Former reality TV baking show contestant and recent divorcée Hope Early is trying to find her recipe for success as a food blogger—but murder keeps getting in the mix . . . When Hope’s elderly neighbor perishes in a home fire, she can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. Only the day before, Peggy Olson had called her over, having burned a pot on the stove while she was sleeping and filling … sleeping and filling the house with smoke. In fact, she couldn’t even remember cooking. Clearly, it was dangerous for the woman to live alone.
But it turns out she wasn’t alone. When a second body is discovered in the basement of the burned house, suddenly what appeared to be a tragic accident is beginning to look like premeditated murder. As rumors spread like wildfire, Hope is determined to sort out the facts and smoke out a killer, but she might be jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire . . .
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!
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*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
Welcome back to the fascinating world of food blogging with Hope. I must say this is way more I involved then I ever thought making it fun to follow along. The addition of the murders and the intrigue just make it that much better as things slowly escalate. I especially liked that no matter how she tried to stay out of it something always drug her back in or she just stumbled across something. A great mystery with a wonderful main character joined by an adorable dog. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries with a food theme. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Hope’s neighbor Peggy Olson has come to Hope for help after catching some stuff on fire in her kitchen. Peggy had fallen asleep only to wake up to the smoke. What bothers her is she didn’t even remember starting to cook anything. When Peggy’s house burns down the next day with Peggy inside, Hope feels extremely guilty for not saying anything to protect Peggy from accidentally doing this again. That guilt changes when the police find evidence that it could have been arson. A second body in the house only further confuses things. Can Hope figure out what happened to her neighbor?
This book has a very strong mystery with plenty of questions that need to be answered. The suspects were strong as well, and they kept me guessing until the end. In fact, I was certain it was several of them at various points in the book, yet the final solution made perfect sense. Hope is a great main character as well. My biggest issue is the supporting cast. I feel like they are still fairly thin characters, and several of them are annoying. I hope they get more fleshed out as the series progresses, allowing us to like them more. Since I am a blogger (but not a food blogger), I found that aspect of Hope’s life very interesting, although her world is very different from mine. And, speaking of food, there are six delicious sounding recipes at the end of the book.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Photos make up a huge part of every blog and food blogger Hope Early has enrolled in a class to up her photo game with Cal Barnhart. She was afraid the class would be canceled since Cal’s wife has gone missing and the police have all but arrested him while their investigation is pending. But the class is on and everyone can see the man is barely functioning without his wife.
Hope is also worried about her elderly neighbor, Peggy Olsen. After Peggy rushed to Hope’s home for help with a kitchen fire caused by food burning on the stove, food Peggy cannot even remember starting, she feels it is not safe for Peggy to live alone.
Before Hope can contact Peggy’s family there is another fire and Hope can’t save Peggy this time. A second body is found in the house and it appears they were dead before the fire even started. Was Peggy collateral damage of a killer trying to cover his tracks? Hope feels responsible for not getting Peggy out of that house. She decides she needs to focus and get a clear picture of the killer and get justice for her friend. That is unless she is the next one going up in flames.
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Our protagonist Hope Early is juggling a lot of things in the air before she even adds this new murder mystery to her list. Her sister Claire is running for mayor while trying to keep the Planning and Zoning committee filled with people of her choosing. She ropes Hope into hosting a tea to garner support for Maretta Kingston to become its newest member. She also is trying to decide on 5 recipes she contractually has to submit for a cookbook after being on that baking show. Plus she is trying to train her lovable pup Bigelow, remodel her new home, keep her blog up to date and oh yeah, the photography class, which may be taught by a murderer.
Author Debra Sennefelder has put her lead character to the test but she has surrounded her with a fantastic supporting cast that helps her keeps all those balls in the air. Those characters include Ethan Cahill, longtime friend, and chief of police. They make a great team and it drives “just the facts” Detective Reid crazy and I absolutely loved it! Her best friend Drew is feeling the heat as he is up against a new hot-shot reporter at the finally struggling newspaper. He hopes Hope can help him get a scoop so he doesn’t lose his job. The characters are all very realistic. The interactions and dialogue are spot on, good for the occasional chuckle or serious when necessary.
Readers are treated to a wonderfully written mystery with a variety of suspects. After a plethora of twists and turns, a red herring or two, I was completely surprised by the killer reveal. I found the story to be very fast-paced with something always drawing my mind a little sideways away from my original task of sleuthing out the killer before Hope. I really enjoy when that happens because that means I did “escape” into the book.
A perfect escape, this story held me tight and I was entertained the whole way. I can’t wait to visit these characters again.
Three Widows and A Corpse will be out October 29, 2019.
The Hidden Corpse can be read alone if you have not had the opportunity to read The Uninvited Corpse. Hope Early is a divorcee who was a television baking show contestant until her life went up in flames. She now has a blog titled Hope at Home which is doing well, and Hope has been refinishing her new home. Hope also has a lively puppy named Bigelow (he is a cutie). She has signed up to take photography workshop from Cal Barnhart, a well-known photographer. Hope also gets wrangled into helping her sister, Claire get cranky Maretta Kingston elected to the Planning & Zoning Commission. In the book there is cooking, chatting with friends, eating, recipe planning, working on her home, walking Bigelow, working on her blog, Hope dealing with her sister, flirting and taking photographs (charming cozy moments). It was interesting to learn more about how a blogger markets their blog. I had no idea that bloggers had agents. Hope’s home sounds just lovely (I want it). She is doing a beautiful job at bringing the house back to life and making it into a home. There is flirting between Hope and Ethan Cahill, chief of police and longtime friend. Hope also feels parks of attraction toward Cal Barnhart. Personally, I wish the author had not gone this direction. The story would have played better if Hope had just been a good friend to Cal during this troubling time. The mystery had different aspects to it. We have a missing woman, a fire, and Peggy’s death. I like how they tied together. Hope takes cookies and other edible items with her to question people. She believes it will make them more willing to talk with her. Hope needs to work on her questioning technique. Her method ends up antagonizing people which makes them less willing to talk with her (she might need their help in the future). Detective Reid is one of those by-the-books officers who frequently tells Hope to stay out of the investigation. Hope is too curious and even the threat of arrest cannot deter her in her quest for answers. The Hidden Corpse is a humorous cozy mystery with an intriguing premise, a simmering whodunit, delectable recipes, political intrigue and one adorable canine.
I’m all about eating great food plus I enjoy looking at photos of food and watching cooking shows! The Food Blogger series is great entertainment for me!
Food Blogger, Hope Early stays busy with her successful blog activities, social media presence, and continuing to up her game by enrolling in a food photography course taught by Cal Barnhart. Cal’s wife, Lily, is a missing person and a dark cloud hangs over Cal’s head although he hasn’t been arrested. Police Chief, Ethan Cahill is investigating Lily’s disappearance and Hope feels something sinister has happened to her.
Author Debra Sennefelder pens an interesting and emotional cozy mystery that touches on grief, the sadness of the elderly as their memory declines, and unfortunately, the local corruption and deception found in many towns and cities. Suspects are plentiful and clues are scattered throughout the story, yet it’s hard to single out just one perpetrator.
I thoroughly enjoyed THE HIDDEN CORPSE with it’s great cast of characters. I look forward to the next book in this cozy series.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington. Thank you.
Great book! Hope investigates after her neighbor dies in a suspicious house fire and the body of a missing woman is found in the house. Lots of intrigue throughout this fun book. I love the characters and the small town setting. Delicious sounding recipes are included with this book, which I definitely need to try! Can’t wait for Hope’s next adventure and hopefully see her and Ethan finally start dating!
Oh no Hope is back at it again.
The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is her second book out for her A Food Blogger Mystery series and this book is really fantastic. Ms. Sennefelder has created an awesome world of characters.
What I liked:
• This novel is written in the third person, but we still follow Hope around. Hope is our sleuth, and she is an excellent representative of how hard any type of blogger works for his or her blog.
• I liked how Ms. Senefelder drew on her past work of being a food blogger for this character and how much work that is for anyone.
• Hope is fantastic at putting the clues together. She saw things that other people didn’t think to connect those dots.
• Her house seems so inviting especially her kitchen. I wouldn’t mind cooking, baking or even more taking photos in that kitchen.
• Hope’s relationship with the police chief is so cute, and I hope that their relationship lasts with her sleuthing.
What I disliked:
Just one thing and that was I didn’t want her next door neighbor Peggy Olson to die. The poor woman.
Five Star
The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the perfect book to understand more about a blogger’s life. I loved it, and I can’t wait for the next book of this series. I am giving this novel a five-star rating and recommending to everyone who loves cozy mysteries with a culinary side.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder. Don’t forget to enter the giveaway.
Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Reading!
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.
If you would like to see more reviews like this one please check out: baronessbooktrove.com
The cozy mystery sub-genre is filled with fabulous authors. But author Debra Sennefelder is one that cozies have been needing for a long time.
The first thing I have to say in, author Sennefelder has created a great bunch of characters. I really enjoy protagonist Hope Early. Other than being a blogger like myself, there are many things we have in common. I feel a real kinship to her. And, she’s a pleasure to read. All the characters in this series are. I’ve had a great time following them over the last two books in the Food Blogger Mysteries, and I can’t wait to learn more about them and watch them grow for many, many adventures to come!
THE HIDDEN CORPSE was an incredibly well done mystery. With more than one murder, and suspects all over, I was second and third guessing myself all the way through, and still didn’t get it right. Not the who, and not the why.
A real reading experience and a half, this book was packed with emotional ups and downs that had me laughing one minute and crying the next. I had to stop and catch my breath when I was finished reading it. And once my breathing was back to normal, I dove into the yummy recipes included!
There is no way you can go wrong with THE HIDDEN CORPSE.
Food bloggers have descended upon the lovely small town of Jefferson, Connecticut, for a photography class, and when Hope Early’s neighbor and the photographer’s missing wife appear to have perished in the same house fire, Hope needs to discover if there’s a connection between the bloggers and the deadly blaze. There’s lots happening in this cozy little mystery, not the least of which are the yummy recipes. 5 stars!
When Hope’s elderly neighbor perishes in a home fire, she can’t help but feel somewhat responsible. Only the day before, Peggy Olson had called her over, having burned a pot on the stove while she was sleeping and filling the house with smoke. In fact, she couldn’t even remember cooking. Clearly, it was dangerous for the woman to live alone.
But it turns out she wasn’t alone. When a second body is discovered in the basement of the burned house, suddenly what appeared to be a tragic accident is beginning to look like premeditated murder. As rumors spread like wildfire, Hope is determined to sort out the facts and smoke out a killer. But she might be jumping from the frying pan straight into the fire
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Series: A Food Blogger Mystery – Book 2
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Books
New from Kensington Books comes Debra Sennefelder’s latest addition to the “A Food Blogger Mystery” series, The Hidden Corpse. A delicious story that will leave readers hungry, and not only for food. Read on for the full cozy book review.
Hope does her best to help her neighbors and friends as well as her bossy sister. Sometimes she needs to take time out for herself. Lately, she has been trying to spend time building her blog so she can make a living, and that hasn’t left a lot of time for entertaining, or outings. Taking a class to improve her photography skills so she can complete her obligations and advance her blog might just be the help she needs. Unfortunately, her class gets canceled when the teacher becomes a murder suspect.
The main character, Hope, is a modern woman with contemporary problems. She is likable and funny, and easily relatable. The supporting characters in The Hidden Corpse are well written and rounded even though this is only the second book in the series. Other characters personalities are being established and are quickly becoming important to the series and the reader. Hope’s best friend, Drew and her sister Claire is a bit on the whinny, nosy, domineering side. At times they full of themselves and egocentric but they are a good balance for Hope. They keep her grounded in the every day of life. Her new pup Bigelow is endearing and a great character all on his own.
The plot moves smoothly, the read fast and enjoyable. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader guessing, and clues that bring it all together. The unmasking of the killer is unexpected, with readers being surprised and delighted. The Hidden Corpse is a pleasurable read that leaves readers wanting more. The recipes are wonderfully tasty. It isn’t always easy to write a cozy book review that rates as highly as this one, but it is a pleasure when it happens.
I highly recommend this series to those who love a good whodunit. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys writers and series such as Denise Swanson’s “Chef-to-go-Mysteries” or Mary Lee Ashford’s“A Sugar & Spice Mystery”
Food Bloggers and Murder; Cozy in Connecticut
This cozy murder mystery involves food bloggers in rural Connecticut. There are motives and suspects and red herrings and lots of mystery and mischief. The reader is treated to home renovations, great recipes, competitions, and jealousies. It seems to take the police way too much time to finally narrow down the suspect pool. This is a fun book to read as the author gives out just enough clues to keep the reader guessing! I received this book for free and this is my honest review.
The Hidden Corpse is the second book in the Food Blogger Mysteries by Debra Sennefelder. Not having read the first book, I wasn’t too sure what to expect from this book other than the given – a cozy mystery involving a food blogger.
The book is written in such a manner that it can be read as a standalone. The characters are fully developed, yet I can’t help but wonder if having read the first book would have given them that much more personality.
Hope Early is a food blogger, and she’s busy working on her blog when the elderly neighbor from across the street comes asking for assistance. Peggy Olson, had recently returned home from a stay in a rehabilitation center and was still recovering from a fall. When Hope assisted Peggy back to her home, she found that Peggy’s smoke alarm was chirping from a pot that had been left on the stove. Getting the situation under control, Peggy makes Hope promise not to tell as she did not want to have to live in a nursing home.
A few nights later, while Hope was out for her evening run, she discovered Peggy’s house on fire. Inside the home was not only Peggy, but Lily, who had been reported missing weeks earlier. Both were now deceased.
Hope takes it upon herself to see who or what is bringing turmoil to her neighborhood. There are a lot of twists and turns in the story, and it never gets boring.
I found the story to be rather delightful, and it kept me guessing all along. I give The Hidden Corpse 5 out of 5 stars.
I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Hope Early has her plate full so to speak. She is taking a photography class to enhance her photos for her food blog. In addition to the classes, she is helping her sister with her plans for the upcoming elections. With all the activities Hope has going on she still finds time to worry about her elderly next-door neighbor living alone after she woke up to smoke from a pan of food that had been left on the stove to long. Should Hope tell her neighbor’s daughter about what happened? Before she can decide to do so the neighbor’s house catches fire. When the smoke clears two bodies are found, who could the second person be? Can Hope solve the mystery of what really happened?
This is the 2nd book in the series but my first book. I easily enjoyed the book as a stand-alone mystery however I feel that I would have understood a few references to backstories better if I had read the previous book first. The characters are realistic and likable. I like that Hope is a food blogger and that she is trying to improve her skills and better herself with the new beginning she chose for her life. The secondary characters for the most are just as likable with a few exceptions. The mystery is petty fast paced and has several twists and turns along the way. I didn’t suspect the person whodunit at all. There is a bonus of recipes included for people who enjoy cooking. This is a wonderful cozy mystery that I plan on reading the previous book soon and look forward to future books.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
I like the characters and the style of Debra Sennefelder’s writing. Hope Early, a food blogger, is attending a photography workshop with other food bloggers being taught by a professional food photographer Cal Barnhart. Cal’s wife has been missing for a few weeks from their small town and the rumors are spreading like wildfire about what may have happened to her. The action starts almost from the beginning of the book when there is a fire and two bodies are found. I lost track of time when I was reading this book because I was so absorbed in the story. I enjoyed both the mystery and learning more about food blogging. I love hearing about what Hope is cooking and baking and was very happy to find the recipe for the Lemon Ricotta Cookies that she bakes in the back of the book. I can’t wait to try them and also to see what happens next with Hope and the other characters in Jefferson.
I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Food blogger Hope Early is back in the second book of the Food Blogger Mystery series. This book, like the first, starts out pretty quickly with a fire and the discover of two dead bodies. One, the missing wife of the local food photographer, and sadly the other is Hope’s elderly neighbor who had just returned home after an illness. The characters are developing nicely, although I do find Hope’s sister Claire to be a bit judgmental, bossy and just overpowering at times. I like that Ethan and Hope’s relationship is developing at a nice natural pace. The author does a good job of weaving the mystery throughout the story and of course Hope cannot resist inserting herself into the investigation leading to her own troubles. Because the author sets up the mystery early, there is plenty of time to develop clues and suspects as well as to lay down some red herrings and various twists and turns to distract the reader. I was a bit surprised at the identity of the killer, but this reveal was a nail biter. If you enjoyed the first book in the series I’m sure you will enjoy this one just as much. I may even get brave enough to try a cookie recipe.
I voluntarily read a digital ARC copy that was provided to me by Kensington, the publisher, through Netgalley.
The Hidden Corpse is an outstanding and complex mystery highlighting some wonderful characters. I loved the Uninvited Corpse but the amount of negativity from Hope’s friends in that book made me sad. In this second novel of A Food Blogger series there are still negative people, but that is fine because they are balanced by her friends who stick with her and are quite likable. Hope’s feelings of guilt for not warning the victim’s niece about an incident with a fire provide an understandable reason for her to get involved in the investigation. The Hidden Corpse held me throughout and left me happy, sad, frustrated and angry, but never at the book; I reacted to the situations in the book as I left my world behind.
Thanks to Netgalley for providing an ARC to this wonderful mystery. I will be sharing my love for Debra Sennefelder’s newest book even more than I did with the first book in the series.