Former Manhattan fashion buyer Kelly Quinn is turning her grandmother’s outdated consignment shop into her quaint hometown’s hot spot for upscale style—until her second-hand couture makes the scene of an ice-cold crime . . . With her bottom line looking a little threadbare, Kelly is going all out to promote the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique. She’s counting on Black Friday to recover her start-up … recover her start-up expenses—including a website and an advertising blitz. But the publicity is overkill when two warring divas, and one sparkly evening dress, thrust Kelly and her fledgling business into a scandal she can’t afford.
The gorgeous garment came to Kelly from the walk-in closets of Wendy Johnson, one of reality TV’s Long Island Ladies. When Wendy’s former co-star, Diana Delacourte, graces a Christmas gala in the dress that was once her rival’s, a very public catfight ensues. But is Wendy to blame when sequin-clad Diana turns up dead? Dodging the show’s ever-present cameras—and a detective’s stern warnings—Kelly hunts for a killer before the powerful celebrity-suspect makes good on her threats and rips her to shreds . . .
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*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Fashion, mystery, and friends what more could a reader want?? We catch back up with Kelly in this second installment to this series. She finally had a clothing donation that included some really high end fashion making her excited for the possibility of more. Attending a Christmas Gala she hopes to bring in more business when suddenly a cat fight starts up between the previous owner of a dress and the new buyer. Both are divas so this gets good fast. Trying to save some bad publicity Kelly tries to talk to the buyer the next day only t o find her dead instead. She tries to stay out of it but curiosity has other plans. Makes for a great mystery full of good clothes and multi-layered characters. Makes a great read for fans of cozies and fashion. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Reality television comes to Lucky Cove with the Long Island Ladies, but the location wasn’t very lucky. Long Island Lady Wendy Johnson consigned some of her gowns to Kelly to sell at her boutique. Kelly was so excited because she knew her commission would really help her bottom line. One sparkly gown sold quickly and to a walk-in, not through her online store. Little did she know that the purchaser was another Long Island Lady, Diana Delacourte. She found out quickly when the women came face to face at a Christmas gala where the claws immediately came out and the women had to be separated.
Later, while Kelly is trying to clean up the mess her sale created she finds Diana dead. Where were those darn cameras when she needed them? Could Wendy have killed Diana over a dress? Warned to stay out of the case Kelly still feels she has to uncover the killer to save her store. Saving the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique won’t do any good though if she ends up dead and Kelly is clearly in the killer’s sights.
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The holidays are right around the corner and Kelly Quinn had made some changes to the shop she inherited from her grandmother. Pepper, her employee and her grandmother’s best friend has been warming up to most of the changes but is upset that Kelly has fallen way behind on the holiday decorating. Her uncle is still hoping the store fails so he can sell the property and line his pockets. Kelly’s friend Liv still helps at the store when she is not working at her family’s bakery. Breena is a marketing student with lots of ideas and has become very important to the business. Pepper, Breena, and Liv keep the shop running while Kelly does her sleuthing.
I really liked the reality show theme. It brings in some volatile characters and even touches Kelly’s family in an interesting way. All the characters are very well written and really drive the story. They are diverse and realistic. The fashion references are fun and I love the way Kelly is making the shop her own.
The mystery was well crafted with a variety of suspects with believable motives. Ms. Sennefelder fills this story with twist after twist, One that could change everything about the life Kelly is trying to build for herself. Like many amateur sleuths, Kelly sometimes leaps into situations without a firm plan making for some tense moments. Her impulsiveness also leads up to a surprising and suspenseful ending. I thought I was following all the clues closely but I was caught pretty much off guard when the murderer was revealed. The person was on my radar but at the bottom of my list.
Silenced in Sequins is an entertaining read with great characters and a fun whodunit. I am excited for book #3.
I was first introduced to Debra Sennefelder via book three in her Food Blogger Mysteries and enjoyed it, so I wanted to give her Resale Boutique Mysteries a read. The first one in the series, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, was really good. So when I saw she had book two, Silenced in Sequins, coming out I jumped on the chance to read it, and it’s as good as the first one!
I don’t watch reality TV, but I can see the appeal, to be able to watch other people with lives crazier than yours can make you appreciate what you have. And getting a glimpse into rich people’s parties and homes is always appealing. Robin Leach took us on tours of the rich and famous years before reality TV became so popular. Even with not watching reality TV, Silenced in Sequins, was still a blast. And the way Sennefelder weaved in the deal that Kelly made with the TV star, Wendy, was the perfect set-up to make sure Kelly’s business continues to thrive in future books.
Besides the main mystery, there is a smaller mystery that involves Kelly’s grandma and a trip to Vegas. I was very pleased with how it turned out because I wasn’t looking forward to this dragging on in future books.
And talking about a thing that often drags on in Cozy Mysteries… the romance aspect is still being handled well in the Resale Boutique Mysteries. It’s progressing a bit, with a giant monkey wrench being thrown in for good measure. I think it’s excellent how Sennefelder was able to combine the usual lead detective’s annoyance with the amateur sleuth into the romance storyline.
Although I knew the murderer early on, I didn’t know what the motive was until the end. And Sennefelder gives you enough suspects that could make guessing the killer difficult. I hope to see some of the suspects as recurring characters in future books. I could see Wendy becoming more friendly, and having her as a friend could mean more outrageous parties for Kelly and her friends.
As with book one, Silenced in Sequins, adds just the right amount of details on clothes and accessories. This is a Fashion Cozy after all! Although I’m not much into fashion it was still enjoyable reading about the different outfits and the way Sennefelder described them made it easy for me to picture them.
I’m looking forward to what mystery Kelly finds herself solving next, and highly recommend this series.
I really enjoyed this cozy and its chic, contemporary vibe. I would feel the same excitement that protagonist Kelly Quinn felt if I saw my first couture Gucci gown in person! Kelly is a high energy fashionista who inherited the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique from her dear granny. It has a wonderful location along the coast of New York. Employees, Pepper and Breena are very savvy, helpful, and friendly; and Pepper’s sort of like a second grandmother to Kelly.
When a star from the reality show, Long Island Ladies (LIL) consigns some designer clothing with the boutique, Kelly never dreams her Uncle Ralph and his wife, Summer will bring several of the LIL together at a party and jealousy and madness would be the catalyst to the murder of a cast member. I felt the author did a great job of showcasing several possible murder suspects.
Silenced In Sequins, the second novel in the Resale Boutique Mysteries sparkles brightly with a tight, fast-paced plot and likeable cast, including furry feline, Howard.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.
Kelly Quinn has inherited her grandmother’s consignment shop and is determined to make it a success. She’s thrilled to be given the opportunity to resell some gorgeous designer gowns from popular reality show star, Wendy Johnson. When Wendy’s nemesis and co-star, Diana Delacourte buys one of the gowns and wears it to a party, the two reality stars get into a heated argument, and Diana threatens to ruin Kelly’s business. Kelly feels really bad about the whole thing and decides to go to Diana’s house to apologize. But when she gets there, she finds the woman dead in her yard. Wendy immediately becomes the main suspect and wants Kelly to help prove her innocence. Will Kelly succeed or will she become the killer’s next victim?
I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, entertaining second book in the Resale Boutique Mysteries. I haven’t read the first book, but I found it very easy to like and relate to Kelly. She acted impulsively at times, but thankfully, she had a wonderful group of friends to talk some sense into her. I enjoyed the author’s writing style and found the mystery to be well-plotted. There were plenty of suspects and red herrings to readers on the edge of their seats. I highly recommend this fun, fashion themed cozy mystery.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Read 1.3.2020
This was an okay read – a typical cozy full of all the typical tropes that seem to permeate the genre these days [and are getting totally boring and predictable] and early on I even guessed who the killer was and about halfway through I knew the why. The ending was really dramatic and probably was the best part of the book as you don’t really see it coming, even though you are at 95ish%.
The problems with this book aren’t minor – Kelly is at times, a difficult-to-like main character. She is pouty, gripes a lot and is OBSESSED with all the clothes she can no longer have, and she often makes references to things she thinks people should give her [like expensive boots or handbags] just because she has had a bad day [THOUGH to be fair, her bad day included someone trying to kill her, but I am not sure that warrants a new Fendi handbag, but I digress]. She also complains [mostly internally] about how the shop can be a huge money suck, but she is RARELY there, so how would she really know? She is so busy running all over town, I am surprised the shop does anything well at all [except that Pepper is experienced and keeps things going] and she really [even while trying to solve mysteries] needs to pay some attention to her place of employment. But that is just me and my weird little business ethic that was drummed into me from a young age [which makes reading a story like this just a touch problematic at times].
Overall, it was just okay. Not great, not hideous. Just okay. If you are new to the genre, you may like this. If you are not…..
Thank you to NetGalley and to Kensington Book/Lyrical Underground Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review. (less)
The main character did some pretty stupid things, such as confronting the killer when not necessary.
Love the characters!
I love Debra Sennefelder’s Resale Boutique Mysteries. The characters and the setting are fun. This one is about a reality TV show with all the drama and cat fights that you would expect. (And I have to mention Howard the cat. He’s the perfect compliment to her main character.)
Really enjoyed this book. Good read.
Silenced in Sequins by Debra Sennefelder is about a new boutique owner trying to make her deceased grandma proud.
A reality star, a jealous actress, a dead body, and a murder on the loose? It sounds like Kelly Quinn is in trouble.
Kelly Quinn
Kelly Quinn is our sleuth, main character, and boutique owner. She is trying to make her grandma proud by making the shop her own and profitable. The one problem is her pesky uncle wanting to sell and news that she doesn’t want to hear about while going through Granny’s things. Kelly is a very stubborn young lady and is very fashion-forward. I wouldn’t mind being friends with her…except for when she is making promises to Wendy about trying to figure out who killed Diana.
The Mystery
Kelly was going to Diana’s place to smooth over things that happened at her uncle’s party, but instead, she finds Diana dead. Now Kelly is trying so hard to please everyone while trying not to get too involved in solving the mystery. I didn’t figure it out until after all the evidence was put in front of me, and then it all made sense. So, pay attention to the clues, they are there.
Five Stars for Silenced in Sequins by Debra Sennefelder
Silenced in Sequins by Debra Sennefelder is an entertaining read that will keep you guessing from the first moment you open the book. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time while trying to figure out who had enough motive. I thought it was two of the red herrings instead of who did it. They just never crossed my mind.
I am giving this book a five-star rating and recommending it to all the cozy mystery fans out there. Especially for fashionistas.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Silenced in Sequins by Debra Sennefelder.
Anyways, until next time,
Karen the Baroness
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
Silenced in Sequins by Debra Sennefelder is book two in the A Resale Boutique Mystery series. This was the first one of the series for me, but I was able to get caught up quickly,
I love the protagonist, Kelly, owns a high end resale boutique and reading about the clothes. Kelly’s friends, family, and employee are likeable and relatable.
This easy to read cozy has plenty of plot twists, romance, humor and a few mysteries that have you guessing to the end.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for an honest review.
SILENCED IN SEQUINS by Debra Sennefelder
The Second Resale Boutique Mystery
Kelly Quinn is not in the Christmas mood. Her dreams of increased business and popularity after receiving several items on consignment from a reality TV star turn into a nightmare when the two dueling reality “ladies” battle after one shows up wearing the other’s cast off clothing! When one of them vows to destroy Kelly’s business, Kelly wants to find a way to make things better, but what she finds is the Long Island Lady’s dead body! Now the prime suspect wants Kelly to help her, the producer wants her on the show, and the detective in charge wants her away from her investigation and her brother! All that combined with discovering a secret from her late Granny that could uproot Kelly and all she’s worked for, it’s no wonder Kelly can’t find her holiday spirit.
SILENCED IN SEQUINS deals with secrets. Not only do the cast and crew of the Long Island Ladies have secrets, Kelly’s late granny has a whopper of one. Indeed the plot hinges upon how people deal with these secrets.
The second Resale Boutique Mystery showcases a wide variety of characters, those you like, those that pique your interest, and those you love to hate, or at least really really dislike. Kelly is likeable. She’s trying hard to build a business for herself, repair relationships with family and friends, and make people proud of her. At times, however, I find myself yelling at her for her lack of good judgement and annoying thought process. Still, she’s evolving and I hope she continues to grow as the series progresses.
SILENCED IN SEQUINS brings together guilty pleasures, lifestyles of the rich and wanna be famous, and murder in a charming mystery.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
Designer Clothing, Reality TV and Murder
This cozy mystery is full of Long Island drama. Our heroine is dealing with diva drama as she tries to keep financially above water, a reality show, and a murder. There is so much going on in this story that the reader almost needs to take notes. It is a good story with a surprise ending. If you enjoy fashion and a good cozy mystery, you will love this series. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
Silenced in Sequins earns 5/5 Sequined Gucci-s…Fashionably Entertaining!
What would you do if you found the perfect party dress only to discover it belonged to your nemesis? That’s the question Debra Sennefelder poses in her new Resale Boutique Mystery, “Silenced in Sequins.” And her answer? Murder!
Debra Sennfelder using a third-person narrative, although I miss the “I” insights, in this well-written drama with plenty of catfights and conflicts. Kelly Quinn, former assistant fashion buyer, inherited her grandmother’s Long Island consignment shop, Lucky Cove Resale Boutique, and with her BFF Breena and her grandmother’s best friend Pepper, she is trying to bring the shop into the twenty-first century with a greater online presence and blogging with BudgetChic.com. Debra’s writing style is very engaging with descriptive language, dialogue illustrating tone and personalities, a few giggles, and a very clever mystery to keep me totally engaged.
Kelly, an admirable young woman, yet working on her flaws, is ecstatic to discover a gorgeous Gucci gown amid several cocktail dresses from Wendy Johnson, a reality TV diva. This could be the gem that rockets the shop into designer resales and improves their bottom line. They find a buyer, Diana Delacourte (a defamed reality TV diva deluxe), for one of the size-two treasures, but, as is the shop’s policy, is unaware to whom the dress original belonged. When Diana shows up at a Christmas affair, she is confronted by Wendy, the dress’s original owner and former co-star responsible for ruining her reality show career…yelling, threats, ripping open old tabloid wounds! Diana is furious about being humiliated in public and threatens to ruin Kelly’s business for her role in the clash. So when Diana is found dead, unfortunately by Kelly, the lights shine on Wendy as the prime suspect, but Kelly, too, has a motive that will be scrutinized. This series has become a favorite enticing me with descriptions of all sorts of fashion finds, ins and outs of a consignment boutique, delightful conflicts from reality show adversaries to her uncle’s third wife, questions about “to date or not to date,” and friendships cross generations. I love it!
This is the second book in the Resale Boutique Mystery series but I don’t feel like I’ve missed anything by not having read the first book in the series. The characters were fun and the mystery was interesting. I liked it.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.
cozy-mystery, actors, tv-film-industry, family-dynamics
High fashion and TV meets resale boutique, family issues, and murder in a high rent area of Long Island. If any of these things trip your trigger you’ll love this well written cozy. Plenty of plot twists and red herrings to prove keep interest.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Lyrical Underground/Kensington Books via NetGalley.
I like Kelly Quinn and the setting of Lucky Cove, and especially love hearing about all of the clothes that she has in her resale boutique. I wish that there was a store like that where I live! I love how Kelly, Pepper and Breena work together and how they cover for Kelly when she is out trying to talk to people about the murder. The mystery had so many possible motives and suspects that I was definitely left guessing who the killer was and why. I also liked that this book was set between Thanksgiving and Christmas which would be a busy time for her boutique, and would be a time when she would get a lot of consignments, and have a lot of new customers. This series is great so far, and I am looking forward to more books in this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I enjoyed the first in this series, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress and was looking forward to Silenced in Sequins. It was worth the wait, no sophomore slump for this series. Kelly is back along with Pepper and Breena, running the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique. Taking over the business from her grandmother has been a challenge but Kelly is feeling better about her sales when she finds herself holding an honest to goodness Gucci evening dress complete with the ‘Made in Italy’ label. Things get even better when it sells. Because of the rich residents of the area her hope is that more of the ladies closets will produce more goodies for her to sell. Too bad this particular dress creates big trouble.
There is a reality show called Long Island Ladies and one of the stars was the original owner of the Gucci dress. When another of the show’s stars shows up at a party wearing the dress, the fur starts to fly in a very public cat fight. The setting of the dust up is the holiday party hosted by Kelly’s Uncle Ralph and his wife, Summer. Kelly needs to patch things up fast before any damage can be done to her reputation. Too late – she stumbles upon the woman who bought the dress, very cold, very dead. Kelly is asked by the original owner of the dress to help clear her of suspicion of murder. Will Kelly be able to sort things out before the killer coming after her? The puzzle is perfect and it had me guessing – I guessed wrong. Now I’m ready for the next in the series.
I am enjoying this series by author Debra Sennefelder. Kelly Quinn is a fun protagonist. She is smart and spunky. Although, she can be a bit impulsive which has caused her to land in some dangerous situations. The secondary cast of characters is developing nicely as well. They are diverse in age, background, and history with Kelly. Often, they provide the voice of reason when Kelly gets impulsive. I enjoy the author’s writing style and found this book to have a strong plot that was well-paced. The mystery was well crafted and I thought the author provided her readers with a number of reasonable suspects with plausible motives. However, once again I was fooled by some twist and turns thrown in by the author and did not guess the identity of the killer until the reveal. I thought the storyline with the “real housewives” type characters to add some fun to the story as well.
This is a well crafted cozy mystery with interesting characters and mysteries that keep me engaged and guessing “whodunnit.” I will definitely be back for more.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through NetGalley.