Poppy Done to Death (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries - Book 8)

This book appeared to be the last in the Aurora Teagarden series. There were 8 books from 1990 to 2003. I enjoyed the series but still had several in my TBR stack. Then Hallmark's mystery channel picked up the Aurora Teagarden series and two new books were written. One was released in 2016 and the other one in 2017. Hopefully, there will more going forward. Charlaine Harris is a diverse author. She has written several series and each is uniquely different. It is like a different author wrote each series.

In this book, Aurora is on her way to the Uppity Women's club. Her step brother's wife Poppy is to be inducted into the club that day. The club is filled and future members have to wait for someone to die before they can be inducted. It is an embarrassment when Poppy is a no show. Aurora goes over to Poppy's house and finds her murdered. Aurora becomes involved in finding out who killed Poppy. There are many suspects due to both Poppy and her husband's infidelities.

I enjoyed the subplots. Aurora's teenage step brother leaves his home in California to arrive in Georgia to be with Aurora. I hope Philip is in the next book. Aurora, who is a widow, now is in a relationship with a writer. The book ended with a change coming in their life.

I am pleased that there are now two new books to read in the series.

This is an older book, but I will briefly review it since the series has come back to life thanks to Cameron Bure' and Hallmark. I understand that cozy mysteries are just as much about the comfortable characters as they are about the clues. However, this one is just dull. Not sure how it received about 4.7 stars out of 5. The mystery is non-existent, the red-herrings are pretty obviously false, the psychology 101 explanations for peoples bad behavior are juvenile, and the romance is bland. I did manage to finish the book over several miles of walking trail (multiple days), but it was not engaging--even though I imagined the characters to be the ones in the Hallmark Movie, which helped bring the book to life. Much better southern cozy mysteries (or just plain stories) would be Ann B. Ross and her beloved Ms. Julia. Sorry, but trying to save someone else the wasted three hours I spent on this book .

Aurora Teagarden stops by to check on her stepbrother's wife because Poppy didn't show up for a meeting of the Uppity Women Book Club. And once again Aurora stumbles upon a dead body, this time it's Poppy. With a long list of suspects, including people close to Aurora, she attempts to solve the murder. And she also receives a surprise visitor to Lawrenceton. This is the 8th book in the series and was the conclusion of the series until a few years ago when the author starting writing more books with Aurora.

It's been awhile since I have read the other books in the series, but after reading a few chapters of this book, it was easy to slip right into Aurora Teagarden's world. I thought the book was just as good as any of the others in the series. In fact, I probably enjoyed it more than the books with Martin since I never much cared for him as a character. The mystery of who killed Poppy was interesting because so many of the suspects were familiar characters from previous books. The only thing I didn't care for was the ending. I'm not a fan of mysteries wrapping up with the murderer confessing every single detail of the crime. All in all though, I think if you enjoyed the other books in the series, you might as well read this one.

The is the 8th, and probably final book in this series. There is a very strong overall story arc to this series so the series does need to be read in order.

It is November, a few months after the events of the previous book (LAST SCENE ALIVE) and there have been some changes around Lawrenceton. Aurora Teagarden has moved out of the house she had shared with her late husband, Martin, and moved into town. Robin Cursoe has also returned to Lawrenceton, at least between book tours. The relationship between Aurora and Robin has continued to grow although neither is eager to rush into a more permanent relationship.

Aurora has also developed stronger relationships with her step brothers and their wives, filling the void left by the absence of her much younger half brother, Phillip. As the story opens Aurora and Melinda, one of her sisters-in-law are waiting for the third, Poppy, to join them at a meeting of an exclusive local women's club. When Poppy fails to turn up Aurora and Melinda go to her house to investigate and are shocked to find Poppy dead. As Aurora begins to look into the situation she is dismayed to discover the true nature of relationship between her stepbrother and Poppy. Was Poppy the victim of one of her many lovers, or one of their wives? Or had one of her husband's many girlfriends decided to get her out of the way? Or could her husband finally had enough and killed her himself?

Aurora found herself quite busy, helping her family adjust to this tragedy when Phillip, her little brother, now not so little turned up. He had run away from his parents and hitchhiked from California to Georgia. It seemed that Aurora was destined for one surprising event after another, some of which were certain to make long lasting changes in her life.

In the first book in this series (REAL MURDERS) Phillip and Robin both figured quite prominently, but by the second book both were absent, mentioned in passing if at all. Robin returned and resumed his relationship with Aurora in LAST SCENE ALIVE, and now Phillip is back, bringing the series full circle. If this is truly the final book in the series, and since it has been 11 years since this was written,as it seems very likely, at least Harris has tied up many story threads with this one. Fans of the series can get some comfort thinking about Aurora and Robin alive, well and happy in Lawrenceton with a family circle that probably includes Phillip.

There is a lot of closure in this book, but still plenty of room for continuation if the series were to return from the dead. This was a more interesting mystery than most, and allowed for Roe to have a lot of holier-than-thou opinions on how other people conduct their relationships. At least she put some effort into solving this one. Aurora's not as hypocritical as Lily Bard, but she gets annoying, her looking down her nose (no matter how small she says it is) at people.

Overlooking that, there are a lot of secrets revealed about the small-town community of Lawrenceton. The other characters--like Roe's mom, Arthur (even though his obsession reaches its darkest lows) or Sally and Perry Allison--make the series enjoyable to me, which makes me all the more disappointed in the books that focus on Roe and Martin's relationship. In those books, all the other characters got swept to the side. It was nice to see them return. I felt like a lot of their characters were just now finally starting to develop, so it was a let down to watch the series end just as things start to get interesting again.

Charlaine Harris says on her website, "I won't say "never" about Aurora Teagarden, but it's highly unlikely due to time considerations." I hope she finds time to write just one more of these some day, and get it just right.

This series started incredibly slowly for me, but once I got into it I just couldn't put these books down. I read them all, one right after the other. The last two books were a pretty big disappointment. I'd really started to like Roe, but the whining, why me, woe is me attitude she picks up after Martin's death is tiresome. She gets absolutely everything she wants, every item, every bit of information, and every man. Yet she complains and is unhappy. Martin's character at least, had personality. Robin is so far beyond dull that it's laughable the way Roe reacts to him. Especially after claiming she was so desperately in love with Martin for so long and describing how hard she had grieved for him.

There's absolutely no resolution of the situation with her father and brother, the thing I was most interested to learn in this book. The paternity of Poppy's son is skipped right over once the murderer has been discovered. I personally feel this was a horrible ending to an interesting series. The 'everyone gets a super happy ending' feeling nearly ruined the entire series for me. If there were going to be more installments I'd have rated this book higher, as it is I feel I was short-changed.

Roe's sister-in-law has finally made it into the uppity women book club when she is found dead. there are rumors all over town about all the affairs she had, had. Roe has to figure out the facts and all the red herrings before she finds out who did it. These would be better read in order as Roe's life changes but the mystery is still good.

There is a club in Lawrenceton called the Uppity Women Book Club, not everyone gets to join, but Roe's stepsister-in-law, Poppy, is finally at the top of the waiting list to get in. But Poppy doesn't show up to the induction meeting leaving Roe very upset with her, because she had to cover for her. When Roe goes to Poppy's house to give her a piece of her mind, she finds Poppy dead and she's been that way for sometime. The worst part about Poppy's death is all the rumors that start flying about her and her husband's infidelity. Roe's determined to figure out which rumors are true, and finding the correct killer.

Even though we don't know Poppy that well, just that she's Roe's stepsister-in-law, this was probably one of my favorite stories. The lies and rumors circulating through the town were my favorite part. Just seeing how small town lives can be woven together so intricately was fun. Also, it was nice to see Roe finally get some good news. The poor girl is always so bogged down with the bad, that the little nugget of good she receives in Poppy Done to Death was like a victory!

I am reading the books out of order since I can't seem to borrow them from the pubic library in order. I am very impressed with the Aurora Teagarden series. I love the occasional humor and how "normal" Rori seems to be. I enjoy the mysteries and the characters. Can't wait to get my eyes on another adventure. I'm not done with this series yet !! I borrowed this book through the Sacramento Public Library via the Kindle the store program.

Lawrenceton, Georgia librarian Aurora Teagarden is adjusting to widowhood just fine now that the worst of her grief is over. She is romantically involved with Robin Crusoe and is now a member of the Uppity Women, a prestigious group of females involved with literacy, and other social and political matters. It is by invitation only and Aurora is delighted that her stepsister-in-law Poppy is going to be inducted into the group.
She is positively mortified when Poppy doesn't show up to the meeting and rushes over to her home to lecture her, but instead finds her murdered body on the Kitchen floor. Poppy had many secrets and Aurora's family is trying to cope with the gossip and scandal. Roe is happy to find that her half brother Phillip is going to stay with her a while even though that puts more stress on her. While his presence takes her mind off the tragedy temporarily, she is pulled into the murder investigation by circumstances beyond her control and almost gets killed in the process.
Charlaine Harris has taken her heroine in a completely different direction and readers will be happy to see the protagonist find the double dose of happiness she so richly deserves. There is a lot of action in this delightful cozy, and not all of it is directed at solving the homicide. Roe gets a chance to become reacquainted with the brother she was forbidden to see for some time and helps her in-laws and her mother cope with a loved one's death. POPPY DONE TO DEATH is a terrific cozy, one readers will want to put on their keeper shelves.

As always, Charlaine Harris drags you into the story so well you don't even notice you're being dragged. Aurora Teegarden makes an unlikely hero, with her love of small-town Southern life and her work at the library. She describes rituals that are necessary in the South that dumbfound this Northerner, and by which, the South becomes a wonderful model of decency. When those rituals are broken in some way, every one of the inhabitants tries to re-establish them, and the cross-purposes make for wonderful confusion and tension among the residents. As you follow first this one, then that one, you realize: she's got me.

If anyone seriously thinks that Harris writes cozy mysteries then they are not paying attention when they read. The author who writes the edgy Lily Bard mysteries and the Sookie Stackhouse stories, has never been one to allow her characters more than time to catch their breath between disasters. Whether it was the death involved with the true crime group she was a member of in the first mystery to her subsequent detective efforts, Aurora has lost friends, neighbors and enemies to the grim reaper. Harris never lets the reader assume that there is a Happily Ever After ending out there. Good things are balanced with bad.
In this case Aurora loses an old friend and a new one, learns things about the murdered person and her family she would just as soon not know and there are still a lot of loose strings after the murderer is revealed to fuel the next book.
I enjoyed the characters and the writing but it almost seems that the mystery was an afterthought. I guessed who the murdered was on first introduction (off stage). Harris gave away the important clues with the very nonchalant air with which she introduces them. The denoument was almost anticlimatic. The death in this case seemed to be more a peg on which to hang the characters and events than the reason for the existence of the book.
Not bad, but she's done (and hopefully will do) better.

This is the first Aurora Teagarden book and it is book #8 in the series. I didn't feel confused by not reading the other books. After seeing that the Hallmark Mystery Channel has several Aurora Teagarden movies, I was curious enough about Aurora to finally grab a book that was on sale. I enjoyed this easy reading book with characters whose other adventures I am adding to my TBR lists.

I believe this is the last of the Aurora Teagarden mystery series and I am sorry to see it end. I love these books, they are just right for that lazy weekend when you need to escape from the world you live in and read a mystery that doesn't tax your brain until you want to scream, but is involved enough it keeps you reading all the way to the end. In this one Aurora has been ask to be a member of the Uppity Women Book Club. Poppy, Roe's stepsister-in-law has made her way up the waiting list and then dies on the day she's suppose to be inducted. The rumors abound about infidelity and other things. To complicate matters Aurora's half brother shows up at her door, he has run away from home. Aurora's lover, Robin is out of town doing one of his many book signings, he is a famous author. This book is filled with family problems, animal problems and one of the biggest personal matters a woman can face in her lifetime.

I was surprised by this book.
While the description didn't call my attention (I bought it just because I'd already read the whole series and I wasn't going to quit on the last entry), when I started reading I got hooked and I loved it. After a few subpar entries, I was glad to see Harris back on her feet.
The character development was great -especially those involved in the main mystery- and I felt that it was a great sendoff to a series that's had its ups and downs.

Aurora's step-sister-in-law Poppy is found dead in her own kitchen. Roe is trying to find out who could have done it. Her investigation uncovers multiple dark secrets in Poppy's life.

This book in my opinion is the best Aurora Teagarden mystery. The writing style is extremely close to the one in the first books in the series and it is very pleasant to get back to it. Mystery is captivating and keeps you guessing until the very end. Once again the book is filled with small town gossip and secrets. Charlaine Harris does a great job creating the characters in such a manner that you feel like you actually know them personally.

I've grown very fond of Aurora and feel a little sad that this is the last book about her adventures (at least for now). Charlaine Harris stated that she might add more to this series, but even if she doesn't, I still feel content with the ending. Aurora is happy and that's all I need.

Having read the first couple of Sookie Stackhouse novels and planning to continue with the series (upon which the HBO show True Blood is based), I decided to give one of Charlaine Harris' other series a try. Poppy Done to Death comes from the Aurora Teagarden, mild mannered (or not) librarian, cozy mystery series. A first-person account, like the Stackhouse books, the mystery is pretty minor (it concerns Aurora's sister-in-law, Poppy, getting iced right before becoming an "Uppity Woman". Poppy is not a particularly sympathetic character and has some secrets, which suddenly seem pretty unearthshaking given today's headlines) and there's a considerable amount of uninteresting word padding going on. You can nail down who done it nearly the moment that character is introduced, if not why, and so much time is wasted on cooking dilemmas for Thanksgiving I found myself skipping chunks to get to the interesting parts. The book could have been a 20,000 word novelette instead of a 60,000+ novel. Which was disappointing, because I was expecting more. The main character isn't very exciting, either, and Ms. Harris seems to have an odd penchant for whacking pet cats. And for the name Bubba.

I have a book in yet another series by this author, so I am hoping that's better, and of course I've got the rest of the Stackhouse series to finish reading, which I have enjoyed so far. This one is readable, but I probably won't bother with others in the series unless someone can recommend one that is a little more complex and exciting.

I am an avid reader of many different kinds of books and I love Charlaine Harris books. The Poppy Done to Death is part of the Aurora Teagarden mysteries. Once I read the first one I ran out to buy all the rest immediately. I love the main character, Aurora Teagarden, and enjoy all her twists and turns of plot. In fact if there comes a book she writes in the future, you can bet I will buy it immediately. I will never throw her books away because I enjoy reading her over again. There is not a book she has written that I dislike.

Charlaine Harris is my favorite author; this is a great story, as all of hers are.

A note to the person at the store who designed this review format: it's impossible to write in second person (which is you, your, etc.), so anyone who marks that choice (and why is it even there?) doesn't know what they're talking about. First person (I, we, etc.) and third person (he, she, it, they and any noun) are the only ways to write. Hire some English majors!

The Aurora Teagarden series is probably my least favorite series by Charlaine Harris. The Roe character just seems a little flat to me. However, these books are entertaining and "Poppy Done to Death" was an alright read. Like most of Ms. Harris's books, this was a quick read. I just wish that we had gotten to know the character that was killed a little better in the early books in the series. Especially since the character was Roe's step-sister-in-law. (This happens in the first chapter, so I'm not really spoiling anything. Not to mention it's on the synopsis on the back of the book). Roe is a likable character, even though she's a little flat.

Definitely better than "Last Scene Alive." Roe is out of her weeping and moaning and Harris has come up with a neat little mystery. There are lots of little tidbits about the changes in Roe's life and lovelife, and Harris left us hanging on a number of things BUT this book was written in 2003! Ms. Harris, please get the next book in the works.
I need to find out what happens next.

Obviously if you are reading this installment in the Aurora Teagarden series you probably read the previous ones. I checked C. Harris's web sire and she says there is no time currently to write another installment and that Aurora and the other characters were left in a good place....??!! I will be checking the site in a few months to see if she changed her mind yet this character/series just cant end yet.

I found this series a great read, I love all the characters, the last was best but I wish more ends had been tied together. (Spoiler alert) who was Chases dad,what happened with her brother and who got the cat.
This one I found extremely hard to put down and now I have a familiar feeling of sadness that it is over. Oh well on to the next series, Lilly?

It really sucked that Martin had to die, but it is really awesome that she ended up with the same guy she fell for in the first book (Robin). AND she ends up pregnant in the end! It ended on a good note, and I have to say that I miss the series, but it is time to move on since Roe is now settled into her life. The character really grew in the series, which is the mark of a truly great writer. Good read for those while waiting between Sookie releases.

I loved the ending of this book and series. I was so happy to leave my journey on such a good note. Start with book 1 for a great time with some great reads and end up with this one, and you will be satisfied!

I finally figured it out: there must be some sort of prize for the person who can find the MOST inconsistencies in these books! At first I thought it was just lousy editing...but then I figured NO ONE could be that bad an editor! I tried keeping a list but was spending more time on the list than reading the book. First the cat is a she then it's a he; John David works for a pharmaceutical company doing public relations then he's suddenly helping someone with legal stuff (was he a lawyer in the first draft, I wonder?). Then Lizanne's two little boys who are about two years apart are suddenly twins. In another book a victim was suffocated then later she was referred to as being strangeled, then suffocated again. Then Roe drops off Melinda and is persuaded to go inside to chat (lots of dialogue)...next page Melinda is getting out of the car and walking to her front door. Huh? Roe and Robin are talking in bed early in the morning (6:30) and she says, "When I had been at the house this afternoon I saw the refrigerator was full." What?!?!? That afternoon is a good four hours away and she's speaking of it in the past tense? I love Roe saying that murders are not the norm in her town. Excuse me? That has to be the bloodiest town in Georgia! Every book has one (at least) grizzly murder plus references to past grizzly murders. But murder's not the norm.... Does St. Martin's Press employ editors? If not, can I have the job? And what, by the way, is the prize for finding the most bloopers?