Allie is helping her Aunt run a lobster shack, and helps work a latest contest. When one of the judges falls ill and others do too, it all leads to a lot of bad publicity and scared eaters. Enjoyed this one overall, but a lot of red herrings and twists and turns that made it harder to follow at times. Still though, wanted to see how it ends and would recommend.

I really enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. Mystic Falls is hosting a lobster roll contest to kick off the summer season and YUM network is broadcasting the show. Allie and her Sister are helping her Aunt Gully at the Lazy Mermaid prepare for the contest and summer tourists. Everything is fine until the celebrity judges fall sick after eating a lobster roll. When suspicion falls on Aunt Gully Allie sets out to solve the crime. I really enjoyed the characters and the small town setting. The mystery was very good with lots of suspects, red herrings and twists and turns. The solution was good and made sense. The book was a quick, easy and fun read. It was a perfect summer book. I am looking for word to reading the next one in the series. Enjoy

This is a cute little mystery, set in a cozy New England town. When a taste testing contest judge dies while eating a lobster roll, Who dunnit? Why? You'll have to read to find out more...

I was worried this would be too similar to other New England cozies I read. But fear not, Mystic Bay, Allie Larkin and the lobster shack make for a wonderful start to a new series. The Lobster Roll contest made this land bound reader hungry for the real thing!

Allie Larkin, a ballet dancer who has broken her ankle, has returned to Mystic Bay, Connecticut to recover. Her Aunt Gully, recently widowed, has opened The Mermaid Lobster Shack. She was selected to participate in the Memorial Day Lobster Roll competition. When the judges are poisoned with the first contestant’s entry, Aunt Gully becomes a suspect as she was alone with the food. One of the judges dies so it becomes a murder investigation. Allie begins to investigate to not only help Aunt Gully, but to find out who was responsible for all the nefarious goings on in Mystic Bay.
As this is the first in a new series, we meet the main characters in Mystic Bay. Allie seems to be trying to keep busy while recuperating, however does not seem to worry as much about her ankle as you would expect a dedicated ballerina would. She is smart and persistent as well as being helpful and loyal. She is also well liked by those in the town. Aunt Gully is wonderful. She was funny, bright and the typical quirky matriarch in a small town. She wants to take care of everyone and always thinks the best of them all. It looks like Allie has a love interest that may blossom in the next book. Lorel, Allie’s sister is the brains and serious one in the family. She does whatever she can to promote Aunt Gully’s restaurant. The other characters in town are all introduced and I hope we get to know them more in future books. Overall, the quirkiness is there with all these characters. The setting is wonderful and I wanted to take a trip to the next Lobster Festival and enjoy the ambiance of this small seaside town. The plot moved smoothly and I read this one quite quickly. I enjoyed the story and the mystery. I did not figure out who the murderer was until just before the reveal as the story came together. I am looking forward to giving the next book in this series a try. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.

Shari Randall Interview By E. B. Davis 012918


Allie Larkin was living her dream as a ballet dancer when a bad fall put her out of business. Now she’s back home in Mystic Bay to heal a broken ankle while also helping her dear Aunt Gully get her Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack off the ground. Nothing would help Gully more than winning the local food festival’s Best Lobster Roll contest. The competition is sure to be killer—especially after one of the contest judges dies after eating a roll from one of Gully’s biggest rivals.

Soon, all eyes fall on Gully as the prime suspect. Allie may only have one good leg to stand on, but she’s not going to let her aunt go down for a crime she never could have cooked up. Can Allie, along with her devoted crew of friends, family, and customers, find a way to trap the killer and claw herself out of this hard-boiled murder case?
Amazon.com


Aunt Gully sipped her Scotch and patted Lucia’s hand. “There’s no
way on God’s green earth there was anything wrong with that lobster salad.”
Her words echoed in the cavernous kitchen.
Our drawn faces reflected in a glass breakfront across from the breakfast nook. I felt like an exhibit under glass in a museum, a still life called Four Women Hiding Out with Scotch.
Shari Randall, Curses, Boiled Again! (Chapter 9/Kindle Loc 772)


After reading Curses, Boiled Again! and contemplating this interview, I realized Shari Randall drew together elements, which, at first glance, seemed unrelated. But they complemented and enhanced the charm of this fast-paced novel. My thoughts roved among—lobsters, dance moves, Victorian keepsakes and language of flowers, cars, Scotch, mystery children, sibling rivalry, old-time movie stars, mermaidabilia, recipes—and ended with the realization that it’s been too long since I’ve eaten lobster!

Curses, Boiled Again! starts the Lobster Shack Mystery series. Against The Claw, the second novel in the series, will be released on July 31, 2018.

Please applaud WWK blogger Shari Randall in her debut as a newly published novelist!
E. B. Davis


How did the deal come about? Did you write a proposal? Did you create the premise? Was your contract a three-book deal? Funny story. We moved from Virginia to Connecticut, and while we were house shopping we rented a rambling old place on the Connecticut shore that overlooked a tiny town called Noank. Noank has some fantastic lobster shacks, including two of my favorites, Ford’s and Abbott’s. Three days after we moved in, I got a call from my agent asking if I’d do a proposal for a series St. Martin’s wanted set in a lobster shack. I was standing on my front porch, and I remember turning around, looking to over the water to Noank, and thinking, this was meant to be! So I did the proposal, St. Martin’s liked it and gave me a three book deal.

Did you think up the ridiculous and fun title? (I love the lobster’s perspective!) I wish I could take credit for this title but it’s straight from the publisher. I think someone at St. Martin’s cooked up the title and then decided that they needed a book to go with it.

I gathered that Mystic Bay wasn’t too far from Boston, but is Mystic Bay based on Mystic, CT? You’re on to me! I live near Mystic, CT, and you will not find a more charming little town. Mystic Bay is my version, with shades of even more adorable little towns nearby which shall remain nameless because I don’t want them getting any more overrun with tourists than they already are.

Allie (Allegra) Larkin, your main character, has been side-lined from her career in the ballet due to an ankle break, but unbelievably, it didn’t happen on the stage. What happened to Allie? Allie tripped and fell down the stairs of a house she shared with other dancers in Boston while carrying laundry to the washing machine in the basement. As everyone in the book says, how on earth does a ballerina manage to trip down the stairs? You’ll have to read Book Three to find out.

Aunt Gully (Gina) Fontana opened the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack after her husband’s death. We learn that Aunt Gully (their father’s sister) helped raise the sisters when their mother died. How did Aunt Gully get her name? Unfortunately for those within earshot, Gully loves to sing. Her voice is reminiscent of a sea gull’s.

What is mermaidabilia? Mermaidabilia is what Aunt Gully calls her extensive collection of all things mermaid – jewelry, figurines, dolls, carvings, including a life-sized ship’s figurehead. (BTW that mermaid cameo you found is spectacular!) She decorated her lobster shack with her collection and now her customers bring her mermaid souvenirs from all over the world.

The YUM food network sponsors the contest of four restaurants’ lobster rolls to determine which has the best. The murder resulted from contamination of one restaurant’s sample lobster salad. All of the judges get sick, but only one dies—one who was old and frail and may not have been the intended victim. Allie not only has to figure out the identity of the murderer, but she must also figure out who was the target. You’ve made it doubly hard on your MC. Upping the ante for mystery writers? It’s funny. I remember the moment when I realized what I had done. Whoa! But that’s why we read mysteries, right? To untangle the clues and solve the puzzle. Just wait. My editor says Book Two has even more twists.

Two sisters can hardly be more different. Allie is a ballet dancer, an artistic performer, and a people person. Sister Lorel (Lorelei) has a MBA and is more concerned about PR than about people. How do sisters, born in the same household with the same adults for guidance possess such different values? It’s the ongoing debate – nature vs. nurture. I’ve heard that birth order has a great effect on personality development also, and I’ve found that to be true. (I’m a middle sister.) In Allie and Lorel’s case, I wonder if Allie’s more imaginative temperament developed in response to her sister’s no-nonsense personality. I also wonder if it was inevitable that Lorel was going to be emotionally walled off since I did take her mother away from her when she was four years old. I still feel terrible about that. The funny thing about Allie and Lorel is they want the same thing – to help Aunt Gully’s Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack succeed. They just go about it very differently.

Allie’s best friend Verity Brooks owns Verity’s Vintage clothing store. The two share a love of old movies and the clothing and dance of those times. What does Verity’s 1962 DeSoto say about her personality? Verity is one of those people who was born in the wrong era. She sees herself as a sixties starlet, perhaps an Audrey Hepburn or Diana Ross. I have to say that I’m with her on cars, and especially on vintage clothes. The elegance, style, quality workmanship, and artistry of designer clothes from the fifties and sixties is breathtaking.

Did you find cars to give readers insight into your characters’ personalities? What about Lorel’s BMW? Aunt Gully’s van? Allie’s no-car-at-all? I adore old cars – especially old muscle cars! And they can be so useful for characterization. I can’t imagine a go getter businesswoman like Lorel in anything other than a BMW. Aunt Gully has a practical mom mobile, of course. Allie’s no-car-at-all probably stems mostly from the fact that having a car in a city like Boston is more trouble than it’s worth.

My daughter had an expensive, but short-lived purple phase. Do all little girls have a purple phase? A mermaid phase? An expensive purple phase? You’ll have to share that story! Little girls do have their phases – purple, mermaid, horse, dance. I had a dance phase and haven’t outgrown it yet.

I’ve exercised with a barre, but what is “floor barre” and how does Allie practice with it? I had to do a lot of research on dancers’ rehabilitation, and I found lots of references to “floor barre.” It just means that the dancers do many of the same stretches they would normally do standing at the barre while they lie on the floor with weight off the injured limb. Part of my research included a visit to the Boston Ballet – they have an onsite physical therapy room with massage/PT tables, Pilates reformer machines, weights, and staff physical therapists and masseurs. It’s a profession that is tremendously hard on the body.

Most sleuths believe there is no such thing as coincidence. Allie wonders about the case, the timing of all the clues, but there are complications that may or may not have anything to do with the murder. Do you believe there is no such thing as coincidence? I believe that all kinds of crazy things happen every day. Having said that, too many coincidences in a mystery frustrate me, frustrated Allie, and I think, can frustrate the reader, also.

The victim, old actress and dancer Contessa Wells, and her sister Juliet live in a huge old house in Mystic Bay. Verity has been asked by Juliet to buy Contessa’s wardrobe for her vintage clothing store, a chance she jumps at. Allie and Verity see a portrait of the two sisters as youngsters. Each sister’s picture is bordered with a braid of hair. What was hair art? The Victorians were fascinating, weren’t they? They would often weave jewelry or other decorative objects from their hair or the hair of loved ones as a way to remember them. Many pieces were made to remember deceased loved ones – the Victorians were obsessed with death – after all, infant and child mortality was extremely high at that time. But friends would also exchange a lock of hair or hair jewelry. Travel was difficult and friends and family often parted from each other knowing that they truly would never see each other again, so the hair jewelry or object was a tangible remembrance. Queen Victoria was known for passing down her hair jewelry to her grandchildren. Creepy and fascinating!

What is a lachrymatory, and whatever were they used for? A small vessel, sometimes found in Greek or Roman tombs, to hold tears. I think they believed that tears had special magical powers (just like in the Harry Potter books). As usual, the Victorians, who had made mourning into an art form, adopted these ornate little bottles. I simply cannot imagine trying to collect my tears, but there you go.

Aunt Gully claims that “Happy lobsters are delicious lobsters.” She won’t accept culls or sleepers. What are they? How does she know which lobsters are happy? Aunt Gully connects with lobsters on a level that mystifies everyone. As a matter of fact, she insists on singing to the lobsters to keep them happy as they become a lucky tourist’s lunch. Culls are lobsters that have lost a claw. They can be okay to eat when you’re not worried about presentation. Sleepers, however, are lobsters that are sluggish. They’ve been stored too long and are close to death. Aunt Gully would never serve one.


What’s next for Allie? Poor Allie! My concept for this series was Murder, She Wrote with a protagonist who could do her own stunts. A dancer fit the bill, but I had to find a way to get her to Mystic Bay – thus the broken ankle. She’s healing slowly and starting to enjoy sleuthing, so stay tuned. She’ll be staying in Mystic Bay for at least two more books helping Aunt Gully make the perfect lobster roll, and …… No spoilers!

How does it feel to be a full-fledged mystery author, Shari? Ha! I’m not sure I’m there yet though holding my first novel in my hands does feel great. Actually, I can remember one time when I truly did feel like a full-fledged author – when you asked me to be part of this blog after I published my first short story in Chesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder. That meant the world to me. Thank you, E. B.!

I enjoyed the story, both the introduction to the characters and town and the mystery which keeps you guessing. Allie is the main character, but the author is setting her up to have some strong secondary character support and I hope she does use them well in the next books. There's plenty of locals and temporary characters brought in providing a nice cast of potential murders. It's introduced to us that Allie and Lorel have minor issues with her father's romantic partner and with so much else going on with the food show, the murder, three locals involved in a personal dispute, Verity's job and more I wonder why. I didn't think it was necessary here, but it was brief and their father and his paramour may end up playing a role in the next book so the author may have wanted to set them up now.

While Allie says she knows who the killer is, I missed where the clues that tell her the killer are revealed to her (and the reader). I felt the killer outed themself, but it was done with flair so it worked for me.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
Humans can be very competitive. Some will go to great extremes to get what they want. Allie discovers this when she returns to her hometown to help her Aunt Gully in her lobster shack. Gully has been selected as finalist on food network cook=off but she did not expect one of the judges to have been a literal finalist when the judges are poisoned and one succumbs
The initial suspect is another local contestant. The fact that he is a rather rough individual does not win him any favours but Allie finds the proof that he is innocent. Sadly, that just means the spotlight gets turned on both Gully and Allie.
There are a ton of twists and turns and surprises turning this into a delicious treat. Allie is a fascinating character= a ballerina who is forced to recuperate from a debilitating ankle break. Her theatrical knowledge helps her solve the mystery when no one else could. She is surrounded by an interesting group of supporting cast. And the mystery is a jolly good one. In fact, I had no idea until all was revealed.
I give this five purrs and two paws up.

I reviewed this title for RT Book Reviews February digital edition please see the review there.

Curses, Boiled Again! by Shari Randall is the first book in the all new cozy Lobster Shack Mystery series. This first book introduces readers to Allie Larkin a ballet dancer who has returned home to Mystic Bay while she heals from a broken ankle. While at home Allie has been helping her Aunt Gully with her Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack and trying to help it be successful.
Aunt Gully is delightful as a charchter and adds a humorous fun element to the story. The seaside setting and the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack described in detail adds a delicious element to the story. Our protagonist Allie is a positive upbeat person and has a lot of growth potential as the main charchter.
As the story proceeds to a contest Aunt Gully needs to win, a murder occurs and Allie is on the case.
I loved the well crafted sleuth, the location and fun characters. This series has great potential for a long term cozy series and I look forward to the next in series.
Thank you to the publisher for the ARC which did not influence my review. A excellent cozy debut !

Dancer Allie Larkin had an argument with a staircase, and the staircase won. Her ankle lost, getting broken in two places. Taking a break from dancing in order to heal, she heads back to Mystic Bay to help her Aunt Gully open her lobster restaurant. The Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack has already started to make a name for itself, with its simple, delicious, classic lobster roll and Aunt Gully's homey decorations and large personality. 

But to really get the restaurant's name out there, Aunt Gully entered the Best Lobster Roll contest at the local food fair. With the television coverage, a win there would cement Aunt Gully's reputation and seal the restaurant's success. Competing against three other popular lobster rolls, Aunt Gully has her work cut out for her. The judges are the mayor, a former Broadway actress who is appearing in a local production, and a team of tasters from YUM Network. 

Allie and her sister Lorel wait in the audience in anticipation as the entrants come on the stage, and then the judges are introduced. The first lobster roll comes out, is presented to the judges, and with just one bite, they are instantly sick. EMTs rush them to the hospital, but it's not enough to save them all. The actress dies, and the cooks are devastated. Allie and Lorel whisk their aunt away from the cancelled festival, but they can't help but wonder what happened. These were professional chefs working with fresh ingredients, so food poisoning seems unlikely. So what happened? And why? 

Aunt Gully had been getting some threatening letters, from the Lobster Liberation Society, but would they go so far as this to prove their point? Or was this about something else entirely? Allie has to know the truth, even if it puts her in danger, so she grabs her best friend Verity and investigates the case. 

Curses, Boiled Again is the first in a new cozy series, and author Shari Randall brings the flavor with this classic, charming introduction. I really loved this book! The characters are adorable, and the mystery is well written and engaging. The Lobster Shack Mystery Series is a very welcome addition to the mystery shelves. And read this one soon, as her new book in the series is coming out this summer! 



Galleys for Curses, Boiled Again were provided by St. Martin's Press through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Curses, Boiled Again!
Shari Randall

I just loved Aunt Gully. She is such a kooky character. Never had a lobster roll but I sure would like to have one. This story involves a murder at a Lobster roll compition and festival. The characters are well written and the plot has a great twist at the end. I loved the descriptions of the "lobster shacks" and the quaint town in Conn. A wonderful twist and turn plot. A fast read, just perfect for a rain or cold day..
Well done.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So glad I did

Oh, this was an absolutely wonderful start to a new series! Allie Larkin, a ballerina with a broken ankle, finds herself back home in Mystic Bay, helping her Aunt Gully run her new lobster shack. When a judge at a lobster roll competition winds up dead, and the other judges poisoned, Aunt Gully finds herself as a suspect. Allie, along with her BFF Verity, must figure out who really committed the crime...so they can save Aunt Gully and her lobster shack.

I was sucked into this story right away! The seaside setting of Mystic Bay and the entertaining cast of characters had me happily reading late into the night. There were plenty of twists to keep me guessing, and I liked the little mysteries that were in the story as well. I am already looking forward to my next visit to Mystic Bay.

What a cute story! I am a big fan of cozy mysteries and this one fill the bill. Our heroine comes home, nursing a broken ankle, to help her Aunt Gully at the Lazy Mermaid. What follows is a hilarious and Aunt Gully is a hoot. A new start to the series and a new to me author.

Allie has come home to her Aunt Gully in Mystic Bay while healing from a broken ankle. While home, she helps her aunt out at The Lazy Mermaid cracking lobsters and serving up the most delicious lobster rolls around. For the first time in the local festival's history they are partnering up with YUM Productions and hosting the Best Lobster Roll contest. Unfortunately, before the judge's can get to Aunt Gully's lobster roll the judge's are taken sick and one dies. Will Aunt Gully go down for the crime or can Allie prove who is the real killer?

This is a fantastic start to a new series. You will fall in love with Allie and Aunt Gully from the start. Aunt Gully is a hoot. Nothing and I mean nothing gets this women down. She puts on her happy face everyday and thinks of ways to fill people's tummies with her yummy lobster roll and hot. creamy chowder. I am telling you I wanted to crawl into the book and have some myself.

Allie is spunky and loves her Aunt Gully more than life itself. She will let nothing stop her from proving her aunt's innocence. As for Allie's sister, Lorel, the jury is still out on how I feel about her. She got on my nerves always having her head stuck in her phone and constantly thinking of ways to promote The Lazy Mermaid. I understand that is her job but sometimes you have to put the phone down and your job on hold to take care of family.

I am so excited to learn that the second book comes out in July 2018. I have already marked it on Amazon to watch for it to be released.

Hurry, stop by The Lazy Mermaid and see what I am talking about as I think you will enjoy your visit as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy to read in exchange for my honest review in my own words.

This was a really interesting and exciting start to what I hope is a long lasting series. It takes place in Connecticut in a fictional town called Mystic Bay. Allie and her sister Lorel are helping their Aunt Gully (real name Gina but everyone calls her Gully, possibly for how her singing sounds lol) get her lobster restaurant, the Lazy Mermaid underway. Mystic Bay's annual Food Festival is going on and chaos breaks out when the four judges end up with extreme cases of food poisoning after sampling a lobster roll from another local shop. One of the judges ends up dead.

The state detective seems to be trying to accuse the man from the shop where the lobster roll came from but Allie just knows he's innocent. Along with her friend Verity, they go on a sometimes comical adventure of sleuthing.

I really enjoyed all the different characters in this book! There were quite a few but it really wasn't hard to remember the main ones and those that mattered the most to the story. Allie was a typical dancer, always on the move, although carefully and awkwardly since she's trying to heal from a broken ankle. Her older sister Lorel is a little uptight and seems to be only concerned with social media for the restaurant and things of business. But in the end, they both adore their Aunt Gully and family does come first.

Aunt Gully was such a fun character! She was loving, always needing to take care of people no matter what. Allie's good friend Verity was a good comic relief sometimes.

I had part of the mystery right but had no idea why. There was also a little side mystery that tied in with the killing but I didn't have that figured out. I never do get the reasoning right even if I guess so it was a fun little journey reading those last several chapters, not really able to put the book down (that was hard to do at any point!). Allie ends up reinjuring her ankle but for a great cause. You'll just have to read it and find out!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

Curses, Boiled Again! by Shari Randall is the 1st book in A Lobster Shack Mystery series, and a great start. Allie Larkin, a ballet dancer whos broken ankle puts her out of work, so she heads to her Aunt Gully home in Mystic Bay. Allie is helping her aunt open  the Lobster Shack, then someone dies, Gully is a suspect, and the mystery begins. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy and fun mysteries, I recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Curses, Boiled Again! is a great old fashioned small town cozy mystery.

Allie is a ballerina in Boston who recently broke her foot. While recuperating, she is helping her Aunt Gully with her lobster shack in New England. As the book opens, Aunt Gully is appearing on a YUM network competition pitting her lobster roll against three other restaurants. When the judges get sick with the first bite of her competitor’s roll, Aunt Gully is suspected of doctoring their lobster rolls. Allie won’t let her broken ankle or the metal boot on her foot stop her from clearing her Aunt’s name and investigating the crime herself.

There are so many cozies these days that it is difficult to find a fresh angle for a new series. However, the new Lobster Shack series has done it. The characters are genuine and different than most. Allie’s job as a ballerina, the setting in a small coastal town in Connecticut, and the lobster profession’s details all make this series unique. As Allie’s best friend, Verity, states, “We have to stop playing Jessica Fletcher.” Please don’t as Jessica Fletcher from Murder She Wrote is beloved by many cozy readers. The information about how to pick lobster, make lobster rolls and even catch lobsters is interesting.

Plenty of red herrings and an unexpected twist at the end makes Curses, Boiled Again! an unconditionally recommended read. This reviewer is anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. 4 stars!

Thanks to the publisher, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy.

Welcome to Mystic Bay and the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack where the proprietor, Gully Fontana, is a combination of your favorite aunt and feisty grandmother--and her lobster rolls are to die for. Protagonist Allegra (Allie) Larkin has returned to this small New England hamlet to help her Aunt Gully with the Memorial Day Lobster Roll contest and to rest an ankle now in a boot from a ballet dance injury. Her aunt recently opened a lobster shack and was invited to participate in the contest covered by the YUM Food Network.
Allie's professional business sister, Lorelei (Lorel) has returned briefly to help with preparations for the contest.

YUM, indeed! The Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack descriptions have you grabbing for a camera for the shots in your mind's eye as the outside tables and Adirondack chairs are filled with happy, lobster-engorged customers watching a red sun disappear behind the horizon of the calm waters of the Micasset River.

With the frenzy of the upcoming event, little quirky happenings have been ignored or passed off as silly pranks. Then the judges get sick, with one--an older lady famous in movies and dancing--succumbs. None of the locals, all with a connection, would suspect either Aunt Gully or Allie, but the state calls in a biggee and her eyes fall on those who would have opportunity and motive. Oops!

Allie is not wholly developed, which I assume as this is the first in the series, is being saved somewhat to divulge more backstory in series #2 (to be released late summer 2018). Allie is first person, and all we really know is that she is red-headed--natural, I guess. There is no romantic interest (thank you). Her sister is just background, while a couple of her friends are fun. Aunt Gully is totally sympathetic. Dialogue is sweet and natural. Humorous names and situations, including the "Lobster Libbers" added fun and depth to a fictional salty-air setting.

Yes, lots of clues to follow and I was flirting with who the true antagonist was going to be, but didn't see that little twist coming at the end. Ohhh, that was a good one! The climax was pretty clever, off the boot stuff.

A little room to grow, but this is a good start. The only thing I really missed was the secret sauce recipe. (But I'm sure it's coming.) I received this download from St. Martin's Paperbacks and NetGalley for a read and review and greatly enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity. Recommended for all cozy mystery fans, seaside story fans, foodie fans, and quirky mystery fans. Clean and fast read.

Curses, Boiled Again! by Shari Randall is the first book in the all new cozy Lobster Shack Mystery series. This first book introduces readers to Allie Larkin who is a ballet dancer who has returned home to Mystic Bay while she heals from a broken ankle. While back at home Allie has been helping her Aunt Gully with her business, Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack.

Aunt Gully has been invited to take part in a lobster tasting which is a huge honor for someone new to the business. Allie wants everything to go perfectly for her eccentric aunt at the tasting so she has volunteered to help pass out samples. But when it’s time for the judging something horrible happens, all of the judges become sick after tasting a competitor’s dish.

As typical in a cozy read the main character, Allie, finds that she really needs to figure out who the real killer was when one of the judges dies from the poison food. With the law looking at Allie and her aunt she does her own questioning of the victims and suspects.

While I felt this was a solid first installment to this series I also felt that it wasn’t quite perfect just yet. The characters and story were enjoyable enough but nothing particularly stood out and shined to me either. Perhaps it needed a dash more quirkiness or bit more intrigue, not totally sure but I would continue onward with the next book in the series to see if it gains that added spark to raise my rating next time.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.