Friday Cozy Mystery Review: Steamed Open by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mystery)

Publishing date: Dec. 18, 2018

From the publisher: 

It’s summertime in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and the clamming is easy—or it was until a mysterious new neighbor blocks access to the beach, cutting off the Snowden Family Clambake’s supply. Julia Snowden is just one of many townspeople angered by Bartholomew Frick’s decision. But which one of them was angry enough to kill?

Beachcombers, lighthouse buffs, and clammers are outraged after Frick puts up a gate in front of his newly inherited mansion. When Julia urges him to reconsider, she’s the last to see him alive—except the person who stabs him in the neck with a clam rake. As she pores through a long list of suspects, Julia meets disgruntled employees, rival heirs, and a pair of tourists determined to visit every lighthouse in America. They all have secrets, and Julia will have to work fast to expose the guilty party—or see this season’s clam harvest dry up for good.  

My thoughts: 

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series--and just yesterday, I was trying to determine why. I read my share of cozies, especially in winter (I like the comfort factor, the small town settings). But many lose my interest after a few chapters, often because they feel predictable, or don't challenge my intellect enough (a pitfall to the cozy, alas).

Barbara Ross somehow manages to combine the small town setting with a smart mystery, plus a recurring cast with real problems and depth. That's the closest I can get to defining why this cozy series is one of my favorites.

Steamed Open takes us back to familiar Busman's Harbor, this time because one of the (somewhat reclusive and mysterious) local residents passed away (no murder), and has left her estate to a nephew who has just moved in. He restricts local access to the beach, much to the chagrin of the local clammers who rely on the location for their income. The nephew is killed at the estate just after amateur sleuth Julia Snowden has visited him, kicking the whodunit into gear.

The mystery becomes bigger and bigger, as Julia tries to uncover family history going back generations, with secrets many of Busman Harbor's residents don't want uncovered.

While some cozy series start to become repetitive after a while, I think the Maine Clambake Mystery series actually gets better. Author Barbara Ross clearly dug deep for this one (clam pun not intended), with thematic depth and more serious family history at the center of the mystery--without losing the small town charm of the cozy. Great recipes (with meaning and history) in the back, if you're so inclined.

Highly recommended. This is a cozy that elevates the genre.

If you're not familiar with the series, I highly recommend starting with the first book, Clammed Up.

**Goodreads Galley**

Friday Mystery Review: A Whisper of Bones by Ellen Hart

Publication Date: Feb. 28, 2018

From the Publisher:

Fans of Jane Lawless new and old will be fascinated by newly minted Mystery Writers of America Grandmaster Ellen Hart's latest intricate puzzle in A Whisper of Bones.

Britt Ickles doesn't remember much from her only visit to her mother's childhood home when she was a kid, except for playing with her cousin Timmy and the eruption of a sudden family feud. That's why, when she drops by unannounced after years of silence, she's shocked when her aunts tell her Timmy never existed, that she must be confusing him with someone else. But Britt can't shake the feeling that Timmy did exist...and that something horrible has happened to him. Something her aunts want to cover up.

Britt hires Jane Lawless, hoping the private investigator can figure out what really happened to her cousin. When a fire in the family's garage leads to the discovery of buried bones and one of the aunts dies suddenly and suspiciously, Jane can't help but be pulled into the case. Do the bones belong to Timmy? Was the aunt's death an accident, suicide, or homicide? What dark secret has this family been hiding for decades? It all depends on Jane Lawless to unravel.

My Thoughts:

I requested this book for review, not realizing this was book twenty-five (!!) of a series. But I could jump right in; it wasn't difficult to get to know the characters, the way it does in some series. You can easily jump in right here with A Whisper of Bones, though I'm now tempted to start at book one...

The mystery here was solid and intriguing: who is buried under the garage, and why is the whole family trying to cover it up? The story is very atmospheric, the mystery is well-written, and the series element doesn't get in the way of things--no lengthy sidetracking storylines about the secondary characters, like some series do, especially this far in.

There are quite a few perspective shifts, which made me want to get back to our lead character, and how she was going to solve the crime. But overall, I really liked this, and I'll be checking out the authors other books. Recommended, if you're behind the curve, like me (book twenty-five! how did I miss this series for so long?).

**NetGalley provided copy for review**

Mystery Book Review: Dark Saturday by Nicci French

Dark Saturday by Nicci French

William Morrow, Publication: July 11^th, 2017

From the publisher:

Thirteen years ago eighteen year old Hannah Docherty was arrested for the brutal murder of her family. It was an open and shut case and Hannah's been incarcerated in a secure hospital ever since.

When psychotherapist Frieda Klein is asked to meet Hannah and give her assessment of her she reluctantly agrees. What she finds horrifies her. Hannah has become a tragic figure, old before her time. And Frieda is haunted by the thought that Hannah might be as much of a victim as her family; that something wasn't right all those years ago.

And as Hannah's case takes hold of her, Frieda soon begins to realize that she's up against someone who'll go to any lengths to protect themselves . . . 

My thoughts:

I've followed Nicci French since the very beginning; this husband and wife writer team's is always on my to-read list, no matter the title. I will admit that Frieda Klein, the lead character in this day-of-the-week series, is a bit difficult to like at times, but overall the series is strong, atmospheric in its London setting, and generally a good mystery series to read.

Dark Saturday may be the better of the Frieda Klein books, in my opinion. The mystery driving the story is really one of character: is Hannah Docherty the killer everyone things she is? How much is her captivity in a (rather brutal) mental hospital shaping the monster she is depicted to be? Frieda Klein quickly becomes the woman's champion, which drives the story, and her investigation of the murder of Hannah's family.

Though the solution is a bit far-fetched, I loved this book all the same, because of Frieda's character. Recommended--read this series from the beginning.

**Review of an ARC from Goodreads Giveaway**