Scared Off

Maine Clambake Mystery #9.5

by Barbara Ross

Barbara Ross returns to glorious Maine with a spooky but fun Julia Snowden mystery set during Halloween season.

Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party. But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard—dressed in a sheet like a ghost. With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must uncover who among the uninvited guests was responsible for devising such a murderous trick . . .

Originally published in Halloween Party Murder

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Halloween, Novella, Short Stories, Holiday, Fiction

110 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 31, 2021

About the author

Barbara Ross is the author of twelve Maine Clambake Mystery novellas and six novellas. Her books have been nominated for multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and have won the Maine Literary Award for Crime Fiction. Barbara and her husband live in Portland, Maine. Readers can visit her website at Maine Clambake Mysteries.

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember when Julia's niece was still so young, and her mother was having a new baby. Years later, she's now 13 and having a party at a friend's house for Halloween. It's only supposed to be two more friends for a sleepover, but something goes amiss, and at the end of the night, the pseudo-babysitter ends up dead. Which guest killed her? Was it one of the teenage girls, shocker!?! I really enjoyed the story in this novella because it brought in a few favorite characters and completely changed the direction with Julia's personal life. I learned a new fact, and now I can't wait to get to the next book when it releases.

[Jenni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick, cozy read for Halloween! This novella centers around the death of Mrs. Zelisko, a Busman's Harbor local bookkeeper who turns up dead on Halloween night. Julia gets involved because the body is found by the cops at the house where she has to go pick up her niece, Page, after Page is inadvertently involved in a raging Halloween party.

She does her usual questions and research thing, working alongside Detectives Binder and Flynn, to get to the bottom of the story. I was impressed at how much depth the story had considering its length, it was quite good!

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved this series. The writing flows. I really hope the author writes another series as I know this one is done. I have one more to read that is out in March or April.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have already purchased and read the anthology, Halloween Party Murder, don't purchase this. It was published in that anthology. I added this to my wish list as soon as I saw it would be available and didn't read the description. I then purchased it as soon as it was released. As soon as I read the first paragraph, I realized I had already read it.

That being warned, if you haven't purchased that anthology and haven't read this one, it's well worth the asking price! It's a very fun Halloween story—well, as fun as a murder can be. If you love the series, you'll enjoy this addition to the canon.

[Marian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I believe this is an eBook only format. This book ended abruptly and the murderer was a character that hadn't been introduced prior to that. That's always a thumbs down ending for me. Good book up until that point.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Page, Julia's 13-year-old niece, is having a sleepover with her friend, Vanessa, at their friend, Talia's house. Things gets out of hand after some uninvited classmates and older kids show up. The night quickly takes a scary turn when the elderly woman who rents an apartment upstairs, dressed up like a ghost, floats down from upstairs and is found dead in the shed in the backyard. With nothing else to do since her family's business hasn't started up for the season and she's not running a restaurant in the off-season anymore, Julia starts to work on figuring out what happened that night.

This quick read (it's a novella) was written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. The whodunnit came out of nowhere at the end. At the end, there is a recipe that was mentioned during the story for gluten-free pumpkin cookies.

This novella is 9.5 (of 12) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. It works as a stand alone so you don't have the read the previous ones to know what's going on. I've been reading the series recently and will keep moving through the series.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2025/10...

[Mark Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

NOTE 1: This is a novella, so expect something shorter than a typical novel before you pick it up.

NOTE 2: This novella was originally in the Halloween Party Murder anthology. If you’ve already read it there, you don’t need to buy it again here.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Wanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Halloween Mystery Novella

This was a great short story in this series. A fast paced, entertaining story.
Julia Snowden is trying to adapt to life after breaking up with her boyfriend and has some time on her hands as her family business is closed for the season. When her niece calls her for help when a Halloween party gets out of hand she rushes to help.
A woman is found dead and Julia helps the state police investigate. No one in town knew much about the woman and Julia has to dig deep to come up with some information to help figure out who the killer is.
I love the interactions between Julia and her family and all the town residents. They are a close knit community and look out for each other. The two state police detectives have also been accepted into the community. The murder occurred during the party and it was interesting to see how each person saw something slightly different then others even those the basic scene was the same.

[Bridget · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was out of order for me in this series, but I couldn't resist reading a Halloween story at Halloween time.

When Julia Snowden's young niece calls her from a Halloween sleepover to please come get her, she never imagines to be at a crime scene. But her niece Page and two friends were at one of the girls' houses, and once the girl's parents left, they texted some friends to come over. The problem was that those friends invited others they didn't even know, and things got terribly out of hand.

Then the woman who also lived in the house as a tenant is nowhere to be found when the girls go to ask her for help. That is, until she suddenly appears as a "flying ghost " - her body later found in the backyard shed.

As the investigation moves forward, it turns out that the murdered tenant had a long history ... none of it good.

[Rachaelbookhunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three teenage girls having a sleepover on Halloween night get spooked when high schoolers crash the house for a party. But no one expected to find a crasher like Mrs. Zelisko, the elderly third floor tenant, dead in the backyard—dressed in a sheet like a ghost. With her niece traumatized, Julia Snowden must uncover who among the uninvited guests was responsible for devising such a murderous trick . . .

This novella was a lot of fun. It doesn't have a lot of Halloween activity but it does have a nice, spooky element. The mystery is satisfying and seemingly unbelievable at first.

I haven't read any of the books in the series but I had no problems reading this. It's a quick, enjoyable read with a little bit different type of mystery.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this series and for the sake of the season, I've been reading the novellas out of order so have gotten some spoilers and things out of sync. It's ok for a shorter read. This one packs a whallop for a shorter offering. The story and the mystery unfolds easily but with surprises along the way. I really liked this one and always enjoy the characters and the setting. The author makes the setting come alive, even though I've never been to Maine. I like that the main character loves her small town and has deep roots there. Good read.

[Barb Foerst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julia is spending the off-season with time on her hands. Her teen-age niece is attending a sleepover with 2 other girls. When Julia receives the emergency help me call, she goes running. She finds the girls at the house that has been trashed by a large party. When the police are called, they find a body in the shed. Who would have killed the 3rd floor renter? I loved this book. Great mystery and great characters.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun short story

It's great to visit with Julia and company. This time she comes to the aid of her niece who finds herself in over her head at a Halloween get together with two friends. When the dust clears there is a dead body and three very frightened teenagers. Can Julia help the police figure out what happened? An interesting situation, helped by some good deductive reasoning!

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so I finished this book in less than two hours......and I had NO CLUE who did it.......this one came out of no where LOL....it's a cute little story mixed in with two other separate cozy mysteries by two other cozy mystery writers. I just read the one in my series....I want to finish this series before moving to another one or even another book......

Now I am ready for the last two.....

[Jenna (readinginjennaland) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page calls Julia to rescue her from a party. When she gets there the police are there and there are a lot of teens. Everyone saw the ghost of Mrs. Zelinsko the third floor neighbor and ran. As they discover who Mrs. Zelinsko the bookkeeper really was. Julia is on the hunt for something to keep her busy in the off season.

[Donna Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really good spooky-themed short story in the Maine Clambake series. It was nice to see Julia's character grow without Chris by her side along with seeing her niece more. The plot was really captivating as was the mystery behind Mrs. Zelisko. I didn't predict anything and that really made this short story great! I can't wait to see where Julia's mysteries take her in the follow-up books.

[Patsy Hamm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story

As always I throughly enjoyed visiting with Julia Snowden & family .
I love this series and hope it continues for a long time .
Keep hoping Julia finds her special someone to build her life with. Sad it didn’t work out with Chris

[Jennifer Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't miss out on adding this gem to your Halloween lineup! A fast-paced read that'll keep you engaged from start to finish. The author's storytelling skill immerses you right in the heart of the narrative.

[Carolee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great cozy mystery series

I have really enjoyed the Clan game series, I started reading them when I lived in Florida and now I live in Maine and I get to see the little towns like Busman's Harbor.

[Hunter Blaire · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate it when it’s a character never introduced. Plus the story of how her body was abandoned was way too silly and improbable for a slice of life novel.

I’ll try again next year (I hope) and I’ll update my review then

[Kasey Loftis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book in the Maine Clambake series because I was reading it as a part of a larger book. I like this one more than the others in the book. It was a good mystery and Julie was more of a sleuth than the other women so I liked that she helped solved the mystery.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the previous book, Julia kissed Binder's partner. In this story, they again act like adversaries. What's up?

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short story with a Halloween theme.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love spending time with Julia Snowden. This was a quick fix of Busman Harbor. Eagerly awaiting Julia’s next adventure.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clammed Up series

These books are so much fun to read. The author makes you feel like you are their with the characters.

[Lisa Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars
Fun little Halloween mystery short story.

[Rebecca Rakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good story. It makes me want to read the rest of the series. Likable characters. Loved the way it was written.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun to catch up with the crew in the off season. This was a unique mystery as it was at an impromptu teen party. The mystery dead woman brings in all sorts of red herrings. Fun read at Halloween.

[Sanderella · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked this book. I've read several other books in this series and liked them as well. I'd like to read the rest of them in the future. 😊

[Verity W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novella length story that fits into the Maine Clambake series between Shucked Apart and Muddled through and sees Julia trying to solve a murder when a Halloween party her niece is at is gatecrashed by local high schoolers. If you're following the series and haven't read as far as Shucked Apart yet, this will give away a big plot development, so bear that in mind, but if you are up to date, this is a nice addition to the series. The mystery is complicated enough that you don't find the solution too fast, but not so complicated that the story feels rushed, and that's not something that you can say about all novellas. Worth a look if you only want something short.