This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. It’s got cozy, humor, and suspense. In, Poppy Harmon and the Shooting Star, we find the ladies from the Desert Rose Detective Agency on the case once again! This time, they have taken Poppy’s former acting rival, Serena, as a client. Serena is engaged to be married and she wants to make sure her fiancé is in it for love rather than finances. But the rather simple case is complicated when Serena becomes embroiled in a major felony. Just when you think you know what might have happened, the writer duo known as Lee Hollis deliver a delightful twist.

retired-actor, retirees, private-investigators, investigation, cozy-mystery, California, verbal-humor, situational-humor, relationships, relationship-issues, murder, law-enforcement, Hollywood, actors, family-drama, family, family-dynamics, extortion, burglar*****

The actress who hired them was found gun in hand and dead man on her bedroom floor.
Poppy's a widowed retired actor who runs a PI agency with two friends (Iris and Violet), a younger male actor (Matt), and Iris's computer hacker grandson, Wyatt. Enter Poppy's former professional frenemy (Serena) who wants more info on the man she is about to marry. Then his children want info on Serena and things really go Hollywood. Great sleuthing, truly fascinating characters, plot twists that blindsided me, diabolical red herrings, and humor to die for!
Lots of sleuthing in Southern California and lots of name dropping, too, but it's the situational humor that got me! Loved it!
I requested and received a free e-book copy from Kensington Books/Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you!

I know when I get a Lee Hollis book, I'm in for a delightful treat! Awesome characters. Great story plot. Good solid mystery. Another hit! Thanks #netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

I was more or less expecting a lightweight fairly predictable story but was pleasantly surprised to find it was more complex than it sounded from the blurb and the book cover. I received this as an advanced reader copy from the author via NetGalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

When Poppy is hired by one of her former costars to investigate the woman’s fiancé, Poppy isn’t sure if she should trust the woman, as she was once a bitter rival, what one would call a frenemy these days. But time changes people and Poppy believes she should give Serena a chance.

When Serena kills an intruder, there are those who believe she was defending herself and others who don’t buy it. Poppy steps up to help Serena through this time and believes in her innocence. But when Serena is again facing pointing fingers for another disaster, can Poppy prove Serena’s innocence once and for all?

This is one of my must read series. I love Poppy as she accepts her past as a Hollywood starlet and carves her future future as one of the best PI’s Coachella Valley. This series has it all, including some grumpy old ladies and a hot young heartthrob in the making. Perfect for anyone cozy lover, but especially for ladies who are looking for a mature protagonist.

I mostly enjoyed this book. It’s a bit somber in tone. I thought the story is interesting with a big plot twist at the end. The characters aren’t that engaging. #PoppyHarmonandtheShootingStar #NetGalley

As a resident of the Palm Springs area, I was drawn to this title to see our community from the author’s eyes.
To be fair to the book, and its plot and characters, My interest was primarily in the “ local color” and the way the author chose to present our community; and, it felt like it was written with a map and guidebook in hand, but no feeling for the texture of the area. This is a town that sparkles, partly thanks to the Hollywood heritage of residents like Poppy and Serena. That really didnt come across.

The detective team was a quirky crew, but i never felt like I could visualize any of the women, just the hunky young man. The only characters that popped off the page for me were the men . And, with the title character a woman, that is a short-coming when you just sense she is smart and attractive., but dont build her image in your mind.

The mystery itself was well- plotted, but as someone who looks for strong characterization and a vibrant sense of place, there were critical elements missing in this book.

Netgalley provided me a complimentary book in return for an honest review.

I absolutely love the brother/sister duo that is Lee Hollis and everything they write! The new Poppy book is worth the wait!

I enjoyed this latest story, as the characters always bring a unique twist to their investigations.
I like the premise of this story, it captured my interest from beginning to end.
This is one of my favorite authors, so I try to read and review so I can share with others.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

I've really enjoyed this series, I enjoyed the Desert Flowers mystery series because I live in Palm Springs. It was a joy to read and had a great writing style with a good mystery going on. I really enjoyed what I read and it had great characters within it. I enjoyed how Poppy was written and did a great job in being the lead. I hope this series continues and Lee Hollis continues to write.

"Poppy circled around in front of her to address her head-on. “But I am not sure it’s such a good idea for us to stick our noses in yet another one of Detective Jordan’s investigations. He is already annoyed with me for poking around the night of your home invasion and inserting myself into his investigation of Justin Cambry’s death.”