Hidden Beneath by Barbara Ross

Available June 27, 2023

Rated: 5 lobsters

Julia's mother has been named the executor of the estate of an estranged childhood friend. When the two women sail over to Chipmunk Island they find far more than a group of mourning ladies. What really happened to Ginny all those years ago when she vanished? Was it really a tragic accident, or is there something far more sinister going on?

There was a lot going on in this book! Chipmunk Island reminds me a bit of some islands in Maine that I visited a few years ago, beautiful and stark and just a bit eerie. I never liked Julia's boyfriend, Chris, and I was thrilled when they broke up but it was kind of nice to see him again in this book, to be certain that their relationship was never going to be rekindled. This book follows a bit of the same theme as the Irish Coffee Murder, where they're investigating something that took place a few years ago. I love these kinds of mysteries because they involve a very different kind of investigation.

This book also has another added bit of suspense. There's been an offer made to purchase Morrow Island. Will Jacqueline accept the offer and close down the clambake? The answer isn't revealed until the very end of the story. I think I was more anxious about that than I was about the mysterious disappearance!

For those who enjoy the Maine setting, this series is a must-read. It takes some twists and turns I haven't always loved, but it's a reliably enjoyable series that's always worth picking up.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.