I love this series of books. I love reading the scrumptious description of the food and am so happy when I get to the end and find the recipe! Having spent many fun weeks of summer in Boothbay Harbor in Maine I enjoy reading about the town and recognize many of the descriptions of places. I have read every book in this series and found this to be one of the best. I read a lot of mysteries and usually can figure out “who done it” but I am usually surprised in this series to find at the end it was the person I least expected.

I got a free copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Even though I’d only read the first book in this series, i wasn’t confused about who’s who in the story. This book has all it takes to make it a typical cozy mystery and it was fun to follow Julia in this investigation in what turned out to be a complex issue linked to a family feud.
I also appreciated that Ms. Ross isn’t overdoing the romance side of things, I like a good mystery but have no patience for the cheesy romance some authors go for.
Now, I want to read all the books between the ones I already read.

SHUCKED APART, the ninth book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series by Barbara Ross, is another delightful return to Busman’s Harbor, Maine. As with the previous books in the series, the author does an admirable job in building on the strengths of her character development while interjecting an aspect of Maine’s industry which I find thoroughly captivating! Each book can easily be read as a standalone, but be prepared to want to backtrack and devour the previous books. In this newest release, protagonist Julia Snowden finds herself helping out her boyfriend’s friend, Andie, an oyster farmer, after someone stole mind boggling expensive buckets of oyster seed from her. It doesn’t take long for the same oyster farmer to be found murdered and Julia feels a sense of responsibility in finding the killer. I was fascinated by the oyster farming industry as described in the book. I had absolutely no idea how extensive it was or the dedication it entailed to bring oysters to market, and Ms. Ross effortlessly weaves those details into the plot without slowing down the pace of the mystery.

As the mystery unfolds and Julia begins delving into the bitter feelings between oyster farmers and lobster fishermen, a slew of suspects crop up. The clues strongly point in their direction since Andie’s oyster farm had been sabotaged several times in the weeks and months leading up to her death. Thrown in for good measure is an ex-husband, wealthy summer residents who don’t want any type of industry in their backyard, and rival oyster farmers. Julia is a deliberate amateur sleuth and I appreciated the care she took when asking questions around town and talking to potential suspects. It was enjoyable watching the scenes unfold and following the clues, and while I didn’t guess correctly, I was thoroughly gratified with the way the threads of the plot came together in a cohesive reveal.

Another delight of this series is the way the author showcases recipes containing Maine’s agricultural ingredient featured in the book. There have been blueberries, clams, lobsters, and of course this book contains a couple oyster recipes among others.

Shucked Apart by Barbara Ross was a well thought out mystery. This book was "meatier" than your average cozy mystery. Ms. Ross did her research for this book and it shows. I enjoyed it and would definitely recommend it.

Julia's boyfriend introduces her to his poker friend, Andie, a woman who owns an oyster farm. She was knocked down and kicked while unloading two buckets of oyster spat (baby oysters) from her truck. They had cost her $35,000. She asks Julia for help that the police won't provide - she feels she was robbed because she wanted to quadruple her business area. She shows Julia her operation on the river and Julia is impressed how professional and successful Andie is. Julia interviews another oyster farmer and her uncle, a lobster fisherman, as Andie had reported vandalism to her equipment from lobster fishers. Then Andie receives a ransom note about the oyster spat. Julia visits her the next day, but Andie's out diving for mature oysters. While waiting on the dock, Julia looks straight down into the water and sees Andie dead and floating in the water right by the dock. It's a terrible shock but she is determined to keep investigating.

I was surprised that Julia would put her own business on hold (she's trying to hire summer employees for the season which is about to start) and get involved in a murder investigation. She is dogged for sure. Many thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

I received an e-ARC from Netgalley.
I'm a lifelong vegetarian so I haven't had any experience with seafood, but it was interesting to read about the process of oyster farming. This is also my first book that I've read in this series. I found the main character to be a strong and appealing female character and would read more books about her. The writing and the mystery were compelling and made it hard for me to guess the culprit before the conclusion.

I love this series. Chris Asks Julia for help when a friend is robbed. Julia learns that Chris has been keeping more secrets from her. This is all in the middle of getting ready to open the Snowden Family Clambake. Although a robbery, a murder and a boyfriend she can’t trust Julia juggles it all. Loved this can’t wait for the next!
#ShuckedApart #NetGalley

This was the perfect cozy mystery to lift my spirits. With a great setting and interesting characters, I was pulled in from the start. I enjoyed every page.

I enjoy this series and liked how in this one you visit another town and get some information on oyster farming. This gives the book a fuller feel. The main character, Julia, works on the mystery (or two) while having to deal with relationship with Chris. I look forward to reading more from this series to see what happens to everyone.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the ninth installment in the Maine Clambake mystery series. Julia Snowden lives in Busman Harbor Maine and helps run the family Snowden Family Clambake company. In this installment, her boyfriend Chris asks Julia to help out a poker buddy who is having some trouble in her oyster business. Julia is surprised that Andie is a woman and Andie wonders if that some of her issues is because she is a woman in a male dominated business. Andie runs Great Rivers Oysters on the Damariscotta River and has worked her way up to the largest oyster business on the river and plans to expand but is concerned when $35,000 in oyster seed is stolen and asks for Julia and Chris’s help. Andie starts looking into this when she finds Andie dead with an oyster knife in her neck. Andie has a headstart on the state detectives as she was narrowing in on the mystery of the theft. Julia works her way thru the mystery with heart and unravels all the twists and clues to get justice in the end. This is an interesting read and you will learn about oyster farming (had no clue). I have been to Maine one time and when I read these books I feel like I go back each time with the rich description of the area. It is a nice escape during these trying times. Great read and looking forward to the next installment.

I have loved all the books in my his series. This one focused on Julia more than the rest of the series. I recommend it as a quick, fun read.

All the characters in this cozy mystery are realistic, and in a realistic mystery. I enjoyed learning more about oyster farming, which I knew nothing about until I read this book. This book is not the first in the Maine Clambake series, but I had no trouble following the happenings even though I haven’t read the previous books. I thoroughly enjoy reading books by Barbara Ross. Anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries or just a good, short mystery will enjoy this book. I received an ARC of this book NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I don’t read many cozies, because too many turn out to have as much substance as a meringe. This book, however, touched me with the professionalism and depth of the protagonist. This is no stilletto-and-martini amateur sleuth. Julia’s worked with the police before and agrees to help a friend of a friend who is a victim of pranks and even an assault. The police think it was for gain, but the victim is sure all events are meant to run her out of business. There’s plenty of suspects for that – the rivalry between oyster farmers and lobstermen on the east coast reminds me of the resentments between the settlers and the cattle ranchers in the American west. Not to mention the well-connected lady who is rabid about waterfront property that her own family sold out from under her. Julia pokes around plenty without crossing the legal line (too much) and manages to anger a lot of people herself, but hey, a friend of a friend is a friend, right? Which leads to some personal problems of her own along the way. I’m interested in getting to know her better.

This was an excellent cozy mystery set in Maine. Although is is part of a series that has been around, you could read this one and not feel too "at sea". Julia gets asked to investigate a robbery that later turns into a murder. There are numerous moving parts so the conclusion isn't foregone. Along the way we see Julia dealing with some personal relationship issues that bring a touch to the story. I actually learned some things about oyster farming while reading this story! It will make you want to visit Maine.

Pack your suitcase – you’re heading off to Busman’s Harbor, Maine, in Barbara Ross’s ninth installment of the Maine Clambake Mystery Series, ‘Shucked Apart.’

Great River Oysters, owned by Andie Greatorex, is one of six oyster farms on the Damariscotta River. Starting as a small boutique operation, she has worked her way up to become the largest oyster farm and has just applied to quadruple her lease holdings on the river. Where others cut corners, Andie’s success comes from hard work and hands-on experience. It has paid off. One only needs to taste her oysters to know they’re the best. When she is robbed of two buckets of her oyster seed totalling $35,000, she enlists the help of Maine’s sleuth, Julia Snowden. Just when Julia seems to be narrowing in on the suspect, disaster happens.

requested to read this cozy mystery for two reasons: (1) I’d never read anything by this author and (2) I was curious to learn about oyster farming. This read surpassed my expectations! I was pleasantly surprised by the well-developed characters, easy reading and well-paced story, unique plot and the author’s meticulous research. I love it when authors integrate their research into a story so that it doesn’t seem like they are giving a lecture and repeating everything they’ve learned about the subject. Ross expertly dovetails the aquaculture into the criminal investigation and readers become informed without realizing it. I didn’t know anything about oysters and have never tasted one. If I ever roused up enough courage to try, I’d know what questions to ask and what to look for while I was tasting. I’ve never been to Maine, but Ross’s ability to transport the reader to this beautiful part of the world made me feel like I was right there with Julia experiencing the ambience of the East Coast. Ross also has a spectacular ability to craft a cozy mystery that keeps armchair sleuths guessing. In our pre-pandemic world, I was a big traveller but never stopped to think about how big tour groups and the tourist season affected places. Not only does Ross subtly educate her readers about how Maine is transformed when tourists flock, but she also alludes to the small-town social order and the necessity of keeping a ‘locals only’ dining experience. It was good to be reminded how important the tourist season is too small towns and how hard the people work to ensure income for the year. I loved how the town is aptly named Busman’s Harbor.

Although part of a series, this five-star cozy mystery can stand alone and has piqued my interest to backtrack and source out more of this wonderful series to read. In our pandemic world with travel restrictions, this is a perfect armchair vacation!

Thank you to Barbara Ross, Kensington Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this amazing cozy mystery in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing Shucked Apart by Barbara Ross, the latest addition to her Maine clambake cosy mystery series. This book can work fine as a stand alone, but I have enjoyed them all and really like getting to know the characters. Julia Snowden is believable as the manager of her family’s Clambake business who sometimes investigates mysteries in the slow season. This time she’s doing a favor for her boyfriend and looking into a robbery of oyster spat and the assault of his friend, the owner of the oyster farm. I enjoyed learning about oyster farms, I didn’t know that they were planted and tended. The descriptions of coastal Maine are very vivid, the setting dictates much of the story. I feel like I have had a coastal vacation after reading this.

Another delightful trip to Maine with Julia Snowden and company! I've never been disappointed by this series and this book was no exception. I enjoyed learning about oyster farms, and the mystery kept me guessing There's a surprise at the end that makes me anxious to read the next book---hope it's coming in 2022! The only drawback to reading this book is you'll want to go get oysters immediately!

Shucked Apart is a welcome addition to the series written by Barbara Ross.
Julia and her boyfriend Chris are living in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and they are both getting ready for another busy summer.
When Chris introduces his poker buddy Andie to Julia, she finds herself wondering why she didn’t know Andie was a female. It seems to her that Chris still closes himself off to her.
It seems that Andie needs some help because someone doesn’t want her to continue with her oyster business. Before Julia can help, she finds out that Andie is dead, and she finds herself wrapped up in another murder investigation.
I really liked this book, and I was glued to the pages from beginning to end.
I can’t wait to see what is in store for Julia next.

Shucked Apart by Barbara Ross is an advanced reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Julia Snowden runs a clambake business and restaurant since her dad died. She can also solve puzzles. A friend, Andie, of Julia's boyfriend, comes to ask Julia for help. Someone attacked Andie and stole two buckets of oyster seed (baby oysters). Julia went to see the oyster business and spends some time talking to oyster farmers, lobster men, and various people to see who might have attacked Andie. Then Andie is killed, with an oyster knife sticking out from her neck.
This was an interesting story. Barbara Ross's story explained a lot about the oyster business. The recipes at the end sounded tasty. It reminded me of Thanksgiving and oyster dressing. I will have to be on the lookout for more books by Barbara Ross.

A fun and satisfying story with well developed characters and realistic relationships plus a good mystery. Throw in lots of authentic flavor and atmosphere and you have a winner.

Ross takes us to visit a town outside of Busman’s Harbor, another tourist favorite Damariscotta, ME. Lobster is not the sole king and vies with oysters for the hearts and stomachs of people. There was a lot of interesting information about the oyster business without it feeling like a lecture. She does a good job of describing the town, identifying some real institutions (shout out to Sherman’s bookstore and the library) and even when she changes a few names it is easy to identify the inspirations for places. But it is the people that she populates her stories with, in Busman’s Harbor or Damariscotta, that makes the stories really worth reading.

So, lean back, relax and enjoy. You might not be in Maine but this is the next best thing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.