Berried to the Hilt

September 13, 2010
In Agatha-finalist MacInerney's enjoyable fourth Gray Whale Inn mystery (after 2008's Murder Most Maine), innkeeper Natalie Barnes's biggest concern is choosing the winner of the Cranberry Island annual cranberry bake-off, until a lobsterman hauls up a piece of an old sunken ship. The inn quickly goes from vacancies galore to a full house as University of Maine archeologists and members of a Florida-based treasure hunting group swoop in to vie for first claim on the discovery. Most vocal of the Cranberry Island residents is elderly Eleazar White, who insists that anything hauled from the ship belongs in Maine. Eleazar threatens treasure hunter Gerald McIntire with an antique cutlass only hours before Gerald's dead body is found floating at the wreck site. Natalie determines to prove Eleazar innocent of murder while planning her wedding and keeping peace among her feuding guests. The satisfying conclusion will whet the reader's appetite for Natalie's next adventure.

October 1, 2010

Maine's Cranberry Island becomes a hot destination for treasure hunters when a sunken ship is discovered offshore.

It may be the Myra Barton, the missing ship of Cranberry Islander Jonah Selfridge, or, even more exciting, the Black Marguerite, the ship of 17th-century pirate Davey Blue. Either way, it's a windfall for Natalie Barnes, owner of the Gray Whale Inn, who's happy to get the business of two teams of rival archaeologists, both eager to explore the wreck. Carl Morgenstern and Molly O'Cleary from the University of Maine are unhappy at the arrival of Gerald McIntire, Frank Goertz and Audrey Hammonds of Iliad, a private treasure-hunting company. When McIntire is stabbed to death, the police blame Eleazer White, a local shipwright who threatened McIntire with his antique cutlass. Natalie is sure Eleazer is not guilty and sets out to prove it. But she has her hands full with all the people who are plying her with cranberry-laden goodies because she was lucky enough to get the job of judge for the yearly bake-off. All Natalie's guests are suspects with the exception of a solitary food writer. Natalie gets some help from her fiancé John in checking out the dive site and a legendary pirate cave. Her sleuthing almost adds Natalie to the victims list.

The fourth in this pleasant cozy series (Murder Most Maine, 2008, etc.) highlights the glories of Maine, which this time include several recipes chock-full of cranberries.

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