Julia and her family are winding town their tours for the summer and are having relatives visit the old estate when a feud between Chris's brother Terry and a worker of Sonny's Jason but heads over a girl. Have old feud's resurfaced? When Jason winds up dead and Terry is on the hot seat! We also learn more about Terry's past crime and whether he was wrong convicted.

We also learn more about workers who use to work on Morrow Island and what happened way back when which I loved learning about the workers and things they went through. It was such a fun end of the summer mystery that I was captivated by the story and loved how it played out in the end!

This was a great addition to the Maine Clambake series. I really like the characters and the relationships among family, friends, and the townspeople of Busman’s Harbor. There are a couple of mysteries running through the pages that keep you invested in the book. The description of the clambake had my mouth watering. And while this is the eighth book in the series, you could enjoy it as a standalone.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

I have been reading this series since the beginning and this was not my favorite one. This book takes place in the fall as the clambakes slow down on Morrow Island, Maine. Tensions are rising among the remaining employees. When Julia finds another body on the island she sets out to solve the crime. The mystery was weak and easy to solve. I did enjoy visiting Morrow Island and the characters. The Boston relatives come up for a visit and tour the mansion before renovations. While working on the demolition a sealed off room is discovered. This mystery was more interesting. The book was a quick fun read. Enjoy

It's the end of the season for the Snowden family clambakes and renovation on the mansion on Morrow Island is scheduled to begin. Tensions are high between the clambake workers and also the Russian demolition crew and then two different men are murdered. A sealed off room is discovered in the mansion and Julia Snowden is very involved in the mystery and clearing her boyfriend's brother of suspicion. The clues and suspects are many and all will eventually become clear. I thought it was all resolved very well by the author.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my ownI

I always look forward to new books in the Clambake series and this books could possible be my favorite. There is so many mysteries in this book and wonderful Snowden family history. I always enjoy how Barbara Ross describes the Island and Windsholme that I always feel like I am there when I am reading and I about jumped for joy when a hidden room was found full of great history. The only thing I was confused by was the introduction of two clambake workers who we had never heard of, and ended up not being nice people. Which threw me off because I think Sonny would have figured out something wasn't right with Jason before this book. I highly recommend this book and series. It will make the perfect summer read

This is the 8th book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It's a very good cozy mystery series, the plots are interesting and the characters very relatable.

In this book, the clambake season is winding down and the mansion on the island is being renovated. When the demo crew finds a hidden room that was walled off, Julia wants to investigate why. When one of the crew is found murdered, she gets even more involved.

I liked this book and recommend it.

Thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sealed off is the eighth installment in the A Maine Clambake Mystery series set in Busman's Harbor, Maine and featuring Julia Snowden, whose family runs Snowden Family Clambake. It's early October and the season is winding down for the winter on Morrow Island with only a handful of clambakes left to host and the push is on to get as much of the demo/renovation work done on Windsholme. A Russian demo crew has arrived to do the work on the family mansion, and Snowden relatives Marguerite and her niece Tallulah have also arrived to see the house.

Things have been a little tense between longtime employee Jason Caraway and Terry Durand, the ex con and brother of Julia's boyfriend Chris. The two have been vying for the attention of another female employee and when Jason is found bludgeoned and buried in the woodpile all fingers point to Terry as the killer. Not believing that Terry is guilty, Chris asks Julia to clear his brother's name.

A secondary mystery revolves around the sealed off room uncovered by the demolition crew. The room has been closed since 1898 and everything belonging to the governess that inhabited the room is completely preserved including her diary. With the help of Marguerite, Julia sets out to discover what happened to the governess and uncovers a sordid family secret.

I received an advanced copy of Sealed Off from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

Sealed Off by Barbara Ross is the eighth book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. The clambake season is winding down. Jill and her family are working with a skeleton crew for the last of the clambakes while another crew is working on the family mansion. Several of the clambake crew are not getting along and without the buffer of the other crew members a fight breaks out between two of them. When one of the fighters is found dead on the island, the second is the obvious suspect. This book was full of twists and turns even though the clues are huge red flags to what is really going on. I enjoy the characters and am anxious to see how things develop after this book.

Sealed Off earns 5/5 Clambake Mysteries...Entertaining Fun!

Another Maine Clambake Mystery delight from Barbara Ross! It’s been a couple of year’s since Julia Snowden returned home to Busman’s Harbor to help run the family’s authentic clambake business, and butting heads with her brother-in-law never seems to let up. Currently it’s due to an employee “quadrangle” that interferes with the business operations. Jason is flirting with Emmy, Jason’s ex Prudence is not happy, then Terry, Julia’s boyfriend’s brother, seems to have a stake in the situation. Sonny wants Terry gone immediately, but Julia refuses to fire Terry suggesting instead they ride out the next two weeks when season ends for winter. Waiting, however, ends up murderous when Jason is found dead, and Terry, recently released from prison, is the prime suspect. Then if one (two) high-crimes isn’t enough, during renovations of the old Windsholme mansion a previously unknown “sealed” room is uncovered along with an intriguing diary from 1898 providing more angst than delight.

Brilliant! Barbara Ross’s eighth book is filled with mystery, mystery, and more mystery. Using a first-person narrative from Julia’s perspective gave me a vicarious role in the drama. Her vivid descriptions paint the beautiful northeast island setting along with characters’ looks and mannerisms; she also helps set tone and emotions, a bit of humor, and illustrate personalities with expressive dialogue. The mysteries and the family dramas are complicated keeping me engaged, guessing, and quickly turning the page for solutions. A pet peeve of mine is the expectation of realism, so I was pleased with character reactions, responses, and the role of law enforcement...I like that. There were dramas carried over from previous books, but it didn’t take long to catch up and enjoy the story. “Recipes Included” always gets me excited, and these easy-to-follow recipes are truly delicious, although chops and pot roast at a clambake? Enjoy Greek Style Lamb Chops Sous Vide, Halibut Pizzaiola, Slow Cooker Cioppino, Olga’s Brownies, and Ma’s Pot Roast. I love this series, and am eager to read more!

Sealed Off: A Maine Clambake Mystery
By Barbara Ross
Kensington
January 2020

Review by Cynthia Chow

If anyone knows family drama, it’s Julia Snowden. She’s seen her share of it after returning home two years ago to help run the Snowden Family Clambake business, and only recently have tensions lessened between her and her brother-in-law. It’s also why she was unable to turn down her boyfriend Chris Durand’s request to hire his brother, despite Terry Durand being an ex-con who just spent the last ten years in prison. They can definitely use all the help they can get, being short-staffed during the busy October month before shutting down for the Maine winter season. Julia’s beginning to regret her good deed though, as Terry is contributing to the hostile work environment with the romantic square between himself and three other employees. Having a divorced couple and the new girlfriend on the payroll was not ideal in the first place, and Terry’s overprotectiveness towards single mother Emmy Bailey was only making matters worse. When Julia finds Jason Caraway’s body buried in a clambake woodpile, it’s not surprising that the Maine detectives immediately circle Terry as their prime suspect, especially since he was last seen fighting with the deceased. Feeling responsible for bringing his brother back to Busman’s Harbor, Chris promises Terry that Julia will use her proven experience to find the truth, even if she is not entire certain of his innocence.

Distraction arrives in the welcome form of Julia’s own family, whose mother recently discovered not just unknown relatives but an unexpected inheritance. Jacqueline Snowden’s cousin Marguerite Morales and her granddaughter have arrived on the island in time for the renovation of the abandoned Windsholme mansion, with Marguerite being one of the few remaining who lived in it during its prime. What she never saw was the room once completely sealed off within the mansion, or the diary of nanny from 1898. While Julia and her family are at first delighted by the gothic romance of the adventures detailed inside, each installment adds on layers of foreboding menace that has them fearing for the author’s fate. As the crimes of present-day Morrow Island become more insidious and tangled Julia fears that her peaceful home will not survive the upcoming winter.

As tantalizing as the clambake and made-for-winter hearty meals (recipes included!) are the heart-warming and emotionally complex relationships between the Snowden family members and their friends. Chris has made the choice to not be tested for the gene that would indicate he had the incurable Huntington’s disease, preferring not to know for certain that he will suffer the devastating illness already affecting his mother. While Terry also refuses to take the test, being a possible father leads to far direr implications for both his child and the mother. Interspersed throughout are chapters from the journal of a young woman dazzled by the enormous Morrow family and the Windsholme estate. These details of the Maine Island are drawn out vividly to engage the reader and make one feel in the middle of a cold harbor winter. Sensibly keeping detectives informed as she learns more about the victim and his less-than-pristine past, Julia proves to be a clever and practical amateur detective. This 8th in the series continues to surprise with its unexpected plot twists and steadfast characters who embrace their harsh winters, delicious seafood, and deadly cold seas.

The newest of the canvas mystery series and another good one. I have read several books on this series and recommend them all

“Sealed Off“ is the 8th instalment in the lA Maine Clambake Mysteries” by Barbara Ross. It can be read as a stand alone but I do recommend reading from the beginning.

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.

I really enjoyed this story, being the first one I have read in the series I didn’t know what to expect. I really liked the main characters of Julia, Chris and the rest of the Snowden family. The setting of Busman Harbor, Maine was enchanting and made me want to visit the coast of Maine even more than I did. The island with the big summer mansion intrigued me and the history, I like how there was 2 mysteries going on in the story the murder but also one from the past.

There were plenty of twists and turns throughout and I was kept guessing right till the end. I highly recommend this series and can’t wait to find out some answers in the next instalment. With that said I do own a few of the early books but I now plan on completing the set so I can binge read the first seven books.

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

SEALED OFF is the eighth book in the “Maine Clambake” cozy mystery series by Barbara Ross. There are two main mysteries in SEALED OFF – a murder set in the present, and the fate of the woman out of the pages of a discovered journal in a hidden room. Both prove irresistible to the main characters and are intriguing for readers. The murder is this mystery is personal for Julia Snowden – amateur sleuth and integral member of the Snowden clambake operation – because the victim is a member of that crew and one of the prime suspects is her boyfriend’s slightly sketchy brother. The secondary mystery involves a journal the Snowden family found in a hidden room in an old family estate. As the family reads excerpts over the course of the book, they learn a fascinating bit of local history.

Instead of the traditional, and often used in literature and life, romantic triangle – a lot of possible motives for murder center around a romantic quadrangle. There are enough suspects in SEALED OFF – both obvious and not so obvious – to keep Julia and readers guessing. The victim was the type of man who made some questionable life choices and had complicated relationship with those around him. In addition to the mysteries, Barbara Ross doss a great job exploring and building the personal relationships between the main characters. Julia and her family aren’t perfect, but they support each other. Even though having Chris’ brother involved in the investigation as a suspect, and Chris’ asking Julia to hunt up other suspects and clues puts a little stress on the relationship between Chris and Julia, they end up working through it and coming out stronger because of it. Barbara Ross creates a wonderful sense of place with her small town in Maine.

SEALED OFF is a mix of mysteries set in the past and present to entice and engage mystery fans. I hope to learn more of Chris and his family with each new book in this series. I look forward to the next “Maine Clambake” mystery.

Princess Fuzzypants here: The clambake season is winding down but emotions are heating up amongst the employees. Chris’ brother, newly released from prison, is working with Jason with whom he has a nebulous history. On the surface the cause appears to be single mom Emily. But as events progress, it is clearly something far deeper and more sinister. And when Jason turns up dead, Chris’ brother heads the list of possible suspects.
Chris asks Julia to look into it. Initially, Julia is apprehensive, as more information comes to lights, there are additional motives for murder. But she keeps plugging away to the chagrin of her friends in the local police force. They no longer have control of the crime as more outside forces are brought in. What could be so high priority about the death of a local to cause all this attention?
At the same time Julia and her family are trying to unravel the mystery of a governess whose diary they find in a bricked off room on the family estate. In spite of the more than 120 year gap, is it possible that the two mysteries might interconnect? Julia learns the answer but puts her life at risk by doing so. It’s an exciting and rewarding finish to an interesting story. It shows how the past is never gone and sometimes the real story is far different than it appears.
Four purrs and two paws up.

I always enjoy this series and I anticipate what Barbara Ross will come up with next. One of the things I really enjoy about this series is that there is a secondary mystery in the books beyond the murder that is being solved. This book is no exception. The season is winding down and as winter is approaching, Julia is hoping that the demolition of Winsholme will be finished in time. Julia is also dealing with the return of her boyfriend Chris's brother. He has been released from prison and she hires him to help out at the Snowden Family Clambake. When one of their employees ends up dead, they have to shut everything down as no one is allowed on the island. The secondary mystery involves a hidden room uncovered by the Russian demo crew. Finding the room intact with clothes, personal items and a journal, Julia and her mother, cousin and great aunt try to figure out why the room was closed up and what happened to the woman who had lived in it.

I love my visits to Busman Harbor, Maine. I enjoy this series with it's well-written story, great well-developed characters, beautiful setting and interesting mysteries. The murder mystery has several twists, and enough suspects to keep readers engaged. There are several red herrings that threw me off. I thought I had it all figured out, but was wrong on several accounts. There is a second murder that ties into the first and added another dimension to the story. The secondary, historical mystery was also enjoyable and intriguing. I love how this mystery is what gave the book it's title. I was very invested in the mysterious secret room and wanted to find answers. As things started to happen, and the demolition continued, Julia found another clue that finally threw open the doors to solve both murders. I found the conclusion of both mysteries to be very satisfying and interesting. I continue to enjoy this series and can hardly wait for my next trip back to Busman's Harbor.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Dollycas Thoughts

We are back in Busman’s Harbor, Maine in the final days of the clambake season. Julia is so excited because when the clambakes end the demolition of the inside of the island mansion, Windsholme, can really get going. Hopes are to get as much done as possible before the weather shuts work down. The really cool thing is a Morrow relative that spent summers in the mansion has come to take a final look. Marguerite remembers her time there as a child and wanted to see the place one more time before the renovations. While not necessary for Marguerite to approve their plans Julia and her mother feel that it would nice to have her blessing. A surprising discovery is made right before Marguerite’s visit that sends the family on a quest to get answers. Another find may answer some of their questions.

With Snowden Family Clambake working with a skeleton crew to finish out the year there is clear there is some tension between two members of the team. The tension escalates to a fistfight that is broken up only to find one of them dead the next day under the woodpile of the island. Later Julia finds another body. Why is all this happening on her family’s island? Could the deaths be related to the discovery in the mansion or is there something else going on?

______

I really loved this story. The historic part was fascinating and it comes with its own mystery. The family mansion has been vacant since 1929, so it was wonderful to hear an account of a family member from her little girl’s perspective. A discovery that has been Sealed Off in the mansion opens the door to another piece of history dating back to the late 1800s. I was completely captivated by this part of the book. The descriptions of the mansion are always very detailed, With each book in the series, the images in my mind become more vivid. I really am looking forward to reading more about the incredible renovation.

The current murders are a second mystery to solve. Julia has a vested interest because they took place on her family’s island and the prime suspect is not only her employee but the brother of her boyfriend Chris who has checkered past. It is a mystery full of red herrings. Julia found other suspects and works her way through the plethora of twists and turns. But by the end of the book, while the known mysteries are wrapped up, the author throws another one at readers leading to the next book.

Ms. Ross is a stellar storyteller. She has created characters that are easy to get invested in. The recurring characters continue to grow and the new characters get fleshed out quickly and have a true purpose to the story. Every time I open a book by Barbara Ross I know I am in for a real treat and that is just what Sealed Off was. Autumn in Busman’s Harbor was absolutely delightful. Leaf peepers and murder went together nicely but the history portions were my absolute favorite.

This is book 8 in the delightful
"Maine Clambake Mystery Series." I have read the entire series and enjoy returning to Maine for these wonderful charcters and the charming setting. I do recommend the series very highly.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own.

In this next in series we return to picturesque coastal Maine that the author so wonderfully brings to life for her readers. Julia is enjoying her busy family clambake business as a popular stop for tourists. She is also is busy doing renovations on her families hundred year old heritage home. She finds a hidden diary during renovations from the 1800's and shares it with her family. They decided they are going to investigate the diary and research the author. who lived a hundred years prior in the house. This is a mystery that Julia cannot pass up . During renovations a murder occurs of an employee and the prime suspect is her boyfriend's Bother who has a nerfious past. Julia,, her family and her boyfriend are investigating both the murder and the contents of the diary. Soon they are finding clues abound and suspects become clear .

I love returning to this endearing series and the wonderful charcters. This is the perfect cozy mystery series with a well crafted sleuth, a perfect setting and likable charcters that the reader can relate to. I loved this next in series and highly recommend the entire series.

Julia Snowden is in the middle of a renovation on Morrow Island. When one her clambake employees turns up dead, Julia's boyfriends brother becomes a suspect due to a fight he had with the victim. Her boyfriend, Chris, asks Julia to look into the death to help clear his brothers name.
I thought this was a nice installment in this series. I liked diving into more of the history of Morrow Island. It definitely made the book more interesting. I am looking forward to reading more in this series, especially to see where Chris and Julia's relationship goes.
I received this book from netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

Such a fun and interesting cozy mystery! I enjoyed Julia, Chris, and all the characters. This is the 8th book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series, but the first I've read. While I probably would have benefited from reading the other books in the series first, I think the author did a good job keeping a new reader from being lost. I plan on checking out the other books in the series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.