Memorial Day weekend marks the start of the summer – and tourist – season in coastal Maine and the town celebrates big with its traditional Lobster Stew Cook-Off.  James Sedley had won the first place trophy for over nine years running when he turned his secret recipe over to his neighbor, and unrequited love, Wilma Mae. Now that both are widowed, they still are not in the relationship James has been hoping they would be for most of his life, but they are both scheduled to be judges at this year’s cook-off. 

Days before the cook-off, Wilma Mae discovers that the secret recipe is missing from her hiding place.  She turns to Candy to help her locate it; Candy agrees thinking one or the other of the older couple may have mislaid it.  When James doesn’t show up at the cook-off, Candy is tapped as a last minute judge. 

When the winners are announced, Candy thinks something is fishy – other than the stew – and begins to poke around.  When a dead body turns up in Wilma Mae’s basement Candy knows she should leave the investigating to the professionals, but her reporter’s nature takes over and she can’t help asking a few questions, ruffling a few feathers along the way, and making a murderer mad enough to come looking for her.  

Town in a Lobster Stew is a fun, atmospheric mystery, perfect for lounging bayside waiting for the boats to bring in their latest catch. There is plenty of local color, and some local history woven into the mystery to add to the setting. The mystery is well-plotted, and though the murderer may be easy to pick out, the motives are not as obvious and are not fully explained. Although Candy finds a newspaper article in the wonderful epilogue that offers great promise for this particular mystery to provide another adventure for Candy. The characters are not as fully drawn as some may like, but the mystery, atmosphere and teaser at the end more than make up for that.                                          

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry