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nina_reads_books's review
4.0
An A-List for Death is the second book in the Poppy McGowan Mysteries by Pamela Hart. I really enjoyed Digging Up Dirt when I read it last year so I was eager to continue reading the series.
After becoming a bit of an amateur sleuth in the first book, Poppy encounters more accidents and another murder this time around. While staying with her Aunt Mary to help her recover from knee surgery, Poppy discovers Mary’s best friend and neighbour on the floor of her apartment with a head injury. Poppy rushes Daisy to the hospital and gets in touch with her son who of course is famous rock star Nathan Castle. When Nathan arrives to help his mother, he and Poppy are photographed together and this photo hits the internet thanks to a young student connected to Poppy’s boyfriend Tol. As Daisy’s wider family appears, Poppy begins to suspect that Daisy wasn’t injured accidently. Then a murder takes place at the apartment complex and suddenly Poppy is thrust into the police investigation as she tries to clear Tol’s name.
An A-List for Death is a great example of the cosy mystery genre which I’m definitely vibing with. It was wholesome and fun and I inhaled it in one sitting. Pamela Hart has developed a lovely chatty style of writing which feels like sitting down for a good old chat with Poppy. My one criticism (similar to the first book) is that it can come across as a bit too much telling rather than showing but I'll forgive it as it is just a lovely little cosy mystery!
Perfect for if you are looking for a heart-warming palette cleanser between heavier literacy fictions reads (as I often do!).
Thanks so much to @harlequinaus for my #gifted copy.
After becoming a bit of an amateur sleuth in the first book, Poppy encounters more accidents and another murder this time around. While staying with her Aunt Mary to help her recover from knee surgery, Poppy discovers Mary’s best friend and neighbour on the floor of her apartment with a head injury. Poppy rushes Daisy to the hospital and gets in touch with her son who of course is famous rock star Nathan Castle. When Nathan arrives to help his mother, he and Poppy are photographed together and this photo hits the internet thanks to a young student connected to Poppy’s boyfriend Tol. As Daisy’s wider family appears, Poppy begins to suspect that Daisy wasn’t injured accidently. Then a murder takes place at the apartment complex and suddenly Poppy is thrust into the police investigation as she tries to clear Tol’s name.
An A-List for Death is a great example of the cosy mystery genre which I’m definitely vibing with. It was wholesome and fun and I inhaled it in one sitting. Pamela Hart has developed a lovely chatty style of writing which feels like sitting down for a good old chat with Poppy. My one criticism (similar to the first book) is that it can come across as a bit too much telling rather than showing but I'll forgive it as it is just a lovely little cosy mystery!
Perfect for if you are looking for a heart-warming palette cleanser between heavier literacy fictions reads (as I often do!).
Thanks so much to @harlequinaus for my #gifted copy.
fasmina's review
5.0
So this is the second book I have read by Pamela Hart and I must say that, she knows how to write a good mystery. This is in similar fashion to her first book, Digging Up Dirt, although with less of a political backdrop and more of a celebrity kind.
Poppy is at the residential gardens trying to help her aunt Mary after her surgery, when she asks her to check in with Daisy, the famous Daisy of Daisy-Chains. When Poppy finds Daisy in a pool of blood in her own bathroom, she rushes her to the hospital, and gets herself tangled up in a messy family-celebrity-money scandal. Daisy is the mother of famous singer Nathan Castle and Poppy goes into the chains of Celeb Gossip when someone spots her with Nathan. While donning a wig and avoiding paparazzi, she tries to help her aunt and her friend and tries to understand whether Daisy fell or was attacked.
This is a small book, although it has a lot of subplots. It’s easy to read and follow and will definitely grab the interest from the first few chapters. Although there are some cameos from the first book by the author, this can easily be read as a stand-alone. I loved the references the book made to news reporting, celebrity gossiping and even to the whole scandals celebrities walk through in their daily lives.
Poppy McGowan will be,from now on, my favourite heroine! And Pamela Hart will be an autobuy author for me!
Poppy is at the residential gardens trying to help her aunt Mary after her surgery, when she asks her to check in with Daisy, the famous Daisy of Daisy-Chains. When Poppy finds Daisy in a pool of blood in her own bathroom, she rushes her to the hospital, and gets herself tangled up in a messy family-celebrity-money scandal. Daisy is the mother of famous singer Nathan Castle and Poppy goes into the chains of Celeb Gossip when someone spots her with Nathan. While donning a wig and avoiding paparazzi, she tries to help her aunt and her friend and tries to understand whether Daisy fell or was attacked.
This is a small book, although it has a lot of subplots. It’s easy to read and follow and will definitely grab the interest from the first few chapters. Although there are some cameos from the first book by the author, this can easily be read as a stand-alone. I loved the references the book made to news reporting, celebrity gossiping and even to the whole scandals celebrities walk through in their daily lives.
Poppy McGowan will be,from now on, my favourite heroine! And Pamela Hart will be an autobuy author for me!
bingosoap's review
adventurous
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Minor: Sexual assault
mandylovestoread's review
4.0
I loved Digging Up Dirt when we first met Poppy McGowan. A-List for Murder was another fun, page turner from Pamela Hart with Poppy once again playing amateur detective. It is always fun to read books set in your hometown, so following Poppy’s adventure around Sydney was so easy to picture in my mind whilst I read.
Poppy is looking after her Aunt Mary, who is recovering from surgery, when this mystery starts. She heads down the hall to check on Mary’s best friend, Daisy, who had failed to show up for their morning appointment. When she arrives at Daisy’s apartment, she finds the elderly woman unconscious and bleeding in the bathroom. Getting her to hospital is just the start of the caper. She finds herself caught up in a celebrity scandal with Daisy’s son, rock star, Nathan Castle. When it becomes apparent that Daisy didn’t slip, and more attempts are made on her life, Poppy and her friends and family follow the clues to keep Daisy safe and stop her attacker.
I hope that we will hear more from Poppy and this cast of fun characters. What trouble could they find themselves in next. A List for Murder is out now. Thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy of this book to read.
Poppy is looking after her Aunt Mary, who is recovering from surgery, when this mystery starts. She heads down the hall to check on Mary’s best friend, Daisy, who had failed to show up for their morning appointment. When she arrives at Daisy’s apartment, she finds the elderly woman unconscious and bleeding in the bathroom. Getting her to hospital is just the start of the caper. She finds herself caught up in a celebrity scandal with Daisy’s son, rock star, Nathan Castle. When it becomes apparent that Daisy didn’t slip, and more attempts are made on her life, Poppy and her friends and family follow the clues to keep Daisy safe and stop her attacker.
I hope that we will hear more from Poppy and this cast of fun characters. What trouble could they find themselves in next. A List for Murder is out now. Thanks to Harlequin Australia for my copy of this book to read.
tien's review
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
3.75
A terribly fun read! I enjoyed this second instalment better than the first book. It was easy and light to read with just enough hints on the mystery to keep you going all the way to the end. Of course, the romantic tingles between Poppy & Tol, and their solid trust in each other, kept me fully warm and happy.
The only problem I had was keeping up with the numerous characters. Even as the story is told purely from Poppy's perspective, there were moments where I had to stop and try to think who this particular character is again in relation to Poppy & others in the book.
I love that it's set in today's Sydney and enjoyed zipping about with Poppy whose innate goodness touched all those around her. I truly appreciate the safe-ness and yet, still exciting, relationship between Poppy & Tol (so many books on brokenness that this was so comforting). Overall, An A-List for Death was a very relaxing and very entertaining read.
My thanks to Harlequin Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts
The only problem I had was keeping up with the numerous characters. Even as the story is told purely from Poppy's perspective, there were moments where I had to stop and try to think who this particular character is again in relation to Poppy & others in the book.
I love that it's set in today's Sydney and enjoyed zipping about with Poppy whose innate goodness touched all those around her. I truly appreciate the safe-ness and yet, still exciting, relationship between Poppy & Tol (so many books on brokenness that this was so comforting). Overall, An A-List for Death was a very relaxing and very entertaining read.
My thanks to Harlequin Australia for ecopy of book via NetGalley in exchange of my honest thoughts
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