Restaurant Weeks Are Murder
4.7
15
5
1
Paperback(Mass Market Paperback)
USD
7.19
$7.19
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781496713070 |
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| Publisher: | Kensington |
| Publication date: | 02/26/2019 |
| Series: | A Poppy McAllister Mystery Series , #3 |
| Pages: | 304 |
| Sales rank: | 22,657 |
| Product dimensions: | 4.10(w) x 6.70(h) x 1.00(d) |
About the Author
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Restaurant Weeks Are Murder
4.7 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
15 reviews.
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Once again Libby Klein treats her readers to the adventures of Poppy McAllister, creator of wonderful, gluten free pastries and owner of a B&B, and her octogenarian Aunt Ginny, a spunky lady with an attitude. In Restaurant Weeks are Murder, Poppy competes on her ex-boyfriend’s team of three with other restaurant teams on a taped production of a competition. Chefs are provided baskets of mystery ingredients which must be incorporated into the culinary creations. What could go wrong? Plenty!
The characters in this series are always fun, and there are a variety of romantic attractions. Restaurant Week is a full seven days which makes the story perhaps a tad too long, but with different disasters occurring each day, and with complicated backgrounds and motives, attention stays high. A cozy mystery to pique your interest and appetite!
I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
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Poppy McAllister's high school boyfriend, Tim, is entered in the Restaurant Week cooking contest and asked her to help out. When she arrives for the first day's cooking, she finds not only an ugly yellow apron supplied by the other female chef on the team, but that she has been drafted to be the dessert portion of the team. Just as competition seems ready to start, the MC finds out that the hotel where the judges were scheduled to stay has issues and that every place else in town is booked. Poppy offers the B&B which hasn't opened yet, and so the competition can start.
However, it doesn't seem that the little local contest is going to go smoothly. The first day, all the ingredients in the pantry are mislabeled and only by accident did Poppy notice and save her team. Equipment malfunctions, injuries occur, and when one of the distinguished judges keels over dead, it's time for Poppy to figure out who murdered the judge, especially since they are staying at her B&B. Is she housing a murderer?
I loved it! The mystery was fun, the characters tremendously enjoyable and the food sounded so good!
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I am so excited to have finally read RESTAURANT WEEKS ARE MURDER. The first two books in this series, CLASS REUNIONS ARE MURDER, and MIDNIGHT SNACKS ARE MURDER are among my very favorite reads. Author Libby Klein truly has the gift for transporting readers into her stories as though we are living them ourselves.
Wonderfully written with a plot that not only grabbed, but held my attention, there is so much going on in RESTAURANT WEEKS ARE MURDER that it made it impossible to put this book down. Everything that makes for a great mystery is covered. Murder, mayhem, sabotage, deceit. Protagonist Poppy is hit with it all and more! I had no clue whatsoever who the who of this whodunit was until it was revealed.
And, I dare anyone to read a Poppy McAllister book and not laugh. It simply can’t be done. Author Klein herself has a wicked sense of humor to be able to produce the tears in the eyes, snorts she gets out of me. I have two words for you. Aunt Ginny! Prepare yourselves.
Last but in no way least, Klein includes wonderful recipes! Poppy has to eat gluten free because of health issues, so creating delicious Paleo treats is her thing.
Honestly, if you haven’t read the Poppy McAllister Mysteries, you’re missing out. You can read RESTAURANT WEEKS ARE MURDER as a standalone but grab up all three books in the series and prepare for some of the most enjoyable reading you have ever had!
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While the idea of working with Gigi, her ex-finance’s partner, dims her enthusiasm a little, Poppy is thrilled to be a part of his team for the Restaurant Week Challenge. There will be lots of televised exposure and it’s been her dream to show off her abilities with desserts and appetizers. Before the event even starts, she gets a taste of how tough the competition is, and once it’s under way, all kinds of trouble spills over like water from a boiling pot. Then, a judge dies after eating one of her tasty desserts and she becomes the main suspect. Time to put on her other hat, amateur sleuth, and get to work.
This was my first time reading a book in the series and it was so much fun. The foods shared throughout the book had my mouth watering. The mayhem that ensued from the stiff competition was crazy. The dilemma over which man Poppy’s heart really wanted was fun without being a drawn out love triangle. Getting to know all of the talent in the story and choosing which one was the guilty party kept me entertained and on the alert for little clues. And the ending was a well deserved treat.
Poppy is such a delight and I wish her all the best with her new B&B. She’s a woman with many talents. And some of the other characters are still on my mind. Aunt Ginny with her peppered comments. Gia, Poppy’s delicious male love interest. And a cat that weaves a sparkly trail throughout the book, popping up in the most unusual places. It was good clean fun and I had no trouble reading this and following along even though I’d not read the previous books in the series.
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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.
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Poppy McAllister is so excited. Her ex, Tim and his partner Gigi are representing his restaurant in the upcoming Restaurant Week Challenge for a local television station, think Chopped, but crazier :), and Tim as asked her to be their pastry chef. It will be tough spending that much time with Gigi, but cooking in a professional kitchen and showing her talents with desserts has been her dream, so she quickly accepts.
The “Challenge” is not creating awesome appetizers, entrees, and desserts from the crazy basket ingredients, it is making it through the week. Less Chopped – More Survivor. Pranks like the labels being switched on ingredients escalates to machinery malfunctions including an exploding deep fryer, to one of the judges being poisoned. The chaos in the kitchen is getting out of control so Poppy does it again. She starts her own investigation. If she isn’t careful she may find herself cooking her very last dessert and chopped down before any of her dreams come true.
I have loved these characters since book 1, Class Reunions are Murder. Aunt Ginny always has me laughing out loud. This time her antics were a little tamer but they still cracked me up. Poppy is growing stronger. Her confidence is shaky at first but she gets some nice feedback that by the end helps her to really move forward. I am excited about the opening of her B&B because I think she will really shine, depending of course what kind of obstacles Aunt Ginny throws in her path. I loved every scene when Poppy and Gia were together. I could feel the heat right through the pages. Don’t worry the author keeps it cozy and G-rated. I can’t forget Figaro, that naughty, naughty, kitty. A cat with a mission and he was hilarious.
As a huge fan of Chopped, I really enjoy the Restaurant Week challenge with its own little twist of a points system. The themed baskets and what the chefs did with them was fun even with all the struggles they had along the way. The author shares some of the recipes at the end of the story.
The mystery was very developed. Secrets, grudges, innuendo, revenge, all play into this captivating whodunit. With plenty of suspects, the author set a blazing pace with the twists. The last one almost gave me whiplash. The ending was edge of my seat exciting. I was totally surprised.
Ms. Klein has found the perfect recipe for a marvelous cozy mystery. Wonderful characters mixed in a sensational story with a dash a romance and sprinkled liberally with humor. A delectable treat for every cozy lover.
This is an extraordinary series and while each can stand on its own, they are best read in order for maximum enjoyment.
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I seriously love this series...I don't know what it is about the characters or the setting (maybe it is the recipes), but I can't wait to read these books as they are released!
Poppy is an engaging protagonist. A mistake in her youth altered her future but she seems to be doing ok trying to get a B&B off the ground, baking gluten-free items for a coffee shop, and solving the murders that happen in her town. It doesn't hurt that she has two potential love interests - Gia, the owner of the coffee shop and a hot Italian and Tim, her college sweetheart who owns a local restaurant. I am team Gia - just putting that out there - because, while Tim wants to be with Poppy, he lets himself get distracted by GiGi and other women. Anyway, you can make your own decision on which team to belong.
I love to cook (which may be why this series appeals to me) and this one brings together cooking with reality TV. Poppy teams up with Tim and Gigi to represent Tim's restaurant in a cooking competition. Gigi is not likable and she gets her due many times throughout the book. I think my favorite is when the network decides that anyone on the team must cook one of the courses. This infuriates Gigi because she doesn't think Poppy is a chef because she didn't attend culinary school. Gigi is in for a rude awakening because not all great cooks have attended cooking school and Poppy knows her way around a kitchen which is more than can be said for Gigi. As is to be expected, there is murder during the show and Poppy has to figure out the killer before she becomes the next victim. I really tried to decipher the clues but I did not do a good job because I was quite surprised to learn who the murderer was and the reasoning behind the death(s).
There is a cast of quirky characters that liven up the storyline and of course, we can't forget Aunt Ginny and her antics along with the rest of her Senior friends. She knows how to liven up this book with her shenanigans.
We give this 5 paws up and suggest reading the whole series starting with the first book so you can understand the back story.
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Restaurant Weeks are Murder is book three in the Poppy McAllister Mysteries. This was the first one of the series I have read but Ms Klein does a great job of getting new readers up to date.
There is a great story line that has plenty of twists and turns and even an explosion. I love the setting and felt like I was there. The characters are relatable and likeable and add a cat, perfect! Plus, I want an aunt like Aunt Ginny.
There is mystery, murder, romance, and a lot of humor. This is one of the funniest books I have ever read! It is a great, easy to read cozy mystery. I can't wait to return to Cape May.
There are recipes included and some are gluten free.
I received an ARC from Netgalley and Kingsington Books for an honest review.
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Poppy McAllister is thrilled to be helping Tim during the Restaurant Week cooking competition as the third member of his team. While their relationship is complicated, she knows they can work well together. The weeks gets off to a shaky start when there is a problem with the hotel where the judges were going to stay, and Poppy volunteers the not quite open yet bed and breakfast she is working on with her aunt. Then, on the first day of the competition, someone sabotages the ingredients. As things spiral out of control, Tim and Poppy find themselves at the center of it all. Can Poppy figure out what is happening?
Fans of this series will be thrilled with the latest outing for Poppy and the rest of the crew. Yes, everyone is here and causing mayhem and laughs for us like normal. I did sympathize more with the victim of Figueroa’s antics since I allergic to cats as well, but I still found that subplot fun. As usual, Aunt Ginny and her friends steal the show. I do feel the pacing of the mystery could have been better, but this is something I’ve felt with all three books in the series. We definitely did get a good mystery that kept me guessing until the very end. There are seven Paleo friendly recipes at the back of the book to enjoy once you’ve finished the book.
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Pastry chef Poppy McAllister has agreed to team up with her ex fiancé Tim for a cooking challenge down the Jersey Shore. Right out of the gate she should have known this was not going to be a piece of cake with the third chef on their team has eyes for Tim and make her intentions known. But things begin getting interesting when the chefs are being sabotaged and hurt during the competition.
When one of the judges ends up dead, Poppy finds herself trying to save the competition and find the killer before the killer finds her and makes her victim number two. Add to that two men that are vying for Poppy’s affections and things get even hotter and stickier for her.
This is a fun book and the first I have read in the series, though it won’t be the last. I love Poppy’s snarky Jersey sense of humor and the entire cast of characters. The characters are mature and the plot is solid. You won’t know whodunit or why until the very end.
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Wonderful Cozy with Great Recipes
This fun cozy takes place at a chef's competition. Every recipe that our heroine makes is included at the back of the book. Most are Paleo and gluten-free. The mystery is pretty intense with many crimes, many suspects, many secrets and lots of motivation. This builds on prior episodes but stands alone well. I believe that I will go back and read the earlier episodes. There are a couple of great characters in Aunt Ginny and the cat, Figaro. I received this ARC book for free and this is my honest review.
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I’ve wanted to read this series for awhile now (others have recommended it) and it did not disappoint. The author infuses humor into the pages in an entertaining and charming way. A fun book full of flair and fire. Great characters – I always enjoy multi-generational characters in a book. I did feel I probably missed a bit of Poppy’s backstory starting in at book three, but that made me want to go back and read the first two books in the series. #TeamGia
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Things are certainly interesting during Cape May's Restaurant Week - and Poppy is smack dab in the middle of everything! Poppy has joined Tim's team as pastry chef for the competition, she's got a B&B full of judges - some nice, some not so nice - and all this food is wreaking havoc with her paleo diet. Tim and Gia are vying for her affections (this particular reader is 100% Team Gia!!!) and someone is out to sabotage the chefs. When one of the judges is poisoned in the middle of taping an episode, Tim begs Poppy to investigate. An absolute roller coaster of a mystery, Restaurant Weeks are Murder, Libby Klein's 3rd Poppy McAllister book, had me guessing whodunit right up until the big reveal. Loved it!
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I received a free copy of RESTAURANT WEEKS ARE MURDER (A Poppy McAllister Mystery Book 3) by Libby Klein in exchange for an honest review. Poppy McAllister is excited to be helping her high school boyfriend and former fiancé, Tim, compete on a television special called Restaurant Week. When the competition is plagued by sabotage, people are injured, and one dies, Poppy, at continuing odds with local law enforcement, decides to find out what’s going on. Can Poppy survive to the finish or will she be “Chopped?”
I giggled throughout this book. I loved the sassy senior citizens who served as the Greek chorus in this tale. I really liked this one and plan to read the first two books since this was my introduction to the series.
#RestaurantWeeksAreMurder #NetGalley
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I fell in love with the Poppy McAllister Mystery series with the first book and love it more with each novel I read. Restaurant Weeks Are Murder is the best of a fantastic series! The great characters feel like people I know and the plot offers so many reasonable possibilities but no easy answer. The humor ranges from witty to silly and is always fun. The it is the strength of our protagonist that calls to me most. Poppy is very human with health and emotional issues and a temper that she really tries to control. She has recently discovered that many of her physical issues come the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's which is similar to celiac disease and can lead to it, so she is a baker who loves food and is gluten intolerant. I know a lot of people who can relate to that problem! She is willing to work hard to take care of her aunt who raised her and still loves the Chaos Queen in spite of the trouble Aunt Ginny causes. I am not sure how she manages to stay so kind to some people but kindness and loyalty are two of the keys that she lives by. And yet, in spite of her good character, she is a strong multidimensional person who is sure to hold this series at the top for a long time.
The only thing I do not love is that here is a tradition love triangle. I like both guys but do not like that she is pulled both ways. Of course for a person who has not been all that popular, she kind of likes the attention from two hot men and I can't blame her for that. After living her teen years with the weight problems and breakouts that come with the disease, she eats of the attention of those who pretty great guys.
Thanks to NetGalley of provided the ARC for Restaurant Weeks Are Murder, I am already sharing my excitement with my friends. #NetGalley #RestaurantWeeksAreMurder.
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