Stowed Away (A Maine Clambake Mystery)

Stowed Away by Barbara Ross is the sixth book in A Maine Clambake Mystery series. Julia Snowden is getting ready for another tourist season in Busman's Harbor, Maine. Julia and her family own the Snowden Family Clambake Company. They host authentic Maine clambakes on Morrow Island. Windsholme, the old mansion on Morrow Island, suffered severe fire damage and Quentin Tupper is bringing an architect to provide an evaluation on the house. Wyatt Jane, the architect, went to prep school with Julia (Julia is less than pleased to see her). Wyatt arrived on the reclusive Geoffrey Bower's yacht, Garbo. She invites them to dinner that night to see some of her work and they are surprised to see their friend, Genevieve Pelletier who is the chef for the yacht. The next evening, Julia gets frantic call from Wyatt. Julia races over and Geoffrey Bower is dead in the dining room with a strange grimace on his face. Julia had noticed a diamond ring on the table which disappears before the police arrive on the scene. There was something about the diamond that looked familiar to Julia. Suspicion falls onto Wyatt and Quentin asks Julia to investigate the murder. Julia dives into her investigation and begins by chatting with the crew. She wants to see if any of them had a motive to kill Mr. Bower. But then Geoffrey's attorney arrives with news that surprises them all and changes the focus of the investigation. Who is the killer? Will they find the culprit before the crew departs town?

Stowed Away is nicely written and has a good pace. While Stowed Away is the sixth book in the series, it can be read alone. All the necessary details are included in the books. There are many cozy elements in the book. Getting the business ready for the season, Genevieve and her romance with Sgt. Tom Flynn, why Julia dislikes Wyatt, Page's friend, Page's friend Vanessa Bailey with green eyes just like Chris', Julia's romance with Chris Durand, whether to renovate or tear down Windsholme, and the upcoming Family Day clambake (for friends, employees, and family). The mystery is interesting, and many readers will not solve it before the reveal. Can it be solved? Yes. The clues are there to aid readers in solving the crime. There is a delightful twist that will surprise you (unless you paid close attention while reading the story). This is my favorite book in A Maine Clambake Mystery series. I especially appreciated the complex mystery and that the romance between Chris and Julia was in the background. Ms. Ross has created a lovely community of people in A Maine Clambake Mystery series. The main characters are smart, caring and friendly (instead of silly, bumbling fools). Fans of A Maine Clambake Mystery series will be delighted with Stowed Away.