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Book Review of Antiques Auctions are Murder (Poppy McAllister, Bk 7)

Antiques Auctions are Murder (Poppy McAllister, Bk 7)
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Dollycas's Thoughts

The Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast is full of guests and it's time for the annual Cold Spring Village antique show. A unique piece has drawn a lot of interest pitting two dealers against each other. Poppy is on the lookout for some special things to add to the rooms at her B&B but she never thought the armoire she had her eye on would be the hiding place for a dead body.

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I was thrilled to get back to the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast to catch up with Poppy McAllister, Aunt Ginny, Victory, Joanne, Gia, Amber, the Biddies and Figaro. I love that Poppy and Gia's relationship is getting stronger and all the time they spend together with his son Henry. Aunt Ginny and her friends are in rare form and Figaro has a small black kitty, Cleo, and a huge Maine Coon, Svetlana, hoping to steal his heart. These are some of my favorite fictional characters for good reason. All these characters including the felines are so realistic that they jump off the pages and invite us in to enjoy all the shenanigans within the story.

Libby Klein has stellar comedic timing. Her characters deliver zingers and get themselves into the craziest situations all while moving the mystery forward. I found myself laughing out loud and shaking my head often.  The guests at the B&B are a quirky bunch who test Poppy in a variety of ways, along with Courtney Whipple's daily deliveries of unwanted kohlrabi, and guests finding narcoleptic sunburned Victory in a variety of strange places, it is a wonder Poppy has time for anything else let alone a murder. As if she needs any more drama in her life, Georgina pops in for a visit.  It is not just the human characters that bring the humor. Figaro dealing with the antics of Svetlana and Cleo was so darn funny.

Amongst all the hilarity Ms. Klein has penned a compelling murder mystery. When the body falls out of an armoire at an auction, an armoire that Poppy wanted, practically at her feet, she knew she was going to be involved. Then she learns her "friend" on the police force, Amber has a new by-the-book partner so getting information about the case isn't going to be easy. Nevertheless, Poppy, Aunt Ginny, and the Biddies are on the case. Joanne even gets involved. There were several suspects and I selected the wrong one. The twists did a great job of misdirecting me. I was surprised at the reveal but that is what I have come to expect from this author. She tests her characters and her readers and I love that.

Antique Auctions Are Murder was a terrific read. Fun and engaging characters and a marvelous mystery kept me delightfully entertained from beginning to end. If you ever have a down day or need some "me time". I highly recommend any and every book in this series to turn your day around. Laughter is good medicine and Libby Klein delivers that spectacularly in every book. Mischief Nights Are Murder is screaming at me from my To-Be-Read shelf. I can't wait to see what mischief Poppy and her family and friends get mixed up in next.

Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.