Saturday, August 11, 2018

Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway: Midnight Snacks are MURDER by Libby Klein


Today I'm participating in the Midnight Snacks are MURDER Blog Tour.  In this post you will find book and author information along with my review.

About the book . . .
  

Poppy McAllister Mystery Series
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (July 31, 2018)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1496713056
Digital ASIN: B0776HFC8V
Synopsis . . .
When her sleepwalking aunt is accused of committing murder, Poppy McAllister finds out there’s no rest for the weary . . .

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 . . .
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

My Review . . . This second installment in the Poppy McAllister mystery series continues the madcap adventures of the recently widowed Poppy and her 80-something Aunt Ginny in the seaside town of Cape May, New Jersey.

Poppy has a busy life settling back into the town she couldn't wait to leave as a young adult.  When she's not baking her gluten-free delights, Poppy is juggling the attention of two equally delectable suitors; keeping her spirited aunt out of trouble; managing the renovations on Aunt Ginny's Victorian home; and putting up with her pushy, opinionated mother-in-law, who is determined to remain a part of Poppy's life and a constant thorn in her side.  As if all this weren't enough to test Poppy's sanity, Aunt Ginny begins sleepwalking in the wee hours of the morning, breaking into neighborhood homes, helping herself to midnight snacks, and stealing knickknacks. Based on her nocturnal activities, Aunt Ginny is accused of killing local humanitarian Brody Brandt, who is found bludgeoned to death in his bed, with remains of a snack close by.  Is Aunt Ginny capable of such a heinous crime?  Or is she being framed for the murder by someone with a grudge against the victim? And who would wish harm on the seemingly model citizen who has spent years helping troubled youth in the community?

Poppy is frustrated by the police's pursuit of an open-and-shut case against Aunt Ginny and undertakes her own investigation, much to the consternation of her former high school nemesis, Police Officer Amber Fenton.  Poppy's interviews and research unveil disreputable actions in Brody Brandt's past, which expand the number of possible suspects.  As the plot moves along, the author's use of red herrings and dead ends keep readers delightfully engaged and in the dark until the story's final chapters.

Enhancing the mystery angle are the lively parade of larger-than-life characters that populate the story; the many humorous scenes and predicaments; the snappy dialogue throughout; and the antics of the furry feline Figaro.  This series features all of the things that draw readers to cozies, especially lovable main characters who feel like friends.  This sophomore book solidly highlights Klein's writing skill and talent for entertaining, firmly establishing her as a master of the cozy genre.  While Midnight Snacks are MURDER can be read as a stand-alone, I suggest readers also treat themselves to Class Reunions are MURDER, the first book in the series.  My review of that book can be read here.

I'm happy to say that the third book in the series, Restaurant Weeks are MURDER, will be published in 2019.


Giveaway . . . Enter for a chance to win a copy of Midnight Snacks are MURDER by Libby Klein by clicking on this link.


About the author . . . Libby Klein dabbles in the position of Vice President of a technology company which mostly involves bossing other people around, making spreadsheets, and taking out the trash. She writes culinary cozy mysteries from her Northern Virginia office while trying to keep her cat Figaro off her keyboard.


Connect with the author . . .

Purchase links . . .  Amazon    B&N    Kobo   Google Play  BookBub


 
Tour Participants . . .
July 31 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW
July 31 – Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT
August 1 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST
August 1 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 2 – The Avid Reader – REVIEW
August 2 – The Power of Words – REVIEW
August 3 – A Blue Million Books – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 3 – Paranormal and Romantic Suspense Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW – unable to post
August 5 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
August 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 6 – The Montana Bookaholic – REVIEW  
August 6 – A Holland Reads – SPOTLIGHT
August 7 – Devilishly Delicious Book Reviews – REVIEW
August 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 8 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW
August 8 – Moonlight Rendezvous – REVIEW, GUEST POST
August 9 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
August 9 – Ruff Drafts – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 10 – The Cozy Pages – REVIEW
August 10 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW
August 11 – Bookworm Cafe – REVIEW
August 11 – Book Club Librarian – REVIEW
August 12 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW
August 12 – Readeropolis – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 13 – Melina’s Book Blog – REVIEW, CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 13 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW


Note . . . I received a complimentary copy of Midnight Snacks are MURDER from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This Blog Tour, Review, and Giveaway post was originally composed and/or compiled and published by Catherine for the blog, bookclublibrarian.com.  It cannot be republished without attribution.  Sharing this original post on Twitter, Google+ and/or other blogs with appropriate recognition is appreciated.

 
 

9 comments:

  1. Thank you for your review on "Midnight Snacks are MURDER" by Libby Klein and for being part of the blog tour.

    This book is definitely on my TBR list and would love the opportunity to read it. Can't wait to read more adventures of Poppy McAllister.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Kay. I'm counting the days until book #3 comes out in February 2019.

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  2. I met Libby this spring and she was so funny and delightful. I have her first book, which she was gracious enough to sign for me, and I'm looking forward to reading it. This one sounds like a lot of fun too. Good job, Catherine!

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  3. Thanks, Kay. I can only imagine how delightful Libby is--it comes through in the characters she writes. Hope you get to start this series soon!

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  4. I'll have to check out this series. It sounds like a lot of fun.

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    1. It's a very entertaining series, with lots of humorous elements.

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  5. I have the first book in my TBR but somehow didn't realize that this was part of that series. I really need to add this to my TBR!

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  6. Hope you get to read and enjoy these books--they're very humorous.

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  7. This series sounds great! I'm adding it to my "Want to Read" shelf!

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