We have a winner here folks! Murder at the Lobstah Shack is an easy and fun story with very well-crafted characters. Maddie Day has done it again.

We can't help but fall in love with "Mac" the bicycle shop owner in Westham, Mass. Then of course there is the murder. I sat and read the book in one reading - it was that good!

Great cozy mystery.
Mac receives an early morning frantic call from her friend, Tulia. Tulia has found the dead body of Annette DiCiero in her walk in freezer. Annette and Tulia had an argument recently, and soon Tulia is a prime suspect. Mac promises the police she will not play sleuth, but she can't help herself.
Great characters, love the story line. Looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Mac gets an early morning frantic call from friend and neighboring business owner Tulia, that sends her running to the Lobstah Shack. What she finds is a dead body in the walk-in. Thus starts our hunt for a killer. Mac and the book club gather once again to try to solve a murder in their tiny town but things are not always that easy.. With multiple suspects and very little clues will they be able to find the killer before they strike again.?

I have really enjoyed this series, the characters, and plots. This one was not quite as enjoyable for me. I found it to be slow going with not much in the way of clues or real sleuthing. I felt that too much time was spent on descriptors and on Mac's thought process that I found this to be rather boring. I do like that Mac does seem to be growing and moving on with her life, but I hope the next book is a little more exciting.

Title: Murder at the Lobstah Shack
Author: Maddie Day
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Release Date: 11/30/21
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Age Range: Adult
Rating: ★★
Publisher’s Summary: When murder turns out to be the special of the day at her friend’s seafood restaurant, bicycle shop owner Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida and her fellow book club sleuths have to net a killer…From clam chowdahs to oysters on the half-shell, Tulia Peters’ Lobstah Shack offers locals and tourists in Westham, Massachusetts, some of Cape Cod’s most amazing cuisine. But when the body of Annette DiCicero is discovered in the kitchen’s walk-in freezer—with a custom-made claw-handled lobster pick lodged in her neck—spoiled appetites are the least of Tulia’s worries. After a heated public argument with Annette, Tulia is a person of interest in the police’s homicide investigation. To clear Tulia’s name, Mac and the Cozy Capers Book Group snoop into Annette’s personal life. Between her temperamental husband, his shady business partner, and two women tied to Annette’s past life as “Miss New Bedford”, there are now several suspects and multiple motives. And they’re getting crabby about Mac intruding on their affairs…
As someone who spent years living in New England, I was immediately taken by the title Murder at the Lobstah Shack. The “ah” at the end of the title gives it so much character, and anyone who follows my blog knows how much I love books that surround food. I have rarely clicked “Request” on NetGalley so fast.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack has many of the things I’ve grown to love about Cozy Mysteries: small town that sees a surprising number of murders and an amateur sleuth and recipes at the back of the book. However, it felt lacking in the quirky charm of many of my favorite mystery series.

I wanted to like Mac, but I didn’t find her to be a likeable character. There are several moments in the book where she comes off as thoughtless and focused on the wrong thing. "I’d also barely thought about my grandmother, now in the ER, while I talked in the Lobstah Shack. What was wrong with me?" While I’m glad Mac realizes that she should have be focused on her sick grandmother rather than talking to her friend, I found comments like this offputting. There are also a few moments where Mac admires her new engagement when it seems like she should be focused on more serious things going on around her (like a murder investigation).

There were also a few moments in the book where they mention the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is brushed past very quickly. This gives the impression that the characters didn’t see this pandemic as a big deal, which I found problematic. "'Remember during that virus crisis?' Gin asked. 'We had to talk about the books on a video call.'" While it is lucky none of the townspeople in Westham died of COVID, this felt like a callous thing to say about a virus that has killed over six hundred thousand Americans to date.

The writing style in Murder at the Lobstah Shack involves a lot of telling rather than showing. At a town meeting, Mac thinks,"I found the business mind numbingly boring, but the town needed to conduct it. My mind had been more on murder than motions anyway. By now my not-so-padded rear end already ached from the ridiculously outdated wooden folding chairs we were all obliged to sit on. I’d noticed the knitter in front of my had brought her own seat cushion. Smart move." While this does paint a picture of what this town meeting is like, I wanted the writing to tell me how boring it was rather than show me. I also appreciate when authors provided detailed description that moved the plot forward, which didn’t feel like the case here.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack did make me want to immediately head to a beach in New England to eat fresh seafood. The description of lobster rolls made with “crusty sub rulls” and “rich mayonaissey lobster mix” had me drooling even though it is not the most vivid of writing.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack satistified my craving for a cozy murder mystery, but I don’t think I’m going to be returning to Westham again anytime soon.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack by Maddie Day
Book #3: Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery Series
Source: NetGalley, Kensington, and Pre-Order Purchase
Rating: 4/5 stars

The Bottom Line: No one likes to find a dead body in their cold storage freezer ☹ When Mac gets an early morning call from her friend and work neighbor Tulia, there is surely a dead body in the freezer and no one knows how the shockingly allergic to shellfish lady got into the local seafood haunt and died.

Once again, Mac and her cozy mystery reading club jump into the action in order to clear their friend’s name and work out who killed the poor woman in the freezer. What I particularly liked about this book is the fact everyone has started backing off in their warnings to stay out of the investigation. Even the police have realized it’s a futile effort that will fall on deaf ears and only offer the required warning . . . . once or twice 😊

In addition to the unraveling of the plot, this book also focuses on the social issue of homelessness and how it impacts communities. While it’s certainly not the overriding theme of the book, I liked seeing this small bit of social awareness woven into the fabric of the story. I find this series to be comfortable and one I will likely continue to return to, but I can’t say it is at the top of my cozies list. It’s a good/solid series but I can’t go further than that with what’s currently available.

The Lobstah Shack is an iconic place to grab a great lobster roll, but not the place you usually find a body. Tulia, the owner, stumble across a body in her walk in freezer and she calls her friend Mac Almeida for help. Annette DiCicero is dead with a lobster pick in her neck. She and Tulia were heard arguing about Columbus Day and when the body is found, naturally Tulia is the prime suspect. Mac jumps in to investigate even though she promised state police detective Lincoln Haskins she wouldn't get involved. But as Mac disregards his warning and she begins to investigate, she finds some unsettling information about Annette's family. This is a fairly new series for Maddie Day and it has potential. The Cape Cod locale is very picturesque and he author does a great job with the atmosphere.

This book is a standard cozy mystery. It's got great characters, and an interesting story. #MurderattheLobstahShack #NetGalley

Mackenzie “Mac” Almeida starts her day with an orderly, peaceful routine -- except for the day when a friend and fellow business owner calls her to help with a corpse who turned up in her walk-in freezer. Mac and her friends rally to clear their friend's name and find the real killer.

I really like Mac and her friends and family. They are likable and realistic. The book shoes a lot of their complex lives and explores some important modern themes while providing a satisfying puzzle.

I like forward to more books in the series.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack is book 3 in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series set on Cape Cod. This was my first book in the series, but I had no trouble connecting to the characters! Bike shop owner Mac is a great protagonist and sleuth - I loved her close relationships with the rest of the book group and her dedication to the shop. Her parrot Belle was a constant source of amusement.

The mystery was a good one - Annette DiCicero is found dead in the walk-in freezer of the Lobstah Shack, and Mac's friend Annette is the number one suspect. There were plenty of red herrings, and the mystery turned out to be quite complex! If you love Cape Cod or small beach towns, this is a cute cozy mystery series!

Thank you to Kensington Books for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review posted to Goodreads 8/6/21, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date 11/30/21.

When her neighbor finds a dead body in her walk in refrigerator, Mac and her book group step in to help find the killer. The story was well paced and I enjoyed the interaction between the characters. Plus there were enough suspects to keep me guessing. As a bonus, there are recipes at the back of the book

Really enjoyed this one! Except for Mac starting to think crazy thoughts a few times, this was super. The mystery was zippy with plenty of clues to follow and red herrings thrown. The characters were fun and grounded, and good sounding boards for Mac. A bit too long for me, but very solid.

Murder at the Lobstah Shack is the third installment in the Cozy Capers Book Group Mystery series set on the shores of Cape Cod and featuring bicycle shop owner Mackenzie "Mac" Almeida and her African Gray Parrot, Belle. Mac's next door neighbor and owner of the Lobstah Shack, Tulia Peter's calls early one morning and begs Mac to come to her restaurant, she needs help. Rushing to her friends rescue Mac is shocked to see the body of Annette DiCicero in the walk in freezer. It's not secret that Tulia and Annette had been arguing publicly about changing the name of Columbus Day to Indigenous People Day.

Before she knows it and against the wishes of State Police Detective Lincoln Haskins, Mac and her friends that make up the Cozy Capers Book Group are involved in solving another murder. This time to clear the name of Tulia. There are plenty of suspects to choose from including Annette's own husband.

Another fast paced addition to the series with a familiar cast of characters on center stage. The author pens such an accurate description of the Cape Cod shoreline that you end up thinking you can actually smell the salt water and tasty the "lobstah" rolls.

I received an advanced copy of Murder at the Lobstah Shack from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion.

amateur-sleuth, murder, murder-investigation, cozy-mystery, small-business, small-town, family, friendship, series, pets, Massachusetts, rivalry, homelessness*****

Easily works as a stand alone.
“Mac” Almeida owns a bicycle rent/repair shop, lives in a Tiny House, has a father who is a minister, a mother who is an astrologer, has a verbose African Grey parrot, a baker who wants to marry her, and is essential to the Cozy Capers Book Group. The characters are so real and relatable, the sleuthing is good, and insight into other ways of working with the problems of homeless people is a good learning experience. There is more attention paid to the Mac's personal issues this time, but it all fits in seamlessly. A good read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A perplexing murder in a small seaside town in Cape Cod spurs the Cozy Capers Book Club into sleuthing mode, once again. Protagonist Mac Almeida is stuck in the middle of a crime scene when her friend, Tulia, owner of Tulia’s Lobstah Shack, finds a corpse in her restaurant. The eclectic Cozy Capers members network together seeking information, then sift all the observations and tips together to solve this savory cozy mystery.

I enjoyed re-visiting the feisty cast of characters in “Murder at the Lobstah Shack”. Author Maddie Day writes short chapters which make the story move swiftly. There are a couple of prime suspects who stood out to me, and a reasonable conclusion and sum-up of motive, means, and opportunity complete the story. Delicious recipes included.

I honestly reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. All opinions are my own. Thank you.

Cozy mystery plus restaurant setting plus Cape Cod = winner winner lobstah dinnah.
This was a well written, witty cozy mystery with some pretty kooky characters. They kept me entertained, and I didn’t solve the mystery before the end… I was happy enough to let the book reveal the murderer on its own terms, though it was a bit more convoluted than I expected!
Fun read for sure.

As a huge fab of the cozy mystery genre I’m always looking for another series to add to my list. Murder at the Lobstah Shack fulfilled my wishes. Maddie Day knocked it out of the park with this delightful read.

Normally this is an author that I can depend on. This one I felt like was so obvious and predictable from the beginning and all throughout with the clues. I thought some things didn't add up either. Not my favorite.

I enjoy this series quite a bit, and Murder at the Lobstah Shack has all the fixings needed to stir up a great cozy mystery.
Mac Almeida is enjoying running her bicycle shop in a tiny town on Cape Cod. A frantic telephone call from local restaurant owner, Tulia, sends Mac head first into the middle of another murder investigation.
Armed with her own knack for sniffing out clues, Mac's also joined by her friends, who are also eager to do their own detecting.
I'm interested to see what the author has planned next for this fun, colorful cast of characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

#MurderattheLobstahShack #NetGalley

When Mac gets an early morning call from her business neighbor, she’s shocked to find a local woman dead in the restaurant’s walk in freezer. With the dead woman having a lobster pick from the restaurant sticking out of her neck, Tulia becomes a person of interest. Mac and the book club are on the case to clear their friend of a murder she did not commit.

Since Tulia didn’t commit the murder, who did? With so many possible scenarios, the book club has their hands full trying to dig up dirt on each of their suspects. From the husband, to a business partner, to old friends, the club and Mac continue to dig but can’t quite figure out who killed the woman or why. But unless Mac is careful, she could find herself in the killer’s path with no where to go but down.

Another fabulous book from Maddie Day! She has several series that I read and can’t get enough of. With well developed characters that feel like friends and neighbors, you’ll find yourself trying to solve the mystery right along side of them and be ready for her next entry in the series to drop. Be sure to check out the recipes at the back of the book.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advance reader copy of Murder at the Lobstah Shack by Maddie Day in exchange for an honest review. Mackenzie "Mac" Almeida is a bicycle shop owner in Westham, MA. Her friend, Tulia, who owns The Lobstah Shack, finds a dead body in the walk-in cooler. This was a great story. I loved the recipes at the end. What a lot of interesting goings on. Maddie Day writes such fun stories.