Death and a Pot of Chowder is the debut of the A Maine Murder Mystery series set on Quarry Island, Maine and featuring Anna Winslow, stay at home Mom. Anna has lived her entire life on Quarry Island, married at a young age to her lobsterman husband Burt, and is now raising her sometimes moody fourteen year old son Jake.

There aren't that many full time residents on Quarry Island and Anna living just a few doors down from her childhood home is surrounded by her mother, grandmother and Burt's brother, Carl. Carl works alongside Burt lobstering and has a reputation as a playboy. When Burt discovers Carl's boat abandoned and floating adrift off the coast, an all out search begins for him. Unfortunately, Carl's body is recovered but what is first thought to be an accidental drowning soon turns into a case of murder.

With her husband seen arguing with Carl earlier that day, Anna is devastated when Burt is arrested for murder. Determined to clear Burt's name, Anna sets out with the help of her recently discovered half sister Izzie to track down the killer. Plenty of suspects surface including Carl's ex girlfriends, but the thing that worries Anna most is that Jake and his best friend Matt Martin are suddenly fighting and acting as though they have something to hide.

A fast paced plot with engaging characters, a touch darker than a typical cozy, but a refreshing change with a heroine that is married and not a part of the dreaded love triangle. The resolution to the murder is shocking and the author pens enough twists that readers will definitely want to pick up the next in the series to see what's next in store for Anna.

I received an advanced copy of Death and a Pot of Chowder from NetGalley via Crooked Lane Books. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

I absolutely adored this book! A little more intense than your average classified 'cozy' this story had real depth. Interesting and well fleshed characters that became fast fictional friends. The descriptions of Maine were so well described I could smell the salt air. The story flowed and had me turning the pages. And the ending was a complete surprise.
This is a must read for cozy and mystery lovers alike.

A layered, engaging mystery! This book is set in my most favorite of mystery locations: Maine. The small, closet-knit island community is the best place for a great whodunit. Main character, Anna, is a wife and mom who's lived her whole life on the same road and has known the island and its citizens her whole life. So who could be better to investigate the death of a family member... especially when her own husband is suspect #1? Add in a new family member that Anna's just learned about, and some background on the primary characters, and there was plenty of meat to this story to keep me reading. The victim, though generally a good person, had flaws, which created several strong suspects as the story went on. There were plenty of clues and twists - both relevant and not - to keep me guessing 'til the very end. I also enjoyed the recipes at the end and how each chapter began with a snipped from old books about housekeeping and cooking. This is the first book I've read by Cornelia Kidd, but I'm already looking forward to reading more!

I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a solid start to a new series. The writing definitely flowed beautifully, however, it seemed the author spent a great deal of time explaining the setting and background of the way of the island instead of explaining more about the actual characters. The concept was there, the execution left a little room for more. That being said, it was the first installment and based on what I have read, there is more than enough content to make a second strong installment. The relationships between characters were off to a good start, just seems to need more. The mystery itself was solid and well written.