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Downeast Maine Mystery #1
The Chowder House Murder
The first in a brand new, multi-generational cozy mystery series introduces three generations of strong, no-nonsense women who head the Holbrook family seafood dynasty in Downeast Maine…and a murder the Holbrook matriarch and her granddaughter must solve, even as it entangles them in a web of small-town secrets, and a Hatfields and McCoys-level chowder rivalry.
Ever since Halibut Cove’s popular eatery, The Chowder House, started serving matriarch Maggie Holbrook’s famous clam chowder it’s been in high demand. Cooked up at the restaurant by Maggie’s ambitious 19-year-old granddaughter, Audrey, the dish even has a regular nightly customer, retiree Chips Hogan. . . . Until one fateful Sunday night.
After serving Chips his chowder, Audrey rushes off to Maggie’s hilltop home for the weekly family dinner with the rest of the Holbrooks—her three uncles, and her mom, Jill. But before the meal’s end, Jill, a police chief, gets an alarming call. Chips has been found in the street—dead. Jill races out to investigate . . . and is shocked to learn Chips’ chowder was poisoned.
When a Chowder House server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley that same evening, he becomes a suspect. And when it’s uncovered that Waldo bitterly believed the Holbrooks stole the lucrative chowder recipe from the Duggans in the 1930’s, he’s only further implicated . . .
Despite everything, Maggie can’t believe Waldo would murder anyone. For fair-minded Maggie, to keep an innocent man out of jail, and to ease Audrey’s guilt over serving the chowder, there’s no choice but to team-up to crime solve. Soon grandmother and granddaughter are immersed in a stew of rivalries, long held feuds, and looming threats. Because beneath the surface, even a pretty town has its ugly side . . .
Ever since Halibut Cove’s popular eatery, The Chowder House, started serving matriarch Maggie Holbrook’s famous clam chowder it’s been in high demand. Cooked up at the restaurant by Maggie’s ambitious 19-year-old granddaughter, Audrey, the dish even has a regular nightly customer, retiree Chips Hogan. . . . Until one fateful Sunday night.
After serving Chips his chowder, Audrey rushes off to Maggie’s hilltop home for the weekly family dinner with the rest of the Holbrooks—her three uncles, and her mom, Jill. But before the meal’s end, Jill, a police chief, gets an alarming call. Chips has been found in the street—dead. Jill races out to investigate . . . and is shocked to learn Chips’ chowder was poisoned.
When a Chowder House server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley that same evening, he becomes a suspect. And when it’s uncovered that Waldo bitterly believed the Holbrooks stole the lucrative chowder recipe from the Duggans in the 1930’s, he’s only further implicated . . .
Despite everything, Maggie can’t believe Waldo would murder anyone. For fair-minded Maggie, to keep an innocent man out of jail, and to ease Audrey’s guilt over serving the chowder, there’s no choice but to team-up to crime solve. Soon grandmother and granddaughter are immersed in a stew of rivalries, long held feuds, and looming threats. Because beneath the surface, even a pretty town has its ugly side . . .
348 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 26, 2026
About the author
Lee Hollis
52 books860 followersLee Hollis is the pen name for Rick Copp and his sister Holly Simason.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
May 5, 2026
Rare 5 star for first in series. Loved it. Often you have too much backstory, an all-too-common first murder when the main character returns home to start over again. But this time, 3 generations of strong women living in coastal Maine have strong personal stories, a connection that represents real family pain and love, and a lovely cast of supporting characters. From Oliver and Katie, the grounded and professional sibling (and his wife) to the rogue Cord and the sensitive and freshly out of the closet Sandy, not to mention the love interests of each family member, there's something to love for everyone. Secrets, multiple deaths, drama... I am already invested in this series and can't wait for installment two.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
#TheChowderHouseMurder #NetGalley is a first in a new series by Lee Hollis.
Maggie is the matriarch of her family, and to her, nothing means more to her than her loved ones.
Audrey is her granddaughter and works at the local chowder house.
It's Maggie's family recipe they serve each day, but there's a battle brewing over who the recipe originally belongs to.
Audrey serves her last customer of the day, only to find out he was found dead outside the doors.
As a murder investigation escalates, Audrey and Maggie are determined to seek out the truth, because even in their picturesque town, deadly secrets lie beneath the surface.
Maggie is the matriarch of her family, and to her, nothing means more to her than her loved ones.
Audrey is her granddaughter and works at the local chowder house.
It's Maggie's family recipe they serve each day, but there's a battle brewing over who the recipe originally belongs to.
Audrey serves her last customer of the day, only to find out he was found dead outside the doors.
As a murder investigation escalates, Audrey and Maggie are determined to seek out the truth, because even in their picturesque town, deadly secrets lie beneath the surface.
May 24, 2026
Lee Hollis kicks off a brand new cozy mystery series with The Chowder House Murder, and it’s exactly the kind of small town New England mystery that feels instantly welcoming while still delivering plenty of drama, secrets, and murder fueled chaos. What really made this one stand out was the multi generational family dynamic at the center of the story. Maggie, Audrey, Jill, and the entire Holbrook family bring so much personality to the page, and the constant involvement in each other’s lives creates the perfect mix of warmth, humor, tension, and gossip. The family seafood dynasty angle paired with the decades long chowder feud gives the story such a fun foundation, especially with the Hatfields and McCoys style rivalry simmering beneath the surface of this charming coastal town.
The setting itself is another major highlight. Halibut Cove feels lived in and authentic, full of longtime grudges, local history, busybody residents, and layered small town relationships that make you want to keep exploring the series. Lee Hollis has always had a strong, approachable writing style, and the dialogue here especially shines. Conversations feel lively and natural, helping the large supporting cast feel memorable right from the start. Even with so many characters, the story never felt overwhelming because everyone added something to the town dynamic and ongoing tension.
Beyond the cozy atmosphere and entertaining family drama, the mystery itself was solid and engaging throughout. The poisoned chowder setup is both clever and perfectly on theme for the series, and the investigation unfolds alongside old resentments, town secrets, and plenty of entertaining suspicion between families. There’s a wonderful balance here between humor, heart, and mystery, making this a very strong first installment with tons of potential moving forward. If you love gossipy small towns, coastal New England settings, family feuds, buried secrets, and cozy mysteries packed with personality, The Chowder House Murder is absolutely worth picking up.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received a giveaway copy of this title.
I liked the setting and concept but overall, the characters came off expositional and somewhat generic. As if the book was written in haste and relied on typical cozy concepts rather than using them as inspiration and actually developing the characters & plot. Cozy tropes are why people such as me love the sub genre but when it isnt well thought out, it is pretty obvious to the dedicated cozy reader.
That said, I did LIKE some of the characters despite all this. I particularly found small moments of humor between Jill the daughter-police officer and her subordinate, Mason. And the book was well paced and a fast read. I just found I didnt care about the characters or the murder.
I have read other Lee Hollis books (some I have liked and some I felt were a quickly written money grab), and I hope to enjoy his next title more than I enjoyed this one.
I liked the setting and concept but overall, the characters came off expositional and somewhat generic. As if the book was written in haste and relied on typical cozy concepts rather than using them as inspiration and actually developing the characters & plot. Cozy tropes are why people such as me love the sub genre but when it isnt well thought out, it is pretty obvious to the dedicated cozy reader.
That said, I did LIKE some of the characters despite all this. I particularly found small moments of humor between Jill the daughter-police officer and her subordinate, Mason. And the book was well paced and a fast read. I just found I didnt care about the characters or the murder.
I have read other Lee Hollis books (some I have liked and some I felt were a quickly written money grab), and I hope to enjoy his next title more than I enjoyed this one.
June 21, 2026
Dollycas’s Thoughts
Chips Hogan arrives at The Chowder House nightly, usually the last customer, adamant about ending his day with a cup of Maggie Holbrook’s famous clam chowder. These days, it is Maggie’s granddaughter, Audrey, who is doing the cooking at the popular eatery. Audrey didn’t stick around long because her presence is required at the weekly family dinners. But before the dinner is complete, when her mom and police chief, Jill, receives a call telling her Chip Hogan is dead. Her investigation shows that Chip’s famous cup of chowder contained poison.
How could that be? Many had eaten that day, and no one reported any issues with their meals. Someone targeted Chip, but how did that poison get into Chip’s chowder? Audrey and Maggie are going to find who tampered with Chip’s chowder and how. If they don’t, it could spell the end of The Chowder House, and one could end up serving time for a crime they didn’t commit.
Launching a new series is never easy, especially when it comes with a large cast of characters, and that is true even for an experienced cozy mystery author like Lee Hollis. Maggie Holbrook (Nana) is the family matriarch. Her oldest son, Oliver, is a defense attorney and quite a storyteller, and he is married to Katie, a nurse at the local hospital. Her middle son, Cord, and youngest son, Sandy, work together on a lobster boat. Cord has just become engaged to Phoebe Barker. Sandy is a handsome young man whose sexuality may be a secret to some at first, but becomes clear to the people who mattered in this story. Maggie’s daughter, Jill, is the chief of police, and Jill’s daughter, Audrey, works at The Chowder House. Every member of the family arrives with a backstory, and each has connections within the community that help build out the supporting cast. While I didn’t feel especially close to any one character yet, the groundwork is clearly there for them to deepen as the series continues.
Along with plenty of family drama, there are two mysteries woven through the pages of The Chowder House Murder. In addition to Chip Hogan’s murder, a cold case resurfaces and adds another layer to the story. Chip’s murder is somewhat intricate, but the clues are planted early enough for attentive readers to start piecing things together. The cold case takes a little more patience, especially as Audrey pushes for long-buried truths to come to light. What I enjoyed most was watching the three generations of women—Maggie, Jill, and Audrey—work in tandem to unravel both mysteries, even while Jill keeps insisting the professionals should handle it.
The Chowder House Murder lays a solid foundation for this new series. With three strong women, the story has an interesting dynamic to build on. Because the core cast is so large, I think a character list at the beginning of the book would be a smart addition and would make it easier for readers to settle into the story. Halibut Cove feels like the kind of setting that could easily support a long-running mystery series, and I am curious to see where Lee Hollis takes these characters next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Chips Hogan arrives at The Chowder House nightly, usually the last customer, adamant about ending his day with a cup of Maggie Holbrook’s famous clam chowder. These days, it is Maggie’s granddaughter, Audrey, who is doing the cooking at the popular eatery. Audrey didn’t stick around long because her presence is required at the weekly family dinners. But before the dinner is complete, when her mom and police chief, Jill, receives a call telling her Chip Hogan is dead. Her investigation shows that Chip’s famous cup of chowder contained poison.
How could that be? Many had eaten that day, and no one reported any issues with their meals. Someone targeted Chip, but how did that poison get into Chip’s chowder? Audrey and Maggie are going to find who tampered with Chip’s chowder and how. If they don’t, it could spell the end of The Chowder House, and one could end up serving time for a crime they didn’t commit.
Launching a new series is never easy, especially when it comes with a large cast of characters, and that is true even for an experienced cozy mystery author like Lee Hollis. Maggie Holbrook (Nana) is the family matriarch. Her oldest son, Oliver, is a defense attorney and quite a storyteller, and he is married to Katie, a nurse at the local hospital. Her middle son, Cord, and youngest son, Sandy, work together on a lobster boat. Cord has just become engaged to Phoebe Barker. Sandy is a handsome young man whose sexuality may be a secret to some at first, but becomes clear to the people who mattered in this story. Maggie’s daughter, Jill, is the chief of police, and Jill’s daughter, Audrey, works at The Chowder House. Every member of the family arrives with a backstory, and each has connections within the community that help build out the supporting cast. While I didn’t feel especially close to any one character yet, the groundwork is clearly there for them to deepen as the series continues.
Along with plenty of family drama, there are two mysteries woven through the pages of The Chowder House Murder. In addition to Chip Hogan’s murder, a cold case resurfaces and adds another layer to the story. Chip’s murder is somewhat intricate, but the clues are planted early enough for attentive readers to start piecing things together. The cold case takes a little more patience, especially as Audrey pushes for long-buried truths to come to light. What I enjoyed most was watching the three generations of women—Maggie, Jill, and Audrey—work in tandem to unravel both mysteries, even while Jill keeps insisting the professionals should handle it.
The Chowder House Murder lays a solid foundation for this new series. With three strong women, the story has an interesting dynamic to build on. Because the core cast is so large, I think a character list at the beginning of the book would be a smart addition and would make it easier for readers to settle into the story. Halibut Cove feels like the kind of setting that could easily support a long-running mystery series, and I am curious to see where Lee Hollis takes these characters next.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
June 9, 2026
This is the first book in the Downeast Maine series. This series follows three generations of Holbrook women. Grandmother, Maggie, daughter Jill, and granddaughter Audrey. Audrey works at the Chowder house, and a man is poisoned after he ate a bowl of chowder that Audrey served him. Maggie and Audrey investigate what happened while Jill tries to keep them out of it.
I thought this was a great start to a new series. I liked how the writer switched from the POV from Maggie, Jill, and Audrey. It was slow to start but once I got into it picked up and kept me entertained right to the end. I am curious to learn more backstory on these characters in later books. I received this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.
I thought this was a great start to a new series. I liked how the writer switched from the POV from Maggie, Jill, and Audrey. It was slow to start but once I got into it picked up and kept me entertained right to the end. I am curious to learn more backstory on these characters in later books. I received this book from net galley in exchange for an honest review.
July 17, 2026
Lee Hollis is one of my favorite authors! I loved this first book in the series. The daughter, mother, grandmother team is awesome. The only thing I felt was missing was something in the atmosphere of the book, it just didn’t have the cozy feel of the Hayley Powell series or the Maya and Sandra series. But anything by this author is always a good read. I loved the surprise twist at the end. Didn’t see it coming at all!
Read
July 28, 2026The coast of Maine, with the sound of sea gulls and ocean waves in the background, is an ideal setting for this mystery. The cast of characters, mostly family, are a fitting match to the small town of Halibut Cove. The plot and murders are layered with secrets and many close calls for the good guys (who triumphed in the end.).
June 12, 2026
Lee Hollis has written a great first book to a fun new series. The book is set in a small town in Main and has a very homie feel to it. I really loved the family dynamic. I loved how the sons are so different and all over the place while the grandmother and granddaughter are the driving force behind the series. Throght it all the daughter, who is the cheif of police is trying to rain them all in. The mystery was entertaining. I liked how there were multiple parts to it and the complications generations of family feuds are intertwined. I can't wait for the next book in the Downeast Maine Series.
May 26, 2026
A page-turning start to a new cozy mystery series featuring three generations of no-nonsense, fearless women! I read this in two days and so enjoyed not just the well plotted mystery, but the introduction to the Holbrook Family and the fictional setting of Halibut Cove, Maine. The story reminded me a little of the TV show Blue Bloods but cozier and I'll take it. Maggie is my favorite and I'd like to be her when I "grow up." Great characters, creepy bad guys and a small town setting made this a win for me.
Did Not Finish
June 12, 20266.9.2026
DNF@20%
Kindle/NetGalley [NLO]
Hoopla Audiobook
Cozy Mystery
Thank you to NetGalley, Lee Hollis, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
DNF@20%
Kindle/NetGalley [NLO]
Hoopla Audiobook
Cozy Mystery
Thank you to NetGalley, Lee Hollis, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cozies for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 4, 2026
With a new series, there’s bound to be some world building to get the readers acquainted with the town and its people. The Chowder House Murder overdelivers in this case. There were so many characters and storylines that the murder and its solving were buried. We have a family that has their hands in just about every business in town, several romances, a somewhat unrelated cold case that’s thrown in midway, and tons of family drama. The mystery itself is solved about halfway through, but the investigation is dropped for other matters, then picked up again to finally end it. This was way too long and had too much going on for my taste.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the review copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Cozies for the review copy.
June 26, 2026
This was an entertaining cozy mystery!! It was sweet and the story kept you guessing. Plus I enjoyed being transported to Maine and exploring the seaside Halibut Cove with the Holbrook family. The only thing is that the characters and dialogue often came across as quite flat or one dimensional. But all in all it did what a cozy mystery is meant to do—low stakes suspense with sweet characters in a charming setting— and I enjoyed this read!!
July 6, 2026
I don't read a lot of mysteries, and this one sort of disappointed just because the writing (especially the action scenes, oh lord) was poor. I actually liked the sheer volume of characters and dramas going on, but many moments left me going "uh. who?" it was kind of funny at times; this felt more like reading the idea of a book than anything. it was sort of like an unspooling, never ending improv skit, and I will admit that was pretty amusing.
oh. and the book mentions car seat headrest.
oh. and the book mentions car seat headrest.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
This was a quick read, an interesting mystery however it felt rushed, and I didn’t get a sense of any of the characters. Too much happens for real character development. The book doesn’t have one specific genre in mind. It was a cozy mystery or is it a small town, chief of police mystery or is it a family saga? Throw in two, no three, romances, mother-daughter, stress, and a bit of humor, and well, it was quite a lot. I’ll probably read the 2nd book in this new series to see where it goes.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
Thanks to the publisher for the ARC.
May 29, 2026
I really enjoyed meeting Maggie, Audrey and Jill who seemed to sorta be co-main characters which was pretty cool since with third person it’s easy to slip into another person’s lead. There were some other interesting characters like Iggy the coroner. That guy made me laugh and I couldn’t help picturing him as John Belushi’s “Animal House” character only in a lab coat lol. Deputy Mason Dooley was another good sidekick type character and I felt so bad for the guy getting pulled away from food all the time. Oh well, Jill was just trying to make him into a better cop.
It was cool how the three ladies figured out whodunnit but still lacked some info that came as a surprise toward the ending, who knew? But that perp was just such a scum that the outcome was super satisfying especially when the perp was so smug before. I liked the ending and can’t wait for the next book now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
It was cool how the three ladies figured out whodunnit but still lacked some info that came as a surprise toward the ending, who knew? But that perp was just such a scum that the outcome was super satisfying especially when the perp was so smug before. I liked the ending and can’t wait for the next book now.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Kensington Cozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.
July 3, 2026
I liked the premise but this was so unbelievable. Why were Audrey and Maggie doing all the detective work that Jill should have been doing? And every other expression was a smirk, it was so annoying and distracting by the end.
July 3, 2026
Ridiculous family owns the town - matriarch, chief of police, defense attorney, and grandmother and granddaughter amateur detectives.
June 16, 2026
Multiple generations all acting the same age; a story line that is always aggravating.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Chowder House Murder opens with a poisoned bowl of clam chowder and somehow escalates into decades of family drama, suspicious townies, buried secrets, romantic tension, emotional damage, and enough seafood-related hostility to make Gordon Ramsay leave the state entirely. I was immediately in.
Halibut Cove is one of those tiny Maine towns where everybody’s either related, feuding, secretly in love, or holding onto a grudge that started sometime around the Great Depression, and apparently the local chowder recipe feud has become the community’s entire personality. The Holbrooks serve Maggie Holbrook’s famous chowder at The Chowder House, the Duggans insist the recipe was stolen from their family back in the 1930s, and honestly these people talk about chowder the way fantasy characters talk about ancient bloodlines. One bad soup recipe away from civil war.
Then poor Chips Hogan eats his nightly bowl of chowder, wanders outside, and dies in the street like this town just staged the world’s most aggressively New England murder scene. And Audrey Holbrook immediately becomes the kind of stressed nineteen-year-old who looks one inconvenience away from crying in a walk-in freezer. She served the chowder. Her mom Jill is the police chief. Her grandmother Maggie refuses to believe the obvious suspect is guilty. Meanwhile the whole town starts vibrating with suspicion like a pot about to boil over and suddenly every local interaction feels loaded with eighty years of resentment and at least three passive aggressive casseroles.
Maggie absolutely runs away with this book. She has that calm, terrifying matriarch energy where you know she could emotionally dismantle somebody with one perfectly timed sentence while still offering them pie afterward. Cozy mysteries live or die by whether the amateur sleuth feels like someone you’d actually want to follow around for three hundred pages, and Maggie works because she feels grounded underneath all the chaos. Audrey brings the younger impulsive energy, which mostly translates into “girl please stop confronting suspicious men alone at night,” but in a fun way.
The family dynamics are honestly the best part. The Holbrooks are constantly in each other’s business. Everybody has history. Everybody has opinions. Family dinners feel like they could turn into either a group hug or a felony at any given moment. Jill trying to be both police chief and the only functioning adult in this disaster family gave me stress hives because her relatives investigate murders with the confidence of people who have apparently never watched a true crime documentary in their lives.
Also, every single person in this town smirks. Constantly. Flirtatious smirks. Guilty smirks. Angry smirks. Mysterious smirks. I started losing my mind halfway through because once you notice it, you can never escape it. By chapter ten I was reading every conversation like a soap opera filmed entirely through narrowed eyes over bowls of chowder.
What I actually liked, though, is that beneath all the cozy mystery chaos, there’s a surprisingly solid emotional core about family legacy and inherited grudges. This town is drowning in old history. Everybody’s carrying around stories about who wronged who thirty years ago, and the book gets a lot of mileage out of how exhausting that becomes. There’s this underlying feeling that half these people don’t even remember why they’re angry anymore, they just inherited the anger like antique furniture.
The mystery itself moves fast enough that I never got bored. There are a lot of characters, and I’m not going to pretend I didn’t occasionally have to pause and mentally sort out which cousin belonged to which branch of the seafood empire, but the pacing keeps things lively. Every time I thought the book might settle down, somebody uncovered another secret or started acting suspicious in a way that practically screamed “future victim.”
And honestly, the vibes here are immaculate if you love cozy mysteries where the town feels slightly unhinged beneath the postcard charm. There’s gossip. There’s romance bubbling in the background. There’s a golden retriever named Flounder who deserved even more page time because frankly he was one of the only emotionally stable residents of Halibut Cove.
By the end, I was completely locked into this family and their nonsense. The book feels like the start of a series where everybody’s emotional baggage is only going to get messier from here, which is exactly what I want. Give me murder. Give me chowder politics. Give me three generations of women trying to solve crimes while emotionally managing the men in their lives like exhausted camp counselors.
Four stars from me. Messy, fun, dramatic, occasionally ridiculous, but in the exact way cozy mysteries should be. Also I will never trust seafood soup again.
Whodunity Award: For Making Clam Chowder Feel Like a Loaded Weapon
Huge thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, and for reminding me that nowhere on earth is more dangerous than a quaint seaside town where everybody’s smiling politely while carrying eighty years of seafood-related resentment.
Halibut Cove is one of those tiny Maine towns where everybody’s either related, feuding, secretly in love, or holding onto a grudge that started sometime around the Great Depression, and apparently the local chowder recipe feud has become the community’s entire personality. The Holbrooks serve Maggie Holbrook’s famous chowder at The Chowder House, the Duggans insist the recipe was stolen from their family back in the 1930s, and honestly these people talk about chowder the way fantasy characters talk about ancient bloodlines. One bad soup recipe away from civil war.
Then poor Chips Hogan eats his nightly bowl of chowder, wanders outside, and dies in the street like this town just staged the world’s most aggressively New England murder scene. And Audrey Holbrook immediately becomes the kind of stressed nineteen-year-old who looks one inconvenience away from crying in a walk-in freezer. She served the chowder. Her mom Jill is the police chief. Her grandmother Maggie refuses to believe the obvious suspect is guilty. Meanwhile the whole town starts vibrating with suspicion like a pot about to boil over and suddenly every local interaction feels loaded with eighty years of resentment and at least three passive aggressive casseroles.
Maggie absolutely runs away with this book. She has that calm, terrifying matriarch energy where you know she could emotionally dismantle somebody with one perfectly timed sentence while still offering them pie afterward. Cozy mysteries live or die by whether the amateur sleuth feels like someone you’d actually want to follow around for three hundred pages, and Maggie works because she feels grounded underneath all the chaos. Audrey brings the younger impulsive energy, which mostly translates into “girl please stop confronting suspicious men alone at night,” but in a fun way.
The family dynamics are honestly the best part. The Holbrooks are constantly in each other’s business. Everybody has history. Everybody has opinions. Family dinners feel like they could turn into either a group hug or a felony at any given moment. Jill trying to be both police chief and the only functioning adult in this disaster family gave me stress hives because her relatives investigate murders with the confidence of people who have apparently never watched a true crime documentary in their lives.
Also, every single person in this town smirks. Constantly. Flirtatious smirks. Guilty smirks. Angry smirks. Mysterious smirks. I started losing my mind halfway through because once you notice it, you can never escape it. By chapter ten I was reading every conversation like a soap opera filmed entirely through narrowed eyes over bowls of chowder.
What I actually liked, though, is that beneath all the cozy mystery chaos, there’s a surprisingly solid emotional core about family legacy and inherited grudges. This town is drowning in old history. Everybody’s carrying around stories about who wronged who thirty years ago, and the book gets a lot of mileage out of how exhausting that becomes. There’s this underlying feeling that half these people don’t even remember why they’re angry anymore, they just inherited the anger like antique furniture.
The mystery itself moves fast enough that I never got bored. There are a lot of characters, and I’m not going to pretend I didn’t occasionally have to pause and mentally sort out which cousin belonged to which branch of the seafood empire, but the pacing keeps things lively. Every time I thought the book might settle down, somebody uncovered another secret or started acting suspicious in a way that practically screamed “future victim.”
And honestly, the vibes here are immaculate if you love cozy mysteries where the town feels slightly unhinged beneath the postcard charm. There’s gossip. There’s romance bubbling in the background. There’s a golden retriever named Flounder who deserved even more page time because frankly he was one of the only emotionally stable residents of Halibut Cove.
By the end, I was completely locked into this family and their nonsense. The book feels like the start of a series where everybody’s emotional baggage is only going to get messier from here, which is exactly what I want. Give me murder. Give me chowder politics. Give me three generations of women trying to solve crimes while emotionally managing the men in their lives like exhausted camp counselors.
Four stars from me. Messy, fun, dramatic, occasionally ridiculous, but in the exact way cozy mysteries should be. Also I will never trust seafood soup again.
Whodunity Award: For Making Clam Chowder Feel Like a Loaded Weapon
Huge thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC, and for reminding me that nowhere on earth is more dangerous than a quaint seaside town where everybody’s smiling politely while carrying eighty years of seafood-related resentment.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Aubrey Holbrook works at the Chowder House as a waitress. She's happy enough with her job, although it's slightly irritating that every night at closing time, grumpy local Chops Hogan shows up to get his daily bowl of chowder. Aubrey leaves after serving him, as she wants to be home -- which is living with her grandmother Maggie -- for the weekly Holbrook dinner.
But while everyone is eating, Aubrey's mother Jill, who is the police chief. receives a call that Chips is dead. When the autopsy results are in, Chips was poisoned by the chowder. Aubrey is devastated, and worried, because she served him. After reviewing evidence, no one admits to it, although it was said that another local named Waldo Duggan was seen at the back door.
The rivalry between the Duggans and Holbrooks goes way back, with Waldo's family accusing Maggie's of stealing their chowder recipes. Even so, when Waldo is arrested for the crime, Maggie doesn't believe he did it. So along with help from Aubrey, they've invested themselves in investigating the case in order to find a killer.
Unfortunately, it won't be easy. Her Uncle Cord's fiancée's family might be suspects; and that makes things worse. But did any of them kill the man? Maggie finds out more than she wants to know, and it might be the thing that causes the killer to decide to get rid of anyone who's interested...even if it means doing away with both Audrey and Maggie, at whatever cost...
This is the first in a new series by Lee Hollis. The authors have done themselves well. At first it seems that there are a lot of characters in this book, and there are. You have all the Holbrooks (and there are many of them); along with various others (including an entire other family), and minor characters that flit in and out.
But don't be fooled -- there is more to the story than at what first you see. There is another mystery which shows up along the way, and that one is just as interesting as the first. I do love a mystery within a mystery (but that's just me). The plot is written extremely well, although I would have loved more physical descriptions of Aubrey and her friend Isabella, but it didn't detract from anything.
Concerning the main mystery, it unravels at a medium pace, and you need to look for clues yourself. Although I knew the killer before Aubrey did, it was still delightful to watch how she handled what information she received. The murderer was no slouch; they knew exactly what to do to eliminate an eventual victim.
The ending was nicely done, and I don't want to say anything else rather than give away any spoilers. I truly enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it to others.
I received an advance copy of this book but this in no way influenced my review.
But while everyone is eating, Aubrey's mother Jill, who is the police chief. receives a call that Chips is dead. When the autopsy results are in, Chips was poisoned by the chowder. Aubrey is devastated, and worried, because she served him. After reviewing evidence, no one admits to it, although it was said that another local named Waldo Duggan was seen at the back door.
The rivalry between the Duggans and Holbrooks goes way back, with Waldo's family accusing Maggie's of stealing their chowder recipes. Even so, when Waldo is arrested for the crime, Maggie doesn't believe he did it. So along with help from Aubrey, they've invested themselves in investigating the case in order to find a killer.
Unfortunately, it won't be easy. Her Uncle Cord's fiancée's family might be suspects; and that makes things worse. But did any of them kill the man? Maggie finds out more than she wants to know, and it might be the thing that causes the killer to decide to get rid of anyone who's interested...even if it means doing away with both Audrey and Maggie, at whatever cost...
This is the first in a new series by Lee Hollis. The authors have done themselves well. At first it seems that there are a lot of characters in this book, and there are. You have all the Holbrooks (and there are many of them); along with various others (including an entire other family), and minor characters that flit in and out.
But don't be fooled -- there is more to the story than at what first you see. There is another mystery which shows up along the way, and that one is just as interesting as the first. I do love a mystery within a mystery (but that's just me). The plot is written extremely well, although I would have loved more physical descriptions of Aubrey and her friend Isabella, but it didn't detract from anything.
Concerning the main mystery, it unravels at a medium pace, and you need to look for clues yourself. Although I knew the killer before Aubrey did, it was still delightful to watch how she handled what information she received. The murderer was no slouch; they knew exactly what to do to eliminate an eventual victim.
The ending was nicely done, and I don't want to say anything else rather than give away any spoilers. I truly enjoyed reading this and would definitely recommend it to others.
I received an advance copy of this book but this in no way influenced my review.
July 6, 2026
This one was just ok. It was obvious who the killer was and why making the last third of the book super slow. Audrey works at the local chowder shop and the last customer of the day died after eating the soup which turned out to be poisoned. Her mother Jill is the police chief and she knows that Audrey didn't kill Chips but she still has to prove it. While Jill has to work within the confines of the law, Audrey and her grandmother Maggie can operate a bit outside of it. Jill arrests Waldo who seen hanging around the diner that day and who has always claimed that Maggie stole his grandmother's chowder recipe. But Maggie knows that Waldo is innocent. She and Audrey begin their own investigating and turn up some decades old real estate deal gone bad that involved Chips, Maggie's now deceased husband Wes and Maggie's old flame Griffin. They have a chat about it with Griffin and the next day he is dead having been drugged and pushed into the water to drown. They know that they are onto something but before they can get much further they get distracted by Audrey's uncle getting engaged to the town floozy. Her family was in a years long dispute with their neighbor Chips over a wall that separates their properties. Could they have killed Chips? But why would they kill Griffin? When they start digging under the wall, they find bones and it turns out that the floozy's mother had buried her long ago boyfriend there after she accidentally killed him in self-defense. When Maggie gets sick from poisoning they finally have a solid lead and figure out that the new local dentist is poisoning his patients. His father Ed was also involved in that long ago failed real estate deal and when it fell through he moved his family away and killed himself. So now the dentist, decades later, is out for revenge. This information is all out in the open by the 75% mark but we have to hang around and wait until Jill has the evidence to arrest him while not a lot happens. Yawn. Then Audrey tries to get the evidence herself and ends up getting herself kidnapped. Just when she thinks that she's escaped, she is stopped by the dentist's accomplice who turns out to be Jimmy from the chowder house. He was the one who put the poison in the chowder. Jill's deputy Mason rescues Audrey and a few weeks later the two are dating. I'm unlikely to continue with the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚 ARC Review: A Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis
(Down East Maine Mystery #1)
Publish date 5/26/3026
I had been looking forward to this series ever since Lee Hollis mentioned in Ashland last October that a new series was in the works, and somehow this exceeded every expectation I had.
From the very beginning, I was completely pulled into the world of Halibut Cove, the Chowder House, and this unforgettable family. The atmosphere is exactly what I want from a cozy mystery—small-town Maine charm, quirky personalities, layered relationships, and just enough tension simmering beneath the surface to keep you hooked.
The family dynamic here absolutely gave me Blue Bloods vibes in the best possible way. The mandatory family dinners, the strong matriarch at the center of everything, the law enforcement connections, the tension between generations—it all worked so incredibly well.
Maggie completely stole the show for me. She’s sharp, stubborn, fiercely loyal, and somehow manages to run her family with both love and intimidation at the exact same time. Every scene involving the family had so much personality and warmth that I never wanted to leave them.
I also loved all the little details woven throughout the story. The coastal Maine setting, the chowder shop, the fish-themed touches throughout town—even the dog names—made everything feel immersive and memorable without ever becoming overdone.
What surprised me most was how much deeper this felt than a traditional cozy mystery. Yes, it still has all the cozy elements I love, but the mystery itself carries genuine suspense and crime drama energy throughout. It felt more layered and emotionally grounded than many cozies, while still keeping that comforting charm the genre is known for.
And honestly? I think the biggest compliment I can give this book is this: it took me a long time to finish because I genuinely did not want it to end.
I became so invested in these characters and this family that I already hate the idea of waiting for book two. Lee Hollis created something really special here, and this is easily one of my favorite mysteries I’ve read in a very long time.
Absolutely brilliant start to a new series, and I cannot wait to return to Halibut Cove! Brilliant writing Lee!!
📚 ARC Review: A Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis
(Down East Maine Mystery #1)
Publish date 5/26/3026
I had been looking forward to this series ever since Lee Hollis mentioned in Ashland last October that a new series was in the works, and somehow this exceeded every expectation I had.
From the very beginning, I was completely pulled into the world of Halibut Cove, the Chowder House, and this unforgettable family. The atmosphere is exactly what I want from a cozy mystery—small-town Maine charm, quirky personalities, layered relationships, and just enough tension simmering beneath the surface to keep you hooked.
The family dynamic here absolutely gave me Blue Bloods vibes in the best possible way. The mandatory family dinners, the strong matriarch at the center of everything, the law enforcement connections, the tension between generations—it all worked so incredibly well.
Maggie completely stole the show for me. She’s sharp, stubborn, fiercely loyal, and somehow manages to run her family with both love and intimidation at the exact same time. Every scene involving the family had so much personality and warmth that I never wanted to leave them.
I also loved all the little details woven throughout the story. The coastal Maine setting, the chowder shop, the fish-themed touches throughout town—even the dog names—made everything feel immersive and memorable without ever becoming overdone.
What surprised me most was how much deeper this felt than a traditional cozy mystery. Yes, it still has all the cozy elements I love, but the mystery itself carries genuine suspense and crime drama energy throughout. It felt more layered and emotionally grounded than many cozies, while still keeping that comforting charm the genre is known for.
And honestly? I think the biggest compliment I can give this book is this: it took me a long time to finish because I genuinely did not want it to end.
I became so invested in these characters and this family that I already hate the idea of waiting for book two. Lee Hollis created something really special here, and this is easily one of my favorite mysteries I’ve read in a very long time.
Absolutely brilliant start to a new series, and I cannot wait to return to Halibut Cove! Brilliant writing Lee!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The Chowder House Murder is the start of a brand new cozy mystery series from Lee Hollis and as a huge fan of the Hayley Powell series, I jumped at the chance to read this one. It did take me a minute to fully settle into the story and all the family dynamics, but once it grabbed my attention, I was completely invested.
This mystery centers around the women of the Holbrook family and an ongoing feud over the famous clam chowder recipe that has divided families for years. Think small-town drama mixed with a Hatfields and McCoys style rivalry, only with seafood chowder at the center of it all. When someone ends up dead after eating the chowder, fingers immediately start pointing toward Waldo Duggan, the one person many believe would benefit from the deadly situation. After all, the Holbrooks and the Duggans have been battling over this recipe forever.
Things get even messier when Sheriff Jill Holbrook arrests Waldo, but Maggie, the matriarch of the Holbrook family, refuses to believe he’s the killer. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie starts digging into the mystery herself, only to realize the evidence may actually point toward the family of her Uncle Cord’s fiancée. From there the tension, secrets, and family drama just continue to build.
What I really enjoyed most was the strong multi-generational family dynamic. Maggie was easily my favorite character because she has that classic stubborn cozy mystery grandmother energy that makes these stories so fun. I also loved the Downeast Maine setting and the small-town atmosphere woven throughout the story. Once the mystery picked up, it kept me hooked until the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed the beginning of this new series and I’m excited to see what the women of the Holbrook family get themselves into next. If you love cozy mysteries filled with family feuds, small-town secrets, food-centered drama, and a cast of strong women, this is definitely one to pick up.
This mystery centers around the women of the Holbrook family and an ongoing feud over the famous clam chowder recipe that has divided families for years. Think small-town drama mixed with a Hatfields and McCoys style rivalry, only with seafood chowder at the center of it all. When someone ends up dead after eating the chowder, fingers immediately start pointing toward Waldo Duggan, the one person many believe would benefit from the deadly situation. After all, the Holbrooks and the Duggans have been battling over this recipe forever.
Things get even messier when Sheriff Jill Holbrook arrests Waldo, but Maggie, the matriarch of the Holbrook family, refuses to believe he’s the killer. Determined to uncover the truth, Maggie starts digging into the mystery herself, only to realize the evidence may actually point toward the family of her Uncle Cord’s fiancée. From there the tension, secrets, and family drama just continue to build.
What I really enjoyed most was the strong multi-generational family dynamic. Maggie was easily my favorite character because she has that classic stubborn cozy mystery grandmother energy that makes these stories so fun. I also loved the Downeast Maine setting and the small-town atmosphere woven throughout the story. Once the mystery picked up, it kept me hooked until the end.
Overall, I really enjoyed the beginning of this new series and I’m excited to see what the women of the Holbrook family get themselves into next. If you love cozy mysteries filled with family feuds, small-town secrets, food-centered drama, and a cast of strong women, this is definitely one to pick up.
June 4, 2026
"The Chowder House Murder" is book #1 in the "Downeast Mystery" series by Lee Hollis.
Though I normally enjoy the writing from Lee Hollis, this book took me a while to get into. The story was told in third person but also from multiple points of view. That can be a good thing for some stories, but for this one, it felt a bit overwhelming. Far too much detail to absorb in the first third of the book. It did get much better in the last third of the book as readers saw where this was all headed - it just felt like a long road with a ton of bumps and detours to get there.
Chapters often switched to other perspectives and other subplots that may or may not have been related to the main storyline. At times, it leaves readers wondering what the main plot really was.
There was so much going on that it could be chapters before you got any update on a murder or an investigation.
Some storylines were easier to decipher and figure out the result than others. A few stereotype characters and reactions to certain events/revelations were predictable. There were a few LOL moments, but some just fell flat or a bit cringe worthy.
This would have worked better as two separate books rather than jamming it into 348 pages of the Kindle edition.
Granted, it did pretty much all get sorted out and tidied up in the end, but this was far too much intel for a first book in a series.
Now that readers are more familiar with the Holbrook family and some of the residents of Halibut Cove, it will hopefully be easier to follow any further stories in this series. Let's just hope the next installment isn't as overstuffed as this one was.
Though I normally enjoy the writing from Lee Hollis, this book took me a while to get into. The story was told in third person but also from multiple points of view. That can be a good thing for some stories, but for this one, it felt a bit overwhelming. Far too much detail to absorb in the first third of the book. It did get much better in the last third of the book as readers saw where this was all headed - it just felt like a long road with a ton of bumps and detours to get there.
Chapters often switched to other perspectives and other subplots that may or may not have been related to the main storyline. At times, it leaves readers wondering what the main plot really was.
There was so much going on that it could be chapters before you got any update on a murder or an investigation.
Some storylines were easier to decipher and figure out the result than others. A few stereotype characters and reactions to certain events/revelations were predictable. There were a few LOL moments, but some just fell flat or a bit cringe worthy.
This would have worked better as two separate books rather than jamming it into 348 pages of the Kindle edition.
Granted, it did pretty much all get sorted out and tidied up in the end, but this was far too much intel for a first book in a series.
Now that readers are more familiar with the Holbrook family and some of the residents of Halibut Cove, it will hopefully be easier to follow any further stories in this series. Let's just hope the next installment isn't as overstuffed as this one was.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The Chowder House Murder by Lee Hollis
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Chowder House Murder is a cozy, fast-paced mystery set in a small town centered around a family-run chowder restaurant and a mystery that turns into the discovery of secrets, rivalries, and features plenty of plot twists.
The Chowder House, a popular restaurant in Halibut Cove, has been serving a famous clam chowder from matriarch Maggie Holbrook and it’s been in high demand. The clam chowder is made by Maggie’s granddaughter, Audrey, and the dish has a regular customer, retiree Chips Hogan, until one night. Chips has been found dead and his chowder was poisoned. When a server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley, he becomes a suspect. And when it’s discovered that Waldo believes the Holbrooks stole the chowder recipe from his family, he becomes the primary suspect. Maggie doesn’t believe Waldo would murder anyone and she decides to team-up to solve the mystery. She and her granddaughter discover rivalries, feuds, threats, and lots of twists and turns along the way.
The Chowder House Murder is an easy, entertaining read with lots of twists and turns until the very end. A perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries! The family dynamic adds extra warmth and charm to the story and the small town setting gives it such a delightful New England coziness. Overall, a great read from start to finish!
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Kensington Publishing, Netgalley, and the author for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
The Chowder House Murder is a cozy, fast-paced mystery set in a small town centered around a family-run chowder restaurant and a mystery that turns into the discovery of secrets, rivalries, and features plenty of plot twists.
The Chowder House, a popular restaurant in Halibut Cove, has been serving a famous clam chowder from matriarch Maggie Holbrook and it’s been in high demand. The clam chowder is made by Maggie’s granddaughter, Audrey, and the dish has a regular customer, retiree Chips Hogan, until one night. Chips has been found dead and his chowder was poisoned. When a server recalls seeing local diner cook Waldo Duggan in the alley, he becomes a suspect. And when it’s discovered that Waldo believes the Holbrooks stole the chowder recipe from his family, he becomes the primary suspect. Maggie doesn’t believe Waldo would murder anyone and she decides to team-up to solve the mystery. She and her granddaughter discover rivalries, feuds, threats, and lots of twists and turns along the way.
The Chowder House Murder is an easy, entertaining read with lots of twists and turns until the very end. A perfect read for fans of cozy mysteries! The family dynamic adds extra warmth and charm to the story and the small town setting gives it such a delightful New England coziness. Overall, a great read from start to finish!
July 1, 2026
“The Chowder House Murder”, the first book in Lee Hollis’s Downeast Maine Cozy Mystery Series, gets the series off to a mostly good start. It features three generations of a Maine family but mostly focuses on three of them: Matriarch Maggie Holbrook, her police chief daughter Jill, and Jill’s daughter Audrey who works at a local restaurant with hopes of someday owning her own restaurant. The dynamics between these three women are very well done and make the book worth reading just for their interactions. There are several mysteries in the book – some current murders and a long ago murder – are well done with a few misdirections and while ultimately it is pretty easy to figure out some of the puzzle, it is still fun to read as the women trap a killer. There are some nice tense moments as they do so that will keep readers eagerly turning the pages to see what happens next. There are also some nice humorous moments in the book - mostly involving policeman Mason and his seemingly never unending hunger. All of this makes for a promising start to what looks like a very good series. However, I had to knock off a point in my ratings for the overuse of the word “smirk” – it was constantly used to the point where I was pulled out of the story every time I saw it. I finally ran the word using the find section in my Kindle – “smirk” appeared in the book 73 times! I’ll give this series another try but another “smirk” and I’m done!
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.
June 23, 2026
This is the beginning of a new series where two generations of Holbrook women think they are better at solving murders than the middle generation, who just happens to be the local chief of police. Audrey and Maggie are determined to prove that the man arrested for the murder by chowder is innocent. What may seem strange at first is he is the part of a family that has been in a heated dispute with the Holbrooks for generations. Jill looks for evidence and someone has attempted to frame the suspect. She is not adverse to continuing to investigate the other possibilities, including the family whose daughter is engaged to Jill’s brother.
Small town and entanglements seem to provide the fuel for many a plot. This one goes back to a failed real estate plan that never made it to fruition. Some investors came away unscathed. Others were ruined. That can lead to a lot of bad blood and desires for revenge. There were parts of the story that I enjoyed. There were others that just did not jive but over all, it was an entertaining read and worth checking out future offerings. Four purrs and two paws up.
Small town and entanglements seem to provide the fuel for many a plot. This one goes back to a failed real estate plan that never made it to fruition. Some investors came away unscathed. Others were ruined. That can lead to a lot of bad blood and desires for revenge. There were parts of the story that I enjoyed. There were others that just did not jive but over all, it was an entertaining read and worth checking out future offerings. Four purrs and two paws up.
January 31, 2026
The Chowder House Murder
by Lee Hollis is the first book in a new cozy mystery series: A Downeast Maine Mystery.
This was a good start to a new cozy mystery series taking part in small town ( Halibut Cove) Maine. This new one involves several generations within a single family: Grandmother Maggie Holbrook and granddaughter Audrey. Both are involved with the locally famous Chowder house and both become entwined within a murder mystery involving a shady bowel of chowder that was tampered with a local rival. Both join forces to solve the murder, find the culprit, clear names, and get everything back in track.
I enjoyed this murder/mystery plot, the introduction of new characters and town, and look forward to seeing where this goes.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/26/26.
by Lee Hollis is the first book in a new cozy mystery series: A Downeast Maine Mystery.
This was a good start to a new cozy mystery series taking part in small town ( Halibut Cove) Maine. This new one involves several generations within a single family: Grandmother Maggie Holbrook and granddaughter Audrey. Both are involved with the locally famous Chowder house and both become entwined within a murder mystery involving a shady bowel of chowder that was tampered with a local rival. Both join forces to solve the murder, find the culprit, clear names, and get everything back in track.
I enjoyed this murder/mystery plot, the introduction of new characters and town, and look forward to seeing where this goes.
4/5 stars
Thank you NG and Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 5/26/26.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars, rounded up
The Holbrooks are Halibut Cove’s most prominent family, and matriarch Maggie’s recipe for clam chowder has been drawing people to The Chowder House in droves. But when a regular customer is found dead shortly after consuming his nightly bowl of chowder, and one of the cooks becomes the primary suspect, Maggie must identify the actual killer – to clear his name, and that of her family.
This is the first book in a new series by one of my favorite cozy authors, so I had high expectations for this one. The story started slower than what I’m accustomed to with her other books, but eventually it got to the point where I didn’t want to put the book down.
While I am not generally a fan of the whole large prominent family thing, over the course of the story, I came to accept it and even appreciate it. With such a large family, there was someone in nearly every position in town that could be useful to the investigation – a lawyer, a nurse, lobstermen, a server at the Chowder House, and especially the town’s police chief. How convenient that they were all related in some way!
There were several possible suspects for the murder, and a second murder added a wrinkle to the situation. One character seemed off to me, and I was correct in that accusation, although the motive didn’t become clear until just before it was explained in the book.
Goodreads indicates that this is the beginning of a new series, so I will keep an eye out for the next book, as I am eager to read more about the Holbrooks and the town of Halibut Cove.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
The Holbrooks are Halibut Cove’s most prominent family, and matriarch Maggie’s recipe for clam chowder has been drawing people to The Chowder House in droves. But when a regular customer is found dead shortly after consuming his nightly bowl of chowder, and one of the cooks becomes the primary suspect, Maggie must identify the actual killer – to clear his name, and that of her family.
This is the first book in a new series by one of my favorite cozy authors, so I had high expectations for this one. The story started slower than what I’m accustomed to with her other books, but eventually it got to the point where I didn’t want to put the book down.
While I am not generally a fan of the whole large prominent family thing, over the course of the story, I came to accept it and even appreciate it. With such a large family, there was someone in nearly every position in town that could be useful to the investigation – a lawyer, a nurse, lobstermen, a server at the Chowder House, and especially the town’s police chief. How convenient that they were all related in some way!
There were several possible suspects for the murder, and a second murder added a wrinkle to the situation. One character seemed off to me, and I was correct in that accusation, although the motive didn’t become clear until just before it was explained in the book.
Goodreads indicates that this is the beginning of a new series, so I will keep an eye out for the next book, as I am eager to read more about the Holbrooks and the town of Halibut Cove.
Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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