Shucked Apart is the ninth installment in the A Maine Clambake Mystery series set in Busman's Harbor, Maine and featuring Julia Snowden. The family clambake business is gearing up for the busy Summer season and Julia is busy reading employment applications hoping to add a few new members to the team.
Julia is a little bit surprised when her boyfriend Chris asks her if she can help his poker buddy Andie Greatorex with a mystery she's trying to solve. Julia had no idea why Chris had never mentioned that Andie was a female, but then again Chris always seems to be hiding something from her. Andie is an oyster farmer in neighboring Damariscotta, who was knocked out when she was carrying over $35,000 dollars worth of oyster seed and when she came around the seed was gone. Andie isn't sure who would steal from her - could it have been her ex boyfriend/business partner, a rival oyster farmer, one of the rich neighbors who didn't like looking at the oyster traps from their fancy porches or was it maybe a lobsterman who didn't like the the oyster farmers creeping in on their territory? Before Julia can find any answers for Andie she stumbles upon the woman's dead body caught up in fishing lines. Julia isn't going to let Andie's death go unsolved so she sets out to trap a killer.
The author does a great job of introducing readers to another aspect of the fishing business by visiting Damariscotta and providing details on how oyster farming works. As someone who sends quite a few tour groups to Damariscotta (Damariscotta River Cruises) it was refreshing to see one of my favorite places come to life in the pages of this book. A fast paced plot with the return of series regulars. I am not at all a fan of Chris - have never liked him from the beginning - so was actually cheering on the last page...... Looking forward to many more new adventures with Julia and her family.
Julia is a little bit surprised when her boyfriend Chris asks her if she can help his poker buddy Andie Greatorex with a mystery she's trying to solve. Julia had no idea why Chris had never mentioned that Andie was a female, but then again Chris always seems to be hiding something from her. Andie is an oyster farmer in neighboring Damariscotta, who was knocked out when she was carrying over $35,000 dollars worth of oyster seed and when she came around the seed was gone. Andie isn't sure who would steal from her - could it have been her ex boyfriend/business partner, a rival oyster farmer, one of the rich neighbors who didn't like looking at the oyster traps from their fancy porches or was it maybe a lobsterman who didn't like the the oyster farmers creeping in on their territory? Before Julia can find any answers for Andie she stumbles upon the woman's dead body caught up in fishing lines. Julia isn't going to let Andie's death go unsolved so she sets out to trap a killer.
The author does a great job of introducing readers to another aspect of the fishing business by visiting Damariscotta and providing details on how oyster farming works. As someone who sends quite a few tour groups to Damariscotta (Damariscotta River Cruises) it was refreshing to see one of my favorite places come to life in the pages of this book. A fast paced plot with the return of series regulars. I am not at all a fan of Chris - have never liked him from the beginning - so was actually cheering on the last page...... Looking forward to many more new adventures with Julia and her family.
