I was drawn to this by its cover and title. When it the temperatures heat up, I start thinking how nice it would be to be on the coast like the setting of this book. This is one of those great books where the community of the town is part of the story. Anna is a great sleuth and I enjoyed how her and her long lost sister solved the murder and started to build a relationship. This the perfect summer read and I highly recommend it to mystery lovers and those who like strong family ties in books.

It takes an island to solve a murder, a small island on the coast of Maine. Anna lives on Quarry Island with her husband, Burt and their 14 year old son. Burt is a lobsterman as is his brother and generations of his family before him. Burt is the serious, responsible brother and Carl, not so much. His work ethic is weak and some of his personal relationships need work. One day Anna receives a letter from her half sister, Izzie - a sister she never knew existed. She and Anna share a father, a man who was never revealed to Anna. The day she goes off island to pick up Izzie at the bus station, she gets a call that turns her world on its ear - Carl's boat has been found adrift and Carl is missing. When his body is found, obviously murdered, the police put Anna's husband at the top of their list for his killer. Burt may have had issues with his brother but would he kill him over them? Anna and Izzie team up to sort things out - family always comes first, even if one of those family members is a new addition and, so far, an unknown element.
The mystery is excellent with the twists and turns and red herrings and the island comes to life along with the 300 some year round residents of Quarry Island. Everybody knows everybody else but who is hiding a dark side, a side that leads to the murder of one of their own? The characters are well drawn and I cared about each one of them, especially Anna's family. They are real, down to earth people. Come the summer season I wish that I could spend some time with them. Baring that, (this is fiction, after all), I will be more than ready to read the next in the series.

Death And A Pot Of Chowder is the first book in the A Maine Murder Mystery.

I was drawn to this book by its description and when I learned that Cornelia Kidd also writes as Lea Wait, I knew I had to read it. I have read all of Wait’s Needlepoint and Antique Print series books and love her writing.

This story takes place on Quarry Island, Maine where most residents are involved in the lobstering industry. Anna Winslow is one of those residents. Anna’s husband Burt in a lobsterman as is his brother Carl. Anna has just gotten a letter and she doesn’t recognize the handwriting on the envelope. When she reads the note inside, she finds that she has a half-sister, Izzy, who lives in Connecticut. Anna drives to Portland to meet Izzy at the bus station. On the way back to Quarry Island, Anna learns that Izzy is a chef and is looking to find a job in Maine and get her career started. Shortly after they get home Anna learns that Carl had gone out on his boat to check his lobster traps and is missing.

The next day, Carl’s body is found washed ashore and it is found that he had been shot. As the police begin their investigation they soon zero in on Burt having killed his brother. His rifle has gone missing and they also learn that Carl had written a check on Burt’s checking account and nearly zeroing out the account. When Burt gets arrested for his brother's murder, Anna begins to do a little sleuthing of her own to clear her husband.

Even though Anna and Izzie have just met they are bonding quickly and Izzie proves extremely valuable in keeping the family upbeat and is able to see things in the friends and neighbors that Anna may not as she has known them all her life.

I found this story to be well-plotted and told with plenty of twist and turns. The story had interesting and believable characters and am looking forward to learning more about the interesting residents of Quarry Island.

Each chapter begins with excerpts from various cookbooks and household management books from the 1800’s, which I found to be very interesting. Delicious sounding recipes are also included with the book.

I am eagerly looking forward to the next book in this exciting new series to see what adventures Anna and Izzie will have next.

Anna Winslow lives on Quarry Island with her son and husband, a lobsterman. When her brother-in-law is found dead, and it is determined that he was murdered, Anna's husband is arrested because he had an argument with his brother and because he knew his brother had forged a check stealing all their savings the police feel they have the murderer. Anna is forced to delve into the murder to save her family.

This was a good start for a new series, but I think it needs a few more interesting characters in the future. The characters are a bit ordinary, nothing special.

Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd is the 1st book in the Main Murder Mystery series, and an enjoyable read. Anna Winslow, her husband Burt, and their son live on Quarry Island in Maine. Anna discovers she has a half sister she never knew about, and Burt's brother Carl goes missing. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I found this book to be a quick read, with a well developed plot and characters. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. If you love cozy mysteries, I recommend this book.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I really liked this book - the characters are good [even the ones that you aren't supposed to like; the author does her job in how she writes them!] and the story was very good - very true-to-life. I really liked this book because there was not too many characters, the plot was not confusing and there were quite a few surprises! And, there was no swearing or vulgarity; it is always refreshing when that happens! I am really looking forward to the next one in this series.

This is a exciting new series written by author Lea Wait as Cornelia Kidd. I am a fan of the authors previous writing as I always enjoy her exquisite descriptions of Maine. This new series is set on a small island in Maine' called Quarry Island and is the perfect start to a successful fun new cozy series for her readers! The island is picturesque and the inhabitants are a close knit group of neighbors. The authors descriptions of the island place the reader right in beautiful seaside Maine on this unique setting.
In this new series we are introduced to our protagonist Anna Winslow and her family. Her husband is a generational lobster fisherman with his Brother Carl. They have a teenage son . Their life is quiet and idyllic in a natural rhythm of the island life. Not for long ! Anna receives word she has a sister Izzie and leaves the island to go meet her. The same day Carl is found with his boat crashed, probably murdered. Soon Izzie and Anna join together as sisters and family to determine what happened to Carl.
This is a well crafted story with excellent attention to supporting charcters. Each supporting island character adds depth to the story. I loved the description of small island life. The inner circles of island life revolve around family, work and gossip. Each family on the island plays a part . The sleuth is very well crafted and I enjoyed the clues as well as the surprising reveal at the end. This is a very promising series and I look forward to the next in series. The gorgeous island is a welcome retreat and I like our new smart savvy protagonist and her family.
Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my review. I highly recommend this mystery !

Great start to a new series. Several surprises, especially the murderer. Many cozy mysteries take place in a small town that I would love to visit or live there. I am not an island person and this one seemed way too closely knit. Fun seeing the reactions to the new half sister and the non PC comments. Did shed a tear or two for the sentimentality. I look forward to reading the next one in this interesting series.

I received an ARC copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, its a very promising series and I seriously can not wait for the next installment!! Love me a great cozy mystery and this fit the bill!!

What an interesting new cozy mystery series. I am looking forward to there being more in the series.

Anna Winslow lives in a small tightly knit community in Maine. She receives a letter that turns her world upside down. She discovers she has a half sister but their reunion is short lived as Anna is called back home when her brother-in-law disappears. Izzie comes back to Quarry Island to help Anna solve the case. Secrets and lies are uncovered in a new series by Cornelia Kidd (aka Lea Wait).

The author does a great job in staging this fresh whodunit with a mystery that kept me on my toes and I could not put down, quickly became a page turner as I had to know what the outcome would be in this multi-plot story line. The comfortable tone, the author's writing style and the pacing was on par with how well this story was being told. The narrative was visually descriptive putting me in the middle of all the action, especially with a sense of a Maine's atmosphere as I followed along with Anna and Izzie as they made headway into others who had a stronger motive. I thought I had a handle on the killer's identity, but that twist at the end when the killer's identity was reveal, that I did not see coming. Snippets from 1800's housekeeping and cooking tips greeted each chapter, which added to my reading pleasure. Boasting a lovable cast of characters and engaging dialogue, this was a terrific start to a delightfully charming series that I hope is here to stay.

A wonderful start to a new series. This novel is set in Quarry Island, Maine in a tight knit community. The writing style was reminiscent of Lea Waite who also sets her books in Maine. With the descriptions of the area, I felt like I was in Maine.

The cover is adorable, so full of color and the setting says to me “read me, NOW!”

The story is well crafted and kept me engaged until the end. I liked the family dynamics and empathy I could feel towards them. The plot was set to good pace with enough turns to keep me guessing until the end. I plan to add this author to my reading list.

There are recipes at the end of the book which I look forward to trying out.

A delightful start to the new Maine Murder Series. Anna and her husband Burt live on Quarry Island in Maine where they depend on the lobster fishing to make their living. Anna gets a letter from a half sister she never knew and drives to Portland to meet her. While she and Izzy are visiting she gets a phone call that Burt's brother Carl is missing from his boat. When Burt is charged with his murder, Izzy and Anna start investigating to find the real killer. Izzy decides to stay in Quarry and open a restaurant so the sisters will be busy in the next book. This appears to be Cornelia Kidd's first book and she did a good job grabbing my interest. I received a free copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A nice start to a new cozy series! Anna's just been told she has a half-sister- Izzie (a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America!)- and on the day she goes to meet her, her husband Burt tells her his brother Carl is missing. AND then, Carl is found dead and Burt is the prime suspect. Quarry Island is a small insular place, bound to tourism and the sea and while everyone knows everyone, not everyone knows everything. There are some secrets here. Anna and Izzie make a good, if unconventional investigating team, and while the identity of the murderer is not hard to guess, Kidd does a nice job of having them work through the suspect list. AND, there's recipes! Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Looking forward to the next one.

I absolutely LOVE these cosy mysteries and this is a fantastic example, I already can't wait for more in this series!!!

Seasoned wordsmith Cornelia Kidd launches her new Maine Murder Mystery series with Death and a Pot of Chowder, a consummate cozy adventure.

Anna, her husband Burt, their teenage son Jack, her mother and stepfather, her grandmother Mamie and her newly found half sister Izzie form the household that anchors this series. The story begins with Anna’s trip to pick up Izzie at the Portland Transportation Center. Izzie’s come from Connecticut where she lived with her father before his recent death. Plans are disrupted when Burt calls and asks Anna to come home right way because his brother Carl is missing.

Carl is found, murdered by gunshot. As secrets come out, the suspect list grows. Distractions arise as Anna and Izzie try to find clues – especially since Burt becomes a suspect. Anna’s neighbors are Rob Erickson, a police detective, who retired to care for his father, Gus. Rob pitches in to advise Anna and Izzie on their sleuthing.

Quarry Island is defined by the hard life of Maine’s lobstermen, the importance of family tradition, the tight-knit nature of community residents. The closeness of family and generations of tradition are exemplified by the Winslow family, how they handle bringing a newly found member into the family while dealing with this tragedy.

This intriguing and complex mystery certainly holds the reader’s attention. But the author’s writing skill literally immerses the reader in the community of Quarry Island, Maine and the home of Anna and Burt Winslow.

I love Lea Wait books and was happy to be approved for this one written as Cornelia Kidd.
There are different themes: the island and its inhabitants, what the life of fisherman is, and the building of a relationship with another person.
I loved how this elements were mixed and I really liked the two main female characters and the building of their relationship.
I was hooked since the first pages and read the book in a couple of settings as the plot was so good.
I look forward to read the next instalment to see how the different stories are developing.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC

3.5 stars

A debut cozy set on Quarry Island in Maine, a close-knit watermen's community. Anna Winslow and her husband Burt and son Jake are surprised to hear that Anna has a half-sister, Isabel, and that Anna's long-absent father has died and left her some money.

Close on the heels of Anna's meeting with Izzie comes tragedy: Burt's wayward brother Carl is missing and his fishing boat has been found adrift. Carl's body is recovered, but the police discover he was murdered. Soon, all kinds of small-town secrets begin to appear.

This was an interesting setting and the appealing Anna and Izzie work realistically and slowly to build a family relationship under strained circumstances. The mystery itself is fairly transparent and most readers will spot the villain early on.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd is the first book in the cozy A Maine Murder Mystery series. Anna Winslow grew up on Quarry Island off the coast of Maine where she now lives with her husband and son. The community is a close knit one in which everyone knows everyone on the tiny island.

Anna grew up knowing that her biological father had left her mother before she was even born but she never expected a letter to arrive informing her of his passing from a sister that she didn’t know existed. Anna being excited to learn a little something about that side of her heritage invites her half sister to come to the island to visit.

Just as Anna is picking up Izzie though she gets a call from her husband letting her know his brother is missing. When Carl’s body is found it becomes apparent that his death was no accident and with the police looking at Anna’s husband Burt for the murder Anna and Izzie decide to team up and find the real killer.

Death and a Pot of Chowder really isn’t the normal cozy that I fall in love with as it lacked the humor and quirkiness that I usually enjoy however this one had a small town charm that drew me into the story. Each chapter began with an excerpt from various women’s publications from the 1800’s and one would wonder why until you get the feel of the town and see that the antiquated ideas of that era still seem to hold true on the island so they actually fit rather well.

With the characters and setting being very well done I settled in to the mystery side of the book and liked that while the main character and her sister did their bit of asking around there was also a retired detective to help move the investigation along. When all was said and done with this first installment of the new series I found that I had enjoyed it quite a bit and will look forward to more to come.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.