Sealed Off by Barbara Ross is the eighth book in the “Maine Clambake” cozy mystery series. Publisher: Kensington Books, released December 31, 2019.
Early October is “winding down” time in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, but there’s nothing relaxing about it for Julia Snowden. Between busloads of weekend leaf peepers at the Snowden Family Clambake and a gut renovation of the old mansion on Morrow Island, she’s keeping it all together with a potentially volatile skeleton crew—until one of them turns up dead under the firewood.

When the Russian demo team clearing out the mansion discovers a room that’s been sealed off for decades, Julia’s baffled as to its purpose and what secrets it might have held. Tensions are already simmering with the crew, but when one of the workers is found murdered, things come to a boil. With the discovery of another body—and a mysterious diary with Cyrillic text in the hidden room—the pressure’s on Julia to dig up a real killer fast. But she’ll have to sort through a pile of suspects, including ex-spouses, a spurned lover, and a recently released prisoner, to fish out one clammed-up killer.

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What transpired in the telling of this tale, blew me away as I could not put this book down until all was said and done. This page-turner was a well-written and tightly woven drama with pacing that was on par with how well this story was being told. Once again, Julia is involved in a murder investigation, this one hitting a bit closer to home when her boyfriend’s brother looks to be the prime suspect.

The author did a terrific job in presenting this multi-plot mystery where both had me engrossed in all that was happening from the present-day murder investigation to the long-ago mystery of the journal writer. I liked how both were interwoven keeping me in intrigued as I had to know the outcome. With a small suspect pool, the author illustrated how it could be anyone of them, but it was the uncovered clues and a few strategically placed twists, some that I did not see coming, that enhanced my reading pleasure. This is tantamount to the brilliant writing of the author who knows how to tell a story and keep the suspense ratcheted up a notch.

This is by far the best book in this delightfully charming and endearing series and as always, look forward to more adventures with Julia and the residents of Busman’s Harbor.