I’m new to the Clambake Mystery series; a series that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. I wasn’t disappointed. Amateur sleuth Julia Snowden accompanies her mother, Jacqueline, to Chipmunk Island for a memorial service for Mom’s longtime friend, Ginny, who’d disappeared five years ago after going for a swim. Ginny was recently declared officially dead. As they arrive for the service, Julia questions why Jacqueline had never mentioned Ginny. As they poke around the island, answers and clues are revealed slowly and carefully, giving readers just enough to turn each page. The intrigue builds as Jacqueline is revealed to be the executor of Ginny’s estate, and journals are found that uncover secrets which eventually lead to what really happened to Ginny. Easy, light reading with a strong cast of characters that are hard to forget.

Julia lives with her sister and mother where they annually set up a clambake with hungry customers ferried in on a set dinner schedule.

In this installment, a friend of her mother went missing five years previous and has now been declared dead. There is to be a memorial service on the small island where she lived. Julia’s mother is unexpectedly declared executor of the will.

First, it doesn’t make sense that she was named executor as they had not been close in years. The will involves a complicated division of property and Jacqueline calls on Julia for help.

In the meantime, there are twists and turns, the group with which Jacqueline was involved is quirky, harboring secrets, and obviously hiding clues to her friends’ disappearance as well as an earlier death deemed accidental—not.

As always, characters, both good and bad, come to life. Julia has a new boyfriend for which we’ll reserve judgment. Perhaps I missed the clambake on their Busman’s Harbor property. The mystery and suspense weren’t quite as strong this time.

Still, it’s a lovely series and one of my favorites and I’m always looking for the next one. 4.5 stars

This is a great book full of secrets, old and new mysteries, friends, and family. Truly loved the characters, and how unique they all were. The plot was great, kept me reading throughout the day. I thought I had things figured out but there was a little twist in there. Let's not forget the beautiful scenery and how much it made me want to go the beach and enjoy some seafood! Highly recommend.
I received an advanced copy of this book tin exchange for my honest review.

Oh, the joy and anticipation for a new book in a series by a beloved author! I was waiting for the opportunity to read this book ever since I had found out it was going to be published.

Barbara Ross is one of my top favorite author, and she is also my book club’s favorite. Whatever superlative adjectives I was expecting this book to qualify for were far exceeded. Barbara only writes brilliantly, and every single book is exceptional.

This is the 11th. installment in the Maine Clambake Mysteries, which is an “unputdownable” series from the very beginning (Clammed Up). There is such comfort in catching up with Julia Snowden, the protagonist, and the quirky and familiar cast of characters who inhabit Busman Harbor, Maine. In this book we get to sleuth along with Julia in a most intriguing and complex plot, which gets more and more captivating as we read along. We get to know a new set of individuals that are so well described that you can almost touch them.

I was astounded to find out whodunnit, or why. It was all revealed at the end most satisfactorily.

There are delicious recipes included at the end.

The only downside to the book is that it was such a quick read, perhaps because the story had me so hooked that I read it in 3 days, which is a record for me, and now I have to wait for the next book which will be published next year.

I most highly recommend this book, as well as the previous 10 mysteries by Barbara Ross, and the Main Clambake novellas. You will also be hooked from the very start.

Thank you, Barbara Ross, Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this book and post an honest review. It was an honor and such a pleasure!

This is the 11th book in The Maine Clambake mystery series and somehow the author manages to keep the stories fresh. i’m not normally a fan of authors moving setting a mystery away from the character’s home location but in this book Julia’s mother has been named to handle the estate of a woman she hasn’t seen since high school. And of course she asks Julia to help her go through the estate. So in this case the location change made sense.

The mystery was well written and there were several subplots woven into the book. I enjoyed the ending and was happy that the author is finally having several of the characters move on with their lives.

I really enjoy these books. The idea of living on a secluded island in Maine is quaint, and enchanting. The Snowden family is a tightly knit group, living on the same island and running a family business. Jacqueline, the matriarch, finds out a friend was murdered and enlists her daughter’s help. A charming book.

Julia goes with her mother Jacqueline to a memorial on Chipmunk Island for a long time friend of her mother's, Ginny, that has been declared dead after being missing for five years. A group of ladies on the island enlists their help in searching Ginny's house for a will so that the state will not take the house and sell it to an outsider off the island. When they finally find the will they are all surprised that Jacqueline has been named the executor even tho they had not seen each other for decades. While carrying out the wishes in the will they find Ginny's journals that she wrote since she was just a girl. Reading those journals they find clues that Ginny may have been murdered for something she knew. When one of the ladies from the group is found murdered, it leads them to finally find what happened to Ginny.

I have very much enjoyed this series and I have to have the next installment immediately after it comes out or I’m lucky enough to receive an arc of it. The series is centered around a single woman who has returned to her hometown to help her family with their clambake business. She solves mysteries even while working at the restaurant. In this installment Julia helps when her mother unexpectedly is named executor of the will of a friend who disappeared mysteriously 5 years ago. She has now been declared officially dead. Cleaning out the woman’s homes and finding her journals lead Julia to want to solve the mystery. This is a great book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

I always try to read this series when a new book comes out. I think it is better when read form the beginning as you will understand some of the nuances better. I thought some of it was bittersweet with the glimpses into what life used to be. A life when families came to the island and spent the summer in an idyllic manner. This could be applied to anywhere as life is affected by changing trends, technologies and finances. I did enjoy how that tied in with the murder part of the story.

Hidden Beneath is the 11th book in the Maine Clambake Mysteries written by Barbara Ross. This gem of a cozy amateur sleuth investigation series is entertaining, charming, and easy to read. As a 30ish single woman living in Maine with her sister and mother, Julia runs the family clambake business but often finds herself helping the local police solve homicides. In this installment, a long ago friend of her mother's has a memorial service; the woman went missing in the nearby seas five years earlier and has finally been declared dead. When Julia's mom reunites with the group from her younger days, something is amiss. They realize someone killed the dead woman and now they must find her will and body in order to protect the house from being sold to the wrong people. Toss in tons of side stories revolving around Julia's ex-boyfriend, an offer to buy a local island, and a second murder, things get hectic and intense. Ross always creates a memorable storyline and brilliant setting. I want to move to Busman's Harbor and meet all the residents, even the cranky ones like Gus. Seeing Julia's mind accept the changes in her life and opening up to romance has been interesting, though I'm not entirely sure about the new pairing. The mystery was good but at the same time lighter than usual. I'm fearful the series may be coming to an end because there aren't a lot of avenues yet to explore but it is always a good one, so I hope not at the same time. Definitely a recommended read for cozy readers and those who love books set on the coast of Maine.

To please her mom, Julia investigates the disappearance of her mother’s friend who has been missing for several years and now is officially declared dead. Something doesn’t feel right, and when Julia inquires, there is a resistance to telling what they know. When a murder occurs, one must wonder if the past and the present are connected. The author did a great job in staging this book with a bevy of suspects and tantalizing clues that ups the game on the reader. The mystery was nicely executed with enough intrigue and suspense to keep me immersed in all aspects. With visually descriptive narrative, I felt like I was part of the non-stop action that boasts engaging dialogue with the two islands as the perfect atmosphere to round out this story. There were a few red herrings that were strategically placed and enticed my desire to discover the truth along with Julia. This is one of the best books in the series and I enjoyed watching Julia team up with her mother.

I simply adore this cozy mystery series. I look forward to every one that comes out. This book was such an amazing page turner! Oohh the ending "Chefs kiss" so good!! Cannot wait for the next one!!
I just reviewed Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross. #HiddenBeneath #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

I really loved this book in a new to my series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross is the 11th book in her Maine Clambake Mystery series. It is an entertaining cozy mystery dealing with a five year old disappearance along with a current murder to solve. I read the first book of the series but none of the others until this one. Although this book can be read as a stand alone, I will go back to read the others as I enjoyed the character development and the setting off the coast of Maine. I look forward to reading more books by Barbara Ross.

When Julia Snowden's mother, Jacqueline, asks her to accompany her to the memorial of an old friend, Julia agrees. The problem is, Julia never heard of Ginny, and wonders why her mother never mentioned her. But when they arrive on Chipmunk Island, home to generations of people who pass their homes down to their families, she notices the Wednesday Book Club Women -- a group of six women (now five with the passing of Ginny) aren't very welcoming to her, much less to her mother. But Jacqueline pauses enough to go through Ginny's home, where the memorial is being held, and sees things Julia doesn't.

Julia doesn't know whether questioning her mother will yield results or not, so she keeps quiet. When they return to the island, they discover the women moving Ginny's furniture about, looking for something. It's a will, and when it is eventually found, Jacqueline is surprised to find that she's been named executor. Yet all is not right. Kitty, Ginny's next-door neighbor, is curious as to if they've discovered anything. The rest of the women are keeping quiet. But the more they look, the more they find something isn't right, and Jacqueline wonders if Ginny didn't accidentally die, but was murdered.

Julia's curiosity sets her about looking for the truth. But it isn't going to be easy, with the women keeping close, and Julia discovering her ex-boyfriend Chris is working on the island. Have things truly been resolved between them? Will Julia find what she is looking for, or will a killer manage to not only get away with murder, but kill again?...

This is the eleventh book in the series and I have read them all. I have watched Julia return home after her father's death to help run the Snowden Family Clambake, and now to see a new chapter in her life begin. This story is one of the most interesting, with her mother having to make not only decisions for her friend Ginny, but personal ones as well that can change everything.

Julia is mostly centered on solving the mystery; her personal life needs to take a backseat to what is going on otherwise -- or does it? While we wonder about the truth of Ginny's life and death, and if it was indeed murder, clues are handed to us about a long-ago death and if that was not murder also, or if it was even relevant to Ginny's accidental death. Then another tragic event occurs, and the state police are brought in (our old friends Binder and Flynn) and will they listen to Julia's theories? Or will they dismiss it as just that?

When Julia and Jacqueline go to Portland to settle things in Ginny's condo, clues develop as to the woman's life. With Jacqueline's regrets about not seeing her more, she's been lost in her own thoughts, and Julia must put forth her best efforts to discover what is and is not the truth...

I loved this book, even more than the last. It was detailed and centered on the people on Chipmunk Island and their secrets. And secrets abound. And I do love a mystery-within-a-mystery, as it were. I love reading how the older mystery is solved as well as the newer one, and this book did not disappoint. It was absorbing, intelligent, as well as entertaining. I was sorry to see it end. But when the ending does come, it is unexpected and enlightening. And the epilogue left us with something to look forward to. Highly recommended.

I was given an advance copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I love Barbara Ross and her Maine Clambake Mystery series and book 11 is just as awesome as the rest.

Five years after Ginny Merrill had disappeared while swimming in the ocean, the state of Maine declares her officially dead. A memorial will be held at her house on Chipmunk Island, just off Busman's Harbour, and Jacqueline and Julia attend. When her will is found, Jacqueline is named as her personal representative (executor). She is surprised as she hasn't seen her for many years. When she and Julia visit her condo on Portland they find her collection of journals which she began as a child. Unfortunately the final one is missing, as are Ginny's cell phone and her laptop. As Julia and Jacqueline spend time at her house on Chipmunk Island searching for the items Ginny has bequeathed to friends, Julia is reading the journals and becoming more convinced that the death of a man over fifty years ago caused Ginny to ask questions. Then when one of Ginny's close friend is found dead on the beach, the state police are called in.

This book was a quick read and I enjoyed it. The description of Chipmunk Island was fun to read about and we got more inside on the Clambake. Also, Julia gets a new love interest.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book.

An old friend of Jacqueline’s is declared dead five years after she went missing. After the will is finally found, everyone is surprised to learn that Jacqueline is named the executor of the estate. As Jaqueline and Julia work to settle the woman’s estate according to her wishes, they come to suspect that the woman may not have drown while swimming in the local waters.

As Julia sleuths, it appears the old group of childhood friends from a private Summer island may just have had a hand in the woman’s disappearance. Can Julia prove it without putting herself or her mother in danger? If there’s a “Will” there’s a way, if the Snowden ladies have anything to say about it.

This family business based series is one of my favorite. The Main settling always has lobster, seafood, and sleuthing on the menu. A well written series with some of the best whodunits around. Whether you’re new to the series or a fan like me, you will not want to miss this one!

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross is an excellent cozy mystery and is the 11th book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. Due to be published June 27 2023 by Kensington Books.

I haven’t read any others in the series but I’ll be definitely going back and starting from the beginning. I loved all of the characters and the story was fantastic.
Julia and her Mom are together in finding out why her Mom was designated an executor of will to her high school friend Ginny that she had not been as close with in decades. It ends up intertwining with her mysterious disappearance, another historic tragedy near Chipmunk Island, and a few twists and turns in the process.
Definitely a must read if you’re into cozy mysteries!!!!! I promise it won’t disappoint

#HiddenBeneath #NetGalley is the 11th book in the clambake series, and it is my favorite!
I was immediately intrigued about the disappearance of a Chipmunk Island resident, which happened 5 years before.
Julia's mother is named executor of the will, and this sets off a wild string of events.
It seems that everyone has a deep secret, and when Julia begins asking questions, she soon becomes a target.
I read this book in one sitting, I could not put it down.
The ending was great and I'm very excited to catch up with this colorful group of characters in the next book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I highly recommend this series to all cozy mystery readers.