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Gray Whale Inn Mystery #4

Berried to the Hilt

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When a lobsterman discovers a sunken ship, Cranberry Island is abuzz with excitement. Is the wreck the remains of the Myra Barton, the missing ship of island sea captain Jonah Selfridge? Or the elusive Black Marguerite, which belonged to one of the most notorious pirates of the 17th century and vanished without a trace--except for the ghost ship that old-timers say roams the water on fog-shrouded nights? Soon the island is swarming with marine archaeologists and treasure hunters. It's good news for Natalie--and for the Gray Whale Inn--until a body turns up floating near the wreck. Natalie finds herself immersed in the world of pirates and sunken treasure, both past and present. Will she solve the mystery and find the killer in time? Or will Natalie be the next to join the lost ship's crew, down in Davy Jones' locker?

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 2010

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773 people want to read

About the author

Karen MacInerney

52 books1,142 followers
I'm the author of the Agatha-nominated Gray Whale Inn mystery series, Tales of an Urban Werewolf. the Margie Peterson mysteries and the Dewberry Farm mysteries (plus a new fantasy in the works). My reading is like my writing: eclectic!

I grew up in the Northeast, but I currently live in Austin with my husband, two kids, and a houserabbit named Bunny. Feel free to visit me online at www.karenmacinerney.com; I love connecting with readers.

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5 stars
668 (34%)
4 stars
743 (38%)
3 stars
459 (23%)
2 stars
60 (3%)
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12 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
Profile Image for Jackie.
117 reviews4 followers
July 22, 2013
I will start by saying this is the first book review I have written. That being said...who was in charge of editing this book? A few times while reading, I thought I was having deja vu. However, I found out that it was really due to the fact that a few times within the book it repeated the same information.

Here is an example: on pgs. 135 & 136:

"You were going to tell us something, remember?" John prompted me. "Oh, right. Anyways, you know those life bags they use to pull up artifacts?" "The inflatable ones?" John asked. I lined up three wine glasses and nodded "...,but I saw one under Molly's bed today." ........ I told them about the other things I had seen in Molly's bathroom... "You didn't find any artifacts in her room," John said. "Maybe the lift bag was defective--or she forgot she had it." "What about the plastic tubs and the car battery?" I asked.

Here is the same information being "introduced AGAIN to John" on pgs. 171 & 172:

(John) "Anything else you forgot to mention?" "Actually, yes," I said. "And it was much stranger than a photo." I told him about the plastic tubs and the car battery I'd seen in Molly's room.

There was more conversation/wording on both pages about Natalie informing John about what she found when snooping through Molly's room. The point being, the author obviously forgot what she had written 40 pages earlier and no editor seemed to pick up on it. Not to mention the numerous grammatical errors throughout the book. I just can't believe that someone gets paid to edit books and is allowing such errors to be printed!

When I told my husband I finally finished the book, his response was, "Good, now I don't have to hear you complain about all the errors you keep finding." I was going to give the book 1 star, but gave it 2 because I enjoy the setting of the book. I most likely will read the next book in the series, because I am not one to give up until I have finished a series. Here's to hoping the next one is better!
Profile Image for Linda.
2,318 reviews58 followers
September 9, 2018
It’s been a while since I read a book in this series and I was really glad to get back to it. I really like the characters and the setting on the island is a lot of fun. I liked the history aspect of this story with a ship wreck being involved. Looking forward to the next one.
Profile Image for Nicole.
700 reviews
October 9, 2017
Natalie has her hands full at the Gray Whale Inn after Gwen's lobsterman boyfriend, Adam, discovers some timber from a possible centuries old pirate ship in the water. Two dueling research teams quickly descend on the tiny island, and it's not long before the head of one team is found stabbed in the back, possibly with old Eli's cutlass. Natalie must work to clear Eli's name, and keep herself and her loved ones safe in the process. Yummy recipes included (as usual!!!) in this cozy fourth installment of the Gray Whale Inn mystery series by author Karen MacInerney. 5 stars!
Profile Image for Fred.
1,012 reviews66 followers
January 12, 2011
Another exciting story and recipes.
35 reviews
May 4, 2012
#4 in the series. I think they forgot to hire an editor.
The others in the series were better, definitely a cozy mystery.
Profile Image for Nancy Butts.
Author 5 books16 followers
May 14, 2013
The problem with a series mystery set on an island with only 100 inhabitants is that it quickly strains reader credulity past the breaking point to have so many murders among so few people! Why would anyone stay at an inn with such a high mortality rate? :D Though of course, we cozy lovers know this and are willing to accept it, especially with characters we like and a setting we enjoy. I've spent many years visiting the part of Maine where these mysteries are set, so that was the initial draw. And it's fun to fantasize about running a bed and breakfast. Plus, I've tried many of the recipes and they are great: especially the Ginger Snap cookies from this book!

So overall, I enjoy the series. However, in this book the author has her heroine in peril in the exact same place she'd been in peril just two books earlier. And the heroine is becoming nosier and nosier; I'm coming to find her unappealing for that reason. Book 4 didn't hold my interest, I'm afraid. The identity of the murderer was too obvious too soon, and why are so many people on this island such good cooks? That takes away from what was supposed to be the heroine's main talent; even her fiance can now whip up a meal that will please a New York Times food critic. Still, Book #5 is out and I will definitely read it.
Profile Image for Sen.
51 reviews7 followers
September 19, 2015
2.5 stars is more what is. I want to like this series so much, and some of it I do, but it really needs a better editor. I read a second printing and there should not be so many errors! Natalie clearly tells John the same thing about the rooms twice. Parentheses were used once to indicate missing words. The continuity is messed up, too. Last book Gwen had left for UCLA, this book she hasn't and won't until 'the fall'. It takes place in October, which is the fall. If she meant the next year, why did she say she'd be back for the coming summer? This isn't an ARC book. Whoever edited this really dropped the ball. At least Eleazer's name didn't change again.

The story itself is interesting, and while Natalie still does bone-headed things, it's not too bad. I don't know if I'll read any more of this series, however, since the editing is awful enough to be a distraction.
Profile Image for Betsy.
528 reviews89 followers
June 4, 2013
Berried to the Hilt is the fourth book in the Gray Whale Inn Mystery series by Karen MacInerney. If you have enjoyed the other books in the series, then you will want to check this one out. We get to visit the same quaint Cranberry Island as well as our favorite characters. As usual, there is a murder on the island. Natalie and her friends are up to the task of investigating the who, what, and why. With the inn as the backdrop, Natalie does her usual nosing around in the guest rooms. The plot is entertaining. The recipes sound delicious. The inclusion of the historical items enhances the story. I will definitely return to Cranberry Island when the author writes another. This is becoming one of my favorite cozy series. 4 stars
Profile Image for Linda.
1,594 reviews24 followers
March 16, 2013
I love this Gray Whale Inn Mystery series! It's a cozy series that takes place in a Bed & Breakfast on Cranberry Island, off the coast of Maine. I'm intrigued with the situations that the proprietress, the inquisitive Natalie, gets into from almost the first page.

This one includes murder, a little romance, a touch of a ghost, and of course lots of danger when an old sunken ship is found in the harbor and soon two rival factions come to authenticate the wreck: the local Maine University and a treasure hunting company. I also love the effortless baking and cooking Natalie does in each book. I wish I could whip up half of the things she makes in the short time that she does. Oh- the mouth-watering recipes are included in the book. A+ series.
Profile Image for Mark Baker.
2,394 reviews204 followers
March 3, 2014
A sunken ship is found off the coast of Cranberry Island, Maine, and soon two rival groups are trying to identify and claim the wreck. Both teams are staying at Natalie Barnes' inn on the island, so when the leader of one of the teams is killed, she's in the perfect position to figure out who done it. I had forgotten just how much I love these characters; it was great to see them again. The plot dragged in the middle, however, before picking up again for the climax.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
Profile Image for Alison Bevilacqua.
28 reviews1 follower
September 25, 2018
Details, details, details. What we have here is a likable, though foolhardy main character, a pleasant love interest, a beautiful setting, a taste of local culture and history including tasty recipes to try, and poor editing. Goodness, I know this is supposed to be an easy read, but really, when two characters have essentially the same clue- filled conversation within a couple of chapters, it's too easy. The reader remembers, doesn't the author or editor?? The author does a wonderful job describing the natural settings, creating a lovely picture in the readers' mind. The description of the foods and the included recipes are also appealing.
Profile Image for Stacy.
265 reviews
January 29, 2018
When I began this book I didn’t realize it was from the middle of a series. A few things referred to earlier books, but nothing made this book require previous knowledge of the larger story. This book started out slow and felt simple, but became more enjoyable a few chapters in. I loved the mystery and the characters were fun. Looking forward to more from this author!
Profile Image for Missy.
314 reviews12 followers
July 30, 2011
I enjoy the setting of this series...an island off the coast of Maine, a bed-n-breakfast run by a woman, the curious characters who live on the island and visit the inn. This plot was intriguing, but the writing a bit rough at times.
Profile Image for Abbey Hauswirth.
1 review1 follower
July 3, 2013
I loved the Gray Whale Inn Mystery Series and read all five in less than 2 weeks. Being a "Murder She Wrote" kinda fan, this series brought mystery, intrigue and fun characters throughout. Highly recommend it! (And thanks to my mom for recommending it!)
Profile Image for Tina.
1,029 reviews17 followers
January 3, 2022
Another cozy mystery. No deep plot, but fine when you need to escape reality!
Profile Image for Nikki.
392 reviews
June 24, 2019
These books are like candy. Perfect reading for when you're sick. (They were supposed to be my beach reading for Maine!)
Profile Image for dnsyl57.
596 reviews12 followers
June 30, 2024
"Berried To The Hilt" is book #4 in the "Gray Whale Inn Mystery" series by Karen MacInerney.

"When a lobsterman discovers a sunken ship, Cranberry Island is abuzz with excitement. Is the wreck the remains of the Myra Barton, the missing ship of island sea captain Jonah Selfridge? Or the elusive Black Marguerite, which belonged to one of the most notorious pirates of the 17th century and vanished without a trace--except for the ghost ship that old-timers say roams the water on fog-shrouded nights? Soon the island is swarming with marine archaeologists and treasure hunters. It's good news for Natalie--and for the Gray Whale Inn--until a body turns up floating near the wreck. Natalie finds herself immersed in the world of pirates and sunken treasure, both past and present. Will she solve the mystery and find the killer in time? Or will Natalie be the next to join the lost ship's crew, down in Davy Jones' locker?"

My thoughts:
A creative blend of Island folklore and lost ships with a present day murder thrown in. There was clear dislike and mistrust between the two teams of marine archaeologists - all of whom were staying at the Inn. No surprise that one of them was murdered but by whom and why? Police think it is an open and shut case but Natalie and most of the islanders disagree. Natalie and John work together to find the truth. Naturally, this puts Natalie in a couple of potentially deadly situations that will have your heart racing.

At the same time, Natalie is also being bombarded with gifts of baked cranberry goods as she had been roped into being a judge for an upcoming bake-off. She doesn't want to offend anyone but isn't sure how to get out of this awkward position.

Nat and John are also contemplating their wedding plans - when they aren't trying to solve the murder or dealing with other issues at the Inn.

All in all, a quick and entertaining read with a few select recipes included at the end.
221 reviews
September 22, 2018
Berried to the Hilt is the fourth book in Karen MacInerney's A Gray Whale Inn Mystery. A shipwreck is found off the shore of Cranberry Island drawing representatives from a local university and also a group of treasure hunters trying to claim the wreck as their own. When one of them turns up dead, a Cranberry Island citizen is arrested for the crime leaving Natalie and her friends to uncover the real murderer.

While I enjoy the characters like Natalie, John, Gwen and Charlene, MacInerney didn't really develop the new characters who were her suspects in this book. It felt as though the action and plot were rushed. Though the series takes place on an island, it seems MacInerney might be running out of ideas. We are only four books into the series, but Natalie seems to always be getting hit in the head, caught snooping in her guests' rooms and, more importantly, almost dying in the exact same location as an earlier novel.

This one is a quick read and entertaining enough that I will read the next book in the series, but I hope the author discovers some new parts of Cranberry Island to explore in it.
Profile Image for hana.
435 reviews
August 5, 2019
"Another mystery," I said. "We've got a lot of them, haven't we?"
"That's what happens when a place has history."


Murder, a little romance, a touch of a ghost, and of course lots of danger when an old sunken ship discovered.

The island is swarming with marine archaeologists and treasure hunters. It's good news for Natalie--and for the Gray Whale Inn--until a body turns up floating near the wreck and a Cranberry Island citizen is arrested for the crime.

Natalie and her friends are investigating the who, what, and why and with the inn as the backdrop, Natalie does her usual nosing around in the guest rooms. Even after several past experiences and many head injury, Natalie still careless and disregard about her own safety-Skiff off without notice and always depend on others to save her.

I loved the mystery, the characters were fun with an entertaining plot, delicious recipes, and interesting historical background But I wish Natalie will be smarter in the future. Looking forward to the next one.

I inhaled his woodsy, masculine scent & thanked God once again that I'd found my way to Cranberry Island-and home.
Profile Image for Deborah Almada.
1,245 reviews39 followers
December 1, 2016
I enjoyed this installment in the Gray Whale Inn series! One of the things I really enjoy is that not only to we usually have some kind of murder mystery we also have a local history mystery. I enjoy finding out about the history of the area and just the thought of those seriously hardy people who inhabited islands off the New England coast two or three hundred years ago. In this case a ship has been located off the coast of Cranberry Island and now there is a mad rush to figure out what the ship is and claim it. Their is serious competition between the academic team who wants to find, learn and explore and the fortune hunting team really just interested in the booty. Of course murder won't be far behind and of course Natalie and John will be involved!!!
Profile Image for Tarri.
627 reviews6 followers
August 10, 2019
Another unique installment in the Gray Whale Inn mystery series.

When a man who is staying the the Gray Whale Inn while investigating a shipwreck is murdered, Natalie puts on her amateur detective cloak and tries to prove the local man did not do the crime. Along the way to solving the crime she finds herself in danger several times, but she is not one to give up.

Great characters, the townspeople are perfect for the location and Natalie is a natural at snooping and running at inn. As the series progresses she gets better at both.

This is a very enjoyable series and while each book stands on its own, I recommend reading book one first, so you get to know the characters and how the Gray Whale Inn came to be.
2 reviews
August 23, 2021
Love the books but not the editing

The story line is good however the editing is very poor.I have a difficult time following the story when the sentence structure is all chopped up.
Is there not any just normal editing being done?? The reader has to hunt for the sequence to keep up with what characters are saying or talking about. This is very annoying. Very. This seems to me to be a direct black mark against the author. People are hired to ensure a quality book but something is being lost here because there is not any follow through with editing in many places in ALL of the books. This problem needs to be addressed immediately.
Profile Image for Nancy H.
3,121 reviews
May 20, 2023
Another entry in the Gary Whale Inn series, the book is a good one for cozy mystery readers who like settings in New England. In this story, there is an old shipwreck that is discovered, and two opposing groups who want to claim it are staying at the Gray Whale Inn. Right after a public argument between two of the opposing leaders, one of them is found dead, floating at the site of the shipwreck. When an innocent man is arrested, Natalie, her fiancé John, and some of the friends work to find the real murderer so the innocent man can go free. This is a well-written series, and this entry is as good as the earlier ones.
Profile Image for Lady.
1,185 reviews11 followers
May 13, 2017
Ghost Ships And Other Nightmares

This series must be read in order. The first book is Murder On The Rocks. The second book is Dead And Berried. The third book is Murder Most Maine. This is the fourth book. I can't wait to read Blueberry Blues!



When an old shipwreck is found off of Cranberry Island, by her niece's boyfriend Adam, at first all Natalie can think about is business during the slow season. It means she will be able to pay the bills and the mortgage and maybe put some money way for her wedding. Can this really be a boon? Or is it a curse in disguise? Why are there two groups to investigate the shipwreck when Adam only called one? How did the others find out about it? Will she and John actually set a date? This engagement can't fall apart like the last one did... Could it?
Profile Image for Short, Sweet and Cozy.
1,495 reviews
February 3, 2020
An exciting Addition to the Gray Whale Inn cozy mysteries

This is book #4 in the Gray Whale Inn series and is an exciting addition! Natalie owns the Gray Whale Inn and her boyfriend, John helps her run it along with being the island's deputy. A shipwreck is found and several groups are staying at the Inn and are competing to get rights to the wreck and the loot. This is an exciting mystery. I wish Natalie had some common sense! She is like a cat with 9 lives and she has used a life in every book!
3,922 reviews1,763 followers
May 27, 2024
Phew! I almost gave up on this series because of some romantic nonsense in the second and third books but I absolutely loved the first one and since my library had a copy of this fourth Gray Whale Inn Mystery I decided to give it a go...and...woohoo! Back on track with all the cozy mystery magic!

Romance is solidly sorted which left me in the perfect mood to enjoy all the incredible cozy touches -- Maine island setting (!), quirky little town, even quirkier characters. And the mystery elements are superb -- sunken pirate ship (!), which means sunken treasure. Cue the duelling marine archaeologists, one fighting to preserve the heritage and history of the find and one a greedy plunderer. I was so emotionally invested in the preservation of the island's history! Of course, someone ends up dead and amateur sleuthing we go!

The characters really shone in this book -- loved the relationships (sometimes complicated) and the way they all pull together to right a wrong. Plus, there's a dreamy ending that soothed romantical hurts from book two and book three. :-) Oh -- and there's even a ghost ship -- I mean, you can't ask for anything more in a cozy mystery, can you?!
Profile Image for Pam Bales.
2,525 reviews12 followers
January 18, 2017
This is a good cozy set off the coast of Maine. There are interesting characters and the author continually adds to their back story. There is a phantom presence in each of the books for those who like a little tingle with their reading. It never hurts to have visions of delicious food with your reading as well and the author thoughtfully includes the recipes so you get the actual scent and taste with your downtime. She has a couple of other series as well so give them a try.
Profile Image for Diane.
465 reviews2 followers
June 14, 2017
This is my second book by this author. If I had read it first, it would have had a higher rating. It's a fine cozy mystery. But having read it immediately after reading the first book in her Dewberry Farm series, there were too many similarities in some of the main characters. I realize there is somewhat of a formula in the genre. The location and the mystery plot was certainly different. But there were enough comparisons to make me feel like I'd been there and done that.
672 reviews4 followers
April 29, 2020
Great mystery

Enjoyed this book immensely. I started this series a number of years ago. I think I read this book back then and still enjoyed reading it a second time. Looking forward to the next in the series. Maine is one of my favorite places and the fact that this series is set along the Maine coast is what drew me to the series. Recommend this series to cozy mystery lovers everywhere.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews

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