After trading her Manhattan digs for her upstate hometown, fashionista Kelly Quinn has big plans for her grandmother’s consignment shop. But this All Hallow’s Eve someone is already dressed to kill . . . A socialite’s missing dog has made front page news in Lucky Cove—complete with a hefty reward. But between renovating the consignment shop, planning her costume for a 1970s themed Halloween … party, and scouting a location for a fashion shoot, Kelly doesn’t have time to search. Yet a visit to the local colonial-era cemetery—ideal for the moody atmosphere she’s after—soon turns up the precious pooch. Kelly’s looking forward to collecting the check—until she makes a gruesome discovery in an abandoned farmhouse: The dog’s owner, stabbed through the heart. Kelly can’t help wondering why Constance Lane was traipsing around the farmhouse in stilettos. But as Kelly gets decked out in a vintage disco caftan, that isn’t the only fashion misstatement spooking her. Hidden in the dead woman’s past is a secret that could be the motive for the murder. And as the Halloween party gets started, even a menacing clown and a threatening bearded lady can’t keep Kelly from trick or treating for the truth—even if it means her last dance . . .
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WHAT NOT TO WEAR TO A GRAVEYARD by Debra Sennefelder is a contemporary, adult, cozy mystery novella in the author’s Resale Boutique series focusing on resale queen Kelly Quinn.
Told from third person perspective WHAT NOT TO WEAR follows resale queen Kelly Quinn as she begins an investigation of her own into the recent murder of fashionista Constance Lane. A reward for a missing dog sent Kelly Quinn on the hunt but our heroine never expected to find a body in an old abandoned farmhouse, a farmhouse Kelly frequented, foraging for vintage clothing. The recently deceased was none other than Constance Lane, and any number of suspects soon crossed paths with our story line heroine. As Kelly begins digging into the who, how and why, our heroine finds herself the victim of a Halloween prank, a prank wherein Kelly’s life is threatened if she doesn’t stop snooping where she doesn’t belong.
WHAT NOT TO WEAR TO A GRAVEYARD is a quick read; a Halloween whodunit wherein Kelly Quinn, once again, finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation when she can’t leave well enough alone. A cute but predictable novella with a nosy heroine who just can’t stop herself from getting involved.
What Not to Wear to a Graveyard is a novella and the third book in the Resale Boutique Mysteries by Debra Sennefelder. I greatly enjoyed the other two in the series, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress and Silenced in Sequins, so I was happy to see book three coming out… and even more excited because it’s a Halloween cozy, and I love me some Halloween.
I enjoyed the cozy in novella form. While I love reading cozy mysteries my two complaints are love triangles that keep going on and when the sleuth keeps repeating the clues over and over. But with a novella there’s no time for the repetition of clues and the author has to get straight to the point.
On the other hand there wasn’t as much time to get in depth into the characters, but if you’ve read the previous books you already know them pretty well. So while this is book three in the series, I think of it more as book 2.5.
Even if you didn’t read the previous books, Sennefelder did a good job with her descriptions of the characters and you won’t be lost. I did notice her descriptions of the outfits weren’t as numerous or as vibrant as past books, which is one of the reasons why I enjoy the series so much. But I did love the nods to Sennefelder’s own pets in the story and that made this book even sweeter.
There were also some inconsistencies in the story regarding it being daylight and then suddenly dusk or mentioning that summer was only a little ways away when it’s October… what happened to Winter and Spring?!? 😉 But since this was an ARC, the editor may catch some of these things before it gets published.
All in all, another great story in the Resale Boutique Mysteries and I’m looking forward to more of Kelly and friend’s adventures.
I enjoyed the quick pace of this novella, and the nasty run-ins with a clown and a mobster are spooky and entertaining and lead to a smashing ending! Great story for All Hallow’s Eve!
Protagonist, Kelly Quinn inherited a consignment shop and a cat from her Granny Rose. Eager to promote her business, Kelly talks her best friend, Liz, into agreeing to do a photo shoot in a cemetery—of all places! Luck has Kelly’s back, however; when she finds a missing ShihTzu named Billy, and returns him to his wealthy owner expecting to receive a nice $5,000 reward. I won’t give away what happens next, but the Mystery is great! I highly recommend the Resale Boutique series.
I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Publishing. Thank you.
Kelly Quinn has inherited in grandmother’s resale shop in her hometown. Kelly has moved back and is trying to set up an updated resale shop while enjoying contact with old friends. A socialite has offered a $5000 reward for her missing dog. Kelly dreams what she could do with that money. So she’s keeping an eye out while doing her other errands.
This is an enjoyable story. It is definitely a novella, but sometimes that’s the best thing. I enjoyed the characters and look forward to more about them.
A quick and easy to read novella-sized cozy mystery. It’s interesting and fast-paced, and you don’t lose any of the story by it being less than 100 pages.
The characters are great and the mystery kept me guessing.
This is book 2 in the series, but I feel it stands-alone with no problem. I truly enjoyed 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.
A short but satisfying mystery. Things were going well and Kelly thought she couldn’t imagine how her day could get any better. She soon finds out that not only was Colonial Cemetery where her luck turned around for the better it was also going to do just the opposite.
The author did a good job of fitting all the basics of a cozy mystery into a novella and put us in the mood for Halloween. Also, I liked the characters and hope to see them in a longer book so I can get to know them even better. Thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.
‘What Not to Wear to a Graveyard‘ is a novella in the ‘Resale Boutique Mystery‘ series. I haven’t read the previous stories (although they are now on my TBR list of stories to read) and I wasn’t the least bit lost since anything I needed to know was found in the narrative or the dialogue.
When Kelly finds the lost dog who has a handsome reward offered for finding and returning the pooch, she’s convinced that her money problems concerning the renovated shop will be solved, at least temporarily. Unfortunately, that’s a check that’s never going to be cashed, let alone written as the owner of the lively pup is found dead… by Kelly. Now, Kelly isn’t one to let a mystery stop her from doing a bit of snooping on her own and she is soon knee-high boots deep in suspects, secrets, and danger.
I had a fun time with ‘What Not to Wear to a Graveyard‘. Because this is a Cozy Mystery I’m even more vague and careful about what information I share. There are certainly red herrings to be found, clues tossed about, and danger lurking in the background as Kelly investigates a most confusing murder and tries to not become the next victim. If you enjoy a really good Cozy Mystery then you’ll want to check out this novella, (#2.5) in the ‘Resale Boutique Mystery‘ series.
*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the publisher, Kensington Books via NetGalley. That does not change what I think of this story. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*
This is book 2.5 in the series, but you won’t feel lost at all.
When Kelly heads out to the graveyard to scope out some places for a photoshoot, she never thought that she’d find the missing dog her friend had told her about. With the large reward, all Kelly could think about is the renovations she’d be able to do at the shop and upstairs apartment she’d inherited from her grandmother recently. When she returns the dog though, she doesn’t get to talk to the dogs owner, and has to leave her name and number so the owner can get in touch.
Once back at her consignment shop, she’s informed that someone wants to consign the contents of a house with her shop. The gentleman in question has used her grandmothers shop before, so Kelly heads out. While going through the wonderful vintage clothing and jewelry, she makes a shocking discovery. The body of a female who’d been stabbed. Calling 911, she let’s them know about what she found. This isn’t Kelly’s first time finding a body though, and with her keen eye, she registers details that will come into play later. Wading through a litany of suspects, Kelly is warned by numerous people not to investigate, but she can’t help it. Especially when she hears who the police have arrested. Determined to get to the bottom of things, she won’t even let the threat made at knife point by a clown stop her. When the killer was revealed, I didn’t want the story to be over. Great writing, witty and charming characters, and an intriguing plot keeps you fixated until the very end. I devoured this book in one sitting and was wanting more.
**I received an ARC of this story from the Publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.
This was a fun short story set at Halloween. Kelly finds the lost dog of a socialite while scoping out the local cemetary for a photo shoot. She returns the dog to his home only to later find the dog’s owner murdered in a farmhouse that she is cleaning out. Kelly of course can’t seem to stop herself from investigating and comes across a ghostwriter and publisher as well as a man who the socialite supposedly had an affair with for several years. Can she hunt down a killer without getting herself killed? Very enjoyable and loved the Halloween costume trend that Kelly and Liv came up with. I look forward to reading more of this fun and fashionable series!
This novella is the third book in the Resale Boutique Mystery series and I was delighted to once again be taken on an adventure along with Kelly Quinn. The story is set around Halloween and Kelly Quinn is once again at the center of a murder investigation. Kelly is given a key to a farm that was bought by a developer to look through clothing and jewelry for her story. As she is leaving, arms full of finds, what she doesn’t expect is to find the dead body of a woman in the kitchen. With that Kelly is drawn in and tries her best to put the clues together. Because the story takes place around Halloween, there are a few creepy (at least for me) elements that pop up as Kelly finds herself being given warnings not to interfere. The regular cast of secondary characters makes return appearances helping Kelly along the way.
This is a fun addition to the series and I am looking forward to another full-length adventure. I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Kensington Books, through Netgalley.
I haven’t read any other books in this series, but it was easy to read this one because it had a lot of the usual cozy mystery tropes, single 20 something woman with failed career, back home, a few long time friends and working at a family business.
This was a novella so there wasn’t much room to build a sophisticated mystery. The killer essentially outs themself which is an irritant for me.
Would only recommend this for someone who wanted a quick, light, clean mystery.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
First off let me say I am a fan of this series. I am eagerly waiting to read the next, full length, entry, How to Frame a Fashionista (12/1/2020). This was a novella, something I didn’t realize when I started it and that threw me off a bit. The pace was different but once I figured out the problem, I settled down to enjoy it.
Kelly should have stayed in her resale boutique and taken care of business. It’s one thing to go to an abandoned farm house to gather up clothing to sell in her shop. That part went as planned. Too bad she stumbles over a body in the kitchen, stabbed with an expensive kitchen knife. Oh and the corpse? She was the owner of the sweet little dog, Billy – the missing dog that Kelly found and returned to her with the promise of a nice, fat $5K reward. Talk about a day that held such promise and then turned out to be beyond horrible. Of course Kelly decides that just because she found Billy and was waiting for that big check she has every right to investigate on her own. That’s not how it works, Kelly but that’s her plan and she runs with it. That puts her in some danger and she finds out that Constance Lane, the corpse, had some secrets. Add the Halloween theme and it made for a nice seasonal entertainment.
Overall I enjoyed the usual characters and the town setting and the mystery was good even though I wish it had been a full length book (but that’s my issue). My major pet peeve? She kept going on and on about her daily choice of shoes – some not such good choices. (Yes, shoes do not interest me in the least) Kelly was a bit annoying in this outing but I still like her.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
I enjoyed this novella by new-to-me author, Debra Sennefelder. After seeing it on a Hoopla promotion for new cozy mystery releases with a fall theme, I decided to try it, and I’m very glad I did. It was a fairly quick read and easy to connect with without having read the previous two books. And it was a clean story, no profanity. There wasn’t a lot of character depth, but I suspect that will be more developed in the full-length books.
The protagonist, Kelly Quinn, seemed smart and I enjoyed reading about her plans to focus on vintage fashions in the resale boutique she inherited from her grandmother. I don’t care for clothing descriptions, so I kind of skimmed some of those parts, but did enjoy the boutique theme. The shop, along with the small-town atmosphere of Lucky Cove, NY, made a great backdrop. Kelly had come to realize that she needed to be back home with her friends and family, and I look forward to spending time with many of those secondary characters.
From her lovely estate home to her socialite life in Lucky Cove, New York, the murder victim seemed to have led the perfect life. But Kelly’s thoughts on “perfection” seemed right on target: “Perfection was like a magic trick. It was all show, flashy to divert your attention from what was really happening.” I wasn’t convinced that Kelly had a great rationale for personal detecting, other than a curiosity that came from having discovered the victim’s missing dog, but I enjoyed going along the journey with her.
And then there was Howard, the cat Kelly also inherited. I adore cats and could clearly see myself in Kelly’s description: “His needs seemed to control most of her decisions. Howard wouldn’t like a dog, so no dog. He liked to knock things over, so don’t keep things out he could damage. And he liked the corner of the sofa by the window, so she sat on the other cushions.” I loved the growing relationship between Kelly and Howard.
This was an enjoyable story overall and I will read other books in this series.
#What Not to Wear to a Graveyard. Kelly Quinn is starting over in Lucky Cove. In the first installment of this series she inherited her Grandmothers consignment shop. She is settling into her new business/home nicely. It is the Halloween season and she is looking forward to attending a long standing annual party with friends.
She accidently finds a lost dog with a large reward attached in the local cemetary. She returns the cute little guy to his home. His owner is not home however, so she turns him over to the housekeeper. Several hours later when she goes to a home set for demolition to search for consignment items for her shop Kelly finds the dogs owner murdered.
Kelly can not help put snoop into the investigation despite the warnings of her friends and loved ones as to the dangers she faced while investigating the previous murder in the small town. We all know the amateur sleuth will ignore all of their advice. She will also down play her own gut when she believes she is heading into danger.
As we have come to expect the tale will have a happy ending with the help of those same friends and loved ones. The only minor issues I had is that I several places there are inconsistencies. Such as starting out a visit to a suspect in the morning and when Kelly leaves several moments later it has become dusk. Jumping seasons. Saying its Halloween and yet in the next sentence declaring summer is only a few weeks away. Even with those issues I would recommend this story to others.
Halloween Themed Cozy Mystery
This Halloween themed short novella is part of the Resale Boutique Mystery series. This story has all of the feels: from really scary clowns to dead bodies, it will keep you jumping. Our heroine seems to have no common sense when she investigates a murder. The story is action-packed and it made me squirm more than a few times. I have enjoyed this series and this themed novella fits in well. You do not need to have read the series to enjoy this short piece. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.
What Not to Wear to a Graveyard by Sennefelder is a quick, easy to read novella from the A Resale Boutique Mystery series. This is the third in the series and if you haven’t read the first two. this could be a great introduction. I couldn’t put it down.
This Halloween story has a great storyline and plenty of suspects. You will be guessing until the end.
The protagonist, Kelly. is likeable as are most of the characters. I also like the setting of Lucky Cove and would like to visit and do some shop hopping.
I was given an ARC by Lyrical Press and NetGalley for an honest review.
Kelly Quinn was a buyer for a store in New York City but was let go. Around that time her beloved grandmother passed away and left Kelly her consignment shop in Lucky Cove. Kelly is determined to revamp the shop and make it into a fashionable resale boutique. Right now she doesn’t have the money to make too many changes. While visiting the local cemetery in preparation for a fashion shoot there she finds a little dog. She heard about a lost dog and a sizable reward for finding the dog so she hurried to the owner, Constance Lane’s home. Constance wasn’t available so Kelly had to wait for the reward. Unfortunately Constance wouldn’t be able to pay that reward. Kelly received information about a farmhouse that the new owner wanted cleared out and offered to let her pick what she wanted for the shop. What she found there was a dead body. The dead body of Constance Lane. Kelly knows she should stay out of the investigation but she can’t resist. What kind of trouble will she get into?
What Not to Wear to a Graveyard by Debra Sennefelder is the third book in her Resale Boutique Mystery series. It seems Kelly’s curiosity keeps getting her into trouble. Finding dead bodies isn’t helpful. Good thing she has friends who have her back, her best friend Liv Moretti, her grandmother’s best friend Pepper Donovan and Pepper’s son Gabe. Gabe is a police officer so he is especially helpful. I enjoyed getting to know these characters and appreciate the caring and support they have for each other. Ms. Sennefelder has invented some unique characters here. She’s done a good job of describing Kelly’s unraveling of the murder mystery. This is a fun series.
What Not to Wear to a Graveyard , book 3 in the Resale Boutique Mystery series, is a humorous cozy murder mystery in novella form. One need not read the previous books to enjoy the characters or the plot of this one. I appreciated the inclusion of sweet pets, but was creeped out by one particular assailant ! Perfect for the coming October reads, and for the rainy afternoon I spent with this novella.
I received this book from Lyrical Press promotion on Goodreads. I always review books I enjoy , so that others might enjoy them, too.
I didn’t realize this was a novella so I was surprised at how quickly I read it and how quickly the murder was resolved. I think for the price of a novella this would be a satisfying read to get you in the fall mood.
I have not read the previous books in this series but I felt this could be easily be read as a standalone.
This cozy takes place around Halloween so lots of cozy fall references, including pumpkin spice coffees. Our sleuth Kelly has inherited a consignment shop and with her fashion merchandising background wants to bring it up a notch. While out scouting a potential spot for a photo shoot for the shop (a graveyard of all places) she comes across a dog. Earlier that day, she and her best friend were discussing the large reward for finding said dog as Kelly could really use the money. Kelly returns the dog but the owner is not in to give her the reward so she leaves her contact info and goes into work. Her colleague tells her of a lead they have received for potential vintage clothes so Kelly goes to a abandoned farmhouse to see what there is. She finds some funky 70’s clothes and on her way out decides to check out the kitchen to see if it still 70’s avocado. That’s where she finds the body of Constance, the owner of the dog, murdered.
Kelly has formed an attachment to Billy, Constance’s dog. She has some thought of what may have happened but is told by the Detective not to interfere (I sense some history there) But Kelly does interfere and chases down potential clues.
The murder is wrapped up quickly (it is a novella, after all) . I felt it was a bit rushed .but understand the constraints of a novella
I received an ARC from the publisher via Net Galley. Any opinions expressed are my own.
short, small-business, small-town, pets, amateur-sleuth, family, friendship, murder, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery
Longer than a short story yet shorter than a novella this fun little read is perfect. There’s the mystery of the missing dog, then the mystery of the murdered high profile woman, and then there’s the mystery of who is terrorizing the boutique owner/sleuth. Good friends from the past are both helpful and daunting. A nice read!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley.