Mischief Nights are Murder by Libby Klein

Available July 25, 2023

Rated 5 stars

Poppy McAllister, gluten-free baker (and baker of gluten-free goods) and B&B operator, finds herself roped into a ghost tour event. As you might guess the first night goes awry and more than a delicious dinner is laid out on Poppy's dinner table. Given that the deceased was the least popular man for miles around, finding out who salted his pork will take more than a little investigation.

This book has a little of everything. A fun group of senior sidekicks, a B&B, a crazy cat, guests who are out of the ordinary, a local ghost tour, an angry chef, a despised victim with an almost unlimited number of potential killers, and a little romance. And, oh, the ending! You'll be guessing until the very end (unless you figure out who the killer is and believe me, you'd be wrong!)

I read this series out of order, reading the first book, then the 6th, then the 2nd, followed by the 7th and now the 8th. Though it might have been a bit easier to read them in order, I don't think I missed anything (other than books 3, 4, and 5) by reading them the way I did. There are definitely story arcs and character growth and development, but these are simple enough to follow without needing a lot of backstory. Poppy is a fantastic character. She's loyal and steady and she has the backs of her friends, who in turn have her back as well. She's also a bit snarky and sarcastic, which provides for lots of laughs along the way.

This is a series I was a bit intimidated by in the beginning because they're quite long, but you won't know it as you're reading them because they're so fast-paced and there's so much going on. If you enjoy a good culinary cozy this is a series you'll definitely want to add to your list.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.