One of the best of one of my favorite series.

This installment takes you back to a cold case from a current murder. I love that Julia's mother is with her in a majority of the book. There is also closure we all needed and new beginning that we are hoping for.

I was afraid, by the end, this would be the last book. I found out there is more to come!!

In Hidden Beneath, old secrets rise to the surface about Julia’s mother’s friend who disappeared five years ago. As Julia and Jacqueline help with clearing out the missing woman’s house, they discover fantastic paintings on the walls of her home - paintings that include long-buried secrets that someone is willing to kill for.

A Maine Clambake Mystery Series is one of my all time favorite series. Maine is my favorite place in the world - I would live there if I could. As I read these books, I feel as if I am in Maine, my happy place. I can almost smell the sea air, hear the waves pounding the shoreline, and I always end up craving lobster rolls! The characters are complex, and the author is not afraid to put them through the wringer.

Barbara Ross books are an auto-buy for me, and I’m always happy to leave my honest opinion about her books.

I love this Maine clambake series. This particular book takes readers to neighboring Chipmunk Island. It deals much less with the established series characters than other books. It keeps readers close to the setting while providing a little adventure. It was an interesting addition to the series with a good mystery. This book also provides readers with a bit of a cliffhanger for the next installment.

This was a strange addition to the series. How can Jacqueline and Julia keep leaving their family business to take care of a friend that has never been discussed before this book? I missed the interactions with the established characters of the series. At least Julia’s relationship with Chris seems to be done. Is there a new love interest on the horizon?

3.5 stars. Another enjoyable mystery in the Maine Clambake series. There's very little about the clambake or Busman's Harbor in this book--instead, Julia and her mother spend most of their time sorting out the estate of an old friend of Julia's mother on Chipmunk Island, a small, tight-knit community of rich summer people. I enjoyed following along as Julia dug into what could have happened over 50 years ago between a group of six friends that might have led to murder. I found the motive in the end to be rather weak, but nevertheless I liked following Julia on her journey to solve the mystery, and the way several ongoing plotlines were advanced. Looking forward to the next one!

I enjoyed this book very much because it reminded me of an island off of the coast of Maine. The island I know, is a real island. I could picture the scenes and people very clearly. I wish the ending had been different though.

I love this series. I hadn't read a book of hers in some time, but I had no problems jumping into the latest installment in the Family Clambake series. I enjoy when you can hear the protag's voice in your head and don't have to work hard into getting into the plot.
This latest involved a crime that occurred five years prior and involves a friendship the mom had.
Soothing cozy read that makes me want to visit Maine

I bought this for my collectjon. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to preview the galley.

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross
Maine Clambake Series Book 11
This was the best book in the series lately and I have read them all. Most are good to very good. Except the one about oyster farming which is best forgotten. Anyway, this one features a group of Jacqueline’s friends from her teen years. The story is mostly set on an island and there are a lot of characters to remember. The solution to the murders is well done. And I absolutely loved the very ending. No spoilers so I will only say that it’s about time and I am really looking forward to the next book.

While I have not read all of the books in the Maine Clambake series, those I have read have been delightful. Good cozy mysteries with wonderful characters and an amazing setting. I will definitely go back and read the in between books I’ve missed so far. The author does a great job of developing the characters and story … making you invested in their lives. I enjoy the side stories that add to the book. This one was a lighter mystery, but I still enjoyed the story and getting to know more about Jacqueline’s past. Definitely a series you should consider reading! I want to travel to Busman’s Harbor, Maine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

This is a puzzle wrapped in a mystery wrapped in a cold case. You are instantly drawn in by the unexplained and kept on the edge of your seat as Julia hunts down secrets. There are SO many secrets from the past that have an effect on the present and the future, that you have no choice but to be drawn in and enthralled as each clue is uncovered. While this could very well be the last book in the series as there are several loose ends tied up in very pretty bows, there are also some doors closed and windows opened. Julia is an example of a great daughter who is willing to help with the "messy" stuff and the messy stuff. This is a stand-alone cozy so you will not be lost but you will be wanting to start back at book one, if not for the story then for the incredible recipes. The only part of this mystery that is not a mystery is how great the food sounds and tastes, as recipes are included at the conclusion of the story.

the Snowden family clambake business is open for another Maine summer. Julia and her mother Jacqueline are heading for a memorial service for Ginny who has been missing for 5 years and has been declared dead by the state of Maine. No one is more surprised that Jacqueline that she has been named executor of the estate. Childhood friends they had lost touch but now there is speculation that Ginny was murdered by the same killer as a man a few years earlier. This is book 11 in A Maine Clambake Mystery series and could be read as a stand alone. An enjoyable cozy with lots of re-occurring characters.

Hidden Beneath is the 11th book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. I have enjoyed this series and this book was another enjoyable entry. This book once again has Julia Snowden and her mother investigating a cold case when an old friend that disappeared 5 years ago is declared dead. Jacqueline’s old friend Ginny, disappeared while on her regular morning swim and her body was never discovered. When the will is read, Jacqueline is shocked that Ginny made her the executor of her estate as the other ladies that summered on Chipmunk Island were much closer than they were. While going through the house and apartment to deal with bequests, the find information that leads them to believe that the Wednesday Club ladies might know more than they are telling. Does Ginny's disappearance have anything to do with a death years before? When one of the Wednesday Club members dies in a suspicious way, Julia knows she needs to find a killer before there are more deaths.

I always enjoy visiting Busman's Harbor with the Snowdens and their friends and employees. This one didn't have as much family or townsfolk in the story as I like, but it was still and enjoyable mystery. As with all the books in this series, there are several side stories going on as well as the main mystery. Chris and Julia split up a couple of books ago, but there is still a lingering storyline there with some feelings that won't go away. Julia is beginning to open up to a new romance, and I like the idea of a new man for her. There is also an offer to purchase the island where the clambake and house that they renovated are. Will Jacqueline sell the island? The mystery itself was quite complicated and twisty with issues from the past coming into play. I love the way Julia gathers clues and puts things together to solve the mysteries. Working with her mother this time gives her someone to bounce ideas off and help her put the puzzle together. Overall this was a bit lighter of a mystery than some of the others, but I enjoyed it and recommend it to those who enjoy an interesting cozy mystery.

Well, I never expect cozy mysteries to get a 5/5 stars. I am an avid cozy mystery reader, and thus it's s challenge to find a cozy series that can sweep me away.

But Hidden Beneath...and the Maine Clambake Mysteries are going to do just that. I have the first book in the series on my shelf, as well as a couple of later ones. Yet for some reason I kept putting them off. I was wrong...it was a mistake. It will be remedied.

I instantly felt like I had been transported to Maine.

The best part was the mystery. Instead of the normal "I-just-keep-finding-dead-bodies" that seems to happen; Hidden Beneath focuses on an old mystery, bringing it to the forefront, adding danger and a new mystery to boot! Julia tasked with helping her mom close the estate on an old friend who has been missing for 5 plus years....goes about trying to find out what happened.

This book also shows such a great character progression (in both MC and side characters). A lot of cozy mysteries extend out 10-20 books but the stereotypical love triangle remains the same, or the MC magically never ages. And I love that this book - both in itself and it's recall of the past books - shows this is NOT the case here. This MC moves forward, people change, relationships change etc. And I am soooo happy to see that. Doing that in no way deters me from wanting to read the rest of the books - in fact its so exciting by today's standards - it something that makes this series unique. Not only that if an author can keep you engaged while these changes happens....then the author has the talent to keep me hooked on the mysteries for sure!

A big and wonderful thank you to Kensington for this ARC. It was one of my favorite reads this year!

Julia and her mother Jaqueline return to the exclusive summer colony of Chipmunk Island to attend her mother’s old friend Ginny’s memorial service.Ginny was officially declared dead half a decade after she went for a daily swim in the harbor and was never seen again. But something is fishy with the ladies of the Wednesday Club. As Julia and Jaqueline start looking into Ginny’s cold case a new murder stirs up the pot and they must dive into the deep end to get to the bottom of both mysteries. This is a summer vacation place most people wish they could go to. A fun enjoyable story of friendships over summer vacations. I would recommend the story to everyone.

The story of a mystery spanning 40 years. It all started with a group of girls called the Wednesday club. One of their father’s disappeared when they were young. Years later one of the women “disappears” while swimming. 5 years later she is legally declared dead and puts an old friend in charge of her will. This old friend and daughter do some sleuthing and this uncovers all the mystery.

Hidden Beneath is a a Maine Clambake mystery by Barbara Ross that looks at mysterious deaths on Chipmunk Island, a summer colony. A memorial for Ginny, declared officially dead, brought Julia and her mother back to the island. They feel something is off about Ginny's death when her will makes Julia's mother executor and they find Ginny's diaries. Interesting cozy.

This is the eleventh book in the Maine clambake series. Julia and her mother, Jaquline, attend a memorial on chipmunk island for Jaqueline's friend, Ginny, who disappeared five years earlier. It comes out that Ginny made Julia's mom the executor of her will. Julia spends her time helping her mom get everything settled. It also comes to light that Ginny's death might not have been an accident. While Julia investigates, we get to catch up with the characters in the series and see how they have grown in the last couple books. I really enjoy this series and can't wait to read more.

Another excellent entry in the series. Julia and her mother attend a memorial service for a friend of her mom who has been missing for over five years. Her mother has the feeling that foul play might be involved because of the attitude of some of the attendees at the service. Julia learns a lot about her mom as she looks into the woman's disappearance. As the story unfolds, Julia's own life takes a turn for the better. Her mother must make an important decision about the family business and the island. Unfortunately, friendships are broken in this story but justice prevails. Thanks to Net Galley for the arc.

Princess Fuzzypants here: The summer is here and the Snowden Family Clambake is running at full speed. So when Julia’s mother is named executor of the will of a friend from her youth whom she has not seen for decades, Julia offers to help her mother sort through the quagmire that has built up in the five years since the woman disappeared. Ginny was fond of going for swims off Chipmunk Island and was last seen going into the water. The State has finally declared her dead which means reading the will and wrapping up her estate.

But something does not jive with Julia. She is uncertain exactly what is wrong but when she discovers the treasure trove of diaries Ginny kept, she learns there are secrets hidden beneath the bucolic life on the island. When another of the friends of the group is murdered, Julia is convinced that the two events are tied together and will reveal something ugly beneath the beauty of the locale.

As a fan of the series, I am always pleased to return to see where the characters are going. The book could be read as a standalone but the character development and plots would be enjoyed even more by reading them in succession. There are a lot of open possibilities that are resolved. I wonder where we will go next. Five purrs and two paws up.

Hidden beneath is the second book I have read. A real enjoyable relaxing read. The clambake is very interesting on a private island and of course a dead body, amazing story and fully relaxed to read.