Poppy's Murderous Reunion

Bruce Von Stiers

As I write this, my high school reunion is about a month away. These types of events can be fun and adventurous, catching up with old friends and making new ones of former classmates. They can also be full of angst and dread, especially if you weren't one of the popular kids in school.

It is the second scenario I mentioned that is the basis for a cozy mystery. The title of the book is Class Reunions Are Murder. It was written by Libby Klein and published by Kensington Mystery.

Poppy McAllister wasn't one of the popular kids in high school. In fact, she and her friends were bullied by Barbie, the most popular cheerleader in school and her entourage. So when Poppy receives a special invitation from Barbie to the 25 th class reunion, she is highly skeptical. There is no way that she is going back home to the reunion. But her best friend talks Poppy into coming to the reunion.

In the first part of the book, the reader learns all about Poppy; her being bullied in school, the boyfriend she leaves behind to go to college and a series of circumstances that leaves her a widow.

At a reunion event at the high school, Barbie shows she is just as mean and spiteful as she was in high school. Barbie proves out that some people never really change, no matter what the external packaging is. After an altercation between her and Barbie, Poppy finds herself in a school hallway by her old locker. There she finds Barbie's dead body.

So, as these things go, Poppy immediately becomes the prime suspect. The remainder of the book has Poppy and her friends trying to find the real killer and keep Poppy out of jail.

This book was entertaining on several levels. Poppy and her friends are funny, yet not too humorous as to take away from the mystery aspect of the book. The murder and subsequent investigation are pretty solid plot elements. The revealing of the killer and their motive for the murder make for an interesting turn.

As for the angst about attending a class reunion, that can be a very real and raw emotion. I've been involved with class reunions. One thing that I have occasionally heard from former classmates is that they were bullied in high school and have no desire to revisit those treacherous times in their lives. Others revel in the opportunity to catch up with old friends. A few are just looking for a hook-up and a few more are simply looking for somewhere to belong.

I really enjoyed Class Reunions Are Murder. It is actually the debut novel in a series featuring Poppy McAllister. I can't wait to read the next murder mystery that Poppy and her friends get involved with.

You can find out more about Poppy McAllister and her author, Libby Klein at https://libbykleinbooks.com/

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