Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed Restaurant Weeks are Murder (Poppy McAllister, Bk 3) on + 157 more book reviews
The dynamic duo of Poppy McAllister and her Aunt Ginny return in the wholly entertaining Restaurant Weeks Are Murder. It's a clean, light-hearted read with lots of local color from Cape May, New Jersey. Filled with sparkling humor and rich characterization, this story captured my interest from the first and moves at a steady pace throughout. From Paleo diet to the most exquisite culinary delights, Poppy's creative genius shines. My favorite feline buddy, Figaro, is also very much present, with his cute antics and effective methods for expressing disdain to those who might not care for him. My own cat can suddenly flop over the way he does, but with a softer thud.
Poppy is a strong, appealing leading lady and I adore her. She's very funny but can easily laugh at herself. Every story in this series has been excellent so far, even though I'm not usually a fan of food-themed mysteries. The restaurant-week competition is fascinating, as each team member is given a mystery basket containing three ingredients and has to create a dish using all of them. A competitive spirit abounds, for success equates with financial gain for their restaurants. From contestants to judges, the characters are interesting and quirky, many with egos a mile high.
The mystery plot itself is well crafted and not easy to solve, at least for me. But my favorite part of this story is its humor. In fact, I wish I could meet the author, because she would certainly bring much joy and laughter into my life. Romance isn't a major theme, but the love triangle between Poppy, Gia, and former fiancée Tim continues. I hope this resolves itself soon, because I don't enjoy triangles, but this is no way lessens my enjoyment of the series.
Within the cozy mystery genre, 5 stars. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Poppy is a strong, appealing leading lady and I adore her. She's very funny but can easily laugh at herself. Every story in this series has been excellent so far, even though I'm not usually a fan of food-themed mysteries. The restaurant-week competition is fascinating, as each team member is given a mystery basket containing three ingredients and has to create a dish using all of them. A competitive spirit abounds, for success equates with financial gain for their restaurants. From contestants to judges, the characters are interesting and quirky, many with egos a mile high.
The mystery plot itself is well crafted and not easy to solve, at least for me. But my favorite part of this story is its humor. In fact, I wish I could meet the author, because she would certainly bring much joy and laughter into my life. Romance isn't a major theme, but the love triangle between Poppy, Gia, and former fiancée Tim continues. I hope this resolves itself soon, because I don't enjoy triangles, but this is no way lessens my enjoyment of the series.
Within the cozy mystery genre, 5 stars. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Restaurant Weeks are Murder is the third installment in the A Poppy McAllister Mystery series set in Cape May, NJ and featuring pastry chef and Bed and Breakfast owner, Poppy McAllister. Renovations on the old Victorian are almost done and Poppy and her Aunt Ginny have settled into a routine mostly revolving around Poppy's feisty and demanding cat, Figaro.
Poppy agrees to team up with her high school boyfriend and ex fiance Tim and his annoying partner Gigi to compete in the local cooking competition, Restaurant Week. The trio dubbed Team Maxine goes up against other teams including a former classmate of Tim's who publicly accuses him of having cheated in college, the fake French Julia Child wannabe and Poppy's sometime love interest Gia's mother in an effort to win $10,000.00.
When one of the judges drops dead from eating one of her desserts, Poppy finds herself having to clear her name and find out who is sabotaging the competition.
A group of betting misfits, pranks and baskets of mysterious ingredients will have you smiling on page one and laughing out loud on the last. Every one of the returning characters gets into some sort of scrape in this addition including the mischievous Figaro. I love this series and can't wait for the next installment but have fingers crossed that the author will soon put an end to the dreaded love triangle between Poppy, Tim and Gia.
Poppy agrees to team up with her high school boyfriend and ex fiance Tim and his annoying partner Gigi to compete in the local cooking competition, Restaurant Week. The trio dubbed Team Maxine goes up against other teams including a former classmate of Tim's who publicly accuses him of having cheated in college, the fake French Julia Child wannabe and Poppy's sometime love interest Gia's mother in an effort to win $10,000.00.
When one of the judges drops dead from eating one of her desserts, Poppy finds herself having to clear her name and find out who is sabotaging the competition.
A group of betting misfits, pranks and baskets of mysterious ingredients will have you smiling on page one and laughing out loud on the last. Every one of the returning characters gets into some sort of scrape in this addition including the mischievous Figaro. I love this series and can't wait for the next installment but have fingers crossed that the author will soon put an end to the dreaded love triangle between Poppy, Tim and Gia.
