Class Reunions are Murder: A Poppy McAllister Mystery by Libby Klein

              If you’re looking for a funny mystery, this is it.  I laughed and chuckled all the way through this book.  The characters are quirky and fun, making me very excited to find out what happens to them next.

Image provided by Kensington Books.

             

                Poppy McAllister does not want to go to her class reunion.  At all.  High school was a very unpleasant time for her, to the point she doesn’t even want to return to her New Jersey hometown for a visit.  Her best friend, Sawyer, insists it is time for her to return home and go to the reunion.  She wears Poppy down with her insistence, finally getting Poppy to agree to go to the reunion.  Still, it is with great reluctance Poppy returns home.

                Taking her cat, Figaro, with her, Poppy stays at her Aunt Ginny’s house.  As much as she does not want to be where she is, at least being away from where she lives will give her a much-needed reprieve from her controlling and judgmental mother-in-law, Georgina.

                In truth, Poppy’s desire to stay away from her hometown is not just because of her bad high school experience, although it is a big factor.  There is more to it than that.

                Ever since her husband died, Poppy has spent her days and nights eating and watching television.  She has put on a lot of weight, making it even more difficult than usual to face people from her past.  Her ex-fiancé in particular.  Someone Poppy finds out will be working at the reunion.

                Even with her reservations, Poppy keeps her word to Sawyer and goes to the reunion.  Not surprisingly, Poppy and her friends are attacked by their high school bully, Barbie Pomeroy Clark, not long after arriving.  The altercation gets ugly on both sides, which is why when Poppy finds Barbie’s body in front of her old locker, she becomes the main suspect.                              

                To make matters worse, the lead investigator is Amber Fenton, another high school bully, and Barbie’s friend.  Amber has it out for Poppy, leaving Poppy to clear her name by herself.

                Something else Poppy must figure out on her own is why Youth and Family Services is after her Aunt Ginny to move into a care home.  One of their agents, Rosalind Carson, is very insistent she do this.  She keeps saying Ginny cannot care for herself, when that is not at all true.  Ginny is eccentric, but she does not need a care home by far.  Something else has to be going on, and it must be discovered before Ginny loses everything for good.

                I mentioned how great the characters were earlier, and I love Aunt Ginny in particular.  She’s crazy, eccentric, and doesn’t ask permission to be who she is.  Ginny does what she wants when she wants, and doesn’t let anyone get in her way.  How wonderful that must be.

                Poppy’s friends are really good too.  Sawyer, Kim, and Connie are always there for Poppy when she needs them; and Poppy is there for them when they need her.

                I also really like Poppy, herself, which is not always the case for me.  Sometimes I like the side characters better than the main one, but this time I liked Poppy, too.  She is funny, relatable, and realistic.  I enjoyed watching Poppy take control of her life instead of letting everyone else and life itself control it for her.  It is something everyone must do, but is not always easy.

                Having read the snippet for the next book in the back of this one, I look forward to finding out what happens next in Poppy’s life.  She has two love interests at the moment, and it will be interesting to see in which direction those relationships go.  While both appear to be good men, I have my thoughts on who would be a better match for Poppy.  I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.