I have had issues with the “A Poppy McAllister Mystery” series in the past, but at long last, I think the series has grown up. In the latest addition, Antique Auctions Are Murder, Poppy has come into her own. Shopping for antiques can be fun and exciting, but finding a dead body in the one antique at that show you want to buy goes beyond fun. This time Poppy has no connection with the victim, other than he happened to fall out of the armoire she wanted to purchase for her B&B. Now she has no choice other than to investigate, not really, but she can’t help herself.

Some of the characters in this series take a while to like, and at least one will never be, but overall, the returning friends and family are memorable. I liked the antique show and auction aspect being the main focus. The B&B is a highly entertaining location to base some of the more colorful characters, but I will never like Joanne, and let's face it, if you treated your employer as she treats Poppy, no matter how good of a cook she may be, she would be out on her ear. Georgina was a hoot, I loved seeing her run around actually working, or so it may seem at first. Suspects throughout the story are intriguing, and any one of them could be the killer. The antiques and auction let readers dream of times and places long gone, except at this sort of show.

There are plenty of red herrings to keep readers guessing, unlimited motives, and opportunities. The auction and the antique show play a large part in solving this crime, and readers should pay close attention to the details of both. Unraveling the crime isn’t as easy as it may seem, and the outcome may even surprise some readers. I loved the mischief Aunt Ginny and the biddies get up to, and Figaro, the cat, has a love triangle on his hands that he can’t handle. There is a good amount of humor in this story, which makes it enjoyable on many levels. Poppy’s confidence is growing, and she is becoming more accepting of herself, but she still has a long way to go to be a genuinely beloved character. The killer is found just in time but not without some tense moments.

Overall, I enjoyed Antique Auctions Are Murder more than I have other books in the series, and I like the direction the author is taking the characters. Gia standing up to his family gave me a thrill for a few brief seconds. Throw in the antiques show and auction, and you have a recipe for an appealing read that fans will savor.

I really like this series and the characters are very likable. I'm glad that Poppy has become civil with Joanne and Amber and I love her relationship with Gia! We got some more back story on Poppy and her past. I liked the mystery and laughed out loud a few times with the situations Poppy found herself in. Figaro is the best and I love how he found himself in some situations with the guest cats! I've said it before, but I don't care for her calling her Aunt and friends biddies, but it didn't bother me as much with this book (maybe the overuse wasn't in this one as it was in previous books). Looking forward to the next book already!

This story is a great blend of mystery, love and daring escapades by a group of senior women who always seem to find trouble. Poppy has her hands full trying to keep the "biddies" out of trouble but somehow, once again, they have gotten her involved in a precarious situation.

This is the seventh book in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series and it always provides a compelling mystery and some good laughs. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

I liked the various storylines, as usual in this series, there's a lot going on. All the usual characters show up and a new batch of B&B guests that put up with a lot. Strains credulity.

I would not recommend those new to the series start here, go back to book 1. You'll be much more accepting of the crazy things the characters do and don't do. Some of the lack of follow through (a brief sentence about a sick person in pain which is then dropped is just one example) and how people treat each other is hard to accept unless you've gotten used to it by reading the 6 previous.

I accept Poppy and the crew, even how Gia's English has gotten worse especially in the last 2 books. He's been in the US for 20 years and the Italian language does have indefinite articles...why have they completely disappeared from his speech??? The guests just accepting and happily participating in the craziness (much, much more so in this book)and paying for the privilege? Well, I've made it this far, I'll notice things that are off, but roll with it as long as there's enough other for me to like.

I received a copy of Antique Auctions from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Coming in to a series at book seven may not be the best thing to do but I was able to quickly find out who was who and what was going on.

Poppy McCallister runs a B&B on the Jersey Shore and it is not doing too well at the moment. Some of the guests she has to cope with are definitely not the best. In fact her staff are less than successful too. However she does have an excellent boyfriend - when she can manage to separate him from his overbearing family. Apparently murders occur around Poppy to an unusual degree and even the police notice this.

The story was good and there was a lot of humour in events and dialogue. There were plenty of red herrings and I never had a hope of guessing the murderer. All good. On the other hand I despaired of Poppy who needed to get a backbone. She let herself be badly treated over and over again. On the odd occasion when she stood up for herself I cheered!

A good story with some good characters and a lot of humour. Occasionally it over did the quirkiness but I enjoyed the read. Four stars from me.

Another wonderful visit with Poppy, Gia, and my favorite, Aunt Ginny! I found the antique setting really interesting and learned a lot about antiques and gardening. The secondary characters were a little annoying, but they were supposed to be; what a crazy family! I don’t think I would have made it through any of that dinner party. I was left guessing until the very end exactly what happened to the murder victim and I enjoyed every moment of this book. I highly recommend this whole series!

This is a series I almost gave up on a while age because of the love triangle, but I'm so glad I gave it another chance! Now that the love triangle plot is all wrapped up, I can focus on how much I like most of the characters. This was another fun installment in the series, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. I love that there are fun cozy moments but there are also some more serious, emotional moments as well. Overall, I think this is a good series and I really like the direction it's going.

This is one of my favorite cozy series that I always enjoy returning to. This was a fun cozy that was fast paced with drama, suspense and a wonderful well crafted intricate sleuth that kept me guessing . This is the 7th in the series. .
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

I love visiting the Jersey Shore and Poppy and friends. Her smart cat is always a fun part of this series. Poppy is at a antique auction bidding on a dresser when a body falls out. She is on the case with the help of her friends seeking clues and hopes to solve the murder. This was a well written sleuth with many red herrings, clues and surprises along the way to keep every reader guessing. The returning charcters all add to the fun and with this book more charcters and cats are visiting which is fun and adds to the sleuthing. I loved this book. Looking forward to the next in series.

This is the seventh book in this series and it just keeps getting better!
The story grabbed me from the get go, and didn’t let go. I could not put it down.
Poppy is a realistic, contemporary woman, who I really enjoy reading about.
All in all, this book was a delight to read and a great continuation to this series.
I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading the next in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of ANTIQUE AUCTIONS ARE MURDER (Book 7 of the Poppy McAllister Mysteries), by Libby Klein, in exchange for an honest review. One of Aunt Ginny’s friend cons Poppy and her beau Gia into attending a dinner with her brother Courtney Whipple and his family. Dinner never appears, but family drama appears rapidly and abundantly. Poppy leaves hungry but with an appointment for another guilt trip. Poppy and her Aunt Ginny must attend an antique auction in order to emotionally support Courtney’s son Auggie in offering a special item. Though they attend the auction, the featured item is barred from sale as another antique dealer contests the ownership. One good thing comes from the trip; Poppy found an armoire she’d like to purchase for the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast. Since the armoire will be offered for auction at a future date, Poppy will have to attend that auction as well. However, when the date of the armoire’s auction arrives, Poppy leaves bare handed since a body fell out of the armoire while it was being transferred to the stage. While dealing with her ever-quirky guests, pursuing a romantic relationship where his relatives are determined to cause trouble, and attempting to resolve problems caused by her own low self-esteem, Poppy will sort through family and business drama to identify a killer, an attacker, shady business dealings, and a human trafficking ring.

I liked this book as well as the rest of the series. I recommend this book to fans of cozy mysteries featuring murder, B&B’s, antiques, food, and relationships.

#AntiqueAuctionsAreMurder #NetGalley

This book was so much fun! I love Libby Klein's humor, and it had me laughing out loud. The plot has so many twists, and I had so much fun trying to discover who the murderer was. I highly recommend this one!

The latest in Libby Klein's A Poppy McAllister Mystery series is another charmer! Poppy and her cast of characters provide many laugh out loud moments, as well as a crafty well-executed murder mystery. In 'Antique Auctions Are Murder' Poppy gets drawn into a family drama that ends in murder by one of Aunt Ginny's gang of girlfriends. Coupled with the most eccentric group of visitors to the B&B and her mother-in-law's hilarious behavior as a fill-in maid, it is completely engaging. One of the fun surprises is what excuses Poppy's boyfriend Gia's mother will use to demand he return home each time he and Poppy are together. This story touches on Poppy's tender issues of infertility and her negative body image. I was thrilled with the growth and the outcome. I can't wait for more.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

"Antique Auctions Are Murder" the 7th instalment in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series by Libby Klein. I love this series and I think this was best one yet! When vintage items go up for auction, gluten-free baker and B&B owner Poppy McAllister discovers some people will pay the ultimate price...

I love visiting the Jersey Shore and Poppy, Gia, Aunt Ginny, and the "Biddies"! Plus we cant forget about her mischievous cat, Figuro! This time around we are at an Antique Auction and Poppy really wants an armoire but a dead body falls out of it!

From a houseful of quirky guests, disappearing wine, cheese and mysterious midnight deliveries Poppy has her work cut out for her this go around. At the B&B - enter two cat guests a young black kitty named Cleo and a huge Maine Coon named Svetlana joins in the chaos and try to capture Figuro’s heart.

I found the mystery was well written and paced with lots of twists and turns. It kept me guessing to the end. I can’t wait till the next instalment comes out and finding out what Poppy does next!

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

All Poppy and Aunt Ginny wanted to do was buy an armoire for their B&B not solve a murder but.... They've been busy with a wide range of pain in the neck guests, Figaro the cat has been dealing with his own issues, and now they;re helping to figure out who killed the antique store owner. There are, of course. multiple suspects but Poppy,Ginny, and Ginny's friends are indefatigable. I like this series because the characters are a bit older than the norm in the genre and because there's a good sense of humor. Poppy and Gia are finally a couple (yay) even though his mother is a pest. It's a classic. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the series will be pleased but know that this will be fine as a standalone.

Libby Klein is one of my favorite authors; her characters are incredibly well written and I always know I’m going to laugh out loud at Aunt Ginny’s antics. It’s a joy to catch back up with Poppy, Gia and crew. The mystery as always is on point and had me guessing till the end. Plus the recipes sound so delicious! This is the seventh in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series so be sure to pick up the first in the series Class Reunions Are Murder. You won’t regret it!

Thank you NetGalley, Libby Klein and Kensington Books for the ARC of Antique Auctions Are Murder. This is my personal review.
This is book seven in the series A Poppy McAllister Mystery.
Poppy and Aunt Ginny are always a great couple of characters in a cozy book to keep a reader enjoying a book from cover to cover.
If you want a cozy with a fun story and a wonderful bunch of charters this is one to read.

The Butterfly House B&B is struggling. A few bad reviews have left Poppy and Aunt Ginny taking in the stray tourists of Cape May and they've got Poppy burning the candle at both ends, literally. When the guests aren't stealing cheese or sleep-ordering takeout in the middle of the night, they're calling the fire department or falling down the stairs. But that pales in comparison to the evil troll doll that keeps popping up wherever Poppy looks.

The mystery in this book is very complicated with several families and several businesses warring amongst themselves. When a young man ends up dead there are any number of potential scenarios where the victim could have been bumped off by any of the other characters for several different reasons. I was pretty sure I had it figured out, but I was completely wrong about both killer and motive.

This series is very humorous. Poppy has a fun and funny way of looking at things and she's got the craziest imaginable cast of characters surrounding her at the B&B. Though the things that are happening in the book aren't funny, there are tons of funny one-liners that will keep you chuckling throughout. I also really like Poppy's friend Sawyer and her shop, I hope to see more of her in future books and less of Joanne and Georgina.

Probably the only thing that bugs me about the series is that Joanne and Georgina treat Poppy horribly and she just tolerates it. Poppy has no problem putting her foot down with Victory, the narcoleptic chambermaid, but she lets Joanne and Georgina treat her about as horribly as one person can treat another. As mother-in-law and investor, Georgina gets a bit of a pass (though she gets her comeuppance in this book) but Poppy's acceptance of the abuse Joanne dishes out is inexcusable. Gia is also an unforgivable pushover, allowing his mother to interrupt every date he has with Poppy by calling with fake emergencies. For that reason alone I think Poppy would be better off ending her relationship with him, though she's clearly a glutton for punishment.

I've read this series out of order and it works that way, each of the books makes sense as a standalone, but I think it would be ideal to read them in order to get the full benefit of the various story arcs.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Although not a book I would purchase in my professional role, it is one that I will be recommending in my personal life! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!
I started this series because it was set in one of my favorite vacation spots, but I keep reading because I adore the characters!

Who knew raising a paddle could be so dangerous or so much fun! Summertime at the Jersey Shore brings humidity, tourists, an antique auction and murder to the Butterfly Wings B & B along with: wooden troll talismans, antique boxes, delicious food, vampire and werewolf elimination kits, feline love triangles, prize tomatoes, Santa in a bathing suit, mischievous senior twins, midnight food orders, seances, disappearing wine AND the murder of an antique store owner who wasn't as popular as he thought. All Poppy and Aunt Ginny wanted was an armoire for the B&B!

I was looking for a cozy that had twists and turns along with red herrings that kept you guessing "whodunit"and Libby Klein didn't disappoint! Poppy and Aunt Ginny find themselves with a B&B full of "interesting" guests, Victory with a sunburn, the ever maddening Georgina acting as a maid , Joanne in rare form and Figaro caught in a love triangle he may not survive. The mystery was fast-paced and humorous with an an ending where every piece of the puzzle fell into place - but I still didn't guess "whodunit" and I loved it!

The author's wonderful ability to mix mystery, humor and romance keeps the reader gasping, chuckling and "awwwing" all through the book. It's one of those books you can't put down and you read it fast until you get to the last few chapters and then you slow down to keep the story going as long as possible. I'm already looking forward to the next visit to the Butterfly Wings B & B!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

antiques, rivalry, bed-and-breakfast, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, family-dynamics, friendship, friction, cozy-mystery, relationships, relatives, situational-humor, verbal-humor, small-business, small-town, seance, jersey-shore, laugh-riot, laugh-out-loud*****

The books in this series can all stand alone, and even better, they are perfect for making me laugh my sox off during these uncertain times of the Covid mess. The characters are fun and quirky, the goings on border on farcical, the sleuthing was good, and the food mouthwatering! Fantastic recipes at the end! Not to be missed!
I requested and received a free temporary e-book copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you.