Barbara Ross

When a best man's corpse is found hanging from the grand staircase at her family's mansion, clambake caterer Julia Snowden must join the search for the killer. Original.

Clammed Up

Leslie Meier

Lee Hollis

Tricks and treats keep the Halloween spirit alive in coastal Maine. But this year the haunted house theme is getting carried a little too far in these works by Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. There's nothing like home sweet home in this trio of Halloween tales.

Haunted House Murder

"The snow is deep in Maine s Busman s Harbor and the mighty rivers are covered in ice. Snowden Family Clambake Company proprietor Julia Snowden and her mother, Jacqueline, are hunkered down for the winter when a mysterious package arrives heating up February with an unexpected case of murder . . . " Inside the mystery package is an enormous black diamond necklace that once belonged to Julia s great-grandmother and disappeared in the 1920s. Who could have sent it and why? Julia s search for clues takes her on a perilous journey through her mother s troubled family history, from a squabble over the family fortune in frozen water to the recent unexplained death of Jacqueline s long-lost cousin Hugh who d been missing and presumed drowned for more than forty years. To protect her mother s inheritance, Julia must fend off a small army of feuding relatives, solve the mystery surrounding Hugh s demise, and get back home before the next blizzard buries them all . . . Praise for "Musseled Out" This cozy series continues to stand out with its exceptional plotting, intriguing storylines, and authentic detailing of the lobstering life. "RT Book Reviews""

Iced Under

Muddled Through

It's summertime in Busman's Harbor, Maine, but a mysterious new neighbor blocks access to the beach, cutting off the Snowden Family Clambake's supply. Julia Snowden is just one of many townspeople angered by Bartholomew Frick. But who was angry enough to kill him? Original.

Steamed Open

It's June in Busman's Harbor, Maine, and Julia Snowden and her family are getting their authentic Maine clambake business ready for summer. Preparations must be put on hold, however, when a mysterious yacht drops anchor and delivers an unexpected dose of murder. Original.

Stowed Away

When her landlord discovers a dead body in the walk-in refrigerator, restaurant owner Julia Snowden finds herself at the center of the ensuing investigation and, to get herself out of hot water, must piece together the clues involving suspicious group of retirees and a decades-old tragedy before she serves up her early bird special.

Fogged Inn

When the police believe that her brother-in-law Sonny cooked up the murder of David Thwing, the "Mussel King," Julia Snowden, the owner of the Snowden Family Clambake Company, must prove his innocence, which is no easy task. Original.

Musseled Out

When a body is found stuffed in an oven and an employee of her family's clambake company is blamed, Julia Snowden investigates while helping the company prepare for the Founder's Day summer celebration in Busman's Harbor, Maine.

Boiled Over

In this cozy mystery, a young woman in Maine must protect her family’s clambake business when an employee is accused of murder. For Julia Snowden, the Founder’s Day summer celebration in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, means helping her family’s clambake company to prepare an authentic taste of New England seafood. Any Mainer will tell you that a real clambake needs wood for the fire . . .so why is there a foot sticking out of the oven? The townspeople want to pin the murder of the RV park owner on Cabe Stone, a new employee of the Snowden Family Clambake Company—who bolted from the crime scene and disappeared. Julia knows having another murder associated with her family’s business is a recipe for disaster . . .but who is the killer? Cooking up a proper investigation doesn’t leave much time for the rest of Julia’s life, and this is one killer who’ll do anything to stop her from digging up clues . . . Includes Traditional Maine Clambake Recipes! “A top-notch mystery with equal parts local color, likeable characters, excellent plotting and yummy recipes. A Down-East, wicked-good winner!”—Suspense Magazine

Previously published in the collection Egg Nog Murder. ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and Julia Snowden’s escape from New York has just hit a snag. Fresh off accidentally poisoning half her colleagues with her “Killer Eggnog,” Julia’s would-be subletter, Imogen Geinkes, is now jobless and homeless—leading Julia to invite the young woman home for the holidays in Maine. But when they unload the rental truck in Busman’s Harbor, they find something that wasn’t on anyone’s packing list: the body of Imogen’s former boyfriend. Suddenly, the wordplay in Imogen’s name—“I’m a jinx”—isn’t so adorable. But for all the calamities that follow in Imogen’s wake, Julia’s certain she’s no killer. As Julia digs into the case, the appearance of the ex’s brother—his identical twin—doubles the confusion. Has Imogene been double-crossed by an evil twin? Was the eggnog “accident” no accident at all? If Julia doesn’t unwrap the murderer’s true identity soon, one of the twelve days of Christmas could be her last . . . Praise for Steamed Open “Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fictionalized version of Boothbay Harbor with amiable characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

Nogged Off

“This anthology boasts three terrific tales of yuletide murder in coastal Maine…sparkly writing and emotional depth.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review) With the fireplace crackling, the tree twinkling, and the carols humming, few things in life are as picture perfect as Christmas in Maine—until murder dampens the holiday spirit. It must be something in the eggnog… Eggnog Murder by New York Times-bestselling author Leslie Meier When a gift-wrapped bottle of eggnog—allegedly from the Real Beard Santa Club—proves to be a lethal concoction for a Tinker’s Cove local, all Lucy Stone wants for Christmas is to find the murdering mixologist who’s stirring up trouble. Death by Eggnog by Lee Hollis Food and cocktails columnist Hayley Powell has never cared much for Bar Harbor’s grouchy town librarian, Agatha Farnsworth. But after the Scroogy senior has a fatal—and suspicious—allergic reaction to supposedly non-dairy eggnog, it’s up to Hayley to ladle out some justice. Nogged Off by Agatha Award finalist Barbara Ross Julia Snowden’s tenant Imogen Geinkes seems to be jinxed. First, her poorly named “Killer Eggnog” gives all her co-workers food poisoning at the holiday party. Then her boyfriend’s body shows up in Julia’s moving truck as she’s headed back to Busman’s Harbor. Now Julia has to get moving to catch the cold-hearted culprit. Cozy up with a glass of eggnog and enjoy the spirit of murder and mystery in a Yuletide treat perfect for those winter holidays… Praise for Steamed Open “Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fic

Eggnog Murder

After Jane helps a friend with a sticky personal problem, word starts to spread around her bridge club—and then around all of West Cambridge, Massachusetts—that she’s the go-to person for situations that need discreet fixing. Soon she has her first paid assignment—the director of a 55-and-over condo community needs her to de-escalate hostilities among the residents. As Jane discovers after moving in for her undercover assignment, the mature set can be as immature as any high schoolers, and war is breaking out between cliques. It seems she might make some progress—until one of the aging “popular kids” is bludgeoned to death with a golf club. And though the automatic sprinklers have washed away much of the evidence, Jane’s on course to find out whodunit . . .

Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody

Irish Coffee Murder

Serving up mouthwatering shellfish, the Snowden Family Clambake has become a beloved institution in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. But when new clues rise to the surface five years after the disappearance of Julia Snowden’ s mother’s friend, the family business shifts to sleuthing . . . Julia and her mother, Jacqueline, have come to the exclusive summer colony of Chipmunk Island to attend a memorial service for Jacqueline’s old friend Ginny, who’s been officially declared dead half a decade after she went out for her daily swim in the harbor and was never seen again. But something seems fishy at the service—especially with the ladies of the Wednesday Club. As Julia and Jacqueline begin looking into Ginny’s cold case, a present-day murder stirs the pot, and mother and daughter must dive into the deep end to get to the bottom of both mysteries . . . Praise for Shucked Apart “An intelligent, well-plotted page-turner with likeable characters and a doozy of an ending. Highly recommended.” —Suspense Magazine

Hidden Beneath

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. Praise for Steamed Open “Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fictionalized version of Boothbay Harbor with amiable characters.” —Kirkus Reviews

Sealed Off

Mud season takes on a whole new meaning in the coastal town of Busman's Harbor, Maine, when local business owners sling dirt at one another in a heated feud over a proposed pedestrian mall. Vandalism is one thing, but murder means Julia Snowden of the Snowden Family Clambake steps in to clean up the case . . . When Julia spots police cars in front of Lupine Design, she races over. Her sister Livvie works there as a potter. Livvie is unharmed but surrounded by smashed up pottery. The police find the owner Zoey Butterfield digging clay by a nearby bay, but she has no idea who would target her store. Zoey is a vocal advocate for turning four blocks of Main Street into a pedestrian mall on summer weekends. Other shop owners, including her next-door neighbor, are vehemently opposed. Could a small-town fight provoke such destruction? When a murder follows the break-in, it’s up to Julia to dig through the secrets and lies to uncover the truth . . . Praise for Shucked Apart “An intelligent, well-plotted page-turner with likeable characters and a doozy of an ending. Highly recommended.” —Suspense Magazine

Collects three murder mysteries set in coastal Maine during the holidays.

Yule Log Murder

Megan Larsen doesn't think she's crazy, but she sure has been acting strange. She's been waking up in the middle of the night convinced she's seen a bright light only to find her house in darkness and losing both sleep and self-confidence in the process. All of this makes it hard for her to focus on her work as a lawyer--a particular problem now that her review for a possible partnership is coming up. Megan wants Jane, her next-door neighbor, to determine whether or not she's sane. No sooner has Jane suggested a few common-sense steps to help answer Megan's question and identified a possible biological cause of her troubles and three men in her life who might be gaslighting her--an old friend and colleague, an ex-boyfriend, and a disastrous online date--then Megan vanishes. Her father, high-powered attorney Edwin Larsen, is unconcerned (some father!), but Jane presses on, counting on the fact that she's on much better terms with Detective Tony Alvarez than with Megan's father, realtor, or security provider.

Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door

Tricks and treats keep the Halloween spirit alive in coastal Maine. But this year the haunted house theme is getting carried a little too far . . . HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER by LESLIE MEIER Newcomers to Tinker’s Cove, Ty and Heather Moon have moved into a dilapidated house reputed to be a haven for ghosts. Now strange noises and flickering lights erupt from the house at all hours and neighborly relations are on edge. And when a local boy goes missing near the house, it’s up to Lucy Stone to unravel the mystery of the eccentric couple and their increasingly frightful behavior. DEATH BY HAUNTED HOUSE by LEE HOLLIS For the past two years, the house next door to Hayley Powell has sat abandoned after the owner died under mysterious circumstances. The Salinger family has recently taken possession of the property, but the realtor behind the deal has vanished—after a very public and angry argument with Damien Salinger. If Bar Harbor’s newest neighbors are murderers, Hayley will haunt them until they confess. HALLOWED OUT by BARBARA ROSS With its history of hauntings and ghost sightings, Busman’s Harbor is the perfect setting for Halloween festivities. But when a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster’s murder ends with a literal bang and a dead actor from New Jersey, Julia Snowden must identify a killer before she ends up sleeping with the fishes. PRAISE FOR HAUNTED HOUSE MURDER “Haunted houses, a holiday staple, are an especially good fit for the authors’ folksy Down East setting. All three tales offer a dash of detection, but their strong suit is hometown charm.” —Kirkus Reviews “Enjoyable. . . . The well-drawn main characters, not the spooky goings-on, are the main attraction. Cozy fans are in for a Halloween treat.” —Publishers Weekly

Barbara Ross

About

Books

Join the club