Barbara Ross has written a great new cozy mystery, Hidden Beneath, the latest entry in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. This book is well paced, well written and very entertaining. Though it is summertime’s busy season for the Snowden Family Clambake, much of the action takes place on Chipmunk Island as Julia’s mother, Jaqueline, becomes re entwined with a group of women she had been friendly with when she was a teenager. Having lost touch with Ginny Merrill for over 40 years, she is saddened by her death but then shocked to be named personal representative of her estate. Thus she and Julia are thrust into a mystery which deepens as they delve into her affairs and the island’s past. Are deaths connected? Along the way, Julia encounters Chris Durand, her ex of two years, who is now the superintendent of the island. Their continued interactions finally lead to some peace of mind for Julia following their difficult breakup. As that chapter is finally resolved, a new chapter seems to be beginning for Julia.
This is a great book that I truly enjoyed and I highly recommend it. Five stars.
Thanks, NetGalley and the publisher, for an ARC copy of this book. This is an honest review and the opinions stated are solely my own.

I loved this series. I particularly liked this 11th entry. It was interesting know what happens when someone just disappears. And might I add, I really liked how it ended.

Kudos to Barbara Ross! I love the Clambake series but this one was especially good. I love the story line and the plot for this mystery. Great read and it definitely set up where the series might go next. I can't wait! This series has great characters and wonderful descriptions of the location. I don't even like seafood but would love to go to Morrow Island for a clambake. Please keep them coming, Barbara!

Setting the Scene: Jacqueline Snowden's history takes a front seat in Barbara Ross' latest Maine Clambake mystery. Chipmunk Island is a small island not far from Busman's Harbor that has been home to an exclusive community of summer residents for decades. As a young teen, Jacqueline visited the island and formed a friendship with one of the island's teen residents. As life took over, the girls drifted apart. More than 40 years later, while visiting the island, Ginny went for a swim and was never seen again. Now, five years after her disappearance, Ginny is declared dead, and Jacqueline is invited to her memorial service. Visiting the island after so long, seeing the Wednesday Club members who were all teens on the island when Jacqueline was last there, and being in Ginny's house again, stirs up lots of old memories, but more than that, both Jacqueline and Julia feel something isn't right. When Ginny's will is discovered, naming Jacqueline as Ginny's executor, it only strengthens the feeling. As Jacqueline and Julia work to fulfill Ginny's last wishes, sorting, distributing bequests, and so much more, they discover there are old secrets on the island that are still impacting its residents today. Could those secrets include murder? Even as they are looking into the past, a murder rocks the island community, increasing the urgency of finding out just what happened on Chipmunk Island 5 years ago.

What I Thought: This is a good but somewhat unique installment in the Maine Clambake Mysteries, almost atmospheric. It provides a glimpse of a world that doesn't exist any longer, for better or worse; and in the first half of the book, Jacqueline, and Julia, by association, are engulfed in memories and the emotions evoked by those memories, choices made by younger selves, roads not taken, etc. As the mother and daughter work to fulfill Ginny's wishes, they are confronted with puzzles that lead to questions, and answers that lead to more questions. The latter part of the book is more familiar with a murder and Binder and Flynn investigating. Discoveries are made, and as strange as it may sound, it is almost a relief, a release of tension built up during the first part of the story. That is not to say that the latter part is rote or boring. It is just what mystery readers have come to expect.

In the aftermath, and on the lighter side, family decisions will be made, new relationships will blossom, and the Snowden future looks bright, from where I am sitting. Of course, you never know what havoc authors are going to wreak on their characters, but hope springs eternal. I definitely recommend the book, but if you have not read the series, you simply must begin at the beginning. .

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross is book #11 in the Maine Clambake series. I found this story to be quite interesting. In this case Julia Snowden and her mother Jacqueline get involved in settling the estate of Ginny Merrill, an old friend Jacqueline hadn't seen in half a century. They couldn't figure out why Jacqueline was named personal representative, which is basically the executor of an estate, in Ginny's will. What follows as the two look for missing items and ask questions leads to interesting discoveries, old and new. I enjoyed following along Julia's investigative process. This is a great addition to the series. I loved the surprise at the end.

I really enjoyed this book. It’s got all kinds of emotions running through it. I found the idea of what happens when someone just disappears intriguing, the whole story is interesting. #HiddenBeneath #NetGalley

Family. Friends who become family. Outsiders. Fierce loyalty. Intertwining mysteries, one old, one new. Murder?

All these and more play a role here. Julia Snowden and her mother, Jacqueline, are busy with summer season at the Snowden Family Clambake but take time to attend the memorial service for one of Jacqueline's old friends, Ginny. She disappeared five years ago and has been officially declared dead, bringing back memories, good and bad. Much to Jacqueline's surprise, she's named executor of the will when it is finally discovered. Jacqueline, never Jackie, mind you, hasn't seen her in decades. This rather thankless task takes Julia and her to Ginny's home on Chipmunk Island, an island reached only by boat. That's no problem for them. Boats are a part of life on their own island, though Julia is surprised to discover Chris, her ex-boyfriend, is its caretaker.

Why would Ginnie name Jacqueline to ensure her wishes are followed? Why not one of the island friends that Ginny had maintained contact with? Why are they so uneasy when the subject of Ginny's journals is brought up? Where are Ginny's phone and laptop? Surely, when she left for her daily swim from which she never returned, she didn't take them along? What secrets are hiding in Ginny's home waiting to be discovered? Will Julia's questioning put her in danger? Is policeman Tom Flynn really beginning to trust her instincts? What happens if you get done with a meal at Gus's and discover you have no cash?

What do the find at the....oh, nope. Enough teasers. This book is a delight, with not just intertwining mysteries but family concerns and, hmm, more than one budding romance? Top that off with excellent writing and fully fleshed characters that immediately seem real and you're bound to enjoy your time in Busman's Harbor, Maine. Enjoy the recipes, too, all introduced by personalized comments by the author.

Thanks #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for inviting me to explore the islands. Now I know the significance of the cover items!

Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross is an excellent cozy mystery and is the 11th book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series.

This is one of my all-time favorite series and Ms. Ross is pure talent. I have read every one of the entries including the novellas.

This continues to be excellent as always. This time 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.

I loved the murder/mystery, spending more time with Julia and the whole collection of Busman’s Harbor inhabitants (and those surrounding the coastal Maine town). I also really liked how it ended. ;)

Well done.

And hello…apricot squares!


5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington Books for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 6/27/23.

Maine Clambake Mysteries feature the Snowden Family and their summers on Morrow Island. Neighboring Chipmunk Island becomes a daily detour for Julia and her mother when Jacqueline becomes executor of an estate of a childhood friend. Solving the disappearance of Ginny Merrill was quite a twisty trail.

There are a lot of characters by the time book eleven arrives. Having read the series since book one they have become friends. You could read this as a stand-alone but you'll want to read them all to get the most of the characters and their relationships. New adventures are expected to blossom in book 12 as friendships lean towards deeper feelings.

Five interesting recipes complete the book. This is a serious mystery more than a warm-fuzzy cozy. An enjoyable reading time.

I looked up a word I haven't used in decades: triumvirate. I almost had it right Enjoyed that challenge too.

Maine, island-life, recipes, amateur-sleuth, cozy-mystery, family, family-business, family-dynamics, friendship, small-town, small-business, tourist-town, cold-case, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, series, disappearance, inheritance, secrets, lies, mysteries*****

This is not an unbiased review because I really enjoy this series and this addition is no exception.
Julia is part of the family (with widowed mom, sister, and other relatives) who operate the Snowden Family Clambake on their private island on the coast of Maine. Mom and Julia share a renovated Victorian on the island while her sister (a gifted potter) lives in town. The story starts with the declaration of presumed death of a woman who went missing five years ago and her will naming Julia's mom as executor. In cataloging items designated for a multitude of heirs in houses both in Boston and a neighboring island, many questions are raised and Julia becomes convinced that the disappearance was, indeed, due to death and that there was a possible murder to be solved. So the sleuthing begins! Great whodunit!
The ongoing characters seem so real and engaging, and the new ones are clearly presented. I loved it!
I requested and received an EARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Loved reading this book and author. If you haven't read this series yet I highly recommend doing so. I suggest reading the books in order. Happy reading