It’s a quick, light, fun read. I didn’t want to put it down. I would recommend it to others who enjoy cozies. I look forward to the next one!

The Hidden Corpse is the second book in the Food Blogger Mystery series! We meet up again with Hope Early where’s she’s beginning to feel responsible for the death of her elderly neighbor who perished in a house fire—until another body is found in the house as well, which makes everything start to look really fishy…

I enjoyed the first book in the series and loved this one as well. It was a very fun and delightful read with its likable and well-developed characters, and it’s an interesting yet captivating storyline.

The mystery itself was excellent, very well-plotted and extremely gripping. It kept me guessing and never let me get bored. I literally didn’t put it down until I was finished.

Overall, it’s a great cozy read, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.

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.

I liked the idea of this book far better than I enjoyed the actual story. The premise was a good one and initially I liked the main character. As the story moved on I was both bored and disbelieving of the characters behavior and some situations. *SPOILER* For example, the main character flirts with a man whose wife is missing, and later found to be dead and he asks her to pick out the wife outfit to be buried in? Really? I just didn’t buy it. It felt like just a point to move the plot along and was too forced. After that I just couldn’t get into the story and skim read to the end. I thought the writing was fine so I may give the other another try later on.

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.

___

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.

In the second book in the Food Blogger Mystery series, we return to Jefferson, Connecticut to check in with Hope Early and her family and friends. In this outing, Hope is extremely busy. She continues to renovate her house, and work on her blog, but she is also helping her sister with her bid for mayor, working on recipes to contribute to a cookbook, training her young and exuberant dog and taking a photography course. If that weren't enough, an acquaintance has gone missing and her neighbour seems to be having memory issues where she almost burns her house down because she has forgotten something she was cooking. When that neighbour dies in a house fire and another body is found in the house, Hope can't help herself from asking questions and investigating.

Once again, visiting with the main characters living in Jefferson was wonderful, it continued to develop them and make them feel like friends and acquaintances. I especially enjoyed the relationships between Hope and her sister Claire, with her BFF reporter Drew, and with Jane who owned the Inn and used to write mystery novels. They all play important parts in the story. The one thing I was not happy with in this book was the dithering of Hope when it came to the men in her life. As much as she says she is not ready for a relationship, whenever she came into contact with Ethan, Cal or even Matt, she was having daydreams and tingles. It sounds like this storyline might be moving on though. I really enjoyed this mystery. The plot was timely, well paced and interesting. She incorporated issues such as grief, the elderly and their memory, and local corruption and deception found in many towns and cities, making this an emotional story as well. Suspects are plentiful and clues are scattered throughout the story, yet I could not figure out who the perpetrator was. The showdown was tense, but everything worked out thanks to astute and quick thinking neighbours. Of course, I love the whole blogger plot. It is great to see what a successful blog takes and how far you can go with one. The recipes in the back of the book look like nice, easy and delicious ones that I actually want to try. All in all, a good story, that I really enjoyed. I am looking forward to seeing what Hope gets mixed up in next time.

I enjoyed the previous book in this series and could hardly wait to read this one. It was worth the wait. Hope is a food blogger and has enrolled in a food photography class to improve her blog, her source of income. The course is being taught by Cal Barnhart, a man with a missing wife. and the rumors are flying as everyone comes up with their own possibilities about why she vanished. Hope wants to focus on the class, having paid good money for it and not wanting to waste a penny. That's not going to happen as she has to deal with her sister and then with her elderly neighbor, Peggy who lives alone. Peggy has turned to Hope for help when it appears that Peggy fell asleep while something burns on her stove. Has she had a memory lapse? After all, she is elderly, most would say it's to be expected. When her house burns down that is the conclusion the killer wants everyone to believe. Not so fast says the fire dept. especially when not just Peggy's body is found in the ruble....Cal's missing wife is no longer missing.
Hope is drawn into the investigation - after all she is taking Cal's class and she feels guilty about not doing more to help Peggy. Asking another neighbor to keep an eye on her wasn't enough to protect her. Finding the killer becomes her focus. Will the killer now focus on her and put her life in danger?
As soon as I read the first book this series it went onto my must read list. It has great, well developed characters, a bit of romance, family relationships, a satisfying mystery, a dog and lots of descriptions of good food. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Another great mystery set off by a great cast of characters.

In the second installment of The Food Blogger Mysteries, we see missing persons, corruption, and of course, murder.

With her sleuthing behind her, Hope decides its time to focus on her blog and her old home. Everything seems to be going smoothly in the small town of Jefferson until a prominent woman of the community goes missing. It doesn't really help that the missing woman's husband is Hope's current lecturer in a blog seminar, and he is turning to Hope for comfort. When a neighbor's house is set on fire by arson shortly after, its seems there may be more going on in Jefferson. After finding out her neighbor perished in the fire, Hope is determined to find out who is responsible. With the help of her dear friend and reporter, Drew, as well as Jane, friend and former mystery writer, Hope is ready to get to the bottom of everything but is she really ready to deal with what she uncovers.
Uncovering possible corruption in a small town while trying to solve a murder can be very harmful to your health. When threats start showing up on Hope's door, literally, the hunky Chief Ethan asks Hope to please stay out of the case. If that's not enough, let's throw Hope into a bit of scandal. This is all she needs as her sister, Claire, is currently campaigning for mayor.
Can Hope uncover all the lies and mysteries going on in Jefferson before its too late?

I received an advanced digital copy of this novel from NetGalley. I also purchased the audio version from Audible. The narrator, Callie Beaulieu, is amazing. I highly recommend both.
I also recommend, Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, book one in the Resale Boutique series, by Debra Sennefelder, that was released in January

Hope is a blogger, fabulous cook and a amateur sleuth. She has a knack for solving crimes, this crime involves murders, arson and corruption. Can she solve it with the help of her friends? Sprinkle in a little romance with Police Chief Ethan. The book finishes off with drool worthy recipes.

I remember loving the first book, so I had high hopes for The Hidden Corpse and I wasn't disappointed when I read it. It's a heartwarming cosy mystery and I would really love to visit Hope's kitchen, as it sounds like a charming place both in terms of the food, the vibe and the decor. Though I might add that I sometimes wanted to tell Hope that she should take some initiative in relation to a certain bloke she's a bit interested in.

This is a 2nd Book in the Food Blogger Mystery Series.

Hope is a food blogger who runs a successful blog called Hope at Home. She is taking a food photography course offered by Cal Barnhart, a professional photographer. Cal’s wife, Lily, is a missing person. She’s been missing for 3 weeks.
After the first day of class, Hope’s elderly neighbor Peggy perishes in a fire and the firefighters find another dead body in the kitchen. Hope thinks the second dead body is Lily Barnhart, Cal’s wife. She blames herself for her neighbor perishing in the fire, so she sets out to find the killer and thus begins the murder mystery.
In the photography class you get to meet three other bloggers, Felicity, Louis and Elaine. It was fun reading all about the different types of blogs they run in regards to food. The author was very creative with the blog names, which was a plus.
I really enjoyed reading about the food blogging and photography and learned quite a lot from it.
The author did a great job in providing awesome blogger tips. You can tell she did research or is an avid blogger herself. With me being new to blogging I appreciated the tips.
I didn’t know there was so much to do in regards to blogging, especially if you want to be successful. And the way the author molded these tips into the storyline was splendid.

Let’s talk about Hope.
Hope is a likeable and relatable character who frustrated me with this higher ground BS.
She always tended to take the high road more so, than giving certain people a piece of her mind. Reading this got to be tiresome. I would of like certain characters to get what was coming to them. I kept waiting for them to get what they deserve or for Hope to have her say and it never happened. That was a letdown.

I feel Hope was not close to any of the characters. Her own sister Claire, they both get mad/frustrated with each other throughout the book. I got the feeling Claire and Hope would not talk at all if they weren’t sisters.
Same with Drew, her Best Friend (10x’s)
Have you heard that old saying “With friends like these, who needs enemies?” That pretty much sums up the relationship between Drew and Hope. Throughout the book, they both go behind each other backs, knowing it would piss the other one off, and yet do it anyway. Than afterwards say: “Oh I am sorry, I love you.”
The “I love yous” stated in this book are shallow.
Reminds me of another saying: “Your, I love you is made in China”.

I think maybe the author caught wind of this too, because it was mentioned that Drew and Hope are Best Friends 10 times in the book. (11 times if you add Closest Friend). Either the author thought the readers have short term memory or by “telling not showing” would prove they were best friends. It didn’t prove anything. Having a long-term relationship doesn’t make you Best Friends. Actions speak louder than words.

No wonder Hope is all messed up in the love relationship. She doesn’t know what love is. (Song from Foreigner). I do not blame her for having a hard time believing in love cause of the people she is hanging out with. You know that meme that keeps popping up on Facebook: “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by a33holes.” That’s Hope’s life.

I felt sorry for Hope. She seemed lonely to me. Her one true friend is her dog, Bigelow.
I hope she gives Ethan a chance and find love and gets a better best friend. She deserves it.

I did not figure out who the killer was. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing.
Every time I read a cozy mystery, I learn something new and this book did not disappoint.
The blogging and photography tips are great. The recipes at the end of the book are simple and delicious with ingredients I can read! I will be cooking me some food tonight!

I will be reading the first book of this series with my Bookclub Cozies and Coffee.

I give the book 4 stars. I would of given it a 5 star status if certain characters got what they deserved, but they didn’t, which left me feeling unsatisfied.

Book Cover art gets 4 stars as well.

This book has no sex, graphic violence or profanity.

A Big Thank You goes out to Netgalley and Kensington Books for providing me with an advanced digital read. The opinions expressed on this review are my own.

Quotes:

“I do have a sweet gig. I earn a living doing what I love and a lot of my day is spent cooking or photographing. I’m blessed.” - Hope

“You know bloggers, always on their devices posting or checking stats.” – Louis

“It’s not like it’s your job to find the killer. You’re a food blogger.” – Drew

The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the second A Food Blogger Mystery. Hope Early is a food blogger in Jefferson, Connecticut. While getting ready for the day, Hope notices that architect, Lily Barnhart, who has been missing for three weeks, has yet to be found. Hope is then off to a photography workshop for bloggers being taught by Cal Barnhart, the missing woman’s husband. Hope is hoping he can help her take her photographs to the next level since she has been asked to contribute to a cookbook being published by The Sweet Taste of Success. That evening Peggy Olson, her elderly neighbor, rushes over needing her assistance. Peggy woke up to smoke in her home from a burning pot on her stove, but she does not remember doing it. Peggy asks Hope to not tell her niece, Meg who has hinted at putting her in an assisted living facility. The next evening, Hope returns from a jog to find Peggy’s house on fire. Peggy perishes from smoke inhalation and a second body is found body is found in the kitchen. The investigators soon find evidence that the fire was not accidental which has Detective Reid once again questioning Hope. Despite being told to keep her nose out of the investigation, Hope whips up some cookies (it helps to butter up your suspects) and sets out to ask questions. It appears that Hope has caught the killer’s attention when a warning note is left on her front door. Hope has no intention of backing off. Instead, her passion for justice has been inflamed. She is determined to find the person responsible for killing the kindly Peggy Olson. Hope needs to be careful or she could end up the next victim.

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.

It was great to return to Jefferson, CT and visit with Hope, her sister Claire (she is such a hoot!), her bestie, reporter Drew, police chief Ethan and of course friends like Merrifield Inn owners, Jane and Sally Merrifield. I especially like Jane of two, because she was a mystery writer and still thinks like one. She never discourages Hope from investigating and might even be an enabler sometimes. I would like to see her go back to writing sometime in the series. She makes a good sleuthing buddy or at least sounding board for Hope.

Hope had her hands full with her sister running for mayor, having to contribute five recipes to a cookbook, still working on remodeling her house, training her dog, and now a neighbor was dead making Hope feel responsible. As the body count increased, Hope was trying to stay a step ahead of the killer, so that she wouldn't become one of the bodies. The showdown was a nail biter, but everything worked out great, and I hadn't guessed the killer. I liked how there was plenty of closure and explanation-giving before the book ended. The actual ending was very sweet, and I don't think I could have wished for better! I'm anxious to see what the next book brings.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

This is the second in the Food Blogger Mystery series. Even though I read the first, this is a standalone book.

Hope Early is a food blogger in a scenic New England town. She has a busy life testing out recipes, gathering helpful household hints and preparing enticing blog entries. In this episode, Hope is trying to improve her photography skills for an upcoming e-book for her subscribers. She attends a workshop. The workshop is being taught by Cal Barnhart. Cal’s wife, Lily, has been missing for a few weeks. Things are not looking good for Cal.

One evening while her sister is trying to choral her into hosting an event at her home. Hope’s neighbor, Peggy Olson, seeks her assistance to quiet a smoke detector. I felt Hope’s fear when she realized her neighbor could have burned her house down. I felt the conflict as she struggled whether to tell the woman’s daughter about the incident. I was saddened that what she had most feared came to fruition. I have aging parents and often wonder about their safety while they try to live independently.

A fire at the neighbor’s home reveals two dead bodies. One is the missing wife of the local food photographer, and the other is Hope's elderly neighbor who had just returned home after an illness.

The characters are developing nicely. What I liked is that this did not start out slowly like the first book. The mystery was good and had lots of twists and turn. I liked the insights into food blogging, photography for her website & e-books, and small town politics.

I highly recommend this series to those who love a good whodunit. It will appeal to anyone who enjoys writers and series such as Cleo Coyle’s Coffee House series or Denise Swanson’s Chef-To-Go series.
As mentioned in the description, recipes are included. I am looking forward to trying out the Lemon Ricotta cookies.

Berkley Prime Crime novels are my jam and this one is no exception! Following a food blogger as she balances work and finishing her home, but both of these things take a back seat when a double murder is committed.
The mystery was exciting and I enjoyed trying to figure out who among the characters were the murderer and who were just red herrings. The town is picturesque and sounds like a lovely place that I wish I could visit!
The second book in series, I look forward to reading more.
If you like Murder She Wrote and other cozy mysteries and you haven't already tried a Prime Crime novel, you should!

This book follows Hope Early who is working as a book blogger and taking a workshop to help her photos on her blog look better. Hope's neighbor has returned home after being in rehab and is desperate to stay home and not end up in a nursing home. When a fire burns the house and another person is found dead. Hope finds herself investigating and wondering who started the fire and why?

This book reminds me alot of The Domestic Diva series and other foodie mysteries. It was fun to read as Hope cooked up possibilities to what happened. Hope has her work cut out for her in this book as she is doing multiple things at once and you find yourself pulled into her town and figuring out who the bad guy was and why! Can't wait to see what is next for this local author!

I enjoy the characters in this series. The main character is very likeable and I like her relationship with her best friend Drew and her sister. She gets herself into a couple of messes, but it is realistic and not overly stupid, like some main characters in some cozy mystery series. I look forward to the next in the series.

I got about halfway through this book and decided that I just didn't feel like reading the rest of it. Not sure what exactly it was about the book, but there were a lot of details about the blogging world and it just did not hold my attention.

This was my first book by Debra Sennefelder, quite a fun book it was with the entire picture of the murderer falling into place during cooking!

Hope, our main lead and a full time food blogger with agent and sponsor deals, enrolled herself in local photographer Cal's class whose wife had disappeared. Meanwhile, neighbor Peggy's house was set on fire and an extra body was found along with Peggy in the burnt house. Whose body was that? And why had the person been killed? Hope investigates... Not really sure if the cops were good investigators as there were no revelations from them.

There were references to Hope's previous stints in the field of publishing and participating in a reality show, but it didn't have anything to do with the present murder. Hence the book was easy to follow. I liked Hope's sleuthing, she was quite a busybody and was shocked if people threatened her back when she accused them of murder. Imagine that!!

Hope's relationships with her sister, her dog, local sheriff whom she wanted to date, her best friend and journalist Drew all were endearing. Small town politics was well shown, everyone had their quirks and apparently long memories. She made many enemies, but that was part of the game. It was quite enlightening to see fellow food bloggers feeling competitive with her, one did go a bit too far.

One of my strongest niggle, she seemed attracted to every man; Cal caused tingles when he kissed her, being with Ethan caused her heart to beat fast, and there was a lawyer whom she found attractive on a date, and he turned out to be gay... Sighhh

Overall, a good read with some hop, skip, and jumping over some parts.

Food blogger Hope Early agrees not to mention the mishap in her elderly neighbor's kitchen, when Peggy fell asleep with a pan filled with onions and peppers still cooking on the stove. There was no real harm done and Peggy promises not to do any more cooking. But a day later the house across the street goes up in flames and Hope feels responsible for not taking action sooner. Then a second body is discovered in the house and it becomes clear that the cause of the fire was arson and not an old woman's failing memory.



Although Hope's stint as a reality television chef is mentioned in the cover copy of both this and the previous book in the series it doesn't come up in the books. What we do get a lot of detail about is her life as a professional blogger. I enjoy the way cozy mysteries give me a glimpse into someone else's life, but there's a lot here about Hope's daily routines. It works with the plot (in this book she's taking a course to improve her photography skills) but if you're not interested in social media or SEO, it might get a bit tedious.



This is the third of Debra Sennefelder's books that I've read and I definitely want to spend more time with her characters.