Maine Clambake #11
In Barbara Ross’ Hidden Beneath, Julia Snowden is pulled into yet another investigation, but this time it is because her mother, Jacqueline Snowden, needs her help. The victim this time is Jacqueline’s old childhood friend Ginny Merrill – while there is no body, after five years Ginny has been declared legally dead. When this happens, Jacqueline is asked to come and speak at a memorial service by the ladies of the Wednesday Club. The members were friends of Ginny since childhood, but not particularly close with Jacqueline. However, things seemed off at the service, and Jacqueline is determined to get to the bottom of it. Or, more specifically, determined to help Julia get to the bottom of it.
The insulated community of Chipmunk Island is both a great place to conduct an investigation, but also very frustrating. It’s fantastic as all clues and possible suspects are more likely than not on the island, and not going anywhere fast. The downside is that the community is so small and tightknit that an ‘outsider’ like Julia wouldn’t be opened up to easily. Luckily Julia has an in to the community through her mother’s history with the Wednesday Club and Ginny. Thankfully her mother is also made executor of Ginny’s estate, giving the women ample excuse to start poking around Ginny’s home on the island and her condo on the mainland. What surprises them both is that it appears Ginny’s disappearance is intertwined with a tragedy that occurred on the island in the distant past, when the Wednesday Club was nothing but a group of girls intent on enjoying their summer and building bonds with each other.
While the investigation is happening, the Snowden family Clambake’s future is in question. Julia was just starting to feel that her life had some stability, some predictability even, but now it is all in jeopardy again. Sadly, this particular issue isn’t one that Julia can solve, and it is all up to Jacqueline and what she wants for the future of her children. Perhaps settling things with Ginny will help her mother settle things for the Clambake. Julia works closely with the local police on Chipmunk Island, sharing any information and theories that she comes up with, and who the police should most likely speak with from the Wednesday Club. She even gets some help from her boyfriend, now superintendent of Chipmunk Island, Chris.
Readers do not necessarily need to read the series in order. However, there are some scenes and character interactions that would definitely benefit from prior knowledge, such as her relationship with Chris and her interactions with him throughout Hidden Beneath. If you were to decide to pick up Hidden Beneath first, then Barbara Ross does give ample background information on characters and places so there isn’t any risk of being lost as readers navigate setting of Busman’s Harbor, Maine. Julia is a woman figuring out her place in the world, what she wants for the future, and where she intends to have it. Readers will be captivated by her dedication to her family, as well as her determination to find answers where no one seems as if they really want her to find them. – Carla Schantz
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Carla Schantz is a Courthouse Clerk Supervisor and has a bachelor’s degree in English as well as a master’s in legal studies. Books have been a passion of hers since she was young, and she is a firm believer in the purse book so that she is never without a book at any time.