Posted in 4 paws, Cozy, Giveaway, mystery, Review on April 4, 2019

 

The Hidden Corpse (A Food Blogger Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Kensington (March 26, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

Synopsis

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 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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Review

I do enjoy a good cozy mystery that revolves around food and blogging especially when the recipes are so enticing!

Hope has her hands full between competitive bloggers, the loss of a neighbor, and wondering if the romance part of her life will ever turn around.  She is cautious in the last part due to a bad marriage but I think it holds her back more than it should but this is a small part of the book.  The loss of her neighbor and the disappearance of someone from her town throws Hope smack dab in the middle of a mystery that she, of course, has to solve.

I felt like the mystery was well written because I did not suspect this character in the slightest.  I bumbled around with Hope trying to decipher the clues the author has peppered throughout the book, but alas the author was too smart for me!  There are several possibilities but the reveal might just surprise you as it did me.  It didn’t help that there were a few bloggers all participating in a photography class with Hope that have their own motives and don’t know how to place nice.

Mystery aside, the personal interactions are interesting to watch.  I feel like Hope lets her sister run roughshod over here and needs to stand up for herself.  Why would she let her sister talk her into doing a tea for someone just days away?  Hope is a pleaser but it throws her into some tight situations.  Then there is Ethan, the sheriff in town.  They are friends but I think they both want more but are afraid to move in that direction.

Overall we enjoyed this second book in the series and can’t wait to see what will be cooking in the next installment in this series.  We give this 4 paws up.

About the Author

Debra Sennefelder, the author of the Food Blogger Mystery series and the Resale Boutique Mystery series, is an avid reader who reads across a range of genres, but mystery fiction is her obsession. Her interest in people and relationships is channeled into her novels against a backdrop of crime and mystery. When she’s not reading, she enjoys cooking and baking and as a former food blogger, she is constantly taking photographs of her food. Yeah, she’s that person.

Born and raised in New York City, she now lives and writes in Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companions are her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzus, Susie and Billy.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime, International Thriller Writers, Women’s Fiction Writers Association and Romance Writers of America.

Website – Facebook – Goodreads – Twitter

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