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Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for the advance copy of Muddled Through by Barbara Ross.
The Maine Clambake Mystery series is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series. Book 10 in the series, Muddled Through did not disappoint.
Mud season takes on a whole new meaning in the coastal town of Busman’s Harbor, Maine, when local business owners sling dirt at one another in a heated feud over a proposed pedestrian mall. Vandalism is one thing, but murder means Julia Snowden of the Snowden Family Clambake steps in to clean up the case…
When Julia spots police cars in front of Lupine Design, she races over. Her sister Livvie works there as a potter. Livvie is unharmed but surrounded by smashed up pottery. The police find the owner Zoey Butterfield digging clay by a nearby bay, but she has no idea who would target her store. Zoey is a vocal advocate for turning four blocks of Main Street into a pedestrian mall on summer weekends. Other shop owners, including her next-door neighbor, are vehemently opposed. Could a small-town fight provoke such destruction? When a murder follows the break-in, it’s up to Julia to dig through the secrets and lies to uncover the truth…
While this book takes place before the clambake season is over, Julia Snowden is still a great character. This book took place almost a year after the previous book and Julia’s life is in an upheaval. A lot of things have changed, and Julia was struggling personally. But as always Julia comes through for her friends and Busman’s Harbor.
I loved seeing a new resident of Busman’s Harbor and learning about a new business. While these books are mysteries, I always feel like I learn something new whether it is about clamming or pottery like in this book. I was extremely happy to see that Julia had stuck to her guns and was still not with Chris. I never liked him, so I was glad he was gone. I will be interested in seeing what develops if anything with the new love interests introduced in this story. I won’t say more so that I don’t spoil it for you.
When I read these books, I am always transported to Busman’s Harbor and can picture everything about the town. Ross uses such great descriptions that make you want to visit the town. On my bucket list, is to go to an actual Maine Clambake thanks to these books.
The mystery of this book was good. There were multiple suspects. Although I figured out the person, I had no idea of the reasoning and I loved that it kept me guessing.
Overall, I loved Muddled Through and will be waiting for book eleven in the series. Have you read Muddled Through? If you think you might enjoy it, I recommend reading book one in the series first. Although this book is a stand-alone mystery, there are a lot of things that you will miss out from by starting at book 10. Get your copy of Muddled Though for its June 28th publication.
The Spinny Bookworm Mama 