I was able to read and review an advance copy of the first book of a new series, Lobster Shack coming out January 30. The author is Shari Randall from Connecticut which is where the book takes place. So many awesome characters. I think my favorites were Aunt Gully and Verity. Make sure you catch this new book when it comes out!
My Goodreads review:
Curses, Boiled Again! by Shari Randall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a really interesting and exciting start to what I hope is a long lasting series. It takes place in Connecticut in a fictional town called Mystic Bay. Allie and her sister Lorel are helping their Aunt Gully (real name Gina but everyone calls her Gully, possibly for how her singing sounds lol) get her lobster restaurant, the Lazy Mermaid underway. Mystic Bay’s annual Food Festival is going on and chaos breaks out when the four judges end up with extreme cases of food poisoning after sampling a lobster roll from another local shop. One of the judges ends up dead.
The state detective seems to be trying to accuse the man from the shop where the lobster roll came from but Allie just knows he’s innocent. Along with her friend Verity, they go on a sometimes comical adventure of sleuthing.
I really enjoyed all the different characters in this book! There were quite a few but it really wasn’t hard to remember the main ones and those that mattered the most to the story. Allie was a typical dancer, always on the move, although carefully and awkwardly since she’s trying to heal from a broken ankle. Her older sister Lorel is a little uptight and seems to be only concerned with social media for the restaurant and things of business. But in the end, they both adore their Aunt Gully and family does come first.
Aunt Gully was such a fun character! She was loving, always needing to take care of people no matter what. Allie’s good friend Verity was a good comic relief sometimes.
I had part of the mystery right but had no idea why. There was also a little side mystery that tied in with the killing but I didn’t have that figured out. I never do get the reasoning right even if I guess so it was a fun little journey reading those last several chapters, not really able to put the book down (that was hard to do at any point!). Allie ends up reinjuring her ankle but for a great cause. You’ll just have to read it and find out!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book provided by NetGalley and the publisher.
Cuddle Up With a Cozy Mystery 