Good Morning Everyone :)
How's your week been so far?
Mine's been a little crazy as there seems to be a lot going on right now, but I never mind the busyness as it makes me feel productive.
Since the days has been so busy lately, I've especially been enjoying curling up with a book before bed to unwind and relax, and I've read quite a few amazing reads lately.
I've been reading the Maine Clambake series by Barbara Ross for a few years, and it's definitely become one of my all time favorite cozy mystery series. I couldn't wait to dive into the newest release in the series, and after finishing it I knew I needed to share my thoughts and opinions about it with you all.
Sealed Off by Barbara Ross:
Source: Library
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: December 31st, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Maine Clambake
Synopsis:
Early October is “winding down” time in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but there’s nothing relaxing about it for Julia Snowden. Between busloads of weekend leaf peepers at the Snowden Family Clambake and a gut renovation of the old mansion on Morrow Island, she’s keeping it all together with a potentially volatile skeleton crew—until one of them turns up dead under the firewood.
When the Russian demo team clearing out the mansion discovers a room that’s been sealed off for decades, Julia’s baffled as to its purpose and what secrets it might have held. Tensions are already simmering with the crew, but when one of the workers is found murdered, things come to a boil. With the discovery of another body—and a mysterious diary with Cyrillic text in the hidden room—the pressure’s on Julia to dig up a real killer fast. But she’ll have to sort through a pile of suspects, including ex-spouses, a spurned lover, and a recently released prisoner, to fish out one clammed-up killer.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I was really looking forward to diving into Sealed Off after finding out it was going to be about more of Julia's mother's history, especially the history surrounding the family's beloved run down estate, Windsholme. My favorite installment in this series was Iced Under, as I loved all the backstory and mystery that's revealed about this side of the family.
This one kicks off near the end of the Snowden Family Clambake's season. It's almost Columbus Day, and the clambakes are only being offered on the weekends. Tensions have begun arising between a few of the staff members thanks to a tricky love triangle, and Julia's only hoping that they can manage to get through the last of the season without any issues. However, everything comes to a head when two of the employees end up in a heated argument that results in a fistfight. Soon after, one of the employees is found murdered on the island, and Julia's thrown headfirst into another murder investigation.
This title was especially interesting in that there is a second mystery woven throughout the story when the demolition crew hired to begun work on Windsholme finds a sealed off room that no ever knew about that's been left untouched for many, many years. Julia's determined to get to the bottom of both mysteries, even though her sleuthing ways may very well be putting her in the pathway of a dangerous killer.
I wouldn't personally say that this title is a favorite from the series for me, but I will say that I found the second mystery surrounding the hidden room to hold my interest longer than the murder mystery did. I love the setting and history surrounding the clambake, the Snowden family and Windsholme and I was happy to have another title that dives into more about this beautiful estate.
Sealed Off was another lovely addition to the Maine Clambake series, and I'm very much looking forward to more books in this series in the future. I only wish that Barbara Ross would finally give us readers some clarification as to where Julia and Chris' relationship is going as I don't feel much has happened between them since the earliest novels in the series.
Final Rating 4/5
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owner.
How's your week been so far?
Mine's been a little crazy as there seems to be a lot going on right now, but I never mind the busyness as it makes me feel productive.
Since the days has been so busy lately, I've especially been enjoying curling up with a book before bed to unwind and relax, and I've read quite a few amazing reads lately.
I've been reading the Maine Clambake series by Barbara Ross for a few years, and it's definitely become one of my all time favorite cozy mystery series. I couldn't wait to dive into the newest release in the series, and after finishing it I knew I needed to share my thoughts and opinions about it with you all.
Sealed Off by Barbara Ross:
Source: Library
Publisher: Kensington
Publication Date: December 31st, 2020
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Series: Maine Clambake
Synopsis:
Early October is “winding down” time in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but there’s nothing relaxing about it for Julia Snowden. Between busloads of weekend leaf peepers at the Snowden Family Clambake and a gut renovation of the old mansion on Morrow Island, she’s keeping it all together with a potentially volatile skeleton crew—until one of them turns up dead under the firewood.
When the Russian demo team clearing out the mansion discovers a room that’s been sealed off for decades, Julia’s baffled as to its purpose and what secrets it might have held. Tensions are already simmering with the crew, but when one of the workers is found murdered, things come to a boil. With the discovery of another body—and a mysterious diary with Cyrillic text in the hidden room—the pressure’s on Julia to dig up a real killer fast. But she’ll have to sort through a pile of suspects, including ex-spouses, a spurned lover, and a recently released prisoner, to fish out one clammed-up killer.
(synopsis from goodreads)
My Review:
I was really looking forward to diving into Sealed Off after finding out it was going to be about more of Julia's mother's history, especially the history surrounding the family's beloved run down estate, Windsholme. My favorite installment in this series was Iced Under, as I loved all the backstory and mystery that's revealed about this side of the family.
This one kicks off near the end of the Snowden Family Clambake's season. It's almost Columbus Day, and the clambakes are only being offered on the weekends. Tensions have begun arising between a few of the staff members thanks to a tricky love triangle, and Julia's only hoping that they can manage to get through the last of the season without any issues. However, everything comes to a head when two of the employees end up in a heated argument that results in a fistfight. Soon after, one of the employees is found murdered on the island, and Julia's thrown headfirst into another murder investigation.
This title was especially interesting in that there is a second mystery woven throughout the story when the demolition crew hired to begun work on Windsholme finds a sealed off room that no ever knew about that's been left untouched for many, many years. Julia's determined to get to the bottom of both mysteries, even though her sleuthing ways may very well be putting her in the pathway of a dangerous killer.
I wouldn't personally say that this title is a favorite from the series for me, but I will say that I found the second mystery surrounding the hidden room to hold my interest longer than the murder mystery did. I love the setting and history surrounding the clambake, the Snowden family and Windsholme and I was happy to have another title that dives into more about this beautiful estate.
Sealed Off was another lovely addition to the Maine Clambake series, and I'm very much looking forward to more books in this series in the future. I only wish that Barbara Ross would finally give us readers some clarification as to where Julia and Chris' relationship is going as I don't feel much has happened between them since the earliest novels in the series.
Final Rating 4/5
Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)
This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owner.
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