Steamed Open is the seventh installment in the A Maine Clambake Mystery series set in Busman's Harbor, ME and featuring Julia Snowden and her families Clambake business. Summer is in full swing with business on their private Morrow Island booming and plans underway to rebuild the fire ravaged family home Windsholme.
Sadly one of the town's matriarchs, the beloved Heloise "Lou" Herrickson passes away at the age of one hundred and one, and leaves her mansion, lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's cottage to her grand nephew Bart Frick. Sea Glass Beach which surrounds the family compound had been kept open and available to the public for years, allowing both sunbathers and clammers to enjoy the beautiful Maine coast. But on his first day in town Bart erects a sturdy fence cutting off all access and angering both townspeople and visiting tourists.
With the steamer beds cut off and Julia's family relying heavily on the delicious bivalves to make their authentic clambakes complete, Julia sets out to try and reason with the new heir. Her pleas fall on deaf ears and she resigns to find another means to get Bart to change his mind. When the man is found dead bludgeoned by a clam rake, there is no shortage of suspects including Julia herself.
Determined to find a killer and bring peace back to Busman's Harbor Julia sets out to dig up the killer. Her investigation leads to deeply buried Herrickson family secrets and she soon finds herself trying to untangle a complicated string of clues that ultimately put her in the path of danger.
A page turner from the start, a fast paced plot filled with twists and turns and the return of many well loved and developed main characters. The author reveals a little more about Julia's boyfriend Chris and his past which ultimately brings the two even closer together and it will be exciting to see what happens in the next installment. Mouthwatering food descriptions will have you rushing to the nearest fishmonger to purchase a delicious saltwater delicacy.
Sadly one of the town's matriarchs, the beloved Heloise "Lou" Herrickson passes away at the age of one hundred and one, and leaves her mansion, lighthouse and lighthouse keeper's cottage to her grand nephew Bart Frick. Sea Glass Beach which surrounds the family compound had been kept open and available to the public for years, allowing both sunbathers and clammers to enjoy the beautiful Maine coast. But on his first day in town Bart erects a sturdy fence cutting off all access and angering both townspeople and visiting tourists.
With the steamer beds cut off and Julia's family relying heavily on the delicious bivalves to make their authentic clambakes complete, Julia sets out to try and reason with the new heir. Her pleas fall on deaf ears and she resigns to find another means to get Bart to change his mind. When the man is found dead bludgeoned by a clam rake, there is no shortage of suspects including Julia herself.
Determined to find a killer and bring peace back to Busman's Harbor Julia sets out to dig up the killer. Her investigation leads to deeply buried Herrickson family secrets and she soon finds herself trying to untangle a complicated string of clues that ultimately put her in the path of danger.
A page turner from the start, a fast paced plot filled with twists and turns and the return of many well loved and developed main characters. The author reveals a little more about Julia's boyfriend Chris and his past which ultimately brings the two even closer together and it will be exciting to see what happens in the next installment. Mouthwatering food descriptions will have you rushing to the nearest fishmonger to purchase a delicious saltwater delicacy.
Dollycas's Thoughts
Busman's Harbor, Maine is in an uproar as Bartholomew Frick shuts down Sea Glass Beach access on a property he is set to inherit from the much-beloved resident Heloise âLouâ Herrickson. Julia is worried about having enough crabs for their Snowden Family Clambake's and about the clammers that are losing their income. The tourists aren't happy either especially a couple that was booked to spend a few nights in the nearby lighthouse. Soon after Julia tries to meet with the man to try to come up a plan to reopen the beach he is found dead. There are plenty of suspects as he had angered plenty of people. Just who was mad enough to commit murder? Julia plans to find out.
It was so nice to escape to Maine in the summertime as the cold weather here tries to chill us to the bone.
This time in addition to the beach being closed off preliminary plans have been drawn for repairing and renovating Windsholme, the mansion on Morrow Island that been empty since the 1920s. The mansion on the beach that Bartholomew Frick was inheriting was built by the same builder so the architect and designer are anxious to get a peek as they continue to finalize the plan. Julia and her boyfriend Chris are having some issues but she opens her will finally open up and tell her more about the secret she knows he is keeping.
This was a really fast read for me. The death of âLouâ Herrickson sets off a chain of events that had my pages absolutely flying. Her family tree and her will designations were very surprising to the people of Busman's Harbor.
All my favorite characters were back and some new characters that definitely fit the âquirkyâ definition were introduced. One couple traveling by RV is trying to see or sleep in all the lighthouses in the U.S. What a fun idea!
I liked that we delve into Chris' past in this story and start to understand him better. He has had a complicated life and the author is finally allowing Julia and us readers in on his past.
The entire story is very well-written with subplots the blend perfectly into the main plot. Twists, turns, and some exciting moments take place as Julia does her best to solve this mystery. There is a clear âedge of your seatâ moment near the end that had my heart racing.
I love the way Barbara Ross tells a story. She drew me in, set a brisk pace, and took me on a wonderful little trip complete with delicious food descriptions (with recipes) and a top-shelf mystery.
Each book in this series can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading them in order.
Busman's Harbor, Maine is in an uproar as Bartholomew Frick shuts down Sea Glass Beach access on a property he is set to inherit from the much-beloved resident Heloise âLouâ Herrickson. Julia is worried about having enough crabs for their Snowden Family Clambake's and about the clammers that are losing their income. The tourists aren't happy either especially a couple that was booked to spend a few nights in the nearby lighthouse. Soon after Julia tries to meet with the man to try to come up a plan to reopen the beach he is found dead. There are plenty of suspects as he had angered plenty of people. Just who was mad enough to commit murder? Julia plans to find out.
It was so nice to escape to Maine in the summertime as the cold weather here tries to chill us to the bone.
This time in addition to the beach being closed off preliminary plans have been drawn for repairing and renovating Windsholme, the mansion on Morrow Island that been empty since the 1920s. The mansion on the beach that Bartholomew Frick was inheriting was built by the same builder so the architect and designer are anxious to get a peek as they continue to finalize the plan. Julia and her boyfriend Chris are having some issues but she opens her will finally open up and tell her more about the secret she knows he is keeping.
This was a really fast read for me. The death of âLouâ Herrickson sets off a chain of events that had my pages absolutely flying. Her family tree and her will designations were very surprising to the people of Busman's Harbor.
All my favorite characters were back and some new characters that definitely fit the âquirkyâ definition were introduced. One couple traveling by RV is trying to see or sleep in all the lighthouses in the U.S. What a fun idea!
I liked that we delve into Chris' past in this story and start to understand him better. He has had a complicated life and the author is finally allowing Julia and us readers in on his past.
The entire story is very well-written with subplots the blend perfectly into the main plot. Twists, turns, and some exciting moments take place as Julia does her best to solve this mystery. There is a clear âedge of your seatâ moment near the end that had my heart racing.
I love the way Barbara Ross tells a story. She drew me in, set a brisk pace, and took me on a wonderful little trip complete with delicious food descriptions (with recipes) and a top-shelf mystery.
Each book in this series can be read on its own but for maximum enjoyment, I recommend reading them in order.
Steamed Open by Barbara Ross has readers journeying to Busman's Harbor, Maine in the height of tourist season in the month of August. Julia Snowden is on the Jacquie II with the rest of the town for Heloise (Lou) Herrickson's memorial service and to scatter her ashes. Lou's heir, Bartholomew Frick arrives at the last minute is a fancy new red Porsche. Bart inherited Herrickson Point along with a privately owned lighthouse. The next day, everyone is shocked when they arrive at the beach access road to find a newly installed gate. The clammers and lighthouse enthusiasts are particularly upset by this afront. Since Snowden Family Clambake relies on the clams that the clammers find on that beach, Julia decides to visit Bart Frick and see if she can get him to change his mind (maybe he is not aware of the problem he has caused). Unfortunately, there is no reasoning with the rude man and Julia soon departs. When Julia returns to the pier that evening, she is greeted by the local police. Bart was found stabbed in his home with a clam rake and Julia was one of the last people to see him alive (besides the killer, of course). When Lou's former housekeeper, Ida Fischer ends up at the top of the suspect list, the Snugg sisters ask Julia to don her investigator's cap once again (not that Julia needs an excuse). Bart may not have been in town long, but he quickly managed to anger a significant number of people. Julia wades through the suspect pool to identify Bart's killer while manages the clambake business and discovering what is bothering her boyfriend, Chris.
Steamed Open is the seventh A Maine Clambake Mystery. It can be read alone if you have not read any of the previous books in the series. I enjoyed Barbara Ross' conversational writing style. It makes for a light, airy cozy mystery that is easy to read. We get to experience the day-to-day running of the Snowden Family Clambake with Julia and her family. It is interesting to learn more about Maine and the clamming industry. I enjoy the descriptions of the area especially the beautiful home the Snowden's own on their island. The mystery is uncomplicated, and the killer is easily identified (might as well have been a giant neon sign over the persons head flashing âkillerâ). There are several viable suspects including a couple determined to visit as many lighthouses as they can (they are not going to let a gate stop them). I am glad that we learned more about Julia's boyfriend, Chris in Steamed Open. His story is heartbreaking. I did find his obsession with Vanessa a little odd despite the explanation. I hope that Chris will be more open to talking about the future with Julia now (he really needs to get counseling). There is repetition of information that I could have done without and lack of details about characters (i.e.âChris' last name, Livvie's last name). Steamed Open is an upbeat cozy mystery that will have you yearning for warm days and sandy beaches with a cool drink nearby.
Steamed Open is the seventh A Maine Clambake Mystery. It can be read alone if you have not read any of the previous books in the series. I enjoyed Barbara Ross' conversational writing style. It makes for a light, airy cozy mystery that is easy to read. We get to experience the day-to-day running of the Snowden Family Clambake with Julia and her family. It is interesting to learn more about Maine and the clamming industry. I enjoy the descriptions of the area especially the beautiful home the Snowden's own on their island. The mystery is uncomplicated, and the killer is easily identified (might as well have been a giant neon sign over the persons head flashing âkillerâ). There are several viable suspects including a couple determined to visit as many lighthouses as they can (they are not going to let a gate stop them). I am glad that we learned more about Julia's boyfriend, Chris in Steamed Open. His story is heartbreaking. I did find his obsession with Vanessa a little odd despite the explanation. I hope that Chris will be more open to talking about the future with Julia now (he really needs to get counseling). There is repetition of information that I could have done without and lack of details about characters (i.e.âChris' last name, Livvie's last name). Steamed Open is an upbeat cozy mystery that will have you yearning for warm days and sandy beaches with a cool drink nearby.
