Hallowed Out

Maine Clambake Mystery #7.5

by Barbara Ross

For Julia Snowden of the Snowden Family Clambake, Halloween takes on a whole new meaning in the coastal town of Busman's Harbor, Maine, when a seasonal activity turns fatal . . .

With its history of hauntings and ghost sightings, Busman’s Harbor is the perfect setting for Halloween festivities. Despite her busy schedule, Julia agrees to help out with a haunted house tour to protect her mother from overwhelming herself. But when a reenactment of a Prohibition-era gangster’s murder ends with a literal bang and a dead actor from New Jersey, Julia Snowden must identify a killer before she ends up sleeping with the fishes.

Genres: Mystery, Halloween, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Novella, Mystery Thriller

94 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 26, 2022

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]

Halloween can be murderous fun. Barbara Ross brings great fun in this holiday treat. I read it stand-alone and as part of a trio-anthology series. Maine is the perfect setting. Highly recommended.

[Deborah Almada · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Couple of mysteries solved

Another quick and fun trip to Busman's Harbor. With Halloween coming up you know there will be more than one mystery to solve! Another quick and interesting trip to Maine!

[Brooke Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this novella in the Maine Clambake series. I have not read the books in the series but I was still able to enjoy the mystery. I liked how we had all the suspects immediately since it was unlikely that anyone else had been in the room at the time. There was enough suspicion around more than one person to cast doubt. I figured out the guilty party prior to the reveal, but it didn't lessen my enjoyment. I would read more in the series - I liked Julia and the setting.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick novella within the Maine Clambake Mystery series. The murder mystery was very good. I did not correctly guess the murderer's identity before it was revealed at the end of the story. As always, I love the Maine setting in a tourist area, and I love the regular characters. I will continue to read other books in this series!

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This didn’t read as a short story. It was action packed and a page turner. Perfect to get the in spooky season spirit.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julia is busy running her family’s clambake business and a restaurant in the off-season with Chris, her boyfriend, in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Things are already hectic when the town kicks off its Halloween festivities, including a haunted-house tour that reenacts a Prohibition-era gangster murder that includes Julia, Chris, Sonny (Julia's brother-in-law) and Gus (the owner of the restaurant Julia and Chris use). But what’s supposed to be fun quickly turns dark when one of the actors ends up dead for real when the lights go out. Suddenly Julia isn’t just juggling the business and her family ... she’s trying to figure out who the killer is.

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. I thought the whodunit was a reach. At the end, there is a recipe that was mentioned during the story for pumpkin bread.

This novella is 7.5 (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 has gotten roped into an effort to bring some tourists to town during October via a haunted homes tour. One of the stops is Gus’s restaurant where a rumrunner was killed by gangsters during Prohibition. An actor has been brought in to help with the reenactment, but the night of the first tour, he is shot when the lights go out. Who did it?

It truly is wonderful to revisit the characters, no matter how briefly it might be. The plot is strong, and the characters we meet along the way are just as strong. I didn’t see the twists of the mystery coming, and the ending caught me by surprise. There is a delightful sub-plot as well that kept me grinning. And there’s a recipe or two at the end.

NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Haunted House Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Halloween trip to Maine.

Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is labelled 7.5 as well as 4.5. I feel it fits better in the 4.5 category since the main characters relationship in this story is an earlier version of how they relate to each other now.

A Haunted House Halloween Tour is organized by Harley to attract tourists further into the year. When a body turns up Julia finds herself involved in solving the murder. A fast read and the characters are likeable.

Pumpkin Loaf recipe is included and it very much looks like the one I use with great success.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a quick, entertaining read that had a mystery with Halloween vibes. I loved that this was a haunted tour around the town that was filled with ghost stories and spookiness. A murder just happened on this little ghost tour. It was done in very clever way. It was most intricate mystery that I have ever read but it got to the point and was done well. I enjoyed it for just a quick little read. And it makes me interested in more books in the series especially with the character interactions and introduced in this story. So in my opinion this was a solid read.

[Mindy McKay Morton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast Halloween Whodunit!

Rated 4 stars for the quick wrap-up ending and short read, otherwise this was a great Halloween Whodunit Murder Mystery without the blood and graphic details. Great read for Fall and thunderstorms. I think I will be decorating for Halloween a bit early this year. Barbara Ross did not disappoint.

[Suzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first Maine Clambake Mystery and I really enjoyed it. Usually I want more than a novella length story, Hallowed Out does have the "feel"of a full length book because so much is happening. The quick pace, great characters, and the setting have me ready to begin at book one and read this engaging series straight through.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Characters and plot only so so. Best thing about it was it was a quick read. Worst thing was Julia knowingly put herself in danger when she disregarded her feelings and went in the house. That was compounded but her inability to break free of the grip of an older woman. I hate the damsel in distress who must be saved trope so I subtracted a star for that. I won't read another in this series.

[Doreen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who donnit?

Julia and Chris agreed to be part of the haunted ghost tour putting on a skit at Gus' restaurant, a story of bootlegging days. But when the "bootlegger" is shot for real, they are plunged into an investigation that might, just might, be the last one Julia is ever involved in.

[Luis Nuñez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely ingenious...written by a genius beloved writer! You'll love it and won't be able to put it down! (Read this novella in the anthology HALLOWEEN PARTY MURDER, which includes two other novellas: one by Leslie Meier and another by Lee Hollis.)

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wasn't really into this book, as it seems to be 7.5 in a series that I have never read. So there were several references to things that didn't make much sense. However, it was a good mystery, so I gave it 3 stars. I don't think that I would hunt down the first book and go from there tho.

[Donna Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this shirt story fell a little short for me. The Halloween theme was definitely a nice touch in the series. The mystery just didn't really impress me like the other books in the series, perhaps due to reading it in January. I did enjoy the pumpkin bread recipe though.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read - novella - from one of my favorite series.

[Sue Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast though short read that takes us back in time, making it kind of bittersweet knowing what is to come in Shucked Apart. Unfortunately, there is no clambake.

[Candy Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Halloween.

Good addition to the series. I liked the backstory revealing more family history. T
Gus's place is one I would like to be welcomed into.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was a short read. But an excellent read. Really enjoy this series.

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short book, really a novella. I love spending time with Julia Snowden. She has the best adventures, although the adventures always involve murder.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Novella

A wonderful light Halloween mystery set in Busmans Harbor Maine. Clever haunted tour around the town. A murder takes place and an investigation is begun.

[Louise Bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome, short cozy mystery!

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nicely done short seasonal story between the regular books.

[Deb Pizzica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story. Entertaing and easy reading.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good.

[Taylor Rose Bowen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short and sweet!

[Veronica Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hallowed Out

Hallowed out was a fun and quick read. Trying to figure out who was the shooter was a little surprising.

[Linda Demusz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!

I love Barbara's mysteries, they are quick reads with a story that you don't want to put down until you are done.

[Cathie Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun read. The storyline and plot was great. Characters were fun but could have been more developed. Had some suspense and some humor. Highly recommend.