Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed on 6/29/2024 + 748 more book reviews

Dollycas's Thoughts

Windsholme, the mansion on Morrow Island is ready for guests and events. Julia's best friend Zoey Butterfield and her fiance Jamie Dawes will have the first events held there, with their rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception, and dance. The rehearsal dinner may have to be rushed due to a storm moving in but Julia is confident all the festivities with be a grand success.

What Julia hadn't counted on was one of the guests dying at the rehearsal dinner. The man appeared to know many people but after his death, no one knew the man's name or why he was even there. At first, it was thought he had a shellfish allergy but then an injection mark was discovered on his neck. With most of the guests back in Busman's Harbor and the predicted storm's arrival, Julia assists her boyfriend in questioning the guests spending the night at Windsholme. They want to be sure the wedding can take place the next day so they need to find out who the wedding crasher was, who killed him, and why. 

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I have traveled to Busman's Harbor and the Snowden Family Clambakes since 2013 and enjoyed every trip. Julia, her family, and her friends have been through a lot over the years. All the characters evolved realistically as relationships changed or endured. They stayed strong keeping the clambakes going and worked through so many obstacles to turn Windsholme into all it could be. They did it all while murder after murder took place or a cold case needed a new investigation. Sadly, this book is the final chapters of the Maine Clambake Mysteries, and Ms. Ross has wonderfully ended the series. 

Windsholme has been restored to its grandeur, and there was another season of clambakes and a summer filled with weddings. We delved into Zoey's life, and the wedding crasher's complicated murder was solved. Then Ms. Ross takes us ahead 5 years to share the future of the characters we have come to love over the 12 installments. She wraps the series up with wise words from Julia's mother. "Grab life. Grab love." "And hold on for the ride." The Maine Clambake Mysteries have taken readers on one heck of a ride and I am delighted to have been there for it all. 

Torn Asunder is a fabulous ending to one of my favorite cozy mystery series. Thank you, Barbara Ross, for entertaining me, introducing me to such genuine characters, making me think to solve some complex mysteries, and for all the fun virtual trips to Busman's Harbor and Morrow Island.

For maximum enjoyment, this series is best read from the start. 

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

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