Member Reviews

I found this boring . I think some would like it but unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

I can’t recommend.

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When a new shoe store opens in Lucky Cove, no one seems to like the owner, Miranda. Nevertheless, Kelly reaches out and invites Miranda to the Chamber of Commerce meeting. Shortly after Miranda is found dead and Kelly's uncle is n the scene. Even worse is the fact that multiple people witnessed her uncle and Miranda fighting. Kelly is targeted as she investigates the murder. With her investigating style, it is no wonder someone is after her. Kelly thinks it is a great idea to just walk up to someone and accuse them of murder. I would rate the book higher if Kelly were a more likable character.

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Princess Fuzzypants here: Kelly is investigating the murder of a fellow merchant after her uncle is discovered standing over the body. The woman had just returned to town recently having left many years earlier under several clouds to her reputation. Those who knew her thought she was a gold digger at best and a thief and murderer at worst. Needless to say, there were lots of people who were not happy to see her again other than her uncle. Which one of them is the killer?

Here is where the book went off the rails for me. Kelly is, in spite of her cop boyfriend’s pleas, is determined to solve the murder but she is so ham-fisted in her questioning that it is no wonder she antagonizes everyone. Tact and finesse are lacking and she is lucky the killer took so long to put a target on her back. I have enjoyed the series. I do not recall her being so tone deaf. It detracted from an otherwise interesting premise. Even her kitty cannot save it for me. Three purrs and one paw up.

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Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Just absolutely wonderful.

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Such a cute and fun cozy mystery. I loved it! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a light, fun suspense!

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Arguments abound in the newest addition to the “A Resale Boutique Mystery” series, Sleuthing in Stilettos. A new shopkeeper, Miranda, has moved in a few doors down from Kelly’s shop, and apparently, no one in town wants the woman or her business, especially Kelly’s uncle. When Kelly’s uncle is seen publicly arguing with Miranda and then found standing over her dead body, the gossip mill starts grinding, and Kelly has to figure out who the killer is before her uncle finds himself locked up for good.

There are suspects, an entire town of them, an ex-husband, and ex-in-laws. The evidence is sketchy and isn’t plausible or, sometimes, relevant. There doesn’t appear to be anyone who liked Miranda, and everyone in town had arguments with her. The police do not appear to be a factor; they feel that they have their man and aren’t looking for any other suspects. To be honest, I had a difficult time finding anything good in this story. I didn’t find any characters that I liked; even Kelly got on my nerves. The ending was predictable, the reveal of the murderer uninspiring. But if the reader doesn’t know who the killer is as soon as they are introduced, they probably weren’t reading this book.

I have liked other books in this series, but Sleuthing in Stilettos just didn’t give me any enjoyment. The continuous arguments and strife between the victim and the townspeople, not to mention the way Kelly’s uncle treats her, made the story unenjoyable for me. And… by the time Miranda’s killer is unmasked, I was well past caring who killed her or why. I gave this story three stars because of a few of the returning characters’ small parts, but there was little I found that I could praise. Hopefully, the next installment will be better.

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Almost stopped reading this because Kelly was getting on my last nerve. The ending was sweet but she needs to work on not being such a witch. She came off as very unlikable and not just when the killer was messing with her. Hoping the next story is better.

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Kelly Quinn is enjoying the current success of her resale shop. She seems to have finally settled into her groove. Now if she could just stay away from murders and dead bodies. Unfortunately, the latest death of a local shopkeeper is being blamed on Kelly's uncle. She's determined to get to the bottom of the mystery and clear her uncle's name.

Fun and interesting cozy mystery. Great characters and plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing. How fun would it be to own a resale shop?

Many thanks to Kensington/Lyrical Press and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

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Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder has Kelly Quinn questioning her sanity while trying to keep her uncle out of jail.

Will Kelly figure out who killed Miranda? Can she restore the townspeople's faith in her?

Kelly Quinn
Kelly has a good life right now. A boyfriend that actually seems to like her and not boss her around, a thriving business, and being a part of the community she has learned to love. The problem is that a new business owner, who Kelly thought could be her friend, doesn't belong there, and her death has made it hard for Kelly with the townspeople who once trusted her. In every book I read in this series, Kelly keeps on growing as a character and leaves behind her ideology of what she knew in New York. I love Kelly and how she's dealing with everything that has happened. Sure, she's having a hard time dealing with her grief from her cousin's death, but she's working through it. If I were to see Kelly on the streets, as a living person, I would envy her fashion sense but probably be too scared to say hi because of how great she is.

The Victim and Mystery
Miranda Farrell is back in Lucky Cove after leaving twenty years ago. The victim has a lot of skeletons in her closet. Kelly finds them as she investigates her death. Miranda lost two husbands and left Lucky Cove to start over again. She returned because she wanted a second chance and to start a business there. As Kelly is investigating, she discovers that maybe everything is connected but doesn't know how. Poor Kelly is beginning to think she is going crazy along with the townsfolk. I had no clue who did it until the murderer revealed themselves and why they did it. My mind was utterly blown.

Five Stars
Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder is another fantastic book by this author. I love every mystery that Ms. Sennefelder has written, and I can't wait to read more from her. Ms. Sennefelder stumped me, as I couldn't figure out whodunit. None of the red herrings stuck with me, so I didn't have anyone in my mind like I usually do. I am giving five stars to Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder and recommending it to everyone. It takes place during the fall through Thanksgiving.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Sleuthing in Stilettos by Debra Sennefelder.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

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I was provided this ARC by Netgalley and the Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start by saying this is the first book I read in this series.

Not my favorite cozy.

I liked Kelly Quinn a lot - I did not care for the rest of the characters in this fictional Long Island Town. The way they treated Kelly as she was investigating turned me off. I kept trying to see what was not working for me. The mystery was okay, although the reason behind it was crazy - that worked for me.

What didn't..... Uncle Ralph, and various store owners, - the way they treated Kelly, and in some cases just stopped talking to her was terrible. I get it, we need some discourse but this is a cozy - I wasn't expecting that much discord.

Anyways, not my favorite read.

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This is the 5th instalment in Debra Sennefelder's Resale Boutique series. Kelly Quinn is back in her hometown and trying to make some cash from second-hand shopping. After inheriting the business from her gran she is updating it with current trends and styles. It's October and Miranda Farrell is the proprietor of a new shoe shop called Miranda & James and so Kelly invites Miranda to a Chamber of Commerce meeting to be held at the Lucky Cove Inn. At the meeting Miranda is not well-received and later, after the lunch, Miranda is found dead in her shoe shop...

The story was very intriguing and there were enough suspects to make the identification of the killer rather challenging. Debra Sennefelder's seemingly simple plot was layered with subterfuge and interesting connections as Kelly got ever more involved in the murder investigation. The author has done an excellent job of developing the main character's personality and Kelly has an unwavering need to help others, making it easy for me to continue to bond with her. Kelly is also surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. I can't wait to see what happens next in Kelly's adventures. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

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There's a lot of potential but this series it not my cup of tea as I'm not a fan of the MCs and the story didn't keep my attention
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

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Dollycas’s Thoughts

Kelly is still reeling from her cousin’s death and thinks keeping herself as busy as possible will help her deal with it. So she takes on some vast responsibilities at the Chamber of Commerce including personally inviting the new shoe store owner, Miranda Farrell, to the next meeting. She finds out too late that Miranda has a history in Lucky Cove, so she wasn’t well-received at the meeting. Kelly is also trying to find a way to reconcile her friendship with Ariel after a long-held secret was revealed. Unfortunately, her presentation at the chamber meeting for the Small Business Saturday makes matters worse. It also gets her removed from the chamber.

Soon after Kelly finds herself in the middle of another murder when Miranda’s dead body is found in her shoe shop with Kelly’s uncle standing over her body. Miranda and her uncle have had several arguments witnessed by others but Kelly can’t believe he would kill her over business-related squabbles. With her chamber obligations removed she has plenty of time to investigate the murder. Now if she could just find her computer mouse and her keys. Blast it! Nate is going to be upset with her butting into his case again.

I love Kelly and her fashion sense, I really do, but the girl really needs to work on her sleuthing techniques. She just can’t ask basic questions without accusing the person of murder and then wonders why they get mad. I know her heart is in the right place but seriously one of these days there won’t be anyone left to rescue her when she gets herself in trouble. Every time she started to question someone I wanted to jump into the book and try to protect her from herself. I will say that a lot of character development occurs with Kelly as the book continues and for that, I was very delighted.

Kelly is surrounded by an excellent supporting cast. She has been through a lot and she needs her friends. I am happy to see Breena starting something new. I like the way Nate and Kelly’s relationship is developing and that he is opening himself up more to her. She needs a strong man in her life.

Miranda Farrell had a slew of people that could have wanted her dead so there really is a nice suspect pool. A friend getting seriously injured shakes things up but Kelly doesn’t give up. The author throws in some excellent twists and interesting connections to keep everyone guessing. I was completely surprised when the killer was revealed. The showdown was exciting and I loved the person who showed up just in time!

Sleuthing in Stiletto’s lead character may have frustrated me at times, but the story grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let go. I stayed up late to finish because I knew I wasn’t going to go to sleep until I knew whodunit!

Another Perfect Escape from Debra Sennefelder, that is not a surprise. She is a fantastic storyteller.

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Kelly Quinn has had a tough year, the death of close cousin, being forced to keep a secret for the sake of family, and the possible loss of a lifelong friendship. Keeping busy seems to help, there are always new consignors and the Shop Small Saturday event planning helps, but is it too much? Things seem to go missing and Kelly isn’t remembering to lock doors or send messages, is she getting overwhelmed? Kelly doesn’t think so, and when she and her part time Boutique clerk Breena find shoe store owner Miranda, dead and Kelly’s uncle Ralph standing over her body…Again, Kelly is asked to help family and make sure that uncle Ralph is off of the suspect list. It shouldn’t be too hard, not one single person has said one good thing about Miranda Farrell’s return since she left Lucky Cover twenty years ago under a dark cloud and two dead husbands. Kelly is the sort of sleuth who can ask the tough questions, although it doesn’t make her popular. She is also smart enough to share what she learns with her sort of boyfriend, Detective Nate Barber. So many suspects and are they ever touchy about being questioned, are they hiding something or is it a bit of red herring? Plenty of backstory, so yes this is a stand-alone cozy mystery but you will want to read the others to see just how much Kelly has become a party of the community which has become part of her family.

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Kelly gets embroiled in solving another murder much to Nate's objections, when the new owner of the shoe store is found dead and all fingers point at Uncle Ralph. This is the fifth book in the resale boutique mystery series and it was a fun read. Kelly seems a bit confused in this story as lots of haphazard things have been happening to her. The mystery had enough twists and turns to keep me interested out. The characters in this series are great and the kitty is as cute as a button.

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This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

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Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be reading any more of this series; I had a really hard time with this book and specifically how are MC went about "solving" the case. This time around, everyone seemed very mean; Frankie and how he was with Pepper and trying to get Kelly's help, Kelly basically just bluntly asking everyone if they were the killer, her attitude with Nate saying he just needed a break from her while he was solving the case.....it was all too much for me. I did enjoy the last few chapters of the book and how it all wrapped up though.

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Kelly owns The Lucky Cove Resale Boutique. Along with going through closets belonging to live customers looking to clear them out and make some money, in this case she's helping a friend clear out her late mother's clothing, She has another talent - she has a knack of finding dead bodies and tracking down killers. In this, the fifth of the series, her uncle becomes prime suspect #1 when Kelly finds him standing over the dead body of Miranda, newly retuned to Lucky Cove. Kelly needs to find who wanted Miranda dead and was it a current issue or did it have something to do with her past and her crook of a husband. All Kelly wanted was to help local businesses so she joined the Chamber of Commerce. She then asks Miranda to join, too. Miranda has opened a shoe store, is new(ish) to town so it sounds like a good idea. Instead it all derails and Kelly not only has her hands full trying to clear her Uncle of Miranda's murder but she has been turfed from the chamber of Commerce and people are not happy with her. Time to sort things out and catch the killer.
This is one of my favorite series. The characters are well fleshed out and the mystery has plenty of twists, turns and a few red herrings to keep my guessing to the last page.
My thanks to the publisher Lyrical Underground Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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This fifth installment to the Resale Boutique Mystery series is a solid addition to the series. Kelly’s uncle becomes the prime suspect in the murder of a shoe store owner who recently returned to town. She has a history, and not in a good way, with many of the residents. Ralph is found standing over her body and of course he would be a suspect since they had many heated public confrontations. Kelly and her uncle may have their issues, but she knows he’s not a killer. I thought this was a very good book. The mystery was good, the characters have very distinct personalities, the family and community dynamics add depth to the story and there’s a bit of romance. The only negative for me personally is that Kelly often lacks tact and compassion when she questions people. Also since she’s been successful in solving previous murders, she seems to think that she’s more capable of finding the killer than the police. Solving the murder before the detective seems to be her goal rather than finding justice for the victims. This detracted a bit from my enjoyment of what is a good mystery.

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This is the best one yet of the resale series. Yeah, I think this one may be my favorite! This is how a cozy mystery should; murder and mayhem but wholesome. And an added bonus is that, it’s so right there with the festive vibe. If you’re looking for a new cozy mystery to binge on, I urge you to read this series. Especially if you like fashion and pumpkin spice goodies!

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