I picked this book up from NetGalley back in 2018 and it just sat on my shelf. It just got lost in the shuffle of all the other books I had to read. But in my attempt to clear my NetGalley backlist, I finally read The Uninvited Corpse. It started a little slow, but that was due to character introductions and world building. But about halfway through the book, the pace picked up and the mystery really took off. By that point, I was turning the pages wanting to know what happened next and how the murder would be solved. I enjoyed the characters and the setting and am curious as to how this series will grow.

Whew, I agree with some of the other reviews. There are a lot of characters and I was confusing them by the end. I also didn't find the townsfolk very likeable.

Hope and the situation were very stereotypical of the type of tropes in cozies these days. Woman, fresh off divorce or break up, former job problems, winds up back in home town and multiple possible love interests. So, I didn't find it original. However, the story moved along well enough for me to give book 2, The Hidden Corpse, a go.

I received my copy of The Uninvited Corpse from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

I’m not sure I’ve ever met a protagonist in a cozy mystery that I liked less. It’s not like she’s shy and coming into her own, which is often the case in cozy series... she is just obnoxiously naive. Also, I know the author is setting up the basic romantic relationship that is both supportive and conflicted about her sleuthing, but Hope and Ethan need a lot of work to get there from her place of pining but too scared to ruin what they have.

Overall, just generally unimpressed by the book as a whole and will not be continuing on with 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

Great mystery! I liked reading about the baking and the cooking. Bigelow the dog is my favorite character.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

As is often the case in Cozy Mystery Series, the MC, Hope Early has had a rough time lately. After losing her job as a Magazine Editor, flopping on a Reality Baking Show and a divorce, she has moved back home to Jefferson Connecticut from New York City. She is trying to make a living with her food and lifestyle blog, lovingly named "Hope at Home". She is attending The Jefferson Garden Club's spring garden tour at the home of her friend Audrey Bloom. Audrey is the author of several gardening books and Hope is helping her out. There are some problems between members of The Garden Club, and Peaches McCoy, a local realtor shows up uninvited causing a rocky start to the event. When Peaches is killed during the Garden Tour, Hope's sister Claire, a rival real estate agent becomes the top suspect. As Hope investigates, trying to prove her sister innocent, many other suspects come to light. Peaches is unpopular because she's been buying up area farmland and properties for development into subdivisions, she and Audrey are at odds over many local issues including the development projects, and Peaches' drive and personality have caused many people to dislike her. Who hated the woman enough to bash her head in with a rock?

I enjoyed the story from beginning to end, with its good pacing, clues scattered throughout, a few twists and a totally unexpected ending. I like Hope as a main character. She is real, with normal emotions, a friendly disposition, loyal, honest and smart. It looks like she may have a romance coming in future books with the Chief of Police, but I hope it is not rushed. I have read a lot of culinary cozies, but this is a bit different with blogging as a lifestyle for the main character. One of the things I really like in a cozy are some quirky characters and some interesting pets and we have both in this book. Overall, this was a good start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what is next for Hope and her friends.

A really good read! This was an enjoyable debut that adds loads of mystery and fun. It had an easy going plot and great characters, was just a bit slow at times but surely interested in what's coming up next!😀

This is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Debra Sennefeder. The book revolves around food blogger, Hope Early. She used to be a magazine editor turned second place reality baking star turned divorced food blogger.

Hope has returned home after her divorce to be closer to her sister and sisters family. 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. Everyone thinks that Hopes sister, Claire, is the main suspect. 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 prove her innocence.

I like the characters and think the future books will develop them even more. The book felt like it should have been the second book in the series not the first. At times I felt like I missed something and had to go back and double check. This is a good start to the series and I look forward to reading more in the future.

I enjoyed the lead female character. The storyline was good. There were several inconsistencies, which was strange. Usually I don't catch that many in one book. I will read the next in the series.

This book is a strong start to what appears to be a promising new series! First of all, I was thrilled that this book was about a blogger! I thought that was so neat to get someone else’s take on what the life of a blogger is like. I loved that Hope’s blog was so successful. I can only hope mine will be that successful one day!

Hope is a very likable character. I also enjoyed the fact that her best friend might be a possible love interest for the future. The mystery was intriguing and kept my attention in the story. There were plenty of suspects to choose from and I was completely stumped up until the killer was revealed. I wasn’t suspecting who it turned out to be. I’m definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This first book in Debra Sennefelder's cozy mystery series pulled me right in from the get go. A vivid cast of characters, complete with all their quirks and shortcomings keeps you guessing. Hope Early left the big city for a small town in Connecticut, but she's finding there's more crime than New York!
I cannot wait to read the next in this series. I received this as an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my own insights about the book. I bought my own copy and got two of my libraries to add this to their collections.

With The Uninvited Corpse, Debra Sennefelder’s new cozy series is off to a great start. It was enjoyable to start at the beginning, meeting new characters and watching them grow from here. Hope Early, with her past career and marriage behind her, makes an appealing lead character and I loved her food blog. The small town of Jefferson, Connecticut is a great setting, as I love anything associated with New England, and I was quickly drawn into the community.

Hope’s reason for getting involved in the investigation was realistic, as her sister was suspected of the crime. Then add in the fact that a certain police officer, friend and possibly something more, is against her involvement, and it gets even more interesting from a relational standpoint.

Small towns seem to always have quite a bit of drama, at least in fiction, and that part felt real as well. From personal squabbles, to background machination to get ahead in the real estate business, to controversy over community development, it all comes together in an entertaining mix. I especially enjoyed two secondary characters who added good depth – former mystery writer Jane and local reporter Drew.

The only slight negative for me is that a lot of characters are introduced all at once in the beginning, at Audrey’s garden tour, and I’m not sure I ever got them all straight. I also longed for more character depth, but that should develop as the series progresses. The Uninvited Corpse is thoroughly enjoyable overall and I look forward to future stories. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This was a quick and fun book to read. I truly enjoyed it and have already recommended this book to others.

Hope Early had been a magazine editor, newly divorced, contestant on a reality baking show and a food blogger. However she was still in the garden club, decided to attend a spring garden tour and found a local realtor murdered. Hope’s sister, Claire, is considered the prime suspect as she had been a professional rival and was overheard arguing with victim shortly before the body was discovered. Hope sets out to find the real killer and has her life threatened. This drama is clever, well written and very interesting. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel.

I never know what to expect when I start a brand new mystery series. This one, the first book in the Food Blogger Mysteries, surpassed my expectations. I will be waiting for the next book in the series!

Hope Early has come home after a failed career as a magazine editor and a reality food star. She's decided she's going to be a blogger and starts writing Hope at Home (great name!). When Hope goes to a garden tour at her friend Audrey's house, she thinks she'll be supporting a friend and maybe get a story for the blog. Unfortunately, she finds the dead body of a rival real estate agent of her sister's.

When Hope's sister is accused of the murder, Hope steps in to solve the murder and clear her name. I really liked the characters and the writing in this book. The author has some good ideas and I'm looking forward to seeing what the next book brings.

I recommend this book. Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an amazing start to a new series! This book really had it all. We get to meet Hope who runs her own food/entertaining blog after a messy divorce. Things are going great until she finds a dead body at a garden club party and her sister ends up as the main suspect. I'm telling you from that point on it is just one thing after another with this girl as she runs around trying to solve the case only to be hurt or in trouble time and time again. I admit it kept me guessing as well as curious about what we going to be on the next page. As an added bonus just as I was missing some kind of fur one popped up to fill the void. This is a must read for cozy mystery fans with a culinary twist. I loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.

After an embarrassing stint on a reality baking show, Hope Early is through with reality television and has been making her living as a food blogger. When a local woman is found murdered and her sister becomes a suspect, Hope adds sleuthing to her list of daily activities. I love cooking shows and was hoping the book would tell us more about Hope's experiences on one, but it seems that she's left that part of her life behind...at least in this book. They kept calling her, so maybe it'll be an element in a future title. The glimpses into Hope's life were interesting, but I didn't find myself pulled into the mystery.

Hope Early has had a rough time lately. Her career as a magazine editor ended. Then she flopped on a reality baking show in NYC and got a divorce. Now she's back home in Jefferson, CT, trying to put her life back together. Her food blog, Hope at Home, is becoming popular and she's starting to feel a bit better about her life. The Jefferson Garden Club is having a spring garden tour at Audrey Bloom's home. Audrey writes books about gardening and has a new 5-book series coming out on the different growing seasons. The spring tour is a big deal for Audrey, and Hope wants to help her friend make it special. Relationships between some of the garden club members is strained after the town lost its listing in the Top 25 Community Gardens in Connecticut. And local real estate agent Peaches McCoy shows up uninvited. Peaches is unpopular because she's been buying up area farmland and properties for development into subdivisions. She and Audrey are at odds over many local issues including the development projects. But, Peaches' drive and personality have caused many people to dislike her. In fact, someone at the garden tour disliked her enough to kill her. Hope discovers the real estate agent dead in the study after the tour. Who hated the woman enough to bash her head in with a rock? Unfortunately, Hope's sister Claire is the number one suspect. When a second killing casts more suspicion on her sister, Hope jumps in to do some amateur sleuthing. She knows her sister didn't kill anyone, and Hope is determined to discover who did.

This book is a great start to a new cozy mystery series! I enjoyed the story from beginning to end. The ending caught me a bit by surprise. I love it when a cozy doesn't end the way I think it will. The mystery is nicely paced, and had some twists and surprises. I like Hope as a main character. Her friendship with the cute Chief of Police has some hints at upcoming romance. The background theme of blogging is interesting and current. Throw in some quirky, fun side characters and a dog and you've got a great cozy mystery! Plus, there are some yummy recipes included at the back of the book.

The Uninvited Corpse is Debra Sennefelder's debut novel. She will have another book, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, coming out in January 2019. It's the first novel in the Resale Boutique Mystery series.

**I voluntarily read an advance readers copy of this book from Kensington via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

This was an enjoyable debut mystery, that will hopefully set up a new series. I enjoyed the mystery, but did feel like there were too many characters introduced and that I had trouble keeping straight. I liked the concept, though,