I was surprised to find out how many books about oysters there were. I could have chosen a number of nonfiction books, but I chose the cosy mystery one because it looked like it would be a lot more fun.
(from the back of the book) When Andie Greatorex is robbed of two buckets of oyster seed worth $35,000, she wonders if somebody's trying to mussel her out of business. Could it be a rival oyster farmer, a steamed former employee, or a snooty summer resident who objects to her unsightly oyster cages floating on the beautiful Damariscotta River? There's also a lobsterman who's worried the farm's expanding lease will encroach on his territory and Andie's ex-partner, who may come to regret their split. Before Julia can make much headway in the investigation, Andie turns up dead, stabbed by a shucking knife. Now it's up to Julia to set a trap for a cold and clammy killer....
This is the ninth book in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. You don't have to have read any of the others to follow this one. But it might help to connect with the main character if you have some background. You do learn a lot about the oyster farming business. You also learn a little about customs and phrases that are local to Maine. Which gives you a nice sense of place for the story. There are a lot of people and leads and suspects so you there are a lot of ways this can go, and it leaves you wondering how it will all work out. It is an easy reading story that is fun as you try to follow all the clues along the way. I do feel like I didn't get the connection with the characters the way I would have liked. But that could be because I haven't read the other books. And there is also an unfinished feel to an aspect of the story that will probably come up in the next book. So, although you get a whole story here you never forget that it takes place in the middle of other stories. It's okay. It's fun and easy and fast. But I never became so engaged that I feel the need to go back and read the previous books.
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