Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Three Widows and a Corpse is the third installment in the A Food Blogger Mystery series set in Jefferson, CT and featuring food blogger Hope Early. In addition to writing her blog "Hope at Home", she's been contracted by food magazine, Cooking Now to put together a series of low cal recipes and it's also time for the annual Jefferson scavenger hunt.
Hope teams up with Drew, a reporter and her best friend; Claire, her sister who has barely left the house since losing the recent mayoral election and local innkeeper Jane to defend their title as winner's of the scavenger hunt. But when the team pulls in to the parking lot of a local restaurant to get a napkin, Hope discovers the body of real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb lying dead alongside his car.
Things take a turn when Lionel's wife Elaine appears by Hope's side along with two other women both claiming to be Lionel's current wife. Apparently Lionel was not only a sleazy developer but a bigamist too. Despite the warnings from Chief of Police, Ethan Cahill who also happens to be her boyfriend, to stay out of the investigation Hope quickly finds herself the next target of a killer.
A fast paced plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The return of series regulars and pets plus a slew of tasty recipes make for a delightful afternoon read.
Hope teams up with Drew, a reporter and her best friend; Claire, her sister who has barely left the house since losing the recent mayoral election and local innkeeper Jane to defend their title as winner's of the scavenger hunt. But when the team pulls in to the parking lot of a local restaurant to get a napkin, Hope discovers the body of real estate developer Lionel Whitcomb lying dead alongside his car.
Things take a turn when Lionel's wife Elaine appears by Hope's side along with two other women both claiming to be Lionel's current wife. Apparently Lionel was not only a sleazy developer but a bigamist too. Despite the warnings from Chief of Police, Ethan Cahill who also happens to be her boyfriend, to stay out of the investigation Hope quickly finds herself the next target of a killer.
A fast paced plot with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. The return of series regulars and pets plus a slew of tasty recipes make for a delightful afternoon read.
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.
