CLASS REUNIONS ARE MURDER BY LIBBY KLEIN

This is the first FANTASTIC book in a brand new cozy mystery series and I couldn't recommend it enough! It's got humor and an amazing set of characters. OH! And the mystery? I couldn't figure out "who-dun-it". What a winner!

Rating: ★★★★★
​Release Date: January 30, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Poppy McAllister mystery series #1
Pages: 350ish pages
Format: eBook. ARC. ​​

For fortysomething Poppy McAllister, taking a stroll down memory lane in Cape May, New Jersey, isn’t just awkward—it’s deadly.

Newly widowed and stuck in a middle-aged funk, Poppy has been running on cookies, infomercials, and one-sided chats with her cat for months. There’s no way on earth she’s attending her twenty-five-year class reunion—especially after receiving a very bizarre letter from Barbie, the popular cheerleader who taunted her all through high school. At ​least, not until Poppy’s best friend practically drags her to the event . . . 
 
Using the dreaded homecoming as an excuse to visit her  eccentric Aunt Ginny, Poppy vows to leave Cape May with pride and Spanx intact. Too bad Barbie is still the queen of 

mean at the reunion. And worse, that her dead body is lying right in front of Poppy’s old locker. Singled out as the killer, it’s up to Poppy to confront her past and clear her name. But between protecting her aunt from disaster and tackling a gluten-free diet, can Poppy crack the case before she’s voted “Most Likely to Die” by the murderer?
 
Includes Seven Recipes from Poppy’s Kitchen!

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Read my Book Review

Release Date: January 30, 2018
Genre: Cozy Mystery

Wohoo!!! I loved, loved, LOVED, this book! Class Reunions are Murder is the first book in the Poppy McAllister cozy mystery series and I know it is going to be a HUGE HIT among fans of this genre. It's got everything I wanted in a cozy mystery and more! Gosh, the only thing that disappoints me is that I have to wait until July 2018 for the next installment!! This is a must read if you're a fan of cozy mysteries. If you haven't read much in the genre and want to try, this is a great place to start!

MORE ABOUT THE STORY 
Poppy McAllister has hit an all time low in her life. Her beloved husband died six months ago and the only thing she can successfully go is eat a little debbie snack. Feeling like her life is in shambles she has no intention of going to her high school reunion. I mean, why would she suject herself to the torture of allowing all the bullies who once tormented her about her weight do it again 25 years later? 

But when her friend, Sawyer forces her to go, she has no choice because she has run out of excuses. So Poppy ventures off to Jersey with her cat, Figaro in tow to stay with her eccentric aunt in the home she grew up in. 

Fast forward a little later when Poppy and her group of friends attend the reunion. Thinking it's only going to bring back some fond memories of her and her friends, Poppy starts to enjoy being out of the house. But that soon goes down hill when a vicious and ugly old classmate bullies her and her friends AGAIN and then is found murdered right in front of Poppy's locker... Poppy being the prime suspect is thrust into the investigation in hopes of clearing her name and finding out who really killed Barbie before she spends the rest of her time in the slammer... 

OVERALL THOUGHTS 
I LOVED this cozy mystery and I have every intention of continuing the series as the books are released. The author realistically portrayed the hell a hefty person goes through in both her head in in real life. She also adds laugh out loud humor into the story making readers just like me laugh until they cry. Honestly, you just cannot go wrong with this book and I can't wait till the next one is released. 

WHAT I SPECIFICALLY LIKED ABOUT THE BOOK 

- The brutal honesty in the authors description about how it feels to be a heavier woman. OMG I loved the inner monologue when it came to Poppy and her weight. It's so realistic and really makes me think back to how I felt when I gained weight. 

- The humor: It's not too often where you can fund a cozy mystery that is more humorous than serious. I think authors TRY to be a little too serious with these books and it ultimately lets down a reader who is looking for some lighthearted fun. Thankfully, this had a more humorous edge to it. 

- Poppy and her Grandmother: What a dynamic duo these two are! It kind of reminds me of Stephanie Plum and Grandma Mazur (don't worry though, they are noting like those characters, I mean in a close and funny way). It's also been a while since I have connected with a set of characters like these ones and I'm so glad they changed this for me. 

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT THE STORY 

- Honestly, I loved everything about this book. The only downside is that I have to wait till July to get the next one! It's well worth the wait though as I feel the series if going to be that good.

★★★★★