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Poppy Perkins #1
Booked for Murder
Poppy’s dream of being an author is on life support, and the plug’s about to be pulled. She can barely make her rent, and she’s avoiding her mom’s calls about going to law school. She hasn’t even hit rock bottom yet, this is just a ledge on the way down…
When Poppy Perkins decides to talk back to a customer who thinks it’s okay to scream at her over donuts, Poppy knows she’s going to get fired. But what she doesn’t expect is for the customer to be a local celebrity, and for a video of their interaction to go viral—or for the customer to drop dead five minutes later, poisoned by the donut Poppy had just served him.
Okay, now she’s hit rock bottom.
With Poppy the prime suspect, she has to find the real killer before she’s locked up for a crime she didn’t commit. But what originally looks to be a run-of-the-mill murder quickly finds Poppy mired in a case that’s thicker than San Francisco fog. And can Poppy trust the journalist with adorable dimples who insists he’s only after the truth?
Will Poppy get to the bottom of this case and find the killer, or is she about to get Boston creamed?
When Poppy Perkins decides to talk back to a customer who thinks it’s okay to scream at her over donuts, Poppy knows she’s going to get fired. But what she doesn’t expect is for the customer to be a local celebrity, and for a video of their interaction to go viral—or for the customer to drop dead five minutes later, poisoned by the donut Poppy had just served him.
Okay, now she’s hit rock bottom.
With Poppy the prime suspect, she has to find the real killer before she’s locked up for a crime she didn’t commit. But what originally looks to be a run-of-the-mill murder quickly finds Poppy mired in a case that’s thicker than San Francisco fog. And can Poppy trust the journalist with adorable dimples who insists he’s only after the truth?
Will Poppy get to the bottom of this case and find the killer, or is she about to get Boston creamed?
322 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 27, 2022
641 people are currently reading
1980 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
September 12, 2023
I thought it was going to be fine. Good start. But then the problems kept piling up.
The information about how you get a fiction book published is dead wrong, which made me angry. The world does not need more misinformation in it! In the traditional publishing world, you don't get an agent on the basis of good ideas. You don't sell a fiction book on the basis of an idea and three chapters. You must write the whole book. The whole entire book!
Poppy's "best friend" is a one-dimensional terrible character who has bizarre ideas about rising in the world because she gets a three-book contract. It's hard to believe that Poppy would have been friends with this woman.
There are long passages imparting wisdom. I can't argue with the wisdom--e.g., learn to live independently--but good writers work these messages in rather than dumping them into long one-sided dialogue.
The mystery is clever, but not complicated. Ophelia is a Sherlock Holmes-type character who keeps Poppy from being wrongly arrested and reveals all at the end.
The cliffhanger ending is an annoying ploy common these days to lead readers to buy the next book. Unfortunately, I'm not interested enough to care.
The information about how you get a fiction book published is dead wrong, which made me angry. The world does not need more misinformation in it! In the traditional publishing world, you don't get an agent on the basis of good ideas. You don't sell a fiction book on the basis of an idea and three chapters. You must write the whole book. The whole entire book!
Poppy's "best friend" is a one-dimensional terrible character who has bizarre ideas about rising in the world because she gets a three-book contract. It's hard to believe that Poppy would have been friends with this woman.
There are long passages imparting wisdom. I can't argue with the wisdom--e.g., learn to live independently--but good writers work these messages in rather than dumping them into long one-sided dialogue.
The mystery is clever, but not complicated. Ophelia is a Sherlock Holmes-type character who keeps Poppy from being wrongly arrested and reveals all at the end.
The cliffhanger ending is an annoying ploy common these days to lead readers to buy the next book. Unfortunately, I'm not interested enough to care.
June 25, 2023
2.5 rounded up. I don’t recall adding this audiobook to my library but… There it was, and it was a short lesson, so I dove in. I enjoy reading, mini, cozy mysteries, but this one fell far short for me. The story didn’t quite come together for me and felt a bit amateurish. What saved me was the audio narration that was done well. I was looking for a short book and at just over six hours this fit the bill for me in that regard. This is the first book in this new series, but I doubt if I will continue on to the next book, sad to say.
October 1, 2023
I waited too long to review this. It was an okay story, but there wasn't ton of depth to the characters and story. I found it odd that Poppy would choose to move to an incredibly expensive city as she worked to become a famous author. Also, the blurb makes it seem as if there is going to be a cute romance to add to this crime solving story, but ... not so much. I didn't find the mystery to be all that interesting. I didn't find Poppy or her problems to be all that interesting. The secondary characters didn't grab me either. It was a passable audio book experience, but I've already forgotten much of the story, and its only been three weeks since I finished it. Three generous stars. It was average.
May 14, 2023
Sassy, fun, easy-listening!
This is a perfect cozy. It's like a companion read. I listened to it all day whilst doing laundry, cooking, gardening, and cleaning. It made me chuckle and smile and nods my head in agreement.
I'm totally gonna listen to book 2!
This is a perfect cozy. It's like a companion read. I listened to it all day whilst doing laundry, cooking, gardening, and cleaning. It made me chuckle and smile and nods my head in agreement.
I'm totally gonna listen to book 2!
May 15, 2023
I got this book on audiobook before a road trip because it was on the bestsellers list. Truly a mindless listen, but probably wouldn’t have picked it up off a shelf. It was okay but had me bored at times and is so cheesy with no depth to it. Probably wouldn’t recommend the book, and wouldn’t read anymore of the series, but also wasn’t the worst book I’ve ever read?? A solid average for me.
May 26, 2023
DNFed about 30% in
I could see where the story might have been interesting and picked up. The plot had potential and the murder was so spontaneous, but i could not stand the characters
They all sound so immature and childish, and the "sass" or "banter" is so childish and very forced, like please. I love me a good sass, or healthy banter, heck, fight and be powerful, dont give in, but even in extreme cases, there is a line where if crossed it jumps into a realm of unreasonable and a fantasy world which i hate! I dont think i can give what i felt justice.
And then, a very very unrealistic plot drive was where a "consilting detective" suddenly came to the scene and trusted and befriended the main suspect, not only that, no, but she started taking her alongside her to her interviews and detective work! Like pleaaaaaaase, who does that, even comics won't go that far! And based on what ground?
Whats even worse, the way the suspect (poppy) kept just sassy snapping at everyone with what she thinks are "smart come backs" when in reality it felt like when a 12 year old start talking back thinking they are such grown ups, and that they one-upped you.
Its just a big NO for me!
I could see where the story might have been interesting and picked up. The plot had potential and the murder was so spontaneous, but i could not stand the characters
They all sound so immature and childish, and the "sass" or "banter" is so childish and very forced, like please. I love me a good sass, or healthy banter, heck, fight and be powerful, dont give in, but even in extreme cases, there is a line where if crossed it jumps into a realm of unreasonable and a fantasy world which i hate! I dont think i can give what i felt justice.
And then, a very very unrealistic plot drive was where a "consilting detective" suddenly came to the scene and trusted and befriended the main suspect, not only that, no, but she started taking her alongside her to her interviews and detective work! Like pleaaaaaaase, who does that, even comics won't go that far! And based on what ground?
Whats even worse, the way the suspect (poppy) kept just sassy snapping at everyone with what she thinks are "smart come backs" when in reality it felt like when a 12 year old start talking back thinking they are such grown ups, and that they one-upped you.
Its just a big NO for me!
February 5, 2023
I received a copy of this book from Goodreads in exchange for a review.
Poppy Perkins is the black sheep of the family. She didn’t go to law school as her parents wanted. Instead, she is working a dead-end job at a coffee shop, living with her best friend, and hoping to become a writer. But all that changes when she tells a demanding customer off only to have him drop dead moments later. Oh, and the dead guy is a multi-billionaire. And the argument was recorded for all posterity to see.
This book was rollicking good fun. Entertaining, fast-paced, and thoroughly exciting. The characters were engaging and the plot was captivating. I love the new series and can’t wait to read the next installment
Poppy Perkins is the black sheep of the family. She didn’t go to law school as her parents wanted. Instead, she is working a dead-end job at a coffee shop, living with her best friend, and hoping to become a writer. But all that changes when she tells a demanding customer off only to have him drop dead moments later. Oh, and the dead guy is a multi-billionaire. And the argument was recorded for all posterity to see.
This book was rollicking good fun. Entertaining, fast-paced, and thoroughly exciting. The characters were engaging and the plot was captivating. I love the new series and can’t wait to read the next installment
May 18, 2023
I listened to this book while I was doing some serious packing and cleaning and it was perfect for that. The plot twist is fairly obvious. The roommate subplot is totally obvious from the get-go. The characterizations are a little bit over the top: ridiculously glamorous private eye, hunky reporter, etc. But it is fun
August 9, 2023
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4 stars because I was never bored.
I am not going to lie, I bought this book for the following reasons: the beautiful cover art, the would-be-author protagonist, and it was a super-cheap Daily Deal; otherwise, I never would have chosen this book on my own. Did Booked for Murder exceed my expectations? Absolutely!
I normally don't have good luck with cozy mysteries, They are often too long and too dull to hold my interest, Booked for Murder, on the other hand, zips along at a quick speed. The book is full of charm from cover-to-cover and often made me laugh and smile. It is also the perfect length. It does not overstay its welcome, and there is an art to that. I also got a good feel for the San Fransisco setting,
So if I enjoyed Booked for Murder so much, then why a 4 star rating instead of a 5? There are several reasons why this book fell short of becoming a new favorite. One, I did not really connect with any of the characters, There was no depth to them. They felt more caricature than human, but I think that is often true of the cozy mystery subgenre, which is why I have a hard time falling in love with cozy mysteries Two, it was, as others said, a bit far-fetched. No one asks to see Ophelia's credentials, and people are totally willing to talk to the prime suspect in a murder without any sort of reservations? Come on, now! Also, some of the methods for gathering evidence would not hold up in court, even in California. Three, not enough bread crumbs were sprinkled our before revealing the killer except towards the end, so the reveal is hardly satisfying.
One note of caution: there is a lot of social commentary throughout the novel. I do appreciate that the author takes the time to at least criticize fake activists or activists with misguided methods, but she is otherwise firmly taking shots at Elon Musk, crony capitalism, the patriarchy, bro culture, etc. I am here for it, because she is speaking my language, but her views might turn off more conservative-leaning readers.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Booked for Murder, but I doubt that I will ever feel the need to go on Poppy Perkins' next adventure.
I am not going to lie, I bought this book for the following reasons: the beautiful cover art, the would-be-author protagonist, and it was a super-cheap Daily Deal; otherwise, I never would have chosen this book on my own. Did Booked for Murder exceed my expectations? Absolutely!
I normally don't have good luck with cozy mysteries, They are often too long and too dull to hold my interest, Booked for Murder, on the other hand, zips along at a quick speed. The book is full of charm from cover-to-cover and often made me laugh and smile. It is also the perfect length. It does not overstay its welcome, and there is an art to that. I also got a good feel for the San Fransisco setting,
So if I enjoyed Booked for Murder so much, then why a 4 star rating instead of a 5? There are several reasons why this book fell short of becoming a new favorite. One, I did not really connect with any of the characters, There was no depth to them. They felt more caricature than human, but I think that is often true of the cozy mystery subgenre, which is why I have a hard time falling in love with cozy mysteries Two, it was, as others said, a bit far-fetched. No one asks to see Ophelia's credentials, and people are totally willing to talk to the prime suspect in a murder without any sort of reservations? Come on, now! Also, some of the methods for gathering evidence would not hold up in court, even in California. Three, not enough bread crumbs were sprinkled our before revealing the killer except towards the end, so the reveal is hardly satisfying.
One note of caution: there is a lot of social commentary throughout the novel. I do appreciate that the author takes the time to at least criticize fake activists or activists with misguided methods, but she is otherwise firmly taking shots at Elon Musk, crony capitalism, the patriarchy, bro culture, etc. I am here for it, because she is speaking my language, but her views might turn off more conservative-leaning readers.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with Booked for Murder, but I doubt that I will ever feel the need to go on Poppy Perkins' next adventure.
April 3, 2024
This was a 3.5-3.75 star read for me. The murder was fairly easy to solve, as there was a huge clue about midway through. Still, it was a light, fast paced story. I listened to this on audible and the narration was good.
May 17, 2023
Totally enjoyable cozy mystery. Great characters and great narration.
May 22, 2023
Enjoyable cozy mystery, nicely narrated on audio.
February 16, 2024
This ended up being a little easier like not as mature but I also love it, it's a nice break from dark thrillers with still mystery.
December 24, 2022
Booked for Murder is the 1st book in the new Poppy Perkins Mystery series by Jasmine Webb.
I really love this author's Charlotte Gibson Mystery Series, so I was excited to try out a new series.
We meet Poppy who thinks she is at rock bottom, but things get worse.
She is working at a donut shop and talks back to a very rude customer and gets fired.
As if that isn't bad enough, the customer is famous, and then he drops dead.
Poppy is the primary suspect and then the interaction of Poppy and the customer goes viral, and that does NOT help her case.
I loved the setting of San Francisco, one of my favorite places. This mystery was so well written, multi-layered and things definitely are not what you expect.
This mystery kept me guessing until the end.
I really loved the characters, that are well written, developed and fleshed out.
I can't wait for more books in this brand-new series!
I really love this author's Charlotte Gibson Mystery Series, so I was excited to try out a new series.
We meet Poppy who thinks she is at rock bottom, but things get worse.
She is working at a donut shop and talks back to a very rude customer and gets fired.
As if that isn't bad enough, the customer is famous, and then he drops dead.
Poppy is the primary suspect and then the interaction of Poppy and the customer goes viral, and that does NOT help her case.
I loved the setting of San Francisco, one of my favorite places. This mystery was so well written, multi-layered and things definitely are not what you expect.
This mystery kept me guessing until the end.
I really loved the characters, that are well written, developed and fleshed out.
I can't wait for more books in this brand-new series!
December 26, 2023
Well, this first mystery in a series of three (so far) took a while to really get me interested, and it has some definite problems (I kept raising my eyebrows), but it turned out to be . . . okay. So, Poppy Perkins, nearing thirty, whose three sisters are all successful lawyers and whose mother was on the short list for Attorney General, wants no part of that life. She did a degree in creative writing and moved to San Francisco determined to become an award-winning author of “women’s fiction,” but it’s very slow going. She’s barely making ends meet at minimum wage in a doughnut shop, but she’s determined.
Then she loses her temper one morning with a very rude customer who screams at her because the shop doesn’t sell sugar-free donuts. And she’s immediately fired because the guy was Jason Bergman, multibillionaire CEO of Klickd, one of the hottest tech media communities around and a Twitter star to boot. (Think Elon Musk, sort of.) And two minutes after their argument, Bergman is writhing on the floor, poisoned by strychnine.
The cops have barely arrived when a very prepossessing woman named Olivia Ellis walks in, flourishing a letter from the Governor of California naming her as a special independent investigator into the case. (Pause a moment to consider how unbelievably fast that is, when no one even knows for sure yet that the victim was actually murdered.) Poppy is convinced that if the cops arrest her for the murder -- because of course they will, right? -- then she’s going to end up in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. So she immediately attaches herself to Olivia and begs for help. Olivia -- who uses the Holsian job title of “investigative consultant” -- immediately promises her complete protection and offers to take her on as an assistant investigator. (Pause again.)
And when Ophelia then immediately (and inexplicably) takes her along on a visit to Klickd’s corporate headquarters in Menlo Park, instead of just tagging along and keeping her mouth shut, Poppy instead injects her own questions into their first meeting with the company’s CFO. And those questions seem to show a pretty detailed understanding of how corporate financial systems work. I mean, that’s just not credible. Also, when Olivia goes to recruit the assistance of her old friend, a suburban soccer who also happens to be the world greatest hacker (she’s overthrown multiple governments single-handed), I think my eyes rolled completely around in their sockets.
Well, once you get past all those fantastical unlikelihoods and get down to the actual cracking of the mystery of the murder, examining the motives and alibis of the most likely killers, especially within Klickd, the story improves considerably. I may even try the next book in the series. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, they’re free, so there’s no risk.
Then she loses her temper one morning with a very rude customer who screams at her because the shop doesn’t sell sugar-free donuts. And she’s immediately fired because the guy was Jason Bergman, multibillionaire CEO of Klickd, one of the hottest tech media communities around and a Twitter star to boot. (Think Elon Musk, sort of.) And two minutes after their argument, Bergman is writhing on the floor, poisoned by strychnine.
The cops have barely arrived when a very prepossessing woman named Olivia Ellis walks in, flourishing a letter from the Governor of California naming her as a special independent investigator into the case. (Pause a moment to consider how unbelievably fast that is, when no one even knows for sure yet that the victim was actually murdered.) Poppy is convinced that if the cops arrest her for the murder -- because of course they will, right? -- then she’s going to end up in prison for a crime she didn’t commit. So she immediately attaches herself to Olivia and begs for help. Olivia -- who uses the Holsian job title of “investigative consultant” -- immediately promises her complete protection and offers to take her on as an assistant investigator. (Pause again.)
And when Ophelia then immediately (and inexplicably) takes her along on a visit to Klickd’s corporate headquarters in Menlo Park, instead of just tagging along and keeping her mouth shut, Poppy instead injects her own questions into their first meeting with the company’s CFO. And those questions seem to show a pretty detailed understanding of how corporate financial systems work. I mean, that’s just not credible. Also, when Olivia goes to recruit the assistance of her old friend, a suburban soccer who also happens to be the world greatest hacker (she’s overthrown multiple governments single-handed), I think my eyes rolled completely around in their sockets.
Well, once you get past all those fantastical unlikelihoods and get down to the actual cracking of the mystery of the murder, examining the motives and alibis of the most likely killers, especially within Klickd, the story improves considerably. I may even try the next book in the series. And if you have Kindle Unlimited, they’re free, so there’s no risk.
May 18, 2023
Poppy Perkins has a dream of being a published writer. However, she's making ends meet in a San Francisco donut shop and trying to write. When a customer is rude to her, she loses her temper and tells him off. This leads to her boss firing her which is bad. But it also happens that the customer falls dead in the store with a confirmed case of cyanide poisoning.
Poppy is the number one suspect. A video of the argument goes viral on social media when it turns out that the victim was a tech billionaire on the verge of selling his start-up for additional billions. Poppy needs to find the real killer in order to keep herself out of jail.
Bobby acquires some unlikely allies in the persons of a mysterious investigator named Ophelia Ellis and a cute reporter named Nick Monroe who writes for the San Francisco Examiner. Ophelia, who is a consulting investigator in the Sherlock Holmes mode, brings Poppy along as she investigates who wanted the billionaire dead. They find quite a number of suspects inside his business but no one quite fits the bill.
I enjoyed this short cozy mystery. I found Poppy an interesting character who managed to defy family expectations and her very formidable mother in order to pursue her own dreams. She also overcomes betrayal by her best friend who steals one of Poppy's book ideas and presents it as her own in order to become a published author.
This series has possibilities for future stories. I'll be looking forward to them.
Poppy is the number one suspect. A video of the argument goes viral on social media when it turns out that the victim was a tech billionaire on the verge of selling his start-up for additional billions. Poppy needs to find the real killer in order to keep herself out of jail.
Bobby acquires some unlikely allies in the persons of a mysterious investigator named Ophelia Ellis and a cute reporter named Nick Monroe who writes for the San Francisco Examiner. Ophelia, who is a consulting investigator in the Sherlock Holmes mode, brings Poppy along as she investigates who wanted the billionaire dead. They find quite a number of suspects inside his business but no one quite fits the bill.
I enjoyed this short cozy mystery. I found Poppy an interesting character who managed to defy family expectations and her very formidable mother in order to pursue her own dreams. She also overcomes betrayal by her best friend who steals one of Poppy's book ideas and presents it as her own in order to become a published author.
This series has possibilities for future stories. I'll be looking forward to them.
June 5, 2023
I gave this 3 stars because it is a COZY mystery. To me that means don't worry about all the details you would look for say, in an Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes "whodunnit".
The story had the word book in it.. so I got it!! As a Bookaholic, I didn't read beyond the title. Maybe I should in the future but ... anyway. This story is about a 20 something woman who aspires to be a famous author, working with her publicist on her next idea. While struggling to find an idea, Poppy works in a coffee shop. She waits on an obnoxious man who yells at her for not having sugar free donuts, causes a big scene, Poppy doesn't care and tells him where to go and of course gets fired. As she is collecting her things, the man she was arguing with dies from poison!!! Cute concept.
For me it was 'unbelievable' right after that when a woman comes from the Governor's office to investigate the crime and invites Poppy to tag along with her!! OK. Poppy is the primary suspect but she gets to go around interviewing people about the murder. It was hard to get over this small unbelievable fact but I kept reminding myself COZY... and I was able to read through the rest.
The story went in a lot of directions, trying to make the reader think it was one person, than another, and it gave me a headache when I actually found out the reason for the murder. My eyes rolled a lot but I never put a book down so I did get through it.
The story had the word book in it.. so I got it!! As a Bookaholic, I didn't read beyond the title. Maybe I should in the future but ... anyway. This story is about a 20 something woman who aspires to be a famous author, working with her publicist on her next idea. While struggling to find an idea, Poppy works in a coffee shop. She waits on an obnoxious man who yells at her for not having sugar free donuts, causes a big scene, Poppy doesn't care and tells him where to go and of course gets fired. As she is collecting her things, the man she was arguing with dies from poison!!! Cute concept.
For me it was 'unbelievable' right after that when a woman comes from the Governor's office to investigate the crime and invites Poppy to tag along with her!! OK. Poppy is the primary suspect but she gets to go around interviewing people about the murder. It was hard to get over this small unbelievable fact but I kept reminding myself COZY... and I was able to read through the rest.
The story went in a lot of directions, trying to make the reader think it was one person, than another, and it gave me a headache when I actually found out the reason for the murder. My eyes rolled a lot but I never put a book down so I did get through it.
May 19, 2023
3.5 Stars 🌟
This was another book that I bought when it was the Audible "deal of the day". Jasmine Webb was another "new to me" author and the story summary sounded interesting. The thing that sealed the deal was that it was narrated by Khristine Hvam and Ms. Hvam has become one of the narrators that I am a huge fan of. I think this is categorized in the Cozy Mysteries genre- which are usually shorter stories, set in small towns and tend to be a bit more simple versus complex. Well, I was happily surprised with this book and ended up enjoying the story.
This was a very quick and easy read/listen. There is not much depth to the story, but I don't think there was meant to be. We get to meet Poppy Perkins, an aspiring writer whose day job is working at a donut shop. Well, wouldn't you know it, there is a murder in her shop and she just happened to get into an argument with the customer who becomes the victim. Of course, it is all captured on video.
She becomes the prime suspect and the rest of the book is spent trying to find the 'real" killer.
If I had one comment, it would be the fact that it was a bit too easy for her to tag along and become the side kick of the woman (Olivia, I think?) who is tasked by the Govenor to solve the case. That never really made sense to me. But, serious literature this is not. It is meant to be fun and easy reading/listening and it did the job.
As usual, Ms. Hvam knocked the narration out of the park, but I wouldn't expect anything less. I haven't had a chance to look yet, but I think this just may be the first book in a series. If it is - I might just have to come back and find out what is going to happen next in Poppy's life.
This was another book that I bought when it was the Audible "deal of the day". Jasmine Webb was another "new to me" author and the story summary sounded interesting. The thing that sealed the deal was that it was narrated by Khristine Hvam and Ms. Hvam has become one of the narrators that I am a huge fan of. I think this is categorized in the Cozy Mysteries genre- which are usually shorter stories, set in small towns and tend to be a bit more simple versus complex. Well, I was happily surprised with this book and ended up enjoying the story.
This was a very quick and easy read/listen. There is not much depth to the story, but I don't think there was meant to be. We get to meet Poppy Perkins, an aspiring writer whose day job is working at a donut shop. Well, wouldn't you know it, there is a murder in her shop and she just happened to get into an argument with the customer who becomes the victim. Of course, it is all captured on video.
She becomes the prime suspect and the rest of the book is spent trying to find the 'real" killer.
If I had one comment, it would be the fact that it was a bit too easy for her to tag along and become the side kick of the woman (Olivia, I think?) who is tasked by the Govenor to solve the case. That never really made sense to me. But, serious literature this is not. It is meant to be fun and easy reading/listening and it did the job.
As usual, Ms. Hvam knocked the narration out of the park, but I wouldn't expect anything less. I haven't had a chance to look yet, but I think this just may be the first book in a series. If it is - I might just have to come back and find out what is going to happen next in Poppy's life.
March 20, 2024
Booked for Murder is the first book in the Poppy Perkins cozy mystery series by Jasmine Webb. This is such a quick, sharp, sassy story with an entertaining mystery. It has strong female characters, personal empowerment and considerable depth to the issues explored.
Poppy is an aspiring author in DC who works at a donut shop while she tries to sell her story ideas. While working one day, she finally loses her temper with a demeaning, demanding customer and puts him in his place. When he winds up dead minutes later, she’s naturally accused, especially since she was immediately fired for the incident. In walks a “fixer” who was notified about the death by the mayor, due to his high profile status. She believes in Poppy’s innocence and the two work together to solve the crime.
This story is not without its flaws. It’s a bit repetitive in certain aspects and somewhat silly at times. There are also a few plot holes and logical leaps. However, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and had a great time reading it! It’s fast, fun, and drew me in and I look forward to the next in the series.
Poppy is an aspiring author in DC who works at a donut shop while she tries to sell her story ideas. While working one day, she finally loses her temper with a demeaning, demanding customer and puts him in his place. When he winds up dead minutes later, she’s naturally accused, especially since she was immediately fired for the incident. In walks a “fixer” who was notified about the death by the mayor, due to his high profile status. She believes in Poppy’s innocence and the two work together to solve the crime.
This story is not without its flaws. It’s a bit repetitive in certain aspects and somewhat silly at times. There are also a few plot holes and logical leaps. However, I really enjoyed this cozy mystery and had a great time reading it! It’s fast, fun, and drew me in and I look forward to the next in the series.
January 13, 2023
Booked for Murder is the first in a new series by Jasmine Webb, set in San Francisco and featuring Poppy Perkins. This is a fast, engaging read with a great mystery and some laugh out loud moments.
Poppy Perkins is a struggling writer who is employed at a donut/coffee, a thankless job at best. When she is insulted by a customer and loses her cool on him, she also loses her job....but he loses his life. Just like that the race is on to find the real killer and redeem herself.
I really enjoyed this action-packed storyline, quirky characters, and tangled mystery. I am looking forward to book two!
Thank you GoodReads for the copy of this E book I was awarded. That did not reflect on my honest review.
Poppy Perkins is a struggling writer who is employed at a donut/coffee, a thankless job at best. When she is insulted by a customer and loses her cool on him, she also loses her job....but he loses his life. Just like that the race is on to find the real killer and redeem herself.
I really enjoyed this action-packed storyline, quirky characters, and tangled mystery. I am looking forward to book two!
Thank you GoodReads for the copy of this E book I was awarded. That did not reflect on my honest review.
July 15, 2023
Disclosure: I received a code for this audiobook from the author. The book itself is way out of my usual interest, so take this review with that in mind: it's pretty good? It's pleasant, it's fun, it's eye-rolling, it's a big dollop of wish fulfilment fantasy with Silicon Valley dipshits as the victim and main suspects. I liked the main characters, with the investigator's hyper-confidence. I was very surprised that there was no romantic spark between the two of them, because there was definitely chemistry there. Some of the characters are pretty one-note, and the style of banter gets grating, but the mystery itself is fun and the ending is satisfying enough. Interested to see where this series goes next.
January 24, 2024
This was an enjoyable story. The characters were fun and interesting. I particularly liked the way the narrator (Poppy) and Ophelia (the "detective" figure in the story) interacted and bonded. Also the way the author brought in a female computer whiz to handle some hacking. The narrator is kind of the "sidekick" here, working with Ophelia, who has been tasked by the governor to get to the bottom of this murder. I'll probably read another in the series at some point.
September 15, 2024
This cozy mystery took me an entire month to read. I just could not get into it, and only finished it because I am stubborn and forced myself to go back to it.
I like cozies, and don't expect them to be the next Big American Novel. I am in for the quirky characters, charming setting, and random focal interest that the MC happens to have. This one was missing the charm. It also didn't make sense. Why would Ophelia blindly believe Poppy and start having her tag along?
Also-- and this is me being nitpicky-- there were way too many forced metaphors/similes thrown into this book. No one talks like that.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
I like cozies, and don't expect them to be the next Big American Novel. I am in for the quirky characters, charming setting, and random focal interest that the MC happens to have. This one was missing the charm. It also didn't make sense. Why would Ophelia blindly believe Poppy and start having her tag along?
Also-- and this is me being nitpicky-- there were way too many forced metaphors/similes thrown into this book. No one talks like that.
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
February 9, 2023
Thoughtful Whodunnit
This entire story takes place in roughly 48 hours. Our star, a young aspiring yet unpublished author has absolutely the worst day possible. Then to find she was betrayed and abandoned by her best friend , is the prime suspect in a high profile murder, and is forced to revisit her parents disapproval of her career choices. And she makes a new friend in the mysterious Ophelia ,assists in solving a murder,and falls for the handsome serious journalist - and still has time to throw in some valuable life lessons. Very Well Done.
This entire story takes place in roughly 48 hours. Our star, a young aspiring yet unpublished author has absolutely the worst day possible. Then to find she was betrayed and abandoned by her best friend , is the prime suspect in a high profile murder, and is forced to revisit her parents disapproval of her career choices. And she makes a new friend in the mysterious Ophelia ,assists in solving a murder,and falls for the handsome serious journalist - and still has time to throw in some valuable life lessons. Very Well Done.
April 15, 2023
I received this book in a Goodreads giveaway and I’m excited to have a fun new cozy mystery series to get into. In typical fashion for this type of mystery our main character is wrongly accused of a murder. She’s smart and savvy and gets aligned with the right people to get to the bottom of what happened. I like Poppy, our main character a lot as well as the supporting characters. The author has set us up wanting more. I’ll definitely be exploring more by this author and series! The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 star is I try to be really strict about what I give that many.
June 16, 2023
Booked for Murder is a fun whodunnit. Set in San Francisco, aspiring author and donut shop employee Poppy Perkins is blamed for a murder she didn’t commit. With the help of an independent investigator, will she be able to track down the real culprit? The book is delightfully witty and pokes fun at San Francisco tech culture. I enjoyed Khristine Hvam’s narration immensely. I did think the trajectory of the plot left something to be desired, but overall I had a great time listening to this one. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 4, 2024
BOOKED for MURDER
Jasmine Webb
Review by Author Roy Murry
This is a Poppy Perkins Mystery book #1, where we learn the background story for her next adventures. Her famous legal family has disowned her, and she learns something about her best friend. A man dies after Poppy fights with him, and she loses her job in a donut shop.
The video of Poppy fighting with the man went viral, and the police believe this was the motive. In walks Ophelia to save the day, she and Poppy begin their investigation.
The duo's search goes around in circles, looking into the victim's background until one gets an epiphany. The finality leads to many changes in Poppy's life, which is the pull-in to read book #2.
MURDER was a fun read with extended conversations, which the lady readers will enjoy.
Jasmine Webb
Review by Author Roy Murry
This is a Poppy Perkins Mystery book #1, where we learn the background story for her next adventures. Her famous legal family has disowned her, and she learns something about her best friend. A man dies after Poppy fights with him, and she loses her job in a donut shop.
The video of Poppy fighting with the man went viral, and the police believe this was the motive. In walks Ophelia to save the day, she and Poppy begin their investigation.
The duo's search goes around in circles, looking into the victim's background until one gets an epiphany. The finality leads to many changes in Poppy's life, which is the pull-in to read book #2.
MURDER was a fun read with extended conversations, which the lady readers will enjoy.
January 7, 2024
OK story. Somewhat of a preposterous premise, but it was ok. A worker in a donut shop has an argument with a customer who drops dead after eating the food she prepared for him. The shop worker comes from a family of high-powered lawyers, but never reaches out to them even though she is questioned by the police and thought to be guilty of murder! I guess you'd consider this a cozy. There's no suspense. A plot line has a romance brewing. You know the author isn't going to let anything too drastic happen to her leading character.
January 13, 2023
I received the Kindle edition of this book from the Goodreads Giveaways. It was my first time reading anything by Jasmine Webb and I'm really glad I did. It was a fun, fast-paced, well-written story that left me excited to read more. This story makes me wish I'd pursued my dream of wanting to write or edit. Maybe it's not too late to try. Thank you for this book Jasmine! I look forward to reading more of your work soon!
May 14, 2023
I thought that this was a good listen for an audible deal of the day.It was a pretty fun book that was short and quick to get through. But my biggest issue with it was that it sounded a lot like a Sherlock Holmes copycat. For a big Sherlock fan, that part was very annoying, but it wasn't so bad since it wasn't from the viewpoint of the detective consultant. I would recommend this book and will probably listen to the next book.
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