Julia Snowden's clambake company is just about finished for the season, holding the meals on Morrow island off the coast of Maine. Meanwhile, the beautiful mansion on the island is being careful demolition on the interior by a crew of Russian men after it had been destroyed by fire. A mysterious room is discovered on the third floor, just off the nursery - it had been sealed off from the nursery, and doors covered over and all the furniture and belongings left in place. A handwritten journal is found in a dresser drawer. The room was occupied by a governess in late 1890s; she was helping the two sons with their math and German. She describes an idyllic summer, but the end of the journal describes a disturbing event.

Meanwhile, Julia discovers the body of a clambake worker by the woodpile. He was a long time employee of the clambake, and suspicion immediately fell on another employee, who had had a vicious fistfight with him. Since he is Julia's boyfriend's brother, she consents to investigate.

I enjoyed this story about the sealed off room and the journal. It made for an intriguing mystery. I hope to read more in this series. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

A classic cozy set in beautiful New England on an island with a mysterious past.

Morrow Island off the coast of Maine is where Julia Snowden holds her traditional Snowden Family Clambake and tourists are ferried over to participate in the feast. As the season is coming to an end the tensions between one of her employees, his ex-wife, his new flame, a shady Russian construction worker and old rival are only heating up. That is, until one of them ends up dead. Julia has to figure out how everyone is really connected in this story, help the police get the true killer and keep her business afloat.

All this is happening as she, and her family are undergoing a renovation of their historic island mansion. During the demolition a mysterious bordered off room is discovered and in it the journal of the family's old governess. Why had the room been bordered off? Why are all of her possessions still in it?

With Sealed off we get a two mysteries in one and the grittier than the average cozy!

Another amazing entry in the Maine Clambake series. Although it's considered a cozy series, I feel as though each story goes a little deeper than the typical light-heartedness than one expects when reading a cozy mystery. The character development continues, and as with the previous tales, Sealed Off contains twists and turns to keep the reader guessing throughout.

So nice to return to Busman's Harbor, ME amidst the demolition portion of the renovation of Windsholme, the Morrow family historic mansion on Morrow Island.

When Julia and the rest of the Clambake family discover a body on Morrow island, it starts a race to both clear Chris' brother's name while also finding out who the real murderer is. As usual, the reader doesn't know until the very end who actually did it, but it comes with quite a twist in the story line that brings other very serious crimes to light.

While the murder mystery itself is the main story arc of this book, I felt it was a little rushed. What made up for it, I believe, was getting to better know Marguerite and Talullah as well as Chris' brother, Terry who was given a more prominent backstory. The really fun part was learning about some of the family history thanks to a journal found inside Windsholme. It added a real depth to the family as well as insight to what life was like in the late 1800s during its heyday. What happened to the journal author is something I think the readers will be interested in learning despite it's tough subject matter.

All in all this was a terrific story with the secondary story arcs, I think, stealing the spotlight in this particular book.

This book was provided to me by net galley as an ARC and I am voluntarily reviewing it here and on other related sites.

I was a fan of this series before this latest installment, but this book has its hooks in me good! So many twists and turns that really keep the reader engaged and interested in the plot and characters. One thing I really love about this series is that I never can predict what is going to happen. The author does a superb job of really writing a great fulfilling mystery.

This is the 8th installment in the Clambake Mystery Series. I have not read all the books in this series but can still follow the story easily enough. Julia is getting excited as the Snowden Family Clambake business season is coming to a close and the she is focusing on the renovations of the family home. A worker Jason has been killed and everyone is pointing the finger at her boyfriend’s brother who is an ex-con. Her boyfriend Chris asks her to look into it as they are both convinced that Terry is innocent. Another mystery is that during the renovation they discover a sealed room intact and find the diary of a girl who lived on the island in the 1890’s. I enjoyed both mysteries and want to back and pick up the other books that I have not read. This is really an enjoyable series and I love the location.

An intertwined set of mysteries, with a bit of history and an international reach, this mystery reaches out to grab and not let go. Great series.

This is the 8th installment of the Maine Clambake Mystery series. I've only read a few in this series and they can be read out of order. This one has great suspense at the end and a tricky mystery to solve. My heart was pumping as our heroine raced for safety.

The Snowden Family Clambake business is wrapping up the busy season in Busman's Harbor, Maine. Julia Snowden is starting to get excited about the renovation of the island house where she will be living during the summers. However, a death on the island which seems to lead back to her boyfriend's brother is casting a pall on the early autumn days.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

#NetGalley
#SealedOff

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Another winner in the Barbara Ross Clambake mystery series!

This one involves a murdered rapscallion and a sealed off room in a renovated mansion!

This series is one I'm always happy to see a new release for. I like the characters, but it mostly focuses on Julia.

I thought this book was a little darker than the rest and dealt with several societal issues. It was not unduly dark, but more and darker issues than the average cozy.

I'd like to see Julia do more with her family and friends besides dinner and clambake scenes. This book would have been a good opportunity for her boyfriend to participate more, but he's barely there.

That said, I enjoyed the book and the way Ross manages to keep things fresh despite the usually limited setting.

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

This was an entertaining addition to the clambake series. I always enjoy reading about Julia and her family business. I find the area of Maine that the story takes place is brought alive in the story. I have been to a town like this and it always reminds me of our visit. The town has interesting characters that are maybe a bit stereotypical. There seemed to be two mysteries in the book, one of the murder of one of the clambake workers. The other involving a decade old incident that is brought to light by the renovations of the family mansion on the island. The two concurrent mysteries keep the book running along and hold your interest the whole time.

I found this book very interesting. I have started requesting the others from my library. I enjoy the characters and can't wait to see what happens with them (although I am feeling very sorry for Chris).

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks go to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved this series from book one, and I can say that book 8, Sealed Off, is perhaps my favorite thus far. I love that the mystery centers on Windsholme and the island this time and allows us to get familiar with some extended family members, Marguerite and Tallulah. There were plenty of subplots to keep the story moving and interesting. Definitely recommend this one!
#SealedOff. #NetGalley

Sealed off by Barbara Ross
Love this series, couldn’t wait to start this book.
The old mansion on morrow island sounds amazing, enjoying the history element of this storyline. A visit by a long standing member of the family came to see the mansion as she used to live there when she was little. A hidden sealed up room was discovered intact including a diary.
The mystery deepens!
Enjoyed this storyline immensely.
Never expected this ending , brilliant mystery.
My thanks to Kensington books and NetGalley for advance copy for my honest review.

Lately I've had a problem with getting into books, but not this one. It hooked me from the very beginning and didn't let go. I enjoyed it very much, especially the mystery of what was up with the sealed off room . I really liked how the family was together and how the mystery of the murder was solved. The ending is a nice round up of all the remaining questions and perfect. #SealedOff #NetGalley

I absolutely love this series. Each time a book comes out I devour it within a couple of days.
Each books gets better than the last...I can't wait to see what happens in the next one.
Mysterious room, a murder and the renovating of the family home!
Julia has her hands full in this story...autumn is quickly approaching which means that the clambake business is coming to an end for the season.
Only a few more clambakes to go and 2 very special guests arrive in Busman's Harbor, Maine. Family members of the Snowden's family arrive from Boston to see the family home one more time before it is totally renovated. The discovery of a secret room has been unveiled...but why was it sealed off to begin with...hmmm mysterious.
And yet again another murder and this time it is an employee of the Snowden's clambake...who? You'll have to read the book to find out...you won't regret this story but you really start from the beginning...well worth it!
Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read a digital ARC of Sealed Off....
This review is my honest opinion..

law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, mystery, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, Maine, family-dynamics

The first mystery is a hidden room from 1898 sealed away with everything in it intact. The second is a murder. All of this happens on a small, family owned island with a severely damaged Victorian home and currently part of a tourist attraction. Lots of twists and red herrings complete with state cops, an old diary, odd behaviors by main characters, and other peculiarities. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

I love this series more and more with each book. It's like coming home to family every time I read a new installment. Fantastic book. I didn't want it to end.

Two mysteries on Morrow Island vie for the reader’s attention in the latest Maine Clambake Mystery. First, one of the crew, Jason, is found murdered under the firewood pile. Then, the demolition crew discover a room, in the mansion being renovated, that is completely sealed off – and has been for decades.

Julia hires Chris’ brother Terry, a just released convict, to help the last few days of the clambake season. Terry and Jason, a long time crew member, fight over a misunderstanding with another crew member. The next day Jason is found dead and Terry becomes the leading suspect in his murder.

Now that the Snowden family owns Windsholme, the mansion on Morrow Island, they are working with an architect and starting renovations to make the house useful again. On a tour with Marguerite, who grew up in Windsholme as a young girl, the contractor asks Julia and the architect to follow him. His demo crew found a finished room, compete with furnishings, that had been undisturbed since the late 1800’s. The room was completely sealed off by finished walls on all sides. An open notebook lay on a small wooden desk – a journal written by the occupant in 1898.

Julia, Chris and her family, along with Marguerite, begin sleuthing: who killed Jason and what happened to the resident of the hidden room.

Sealed Off is one of the strongest entries in the Maine Clambake series. Barbara Ross combines the intrigue of a Russian demolition crew, the warm personalities of the Snowden family and friends in Busman’s Harbor and drops in a few secrets about the history of Windsholme. Red herrings, twists and unexpected events, all roll out at a healthy page turning pace. Well done Ms. Ross

I love the Maine Clambake Mystery series by Barbara Ross, and this latest offering did not disappoint. Even though it is contained in a small town in Maine the scope was international. Even more interesting was current mystery juxtaposed to the one that took place in the Morrow family home in the late 1800's. The characters are all wonderful and entirely believable to me. I can't wait for more of this edgy, a little more than cozy series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own,.