Debra Sennefelder burst onto the cozy scene in 2018 and 2019 with two series, the Food Blogger Mystery Series featuring Hope Early and the Resale Boutique Mystery Series starring Kelly Quinn. I’m loving them both.
Our Sleuths
In the Food Blogger series, our protagonist is Hope Early, who gave up her career as a successful New York City magazine editor to appear on a high-profile reality baking show, only to lose the show — and her husband — in the process. When we meet Hope, she’s returned to her small hometown of Jefferson, Connecticut, to focus on her food blog, Hope at Home.
In the Resale Boutique series, the lead character is Kelly Quinn, a former Manhattan clothing buyer who returns to her small Long Island hometown of Lucky Cove to run the consignment store bequeathed by her beloved grandmother. When we meet Kelly, she is recovering from being fired and figuring out how to update the old boutique.
Common Elements
Both series share common elements: Women from small towns who’ve found successes, and struggles, in the big city and have now returned home.
Hope is a bit older, in her 30s, and she’s tackling the renovation of an old farmhouse and raising chickens in addition to making a living as a full-time blogger. Kelly is younger, in her 20s, and her return home is complicated by the guilt she carries over an accident that left a close friend in a wheelchair.
Both are strong, independent women determined to make their own way and solve their own problems. Both have close family or friends who help, and sometimes hinder, their choices. And yes, both ladies have pets!
Why Both Series Work
The author hits all the tropes that make cozy mysteries so fun to read, with enough humor and originality to keep the reader entertained. I particularly enjoy the details of Hope and Kelly’s new careers. I love learning about Hope’s blogging duties, from scheduling posts to food photography, and how she’s renovating her old farmhouse. Kelly’s fashion knowledge is fun to read, and I like learning about the outfits she’s put together and how she’s changing the consignment store to attract a younger and more diverse crowd.
As with any cozy mystery, if the characters’ interests don’t align with yours, you likely won’t enjoy them as much. Sennefelder is a former food blogger who was born and raised in New York City, where she “majored in her hobby of fashion buying,” according to her website. She now lives in Connecticut with a seriously cute dog.
Details About the Series
The Uninvited Corpse, the debut novel in the series featuring food blogger Hope Early, was published in 2018. The eighth book in the series, The Cold Case and the Corpse, is available for pre-order.
Murder Wears a Little Black Dress, the first in the series featuring consignment boutique owner Kelly Quinn, was published in 2019. The fifth book in the series, Sleuthing in Stilettos, was published in 2020.
Why Cozies and Why Now
Full disclosure: My ancestors fought for American independence in the American Revolution and for President Lincoln’s Union army in the Civil War. I was raised in Indiana, where I attended a Methodist church growing up. On paper, this makes me a likely MAGA follower. I am not; I abhor President Trump and his policies, which favor cruelty in all its forms. I spend a great deal of time and money supporting efforts to stymie the destruction he’s wreaking on our country and our international reputation.
How do cozy mysteries fit in? Because we all sometimes need a respite from the endless stream of horrendous news coming out of our nation’s Capitol. “If you get tired, learn to rest, not quit,” is a quote attributed to the street artist Banksy. Well-written cozy mysteries with their neat and just conclusions can help us rest before continuing the fight.
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