Poppy Montgomery Gets Even

by Gordon Jack

An elderly woman targets online scammers in this charmingly cozy caper from a “riotously funny” author (Publishers Weekly).

Eighty-year-old Poppy Montgomery has always taken a negative view of her life. Her father? A bully. Her husbands? Losers. Her daughter and grandson? Well, they’re probably her fault. And now the police have taken away her license, her daughter wants to put her in a retirement home, and the bossy new fitter-than-thou attendee at water aerobics is taking over her favorite class.

But enough is enough, and when her new friend, Ginny, is scammed on a dating site for seniors, Poppy decides it’s time to finally get even. With the help of Jeremy, her tech-savvy grandson, Poppy launches a vindictive little caper, scamming the scammers that prey on the elderly online. But when two women at Ginny’s retirement home seemingly meet unnatural ends and her newest target is implicated in the murder, suddenly Poppy’s fun online con job becomes a matter of life or death. It’s going to take the whole gang—Poppy’s two new best friends, her in-recovery daughter, and her basement-dwelling grandson—to pull off one last job, before one of them becomes the next victim.

A charmingly cozy crime story brimming with laughs and heart, Poppy Montgomery Gets Even shows that it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf, make new friends, and scam an international crime ring while solving some murders along the way.

Genres: Cozy, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller

352 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 9, 2026

About the author

Gordon Jack has been a high school librarian for thirty years. In that time, he did his best to keep kids reading, including writing two young adult novels, The Boomerang Effect and Your Own Worst Enemy. Now that he’s about to retire, he figured he should write for people closer to his own age, which is why he’s suddenly interested in the lives of octogenarian crime fighters.

Reviews

[Cozybooklady · Rating 5 out of 5]

#PoppyMontgomeryGetsEven #NetGalley is an interesting story, a mystery based on a real life situation, scamming people for money. Poppy suspects her friend Ginny is being scammed through an online dating site for seniors, but Ginny refuses to see it. Afraid for her friend, Poppy asks her grandson for help, Jeremy is quite savvy in the tech world and he readily agrees to help.
While it might seem as payback in Poppy's mind, things take an ugly turn, and everyone is in danger.

[Victoria Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, there are murders and a mystery, but I would hesitate to call this a murder mystery. Unlike the other "seniors solve a mystery" books, the mystery itself really takes a back seat to the real plot: an exploration of all the negative ways older people are perceived, stereotyped, and treated.

Poppy's personality made me think of Dorothy Parker's quote: "If you don't have anything nice to say, come sit by me." She's a bit rough around the edges and enjoys gossiping, pranking, and generally seeing the glass as half empty—but she has a dry humor and sarcasm that make her very appealing as a character. She has a difficult relationship with her recovering 50-something daughter, who takes her for granted and accuses her of being forgetful, and the daughter's sus new boyfriend, who is clearly casing her house and looking to walk off with anything valuable. Poppy's coder/gamer grandson lives in her basement, and her only social outlet is a water aerobics class that has just been commandeered by an aged control freak and exercise nut. She is overlooked, underestimated, and ignored—and frankly, kinda pissed about it.

Poppy is befriended by fellow water-aerobics devotee Ginny (a sweet people-pleaser) and then by Max (the aforementioned control freak). The trio start taking daily walks together, with Max setting the pace (of course). A frequent topic of conversation is Ginny's boyfriend, whom she met on the dating site Senior Moments. They've never met in person, yet he buys her expensive gifts and sends her money, ostensibly for her to make purchases to help set up his new restaurant. Could this be a scam?

At Xanadu, Ginny's tony retirement home, one resident falls off her balcony and dies and another goes missing. And they just happened to be on the same dating site, as well. Hmmm. Could all of these things be related? Poppy teams up with her grandson to infiltrate Senior Moments. With the help of her friends, she gets answers (and scams the scammers)! That'll teach all those young whippersnappers not to underestimate women of a certain age!

A fun, heartwarming book. Thanks so much to Penzler Publishers for the ARC!

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has a unique and interesting premise. Who doesn’t want to see scammers get their comeuppance?! (besides scammers themselves, I suppose) And it’s great to see older folks not as hapless victims but as agents who fight back. Poppy is a great character who, though misguided, would do anything for her loved ones. I loved all the main characters and enjoyed seeing them grow. This book will give you all the feels; it can make you laugh and cry. I wouldn’t recommend this book to everyone due to some content (profanity, sexual jokes and comments, mentions of abuse and drug abuse, and of course, murder and crime). But for those who are okay with some darker aspects, this is a relevant and timely book, even more so as scams are getting worse thanks to AI. I enjoyed Pack’s style & humor, and I appreciate his messaging about friendship and protecting folks from scams.

Thank you to Penzler, The Mysterious Press, and NetGalley for the free eARC! I post this review with my honest opinions.

[Harriet Garfinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who writes 'funny' in as unashamedly amiable way as Gordon Jack. How can you not love Poppy Montgomery (think A Man called Ove but with a badass sassy attitude and—pardon my English—tits) whose first words in the novel are "First day of water aerobics and I have to ask myself, Am I in hell?"
And Poppy's cast of mismatched, misfit friends (cozy detectives): Max who can only walk at straight line at high speed and Ginny who is a powderpuff huffing her way to fitness...to impress her online cyber-beau. Who may or may not be the real deal.
What is the real deal in Gordon's book are the less-than-glossed over vagaries and and conundrums of aging. Bravo!
Pick up a copy at your local bookstore. You won't regret one moment with these characters, but you might regret leaving their world at the end.
Water aerobics, anyone?

[Sheila Grau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a funny, thrilling, and unexpectedly moving story. The premise hooked me - there's something so satisfying about a story where the underestimated take on slick scammers. What made this book memorable for me isn't just the premise and the humor (hilarious!), it's the characters. Each member of this group felt distinct and lived-in.

Poppy anchors it all. She's not necessarily likable at the start, but you can't help rooting for her, given her history. Whether she likes it or not, she brings together an unlikely group of people to help their scammed friend. I hope we see more of them all!

[Beth Gerson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the writing style, the character's unique voice, and the cast, each with their own flaws and internal struggles. While it was difficult to fully embrace Poppy as a main character because of her general mood and demeanor toward those closest to her, it brought a lot of depth, and by the end, I thought the reader had a really good idea of the life circumstances that made her the way she was. I thought the caper was cute and the ending wrapped up in a satisfying way.

I received an ARC from NetGalley

[Cecil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was eager to read Gordon Jack's latest book, having found his prior work unique and full of smart humor. In Poppy Montgomery Gets Even, Jack's storytelling is rich in characters and plot. I found myself deeply engaged and laughing out loud (heartily) as the characters went about solving a mystery and protecting older folks from a scammer. The plot is very relevant and relatable and Jack's characters (as usual) are unforgettable. Hoping this becomes a series.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn’t expecting to love Poppy and the gang so much. But they turned out to be sweethearts and rockstars. If you’re going to get scammed, you want Poppy on your side…and the murderer in this case should be very afraid once she was on the case.

Who knew murder moved into the retirement community? But it sure wasn’t able to get too comfortable with the ladies on the case. I can’t wait for more shenanigans with this group!

[Donna Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved getting to know Poppy and her friends. The elderly are so easily dismissed and it was so inspiring to see them take back charge of their lives and get the revenge they so fully deserve. This book is funny, heartbreaking, inspiring and you find yourself rooting for all the characters, both young and old!

[Cheyenne Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from page one! Poppy is one of those characters that will stay with me forever, an 80-year old with an attitude you can't fail to love—and laugh at. The mystery is a treat. The humor is fall-off-your-chair funny. And this badass gang of older ladies make you never want to reach the end.

[Anjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Touching, funny, and delightfully sassy, with just the right amount of mystery thrown in. The older adult characters steal the show with their sharp wit, and refusal to be underestimated. Beneath the humor and clever banter is a heartfelt story about community, resilience, and finding purpose at any age.

[Larkin Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! Another fast, fun read from Gordon Jack. I was lucky enough to get an early copy. Read it through in one sitting!

[Parker Peevyhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poppy is delightfully wicked. I found myself cheering for her as she navigated unlikely friendships and clever plot twists on her way to a satisfying revenge. I'm ready to join Poppy's crew.