Book Notes Review-Hanging By A Thread

 

Hanging by a Thread

A Sewing Studio Mystery #2
By Dorothy Howell

 

 

Publisher’s Description

From USA Today bestselling author Dorothy Howell, the charming new cozy mystery featuring twenty-something Abbey Chandler and her fellow sewing circle members in the quaint, touristy town of Hideaway Cove, California.

After setting up a small sewing studio in quaint Hideaway Grove, Abbey Chandler is focused on finding crafty, creative ideas to build up her clientele. But murder can be bad for business . . .

Some of the independent shops in this sleepy town are barely hanging on financially—and that includes Sarah’s Sweets, Abbey’s aunt’s bakery. The shop’s advantage—aside from the deliciousness of its products—is the fact that it’s the only bakery in the area. But it looks like that’s about to change. The second wife of a wealthy businessman wants her own bakery—and money is no object.

When murder unravels the plans for the competing shop, Aunt Sarah is an immediate suspect—and Hideaway Grove’s merchants are on pins and needles about a big upcoming women’s conference, fearing the organization will cancel their booking because of the crime. Abbey’s doing her best to stay optimistic and stitch some custom tote bags for the attendees, but she’s also concerned with patching up Aunt Sarah’s good reputation. And when it comes to sorting through the possible motives of the victim’s family members and associates, she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve . . .

What I liked about Hanging by a Thread
Hanging by a Thread brings the reader back into Hideaway Grove and to many of the characters introduced in the first book. Abbey Chandler is the main character, and she is still struggling to build up her sewing business by selling her custom totes. She’s had some success selling them in stores around Hideaway Grove, but she knows she needs to expand or lose her business entirely. She’s also still trying to figure out her relationship with local deputy, Zack. It’s off to a very rocky start, but Abbey sets boundaries with Zack. His response signals he wants to give this relationship a try as well. There is still the sewing circle doing volunteer sewing work and spreading town gossip.

What I didn’t like about Hanging by a Thread
The murder victim, Blaine Hutchinson, never makes an appearance in the book. We learn about her through the other characters, and even then it isn’t much and it is clouded by the others’ intense dislike of her. For me, the story lacks something when the murder victim is one step removed from the storyline. Also I wish last names were included in the first few chapters of any book, to help me keep people straight. It’s helpful in each book in a series, grounding the reader in the story whether is the first book in a series or the 15th.

Some of the tropes present in Hanging by a Thread
Small town
Antagonistic relationship with local law enforcement
Main character is a small business owner, female amateur sleuth working to clear her aunt’s name.

The mystery in Hanging by a Thread
I had the murderer figured out before the reveal, but not the why, even though the
clues were planted throughout the book.

Final thoughts
I like this series. I like the sewing aspect of it and the community that forms around it. While I feel the book had some weaknesses, it is still an entertaining and quick read. Recommended, especially if you like some sort of craft with your mystery.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #KensingtonCozies for giving me a copy of #HangingByAThread in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Book Notes: The Cartographers Review

 

The Cartographers
by Peng Shepherd

A map is much more than it seems. Also? I wished I had paid more attention to paper maps. 😮

About The Cartographers

What is the purpose of a map? 

Nell Young’s whole life and greatest passion is cartography. Her father, Dr. Daniel Young, is a legend in the field and Nell’s personal hero. But she hasn’t seen or spoken to him ever since he cruelly fired her and destroyed her reputation after an argument over an old, cheap gas station highway map.

But when Dr. Young is found dead in his office at the New York Public Library, with the very same seemingly worthless map hidden in his desk, Nell can’t resist investigating. To her surprise, she soon discovers that the map is incredibly valuable and exceedingly rare. In fact, she may now have the only copy left in existence…because a mysterious collector has been hunting down and destroying every last one—along with anyone who gets in the way.

But why?

To answer that question, Nell embarks on a dangerous journey to reveal a dark family secret and discovers the true power that lies in maps…

Perfect for fans of Joe Hill and V. E. Schwab, The Cartographers is an ode to art and science, history and magic—a spectacularly imaginative, modern story about an ancient craft and places still undiscovered.

 

My Thoughts

I really enjoyed this book-a murder mystery with magical elements. The story is told through several points of view from people who knew Nell and her parents when Nell was just a toddler, before everything went horribly, terribly wrong.

I also really enjoyed the magical elements, which are rooted in the history of map-making, corporate greed, and plagiarism.

This is also a story of obsession, sacrifice, and deeply held secrets that have the power to destroy…and to heal.

I pulled me in and held me to the end.

Recommended if you enjoy your mysteries with a bit of magical realism.

 

 

Publishing Information

ISBN: 9780062910707
ISBN 10: 0062910701
Imprint: William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 400 pages

Book Notes Review A Generation of Vipers

 

A Generation of Vipers

 Book 4 in the Dr. Nell Ward mystery series

 by Sarah Yarwood-Lovett

Summary

 A killer is hiding in plain sight, like a snake in the long grass… When Dr Nell Ward stumbles across a woman’s body amongst the purple heather on Furze Heath, she was on the lookout for nests of poisonous adders. But something is lurking out here far more dangerous than vipers. A cold-blooded killer is on the loose and this is not his first victim. As DI James Clark begins to investigate, a pattern emerges pointing towards this being the work of a serial killer. Every victim shares the same physical characteristics – all of which are a match to Nell herself. As Nell is pulled into a tightly coiled mystery, she can’t help feeling someone is tracking her every move… Can she unmask the murderer before they strike again? A completely gripping and page-turning cozy mystery, perfect for fans of Richard Osman, Janice Hallett and Robert Thorogood.

My Thoughts

Before reading A Generation of Vipers, I read the first three books, A Murder of Crows, A Cast of Falcons, A Mischief of Rats, in the series. While it isn’t necessary to read the first three, I recommend it. You’ll get a better understanding of the characters, their relationships to each other, and how they change throughout the series. I also have to mention the titles—all of them use collective nouns for the specific animal in the title. In other words, a group of crows is called a murder, a group of falcons is called a cast, rats are referred to as a mischief, and vipers are a den. The next two books in the series are titled the same way. Clever, but not surprising considering Sarah Yarwood-Lovett was an ecologist for 18 years prior to becoming an author. That experience comes through in A Generation of Vipers. Yarwood-Lovett has used that experience to create strong characters, especially Dr. Nell Ward. Nell is an ecologist, working for a company that conducts surveys of potentially ecologically valuable sites for clients. This career draws on knowledge of environmental concerns, but not in an over-bearing way. But as Nell goes about her job, this time conducting surveys on a construction site, she stumbles across a body and finds herself involved in another murder investigation. A scientist, Nell is smart and has an inquisitive mind. Qualities that also serve her well in murder investigations. But in A Generation of Vipers, Nell is in the crosshairs of a murderer, and her smarts may not be enough to save her. Some of the tropes present in the story are the English countryside/village, amateur female sleuth, friendship and tension with the local constabulary, and a tight community of people she can depend on when needed. The mystery kept me guessing all the way to the reveal. Yarwood-Lovett excels at planting red herrings and misdirection. At one point, early on, I was sure I had the mystery solved. But doubts set in as I kept reading, and when the killer was finally revealed I wasn’t even close, and I’m fine with that. Her characters are well-rounded and include several members of the local police department and her co-workers. Yarwood-Lovett also included a section at the end called “The Nature of the Crime.” In this part of the book, she talks a bit about her writing process. She also draws upon her extensive experience as an ecologist, explaining more about the methods and species included in the book. I’m glad she included it because I liked reading it. I enjoyed reading all the books in the series so far, and I’m looking forward to reading the next two books.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Embla book for a copy of #AGenerationOfVipers in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

Book Notes Review-A Most Agreeable Murder

 

A Most Agreeable Murder

By Julia Seales

 

 

Publisher’s Summary

My Thoughts

This book was fun to read. Why? The characters, especially “I’m drawn to you but you also irritate me to no end” relationship between Beatrice Steele (main character) and Inspector Vivek Drake. The setting, an area in England known as Swampshire (which turns the quaint English village trope upside down), is replete with too many luminescent frogs, squelch holes, and atrocious weather. The mystery twists and turns constantly, (or so it seemed) and kept me on my toes trying to figure out the murderer’s identity and motive.

The influence of Jane Austen and Emily Brontë (possibly more, but these are the ones I picked up on) are present throughout the book, but Seales’ writing takes what sounds familiar and turns it in new directions adding to the humor. It was fun when I recognized those spots which added to the fun.

The mystery was difficult to solve, and that is a good thing. A lot of well-placed red herrings kept me off-balance and guessing up until the reveal.

The only thing that kept tripping me up was the number of characters. It was hard at times to keep everyone straight, but not so much it threw me out of the story.

Thanks to #Netgalley and #randomhouse for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

Product Details

Hardcover | $27.00
Published by Random House
352 Pages | 5-1/2 x 8-1/4| ISBN 9780593449981

Review-Fatal Fudge Swirl

book cover with three ice cream cones. Village buildings and a village green decorated for Halloween in the background.

Fatal Fudge Swirl

by Meri Allen
Book Three in the Ice Cream Shop series

Book Details

A movie production brings drama—and murder—to a close-knit New England village, forcing Riley Rhodes to scoop out the suspects.

Read more here.

 

My Thoughts

Fatal Fudge Swirl is a quick, enjoyable read. Suspects include employees of the wealthy murder victim’s inn, family members not happy their money flow was cut off, and the ex-wife of the victim’s fiancé. The murder victim also has links to the movie currently filming in the village but were those links strong enough for someone to commit murder? It’s a possibility, which expands the number of potential suspects.

Not only was the ‘why’ of the murder a mystery, but so was the method. Keeping the murder weapon an unknown until the murder was solved added another layer to the novel. For this reader, I enjoyed trying to figure out the murderer’s identity as well as the method he or she used to accomplish the deed.

Fatal Fudge Swirl is the third book in this series, and I haven’t read the first two. Some problems/issues/relationships clearly have their beginnings in the earlier books, but enough context was given that I wasn’t left confused as to what was going on in this book. Reading the books in order though would mean not having those “I wonder what happened prior to this” questions.

Overall, I enjoyed reading Fatal Fudge Swirl. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing an e-copy for review.

Publishing Information

Published by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250267108
Genre: Mystery
320 pages