This delightful book has everything a cozy mystery should offer ... a nice bunch of quirky characters, a good storyline, a lead heroine who somehow always manages to find herself solving murder mysteries in her small town, a murder to solve that has enough red herrings to throw you off track thinking you know whodunit it before the story wraps up (only to find you're wrong and then wrong again), a handsome love interest, and an interesting occupation for the main character. This story has all that and more to keep your interest. Poppy McCallister runs the Butterfly Wings bed and breakfast in the beautiful coastal town of Cape May, New Jersey, where she lives with her crazy great aunt, her fun-loving bed and breakfast employee, and her rambunctious, destructive, but still loveable cat. Poppy has a tendency to find dead bodies but this time instead of stumbling over the victim of foul play, this person met their demise and was found with a note attached to them stating to find Poppy. What the dickens is going on that corpses are now being addressed to her?! Poppy really needs this kind of problem right now ... about as much as she needs to hear Bruce Springsteen's rendition of Santa Claus is Coming to Town one more time this holiday season. The Boss is a Jersey icon and the author is not exaggerating in the least that this song is everywhere all the time in the Garden State during the Christmas season. Poppy does her best to tune out the song and try to focus on finding out the identity of the murderer before they strike again. She's pulled in not only by her friend in the police department but by one of the suspects who she knows all too well who begs her to help find the real killer before he and his girlfriend have the murder pinned on them. While Poppy is trying to solve the crime, her crazy Aunt Ginny is busy trying to come up with the perfect entry for the dessert contest at the local senior center as well as trying to outdo her neighbors in decorating their yard for Christmas. Poppy also has someone from her past who shows up and proceeds to drive her crazy. How can she keep her cool, run her bed and breakfast, help find a murderer, have any time alone with her boyfriend, and keep her sanity? Read this terrific cozy mystery to find out all this and more.

I just love Poppy and the situations she finds herself in. And Gia, now there is a prince of a man. Then we have Aunt Ginny and the Biddies for added entertainment. They do make me giggle! Loved this story and the wonderful characters. I received this book from NetGalleyl, but my opinion is my own.

"Silent Nights Are Murder" the 9th instalment in the Poppy McAllister Mystery series by Libby Klein. I love this series and I think this was best one yet!

I love visiting the Jersey Shore and Poppy, Gia, the adorable Henry, Aunt Ginny, and the "Biddies" and now Kenny Love! Plus we cant forget about her mischievous cat, Figuro! This time around Poppy has engagement rings on the brain, Aunt Ginny pressures Poppy to decode a mysterious old diary, the amateur sleuth is also asked to “unofficially” go undercover at the restaurant to help the police, what more can Poppy add to her Christmas plate... read to find out

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.

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of SILENT NIGHTS ARE MURDER (Book 9 of the Poppy McAllister Mystery series) by Libby Klein in exchange for an honest review. At least, this time, Poppy wasn’t the one who found the body. However, when the killer addressed the corpse to her, she still ends up involved in the investigation. Poppy must now celebrate Christmas, try to moderate Aunt Ginny’s competitive Christmas decorating, figure out why her missing mother is suddenly rummaging through her inn, dodge enthusiastic wedding planners, AND find a killer when the primary suspects are being completely unhelpful.

I liked the book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series. I recommend the series to fans of cozy murder mysteries featuring hometowns, bed and breakfasts, baking, dietary restrictions, pet antics, zany relatives, and senior co-conspirators.

#SilentNightsAreMurder #NetGalley

I liked the combination of Christmas and who done it in a book. The story line was good and i liked the characters. It kind of made me want it to be Christmas. I will definitely read a book by this author again.

Another enjoyable read from Libby Klein. Even if you have not read the previous books in the series, it will not prevent you from understanding the book or being completely confused by the characters. Poppy is a very likeable character who takes all the chaos going on around her in stride. Aunt Ginny as always provides a great deal of entertainment and some laugh out loud moments. The ending of the story will warm your heart, which is perfect for a story set around Christmas.

Holiday Hijinks
Inn keeper Poppy Macalister bakes and helps her aunt run a B&B on the coast. Her propensity to find bodies has given her an unwanted reputation. She wants to be with Gia, her fiancee, Henry, his son and her close friends. Her life is full and busy with work and her aunt whose is a lot to handle. Written with humor and romance, this is a great cozy to take a break with during the holiday craziness.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

A good story line that kept me guessing, but a lot of characters. It was difficult to keep all the different people straight as to who they were. Some of the characters seemed superfluous just to add content. All in all an average mystery.

I love this series, and I love it even more after this book. Poppy is such a great character, both realistic and relatable. She is of course drawn into another murder mystery while trying to run her B&B and manage her family. This mystery is more personal as it draws in her ex Tim, his new partner, and some unresolved issues. Development la also abound in her personal life and those of her friends, making this a more emotional read even as it keeps the series’ trademark snarky humor. I won’t spoil it, but Poppy fans will very much enjoy seeing Poppy move on in a number of ways. As always, the supporting characters are a key part of the story, and the relationships between them are so well written and developed. I don’t know if this is the last book in this series, but this has a really satisfying ending. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy. All views are entirely my own.

A perfect blend of madcap merriment and mayhem. As always, life around Poppy McAllister is never dull. At least she didn't find the a dead body this time. Just when she's about to celebrate that fact, her detective friend Amber tells her that her name was pinned to the victim's body. So much for that brief moment of not being a murder magnet. Toss in the the crime occurs in an ex-boyfriend's eatery and that there is no love lost between Poppy and Tim's now wife, Gigi, and it's even more complicated. While no fan of Tim, Poppy doesn't believe he'd be capable of murder although, quite frankly, she's not so sure about Gigi. That unease increases when early clues seem to point to Tim and Gigi being the guilty parties.

Oddly enough, in some ways the murder investigation is actually a side story in this book. While Poppy has always wondered why her mother just walked out on her at about age seven, Iris seems to be snooping around. While all this is going on, the madcap part of the story involves a mysterious engagement ring found and a fierce home decoration competition between Aunt Ginny and a neighbor. And, oh, my, the noise. Er, Christmas songs and sounds coming from there. While trying to figure out who's defacing the B&B's Christmas Village display and trying to detour Figaro the cat's repeated theft of bird ornaments, Poppy also finds herself working a second job, this time undercover.

And, you know, that's not even the half of it. So much going on. Through it all, I'm reminded why I enjoy revisiting Poppy so often. Not only is she kind and caring, not to mention patient, but the characters about her are, well, unique characters, too. From boyfriend Gio to his sometimes overbearing Italian family, to discovering she's been signed up for all sorts of volunteer spots for Christmas doings, trying to help a homeless man, and pondering if her family really is cursed. Trust me, it all makes sense in the end. In the meantime, you'll have a delightful visit amidst the madcap comings and going and quirky pets, and, ah, romance. Thanks #KensingtonPublishing - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me over for an early virtual Christmas visit. I absolutely adored the ending.

I love this series! I am sad because this is the last book and I will miss Poppy and the rest of the crew. They get a good send-off in this book, leaving me happy but wanting more.

culinary, B and B, series, Jersey-shore, small-business, small-town, situational-humor, verbal-humor, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, friends, friendship, local-law-enforcement, pet-cat, recipes, relatives, relationships, ex-boyfriend, investigation, frenemy, widow, banter, laugh-out-loud, abandonment-issues, murders*****

This is not an unbiased review because I've laughed my way through several of the earlier books in series. Great escape/stress-busting reads.
Poppy and those she loves are great fun no matter what is going on, but there are some unpleasant things going on that turn into laughter anyway. There's the corpse in the restaurant cooler, the return of Poppy's mother who deserted her when she was seven, the very pregnant girlfriend of Poppy's not that long ago ex-boyfriend, an unclaimed engagement ring, and more. And don't forget the fantastic recipes at the end!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you.
#PoppyMcAllisterMysteriesBk9 Avail Sep 24, 2024

SILENT NIGHTS ARE MURDER is the ninth book in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries by Libby Klein. This is one of those series that the second I receive the new release, I immediately move it to the top of my TBR pile. With laugh-out-loud one-liner zingers, zany characters that keep you on your toes, hilarious descriptive analogies, and a complex mystery to solve, it’s no wonder this continues to rate as one of my favorite series. Protagonist Poppy McAllister has her hands full trying to keep her Aunt Ginny corralled, and her internal dialog relating to all the madcap antics kept me giggling. Besides Aunt Ginny, the supporting characters are all well-developed and each has their own unique personalities. I adore Poppy’s relationship with Gia and his young son. Each scene they inhabit brings special tender moments.

Despite it being the Christmas season, there’s a grinch who’s not happy with a fish supplier in town. When his body is found, along with a note to ‘Get Poppy’ in the freezer of Poppy’s ex’s restaurant, Poppy gets pulled into the investigation even though it has nothing to do with her… or so she thinks. Ms. Klein’s attention to detail and her careful plotting of clues takes the reader on the chase to find the killer before they strike again. Just when I thought I’d figured it out, another piece of the puzzle was revealed and had me guessing all over again. But, at the conclusion, I found answers to all my questions. The ending left me with a warm and fuzzy feeling and a longing to have the next book in my hands already!

Not only does Poppy cook dishes for her and Aunt Ginny’s B&B, but she bakes for Gia’s coffee shop and works as a temporary pastry chef at her ex’s restaurant while hunting down the murderer. Needless to say, there are all sorts of mouthwatering dishes mentioned throughout, so be prepared to be hungry or make one of the author’s recipes included at the back of the book before reading.

When a murder victim is found in her ex's restaurant with a "Get Poppy" pinned note to his suit, the case is on! Poppy and Aunt Ginny are back with a mystery that kept me laughing and guessing. Poppy goes "undercover" at her ex's restaurant to find out more about the murder and has to deal with a cranky and very pregnant Gigi.

Poppy is one of my favorite characters. She's relatable, likable and and doesn't rush into danger. Aunt Ginny and her "gang" are hoots! It's the perfect Thanksgiving mystery!

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

Written by a talented author, this is a page turner, intriguing and mysterious. Likable characters keep the story moving quickly...even the title is intriguing. Do not try to guess the ending too early...that is part of the story...murder and mayhem...family and friends...thanks Netgalley.

#SilentNightsAreMurder #NetGalley is an excellent addition to this cozy mystery series by Libby Klein.
Poppy is such a fun character, and ever since they found an engagement ring over Thanksgiving, her family has been wondering who the lucky bride will be.
Poppy doesn't have a chance to wonder for long, since she's suddenly involved in another murder investigation, even though she didn't find the body this time.
The body belonged to a supplier at her ex boyfriend's restaurant, and a note was attached to his body, "Get Poppy." That's all, just 2 words, but those words turn everyones lives upside down.
The body and note weren't the only surprises for Poppy, especially when she sees her exes current girlfriend, who is very pregnant.

I really liked this book, I love all the characters and their colorful personalities blend well in each book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.