I love this series. This was a solid entry and did not disappoint. I enjoyed catching up with the characters again, like old friends. I would recommend.

If I was not already a fan of Cozy Mysteries Libby Klein, Poppy
and Aunt Ginny would win me over.
I have to say this is my favorite series.
It is hard to say which character is my favorite but Aunt Ginny sure steals the show.
Poppy is a reluctant sleuth or so she thinks. She seems to figure out Who Dun It actually with ease.
She does seem to get into a bit or a scrape when the bad guy figures out she's figured out who he or she is.
But in the end everyone comes out safe. The bad guy is found out and everything is all tidied up.

At least until the next installment.

I really enjoy this series and I can't wait to see what Poppy and the
quirky Aunt Ginny get into next time.

If you are a fan of Cozy's check out this series! This one is widely available. Check out the list of places to purchase below.

I absolutely love this series. I've been having a hard time finding a cozy mystery that I want to just keep reading but this series always does it. This one was about a week of restaurant wars kind of. Poppy was helping out ex Tim as his pastry chef. Plenty of action and whodunit. Poppy's aunt Ginny is always a riot and I wish I had a spunky elderly aunt. I love the romance between Poppy and Gia and hopefully she chooses him instead of Tim. Just my opinion. I also love the little quips that Poppy says in her head. It gives me a good laugh out loud. Figaro is a huge plus. I'm a cat lover and this cat is an added bonus. Bring on the next book.

Poppy McAllister agreed to be on a team of chefs for a South NJ reality show...of course the team she is on is headed by her high school crush. Of course, there's her current beau keeping her occupied. And then the cooking show is sabotaged and eventually, a death. This book is full of delightful characters and an enjoyable mystery! Two thumbs up!

I received Restaurant Weeks are Murder as an ARC from Netgalley. This was a very entertaining cozy mystery. Poppy is in the process of opening a B & B in Cape May, NJ. She has always dreamed of being a pastry chef and she gets the opportunity when her ex boyfriend, Tim, invites her to be on his team for a cooking competition. Things start to go wrong with it appears that someone is trying to sabotage the competition and then one of the judges is murdered. Poppy, of course, decided to become an amateur detective to try to solve the mystery. This book included lots of laughs in addition to the mystery. A fun read!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Restaurant Week in Cape May is a life and death affair. Poppy is hoping by assisting her former fiancé in the competition, she will accomplish several life long goals. The first is to prove she can handle herself in the world of chefs. Those dreams were shelved the same time she and Tim broke up many years ago. Can those dreams be revived along with her dreams of happiness with Tim.
There are several challenges that might sidetrack Poppy, including poison, intrigue, and danger. Tim has a colleague pursuing him and Poppy has a luscious fellow waiting for her to decide too. Plus, she is playing hostess to the judges so when one keels over on the set where the festivities are being taped, she is deep in the heart of the mystery. As usual, the victim really deserves her comeuppance so there is no shortage of folks who would wish her ill. As the story evolves, the reasoning behind the murder makes for a solid mystery. It provides lots of pleasurable reading along the way and a few thrills and chills.
I like Poppy a lot. I can take or leave her flamboyant aunt who tends to be over the top. I certainly know which fellow I would chose in the beau sweepstakes. Over all, it’s an enjoyable cozy.
I give it four purrs and two paws up.

“Restaurant Weeks Are Murder” is Libby Klein’s very enjoyable third novel, chock full of madness and mayhem in the ‘Poppy McAllister Mystery’ series. The first book is ‘Class Reunions Are Murder,’ followed by book two which is ‘Midnight Snacks Are Murder.’

I haven’t read these other books in this series yet, however, I don’t think that this spoilt my enjoyment of this novel. That said, there is nothing more exciting than picking up a book which is the first in a new series.

Poppy McAllister is opening a new Bed & Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, but working in a professional kitchen has always been her passion. Now she’s realising her dream, at least briefly, as she is teaming up with her former fiancée, Tim and his partner, Gigi, during a high-profile Restaurant Week challenge. Poppy’s speciality is pastries and if anyone can make glorious gluten-free goodies, it’s Poppy.

As it might be expected, things start to go badly wrong very quickly, especially when some ingredients get switched and Tim is accused of sabotage. Relatively harmless pranks soon escalate into real hazards, including an exploding deep fat fryer. Then one of the judges dies after taking a bite of Poppy’s limoncello cannoli, making her one of the prime suspects . . .

Forty-odd-year-old, pastry chef, Poppy, the protagonist, lives with her elderly Aunt Ginny and Figaro, her mischievous cat. I found Poppy and many of the other characters very funny and likeable, so much so that I felt as though I would like to spend some time in their company myself! As someone who has read several cozies, Poppy’s Aunt Ginny has become one of my favourite cozy characters. She provided plenty of humour in this book from her choice of outlandish outfits to her zaniness and zest for life. I couldn’t help but adore her and look forward to her mischievous antics.

I liked that the opening chapters drew me into the story and captured my attention immediately. Although I had to wait a while before an actual murder took place, there was never a dull moment with such a lot going on. The mystery itself was well thought out with plenty of twists and turns as I puzzled over the clues to discover the perpetrator.

The book had a natural, steady pace, and even though the murder occurred towards the end of the first half of the book I was kept guessing until the surprising reveal. Delightful and entertaining “Restaurant Weeks Are Murder” is a highly recommended, quick, light read for all cozy mystery fans.

{Thank you to #NetGalley and Kensington Books for the free copy of this novel and for giving me the opportunity to provide an honest review.}

Poppy has become one of my favorite sleuths. She is hilariously witty and clever in how she investigates murders. Plus she is Paleo and is forcing her quirky Aunt to be Paleo, sometimes against her will.. In this book we go along with Poppy as she helps her ex husband at Restaurant Week in making desserts. Accusations are flying and when a judge ends up dead, Poppy finds herself the main suspect. This is a must read book and series. I can't wait to see what happens next.

Poppy, Aunt Ginny and friends are at it again - this time shenanigans are afoot during the local cooking contest being held in Cape May! During the competition, Poppy is serving as pastry chef, alongside Tim and Gigi, with no shortness of drama caused by Gigi's seemingly obnoxious attraction to Tim and refusal to be civil to Poppy. Mama is also in the competition believing she is only going to cook her regular italian cuisine. When her assistant is hurt during one of the daily competitions, Gia joins her side and the competition heats up in the kitchen! There is no shortness of activity and craziness afoot in he kitchen between our teams and when you add in a panel of celebrity judges and murder, nothing is as it seems and everyone is a suspect!

I love a great cooking competition and the great array of fun recipes developed during the competition are also highlighted by the author (listed in the book so you can play along in your own kitchen - just don't burn the house down!) You will never experience a cooking competition the same once you finish this book - filled with great and funny characters, great plot lines and a little bit of love and romance - you don't want to miss this latest mystery in the series!

Libby Klein does it again with another laugh out loud, glue-you-to-the-pages cozy mystery.

The mystery: Who killed Bess Jodice. The retired cooking instructor is rude, arrogant, malicious and snooty. She’s hardly the friendship inspiring kind and that’s why the list of potential suspects is quite long. Almost every single character in the story has a reason to want Bess dead, and many of them have the means and opportunity to do it too. Libby weaves quite the mystery web for us to get all caught up in. The pacing of the story is great as clues, secrets and red herrings are revealed chapter by chapter.

There are also some minor mysteries such as why does one of Poppy’s extra deserts disappear every day; and who has been trying to sabotage the chefs in the competition?

The Restaurant Week Cooking Competition setting is hilarious and really well described. If you’re a fan of any cooking competition, you’ll appreciate this for sure. But don’t go off like Stormin’ Normanand think that you’re an expert just because you love watching Chopped on the Food Network.

The characters are delightfully described, yet again. The suspects have full stories for the reader to delve into, making each of them quite intriguing. If you can end up liking them or not, is a whole other story! The recurring characters are a delight to read. Aunt Ginny is up to her antics once again. Whether she’s making dramatic entrances or playing bookie, she’s guaranteed to make you laugh. Gigi is as annoying as ever, and I wish we had a grand showdown between her and Poppy, though you may feel a little sorry for her by the close of this one… not really… but maybe. Sawyer is as sweet and silly as ever. C’mon girl, friends over romantic interests you’ve only just met. All in all, a truly enjoyable cast to spend some time reading.

And the drama continues between Gia and Tim and Poppy. I’m so not a love triangle person… unless it’s written really well!!! And this one is. I’d been having a hard time choosing between Tim and Gia in the first two books. I think I’m leaning more towards the sexy Italian now. He of consistent loving gestures may have more staying power over he of the grand gesture… just saying. That said, both gentleman are cute and wonderfully depicted and I’d hate to see either of them end up with a broken heart.

The attention given to healthy eating and self-care is not overdone but a really great inclusion; especially as there is a focus on all the lovely and delicious deserts you can still have even if you must go gluten and dairy free. Recipes included at the end!

I’ve enjoyed both books one and two in this series but I think this one is my favourite yet. I love seeing authors really hit their strides in a series and Libby has done just that. Now I can’t wait for book 4!

I give this book 5/5 competitive stars.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Kensington and NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Restaurant Weeks are Murder

by Libby Klein

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.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: #3 in the Poppy McAllister Murder Series, but works as a standalone.
Recipes are included.

Publication: February 26, 2019—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

I plopped down on the floor in the sunroom and ran a brush through Figaro’s black smoke fur. He hummed like a Harley, his copper eyes slitty like two winter crescent moons reflecting on the Atlantic.

When I’m with Gia, I feel like my heart explodes, and my brain goes mush. But when I’m with Tim, I’m home again. He’s all I’ve ever wanted, and the years just melt away.

“Don’t be salty with me. I’ve seen you without makeup.”

I could tell Miss New Jersey was trying to wrap her brain around what Gigi was saying. The strain of it was making a wrinkle in her perfect forehead. I had to intervene before she passed out from the stress.

Libby Klein has definitely mastered the cozy mystery genre. This cast of characters has all the hallmarks of trouble waiting to happen. And boy, does it happen! As she works to get her own B&B ready to open, our heroine accepts a challenge to work beside her ex and one of her least favorite people, tp help them win a local cooking reality show. The trouble starts when the kitchen they were to use is not workable so they move to her B&B. Since the challenge is taking place on her home turf, they should have an advantage, right? Not so much. Add in a judge's death, by dessert at that, and the stage is set for an entertaining adventure that no cook would want to take. The story line was fun, the characters were fun and the ending well worth the time to get there. A definite must read!

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!

Restaurant Weeks Are Murder is another solid entry in a favorite cozy series! This mystery did a nice job of highlighting the major conflicts of the series (especially where Poppy's love life is concerned) while also providing a new puzzle to solve in an interesting context (a cooking competition!). Like the first two books of the series, it's also funny and made me laugh out loud several times. (The author also gets major bonus points for a reference to Pierre Escargot. That was the joke that got the biggest laugh out of me.) I can't wait for the next book!

What a great cozy mystery. Loved the plot and the cast of characters. Mystery fans will love this book.

I think this may be the funniest in this series yet! Despite the murders or any attempts at murder, there is still always plenty to laugh at. Aunt Ginny is such a hoot when she decides to wear one of her what seems like endless crazy outfits. This time I couldn't stop laughing at Figaro, that little stinker cat! He just seemed to know that someone was allergic to him and kept mysteriously showing up in their room. I loved how he drew Poppy into his mischief too! He did something fairly important later on in the book--won't spoil that, but it was pretty cool.

When one of the judges for the Restaurant Week competition was murdered, Poppy worried that she'd be in jail before the day was over, since it was her dessert that the judge was eating. Not to mention the headache of having to work alongside Gigi, a chef who had her own restaurant but was a little too cozy with Tim, Poppy's ex-boyfriend that she herself seemed to be getting closer with. All the chefs had some sort of secret, so there was no shortage of suspects in the murder, sabotages and attempted murders that followed. In the end, Poppy overcame her quandary about whether Tim or Gia would be the guy she chose, but there was still a tiny little issue which I won't mention, since I don't want to spoil it.

I had guessed the killer randomly, but I had no idea of the reasoning and the story behind their why. The showdown was pretty awesome showing once more that a good chef can even handle a killer if the right equipment is available! I am more anxious than ever for the next book because of how this one ended. It's not really a cliffhanger, since the murder was solved. Just read it and see if you agree!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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!

Be on my team for the cooking competition, he said. It will be fun, he said…
Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein combines this splendid mystery with real to life character that stole my heart.

This book is the first that I have read by Libby Klein and I can’t wait to try some of the recipes that she included in the book. I adored the way that she described people. Here is an example:
He leads us up to a very dignified chef, who reminded me a little of Sam the Eagle from the Muppets, with his bushy eyebrows and tufts of gray hair over a serious expression.

Poppy McAllister
Our sleuth is Poppy McAllister. She is living with her 80-year-old Aunt Ginny, whose house they have turned into bed and breakfast. Poppy has gone on a Paleo diet and has lost some weight. She is feeling really good about herself. I think she should be; Poppy is reliable and compassionate. She has also turned into one of the trouble magnets; you know the ones that find dead bodies or are present when people are murdered.

Poppy is also in a love triangle at the moment, and she doesn’t seem to know which way to go or whom to choose. Let’s say that both guys are hot and they want her undivided attention.

What I like about Poppy
• Poppy is a brilliant baker, and she creates these fabulous gluten-free desserts. Yum!
• She is polite nice even when her inner voice is telling her not to be. OK, most of the time she is nice.
• Poppy treats her Aunt Ginny with respect and tolerates Ginny amusing fashion outfits and attitude.
• She has the cutest little cat Figaro, who is a naughty little sneak. Poppy doesn’t hold it against him.
• Poppy is trying to better herself and be the best that she can be. I adore her attitude.
What I didn’t like about Poppy
• That she wore that yellow apron when she could have just gotten another one herself.
• Poppy allowed Gigi to make her feel bad, all the while knowing that she was just as good as Gigi.

The Mystery
What a crazy mystery with suspects galore. I honestly didn’t figure out who the murder was or the motive until Poppy stumbled upon it herself. The restaurant business is crazy, or was that just the Jersey shore? No seriously, there were so many things going on, and it was so entertaining. I loved the accents, the outfits, whole Chopped-like cooking competition.

Well done, Ms. Klein.

My favorite character
Let me tell you there were lots of characters; they are funny, snarky, quirky, rebellious, and sweet ones. But, my favorite is Aunt Ginny. She is dynamic, fresh, witty and outrageous. Aunt Ginny has lost her filter, and the things that come out of her mouth are hilarious. Ginny and her senior friends just go and do what they want.

One of the best things about Ginny were the outfits that she would show up in; here is one of them:
Aunt Ginny was dressed in marine-blue harem pants and a matching gauzy long-sleeved to bejeweled with aqua sequence and tiny gold bells. There were gold bedroom slippers on her feet.

5 Stars for Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein
My rating for Restaurant Weeks Are Murder by Libby Klein is five stars. Once, I started this one I just couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was happening to Poppy next. Although, I haven’t read the first two books in this series, I have added them to my TBR (yes, it is huge, but that is OK).

I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a marvelous mystery with laugh out loud characters and their antics.

Anyways until the next time enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escape Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

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.

Poppy McAllister has agreed to take part in a cooking competition with her former fiancee, Tim, and the woman who loves Tim, Gigi. Things get off to a difficult start when Poppy discovers someone has messed with the ingredients, and she'll be cooking with the wrong thing. Good thing she noticed before before her bake. But soon what seems to be pranks turn into dangerous situations, including an exploding deep fryer

But when one of the judges dies after taking a bite out of Poppy's cannoli, she's the chief suspect. It's up to her, her Aunt Ginny, and Poppy's best friend Sawyer to get to the bottom of things, before Poppy's goose is cooked.

I adore this series. Libby Klein writes beautifully, and the humor she injects in her stories makes me laugh at loud. One of the reasons for that is Aunt Ginny. She adds such wonderful color to these stories that she has won my heart as my favorite character. Her antics make her very real.

Poppy is a great heroine, and this time around she had to unravel a mystery that had a hidden depth to it. I didn't figure out whodunit until the very end, which always makes a book entertaining for me.

I look forward to Poppy's next adventure. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.