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Food Blogger Mysteries #3

Three Widows and a Corpse

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Food blogger Hope Early finds one item not on her scavenger hunt list--a dead husband . . .

Between developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine, Hope has a full plate. Still, she's never too busy to compete in a Jefferson, Connecticut, tradition--the town's annual scavenger hunt.

But as she races with her team to check off the next item, Hope discovers a grisly surprise--the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. His wife Elaine, who's also in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. But two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead.

It turns out this louse of a spouse was more than a little lax in legally divorcing his former wives. Did one of them put a bullet in the bigamist? Number one suspect and number three wife Elaine begs Hope to investigate. Now Hope is on a new kind of hunt--for a cold-hearted killer and triple widow-maker . . .

Includes Recipes from Hope's Kitchen!

327 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 19, 2019

151 people are currently reading
453 people want to read

About the author

Debra Sennefelder

15 books612 followers
Debra Sennefelder 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 Connecticut with her family. She’s worked in pre-hospital care, retail and publishing. Her writing companion is her adorable and slightly spoiled Shih-Tzu, Connie.

She is a member of Sisters in Crime and Romance Writers of America.

She can be reached at Debra@DebraSennefelder.com

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
Profile Image for Linda Langford.
1,573 reviews14 followers
September 20, 2019
I like food blogger Hope Early. She’s a strong woman determined to make her blog, Hope At Home, successful. In book three, a bigamist husband is exposed and things quickly take a morbid turn during an annual scavenger hunt. Hope begins meddling in order to help solve the crime in a timely manner. The plot is filled with humor, yummy food, and clues galore; all of which keep the story moving along at a great pace. There are suspects galore, including the three wives the victim was allegedly married to! Ms. Sennefelder keeps you guessing whodunnit until the very end. This is a great traditional cozy sure to please readers. Recipes from Hope’s Kitchen included at the story end.


I reviewed a galley arc provided by the author for an honest review. Thank you.
Profile Image for LORI CASWELL.
2,839 reviews329 followers
November 9, 2019
Dollycas’s Thoughts

Food blogger Hope Early is one busy bee. Her blog, a magazine assignment, and the town’s annual scavenger hunt are all on her plate. Her team has won the scavenger hunt several times but this year when they arrive at a local restaurant to take care of one thing on the scavenger list, Hope finds a bonus item . . . another dead body.

Lionel Whitcomb, a local real estate developer has been shot next to his fancy car, right there in the parking lot in broad daylight. His wife, Elaine, also taking part in the annual event faints as she sees her husband. Then another two women come onto the crime scene and claim Lionel is their husband too. There are Three Widows and a Corpse – seems Mr. Whitcomb was a bigamist and he has left behind three angry wives and three viable suspects. Two of which beg Hope to do what she does and find the actual killer. Her team did lose the scavenger hunt, maybe she will have better luck finding the culprit that saved Lionel from explaining things to the three women in his life.

___

All the characters I have enjoyed in the previous book return. Many are on Hope’s scavenger hunt team and are on hand when Whitcomb’s body is found. Boyfriend/Chief of Police Ethan Cahill wants Hope to leave the investigation to him and Detective Reid and she had every intention of doing so, but soon she is asking one question here and another there and then she finds herself in total investigation mode. The killer rewards her participation with a few warnings but she doesn’t back down. Hope is a strong protagonist and doesn’t shy away from using her culinary talents to get the answers she needs. I do enjoy her relationship with Ethan and the way it is slowly progressing. She also has a strong group of friends to support her. I can’t forget her pet brigade, her dog Bigelow and Poppy the chicken are now joined by Princess the cat. Human and animal characters are all well developed and very entertaining.

The wives are the obvious suspects but there are a few others pulled in too. My heart broke when a second person was killed and I was totally all wound up in the investigation myself. The author cleverly filled the story with twists and red herrings that slowed both this reader and Hope down but I circled back around and honed in on the killer just a bit before Hope. I loved the way this story flowed and was wrapped up.

As a blogger myself I loved following along with all the behind the scenes machinations of creating a successful blog and keeping content fresh and interesting and for Hope profitable. Our fields are totally different but the premise is basically the same for all bloggers. Pictures are always important and Hope has really learned a lot about photographing food and I feel like I have learned a few things too. I also love the recipes that are included.

Debra Sennefelder gives readers a strong mystery in Three Widows and a Corpse. Great characters with perfect amounts of family life, romance, and humor. I was entertaining from beginning to end and can’t wait for my next visit Jefferson, Connecticut.
Profile Image for Bridget.
2,789 reviews130 followers
November 15, 2019
Although I have not read the first book in this series, I have read the second one - The Hidden Corpse - and I was happy to dive straight into this third one - Three Widows and a Corpse. Debra Sennefelder did a fantastic job providing any backstory, making this a great standalone read.

I particularly liked Hope Early, a food blogger who is kept busy developing her food blog, Hope at Home, and choosing low-cal recipes for a feature in Cooking Now! magazine. Possessing the necessary attributes of any great sleuth: intelligence, curiosity and keenness, she's never too busy to compete in the town's traditional annual scavenger hunt.

Set in the Jefferson, Connecticut, Hope has a lot going on in this book, as she finds one item not on her scavenger hunt list-a dead husband. The grisly surprise is the corpse of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a car park. His wife Elaine, who's also taking part in the hunt, gasps and nearly faints. So why do two other women proclaim that their husband is dead? Did one of them put a bullet in the bigamist? Number one suspect and number three wife Elaine begs Hope to investigate. . .

I was sold on this compulsive story from the very beginning, with its solid characters, great writing and a marvellous mystery that provided a good sprinkling of clues to satisfy even the most painstaking and diligent armchair detective.

There were numerous characters in Three Widows and a Corpse but I think I just about managed to keep track of all of them without being overwhelmed! Apart from Hope herself, I was also rather fond of her family and friends - her sister Claire, her close friend Drew, Jane Merrifield, owner of the Merrifield Inn and mystery novelist and of course Ethan Cahill (Police Chief boyfriend) and the wonderful dynamics between them. Obviously, I have to also mention Hope's adorable doggy, named Bigelow and the addition of Princess the cat!

Another of my favourite aspects of this novel was the fluidity of the writing. The details of the plot were very well-executed and every chapter left me with a compelling need to read on. The author did a brilliant job of balancing the different story-lines and there was just enough of Hope's personal life and blogging to balance this murder mystery. The story was brimming with humour, scrumptious food, lots of suspects and clues were scattered throughout.

I am looking forward to returning to Jefferson with Hope on a future occasion. So entertaining and engaging, Three Widows and a Corpse is definitely well worth the time invested.

A superb read and very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my request, from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
Profile Image for Betty.
2,004 reviews73 followers
October 8, 2019
The 3rd book Bloggers series has Hope Early working had to keep her food blog going and has an agreement to create a number of low - cal recipes for a feature in a Food Magazine. She is on a team for the annual scavenger hunt. At one stop the group finds the body of Lionel Whitcomb, a real estate developer. His wife faints and two other women claimed he is her husband. Who is Lionel's wife? Is it #1, #2 or his current wife? Hope put herself in danger by looking into Lionel's death. I HIGHLY recommend the book and series.
Recipes are included

Disclosure: Thanks to Kensington Books for copy through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
Profile Image for Toni.
1,533 reviews64 followers
April 17, 2020
4.25 Stars

This is the third book in the Food Blogger Mystery series by Debra Sennefelder.

Basic premise: Hope stumbles upon a dead body while in the middle of a town scavenger hunt event. Then after the man (Lionel) ends up dead, it is revealed that he has not one wife but THREE wives! Busy guy! Hope is warned early on to keep her nose out of the investigation since her boyfriend, Ethan is on the police force but of course, she doesn’t listen and that puts her in danger… over and over.

I love the whole food blogger thing. I think after the recipes at the end, there should be tips on how to create a successful blog. And maybe even have a blog online that we could turn to for recipe ideas. That would be fun and interactive for the readers.

The storyline was a bit convoluted but sometimes it is hard to have a straight forward murder investigation with three wives as suspects! It took me awhile to get into the whodunit but when I did, the story just flew! I will definitely be picking up other books by Sennefelder! Totally digging the food blogger sleuth!

If you love a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

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.
Profile Image for Kristina Anderson.
4,009 reviews83 followers
October 26, 2019
Three Widows and a Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the third A Food Blogger Mystery. Hope Early is participating in the town’s annual scavenger hunt which benefits the local community center. Her team stops at Avery Bistro to obtain an item on the list when Hope notices a familiar looking car in the back parking lot. She wanders over to find the driver’s side door open and real estate developer, Lionel Whitcomb dead on the ground. It soon becomes apparent that in addition to Lionel’s shady business dealings, he was also a bigamist. There are three women claiming to be his wife. Hope has no intention of getting involved with the case, but her natural curiosity wins out. The killer is not happy with Hope’s nosiness and issues a series of warnings. Three Widows and a Corpse can be read as a standalone for those new to this series. Hope Early is a food blogger and is working on an article for Cooking Now magazine as well as taking care of her animals and working on her home. I found Three Widows and a Corpse easy to read and it moved along at a steady pace. Jane Merrifield and her sister, Sally are back along with Drew Adams (reporter and friend), Ethan Cahill (Chief of Police and boyfriend), and Claire Dixon (sister). When Hope stumbles upon Lionel Whitcomb’s body, she states she is not going to investigate which pleases Detective Sam Reid and Ethan Cahill. However, Hope cannot help but ask questions especially when witnesses keep showing up at her home unannounced. Hope asks questions while plying them with her culinary delights. Of course, she is told by Detective Reid and Ethan several times to stay out of the investigation. The guilty party warns Hope off, but it just makes Hope more determined expose the killer. There are several suspects along with misdirection and direct clues. Readers will have no problem identifying the killer long before the solution is revealed. There is mild foul language in this novel. Three Widows and a Corpse is the perfect story for those readers who enjoy lighthearted, food related mysteries. Three Widows and a Corpse is an amiable cozy mystery with a troublesome two-timer, warring widows, a scavenger search, a sad sibling, and a repressive reporter.
Profile Image for Karen Stallman .
865 reviews91 followers
October 5, 2019
I loved "Three Widows and a Corpse" the third book in Debra Sennefelder's "A Food Blogger Mystery" series. Visiting Jefferson, Connecticut has become a pleasure, I love the description of the town and surroundings I can picture it in my mind what it must look like there in the fall as the trees turn colour and the air becomes crisp and less humid.

This time Hope is helping out with the town’s annual scavenger hunt as well as an assignment with Cooking Now! magazine. During the Scavenger Hunt, as Hope races with her team to check off the next item, she discovers a grisly surprise—the body of shady real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb, shot in a parking lot. To make things worse his wife Elaine is there competing in the hunt and sees the body, but as she screams two other women on the scene cry out that their husband is dead!

I love Hope as she is real and I have become invested in her and what is happening around her. I like her family and friends, Claire, Jane, Drew and of course Ethan (Police Chief boyfriend) and the dynamics between them all. Don't get me started on her dog Bigelow, Poppy the chicken and now the addition of Princess the cat!

There was drama, romance and a little bit of humor thrown in with the mystery. I did suspect the killer early on but there were lots of twists and turns I started second guessing myself. I liked how there were your normal mixture of nasty, suspicious people but how some just turned out to be misunderstood.

I also liked the behind the scenes look at her food blogging and magazine assignment, shows me that blogging is a full time job and then some. I also enjoy all the food recipes.

I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to see what’s next for Hope in this series and I look forward to reading the next book ...

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Tari.
3,558 reviews100 followers
November 6, 2019
Stumbling onto another dead body again put Hope in the cross hairs of a killer, but she wasn't going to let that or Det. Reid stop her from investigating. The case was a crazy one with three women claiming to be the dead guy's wives. I liked the side story of Claire coming to a decision about a new career path and Hope attempting to help guide her. But like all sisters, they usually managed to disagree where good sense was concerned sometimes. It's a good thing that Claire was at Hope's house at the particular time she was though!

Another enjoyable side story was Hope's assignment working at a magazine that was collaborating with her blog. There was a definite connection to the case though. I love that Hope and Ethan's relationship has grown and gotten better, and even though he stayed fairly busy with the investigation in this book, he took time out to come and see her. Since this book has it heading toward Labor Day and fall, I'm really hoping to see a Christmas season book out next. I have no idea what the next book in the author's mind is, but I'd sure love it if it was a Thanksgiving-into-Christmas and covered both seasons. I could picture Hope doing some pretty awesome Christmas trees in her old house!
Profile Image for Jerri Cachero.
653 reviews48 followers
September 18, 2019
A unique mystery - one dead man and three grieving widows. Hope Early has to find out "whodunit" before she becomes the next victim!

I liked the premise of the mystery. The three wives were so different and I loved their interactions with Hope and each other. Hope is very down to earth and likable. The discussions about her "Hope at Home" food blog and the recipes she talked about were entertaining and added to the cozy atmosphere of the book. The mystery was challenging to solve (I didn't!) and all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

I'm looking forward to the next book's mystery and recipes!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.
Profile Image for Carla.
7,498 reviews175 followers
October 30, 2019
Food blogger Hope Early, is doing well in her new profession. She has a freelance job for a food magazine, she is getting sponsors and has had a surge in followers. It looks like everything is looking up for her. At the local scavenger hunt, she discovers the body of a local businessman, who is waiting for a court case due to his unethical business dealings. When two women show up in town claiming to be married to him, his wife in Jefferson, Elaine, is not sure what to do. With a plethora of suspects, Elaine asking Hope to help clear her name, and the other two wives coming to Hope for help, you know she is not going to be able to stay out of this investigation.

I like the character of Hope. She’s a strong woman determined to make her blog, Hope At Home, successful. She is also a good friend to Drew and a great sister to Claire. She is helping both of them with personal and job issues. Her boyfriend, the police chief, tries to keep her out of the case, but she doesn't listen to him. When she received a warning to keep out of the investigation, painted on her garage, it pushes her to get even more involved. I enjoy this series and this book was interesting. There was just enough of Hope's personal life and blogging to balance the murder mystery. The story is filled with humour, yummy food, lots of suspects and clues sprinkled throughout. The story was well-paced and the characters were well-developed. I had figured out who the murderer was, but was not positive until the final reveal. This is a great traditional cozy with a small town, amateur sleuth, likable and some quirky characters and lots of food. I love the recipes at the back of this book and will be trying a couple of them for sure. Don't chocolate, walnut muffins sound delicious? This is one that I recommend to cozy mystery lovers. The publisher provided me with a copy of the book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.
Profile Image for Kirsti.
2,495 reviews104 followers
April 14, 2020
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I always love agood cozy, and this series caught my eye immediately. Food blogging; I could get into that! I liked the setting and the characters, although this one probably shouldn't be read as a stand alone mystery like I did, because some things reference the previous book and situations I knew nothing about. I was still in for the ride though, and followed on with the clues. My hunch proved correct and I arrived at the murderer long before our sleuth, but I don't mind that. The writing was steady, keeping enough information behind to keep us invested in the crime. All in all this was an enjoyable cozy and a great example of the genre!

Four stars, definitely recommend reading these in order though.
Profile Image for Valerie.
736 reviews14 followers
September 18, 2019
I enjoyed this book. It's well-paced, tightly written. I liked the characters, who were nicely developed. I do wish there was more to Hope and Ethan's relationship. The ending is definitely a surprise as I was rooting for one of the widows to be the bad guy. #ThreeWidowsAndACorpse #NetGalley
Profile Image for Cozybooklady .
2,158 reviews110 followers
September 10, 2019
When a local resident winds up dead during the town scavenger hunt, Hope Early is determined not to get involved. Her work as a food blogger takes up enough time, as well as her renovations on her home.
When it comes out that the victim had 3 wives, Hope’s curiosity is peaked and she winds up asking questions.
Was it one of the wives who did him in or was it someone else who had it out for him?
When the murderer takes the life of another victim, Hope still doesn’t want to get involved.
Hopes mind is suddenly changed when a fire warning is written on her garage door.
Going against the local police, which includes her boyfriend, Hope refuses to stop asking questions, which leads the culprit right to her
Profile Image for Leslie aka StoreyBook Reviews.
2,858 reviews210 followers
November 8, 2019
It is time for a trip back to Jefferson to see what Food Blogger, Hope Early, has new in her life.  Hope finds herself knee-deep in another mystery when she stumbles across another dead body while on a scavenger hunt.  The bigger surprise comes when two other women appear in town and claim to still be married to the deceased.  Who is the true widow?  Will Hope survive the search for the killer?  You'll have to read the book to find out those answers and much more.

I've enjoyed this series because I love food and I am always intrigued at a look behind the scenes of what food bloggers do to create their recipes and posts.  I love to cook but have never really created my own recipe.  I have adapted some recipes but that is about all.  Several of the recipes in this book have chocolate in them so my mouth was watering just reading about the muffins, cookies, and cakes.  Recipes are provided and a few have caught my eye.

The mystery is intriguing and the author does a splendid job of hiding the killer in plain sight.  I'm not sure I suspected this character so I was surprised when the story came to a head and the killer was revealed.  There are several potential suspects and while I would have liked it to have been one character, no such luck.

Hope has multiple sides to her - she inserts herself into the case trying to solve the murder (despite her boyfriend the sheriff asking her to stay out of the investigation), she doesn't know how to say no, and is a little insecure when it comes to her relationship with Ethan.  But all of these pieces come together to form a likable protagonist.

Overall I enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one in the series.  We give it 4 paws up.
2,408 reviews40 followers
October 28, 2019
From the first book in the series through Three Widows and a Corpse I have loved the Food Blogger Mystery series more and more. Debra Sennefelder has a way of pulling me not just into the mystery, but into the world of ex-magazine editor and current blogger Hope Jefferson. This mystery is as complex as the earlier ones with the added complication of bigamy or is that polygamy? We already knew that the first victim was not a likeable person, but the death of the second victim hurt my heart. Yes, that is how much I was involved in the story.
When I read the first book, I was sad that few of Hope's friends were nice people. In Three Widows and a Corpse that seems to have balanced better, and I enjoyed seeing her handle an experience with one person that too many of us can relate to. I appreciated seeing more of her relationship with her sister Claire, so now my only wish is to see more of a certain police chief. We did get many bits of interaction between Nate and Hope; I am just greedy.
1,427 reviews
December 27, 2020
Uninspired plot with unlikable characters. As I was listening to the audiobook, my mind kept wandering because the book was so boring.
Profile Image for Karen (BaronessBookTrove).
1,100 reviews107 followers
November 2, 2019
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Three Widows and a Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the third installment, and I loved it!
Will Meg give in to her curiosity and find the murderer?
What I like about Three Widows and a Corpse:

Meg Early is back and cooking up wonderful recipes in her kitchen. She is extremely curious. So, remember what you say and do around her. 
The Town Charity Scavenger Hunt started with a bang.
Drew is charming, funny and knows Meg well enough to be there when she needed him. 
Claire and Hope have an excellent sister relationship. They are supportive and yet still honest with each other. I am delighted that Claire figured out what she needed to do.
The three widows were kind of funny with their arguing and bickering. 

What I dislike:

The second murder victim, as that was extremely uncalled for as the murderer, should have done better research before killing that witness.
Ethan wasn't involved in the story much. Also, I know he is the Police Chief, but cutting Hope out makes her more curious. He needs to find a way to work this out with her.
Last I didn't like the killer; no reason is good enough for what was done. Although I didn't care for this person before they were caught. I see lots of anger management in the future for the culprit. 

Five Stars
Three Widows and a Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is getting five stars. It is a fun, witty read with great characters and outstanding food. Ms. Sennefelder also gives us a look into everything that a food blogger does to make money. Oh, and don't forget the brilliant recipes in the back of the book. So, if you like cozy culinary mysteries, then I recommend you read this series.


Other Books in the Series

The Uninvited Corpse by Debra Sennefelder 1 The Hidden Corpse by Debra Sennefelder
To see my review on The Hidden Corpse, go HERE.


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Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Three Widows and a Corpse by Debra Sennefelder. Check out the other stops and giveaway if you have time.

Until the next time,

Karen Signature

Happy Reading!

This review was originally posted on Baroness' Book Trove

Profile Image for RO G'ma.
1,060 reviews43 followers
October 20, 2019
Three Widows and a Corpse is the third book in Debra Sennefelder’s Food Blogger Mysteries series. This enjoyable read is steadily paced, with a great cast of well-developed characters, lots of twists and turns, and several suspects to keep the reader engaged.

Hope Early, a lifestyle and food blogger, recently moved back to her hometown of Jefferson, Connecticut; she’s renovating the home she purchased, adopted a dog named Bigelow and a cat named Princess, and is dating Chief of Police Ethan Cahill. Hope, who spent years as a magazine editor, is currently collaborating with Cooking Now, a popular food magazine, and is quite surprised when she’s offered a full-time position. Her sister, Claire Dixon, also lives in Jefferson with her husband and two children, is a licensed real estate agent, and is depressed after losing the mayoral election. Her best friend, Drew Adams, is a reporter for the North Country Gazette newspaper. Drew’s feeling pressured because he’s competing with a new cutthroat reporter, Norrie Jennings. Hope and her teammates, Claire, Drew, and Jane Merrifield, are looking forward to the Annual Scavenger Hunt. Unfortunately, early in the hunt, Hope once again finds a body. The body is identified as Lionel Whitcomb, a shady real estate developer who is currently facing felony charges. His current wife, Elaine Whitcomb, is also participating in the scavenger hunt and in the parking lot when the body is discovered, as well as Miranda Whitcomb and Rona Whitcomb, who both claim to be Lionel’s wife because their divorces were never finalized. When Maurice Pomeroy, a chef and friend of Hope’s is killed in a hit and run in the back parking lot of the same restaurant, she is convinced the two murders are connected and feels responsible because when she’d spoken to him, he remembered something he’d seen the night Lionel was murdered. Hope, who loves a mystery and has always been able to figure out whodunit in mystery books, finds herself caught up, asking questions, snooping around, and in harm’s way once again.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.
Profile Image for K.A. Davis.
Author 4 books483 followers
October 23, 2019
THREE WIDOWS AND A CORPSE, the third book in the Food Blogger Mystery series by Debra Sennefelder is another delicious addition! I’ve enjoyed watching food blogger Hope Early’s character develop over the course of the series. In this newest book she’s been invited to contribute to a feature in Cooking Now! Magazine. As a blogger myself, I appreciate the research and detail Ms. Sennefelder provides into her character’s career which lends an air of authenticity to the read. Hope Early is a likeable and friendly person, unless she needs to question you to determine if you’re a viable murder suspect. I liked how the author had people slamming doors in her face and getting mad at her for asking questions since this gives a more realistic scenario of interaction between the characters. The Food Blogger Mystery series has plenty of delightful and not so nice characters. Hands down Hope’s dog, Bigelow, steals each scene he’s in. The author’s slow reveal of the true nature of both primary and secondary characters keeps them three-dimensional, adding layers of enjoyment to the read.

Ms. Sennefelder creates a whopper of a tale by adding in not one grieving widow, but three widows to the same victim. The tension between the three women, none who knew the others existed, added to the suspense and pool of suspects. While the victim was a vile man, Hope can’t help but get involved in finding justice after finding the body. Despite her Chief of Police boyfriend’s warning to stay out of the investigation, she can’t help but ask questions and piece together the puzzle. There were plenty of twists and turns that kept me guessing while the suspenseful reveal left me a little sad. Ms. Sennefelder proves to be able to draw the reader in and have them invest emotions in the characters, which is a sign of a great read.

In between questioning suspects and tracking down clues, Hope cooks up a storm and always has plenty of food on hand to share with friends and family. Ms. Sennefelder’s recipes at the back of the book all sound amazing.

I was provided an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Maryann Forbes.
301 reviews25 followers
September 1, 2019
Three Widows and A Corpse by Debra Sennefelder is the third book in the Food Blogger Mystery series featuring Hope Early, amateur detective and recent professional food blogger. The story takes place in the quaint yet lively town of Jefferson, CT, and features an eclectic group of characters. Hope appears to have an uncanny ability to find dead bodies, much to the dismay of her boyfriend, Ethan Cahill, Jefferson Chief of Police, her sister Claire Dixon and Police Detective Sam Reid. As much as Hope’s actions concern those three, they delight her best friend and journalist Drew Adams and
her friends Jane Merrifield, owner of the Merrifield Inn and mystery novelist, and her sister-in-law Sally, the town’s retired librarian. Hope discovers the body of local businessman Lionel Whitcomb in the parking lot of a local restaurant. Lionel had a shady business reputation and was under suspicion for taking bribes at the time of his death. There were multiple potential suspects including two women who just arrived in town claiming that their divorces from Lionel were never finalized, as well as his current wife. Three widows? You can just imagine the excitement and speculation that generated, Hope became determined to find the killer. Three Widows and A Corpse is a very entertaining and engrossing book complete with likable and believable characters and a fast paced storyline that held my interest from the first to the last page. It was the first Debra Sennefelder book I read; it most certainly won’t be the last.
Profile Image for Peggy.
1,012 reviews65 followers
September 27, 2019
I enjoy Hope Early and the Food Blogger Mystery series. Hope is a naturally curious person and so when she stumbles across another body she once again asks the wrong questions and finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer. I genuinely like all of the main characters in the series. They all have something different to offer that complements Hope and as a result, they round out the story nicely. I like the way the author is writing in her romance with Ethan. It's not full steam ahead but conscious of what went wrong in her marriage and so they are taking it slow and letting it develop naturally. There were plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer. There were three wives and some other individuals who all had very plausible motives to commit the crime. The author did a good job of peppering in clues along the way and while the identity of the killer was not a surprise to me, I did fall for a red herring that caused me to dismiss the character.

I am looking forward to reading more in this series and I will definitely be returning for the next book. I voluntarily read a digital ARC provided to me by the publisher through Netgally.
Profile Image for The Cozy Review.
568 reviews42 followers
October 28, 2019
Series: A Food Blogger Mystery – Book 3
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Culinary
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count – 352

The latest culinary cozy mystery book, Three Widows and a Corpse in the “A Food Blogger Mystery” series from Debra Sennefelder, hits stores on Tuesday, October 29th. Published by Kensington Books this is a wonderfully delicious series that readers can sink their teeth into.

Hope is a very busy food blogger, and in this addition to this culinary cozy series, she finds herself knee-deep in the middle of a murder investigation and has no choice but to track down the killer. Hope volunteers to help with town activities. She is also working at a magazine on a feature. Even though she is busy, she still enjoys participating in local festivities and events, and the traditional scavenger hunt is one she plans on winning again this year. Before she and her team get started, Hope discovers the body of a local man who is about to go on trial for criminal activities. However, his wife and neighbors are about to find out that he was more than just a fraud; he was also a bigamist. This comes to light as soon as Hope finds the body, and even though she is trying to stay out of the investigation, people keep dragging her back into it.

This culinary cozy series is original, entertaining, and filled with great characters and fascinating plots. It’s rare to have a cozy deal with something as distasteful as bigamy, but in this book, it almost becomes comical. The widows, all look different but are very much alike. Each suspect, which includes the widows, a business partner, a household staff member, and company employees, is uniquely human with human flaws. The cast of characters is as varied as the setting is charming, and readers will love Hope and her friends from beginning to end.

The killer is found, and readers will likely surmise from the clues, and the many twists the identity before Hope reveals it, but this does not happen early in the book, so it makes the reading fun from start to finish. Readers will love the mouth-watering recipes. I am thrilled to recommend this new addition Three Widows and a Corpse to the culinary cozy series. I can’t wait for the next one!
Profile Image for Books.
529 reviews45 followers
May 2, 2020
This is book #3 in The Flood Blogger Mystery Series. This is the first book in the series I have read and personally I wish I had read the first two, although this can be read as a stand alone.

Hope Early is a food blogger who just happens to find a dead body during the town annual scavenger hunt. Hope is also one with a very curious personality and can’t help but ask questions involving her find. There are so many interesting characters that add to this mystery, it makes for a fun easy read. I truly did not figure out who the murderer was until just before the reveal.

Debra Sennefelder writes in a way that keeps the reader guessing and invested in the story. I will definitely be going back and reading the first two books in the series as well as reading her other series the Retail Boutique Mysteries.

I am definitely a fan of this author. If you love mysteries with lots of twists and turns she’s the author for you. Congratulations Debra on a great book!
Profile Image for Chaitra.
4,407 reviews
April 7, 2021
Eh. I made a promise to myself that I wouldn't begin my reviews with an Eh, but sometimes the Ehs are necessary. I wanted to see who would kill this unlikeable old coot, and why if no one liked him did he find himself married three times. But really it was rather boring, and I did not care who the killer was. I can't remember if she was the in previous books, but Hope is beyond irresponsible in this one. I really hated her. She inserts herself practically everywhere, and she straight out asks people if they or their loved one committed murder. I have no idea why they still like her in this town. .

I thought I could persist, but I'm done with this series.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
3,020 reviews11 followers
October 28, 2019
Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review!

3.5 stars, rounded up. The newest addition to the Food Blogger Mystery series featuring Hope Early is pretty solid. I found the mystery in this one to be on the more predictable side, but I appreciate a cozy series that gives the characters room to grow as well as letting them be sleuths, and Hope is working on both career and relationship decisions and issues throughout this story. It continues to be a cozy series I'd recommend.
Profile Image for Melmo2610.
3,542 reviews
February 3, 2020
This was easily the best of the series so far. I have enjoyed the previous books in the set but this one was a step above those. The mystery was very good and kept me entertained throughout the read. The culprit was a bit of a surprise and the end was cute. Looking forward to the next installment!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.
Profile Image for Lynn.
369 reviews13 followers
November 11, 2019
Another fun entry into the food blogger series! Hope finds herself in the middle of another local murder, this one just as crazy as the previous. Local business man Lionel Whitcomb is murdered and wives start coming out of the woodwork. Seems as if the two new ladies in town, visiting the local inn each have a connection, each claiming to be his current wife. But how can he have two others when current wife Elaine is known to be his wife amongst town folks. While Hope is starting to fly with her new blog and working with the Cooking Now staff, she finds a few minutes to delve into the local gossip and set the record straight. It's fun to have another story with the great characters of this town. I enjoy Hope's relationships with her sister Claire and her Chief of Police boyfriend and local news reporter Drew - they all have great chemistry and are fun to follow. Looking forward to the next entry in this fun series!
Profile Image for Mary.
1,789 reviews7 followers
May 10, 2020
Good mystery, interesting characters. A really enjoyable read.
559 reviews12 followers
July 11, 2019
Three Widows and a Corpse is another intriguing read in this series. The characters are very realistic and true to form. A fun scavenger hunt ends in finding a body. Then the plot continues with many twists that keeps you guessing until the end. The food will peak your appetite also to keep reading.
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