A food and lifestyle blogger has a recipe for catching a killer in this cozy mystery series debut by the author of The Hidden Corpse. Hope Early’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that … arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .
Suspicion for the murder falls on McCoy’s real estate rival, Claire Dixon—Hope’s older sister. And tensions heat up when a second murder also points to Claire. Now Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen!more
A delicious new culinary cozy series featuring a food blogger…I’m already hungry for the next installment!
Food blogger Hope Early has escaped life in the big city to return to her small and scenic hometown. Not that life is much quieter. Between working on her blog, Hope at Home, and putting her new house into order, which includes a barn and chickens, Hope is trying to forget a recent, painful divorce as well as a short stint on a TV cooking show that she didn’t win.
When Hope attends a garden party with her realtor sister and finds a fellow realtor dead, her peaceful small-town dreams become more of a nightmare. The murder of this uninvited and controversial guest is more than just a local tragedy: Hope’s sister becomes the prime suspect.
Hope gets sucked into the murder investigation, aided by local journalist and friend, Drew, as well as Jane, a former mystery writer and organizer of a local library mystery book group. Simmering love interest, Ethan, a handsome local detective and old friend is a supportive pal, but from a professional point of view, he’s less than pleased to have Hope on the case. Their scenes have a nice blend of banter and romantic tension.
I loved the complex mystery, colorful characters and most of all, I love the heroine, Hope, a real tough cookie! She is Internet savvy, smart and sometimes entertainingly impulsive in her search for the killer. As a former blogger myself, I especially love the insights into the blogging world. They are spot on and uniquely refreshing for a cozy mystery series. The recipes at the end look fabulous (Cinnamon Apple Bread and Oatmeal Cherry Chocolate Bars, just as an example – yum!) and I can’t wait to try them.
I highly recommend this book for all cozy mystery lovers and am looking forward to reading the next in the Food Blogger Mystery Series!
I absolutely loved this debut cozy. It was one of those mysteries that made me want to sink into the pages and never leave. Hope Early has made it to my list of favorite protagonists! Loyal, creative, and hard-working, Hope has an eye and an ear for rooting out clues and weaving them together into a logical pattern. Her recipes are (ahem) to die for, and even when she’s putting herself in danger she keeps plugging away and asking questions. The characters leaped off the page for me, and the red herrings swam cleverly throughout the plot like the elusive little fish they are. And while I didn’t want the book to end, I closed it with the satisfaction of knowing that another Hope Early mystery awaits me in the future. I highly recommend this delightful mystery to all cozy lovers.
Hope Early left her big city life to return to her small home town, where she works from her home as a lifestyle and food blogger. If she thought she’d be living a quiet life, she was mistaken.
While helping friend with a garden party, an uninvited guest is murdered. Hope is pulled into the investigation when her sister becomes a suspect. To the local police, she’s THE suspect but as a reader, everyone in this small town is suspicious! Ms. Sennefelder pulls off a wonderful sleight of hand, not necessarily leading me in any particular direction, but casting suspicion in such a way as to keep me guessing—and turning the pages.
A great read! I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
Meet lifestyle and food blogger, Hope Early, who’s just getting her blog, Hope At Home, off to a good start since moving to a picturesque New England town. Attending a garden tour at author Audrey Bloom’s home, Hope and some other guests quietly speculate on the appearance of an uninvited guest, Peaches, a local realtor who is a go-getter and tends to stir up trouble. When Peaches leaves the house in a body bag, Hope begins to suspect that trouble is about to sprout out all over town.
The story moves quickly and the author does a great job peeling back layer after layer of hidden clues. No one on *my* suspect list turned out to be the actual killer—I was totally in the dark! LOL! The author cleverly managed to hide the real killer’s tracks among all the suspicious acts of other characters. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading the next story in the series.
I really enjoyed reading this first book in a new cozy mystery. Hope has moved back home to a small town in Connecticut after a high profile job and reality show in New York City. She is now a food blogger and fixing up her new home. During a local Garden tour she finds a dead body and when her sister becomes the prime suspect she sets out to solve the mystery. The author does a good job with blogging/reality show background. I liked the town and I look for word to learning more about some of the characters. There are a lot of characters introduced. The mystery was really good and there were enough suspects to keep it interesting. I was not able to figure it out solution until the end. Enjoy
Hope has a very interesting career as a blogger and the mystery has lots of twists. No lack of suspects. Lots of caring people in her life. There was a lot of characters introduced and I got a bit confused.
I loved this book. It was great. The characters came to life as I was reading and I loved all the small town charm. There were a few twists and turns and I was surprised by who the killer was.
Good read
This was a fun new series about a lifestyle/food blogger in a Connecticut town getting back on her feet after a divorce. After a garden party to promote her friend Audrey’s book, a woman is murdered and Hope’s sister is the prime suspect. Hope begins investigating to clear her sister’s name and find the real killer. I look forward to more books in this series and seeing what happens as far as a romantic relationship for Hope, since she has several options. I personally am hoping to see a relationship between Hope and Ethan. I really enjoyed this book by an author that is new to me.
I really enjoyed this book. I even posted to my Facebook Page when I was reading that I kept wanting to post about the book, but was too busy enjoying it. I identified with a cozy about a blogger and enjoyed the author’s insights into the world of blogging. Hope has a close relationship with her sister and I related to that element of the book as well.
Complete review can be found at:
https://cozyexperience.com/the-uninvited-corpse-book-review/
Synopsis:
Leaving behind a failed career as a magazine editor and an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, newly divorced lifestyle entrepreneur Hope Early thought things were finally on the upswing—until she comes face-to-face with a murderer . . .
Hope’s schedule is already jam packed with recipe testing and shameless plugs for her food blog as she rushes off to attend a spring garden tour in the charming town of Jefferson, Connecticut. Unfortunately, it isn’t the perfectly arranged potted plants that grab her attention—it’s the bloody body of reviled real estate agent Peaches McCoy . . .
One of the tour guests committed murder, and all eyes are on Hope’s older sister, Claire Dixon—who, at best, saw Peaches as a professional rival. And suspicions really heat up when another murder occurs the following night. Now, with two messy murders shaking Jefferson and all evidence pointing to Claire, Hope must set aside her burgeoning brand to prove her sister’s innocence. But the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she gets to a killer intent on making sure her life goes permanently out of style . . .
Includes Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen! (Goodreads)
Review:
I had been looking forward to reading this book since I first heard about it. I have to say that is was well worth the wait.
The characters are well developed and well rounded. Hope is a smart, hardworking woman who is trying to make her own place in the blogging world. When a body is found at a garden party that she is attending, she feels compelled to try to find the killer before her sister end up in jail. I really enjoyed reading about the relationship between Hope and her sister. It seemed realistic and added a lot to the story. I will say that there were a lot of characters introduced in this story and I had trouble keeping them straight in my mind at times. That is only my opinion and others may not feel the same way. The farther I read in the book it did get easier to keep track of everyone.
The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. I think that the author is very talented in her descriptive writing and I could imagine many of the scenes in my mind, which drew me into the story even more.
The mystery was well plotted and it was not easy to solve. There were enough suspects to consider and clues to sift through. Add in the twists and turns and red herrings and even the most seasoned armchair detective will have trouble solving it.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a well crafted cozy mystery. I will happily read the next book when it is published.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Kensington Books, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
In this exciting new series we meet Hope. She is a fun character who does a food blog with tips and recipes for her followers to try out. I really liked Hope right away and found her to be funny and a bit quirky. The excitement starts right away when Hope is at a book signing. An uninvited guest shows up by the name of Peaches. I really liked that name and thought it fit the character well. Poor Peaches is not very popular in the town. Guess when you cut throat people at the job to get ahead, you tend to make enemies. I loved how the author quickly gave us a taste of how mean Peaches can be with her hostility towards others. She sure doesn’t know how to make friends.
The town is all a buzz when a murder occurs and Hope discovers the body. Isn’t it funny how gossip spreads so quickly? One of the things I liked most was how Hope quickly came to her sister’s defense when she becomes a suspect. There is nothing better when family surrounds you when you need them the most. Ethan who happens to be the chief of police is a real almost by the book person. He does look the other way at times as Hope tackles trying to find who the killer is. I wonder if Hope and Ethan are more than just good friends?
As the investigation heats up, Hope starts to ruffle some feathers. Some people aren’t excited by her snooping. I can see why a few would get upset when Hope takes it upon herself to check alibis. I loved how the author slowly added suspects and had me furiously turning pages so I could see what Hope was up to next. The deeper she digs the more she puts herself in danger. I really enjoyed the story and loved how the story flowed with ease. The ending is exciting as well as unexpected. It leaves readers anxious for more books from this gifted author. Be sure to check out the recipes at the end of the book.
I received a copy of this book from The Great Escape Virtual Blog Tour. The review is my own opinion.
The Uninvited Corpse by Debra Sennefelder was an interesting introduction to a new cozy series. I say interesting because the book introduced the reader to several characters at the beginning which made it slightly confusing for me. Although many of the characters were better defined later in the book, I found their initial reactions and interactions confusing and only later did I understand them.
Hope is a strong female who has reinvented herself after moving back home to Jefferson. I liked her drive and creativity as she begins life anew. Her sister, Claire, was a hard person for me to like as she seemed very self-absorbed. The descriptive writing did well in introducing the reader to the town of Jefferson and the residents. I’m sure that many of the characters will become more developed as this series progresses. The plot was smoothly paced and there were several suspects, twists and turns, and ambiguous clues to keep me guessing until the reveal.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
Hope becomes a blogger after her husband divorces her and forces her to lose her job. She goes back to her hometown to find so many things have changed. At a garden party, a rival of her sister’s real estate business is killed. The blame falls on her sister, so Hope decides to look for the real killer before her sister is put in jail. This is a good mystery.
This is a great book about a self assured woman solving a mystery to help her sister. She is spunky and is building a great life for herself after suffering some problems in the past.
The Uninvited Corpse is author Debra Sennefelder’s debut novel, the first in the Food Blogger Mystery series. It is fluffy entertainment and will engage those readers who enjoy cozy mysteries and cooking.
Protagonist Hope Early is a likable heroine—strong, independent, and feisty. Hope has returned to her hometown—from a stint in New York City—to recover from her divorce and a loss in a reality cooking show. Hope has her hands full writing the blog “Hope at Home”, cooking, renovating an old house, and raising chickens.
She tries to become more involved in her home town and attends several functions like the library bake sale and the spring party of the local garden club. Corpses start dropping, and Hope invariably finds them. An ardent mystery reader from her school days, she’s intrigued, and when her sister becomes the lead subject, Hope becomes actively involved, determined to investigate and save her sister.
Some characters are fairly well-developed (Hope, the police chief, for example); others are fairly two-dimensional. Two potential love interests, the police chief and a lawyer, provide fodder for future romantic entanglements. As this is a planned series, hopefully the characters will be rounded out over time.
I enjoyed the cooking aspects, and Ms. Sennefelder has a way of describing food so that the reader can almost smell and taste it. Some of the recipes described can be found at the end of the book, and I was intrigued enough to consider trying them. However, I found the fashion descriptions to be tedious. I disliked the overly-involved descriptions of everyone’s footwear and clothing, but those details may appeal to other more fashionista-ish readers.
A “cozy” mystery. A bit formulaic but enjoyable for a quick read.
FUN STORY. ENJOYED!
THE UNINVITED CORPSE by Debra Sennefelder is the first book in the Food Blogger Mysteries series. It’s the story of Hope Early who is trying to turn her life around. After three rough bumps in her life – ended career as a magazine editor, embarrassing time as contestant on THE SWEET TASTE OF SUCCESS cooking reality show, and getting blindsided by a cheating husband, she leaves the big city for her home town Jefferson, Connecticut to write her own blog, HOPE AT HOME, with helpful household hints and tried and true recipes.
Things get exciting when Hope is the one to discover the dead body of Peaches McCoy, local real estate agent, at the spring garden tour. Peaches hadn’t been invited. Of all the people she has ticked off in town, who had been upset by her arrival? Claire Dixson, Hope’s sister was Peaches professional competitor and had made no bones about her distain for her rival. After Hope’s sister is suspected and later arrested for Peaches murder, Hope knows she has to find the true killer and exonerate her sister. Seems the police don’t see a reason to explore other suspects since they’ve already solved case.
Hope’s digging for facts leads to several reasons why Claire might have wanted to kill Peaches. Because of her loyalty to her sister, she knows someone else committed this murder. After, the second murder, she knows that she must be on the trail to the murderer and realizes that her own life might be at stake in finding the truth. This hunch proves true on more than one occasion.
With Peaches being so unpopular in town the list of suspects is many and it was fun to see how Hope explored them all. I loved the way the story was laid out, the exploration of leads and then the final surprise ending. I would definitely recommend this book as a new series to start reading if the first book is any indication of what is to come. It will be exciting to see how all the characters develop as this series continues. The relationship between Hope and her dear friend, Chief of Police Ethan Cahill, will definitely be one I will be watching in the coming books. Love the recipes in the back of the book that were used in the story. Definitely plan on trying some of them!
I was thrilled when I first heard about this new book/series. With the lead character being a blogger, and loving to bake, I knew I’d like her.
I started reading THE UNINVITED CORPSE while sitting in my car waiting for my sister to finish an appointment. I wish she had taken longer because I didn’t want to put this book down! Author Debra Sennefelder hooked my from page one. And when I finally had the chance to read uninterrupted, I was glued to the book until the last page.
Right away I loved the first three characters introduced. Protagonist, Hope Early, Chief of Police Ethan Cahill and Hope’s best friend (maybe more in future installments?), and Vanessa Jordan, Hope’s assistant. I’m looking forward in getting to know more about all three of them. As for some other characters, I was happy with the choice of victim, Peaches McCoy. Not a nice person at all. I also didn’t like, Claire Dixon, Hope’s sister. But Hope loves her, so I’m willing to give her another chance.
THE UNINVITED CORPSE was superbly written, with a brilliantly thought out plot. Author Sennefelder created a vast list of suspects that all seemed to me to be likely killers. She had me guessing until the end. Of course, every guess I made was wrong. I was floored when I read the reveal!
If you’re looking to start a new series this year, don’t miss out on the Food Blogger Mysteries. THE UNINVITED CORPSE is the first of what I’m sure will be a long lasting series.
Did I mention there are some tasty recipes included?!