The Hidden Corpse is the second installment in the Food Blogger Mysteries series set in the small town of Jefferson, CT and featuring Hope Early. Renovations are almost finished on her new "old" farmhouse and alongside her dog, Bigelow, Hope is looking forward to attending a photography class given by Cal Barnhart with her friend Felicity Campbell.

A bit of a dark cloud is hanging above Cal's head because his wife, famed architect Lily has been missing for several weeks. Nobody is really sure what happened to the woman who seemingly vanished on her way to work, but with rumors of marital problems fingers are pointing at Cal.

Hope's realtor sister, Claire is busy planning her campaign for Mayor and during the planning for a tea party a knock on the front door reveals Hope's elderly neighbor Peggy Olson. The woman has recently returned to her home from a stint in rehab and is suffering from a touch of dementia. Clearly upset she begs Hope to come next door because her house is filling with smoke. The cause of the smoke is determined to be burning food left on the stove but Peggy insists that she wasn't cooking anything. A few days later Peggy's home erupts in flames and not only does the woman perish in the flames but another body is discovered in the basement.

Determined to find out what happened in her idyllic neighborhood, Hope teams up with best friend Drew and Chief Ethan Cahill to track down a killer. Despite warnings from Detective Reid not to get involved, Hope quickly finds herself the next target.

A page turner from the start, twists and turns and a large group of suspects will draw you right into the heart of Jefferson. With just the right amount of romance, this series is a hit.

I received an advanced copy of The Hidden Corpse from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

After her appearance on a reality baking show ruined her marriage, Hope Early returns to her hometown of Jefferson, Connecticut. Concentrating on her blog, Hope at Home, she decides to take a workshop with a well-known photographer. Cal Barnhart has not been himself since his wife disappeared three weeks and he seems to want to share his grief with Hope. Hope doesn't want any other drama in her life, but when she returns home and discovers her neighbor's house on fire, she tries to rush in to save the elderly woman. What the police find inside leads to murder.

I loved this book! Somehow, I missed the first one, and now I am impatient for her next one! Please hurry, I must know what happens on; better yet after "The Date." The mystery is excellent, within a week in a small idyllic town, there are three deaths, Hope may be number four! Ethan, the Sheriff of the small city, is working so many hours, he is only taking naps on the sofa in his office! Why on earth didn't Hope sleep there? She had two death threats, yet, no one stayed with her, not even her best friend Drew? I am pointing out some holes in this entertaining book.
I loved the dynamics between her sister Claire; they are very much like my sister; I can genuinely relate. These are all people I can connect with; great characters, well developed, people you wished were your neighbors, I did not want it to end! I now have a new author to follow; I would love for the next book in the series, make it to my top 25 list on my blog! Loved it! The one caveat I have is, I want to see Cozy Mysteries to grow up. The blurb says, Romantic Suspense, where is the romance? A healthy, virile thirty-five-year-old male, a beautiful, healthy thirty-two-year-old female, both are satisfied with him kissing her on her forehead? Please! I do not want explicit sex; it would be helpful for them to behave like grown-ups! Deep kisses, snuggling on the couch, him picking her up, placing her the counter for a pre-romantic moment, in her house, which is supposed to be locked, anyone could interrupt at any moment. At least we would have a good romance to look forward too. I don't need to see what goes on behind closed doors; I would like to see them behave like they are in love, which they are! I would love to see Hope make a little tea for his daughters, how sweet would that be?! I have high hopes for the next book!
I highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley, and Kensington Books!
carolintallahassee.com

The second book in the Food Blogger Mystery series is The Hidden Corpse. This installment sees Hope grieving the loss of her neighbor, and trying to find out what caused the fatal fire. The story has a lot going on and many questions to be answered, like: What’s with this secret day spa in the next town? How is the ambitious new reporter in town getting her info and scooping Hope’s friend Drew? Does the murder tie back to town politics? And last but not least.... *is* Hope’s dinner invitation a date?!? 😊

Thanks to Net Galley and Kensington for a complimentary digital review copy of this title!

This is the 2nd book in the "Food Blogger Mystery Series". I have read and enjoyed the first in series and highly recommend both books in the series. This can be read as a stand alone. . i enjoy culinary mysteries and this has some delightful receipes included and wonderful food references throughout.
In this 2nd in series our intrepid protagonist Hope Early begins by dealing with the death of a elderly neighbor by fire. She has terrible guilt over this as she was aware the woman should not have been living alone. When the fire investigator finds a second body a mystery seems to be afoot. The second body is that of a missing wife of a local man. Hope is determined to find the suspect and begins to investigate on her own.
The author does a good job of developing many clues and suspects with a complex set of clues for the reader. The whodoneit is well crafted. I enjoy the supporting charcters of this series but some of them are to negative toward Hope . The ending took me by surprise which is not easy to do as I am a avid mystery reader. Hope is a likable protagonist albeit she needs to learn to stand up to those that are negative to her and I expect as her charcter grows we will see her grow stronger and more outspoken. This series has so much great potential to be a long time cozy favorite .
All in all a winning 2nd in series and I look forward to the next in series. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My opinion is my own.

The Hidden Corpse
(Food Blogger Mysteries #2)
by Debra Sennefelder (Goodreads Author)

Paperback, 304 pages
Expected publication: March 26th 2019 by Kensington Publishing Corporation

Goodreads 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!

***

4 Stars

I felt Hope’s fear when her next door neighbor nearly burned her house down by leaving something burning on the stove. My mom has done that more than once. I felt the conflict when she struggled whether to tell the lady’s daughter about the incident. Then my heart sank when what she had most feared came to fruition.

When you read this book, you aren’t just reading. You are experiencing Hope Early’s world. I found the whole world of blogging fascinating. Sponsored post and making money from blogs just seems so way beyond where I am but it sure does give you ideas how you can really delve into your blog and make money doing it too.

I thought the mystery was pretty complex. And Hope was quite ingenious in how she discovered the true culprit. I have to admit, I had no clue who it could be. I thought the romance flirtation between Hope and Ethan was fun and the scene with Matt and the date even funnier.

This one is just a real winner in my book. Cozy mysteries rock, don’t they? Definitely check this one out.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Food bloggers have descended upon the lovely small town of Jefferson, Connecticut, for a photography class, and when Hope Early's neighbor and the photographer's missing wife appear to have perished in the same house fire, Hope needs to discover if there's a connection between the bloggers and the deadly blaze. There's lots happening in this cozy little mystery, not the least of which are the yummy recipes. 5 stars!

I loved this second book in Debra Sennefelder's "A Food Blogger Mystery" series. There is humor, drama, romance and an absolutely expert mystery offering so many twists and turns that I was completely surprised by the ending. I really did not want this book to end, and can't wait for more!
I highly recommend it and after finishing this book, I immediately went online to order the first book. I cannot wait to see what’s next for Hope in this series and I look forward to reading the next book ...

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Kensington Books via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This delightful series continues. A clever mystery that keeps getting more involved. Some exciting page turning moments, as well as romance laughs. I am eager to try the lemon ricotta cookie recipe, as chocolate chip ricotta cookies are a favorite.

Food Bloggers and Murder; Cozy in Connecticut
This cozy murder mystery involves food bloggers in rural Connecticut. There are motives and suspects and red herrings and lots of mystery and mischief. The reader is treated to home renovations, great recipes, competitions, and jealousies. It seems to take the police way too much time to finally narrow down the suspect pool. This is a fun book to read as the author gives out just enough clues to keep the reader guessing! I received this book for free and this is my honest review.

This was a very enjoyable read, with just the right amount of suspense, and several different mysteries to solve! I like the main characters: Hope, food blogger; her sister Claire, real estate agent and mayoral hopeful; Drew, Hope's friend and local reporter; Ethan, police chief and longtime friend; and Jane, former mystery writer and current innkeeper. There were some interesting twists in this story, including a mystery victim and a day spa that few people in town even know about. This book moves at a good pace and kept me guessing the whole way through. I had a hard time putting it down, but I purposely paced myself to make it last. I really like this series and look forward to reading more by Debra Sennefelder!

I received an advance copy of this book. This review contains my honest thoughts and opinions.

Hope has settled into Jefferson, Connecticut- her blog is going well, her (sometimes annoying) sister Clare is running for office, and she's got a love interest. Then one day her elderly neighbor dies in a fire and, even worse, the body of Lily, the wife of Hope's photography instructor Cal, is found in the house as well. Lily has been missing for three weeks- where was she between when she was last seen and when she is found? Cal is a suspect, of course, and even if he hadn't asked her, she would have felt compelled to investigate. This touches on a few more serious issues than the usual cozy but it's still a classic. Good characters, snappy dialogue, and some twists made it a good read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Oh, and there are recipes!

I am afraid that these book just are not for me. All the things that I didn't like in the first one was even more pronounced here and I found myself in serious dislike throughout the whole book. The love triangle being over, the end and reveal were the best parts of this book and since they didn't last long, that isn't enough to make me want to read the next book in the series [should there be one]. What kind of MC FLIRTS with a man who's wife has been declared missing and he is the suspect? That and other things just amped up the EW factor in this book [along with all the other ridiculous "romance" aspects of the book, AND the character of Jane being envious of Hope because she has gotten to solve two mysteries {and almost dying both times} - I mean, REALLY?] to the point that I was spending more time texting my friend all the EW factors and barely wanting to read. Again, I will not be reading the next one should that one be written and published.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Food blogger Hope Early is taking a photography course from famed photographer Cal Barnhardt to improve her skills and quality of her blog posts. But when Hope’s elderly neighbor Peggy Olsen dies in a home fire, she feels a bit guilty. Hope had found that Peggy had burned a pot on the stove while sleeping and the house was filled with smoke. Then the police reveal that a second body is found in the basement of Peggy's house, that of Cal's missing wife. So Peggy's accident now seems like murder.

I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one. Hope was bringing around cookies and goodies to question suspects and just stumbling along in her sleuthing.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Kensington with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

This is the first book I have read from Debra Sennefelder and I have to say I love it, especially the recipes. The Hidden Corpse is the second book in the A Food Blogger Mystery Series and can be read alone, but I recommend reading the first book before you begin this book.

Hope, has failed as a magazine editor and in a reality baking show so now she is trying her luck as a new food blogger, She has just enrolled in a workshop to teach her how to take the best food photos. However, she is guilt ridden when she realizes she never told anyone about her neighbor’s fire in the kitchen, and if she had maybe what happened next would never had happened?

Her elderly neighbor Peggy apparently left a pot on the stove while sleeping and that lead to the house filling up with smoke. Needless to say if that was all it would have been alright. But soon Peggy is found dead along with a hidden corpse in the basement.

Hope is now more than ever determined to figure out what happened to Peggy and solve the murders.

Great read, well detailed characters.

Can’t wait to try out the apple cinnamon muffins, yummy..

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me the opportunity to review this great book. Highly recommend!!!

Hope Early has her plate full so to speak. She is taking a photography class to enhance her photos for her food blog. In addition to the classes, she is helping her sister with her plans for the upcoming elections. With all the activities Hope has going on she still finds time to worry about her elderly next-door neighbor living alone after she woke up to smoke from a pan of food that had been left on the stove to long. Should Hope tell her neighbor's daughter about what happened? Before she can decide to do so the neighbor's house catches fire. When the smoke clears two bodies are found, who could the second person be? Can Hope solve the mystery of what really happened?

This is the 2nd book in the series but my first book. I easily enjoyed the book as a stand-alone mystery however I feel that I would have understood a few references to backstories better if I had read the previous book first. The characters are realistic and likable. I like that Hope is a food blogger and that she is trying to improve her skills and better herself with the new beginning she chose for her life. The secondary characters for the most are just as likable with a few exceptions. The mystery is petty fast paced and has several twists and turns along the way. I didn't suspect the person whodunit at all. There is a bonus of recipes included for people who enjoy cooking. This is a wonderful cozy mystery that I plan on reading the previous book soon and look forward to future books.

I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.

Simple, read. Didn’t get me the way the other reviewers felt it. A bit boring with quite a few unlivable characters. Not much depth to the characters or relationships
Thank you Kensington and Netgalley allowing me this arc in return for an honest review

This is the second Debra Sennefelder book that I read and I enjoyed reading it. The characters are pretty fantastic and unique. I would also like to say that this story has a lot of female characters. And each of them has something different to add to the story. There's one who's married an old man for money; another who is in love with a married man. One has an extra-marital affair while the other is an author-turned-innkeeper. Then there is one who is the jealous kind who tries to sabotage someone's hard work. Huh!

Claire, Hope's sister, is a real estate agent and a health and fitness freak who decides to run for the mayor. And then, there is Hope - a food blogger and a celebrity who went through an embarrassing divorce. And she might have no contacts with her ex, but he used her fifteen minutes of fame to get his fifteen minutes of fame. No matter how far she goes from him, people still gossip about his 'adventurous and exotic' life.

Now that Hope is single, she finds a lot of suitors. She has a crush on Cal, although she knows that it is not the right time to have the hots for someone who is a suspect. Then there is Matt, a handsome attorney with whom Claire tries to set Hope up. Ethan, the local police officer, who is very friendly with Hope. They have feelings for each other but Hope wants him to take the first step.

The mystery keeps up on your toes. Hope is threatened, scolded and even thrown out when she goes searching for clues. This has happened before too and Hope is one of the forgiving kind. Though people have insulted her in the past, she forgives them. When the same people who had insulted her are invited to her house for a party, they betray her and Claire. And yet, Hope keeps her head high.



The identity of the killer was unexpected and shocking. Hope finally figures it out but it is too late and it almost gets her killed. The only thing that one might find a bit confusing is remembering the names of all the characters. Overall, it was a unique read for me. I have never come across such a wonderful cozy mystery that involves a food blogger and murder and back-biting and whatnot. (oh yes, gossip thrives!) Also, for those who love to bake, there are a couple of recipes at the end of the book.

I like the characters and the style of Debra Sennefelder's writing. Hope Early, a food blogger, is attending a photography workshop with other food bloggers being taught by a professional food photographer Cal Barnhart. Cal's wife has been missing for a few weeks from their small town and the rumors are spreading like wildfire about what may have happened to her. The action starts almost from the beginning of the book when there is a fire and two bodies are found. I lost track of time when I was reading this book because I was so absorbed in the story. I enjoyed both the mystery and learning more about food blogging. I love hearing about what Hope is cooking and baking and was very happy to find the recipe for the Lemon Ricotta Cookies that she bakes in the back of the book. I can't wait to try them and also to see what happens next with Hope and the other characters in Jefferson.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from Kensington through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the 2nd book in a Food Blogger Mystery series, and another good addition to the series. Hope Early is a food and lifestyle blogger, Hope at Home, who lives in Jefferson, Connecticut. When Hope's elderly neighbor dies in a fire, she is devastated, but determined to find the truth. This book has twists around every corner, which I enjoyed. I love the unique people and situations in this book. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.