TORN ASUNDER is the twelfth book in the Maine Clambake Mysteries by Barbara Ross. Every time an advance copy of this series lands in my inbox, I immediately put it at the very top to read next. Except this time… I’d heard rumors, which proved to be true, that this is the last book in the series. I desperately wanted to read Torn Asunder, but I also wanted to prolong the anticipation, knowing how sad I’d be once I’d read the last page without having a next book to look forward to. That said, this new release lived up to and exceeded my expectations, especially with the heartwarming conclusion. Kudos to Barbara Ross for giving readers so much joy throughout this series and I wish her great happiness spending time with her family and grandchildren!

While Torn Asunder can easily be read as a standalone, this is one of those series you’ll want to start at the beginning (or pick up where you left off) so you can enjoy the full-of-life stories of all the characters! The author’s strong descriptive voice brings the characters and the breathtaking setting of Morrow Island to life on the pages, and with each book, I desperately want to visit the area and meet these people. One of the most endearing aspects of these books is the sense of family and belonging. I adore the closeness the protagonist, Julia, has with her mother and sister, niece and nephew, and friends. No matter what else happens, they are there to support each other and provide love and comfort. This time around, Julia’s best friend and business partner, Zoey, is getting married to Julia’s childhood friend, police officer Jamie. As bridesmaid, wedding planner, and event manager—the wedding taking place at Windsholme Manor on the island—Julia has more than enough to keep her busy, without an uninvited guest crashing the rehearsal dinner and then falling over dead in the middle of service.

Ms. Ross knows how to write close-knit families and friends, along with emotional overtones, but she also excels at crafting creative mysteries to stump the most seasoned of armchair detectives. Filled with twists and turns, this “closed-island” murder has limited suspects due to the nature of the crime. Especially since no one claims to have known the victim or to have invited him to the private island rehearsal dinner. Someone Julia knows is lying, but what else could they be hiding? Could it be the weepy bride? Or one of the groom’s cousins? As the clues unfolded, I was kept engaged and intrigued, wanting to know what happened next. Generally, I am a quick reader, but this time around I had to slow down and savor the story, the characters, and the mystery until all was revealed in a highly satisfactory manner. A fond farewell to the Maine Clambake Mysteries!

Torn Asunder is the twelfth installment in the Maine Clambake Mystery series set in Busman's Harbor, Maine and featuring Julia Snowden. With renovations complete to Windsholme, her family's home and event space on Morrow Island, Julia is looking forward to hosting her first wedding. Her best friend and business partner, Zoey is getting married to Julia's childhood friend and neighbor, Jamie.

Locals combined with Zoey's artistic friends from all around the country would be coming together on Morrow Island for the celebration. The rehearsal dinner is the traditional Snowden Family Clambake complete with yummy lobsters. Things seem to be going well until a mysterious dinner guest collapses and dies. Both Zoey and Jamie claim not to know the man, but as the investigation continues it seems he actually had connections to the bride and several of her guests. Julia and her boyfriend Tom, Maine State Police Detective, find themselves in the midst of solving another murder.

The ending is a bit of a shock, but I completely understand the decision the author has made. I will miss my friends in Busman's Harbor and I strongly encourage anyone who has not yet read the series to dive right in. The wrap up was just right and I close the cover picturing Julia and her family living happily ever after.

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

Torn Asunder is the 12th book in the Maine Clambake series. As maid of honor, Julia hosts a wedding rehearsal on Morrow Island for Zoey, her friend and business partner. One of the guests keels over dead during dinner, and it turns out, no one invited him and no one claims to know who he was. A storm hits and everyone is stranded on the island with a dead body and a killer. This was a fast paced mystery with great characters, a good plot and plenty of suspects. I was saddened when I got to the last chapter and realized that this is the final book in this series. The author does a good job of wrapping things up at the end, but I will miss reading books in this wonderful series. 5/5

Nice ending to a pleasant and thoroughly enjoyable cozy mystery series. Summers on the island were always engaging and entertaining. Number 12 is no exception. Happy to see all the happily ever afters. Thanks to the publisher for providing a copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary. I am wondering what Barbara Ross will be writing about next.

The last in the series, Torn Asunder ends with Julia hosting the wedding of Zoey, her best friend. A murder at the rehearsal dinner of a mystery guest, multiple things that could go wrong and did at the wedding (with a bit of humor), and finally revealing who the man was, as well as his killer and why. I am a bit sad to see the series end, but applaud Ms Ross for knowing when to end a series and move on. I feel the books are best read in order, only to keep the characters and storyline straight.
Thanks to NetGalley, Ms Ross, and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

"Torn Asunder (Maine Clambake Mystery #12)" by Barbara Ross feels like a final book to the series by the way it ended. I wont say more since I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone. However, the rest of the book was like a list of examples of what can go wrong at a wedding. Especially when half the guests are murder suspects. In the end I was right about who the murderer was and why. The victim had a pattern and even though there weren't many clues pointing at who really did it, it lined up.

In the 12th and final Maine Clambake mystery, Zoey and Jamie's wedding is being held on Morrow Island in June. During the rehearsal dinner, a man collapses and Julia fears he's got an allergy to seafood. But when Jamie and Tom examine him, they discover a tiny pinprick behind his ear, an indication that he had received an injection. He was murdered.

A long night follows, as a storm rages around the island. Tom, Julia and Jamie question the members of the wedding party who are staying overnight at the house. Zoey cries almost constantly - I found that to be annoying. Julia fears the wedding will be cancelled, but the day dawns clear and bright. Quite a few guests at the wedding knew the dead man, which was hard to believe they ended up on a small island in far off Maine, but so it goes. A nice conclusion to the series, which I enjoyed very much. Please write more, Barbara Ross, I want to read it! Cheers!

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this novel.

Another fantastic book in the Maine Clambake Mysteries. I have really enjoyed the entire series and this book did not disappoint. Julia is getting ready to host the first wedding at the renovated Windsholme. She is excited to see friends, Jamie and Zoey get married, even if it means pulling triple duty as a maid of honor, wedding planner and the venue manager. Everything is going smoothly until a guest suddenly succumbs to what is thought to be an allergic reaction, or is it? No one invited the guest, but many know them and not in a good way. What follows is an investigation with twists and turns as Julia and her state police detective boyfriend, Tom, race to find the culprit so that the wedding can continue.
I really enjoyed this story. I have always loved how the author isn't afraid of time and allowing the characters to grow and to change. I felt like the ending to this book was super satisfying.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for the advanced copy of this book.

I love this series and really enjoyed reading this book. I really like the authors writing style her characters feel like friends. So much so that I cried at the end of this book. I’m so sad that this is the last in the series. The author does a great job wrapping things up. But I'm still very bummed to let these friends go.

I just received an ARC of Torn Asunder yesterday from NetGalley and have already finished it. This is #12 in the Maine Clambake series and the best one by far! The whole book takes place on Morrow Island at Windsholme and was the perfect ending to a fabulous series. Almost all the main characters were there and the mystery was not easy to figure out. The author does a wonderful job wrapping things up in great detail. But I'm still very disappointed to see this series come to an end. Kudos to Barbara Ross for a job so well done!

Julia's BFF and winter boss, Zoey, is getting married! The groom is Julia's childhood BFF, Jamie. While Zoey's life has been anything but traditional, she wants her wedding to be classic in every possible way. Now that Windsholme is open, Julia wants the inaugural wedding to be Zoey's dream wedding come true. That means not only is Julia the bridesmaid, she's also playing wedding planner and coordinating the event space. But of course, nothing is as predictable in Busman's Harbor as... murder.

Zoey is a really sweet character in this series, she's steady and kind and creative, she's always there and is calm and easy to be around. I think long-time series readers are just as happy as Julia to see her dream wedding come to fruition and equally dismayed when things start to go wrong. First, a mysterious wedding guest who seems to know everyone though no one will admit to knowing him, dies under mysterious circumstances in the middle of the rehearsal dinner. What follows is a closed-room (or in this case, storm-isolated island) mystery. Whoever committed the crime was on the island... but there were a lot of people on the island. And for each person who was on the island there's a motive to want to con man gone.

This series has had its ups and downs, there were some books that were better than others and many that were really great. Unfortunately, the author reveals at the end of this book that Torn Asunder will be the last in the series. While I can appreciate what she wrote about wanting to basically retire from the series and from writing in general, I will admit that I uttered some unkind words when I read that. Because, really, how dare she? Doesn't she know my desire for more Clambake mysteries trumps enjoying vacations with her grandchildren? OK, no, it doesn't. In all seriousness, thank you, Barbara, for giving us a fun series. I wish there would be more but I'm grateful for the dozen we got.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I enjoyed this a great deal. I got such a clear idea of the house that I hadn't before. I loved the "closed room" aspect of the story. However, I was disappointed to find that this will be the last book in the series. I am looking forward to seeing what Barbara Ross will come up with next.

Kindle Copy for Review from Net Galley and Kensington Books.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

A wedding on boat sounds romantic until a wedding crasher drops dead. No one seems to know the mysterious person who been handed out business cards.

It does not appear to be an allergic reaction to the shellfish served a t the clambake reception as a mysterious spot is noticed on the neck.

As the weather takes a turn, Julia finds herself stranded with the small wedding party and a dead body. She’ll question the people and figure out a killer n-before the person decides to strike again. It’s one clammy situation that you will not want to miss.

Torn Asunder by Barbara Ross is the 12th cozy mystery book in the wonderful series: A Maine Clambake Mystery. I just loved this.

This is one of my top three cozy mystery series of all time. My mother introduced me to the delightful cast of characters in Busman’s Harbor, Maine…and I have never been the same since.

Julia Snowden and her entire family and set of friends are such a genuine group of characters. I have read every book and novella in this series, and each one just becomes better and better. I have grown up simultaneously with Julia as she has found her way back home and developed a life full of love, friendship, business ventures, and she has really come into her own. I love that she has found the handsome and supportive Tom, and together there is no culprit that cannot be caught.

I enjoyed this murder mystery, as well as the plot. I will not give anything away, but I won’t lie when I say I teared up at the end. Just wonderful and perfect. Do yourself a favor and read this series. You won’t regret.

5/5 stars enthusiastically

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 4/23/24.

Weddings start and finish this installment of the Maine Clambake Mysteries. I love this series.

Zoey Butterfield and Jamie Dawes have booked the first weekend in June to have Windsholme House for their wedding. Things get really complicated when an uninvited guest drops dead after the ceremony. Who is this man and how did he manage to upset so many people, all who claim not to know who is is? The investigation gets messy when a storm hits the island and every guest, including the dead body are trapped on the island.
The tragic tale of the life of a con-man and those his scams destroyed made it easy to have sympathy for the murderer.

Recipes include two created by the author's husband, Bill Carito and all were served at Zoey & Jamie's wedding.

"Grab life. Grab love. (and hold on for the ride)"

Once again, Barbara Ross' Maine Clambake Mystery series (this is book 12) is another winner-winner. Great read!

#TornAsunder #NetGalley is an outstanding end to a well loved series.
Join Julia Snowden as she celebrates the wedding of her best childhood friend Jamie, and Zoey, at the beautifully renovated Windsholme, House, a boat ride from Busman's Harbor in Maine.
Julia is thrilled for her friends and is enjoying her role of maid of honor, event planner and venue host.
Even though things don't go exactly according to plan, its warms her heart to see Jamie and Zoey so happy.
It isn't until later that a guest is spotted, but no one really knows who he is, it's assumed he's a guest of the bride, but no one knows for sure.

At the reception, the unknown guest suffers what appears to be an allergic reaction, and when the authorities get involved, it seems no one wants to admit their connection to the guest.
This story is well done and even though its the last in the series, Ms. Ross did a fantastic job of wrapping it up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.