Poppy Done to Death

An Aurora Teagarden Mystery, Book 8

By: Charlaine Harris

Narrated by: Therese Plummer

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

Best-selling author and Sookie Stackhouse creator Charlaine Harris crafts the eighth riveting tale starring Aurora "Roe" Teagarden.

Roe's stepsister-in-law, Poppy, has achieved social distinction - she's been elected into the Uppity Women Book Club. Unfortunately, membership has its deadly consequences. Sordid stories of infidelity in Poppy's marriage lead to a rash of suspects, and Roe begins to question her own heart. But her passion for the truth will drive her on-into the path of the cold-blooded killer.

Solve more mysteries with Aurora Teagarden.

©2003 Charlaine Harris (P)2009 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic reviews

"Roe is a genuine steel magnolia ... she knows what's proper and what a lady would do - and, mostly, she does it." ( Booklist)

Uppity Women

Would you listen to Poppy Done to Death again? Why?

Yes. The story moves right along. The characters are interesting. I love Aurora Teagarden.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Aurora Teagarden. Over this series of books she has changed and matured. She's not perfect, but she's never boring.

Which scene was your favorite?

It's difficult to be specific without including "spoilers." My favorite scenes took place in Poppy's house.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Again, to avoid "spoilers" I don't want to be too specific. I did like the development of Aurora's relationship with her half brother.

Any additional comments?

I started reading this series years ago when it was first published. I was "hooked" right away. I enjoy the brisk pace of the stories, the complexity of the plots, the "cast" of interesting characters and the small town setting. Murders are involved, but there is no emphasis on detailed descriptions of graphic violence.
This is the last published book in the series. I know the Sookie Stockhouse series has been very successful. However I would welcome another visit with Aurora.

Love the book and series-only one comaint

I love the series. Characters are well developed and most of the time the story line follows well from book to book. The lack of consistency in the storyline following from book to book is a little frustrating. An example is that in this book Robin has reappeared in Aurora's life. I will not spoil the story, but Robin, and Arthur know of each other there should be some discussion about how they both feel now Robin is back in her life. This book and the previous books ignore the fact she was calling and communicating with Robin before Martin came into her life. The books almost become confusing or frustrating because of these flaws and they happen in some manner in each book.

I recommend the series and enjoy the books. Be patient with the author as these are some of her earliest books. The Stackhouse series and others flow faster and more smoothly, but do not miss out on getting to know Aurora!

Aurora keeps getting better!

What made the experience of listening to Poppy Done to Death the most enjoyable?

I'm often rather harsh in my assessments of amateur detectives, but Aurora Teagarden doesn't get any flying arrows from me.  I love this character.  First of all she's a librarian. She's bright, she's funny, she's mature, and she's smart enough to know when to involve the professionals.
n this latest episode of the series, Roe as she's known, discovers the murdered body of her step-sister-in-law Poppy when Ms. P misses her induction into the Uppity Women club; that same day she accepts custody of her runaway 15 yr old half-brother Phillip, who arrives unannounced for Thanksgiving (she thought he was in California); she confronts her own feelings about parenting, extra-marital sex, and her current relationship to Robin Crusoe the author, all while trying to figure out why Poppy was murdered, and then why Poppy's house was trashed AFTER the police finished investigating the crime scene.

All the regulars are there, with new and introspective insights into their characters and motivations. It's an easy cozy read, but has plenty of meat to the plot.I didn't have that AHA moment until nearly the end, and that's the way I enjoy mysteries --- the plot building to a surprise ending, lots of suspects being ruled in/out one at a time.

What about Therese Plummer’s performance did you like?

It was very easy to distinguish the characters from her inflections and accents.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The ending.

Awesome Narration!

Therese Plummer is wonderfully talented! I have enjoyed listening to the Aurora Teagarden books. Thanks!

Good series

This was a good series. In each book, you could see the progression of growth in Charlaine Harris's writing skills. The mysteries were well thought out and I didn't know the identity of the killer until the end. Sure it was really dated; no cell phones at first, etc., but if you realize that the first books were written 20 years ago, then it doesn't feel so odd. I would recommend this series if you are looking for light reading.

Love Charlaine Harris

Narrator Therese Plummer is very good!
I also love Charlaine Harris writing in this series and in True blood series!

wonderfull book.

I love this main charactors in this book. I want her to warite more on this subjected. Her writing is clear, sometimes funny. I just love them all.

Aurora Teagarden is Delightful

Aurora Teagarden is a delightful character and is well developed as are all of Charlaine Harris's characters. This book returned some characters who we had met in past books and expanded on the family dynamics between Roe, step family relationships, as well as old boyfriends. Roe really came to life for me in this book.

Excellent Series

What did you like about this audiobook?

All of Charlaine Harris' books keep my attention and I am sad when they are over - thank goodness she has written many wonderfull books!

Do you have any additional comments?

Narration was excellent!

Aurora is always the sensible one

Would you consider the audio edition of Poppy Done to Death to be better than the print version?

I enjoy the audio version better because I am frequently listening to it in the car. In addition, I tend to skip over things when I am reading and take away from some of the cleverness of the author.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoy Aurora because she seems to think like a real persons with conflicts that seem real.

Which character – as performed by Therese Plummer – was your favorite?

Aurora

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

The current title certainly hooks you in.