I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story at first, but it ended up being a good book. It has a highly unique ending. Even the characters point out how bizarre it was. The mystery was enjoyable with interesting characters.

Curses, Boiled Again by Shari Randall is the first book in new series called Lobster Shack Mystery. The setting is small town New England (probably down on the shore in Connecticut) on the ocean. Allie is a dancer, but has a broken ankle that is slowly repairing itself as she stays with her Aunt Gully and helps out while healing. Aunt Gully has just opened up her own Lobster Shack, a small growing business that is gaining followers. Aunt Gully has an invite to participate in the “Best Lobster Roll” contest when all of the judges get sick! Aunt Gully’s food was not the culprit, but she is considered the person who has the most to gain and therefore is the chief suspect.
Allie with her sister, her best friend, and other friends work together to help solve the mystery, but as always there are many theories and no clear answers. Aunt Gully isn’t the type to commit murder, but that is not true of some of the other contestants. Curses, Boiled Again is a fun cosy mystery, perhaps a little too cute, but still fun to read! I enjoyed the quirky characters and the dancing references. Curses, Boiled Again by Shari Randall is a good read.

Curses, Boiled Again! is the first in the series, A Lobster Shack Mystery, and the first book that I have read by Shari Randall but I plan to check into other books that she has written. This is a great cozy mystery that starts off with a food fest to determine who has the best lobster rolls in the Northeast. The contest takes place in Mystic Bay and includes contestants from two local lobster shacks and a contestant from a lobster shack in Maine and one in Massachusetts. The contest ended quickly when the judges got sick, with one judge, actress Contessa Wells, dying from what was later determined was a poison. One of the contestants is Aunt Gully, owner of the fairly new Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack, and is one of the suspects of the poisoning. Her two nieces are there to help her through the situation. Gully's niece, Allie Larkin, a dancer sidelined by an broken ankle, is home from Boston while she recuperates and is helping with the restaurant. Her sister, Lorel, is an attorney, also living in Boston. She returns on the weekends to help. Allie's friend, Verity, gets involved with Allie and her task to prove Aunt Gully's innocence. There are plenty of people to investigate as there are many undercurrents going on between other contestants and friction with other townspeople. A side issue is going on between the other local lobster shack owners of Kahuna's and the owner of the shack in Massachusetts that a twist that I didn't see coming. This story has many twists and turns that had me guessing up until the end and ended with a big surprise killer that I never had suspected. This is a great story that I recommend for anyone that likes cozy mysteries.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love this new series and look forward to reading the next books! The characters are interesting (even after I figured out who did it), and solving the murder mystery was fun. The only problem is that now I want to eat a lobster roll....

Curses, Boiled Again! A Lobster Shack Mystery

By Shari Randall

St. Martin’s Press

January 30, 2018



Review by Cynthia Chow



A fall down some stairs and the resulting broken ankle put the brakes on Allie Larkin’s career as a dancer with the New England Ballet Theater, so she’s returned to Mystic Bay to heal and help her Aunt Gully run the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack. Gully Fontana threw everything she had into the lobster restaurant after the death of her husband, and Allie is willing to do whatever it takes to help her beloved aunt succeed. That makes winning Memorial Day’s Mystic Bay Food Festival Lobster Roll contest crucial, especially since the competition will be featured on the YUM television network and judged by celebrities. One of those judges is Broadway and Hollywood star actress Contessa Wells, a former Mystic Bay resident who continues to act in her seventies. The contest barely begins before all of judges are laid waste by a poisoned lobster roll, with blame quickly falling on the one other Mystic Bay competitor.



Although the Lazy Mermaid at first prospers with the influx of publicity from the drama, the pendulum swings and threatens everything Aunt Gully worked to achieve. The folksy police chief is in way over his head as more reporters descend upon the touristy town, and he is easily bulldozed over by the intensely focused State Police Detective Rosato. Fearful that her Aunt Gully will complacently trust the goodness of others to prove her innocence, Allie, her business-minded sister Lorel, and best friend Verity Brooks begin investigating protesting lobster liberators, their fellow contestants, and even the hospitalized judges.



It’s always a treat to discover a new mystery series, and the one delivers both a strong plot and artfully developed new characters. Dancing is not just Allie’s career but also the source of her inner peace, and here we see her having to realign her priorities. Halfway through the novel the suspense builds to edge-of-the-seat tension, as Aunt Gully’s future truly looks to be in jeopardy. Life that revolves around the lobstering industry is highlighted, with ample descriptions of lobster delicacies and their preparation. Allie is revealed to be a highly intelligent, admirable heroine who deftly blends into her hometown as she subtly gathers more information. This is novel where side characters are just as interesting as the core group, and it would be fascinating to see where all of their paths go in the future. This debut series introduces a fully developed community that serves as a stellar launching point for more visits to Mystic Bay and the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack.

Curses, Boiled Again by Shari Randall is the first in a new cozy series and was quite an intriguing beginning to this series.

Allie Larkin, a ballerina who has broken her ankle, has returned to Mystic Bay to help her Aunt Gully while healing. Aunt Gully has been entered into a Lobster Roll contest put on by a YUM, a food network. Allie and Aunt Gully hopes that this will put her new lobster shack, the Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack, on the map for foodies and tourists alike. However, before the competition even begins Aunt Gully receives threatening letters from "lobster liberators". Then at the contest one of the judges dies due to poisoning. Allie's concern for her aunt compels her to investigate on her own.

A smoothly paced plot with some twists, red herrings, quirky but lovable characters, and the reveal twist made this a memorable cozy mystery.

When ballet dancer, Allie Larkin, is injured, she goes home to Mystic Bay, CT to stay with her Aunt Gully. Gully has recently opened a lobster shack and is competing in the Memorial Day Lobster Roll Contest when the judges are poisoned! When Aunt Gully is questioned and believed to be involved in the poisoning, Allie and her friend, Verity, just have to investigate. This is the first in the Lobster Shack Mystery series and was a delight to read. This would make a perfect Hallmark Movie mystery!

Allie's aunt Gully is entering her famous lobster rolls in a contest sponsored by YUM Networks. But something goes amiss when the judges are poisoned after only one bit of another contestants lobster rolls. When it appears Aunt Gully might have been to blame, Allie leaps into action to prove her aunt is innocent.

Finally, a cozy mystery that did not have a woman fawning over a man on every other page. A book that did not make the police look inept and a twisty plot, that might have been obvious from the beginning, unwind with enough side story and open ends to make a reader want to pick up the next book in this series.

While recovering from an ankle injury and with her dance career in the balance, Allegra “Allie” Larkin has moved back to Mystic Bay on the Micasset River to help her Aunt Gully at the Lazy Mermaid. Aunt Gully has always wanted to open a lobster shack and her wishes have grown two-fold when she was asked to participate in the YUM Networks Mystic Bay Food Festival Best Lobster Roll contest.

Strange goings on begin with harassing letters and posters from the so-called “Lobster Liberation Group” and end with the poisoning death of one of the celebrity judge. With Aunt Gully being the last to leave the prep area before the rolls were presented, conclusions are jumped to and now it is up to Allie and her sister Lorel to clear Gully’s name and get the Lazy Mermaid’s doors open again before further assumptions are made.

It seems that everyone, except Aunt Gully, had a secret. Since a single storyline was not going to work here, Shari Randall does her best to add side stories and enough characters to sidetrack the reader. There were a couple of lines midway into the book that solved the poisoning, so from there on, the reader could enjoy all the shenanigans that the rest of the characters provided.

Curiously, not all of the twists had a tidy ending and with fingers crossed, Shari Randall will be addressing them in subsequent books.

The book got off to a slow start for me. I did get caught up in the murder mystery and enjoyed the journey until the culprit was revealed. I did guess correctly early on, but there were actions by others that were quite suspicious. This should prove to be an entertaining new series.

Nice start to a new series! Allie is a ballerina with a problem- she's broken her ankle and down for the count for a while (having broken an ankle, suspect it's more than that) so she's helping her Aunt Gully with her lobster restaurant. Mystic Bay, Connecticut is the classic small cozy town, complete with fun quirky characters and .... a murder! Allie of course jetes in to solve the crime so that Aunt Gully is exonerated. The Lobster Liberation Front? That's a new one but perfect for this quick and entertaining read. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'd like more on Allie's ballet background in what I hope will be future installments.

Curses, Boiled Again! is a fun and exciting first in a new series.
Set in the quaint town of Mystic Bay, Allie Larkin is resting an injured ankle, one of the worst fates for a ballet dancer. While she is recuperating, she is helping her Aunt Gully at her lobster shack, The Lazy Mermaid.
Everyone is getting ready for the local food festival’s Best Lobster Roll contest. It is an honor to be invited to participate and Gully is over the moon at being chosen.
It's not all lobsters and souvenirs in this little town, there are secrets and lies circulating and when tragedy hits the judge's table, Gully becomes the police's prime suspect.

Allie refuses to let Gully take the fall for this so she sets out to ask questions and find the truth.

This book is a true winner! I am from the East Coast, born and raised and "lobstah" rolls are one of the best delicacies on earth.
I loved reading about Mystic Bay and how the town rallies around the people they love.

I hope to see this series continuing for a long time.

I read an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.

I received an ARC copy from netgalley for my honest review,  so thank you netgalley and publishers for offering me this book! ♡
This story is a about 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?
This was my first book by this author, I did enjoy it, It was fast paced just and alltogether an easy read. ♡ I give this book a
3 star rating!

Curses, Boiled Again! Is the debut book in the Lobster Shack Mystery series. This mystery series is set in the idyllic seaside community of Mystic Bay. We are introduced to Allie Larkin, a ballerina, who has returned to Mystic Bay to heal after breaking her ankle. Her quirky Aunt Gully has opened a Lobster Shack and has been invited to participate in the local Lobster Roll contest during the Memorial Day festivities. It seems to be a great way to get recognition for the new restaurant and Allie eagerly agrees to help out. However, the Mystic Bay culinary scene is more dangerous than one would expect. Threatening letters are sent and judges are poisoned. Allie’s concern for her aunt compels her to get to the bottom of these unusual and dangerous events. The book moves along nicely. There are clues and plot turns. Some of the characters are quite quirky and endearing. This is a solid debut to a new series! Although I received a copy of this book from Net Galley, this did not affect my rating. I have provided an unbiased and honest review.

Allie Larkin is a ballet dancer, but she has broken her ankle. While she heals, she travels home to help her Aunt Gully in Mystic Bay, CT -- a quaint, seaside New England town. Aunt Gully has just opened The Lazy Mermaid Lobster Shack and she's competing in the annual Memorial Day Lobster Roll competition. As a newcomer to the Mystic Bay culinary scene, Aunt Gully being invited to participate in the competition is a big deal, and Allie is happy to help her. Strange things have been happening lately. Her aunt has been receiving threatening letters from a strange group, the Lobster Liberation Group. The notes, stuffed under the door of her lobster shack, state that if she doesn't close shop there will be dire consequences. Aunt Gilly shrugs off the warning, laughing about Lobster Libbers. Allie can't shake off her worry though. The letters have her extremely concerned. When four judges at the lobster roll contest are poisoned, Allie realizes that she was right to worry. One dead judge, three sick ones, Lobster Libbers, vandalism, threats and murder......where is it going to stop??

I really enjoyed this book! The story is full of light humor, quirky characters and fun....plus a bit of murder and mayhem as well. I had a terrible cold while I was reading this, and the humor made me feel better as I sat wrapped in a blanket, a space heater blowing on me, drinking hot tea and feeling very sorry for myself. It's hard to feel sorry for oneself while reading about the antics of Aunt Gully, the free spirit, who talks and sings to lobsters before she boils them. Not to mention Allie, the injured ballerina and her snarky, slightly uppity, sister Lorel. (Don't call her Lorelai....she hates that.)

I needed a pick-me-up....and this book was just the ticket for me! The cover art, as with most cozies, is fabulous!

The one thing that surprised me just a bit is the fact that Allie really never said anything about her ballet career....that she missed it, wanted to go back to it, her fans, etc...... But.....that would have muddied up the plot a bit if she had been whining about her ankle the whole time. Just felt that was one spot that was a bit lacking in her character development. A bit more about her past would have been interesting. I was perfectly content with finding out who poisoned the lobster roll judges.

When I finished this book I really wanted to take a trip up to Baltimore and have lobster and crab cakes at the Inner Harbor. Not really the same as a Mystic Bay-like place.....but awesome sea food! Not to mention a huge bookstore and a Hard Rock Cafe right there. Poe museum, aquarium and science center right there too. And the seafood has to be mentioned twice. :) Who's with me???!!!! Let's go! :) Mystic Harbor reminded me a bit of Nag's Head here in NC.....laid back beach town with lots of tourists and characters, snooty people in yachts and just a lovely place to be. :) That's as close to a New England town I can get to within driving distance of western NC.

My book reviews do tend to wool gather and digress into all sorts of subjects don't they! But.....it does mean that this book made me laugh and made me think of places I have been and equate to the location in the story. That's a success I think!!! :)

A great start to a new cozy series. I can't wait to find out what happens next!

Curses, Boiled Again! is the first book in the new Lobster Shack Mystery series. A second book, Against the Claw, will be out in July 2018.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from St Martin's Press via Netgalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**

What a fun time I had visiting the town of Mystic Bay. The tone was comfortable making it easy to follow along with the multiple plots contained within the pages. The pacing was a perfect pitch to how well this story was told. The mystery kept me entangled in all aspects of this well-written story with plenty of suspects, clues with a few surprises that enhanced the telling of this tale. The author did a great job in setting this up with visually descriptive narrative that made me see all that there was to see, like a film in motion.  Boasting a likable, yet quirky cast of characters, engaging dialogue and a small-town atmosphere, this was a delectably charming debut and I can’t wait to lean more about this group of people in Mystic Bay.

Delectable beginning to the new Lobster Shack series! Protagonist Allie Larkin is a ballerina with a broken ankle. While recuperating, she heads home to help her vivacious Aunt Gully at her Lazy Mermaid Lobster shack in lovely Mystic Bay. It’s Memorial Day festivities time, and during a best lobster roll contest which Aunt Gully hopes to win, all the judges are poisoned and one of them succumbs.

The plot includes lots of excitement which keeps the story moving swiftly. I enjoyed the cast of colorful characters. There are numerous diversions to lead readers to falsely suspect many different people; however, collect all the right clues and they’ll lead you to the vengeful killer.

I voluntarily read and reviewed a digital ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

CURSES, BOILED AGAIN, book one in the Lobster Shack Mysteries is a great beginning to what I hope will be a long series. The setting alone drew me into this book, and the mystery kept me reading well past my bedtime. Not to mention, I've been wanting to try a lobster roll for along time, and author Shari Randall had me drooling for them! If you're looking to follow a new series, this is one you'll want to try.

I loved Curses, Boiled Again. This book is well written with a good plot and well developed characters. If you enjoy a good mystery I recommend this book.