Mystery | 368 pages
Publication Date: 1 June 2022

Book two in the Poppy McGowan series (you can read this one as a standalone). Poppy is looking after her Aunty Mary who just had surgery. She lives in a retirement village. When checking in on a neighbour, the unthinkable happens. The neighbour is unconscious on the bathroom floor in her apartment. Was this an accident or is something more sinister at play? We are looking at more sinister when a murder also takes place in the same building.

I love how Poppy has found her way in to another murder mystery and the police are not happy with her attempts of assisting them find the culprit. This was a very enjoyable and cozy mystery read. I am looking forward to reading more of Poppy’s adventures in the future.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin Australia for the gifted copy of this e-book for my honest book review.

I was attracted to "An A-List for Death" because I had read Pamela Hart's recent historical fiction "The Charleston Scandal"....my preferred genre .......but was willing to give a modern murder mystery a read.
I believe this book is part of the Poppy McGowan mystery series but I read as a stand-alone and I don't think I was adversely affected by the lack of prior context.
Poppy is employed by the ABC broacasting network in Sydney, Australia. As well as researching for children's shows as a day job, she is planning to jet off to Jordan with her boyfriend Tron, renovating her first home and looking after her Aunt Mary who has just had surgery. Mary lives in a retirement village, just down the corridor from her dear longtime friend Daisy.
Mary asks Poppy to check on Daisynwhen she doesn't show up as planned. Poppy is shocked to discover Daisy unconscious in her bathroom with a nasty head wound.
And so the mystery begins.......was this an old age slip/trip accident or was someone to blame.
We are introduced to Daisy's family..a motley crue of successful musician, angry daughter, loyal grandson, tied with a family lawyer, bodyguide and an old lover too. Family dynamics to the fore. Greed, mistrust, rejection.
Thank God for the assorted aunties who come to the rescue with casseroles to keep everyone fed!
The book was easy to read, quirky and funny in places. However, I did find it hard to keep up with a number of minor characters...Poppies friends (possibly they had been introduced in the previous book?) I believe in "An A-List for Death" they really weren't necessary and detracted from the main storyline.
A light quick read, which did keep me guessing as the story and victims unfolded.
Thanks to NetGalley, Pamela Hart and Harlequin Australia for my copy.

I really enjoyed catching up with Poppy again, she was lots of fun in Digging Up Dirt and not much has changed, she is still managing to get herself involved in multiple mysteries and crimes and taking it upon herself to help investigate. When Poppy's aunt's best friend is found bleeding and unconscious by Poppy, she is drawn into family secrets and plots and is determined to help work out what happened and who is out to get her, if anyone even actually is. Poppy is easy to like and the people around her all seem to trust her, she also likes to think the best of people even when they don't deserve it.

She is in a relationship with Tol who she got together with during the previous book and I really like him, he was excellent support for Poppy when things spin out of control even when he becomes a suspect in the case. I hope they can make their relationship last.

There was once again a full cast of characters from Poppy's coworkers and her family, the police and the many suspects in what turns into several mysteries and murder attempts. I didn't like two police officers who once again investigated the crimes, Detective Chloe Prudhomme blew too hot and cold for me, she was also hostile one minute and friendly the next, I really found her unpleasant and didn't understand why Poppy seemed to like her.

There were plenty of threads to tie together in An A-List for Death and plenty of suspects and twists and turns while uncovering who was who and who did what. There was humour and some romance and plenty going on to keep me entertained.

I look forward to more Poppy McGowan cosy mysteries because there is no way I can see Poppy staying out of trouble in the future.

An A-List For Death brings readers back to the world of Australian Broadcasting Corporation children’s program researcher and sometimes reporter Poppy McGowan. It’s a lovely sequel to Digging Up Dirt and once again showcases author Pamela Hart’s extensive knowledge of the ABC and of investigative journalism. Poppy is ably supported by a cast of with fabulous characters including Poppy’s Aunty Mary and her best friend, former model Daisy Montgomery, Poppy’s boyfriend Tol and Daisy’s pop singer nephew Jonathan, aka Nathan Castle as well as the somewhat annoying Esmerelda. While the plot is excellent and filled with both humour when needed and plenty of twists to keep you guessing, for me it was definitely the characters that shone through as I read. I loved this book.

This is the second book in the Poppy McGowan series and I have to confess that I did enjoy this book more than the first. I think this book moved along a bit faster than the first and I was more engaged with the characters.
Poppy is employed by the ABC as a researcher for a kids program. She is also currently looking after her Aunt Mary in her retirement village unit having just had surgery. When checking up on a neighbour Poppy is shocked to discover her unconscious in her bathroom with a nasty head wound. Was it an accident or something more sinister?
Again Poppy finds herself in the middle of a mystery with the police not happy with her attempts to assist them.
Told with a lot of humour and set in Sydney this is quite a fun (yet macabre) read.
Thank you Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for the opportunity the read this digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A terribly fun read! I enjoyed this second instalment better than the first book. It was easy and light to read with just enough hints on the mystery to keep you going all the way to the end. Of course, the romantic tingles between Poppy & Tol, and their solid trust in each other, kept me fully warm and happy.

The only problem I had was keeping up with the numerous characters. Even as the story is told purely from Poppy's perspective, there were moments where I had to stop and try to think who this particular character is again in relation to Poppy & others in the book.

I love that it's set in today's Sydney and enjoyed zipping about with Poppy whose innate goodness touched all those around her. I truly appreciate the safe-ness and yet, still exciting, relationship between Poppy & Tol (so many books on brokenness that this was so comforting). Overall, An A-List for Death was a very relaxing and very entertaining read.

My thanks to Harlequin Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts

Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review.

Loved the first Poppy McGowan book...and this is almost as good. Lots of mystery and intrigue along with the odd celebrity. Hope to read further about the exploits of Poppy and the handsome Tol.

#netgalley This is the second book in the Poppy McGowan series and is just as good as the first. A funny mystery of whodunit so easy to read. I really enjoyed this warm book with relatable characters 4/5 stars

An A-List for Death is the rollicking second instalment in Aussie author Pamela Hart's cosy mystery series featuring television researcher - turned amateur sleuth Poppy McGowan.

A few months after the action of Digging Up Dirt has simmered down, Poppy finds herself as live-in carer for her fiesty great aunt Mary, who has recently had knee surgery. No sooner has Poppy moved into Mary's plush retirement village apartment than she discovers her aunt's glamorous best friend, 60s "It Girl" Daisy, collapsed and barely alive in her own apartment's bathroom. Daisy has a nasty head wound, and spends several days recovering in Intensive Care, as her far-flung family members converge on Sydney. But Aunt Mary is convinced that this was no accidental fall, instead that someone has assaulted Daisy and left her for dead.

Poppy's already frantic life becomes a maelstrom after she's photographed with Daisy's famous pop musician son, Jonathan (a.k.a. Nathan Castle), by archaeology student turned wannabe paparazza Esmerelda. The gossip magazines go into overdrive, speculating a relationship between sex-symbol Nathan and an anonymous ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) researcher. Ironically, the situation draws Poppy and her boyfriend / "admirer", archaeologist Bartholemew "Tol" Lang closer, with his imminent departure for a protracted Jordanian dig looming.

When Poppy discovers Esmerelda's body, murdered inside Aunt Mary's retirement complex with her camera's SD card smashed nearby, it becomes clear that there's a vicious killer on the loose. But who could want elderly Daisy dead, and what might Esmerelda have seen and photographed that she shouldn't have?

An A-List for Death is a fitting follow-up to 2021's popular Digging Up Dirt. Poppy's extended family again play a role, as do Tol's colleagues at the university and museum, and the ongoing renovations at her Annandale cottage. It's also heartwarming to learn that Poppy's kept in touch with troubled teenager Patience Carter, who she met in the first book.

Despite the rather violent actual and attempted murders, the mood of An A-List for Death is light and frequently humourous. There's an intriguing cast of potential suspects, some sympathetic, others considerably less so. The setting is evocative of Sydney in late spring, with several real-life locations being depicted (and their architecture subjected to Hart's critical eye). The only jarring note was the repeated use by characters of an expression that I felt was anachronistic, by at least a generation, when referring to an intellectually-disabled relation of Daisy's. Given that the character concerned would have been born no earlier than the late 1970s, I didn't feel that it was a term that would ever have been applied to her, even in a pejorative sense.

I found An A-List for Death a quick and enjoyable read, and believe it would appeal to readers who enjoy mystery novels in the ilk of Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club series and M.C. Beaton's Agatha Raisin series.

My thanks to the author, Pamela Hart, publisher Harlequin Australia / HQ Fiction, and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this title.

4.5★s
An A-List For Death is the second book in the Poppy McGowan series by Australian author, Pamela Hart. Children's Educational TV researcher Poppy McGowan is volunteered by family to care for her elderly aunt post-op: not a great hardship as Aunty Mary lives in an exclusive riverside retirement complex in Ryde, and Poppy’s numerous aunts provide casseroles and fill-in care.

But when she goes to check on Mary's neighbour and dearest friend, she finds the wealthy, flamboyant Daisy Montgomery out cold on her bathroom floor, bleeding from a head wound. A rush to the Emergency department of Royal Prince Alfred is followed by liaising with Daisy's son: a mixed blessing. Jonathan Montgomery is more widely known as the rich and famous Nathan Castle, gorgeous, talented rock star.

An opportunistic paparazza sells a perfectly innocent shot of Poppy with Nathan, causing a media storm. Aunty Mary, meanwhile, is convinced that Daisy has been attacked in her own home, but Poppy wonders if it was really just a fall. Until, that is, Daisy’s unit is trashed and possibly burgled.

Distracting her somewhat, Poppy’s recently acquired boyfriend, archaeologist Tol Lang is trying to convince her to visit him in Jordan for a dig. He’s leaving soon, and will be away two years: is she giving her heart away for a long-distance relationship? Will going on Tol’s dig just prolong the agony?

By the time that there has been a murder, Tol has been arrested and a few boxes of possibly poisoned chocolates are creating havoc, the list of potential suspects includes the retirement complex’s odious manager, Daisy’s greedy stepdaughter, her solicitor, her step-grandson, a record company publicity manager and a two-timing archaeology student.

Poppy McGowan’s latest adventure also features a will, a Scottish estate, paternity issues and fraud, as well as plenty of (melo)drama and a good helping of red herrings to keep even the most astute reader guessing until the final reveal. Very entertaining!
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and HQ Fiction.

I have been waiting for this one since I finished the first book and was not disappointed, Pamela Hart had me turning the pages as Poppy gets herself caught up in all sorts problems while staying with her Aunty Mary after her Aunt’s knee surgery, there are break-ins, attacks and murder I do hope you come along for the ride.

It seems that children’s TV researcher Poppy has again found her way into mayhem, it really is not what she goes looking for but people tend to open up to her so easily, when she rushes to the aid of her Aunt Mary’s best friend and neighbour, Daisy the doors open to a stack of mysteries, was Daisy attacked or did she fall? then a break in and paparazzi following Poppy around because Daisy’s son is a rock star Nathan Castle and Poppy is not one to leave things alone she must get to bottom of the mystery.

The police are not convinced of Poppy’s thoughts on any of the things happening and when a young woman is murdered they look, to as far as Poppy is concerned, the wrong suspect, Nathan Castle is doing what he can to help his mother and his family seem to be acting a bit strange and when Nathan is put in the line of fire there is an outcry from his fans and Poppy again is on the case.
Poppy’s boyfriend Tol is again at her side as they weather the storm of media and danger that is constantly there, but Poppy is ever determined to get her answers to what has been happening.

I did love this book it is witty, exciting and such a fabulous read, the characters are bought to life and are so very real, Pamela Hart has a way with words that pull the reader in and she had me guessing till the very end on who, how and why this all came about, this is one that I highly recommend it is sure to keep any reader who loves a good cosy entertained till the very end and I am really looking forward to more Poppy stories.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my copy to read and review

The second in a series about Poppy McGowan, a researcher for a children's TV show, and her talent for turning up dead bodies on Sydney's North Shore.

I enjoyed this book as much as the first one, largely because of the setting and the characters who are all well depicted and interesting to meet. Polly herself is a sensible woman who deals with dangerous situations when they come along, and her boyfriend Tol is okay too, although he seems a little too confident that a two year separation is going to be easy to deal with!

The story is quite light hearted and fun, with lots of information about researching children's shows for the ABC and, in this book, about drums. If you want to know more about drums then Pamela Hart is your go to person! The mystery is interesting and concludes satisfactorily. Recommended for anyone who enjoys a good cosy.

An absolutely wonderful quirky mystery is the second in the Poppy McGowan series!
Poppy’s helping her Aunt Mary recover from surgery, her neighbour Daisy hasn’t arrived to visit. Poppy finds Daisy seriously injured & must unravel who would harm her aunt’s friend.
Daisy’s family and friends rush to the hospital, her famous son Jonathan together with his bodyguard are all trying to solve the mystery! Could it be possible that the person responsible for the mayhem is known to them all?
Everyone’s a suspect so Poppy and her boyfriend Tol work through their growing relationship, while helping the police piece together the clues.
The characters and storyline are relatable, I loved following Poppy’s journey again, a joy to read!
I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting a warm unputdownable whodunnit!

Congratulations and thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the awesome author Pamela Hart, I can’t wait for the next instalment!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Poppy’s Aunt Mary had had surgery and Poppy was keeping an eye on her recovery in the apartment complex she lived in. When her neighbour, Daisy, hadn’t turned up for the promised visit, Aunt Mary prompted Poppy to go check on her. Finding Daisy unconscious and bleeding on her bathroom floor, Poppy called an ambulance. When Daisy was rushed to RPA hospital in Sydney, with Poppy by her side, Poppy didn’t expect it to be the start of a horrible brush with death and a deranged killer.

Nathan Castle – or Jonathan as he was known by his family – was Daisy’s son. A famed rock singer, popular with his many fans, nonetheless, he rushed to be by his mother’s side. With other members of Daisy’s family circling, photographers on the hunt for their best photo of Nathan, a bodyguard named Charlie and the police suspicious of everyone, even Poppy’s boyfriend Tol – Dr Lang – Poppy was determined to discover who did the deed/s and prove Tol’s innocence. But could she do all this without getting herself into deep trouble?

An A-List for Death is the 2nd in the Poppy McGowan Mysteries by Aussie author Pamela Hart, and I loved it! A fun, entertaining and laugh out loud cosy mystery, with a great storyline and excellent characters, it was a delight to lose myself in Poppy’s life once again. Aunt Mary was a real character, and Daisy wasn’t far behind. A fabulous addition to the series, I’ll be waiting (im)patiently for book 3! Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Well I must say I enjoyed this book and even though I have not read book one in the series this did not have any affect on my thoughts on this one. Although I now must go find the first book so I can read that one!

I love Poppy and love this cosy mystery as it has it all. It is fun, quirky, has some humour in it and has all the makings of a good, easy and enjoyable read. It has everything you want and need from a cosy mystery, murder, intrigue, great suspects, mystery and it keeps you reading.

The characters are great and the story moves easily and flowingly, the mystery is all there and it is a most enjoyable and fun read. I highly recommend it.

Poppy McGowan is a TV researcher for a children's educational program with the Australian ABC in Sydney. In the first book in this series she gained a reputation as an amateur sleuth by solving the case of a murdered woman found in the house she is renovating. Now, in this second episode Poppy is staying with her Aunt Mary to help her recover from a knee operation when she becomes involved in a mysterious attack on Aunt Mary's next door neighbour and best friend Daisy. In tracking down Daisy's relatives, she discovers her son Jonathan is the famous rock star Nathan Castle and when she is accidentally photographed with him in the street the fan magazines and social media go wild over who the mystery woman he's with could be.

This is a fun cosy mystery. Poppy and her boyfriend, archaeologist Tol soon discover that someone is looking for something in Daisy's apartment, but along the way someone is killed and Tol is suspected of being a murderer. The writing is lively and humorous and filled with quirky and interesting characters as well as a gentle romance and a good tale about the perils of fame and wealth.

What an exhilarating reading experience! Pamela Hart is a gifted author of many styles and genres. Her latest dance with creativity has taken her to the ballrooms of cosy mysteries. This is the second instalment of the Poppy McGowan series and it is filled with unusual unsuspecting suspects, coincidental events, attempted malicious attacks and, of course, murder.

Poppy is a TV researcher who also happens to take on the role of an amateur sleuth. She has never planned to be such a person but sometimes she finds herself in unexpected close contact situations where her inquisitive mind cannot help question if the injured individuals she comes upon have been subject to an accident or an attempted murder. If that wasn’t enough, she also ends up in living spaces where she is first on the spot of dead bodies. Her movements are not calculated. She merely stumbles across these incidents by accident. But it certainly activates her creative, inquisitive mind to draw, glean and decipher the facts from the people and circumstances that surround them. And in An A-List for Death it all begins when she finds her Aunt Mary’s best friend, Daisy, bleeding and unconscious on the floor of her bathroom.

Being a cosy mystery, it has all the ingredients you would expect with its quirkiness, humour, charm and gentler, warmer tone. There’s a touch of light romance, too, and colourful characters that will keep you interested and on your toes. I found it hard to put this story down to sleep and was dying (pardon the pun!) to read the next chapter. Yes, exactly what every author wants to hear from their readers! Rest assured, there are no explicit descriptions of the severely injured or dead—well at least not what you would find in a hard cord murder mystery but we are provided enough details to get the idea of the victims’ physical conditions. This novel will not give you nightmares for it is not that sort of mystery. It will keep you entertained with its delightful wit and leave you wondering as it contains lots of red herrings. The cast are both likeable and tragic. They all have their human foibles. The reservoir of selfish needs, misjudgements, greed, envy and overblown pride keep the action flowing. There are ample clues to keep you on a trail or two and it is enjoyable to watch as each suspicion is played out and the truth revealed. Even though I guessed the suspect early on, it was still an exciting and unforgettable journey to the full revelation.

Some might say Poppy is an unlikely unassuming protagonist sleuth but I think her career background makes her a good candidate with her ability to do thorough research. She can look at all the angles, dissect, question and piece obscure fragments back together. But although she has these useful gumshoe characteristics, she still stumbles on to the truth in unexpected ways. And, of course, she uses her connections wherever possible to help her with her deductions. The events are limited to a fairly intimate setting and suspects are within the circle of Poppy’s acquaintances so she has to think hard about what motives each of these people have? As the ball unravels, secrets are revealed and hearts are exposed and sometimes the picture is not very pretty!

My review cannot close without citing my notice of Pamela Hart’s love of Anne of Green Gables and how An A- List for Death provides a gentle nod to that story by including a red-haired female character, a mention of the novel itself and the Montgomery name!

I can easily recommend this lively colourful romantic crime novel that touches on the hazards of fame and selfish drive for money. It also questions the loyalty of lovers, friends and family when there is something quick to gain. This story where everyone is a suspect, successfully raises doubt in the minds of readers (and Poppy) of all those closest to the victims. Who is capable of murder? Read it and see! It is a sure CLUE game moment when it all comes together. I happily encourage everyone who loves a fun, witty, warm, cosy mystery to pick up a copy in June! 5 Stars for a professional performance!

Many thanks to publisher Harlequin Australia and Netgalley for a review copy. The review will be posted on Amazon upon release of the novel.

Poppy McGowan returns in this sequel to Digging Up Dirt. I’ve been eagerly waiting for this!

Poppy is a TV researcher who is happiest behind the scenes. When a photograph of her with rock god Nathan Castle pops up on celebrity gossip sites, she’s not happy about the media feeding frenzy that follows.

Nor is she pleased that Daisy, Nathan’s elderly mother and best friend and neighbour of her Aunty Mary, is found bleeding and unconscious in her bedroom. While Poppy tries to make sense of it all, a murder occurs outside Daisy’s flat and the police finally get involved.

Poppy is a great character, feisty yet sensible. I enjoy the way she juggles the various strands in her life – renovating a house, researching for a children’s TV show, being part of a huge and inquisitive family – while trying to clear her boyfriend, Tol, of the murder.

It’s ripper story and moves along at a cracking pace. More Poppy please, Pamela Hart!

Thanks to Harlequin Australia and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in return for an honest review. https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/251847