Book ~ "Steamed Open" (2018) Barbara Ross

From Goodreads ~ It’s summertime in Busman’s Harbor, Maine, and the clamming is easy - or it was until a mysterious new neighbor blocks access to the beach, cutting off the Snowden Family Clambake’s supply. Julia Snowden is just one of many townspeople angered by Bartholomew Frick’s decision. But which one of them was angry enough to kill? 

Beachcombers, lighthouse buffs and clammers are outraged after Frick puts up a gate in front of his newly inherited mansion. When Julia urges him to reconsider, she’s the last to see him alive - except the person who stabs him in the neck with a clam rake. As she pores through a long list of suspects, Julia meets disgruntled employees, rival heirs and a pair of tourists determined to visit every lighthouse in America. They all have secrets, and Julia will have to work fast to expose the guilty party - or see this season’s clam harvest dry up for good.

Lou, a well-liked wealthy elderly woman in Busman's Harbor, Maine, recently passed away. She left her mansion to a Bart, a young distant relative of her late husband's. The mansion has beach access which Lou has always allowed the locals to use. When Bart moves in, he immediately puts up a gate which cut off the locals’ access to the beach and makes lots of enemies with this arrogant behavior. When Bart is found murdered, Julia is busy running her family’s clambake business for the summer season but starts digging into the case. Not surprising, she discovers that nearly everyone in town had a motive to kill Bart.

This story was written in first person perspective in Julia's voice. It's a cozy mystery so there is no swearing, violence or adult activity. There were lots of twists and it's a bit unbelievable that Julia was able to find out so much more info than the state police (but I guess that's the benefit of being a local?). I can do without Chris, Julia's boyfriend's obsession with her niece's friend's green eyes. It started in the last book and was explained in this one (I hope that's the end of it). At the end of the book, there are recipes that were mentioned during the story including linguini with clam sauce, clam potato casserole and raspberry muffins.

This is the seventh (of 12) in the Maine Clambake Mystery series. I read the first six recently and will keep moving through the series. I liked this one better than the last one.