caitkom's review against another edition
5.0
Julia Snowden and her family are getting ready to kick off the start of the clam bake season. To top that off Julia's old boarding school roommate Wyatt Jayne is helping them to restore Windshome- the old mansion on their island. Wyatt Jayne invites everyone to dinner on the yacht of her billionaire boyfriend Jeffery, a man who bet against the housing market when it crashed and now has more money than he knows what to do with. Shortly after their interesting dinner party Wyatt Jayne finds Jeffery dead. She calls Julia for help and when Julia arrives she notices he is clutching a diamond ring, presumably to give Wyatt Jayne, but Julia recognizes the stone from the Black Widow necklace her family just sold. Julia agrees to help Wyatt Jayne and her friend Genevieve who is the chef onboard to find the killer. Good sixth book in the series. I always enjoy these.
katkinney's review against another edition
4.0
It’s summer again, and the Snowden family clambake business is gearing up to open once again for tourist season. Julia and her family are busier than ever. The 30-pound family cat Le Roi is being turned loose on the island, they’re trying to decide whether or not to restore the family mansion that burned down the previous summer with the money they got from selling a family heirloom, and when the architect on the project shows up with her billionaire boyfriend and his yacht in tow and he turns up dead a day later, it’s chaos Julia doesn’t need. I really like how each of these books feels very small, with familiar characters that recur from book to book, a cozy Maine setting, lots of food descriptions, and a focus on something Maine-based in each book, whether it’s the tourist trade, or lobster boating, or something. The mystery in this one went in directions I definitely wasn’t expecting!
asanford's review against another edition
4.0
I am adoring this series and so glad we have gotten to know Quintin and Flynn better. Plus new characters. Good mystery and fun family development.
tmleafs42's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
5.0
Another great book in the Maine Clambake Mystery Series. This time we see Julia try to solve the mystery of the recluse who lives on a luxury yacht. I love the characters in these books and am excited to dig into the next one.
shammons's review
4.0
Plugging ahead full steam with this series. The latest installment has a really good mystery, though as with all long-running cozy mystery series, the plots do get a bit more far-fetched. To be fair, just how many dead bodies can one small town support, discovered and sleuthed by an amateur, LOL! Julia and her family are at the opening of their busy season in Busman's Harbor. A high school acquaintance is brought into town by Julia's friend Quentin, to possibly consult and restore or renovate Windsholme over on Morrow Island. Also, a large yacht pulls into the harbor with a reclusive billionaire. Julia and crew to the rescue!
daybreak1012's review
4.0
I started this book...could not put it down. That's the thing for me with a series I love. I am immediately sucked in and the story pulls me along.
What I liked about Stowed Away:
The mystery - One thing I really appreciate about this series is that the cases are inventive and yet still ring as believable. Additionally, while Julia may be involved in the cases, she isn't always the one to discover the unfortunate victim. This particular case had me bewildered until about four pages before one of the two reveals, and I never did figure out the other one on my own.
The writing - Part of why I feel like I can read these so easily is the writing style. It's comfortable to read. I've said this repeatedly in other reviews for previous books in the series, and it remains true. This is a continuity I can especially appreciate.
The characters - Gosh, I just enjoy these characters so much. Not a single one feels like the caricature of a human being. They are quirky and flawed and likable. I want to be friends with Julia and Livvie and Chris and Quentin...and whoever else we get to meet as the series progresses.
The use of the ongoing storylines - This is a series that truly cannot be read out of order, in my opinion. The references to previous books and cases aren't just casual mentions but can play crucial roles in current mysteries. It makes the series feel rich and deep to me (yes, even though it's a cozy mystery). It makes me care about what happens to the characters.
The character development - I love that we get to keep learning more about our recurring cast. Their layers are exposed slowly, the way you actually get to know a person. They tug at your heart, surprise you, elicit sympathy. I love to watch the characters emerge a little more clearly and relationships develop at an organic rate.
Unresolved threads - Typically a HUGE pet peeve of mine, the bits left without resolution aren't enormous (yet) and they aren't of the aggravating variety you feel will never receive clarity. There is a sense they will resurface and be addressed in another installment of the series, and I like that. I do like a well-placed cliffhanger, but I wouldn't go as far as to classify them as such. These are character and relationship nuances, things that will round them out more as they are allowed to develop.
What I didn't care for:
Just one and I have to nitpick to have something to put here - Someone needs to proofread the ebook version that I read. Typos and missing punctuation.
I adore this series. I am already in possession of not just the next book but the subsequent two holiday novellas, and I will be diving into them with great delight in the very near future. I have to know what comes next for Julia!
What I liked about Stowed Away:
The mystery - One thing I really appreciate about this series is that the cases are inventive and yet still ring as believable. Additionally, while Julia may be involved in the cases, she isn't always the one to discover the unfortunate victim. This particular case had me bewildered until about four pages before one of the two reveals, and I never did figure out the other one on my own.
The writing - Part of why I feel like I can read these so easily is the writing style. It's comfortable to read. I've said this repeatedly in other reviews for previous books in the series, and it remains true. This is a continuity I can especially appreciate.
The characters - Gosh, I just enjoy these characters so much. Not a single one feels like the caricature of a human being. They are quirky and flawed and likable. I want to be friends with Julia and Livvie and Chris and Quentin...and whoever else we get to meet as the series progresses.
The use of the ongoing storylines - This is a series that truly cannot be read out of order, in my opinion. The references to previous books and cases aren't just casual mentions but can play crucial roles in current mysteries. It makes the series feel rich and deep to me (yes, even though it's a cozy mystery). It makes me care about what happens to the characters.
The character development - I love that we get to keep learning more about our recurring cast. Their layers are exposed slowly, the way you actually get to know a person. They tug at your heart, surprise you, elicit sympathy. I love to watch the characters emerge a little more clearly and relationships develop at an organic rate.
Unresolved threads - Typically a HUGE pet peeve of mine, the bits left without resolution aren't enormous (yet) and they aren't of the aggravating variety you feel will never receive clarity. There is a sense they will resurface and be addressed in another installment of the series, and I like that. I do like a well-placed cliffhanger, but I wouldn't go as far as to classify them as such. These are character and relationship nuances, things that will round them out more as they are allowed to develop.
What I didn't care for:
Just one and I have to nitpick to have something to put here - Someone needs to proofread the ebook version that I read. Typos and missing punctuation.
I adore this series. I am already in possession of not just the next book but the subsequent two holiday novellas, and I will be diving into them with great delight in the very near future. I have to know what comes next for Julia!
lunifur's review against another edition
4.0
**I voluntarily read this ARC**
Another enjoyable addition to the series. There were some surprising twists in the mystery, although some twists spoiled upcoming twists (I'm not sure if that makes sense, butt it's the only way I can think of to describe it). I'm curious if some of the revelations will be addressed in later books.
Another enjoyable addition to the series. There were some surprising twists in the mystery, although some twists spoiled upcoming twists (I'm not sure if that makes sense, butt it's the only way I can think of to describe it). I'm curious if some of the revelations will be addressed in later books.
verityw's review against another edition
3.0
This introduces more of Julia’s own personal history as an old school rival turns up who could help the clambake business but then is implicated in a murder. Fun.
r_lynn13's review against another edition
4.0
Another nice addition to this series. Somehow I always find myself unable to figure it “whodunit”. I really enjoy the characters and the Maine location. It makes me want to go to Maine for a clambake this summer!