Sleuthing in Stilettos: A Resale Boutique Mystery
By Debra Sennefelder
Lyrical
December 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Celebrating her first year as the owner of the Lucky Cove Resale Boutique in her New York hometown, Kelly Quinn is looking forward to planning the town’s Shop Small Saturday holiday that supports local small businesses between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Kelly is also eager to meet Miranda Farrell, owner of the newly opened Miranda & James shoe store. It turns out that Miranda herself is not that new to the town, as twenty years ago she left in a wake of bad memories and resentments. It comes to a head in the Lucky Cove Chamber of Commerce meeting, where Kelly’s Uncle Ralph Blake and bookseller Erica Booth are but a few of the notable business owners furious that Miranda is back in town. So when Miranda is found dead with Uncle Ralph standing over her body, accusations fly as rises to the top of the list as the most probable culprit.

Since first meeting during one of Kelly’s previous involvement with murder, she and the investigating Detective Nate Barber began dating and are speeding towards a committed status. That doesn’t mean that he won’t immediately warn his girlfriend away from his investigation, or that Kelly won’t ignore his requests and pursue one of her own. It doesn’t help that her cousin emotionally blackmails Kelly into proving her uncle’s innocence, especially since she so recently mended fences with her family and has finally begun to feel like she is back home. So despite the warnings and without any official status, Kelly begins to look into Miranda’s numerous ex-husbands, the business owners she offended, and even the visiting true crime writer whose next book will be one of Kelly’s last cases.

In this 5th of the series, Kelly has a not-entirely unearned confidence in her ability to investigate and solve murders. After all, she does have a proven track record of proving her relatives’ and friends’ innocence when unjustly accused of crimes. This doesn’t make her obtrusive and often unwanted interference in official investigations rather eyebrow raising, especially when it is her boyfriend who is the one in charge. Even those she interrogates frequently point out her lack of authority, yet eventually they too seem to bend to the inevitability of her persistent involvement. The added element of fashion and shopping lends a fun element that will appeal to cozy fans and fashionistas, as will Kelly’s own personal style choices. The writing is breezy and readers will be carried along to an entirely unexpected but satisfying conclusion, with Kelly’s future looking even brighter than ever. Now that Kelly has healed from the tragedy that drove her from town and she’s repaired those broken relationships, she should be able to move on and forge a fashion-filled life of fun and adventure.

Not one but two bodies make for a connection that cannot be ignored. When her uncle becomes a top suspect, all she can do is ask questions. Lots of suspects leads to trouble for her fashionista self. A fun read, interesting plot and a surprise killer.

Kelly's consignment shop is doing well, but she just can't seem to avoid getting involved in solving murders. This time, it's a newcomer to town who is found murdered in her shoe store. Despite warnings from her detective boyfriend, Kelly feels she must investigate. Complicating the story is the fact that Kelly has become estranged from her good friend (how did I miss that book?) and is trying to regain her friendship.

I enjoy this cozy mystery series because of the consignment shop setting and also the cat that lives with Kelly. This book could have used more focus on the cat, as the mystery wasn't all that exciting to me. However, the last part of the book does carry quite a bit of excitement/action and helps the reader to feel a bit more positive about the book.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Who knew befriending a new business owner down the street from your cute boutique could lead to murder and mayhem? Kelly Quinn is back in action, but the town has decided that she has lost her marbles and worn out her welcome. Will it be lights out for Kelly or will she figure it out in time to save her life and others? A diversified cast of characters makes this group a believable and realistic circle of friends, family and townsfolk. The level of personality exuded by these characters makes you connect with them much more than most and you are definitely ready to cheer them on. The plot is twisted and red herrings abound to make the mystery delightfully entertaining and keeps you turning pages into the wee hours of the morning....or maybe that was just me. I should have been asleep hours before I was, but I just couldn't put this book down! You really should start with the first book in the series as each book fleshes out the characters a bit more, the town and the relationships between the characters. However, you could read this book and enjoy it on its own, but why miss out on the hours of entertainment starting with the first book in the series would offer!

And just like that, Kelly seemed to grow up after this mystery was solved. Just when it appeared she'd never be anything but a kind-hearted, question-spouting, self-centered fashionista, the last couple weeks in her life really caused her to seem more mature by the end of the book. Kelly's definitely someone you'd want for a friend even though she's got this unbelievable way of making people mad by accusing them of murder. But her heart's always in the right place and somehow she ends up forgiven. Nothing mattered more to Kelly than her family and friends as you'll see when you read about their Thanksgiving.

Boy was that an exciting showdown! I was so happy Kelly had reconciled with her buddy Ariel and I'll just say it was a good thing she came along! I liked where this ended with Kelly and Nate in a very nice place in a relationship as well as Kelly being completely happy now that she was where she belonged. Don't miss this latest installment when it releases Tuesday, December 6, 2022.

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

The mystery behind the murder kept me guessing till the end. The suspect list was long and it did seem like many residents of Lucky Cove had a grudge against Miranda. But who would have finally crossed the line and kill her?

As a side story, we have Kelly 'losing her mind.' First, she 'misplaces' her laptop mouse. Then, her apartment door is open and her cat ventures into the store, making a few customers leave in fury. (They were allergic to cats.) Then comes the biggest gaff - during her presentation to the Chamber of Commerce, her family tree is revealed... Only Kelly, Uncle Ralph, Ariel and Frankie knew that Ariel was Ralph's daughter. (Ariel's mother had a brief affair with Ralph.) Now, the secret's out in the open... Ariel and Kelly's relationship is already strained and the 'surprise revelation' at the Chamber of Commerce meeting did nothing but ruin the friendship even more.

The storytelling is excellent. Character development is good too. The ending was a huge surprise. I couldn't identify the killer before Kelly did. Their identity too was a shocker as it was unexpected. Not in a million years did I think they were involved in the murder.

Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder is a must-read for all cozy mystery fans. Entertaining, engrossing and whole lotta fun.

This book was just ok for me because the story was a little slow to get going. Sadly I did not connect with the characters. Perhaps I would have if I’d started with book one.

Sleuthing in Stilettos is the 5th book in the Resale Boutique Mysteries and is a great addition. Kelly Quinn owns a Consignment Shop. A store owner who has returned to Lucky Cove ends up dead. Kelly's Uncle becomes the prime suspect. Kelly abruptly asks people if they murdered either of the two people. I guess it is one way to find out. Kelly's relationships with Nate, her family and Ariel add to the story. The characters are likable, the mystery kept me guessing and there are other things going on to keep the book interesting. This was an enjoyable cozy mystery. #NetGalley #SleuthingInStilettos

In this 5th book in the 'Resale Boutique Mystery' series, store owner/amateur sleuth Kelly Quinn investigates the murder of a shoe store proprietor. The book can be read as a standalone, but familiarity with the characters is a bonus.

*****

Twentysomething Kelly Quinn owns an upscale consignment shop called 'The Lucky Cove Resale Boutique' in the town of Lucky Cove on Long Island. In addition to running the store, Kelly writes a weekly newsletter about fashion and clothing, and leads the 'Shop Small Lucky Cove' campaign. Shop Small takes place between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, and encourages consumers to patronize local businesses during the holiday season.

Kelly wants proprieters of local stores to get involved with the Shop Small campaign. This includes Miranda Farrell, the recently arrived owner of a luxury shoe shop called 'Miranda & James.' Kelly notices that most residents of Lucky Cove are hostile to Miranda, and - being a natural-born nosybody - Kelly wants to know why.

Thus Kelly learns that Miranda lived in Lucky Cove twenty years ago, was married twice, and both her husbands died....after which Miranda left town. Moreover, Miranda's first husband embezzled a large amount of money and wiped out the retirement funds of numerous Lucky Cove citizens. The locals think Miranda helped steal the moola and made off with it, and they're furious that Miranda came back.

As it happens, Kelly is very taken with a pair of black D'Orsay pumps in Miranda's store, .and she takes her friends Breena and Liv to see the pumps. Shockingly, the women find Miranda's dead body, with Kelly's Uncle Ralph standing over the corpse. Irascible Uncle Ralph has been seen arguing with Miranda in public, and he becomes the number one suspect for her murder.

Kelly wants to prove that her uncle is innocent and sets out to find the real killer, against the explicit instructions of her boyfriend, police detective Nate Barber. Kelly's method of investigation is to find out who disliked Miranda, and to ask each person, "Where were you on the morning of the murder?" This is a bumbling approach for even the most unskilled amateur detective and it doesn't work.

Meanwhile, Kelly seems to be losing it. She apparently forgets to lock her front door; allows her cat into the boutique, which upsets an allergic customer; messes up a text message to her boyfriend; misplaces her car key; etc. Kelly is pretty sure she didn't do any of this, and tries to suss out what's going on.

In the course of the story Kelly finds another dead body; formulates a number of theories about the murders; navigates numerous red herrings; and finally discovers the real killer....endangering her life along the way.

Cozies usually have a hook in addition to the murder mystery, and for this series it's fashion. Kelly is very clothes-conscious and describes her outfits, and that of other characters, in some detail. For instance, on a cool day Kelly reaches for her camel-colored coatigan, a sweater that could be a coat when it's very chilly;Then, when Kelly's leaving her boutique one afternoon, she pauses at a mirror to admire her short-sleeved black top tucked into a leopard print wrap skirt; And a true-crime writer who wants to interview Kelly wears a houndstooth patterned top and black side-vent ankle pants.

Though Kelly's amateur sleuthing is a bit clumsy and aggressive, this is an enjoyable cozy mystery, recommened to fans of the genre.

Thanks to Netgalley, Debra Sennefelder, and Kensington Publishing for a copy of the book.

I haven’t seen many people talking about this book or series much, which is why I wanted to review it. I became interested in this series because of its fashion focus. I love girly heroines who may seem incapable because of their fashion choices, but then prove to be capable and intelligent women. When I began reading this series, I got that image from Kelly Quinn.

The author does a good job of interspersing this series with fashion elements, but even if you aren’t into that, I think you’ll still love it. It’s well-written and easy-to-follow, so even beginner Cozy Mystery readers would like it. The heroine, Kelly, is also very relatable.

Set in Long Island, there’s a lot of charm and sophistication that follows this series, so if you’re in the mood for a boutique-style Mystery, then I would definitely recommend this one to try out.

I love love love...loved this book. There was never a dull moment. Reading this book made me want to go out and buy a new purse and some shoes with all the fashion talk. I was surprised and excited to learn that this was #5 in the Resale Boutique Mystery. Now I have to go back and read books 1-4 in the series.

Kelly is working on handling things better but when she becomes involved in a murder case, she seems to be losing her grip. With her not so delicate questioning, she is getting into trouble with friends, acquaintances, and her boyfriend. In addition, a series of events has people wondering about Kelly's stability.

The drama surrounding Kelly is easy to get swept up in, and I liked how it was all resolved at the end. I also enjoyed the twists and turns of the mystery that had me suspecting a number of people yet never the actual murderer. Thanks to Lyrical Underground and NetGalley for an ARC. The opinions expressed are my own.

Kelly rebuilt her life and her grandmother's business when she moved home to Lucky Cove so why can't Miranda do the same? Well, because someone has murdered her. Turns out Miranda has a long and fractious back story in town and someone is really unhappy that she's going to open a shoe store. That person wasn't Kelly's uncle (of course not!) so she sets off to find who among those who disliked Miranda is the real villain. This classic cozy is enlivened by the antics of the Chamber of Commerce and Kelly's efforts to do something a little new for Small Business Saturday. It's obviously part of a series but should be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For cozy fans.

Another great novel by Debra Sennefelder!! Her stories have very likable characters in well developed plots and settings. Even while being haunted with murder, the story is very light and fun with moving and emotional aspects.

Kelly Quinn was a fashion buyer in Manhattan before inheriting her grandmother's outdated consignment shop. Giving up her high fashion life, Kelly returns to her home town of Lucky Cove to turn the consignment shop into an up scale resale boutique. What Kelly didn't expect was an uncle trying to shut her business down, the sheriff not being her number one fan, and solving murders.

The mystery is a suspenseful and real but the story is on the lighter side. It was fun figuring out the who dunnit and the why.

A stalker is threatening Kelly Quinn, owner of Lucky Cove Resale Boutique in the intriguing new installment of Debra Sennefelder’s awesome cozy series. It’s fall, and the holiday season is fast approaching, and Kelly is in charge of planning the Shop Small Business Saturday events. When a new shop owner is murdered, Uncle Ralph is the #1 suspect. The victim’s past is sketchy, and many people in town dislike her.

Kelly’s amateur sleuthing leads her into a dangerous web of lies that began years before, and which now puts her in great danger. A lot of deceit is gradually unveiled in this twisty plot. Fortunately, Kelly’s friends have her back when the shocking killer is revealed. This book should definitely be added to readers’ wish lists. I highly recommend the entire Resale Boutique series!

I honestly reviewed an unedited digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Lyrical Underground. All opinions are my own.

Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder is the fifth book the Resale Boutique Mystery series. Amateur sleuth Kelly Quinn seems to have a knack for discovering dead bodies. This case is a complicated one, but Kelly needs to prove her uncle didn't commit a murder. It was quite interesting following along as Kelly questioned community members and possible suspects. I have to say though at times Kelly came across a little thoughtless with her questions. No tact. There's plenty of action and suspense in this book. I enjoyed the read.

Kelly is back in the fifth Resale Boutique Mystery. When Miranda Farrell returns to Lucky Cove after years away, her history comes back to haunt her. Miranda’s return to town take a turn for the worse when her body is discovered and Kelly finds herself in the middle of another murder investigation.

I have enjoyed this whole series and this book was no different, but there were a few times where Kelly seemed more full of herself than normal. When she was questioning individuals, she pretty much flat out asked them if they had murdered Miranda. That is a change from the past books and I definitely preferred the subtlety in Kelly’s sleuthing skills in the last few books. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what else is in store for this series.

This is a great cozy mystery series with inviting and likable characters, intriguing mysteries and a small town that I would love to live in! I definitely recommend this newest Resale Boutique Mystery to cozy mystery fans!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book!

This is a cute cozy mystery, perfect for those who love shopping (and cats). I did have a hard time engaging at first, as it took a little longer than expected for things to start rolling with the action. The characters are likeable. There were a few loose ends, but perhaps there will be a sequel.

This is a cute, fast paced cozy mystery that's centered around a consignment shop.
There was nothing wrong with the story, I just don't connect with the characters.

There are many levels of sophistication to the latest in Debra Sennefelder's A Retail Boutique Mystery series. Kelly Quinn has left her therapist who was attempting to help her in dealing with the death of her cousin. She is certain she is fine, yet things begin to derail around her coupled with her Uncle's possible involvement in a murder. Kelly has self-doubt but also resolution as she attempts to help her family and find the real killer. The psychological aspects are classically gaslighting and it was so well done as we wondered if this was indeed in Kelly's head or rather something more sinister. This series is spectacular and I highly recommend 'Sleuthing in Stilettos.'

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