Previously published in the collection Egg Nog Murder.‘Twas the week before Christmas, and Julia Snowden’s escape from New York has just hit a snag. Fresh off accidentally poisoning half her colleagues with her “Killer Eggnog,” Julia’s would-be subletter, Imogen Geinkes, is now jobless and homeless—leading Julia to invite the young woman home for the holidays in Maine. But when they unload the … when they unload the rental truck in Busman’s Harbor, they find something that wasn’t on anyone’s packing list: the body of Imogen’s former boyfriend.
Suddenly, the wordplay in Imogen’s name—“I’m a jinx”—isn’t so adorable. But for all the calamities that follow in Imogen’s wake, Julia’s certain she’s no killer. As Julia digs into the case, the appearance of the ex’s brother—his identical twin—doubles the confusion. Has Imogene been double-crossed by an evil twin? Was the eggnog “accident” no accident at all? If Julia doesn’t unwrap the murderer’s true identity soon, one of the twelve days of Christmas could be her last . . .
Praise for Steamed Open
“Sure to appeal to readers who treasure the Maine coast, Ross’s latest continues the lives and minor dramas of her fictionalized version of Boothbay Harbor with amiable characters.”
—Kirkus Reviews
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Nogged Off is an in-between novella released by Barbara Ross as part of a three-book collection with other authors around the Christmas holidays. I have read the first four books in the series and am compelled to read a series in order, so this was up next… I enjoy this cozy series because the setting is gorgeous, the writing is simple and clean, the characters are fun, and the mysteries are balanced well.
Julia is giving up her NYC apartment. Sub-tenant Imogen is taking over on New Year’s, and since it’s normally a busy time in Busman’s Harbor, Maine (where Julia lives), she heads back to her former home shortly before Christmas to get some personal belongings and ensure the place is cleaned up when they turn it back to the landlord. The only problem, Imogen is a mess… she lost her job and boyfriend in the same week, and she won’t go back to her parents in the south. Julia brings her back to Maine for the holidays, and the girl is a jinx! Soon enough, Imogen’s boyfriend is found dead in the rental truck. Who killed him?
Is it a case of double identity? Twins with very different outlooks on life? A Christmas elf causing problems? It’s unclear until the very end, and I thought I figured it out… but I was mostly wrong. Ross did a great job leading us down one path of trust, and I overlooked a few situations. It was fun to visit NY… I’m kinda like Julia in that I’m hoping to close up shop in NY and move to Maine ASAP. 🙂 Until then, this series is a great go-to for when I want to dream of the future… minus the murder, although since I also write murder mysteries, it’s just part of my life. LOL
I’m thrilled to stay on this path of reading a book in the series every few weeks so I’m caught up by the end of this year and ready for the newest installment. If you like small-town mysteries with a few side stories and a nosy amateur sleuth and disgruntled cop, it will be a good fit. Add in some great scenery with the coast of Maine, fishing, and the restaurant business, you’ve got a winning series.
“Nogged Off” is the 4.5 instalment in the “Maine Clambake” Mystery series by Barbara Ross. This was previously published in the collection “Egg Nog Murder” a collection of novellas.
Twas the week before Christmas, and Julia Snowden’s escape from New York has just hit a snag. Fresh off accidentally poisoning half her colleagues with her “Killer Eggnog,” Julia’s would-be subletter, Imogen Geinkes, is now jobless and homeless—leading Julia to invite the young woman home for the holidays in Maine. But when they unload the rental truck in Busman’s Harbor, they find something that wasn’t on anyone’s packing list: the body of Imogen’s former boyfriend.
Suddenly, the wordplay in Imogen’s name—“I’m a jinx”—isn’t so adorable. But for all the calamities that follow in Imogen’s wake, Julia’s certain she’s no killer. As Julia digs into the case, the appearance of the ex’s brother—his identical twin—doubles the confusion. Has Imogene been double-crossed by an evil twin? Was the eggnog “accident” no accident at all? If Julia doesn’t unwrap the murderer’s true identity soon, one of the twelve days of Christmas could be her last . . .
I really enjoyed this story, and it has made me want to catch up on the series. I have several books in my TBR pile. The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters which are well developed.
I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end. I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This story finds Julia Snowden taking a quick day trip to New York City to pack up the rest of her belongings so she can permanently move to Maine. When she arrives, she finds her sub-tenant to be upset about some setbacks in her personal life, and Julia winds up inviting Imogen home for Christmas. However, Julia’s Christmas gets more complicated when her moving truck is stolen after they arrive in Busman’s Harbor. What is going on?
I love this series, and I enjoyed getting to visit Julia at Christmas. I was able to get fully lost in this story right away since I already know the series characters and the setting. The plot was fun with some good twists before we reached the end. Barbara Ross includes some fun Christmas traditions that are unique to Maine without slowing down the story, and they give us that all important Christmas feeling. There are a couple of recipes at the end of the story, as always, to enjoy during the holiday season.
NOTE: This story is a novella, roughly 100 pages, and was originally part of the novella collection Eggnog Murder. If you have that book, there is no need to buy this ebook. If you haven’t read the story, now is the time to sit back and enjoy this Christmas trip to Maine.
I read this novella last year in the Eggnog Murder anthology. This is one of my favorite series and this novella is a perfect read for the Holiday. Julia once again finds a body and sets out to solve the mystery with some help from Chris. The mystery is really good and there is a nice twist at the end. Enjoy spending the Holidays in Busman’s Harbor
A sparkling new Christmas novella set on Morrow Island in Busman’s Harbor, Maine.
Julia Snowden and her family are preparing for Christmas at the farm. Julia makes a quick trip to New York to move her belongings back home. Acquaintance, Imogen Geinkes invites herself to the family gathering and trouble follows her like a magnet.
This is an entertaining short story that displays home, hearth, and family amidst a strange murder scene that Author Barbara Ross neatly wraps up in a clever ending.
I reviewed a digital arc that I won in a Goodreads Giveaway from Kensington Publishing. Thank you.
Julia is off to New York to move the rest of her belongings home to Maine. She arrives to find her subletter, Imogene, is out of work and full of tears. After a busy day of cleaning and loading furniture and books, Imogene decides to spend the holidays in Busman’s Harbor.
Everything goes well until the next morning. The truck is missing and things seem a little off in Julia’s mom’s home. When the missing truck and goods are found, so is Imogene’s ex-boyfriend. However, he’s dead.
I really enjoyed this story and look forward to more in the series.
It was seriously messed up!!! I mean whack – a -doodle! Entertaining and a quick read (though NOT in my house!).
It’s Christmas on Morrow Island and Julia has time to return to NYC to pack up the rest of her belongings and make her move back home permanent. When she gets to New York she finds a distraught Imogen, who was subletting her apartment, now unemployed and homeless. Well, one thing leads to another and Imogen returns to Morrow Island with Julia. Too bad something travels with them – the very dead body of Imogen’s ex boyfriend. Or is it his identical twin? Either way one looks at it, he’s dead and a killer has to be caught. This wasn’t part of their Christmas plans but, given the way Julia attracts homicides, it’s nothing new.
This is a novella, #4.5 and was previously included in The Egg Nog Murder collection. For the next full length mystery in the Maine Clambake series, #8, Sealed Off comes out 12/31/2019.
While Busman, Maine is busy preparing
for the Christmas holiday, Julia Snowden
of the Snowden Family Clambake Company
is returning to New York to collect her belongings.
She has been subletting her apartment so this
will be her final trip to New York.
When she arrives, she discovers the person,
Imogen, who is subletting the apartment a
hysterical mess.
Seems the eggnog Imogen made for the
Christmas party sent everyone who drank it to
the hospital.
Imogen is jobless, her boyfriend left her plus
she has nowhere to go as she can’t afford the
apartment. Julia offers to take Imogen to
Busman, Maine to stay with Mrs. Snowden.
But trouble seems to follow Imogen…….
The moving truck with all Julia’s belonging from
New York gets stolen out of Julia’s Mothers
driveway. At the parade of boats when Santa
arrives….Imogen manages to knock Santa into
the water. At the decorated tree competition…
Imogen manages to knock over all the trees. Then
Imogen’s ex-boyfriend ends up murdered inside
the stolen truck.
But when the boyfriend shows up alive or is it
his identical twin brother…..What is happening?
Who is trying to fool whom? Was the office party
eggnog problem caused on purpose? How is the
Russian mob involved in all this?
Join the feisty Julia as she protects her family
and friends from the sinister evil lurking around
the preparations for Christmas. Will she be able
to figure out the puzzle confronting her?
The secondary characters are well written,
colorful, quirky and make the story interesting.
The plot moves at a fast pace with plenty of
twists and turns to keep the reader glued to the
book. It is an original and unusual story that
will make the reader feel they are right there in
Busman with the characters.
There is a stop at the famous L.L. Beans plus
mouthwatering recipes at the end of the book.
This is book # 4.5 in the Maine Clambake
Mysteries series. It can be read as a stand alone.
The author weaves the past and present together
effortlessly making the reader right at home on
this scenic Maine adventure.
Good read with suspense, mystery, romance
and humor.
I volunteered to read Nogged Off. Thanks to
NetGallery and the publisher, Kensington Books
for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.
Nogged off by Barbara Ross is a part of the A Maine Clambake Mystery series. If you read Eggnog Murder which came out a year ago (three novellas in one book), then you have already enjoyed Nogged Off. Julia Snowden goes to clear out her Tribeca apartment and ends up taking Imogen Geinkes home to her mother’s house for the holidays. Murder and confusion soon ensues. I enjoyed reading Nogged Off. It is well-written and proceeds at a steady pace. Julia, Chris, Gus, Julia’s mother are all included in the story. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I thought the whodunit was clever with a surprising twist. In addition, there are some mysterious happenings at the Snowden house. They are beginning to wonder if the house is haunted. I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout Nogged Off. Nogged Off is an entertaining novella with a curious mystery, Christmas traditions, good food, family, friends, humor and a little mayhem.
It’s Christmas time in Maine! This is the first book I’ve read in the Maine Clambake Mystery series but there is enough backstory that I had no trouble following along, and now I’ve gone back to read the first book. The characters are interesting, as are the Snowden family dynamics. Being from Texas, I like reading books set in different places, and the Maine coastline is definitely different. The descriptions make me feel like I’m right there, and just as cold. Also, I enjoyed reading about the holiday traditions in a coastal town, where Santa comes to town in a boat (ours is a fire truck). I highly recommend this book and look forward to more.
I received a complimentary copy through NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Julia is off on a short trip to New York to finish picking up the last of her things from her apartment that she is now subletting. When she arrives it soon becomes apparent that the young woman who was going to take over her apartment is no longer able too. Imogen seems to be surrounded by bad luck, she accidentally poisoned the people in her office, her boyfriend broke up with her, and now she has no where to go because she has no money. Julia feels sorry for her so after packing up the entire apartment she offers Imogen a place to stay for the holidays. Imogen except and the so are off to Maine. When it comes time to unpack the truck a body falls out and everything seems to go sideways. The body belongs to Imogens ex and the police are looking at her as the killer. Julia doesn’t think the girl could hurt a fly and wants to look into the man’s death in hopes that she can clear Imogen’s name. Follow along as Julia delves deeper I to the life of the dead man and is surprised at all the clues that keep popping up. Can she fit all the clues together to solve the puzzle of who the killer is or will she be missing some pieces in the end? This was a fun short and a great way to follow the characters in between books.
When the young woman subletting her NY apartment, Imogen Geinkes, finds herself alone for the holidays, Julia Snowden invites her to spend Christmas with her family in Busman’s Harbor, Maine. After Santa ends up in the harbor, a messy disaster at the Christmas tree raffle, and a dead body is found in their stolen rental van, Julia begins to wonder if Imogen is really jinxed! A holiday cozy mystery with lots of twists, Nogged Off is a very enjoyable story, and can be read as a standalone to those readers new to the series. A+
This was my first visit to Busman’s Harbor, Maine and I am hooked. I have already downloaded several books from the series to my Kindle. Fingers crossed the first one can be used during this most recent round of Book Bingo.
Nogged Off takes place the week before Christmas and starts when Julia goes to NYC to get the rest of her belongings from the apartment she has sublet to Imogen. From the minute Julia enters everything she thought was planned out goes to stink.
The ride is wild and the conclusion is anything but Christmassy.
If you have questioned entering the world of the Maine Clambake series or if this is your first time hearing of the series, Nogged Off is the perfect entry. Bonus: two cookie recipes included in the novella.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher, Kensington, through NetGalley. Any and all opinions expressed in the above review are entirely my own.
In this Christmas themed part of the Maine Clambake series, Julia Snowden is heading to NYC to pack up the last of the personal items in her apartment before she moves permanently to Maine. When she arrives, the woman who is subletting her apartment has just quit her job and can’t take the lease over. With no other options, Julia rents a moving truck and packs up the apartment. To her surprise, Imogen—the renter—heads to Maine with her.
While she’s packing the truck, Julia spots a man sitting in a white car who appears to be watching them, but thinks no more of it once she gets on the road. When she stops LL Bean for Imogen to get warm clothes for Maine, she sees the car again. But she gets home and parks the truck and Imogen, at her mother’s house and goes to her apartment to sleep. When she wakes up, the truck and all of her belongings are gone.
When the truck is found, Imogen’s ex boyfriend is in the back—dead.
This novella is the first I have read in this series, but it is fine as a stand alone. The author gives you enough information so you’re not lost with what’s going on.
What I liked: the characters and especially, the local flavor. The “Gentleman’s Night” of shopping before Christmas. The pajama breakfast (and shopping). I can just see that happening in a small town. I like the twist at the end (not giving away any spoilers).
What I didn’t like: Honestly? It was too short! LOL. I enjoyed the story and wished it was longer.
Recommendation: If you’re reading this series, this is a must. If you haven’t, it’s a cute way to get introduced to the characters. I will be picking up more by this author in this series.
Thanks to Kensington Press and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.