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Friday, August 25, 2023

Novella Review: Scared Off by Barbara Ross (Maine Clambake Mysteries #9.5)

Stars: 5 out of 5
Pros: Characters I love in a fun mystery
Cons: All cons scared off
The Bottom Line:
Teen party murder
Great to see characters here
In fun mystery



While the Parents Are Away, a Corps Turns Up

I love Barbara Ross’s Maine Clambake series, so I enjoy visiting the characters any chance I get.  That includes the novellas, like Scared Off.

Julia Snowden responds to a panic call from her niece, who was supposed to be spending the night with two friends but needs help when a party breaks out.  The police have been called, and, while they are making sure everyone is gone, discover a dead body in the shed outback.  Was Julia’s niece spending the evening with a killer?

If you are also a fan of this series but haven’t read, Shucked Apart, a word of warning that this story contains spoilers for that book.  As I said earlier, it’s always great to spend time with the characters.  It’s also hard to believe how old Julia’s niece is getting.  I always lose track of book time in the series I read.  Anyway, the mystery was great; I enjoyed the way it unfolded.  As a bonus, there’s a recipe for you to enjoy at your own party.

This novella started life in the anthology Halloween Party Murder.  If you’ve read that collection, you don’t need to read this story again.  But if you haven’t read it yet, you’ll be happy to pick it up on its own.  Since it’s a novella, is much shorter than a typical release for the series, so keep that in mind when you pick it up.

If you are a fan of the series, you’ll be thrilled to read Scared Off.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Maine Clambake Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of the original novella collection.

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