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Poppy Peters #3
Bananas Foster and a Dead Mobster
From USA Today bestselling author A. Gardner comes another Poppy Peters adventure...
Reluctant sleuth Poppy Peters is back in Georgia, and her last semester of pastry school is no icing on the cake when a body is discovered at the local farmer's market, and the murder weapon has Poppy's name on it. Not to mention, the victim belonged to a deadly southern crime family. Now, Poppy is being tailed by the mafia, and it doesn't help that the school's new pastry instructor has her working with her worst rival. But after a heart-stopping car chase, a frightening discovery at an old jam factory, and a spontaneous trip to New Orleans, Poppy discovers a secret that makes her past feats look like a piece of peach pie. Poppy's chances of making it to graduation day are about to go up in flames just like her Bananas Foster.
**Recipes included!**
Poppy Peters Mysteries:
Southern Peach Pie A Dead Guy (book #1)
Chocolate Macaroons and a Dead Groom (book #2)
Ice Cream Bombes and Stolen Thongs (short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection)
Bananas Foster and a Dead Mobster (book #3)
Strawberry Tartlets and a Dead Starlet (book #4)
Wedding Soufflé and a Dead Valet (book #5)
What critics are saying:
"A sweet and satisfying mystery that will leave you hungry for more! A. Gardner's Poppy Peters Mysteries have earned a place on my keeper shelf!"
—Gemma Halliday, New York Times USA Today bestselling mystery author
"A charming cozy mystery featuring likable characters. A. Gardner does a marvelous job at keeping the storyline fresh and entertaining. I look forward to seeing what surprises A. Gardner has in store for us next!"
—Fresh Fiction
"I defy anyone to read this and not want a piece of pie. This is a book that can probably be finished in one sitting which is a good thing, because it will give you time to try your hand at something to satisfy those cravings. I do know that I plan to bring fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk with me when I read the next book in this series."
—Madderly Review
"One of the best perks of summer is eating a warm slice of Georgia peach pie. Throw in a murder and you’ve got the makings of a juicy cozy mystery. Southern Peach Pie and a Dead Guy: A Poppy Peters Mystery by debut author A. Gardner is a delicious e-book."
—MomTrends, Ebook Pick for Summer
Reluctant sleuth Poppy Peters is back in Georgia, and her last semester of pastry school is no icing on the cake when a body is discovered at the local farmer's market, and the murder weapon has Poppy's name on it. Not to mention, the victim belonged to a deadly southern crime family. Now, Poppy is being tailed by the mafia, and it doesn't help that the school's new pastry instructor has her working with her worst rival. But after a heart-stopping car chase, a frightening discovery at an old jam factory, and a spontaneous trip to New Orleans, Poppy discovers a secret that makes her past feats look like a piece of peach pie. Poppy's chances of making it to graduation day are about to go up in flames just like her Bananas Foster.
**Recipes included!**
Poppy Peters Mysteries:
Southern Peach Pie A Dead Guy (book #1)
Chocolate Macaroons and a Dead Groom (book #2)
Ice Cream Bombes and Stolen Thongs (short story in the "Killer Beach Reads" collection)
Bananas Foster and a Dead Mobster (book #3)
Strawberry Tartlets and a Dead Starlet (book #4)
Wedding Soufflé and a Dead Valet (book #5)
What critics are saying:
"A sweet and satisfying mystery that will leave you hungry for more! A. Gardner's Poppy Peters Mysteries have earned a place on my keeper shelf!"
—Gemma Halliday, New York Times USA Today bestselling mystery author
"A charming cozy mystery featuring likable characters. A. Gardner does a marvelous job at keeping the storyline fresh and entertaining. I look forward to seeing what surprises A. Gardner has in store for us next!"
—Fresh Fiction
"I defy anyone to read this and not want a piece of pie. This is a book that can probably be finished in one sitting which is a good thing, because it will give you time to try your hand at something to satisfy those cravings. I do know that I plan to bring fresh baked cookies and a glass of milk with me when I read the next book in this series."
—Madderly Review
"One of the best perks of summer is eating a warm slice of Georgia peach pie. Throw in a murder and you’ve got the makings of a juicy cozy mystery. Southern Peach Pie and a Dead Guy: A Poppy Peters Mystery by debut author A. Gardner is a delicious e-book."
—MomTrends, Ebook Pick for Summer
217 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 1, 2015
164 people are currently reading
169 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
October 31, 2020
3rd book in this cute, light mystery series and I am enjoying them. Poppy and friends are really in trouble now...a mobsters hit man has been stabbed to death at a food demonstration...with Poppy's own knife! Can they figure out what happened while trying to come up with a great dessert for their graduating ceremony?
March 10, 2019
Poppy Peters is about to graduate from the Calle Pastry Academy. She's focused on her grades and graduation right now but it is difficult when Chef Otto has paired Poppy with her nemesis, Georgiana. While Chef Otto primps and poses for his legions of (mostly female) fans and Georgiana relaxes, Poppy, Bree, Cole and Karl are hard at work baking and selling pastries at the nearby farmer's market- until a man is found dead with Poppy's chef knife sticking out of his back. Not again! Poppy can't have this kind of trouble. Not so close to graduation! She's determined to prove to Detective Reid she can solve the case and clear her name. Poppy is also dealing with matters of the heart. Cole seems to indicate he wants to be more than just friends but can Poppy let her heart be free only to have it break again after graduation when they part? Bree is channeling her nervous energy into baking more creative sweets and sparring with Jeff. Will any of them make it to graduation without a breakdown or arrest?
This mystery is tighter and slightly less preposterous than the previous books in the series. I like the local color setting but really hate the Italian mobster stereotype. There are so many Italian stereotypes in this book. I didn't care for some of the plot, especially the second death. That one was hard to take. I did enjoy Bree's baking experiments and Georgiana's character development. I couldn't guess the mystery until just before Poppy figures it out. I figured out both things at the same time.
I really hate Poppy's "I'll show him" attitude. Detective Reid is a trained detective. Poppy is a pastry student. How can she even think to get involved in this particular mystery? I do understand her hesitation with Cole but he seems like a great guy. They are very cute together. I did enjoy Poppy's relationship with her brother but her parents are just awful! Her mother makes my blood boil!
Chef Otto is a slimeball. He reminds me of Gilderoy Lockhart a little too much. I don't see the appeal any more than Poppy does. Is he even a real chef? The way he asks Poppy for a favor is creepy. He is a dog lover so he can't be all that bad, I suppose. I love Susu. She's very well behaved and super sweet. Otto has her well trained. I did not like what she did at the end. Once was enough.
I do really like Karl. I feel bad because everyone is so mean to him. If he was a real person he would probably be diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. Autism like tendences run in my family and I recognize some of Karl's personality quirks.
The soapy sisters annoy me. Mary Frances is nasty and rude while Bonnie is a little bit too free and open. I feel her sensitivity is a bit over the top. She has an excess of sensibility as Jane Austen would say.
Vito Bianco and his family are about what you'd expect from a stereotypical gangster. Are there still really people like that around?
There are some good recipes in this book I want to try, most notable Bree's Brookie! What is a brookie you ask? Why a brownie/cookie combo! It sounds to-die-for!
This mystery is tighter and slightly less preposterous than the previous books in the series. I like the local color setting but really hate the Italian mobster stereotype. There are so many Italian stereotypes in this book. I didn't care for some of the plot, especially the second death. That one was hard to take. I did enjoy Bree's baking experiments and Georgiana's character development. I couldn't guess the mystery until just before Poppy figures it out. I figured out both things at the same time.
I really hate Poppy's "I'll show him" attitude. Detective Reid is a trained detective. Poppy is a pastry student. How can she even think to get involved in this particular mystery? I do understand her hesitation with Cole but he seems like a great guy. They are very cute together. I did enjoy Poppy's relationship with her brother but her parents are just awful! Her mother makes my blood boil!
Chef Otto is a slimeball. He reminds me of Gilderoy Lockhart a little too much. I don't see the appeal any more than Poppy does. Is he even a real chef? The way he asks Poppy for a favor is creepy. He is a dog lover so he can't be all that bad, I suppose. I love Susu. She's very well behaved and super sweet. Otto has her well trained. I did not like what she did at the end. Once was enough.
I do really like Karl. I feel bad because everyone is so mean to him. If he was a real person he would probably be diagnosed as being on the autism spectrum. Autism like tendences run in my family and I recognize some of Karl's personality quirks.
The soapy sisters annoy me. Mary Frances is nasty and rude while Bonnie is a little bit too free and open. I feel her sensitivity is a bit over the top. She has an excess of sensibility as Jane Austen would say.
Vito Bianco and his family are about what you'd expect from a stereotypical gangster. Are there still really people like that around?
There are some good recipes in this book I want to try, most notable Bree's Brookie! What is a brookie you ask? Why a brownie/cookie combo! It sounds to-die-for!
October 27, 2017
It's just okay, in my opinion. I don't enjoy the present tense point of view, which to be honest I didn't realize until I started this series. To me, Poppy is more like a 24 year old more than a 30-something. She seems to have an attraction to every guy she meets ( almost), and doesn't do anything about it. Even the one person she has a connection with, she just ignores the
romantic candidate but reflects that her heart still pumps when he's in the room. There's also no background really on her back injury- like specifically how she did it, etc or how that doesn't stop her from being able to bake all day. I am finishing the series purely because I'm curious how the author will end it-- either more forward with Poppy's life or how she won't.
It's not a bad read, but I wouldn't read it for the mystery. Mainly just for the baking atmosphere.
romantic candidate but reflects that her heart still pumps when he's in the room. There's also no background really on her back injury- like specifically how she did it, etc or how that doesn't stop her from being able to bake all day. I am finishing the series purely because I'm curious how the author will end it-- either more forward with Poppy's life or how she won't.
It's not a bad read, but I wouldn't read it for the mystery. Mainly just for the baking atmosphere.
November 2, 2020
Review
It was a great story. I really liked how it came together. I did not guess the murderers. I was totally surprised. I am looking forward to the next book.
It was a great story. I really liked how it came together. I did not guess the murderers. I was totally surprised. I am looking forward to the next book.
March 24, 2016
Poppy Peters is finishing up culinary school at Calle Pastry Academy in Georgia. The new pastry instructor, Otto Chimenti, is America’s most eligible celebrity chef and has an ego to match. He’s teamed Poppy up with her nemesis, Georgina, to work on their final dessert and cake presentation. They must also work together at the farmer’s market giving out free samples from the students’ bakery while providing simple cooking demos. Poppy is in charge of demonstrating how to make Bananas Foster and hands a sample to a large man dressed in a pinstripe suit, which is much too hot for summer in the south. The mystery man ambles off to eat his ice cream smothered in bananas and rum sauce and soon after is found dead, with Poppy’s personal, initialed chef’s knife sticking from his back.
Detective Derek Reid is in charge of the investigation and warns Poppy to stick to her kitchen instead of getting into trouble by trying to solve the case. The dead guy is none other than Gino Milani, a member of the New Orleans mafia. Once her roommate, Bree, tells her that the mafia will retaliate against her since everyone will think Poppy is the murderer, she determines that she will have to find the real killer first. Plus she wants to prove to Detective Reid that there’s more to her skills than just baking.
The more questions Poppy asks the more secrets she finds are being hidden by a number of people but the threads of truth are difficult to unravel. It doesn’t take long for a mysterious black Cadillac to start following her and when another victim shows up, Poppy knows she’d better learn to trust the police and work with them instead of competing against them.
BANANAS FOSTER AND A DEAD MOBSTER is a fun culinary cozy! I love the setting at the Pastry Academy and hearing about all the treats they are making along with decorating skills. Poppy has several close friends that lend her support and encouragement, including Cole, the guy she crushes on but doesn’t want to admit it. Her roommate, Bree, is always in their apartment kitchen working on “Franken-Sweets”…looking to create the next cronut. She creates the Carrot Lane Cupcakes, which is a cross between Carrot Cake and Alabama Lane Cake, along with other spectacular desserts. The author provides several recipes, including some of Bree’s Franken-Sweets, at the back of the book and all sound incredibly delicious! In addition to the culinary side of the book, A. Gardner writes a mystery with twists and turns that leaves you guessing until the very end and then makes you wish the next book was available already to continue their story.
Detective Derek Reid is in charge of the investigation and warns Poppy to stick to her kitchen instead of getting into trouble by trying to solve the case. The dead guy is none other than Gino Milani, a member of the New Orleans mafia. Once her roommate, Bree, tells her that the mafia will retaliate against her since everyone will think Poppy is the murderer, she determines that she will have to find the real killer first. Plus she wants to prove to Detective Reid that there’s more to her skills than just baking.
The more questions Poppy asks the more secrets she finds are being hidden by a number of people but the threads of truth are difficult to unravel. It doesn’t take long for a mysterious black Cadillac to start following her and when another victim shows up, Poppy knows she’d better learn to trust the police and work with them instead of competing against them.
BANANAS FOSTER AND A DEAD MOBSTER is a fun culinary cozy! I love the setting at the Pastry Academy and hearing about all the treats they are making along with decorating skills. Poppy has several close friends that lend her support and encouragement, including Cole, the guy she crushes on but doesn’t want to admit it. Her roommate, Bree, is always in their apartment kitchen working on “Franken-Sweets”…looking to create the next cronut. She creates the Carrot Lane Cupcakes, which is a cross between Carrot Cake and Alabama Lane Cake, along with other spectacular desserts. The author provides several recipes, including some of Bree’s Franken-Sweets, at the back of the book and all sound incredibly delicious! In addition to the culinary side of the book, A. Gardner writes a mystery with twists and turns that leaves you guessing until the very end and then makes you wish the next book was available already to continue their story.
April 30, 2016
Wow
I was expecting a little more on the ending, like the Detective with Poppy and. Michael with Georgina. I don't believe Cole is boyfriend material for Poppy he more a big brother or close best friend sort. We can tell that Derek was really concerned for Poppies safety more than anyone else so I hope to see more of him I a personal sitting. Free can do a lot better than Jeff, so hopefully she finds someone else while working at the spa. As for Poppy herself, I found her kind of out there, unfocused and a little spoiled. She needs to let the professionals handle the ground work, due to none of her sleuthing panes out until the sun next is right in her face that she figures out things. I mean really we as readers figured it out way before she did and was waiting for her to catch up. Poppy needs to slow down, focus, plan,research, and make sure her back is covered before she goes out there. Does she ever learn , no, yet she scared from former cases and still stumbles into the next one the same idiotic way, without thinking. If it had of been real life let's face it she'd I'd died the first go round or at least the second.
I was expecting a little more on the ending, like the Detective with Poppy and. Michael with Georgina. I don't believe Cole is boyfriend material for Poppy he more a big brother or close best friend sort. We can tell that Derek was really concerned for Poppies safety more than anyone else so I hope to see more of him I a personal sitting. Free can do a lot better than Jeff, so hopefully she finds someone else while working at the spa. As for Poppy herself, I found her kind of out there, unfocused and a little spoiled. She needs to let the professionals handle the ground work, due to none of her sleuthing panes out until the sun next is right in her face that she figures out things. I mean really we as readers figured it out way before she did and was waiting for her to catch up. Poppy needs to slow down, focus, plan,research, and make sure her back is covered before she goes out there. Does she ever learn , no, yet she scared from former cases and still stumbles into the next one the same idiotic way, without thinking. If it had of been real life let's face it she'd I'd died the first go round or at least the second.
August 11, 2022
Another series I've put on the back burner for several years -- so long, in fact, that I'd forgotten some of the relationships between the characters, but no worries, this book brings it all back. I don't care for all the italicized lines that tell us what Poppy is thinking, as they become distracting.
Like the book I finished just prior to this, the story here has more romance than I care for in my mystery books, but at least the romance doesn't take over the entire story. The murder itself seemed a little far-fetched, and a good portion of the book consisted of Detective Reid telling Poppy to stay out of the investigation and her ignoring him and doing her own thing anyhow. I suspected the character eventually revealed as the killer, but couldn't figure out the motive until late in the book.
I had trouble finding this book at a reasonable price (sorry, I'm not willing to pay $700 for a 215-page book!), so when I did find it, I bought the remaining three books in the series as well. For this reason, I can say that I will eventually read the rest of the series... just not necessarily any time soon.
Like the book I finished just prior to this, the story here has more romance than I care for in my mystery books, but at least the romance doesn't take over the entire story. The murder itself seemed a little far-fetched, and a good portion of the book consisted of Detective Reid telling Poppy to stay out of the investigation and her ignoring him and doing her own thing anyhow. I suspected the character eventually revealed as the killer, but couldn't figure out the motive until late in the book.
I had trouble finding this book at a reasonable price (sorry, I'm not willing to pay $700 for a 215-page book!), so when I did find it, I bought the remaining three books in the series as well. For this reason, I can say that I will eventually read the rest of the series... just not necessarily any time soon.
November 24, 2015
This is an engaging mystery that will quickly grab your attention and keep you turning the pages. There are a few twists that will keep you guessing. An enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this manuscript from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this manuscript from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
November 29, 2015
I think I gained ten pounds reading about all the wonderful desserts. Yum! Yes, there is a murder or two and lots of intrigue, but it all revolves around a pastry school. A fun cozy mystery and I look forward to reading more about Poppy and Bree.
December 1, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. Poppy and her friends are back in this engaging story. The author threw in a few surprises and managed to keep me off guard. It is just before graduation at the cooking school and Poppy manages to find the body of a mobster.
December 6, 2015
Mmmmmm
Love following the life of Poppy and her friends. Following the murder mystery is fun and captivates your imagination. I love this series and plan on reading more about Poppy's adventures.
Love following the life of Poppy and her friends. Following the murder mystery is fun and captivates your imagination. I love this series and plan on reading more about Poppy's adventures.
December 2, 2015
This is the third book in the Poppy Peters series. A fast paced mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I enjoyed reading about all the great sounding desserts. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
December 25, 2015
Another Great One
I chose this rating because the story line is very good. I think the author is very talented and imaginative. She kept my interest throughout the entire book, even though I had to keep putting it down .
I would recommend it to anyone.
I chose this rating because the story line is very good. I think the author is very talented and imaginative. She kept my interest throughout the entire book, even though I had to keep putting it down .
I would recommend it to anyone.
February 2, 2017
Predictable but entertaining
I always like these books for a lazy day of brain dead reading to are my mind off all other pressing matters. Its a good easy read, but somewhat predictable.
I always like these books for a lazy day of brain dead reading to are my mind off all other pressing matters. Its a good easy read, but somewhat predictable.
August 26, 2017
Makes Me Very Hungry
An entertaining plot. Certainly keeps you guessing. The denouement was something of a surprise. The characters were an interesting group of teacher and students, and one can hope to meet some again. It should be an excellent series.
An entertaining plot. Certainly keeps you guessing. The denouement was something of a surprise. The characters were an interesting group of teacher and students, and one can hope to meet some again. It should be an excellent series.
June 19, 2016
3,5 / 5
January 23, 2016
Loved it.
I just can't get enough of this series. It keeps you guessing all the easy to the end. I am anxious to see what the future brings for Poppy.
I just can't get enough of this series. It keeps you guessing all the easy to the end. I am anxious to see what the future brings for Poppy.
May 2, 2016
I really enjoy this series. It always makes me a little sad when I've read as far as the series goes... I'm ready for the next one!
August 3, 2016
Poppy is growing on me.
May 23, 2016
This was a great book.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews