’s remake and Danika is a social influencer and high profile star and she wants Matt and Poppy (who she thinks is his assistant) on the set with her all the time. At first there are objections and then the director recognizes Poppy from her role in a 1980’s private investigator drama. The director wants to hire her immediately for a role and she does not want to act again but gets forced into it. Famous producer Hal Greenwood is not thrilled by the addition of the private detectives as at the moment he is being hounded by a reporter who wants to find dirt on him and all the rumors that surround him and allegations of sexual harassment etc. Then when there are issues with Danika’s co-star, Matt (who is an aspiring actor) gets pulled into the production as well. Danika is hot and cold and after Matt is almost killed on set and her former co-star is implicated, Danika fires Poppy and Matt. Poppy begins to wonder what is going on goes to talk to her and she is locked in her trailer and she is found dead with a pillow over her head. This freaks Poppy out as back in the 80’s when she was on her show there had been a serial killer who killed three actresses and Poppy feels she could have been the third victim and it turns out she knew the victim briefly. This becomes personal to Poppy and although Detective Jordan wants her to back off she is clear that she will not. Poppy and Matt along with her friends get into some sticky and dangerous situations. I love the relationship of Matt (who was the Poppy’s daughter boyfriend – she broke up by text..ugh) with Poppy and the ladies. The relationship works and touching how much Matt cares about these ladies (i.e. tattoo story). This is a great series and truly enjoyable read.

Thank you NetGalley & Kensington for the chance to read this truly charming, delicious mystery!

Poppy Harmon is my new go-to series when I need something to put me in a good mood. Sweet, uplifting and entertaining, Lee Hollis excels in writing relationships that produce that warm, fuzzy feeling while still getting in plenty of action and adventure.

Each book in this series is just so good. My expectations for Pillow Talk were high and the more I read, the more I found myself thinking these three little words: Fun-Fun-Fun!

The sleuths running the Desert Flowers Detective Agency, Poppy, Iris, and Violet, get into more high jinks, Matt is at his most chivalrous, and the quips back and forth amongst the group are hilarious.

I'm looking forward to the next installment!

Each novel in this series is better than the previous, this is means this is the best so far.
I was happy to meet again Poppy and catch up with her.
Character and plot development are excellent, loved the humor, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is the best book in the series yet! The characters are now like old friends to me, and I love that Poppy and Sam were becoming closer. I never thought in the first book that Matt would become a favorite character, but I just love the guy! He's amazing and so good to Poppy and her friends. It was cool that Wyatt had an even bigger part in this book doing online investigating

What a wild mystery with tons of secrets! I liked that there was a tie-in to a series of murders that Poppy remembered when she was acting in the 80s. It was interesting to read the flashbacks and hear some of my favorite shows mentioned too. After reading this book, I desperately wish I could open YouTube and find Jack Colt reruns lol! It sounds like just the kind of show I would have watched back then.

I absolutely loved the showdown and rescue that followed, it was epic! Everything was explained, and there was a very sweet ending that makes me really anxious now for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer is Lee Hollis's third book Desert Flowers Mystery series.

This installment is fun and absorbing just like the previous books.

This time most of the detecting is done by Poppy and Matt as they end up on the movie set. It brings some memories to Poppy, not all of them good, and I really like how author managed to go back and forth and tell a story about early days of Poppy's career as an actress and weave it into the present case. Matt is thrilled to be able to show his skills and his enthusiasm is contagious.
I appreciate all of this authors' books but this series is my favorite. I always look forward to the new book.
I like that main protagonists are ladies in their sixties and I enjoy the setting as it often mentions Hollywood scene.
I missed Iris and Violet's almost staying out of the investigation as I like to see them bring their own ideas to the table.
Poppy and Violet's love life is heavily portrayed in this book and it is so delightful to read not only about their cases but private life as it makes them more realistic and relatable to me.
Mystery is engrossing and entertaining and a pleasure to read.

There is no shortage of strange behavior in the Hollywood scene, and for Poppy Harmon and the Desert Flowers Agency, taking on a Hollywood case is just another day at the office. Fiction mirrors reality in this entangled murder-mystery by Lee Hollis. This is the third book in the series, A Desert Flowers Mystery.

The Desert Flowers Agency has been hired to investigate a stalking situation currently occurring to actress, Danika Delgado. In order to maintain a low-profile during filming, so as not to alert the possible perp, Poppy and the agency take on acting roles in the current production. Soon the investigation spirals into multiple mysteries, reminiscent of an unsolved murder from long ago.

The lovely ladies and gentlemen of the Desert Flowers Agency were wonderfully characterized in this story. I enjoyed all of the quirks and differences between each character and how each one contributed in their own way to the investigation, a team effort. Although, Poppy Harmon is the main character in the series, I found the supportive cast to be delightfully entertaining, balancing out Poppy’s reserved personality.

I loved that the author provided so much detail pertaining to the setting of the story. The details of the production set, the behind the scenes and the movie lingo, were fun elements. I personally enjoyed how the author described and detailed the California setting and I had no trouble envisioning Poppy Harmon driving around the California streets looking for clues.

Fiction certainly does mirror reality in this story. Sleezy producers and inappropriate advances happen and are mentioned throughout the book, mirroring a recent famous Hollywood case. Social media influencers and their influential presence upon their daily viewers, which is a current exceptionally profitable occupation, and also contributes to the present-day affairs, is also worth mentioning as fiction mirroring reality and something we have all come across.

Overall, this was an enjoyable and fun read with easy dialogue, enjoyable characters, and multiple twisty mysteries that will have you guessing to the very end. Enjoy!

~ Patricia

The premise of the book, together with the more mature cast of characters attracted me to this book and yet it just didn't work for me. Some of the twists and turns just seemed implausible.

Perhaps it would have helped if I read the previous two books? I'm really not sure. Poppy Harmon fans will surely find it an intriguing read.

My thanks to Kensington Books, #Netgalley and the author for my Advance Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Although this is the third instalment in the Desert Flowers Mystery series, it is my first. Poppy Harmon is a private investigator who set herself up in business when her fourth husband died after he spent their fortune. A socialite and retired actress, she runs the Desert Flowers Detective Agency along with friends, Iris and Violet in Palm Springs. In this cozy tale, Poppy has a part in a film and it is her first acting role since the 1980s so she's worried about fluffing her lines. She's also concerned about one of the Desert Flowers Detective Agency's clients, social media influencer Danika Delgado who has a large following and believes she is being stalked. Finding Danika in her trailer having been smothered to death brings back memories for Poppy as she remembers the man dubbed the Pillow Talk Killer, a serial killer who was prevalent in LA when she was a young actress. Is there a Pillow Talk Killer mark two on the loose?

Poppy investigates along with Iris, Violet and Matt Flowers, who is head sleuth also her daughter's boyfriend. These characters are very engaging, their presences jumping from the pages and by the time I finished reading I felt I had gotten to know them quite well, whilst wanting to meet up with them again. Lee Hollis, a gifted storyteller, gave me everything I desire from a fantastic cozy mystery making it really easy to escape right into the humorous story. Poppy, Violet, and Iris are vibrant women in their 60s and I adored their liveliness, interaction and their supportiveness for each other. The mystery itself was intriguing and chock-a-block with red herrings, suspects, and twists that all kept me guessing. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend Poppy Harmon and the Pillow Talk Killer and I can't wait to read the first in the series, Poppy Harmon Investigates.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

This is the third entry in the Poppy Harmon series about Poppy Harmon a former star of a TV detective show. Poppy falls on hard times in the first outing and decides to open a detective agency with her two best friends Iris and Poppy and they call it Desert Flowers. They decide they need a frontman to add gravitas to the agency and so they hire Poppy’s daughter’s boyfriend Matt, an aspiring actor, and give him the sobriquet Matt Flowers.
In this outing, a wildly popular media star, Danika Delgado, is filming a remake of “Palm Springs Weekend” and hires Desert Flowers to protect her from a stalker.
Poppy is immediately tapped by the director to play a role in the film much to her chagrin. But it makes it easier for her to keep an eye on their client. Due to a series of events, Matt is tapped to replace the male lead so they both are in the film and on the set.
But proximity is not enough and Danika is found smothered ala the M.O. of The Pillow Talk Killer from decades ago. Is it a copycat killer or has the Pillow Talk killer from decades ago resurfaced? Is there a connection? Is the killer part of the film crew?
Through good detective work and research, the Desert Flowers pursue the killer.
The story is well-plotted and well written often an incident that seems unimportant will come into play as an important element as the story unfolds. The pieces of the puzzle are masterfully put together by Lee Hollis. A lot of them one doesn’t see coming and there are many unexpected twists and turns that keep the reader engaged.
One character producer is a predator who has been getting away with his harassment for decades very timely and true to recent events on the news. He is a predator but is he also the murderer? He seems to have an iron-clad alibi for the murder but is he still involved somehow?
The story is gripping and is the kind of mystery that one looks forward to reading and is one of those books that when you’re not reading the story, you’re thinking about it. Trying to figure out how what will happen next and how everything will come together but come together they do in ways that are subtle or dramatic. The ending had me gripping my Kindle as I hurried through to the end.
Lee Hollis (actually a brother/sister duo) is an excellent writer. The brother knows Hollywood and it adds authenticity to the story.
Lee Hollis continues to move up the list of my favorite mystery writers.
I would like to thank Kensington Books and Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.