Julia Snowden runs the Snowden Family Clambake Company, along with other family members. It's October, and soon they'll be closing up for the winter. There's just a few excursions left to Morrow Island, where it's held and where her family's mansion lies, in the process of being restored by a Russian demolition team that was hired to do the job.

There's trouble brewing, however, between a longtime employee and a recent hire. Jason Caraway has been with them a long time and Julia hired her boyfriend Chris's brother Terry as a favor. Terry's an ex-con who recently got out of prison, and it's apparent there's a problem between them - the problem being another employee, Emmy Bailey, a single mother who needs the job. Just when Julia agrees to fire Terry, a body is found on the island and Terry has disappeared. Chris has asked Julia to prove his brother innocent, and Julia reluctantly agrees, even if others think he's guilty. But in doing so, will Julia be putting her own life in danger?

I have read every single book in this series and I have loved them all. Ms. Ross has a way of bringing you not only to Maine, but to Morrow Island, the surrounding areas, and the characters she writes about. While we may not like every person, we certainly get to know them.

Julia's elderly cousin Marguerite and her granddaughter Tallulah have come for a visit, with Marguerite's intention to see the mansion once more in her lifetime. There's also a secondary mystery that I really enjoyed: when the workers discover a sealed-up room in the mansion, it was left exactly the way it was originally when used by its last occupant in 1898. There are personal belongings, and a diary that proves to be a mystery in itself. Giving the diary to Marguerite, they're hoping she'll be able to shed light on who the woman was who wrote it.

While I enjoyed the mystery and trying to discover who killed the person and why, I enjoyed the mystery of the diary more. I'm a sucker for a mystery-within-a-mystery, especially when it concerns something that occurred at least a century or more before. This one, while not as involved as the main mystery (nor should it be) was still quite fun to watch them solve.

There are plenty of red herrings, and enough suspects to go around; and I found the reason for the murder believable enough to carry the story. As always, it was well-written with a decent plot, and easy enough to be read in one sitting. I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended. ( )

Sealed Off by Barbara Ross is the eighth A Maine Clambake Mystery. It can be read on its own for those who have just discovered this series. Julia Snowden has her hands full in Sealed Off between running the family business, getting ready for the opening of the winter restaurant she runs with Chris, the renovations at Windsholme, the murder of an employee, visiting relatives and the hidden room. Marguerite is an elderly relative who lived at Windsholme when she was a child and is visiting Busman’s Harbor with her granddaughter, Tallulah. She is arriving to take a last look at the house before the renovations begin. I like that she can describe what the once stately summer home looked like when it was at its prime. I enjoyed Marguerite’s readings of the diary. I admit that I found the story of the nanny more compelling than the modern day whodunit. I just loved the descriptions of the room’s furnishing and the beautiful clothing the governess left behind. I was a little disappointed with the outcome (but that is just me). Jason Caraway and Terry Durand bickering about Emmy Bailey was unprofessional and I was surprised that Julia let it go on as long as she did (I know it is fiction—but I thought it odd). No one has bothered to tell Emmy that her daughter could be Terry’s child and that Huntington’s runs in the family. I was happy that this particular storyline is put to bed by the end of the novel. The death of Jason Caraway along with what happened to the missing demo crew worker was not a head scratcher. There was a lack of suspects plus obvious clues that made this puzzle a snap to solve. There were some exciting suspenseful moments that I relished. I would like to see Julia and Chris’s relationship progress. They are happy, but I wonder what the future holds for them especially regarding children. Sealed Off is a good story, but it is not my favorite in the series. I am, though, looking forward to the next A Maine Clambake Mystery. This is a series that I enjoy reading with its charming town and engaging characters. Sealed Off has demolition drama, squabbling suitors, a recondite room, a discovered diary, and fine food. ( )

Sealed Off is the eighth book in the A Maine Clambake Mystery series.

It’s early October in Busman’s Harbor and the end of the clambake season is about over for the Snowden Family Clambake business. When Julia Snowden goes to Morrow Island for that day’s clambake and soon finds out that Jason Caraway is missing from his fire pit duties. A search is begun and Julia finds him buried in a woodpile. Suspicion soon falls on Terry Durand, her boyfriend Chris’s, brother, who has recently been released from prison. Terry becomes the prime suspect based on his record and that he and Jason had recently been fighting. Julia and Chris set off to see if they can clear Terry’s name and soon find there is no shortage of other suspects.

In a subplot, a Russian demolition crew has begun on Windsholme, the family home on Morrow Island, to ready it for renovation in the coming Spring. Much to the family’s surprise, a hidden room is found. When Julia’s 96-year-old distant cousin, Marguerite, arrives for a visit, they hope she will be able to shed some light about the room. As Julia is looking through the mystery room she comes across a hidden journal. With the help of Marguerite, they believe that the journal belonged to the nanny, Lillian. The family hopes they will be able to learn where Lillian might have gone and why the room was sealed off.

I love this series and this another exciting and wonderful addition to the series. The book is well-written and plotted with a wonderful cast of believable characters.

Delicious sounding recipes are also included in the book.

I will be looking forward to the next book in this exciting series. ( )

law-enforcement, murder, murder-investigation, mystery, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, Maine, family-dynamics *****

The first mystery is a hidden room from 1898 sealed away with everything in it intact. The second is a murder. All of this happens on a small, family owned island with a severely damaged Victorian home and currently part of a tourist attraction. Lots of twists and red herrings complete with state cops, an old diary, odd behaviors by main characters, and other peculiarities. I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you! ( )