Title: The Corpse in the Gazebo
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Series: Food Blogger Mysteries #5
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Release Date: September 28, 2021
Pages: 215
Book Source: ARC
“It seems everyone loves Hope’s blog these days, and she’s busier than ever volunteering to help other women create their own paths to success. So she’s shocked when a neighbor petitions to run Hope right out of her small Connecticut town! Set in her ways, apparently Birdie Donovan doesn’t like the chaos Hope’s sleuthing creates, the police activity and crime scenes, and it’s happening way too often lately. Eager to make amends, Hope bakes Birdie a batch of her best muffins. The delicious treats might have smoothed things over—until Hope discovers Birdie dead in her gazebo the very next day …
Now instead of worrying about holding on to her beloved home, Hope is trying to stay out of jail. Because suddenly she’s the lead suspect in the case. Not even her boyfriend, Police Chief Ethan Cahill, is promising he can clear her name, much less discuss the investigation with her. It’s up to Hope to get to bake new ground on the case before the lifestyle brand she’s created—and her whole life—crumbles …” – Amazon
Kim’s Review
When I dive into a Food Blogger Mystery by Debra Sennefelder, I know I’m in for a lot of action. The Corpse in the Gazebo has Hope so busy with her baking blog, sponsors, teaching a class, taking care of the chickens, and more that it makes me wonder what Sennefelder’s day to day life is like. It’s been said to write what you know, and if this is true, then Sennefelder is a very, very busy woman!
Besides getting a glimpse into a blogger’s life (and how much work there is!) with fantastic recipes that are also shared at the end, this time Hope is investigating because she’s the one that all the clues are pointing to. But Sennefelder’s wonderfully developed characters are there to assist Hope in her crime solving. All of the series core characters are wonderful, but I’m a bit partial towards Jane because of her wisdom and patience and Drew because of his sass. And, of course, we can’t forget Ethan, the boyfriend/chief of police. I really appreciate that Sennefelder doesn’t have him constantly telling Hope not to investigate. And in The Corpse in the Gazebo he even pulls back from his job to help.
As for the mystery, Sennefelder always supplies the reader with lots of suspects and red herrings. I did suspect the murderer earlier on because of a thing that was mentioned that just really stood out, but that didn’t take away anything from the story, especially since there are so many other crimes going on…. that may or may not be relevant to the murder.
Another fantastic addition to the Food Blogger Mysteries, and since my husband and I have started @shidycakes on Instagram, I’m going to try out the Orange Creamsicle Cupcake recipe at the end of the book and maybe a couple of others too!
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