Cozy Mystery Review &Tour: Thread Herrings, by Lea Wait

 

 

Title: Thread Herrings

Author: Lea Wait

Cozy Mystery, 7th in Series 

Kensington (October 30, 2018) Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages  

ISBN-10: 149671671X 

ISBN-13: 978-1496716712  

Digital ASIN: B079KSZ92D

 

Publisher's Blurb: 

Angie's first auction may turn out to be her last—when she bids on a coat of arms that someone would literally kill to possess . . .

Tagging along to an estate sale with her fellow Needlepointer, antiques shop owner Sarah Byrne, Angie Curtis impulsively bids on a tattered embroidery of a coat of arms. When she gets her prize back home to Haven Harbor, she discovers a document from 1757 behind the framed needlework—a claim for a child from a foundling hospital. Intrigued, Angie is determined to find the common thread between the child and the coat of arms.

Accepting her reporter friend Clem Walker's invitation to talk about her find on the local TV news, Angie makes an appeal to anyone who might have information. Instead, both women receive death threats. When Clem is found shot to death in a parking lot, Angie fears her own life may be in jeopardy. She has to unravel this historical mystery—or she may be the next one going, going . . . gone . . .

My Review: 

I was attracted to this mystery because it's set in Maine, where we are currently living. I was entertained to find the characters visiting our town in the first chapter, and dining at an establishment just down the street! (Note: this is a small town in Maine. *Everything* is just down the street). As usual with themed cozies, I wasn't much interested in the featured craft (needlepoint), but that doesn't really matter. No knowledge of needlepoint is needed to enjoy this mystery.

As a story, this is engaging, though I definitely felt the lack of back-story as I was jumping into the series at #7. Still, I cared about the characters and wanted to know what happens to them (and the author's carefully dropped hints about past adventures made me want to go back and start from the beginning). I very much enjoyed the setting, including the comments about how little is open in town during the winter--we have already encountered that reality on some of our excursions out and about! 

I felt that the mystery was only adequately developed and challenging. I could guess fairly early who might have done the crime, in part because there were so few suspects. What I did appreciate was the far more realistic than usual degree to which Angie cooperates with the police. She's trying to figure things out, but she doesn't go off on a lone-wolf search or deliberately put herself in danger. Kudos to the author for finding a good balance on the amateur detective vs. police scale! 

One grammatical niggle annoyed me, and I can't decide if it's an editorial failure or a deliberate move to make the first person narrator sound more natural. She consistently uses "I" instead of "me" where it should be the other way ("He'll meet Sarah and I at the shop..."), an error that I admit is common but which bothers me. Aside from that, the book is well-edited, and well-written.

My Recommendation:

This is a good read for a winter's day by the fire, I think--engaging enough to keep you turning the pages, and light enough to combat the winter darkness. I think it would be even better to start at the beginning of the series and see how Angie got to this point!

About the Author

Lea Wait lives on the coast of Maine. A fourth-generation antique dealer and the author of the Agatha-nominated Antique Print Mystery series, she loves all things antiques and Maine. She also writes historical novels for young people set in (where else?) nineteenth-century Maine. Visit her at leawait.com.

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Full Disclosure: I was given an electronic review copy of  Thread Herrings as part of a Great Escapes free blog tour, in exchange for my honest review, not for a positive review. I also purchased a copy when I had issues with my ereader. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."   

Mystery Monday: Crewel World, by Monica Ferris

An audio book review.

Title: Crewel World (A Needlecraft Mystery)
Author:  Monica Ferris, read by Susan Boyce
Publisher: Audiogo, 2011(originally published by Berkeley Prime Crime, 1999, 245 pages)
Source: Library (digital)

Summary: 
When Betsy Devonshire has nowhere else to go, she goes to her family. In this case, to her sister Margot, living in Excelsior, Minnesota. It's an idyllic little town and a good place to recover from a nasty divorce, right up until Margot is murdered and her craft shop is tossed. After that, Betsy can't rest until she finds out who killed her sister, and she doesn't trust the police to find the killer.

Review:
My Mom recommended this mystery, so eventually I wandered off and borrowed a copy from the digital library. I wasn't surprised to find I enjoyed it a great deal, given that Mom knows me pretty well. I was, however, a bit more surprised at my enjoyment of the book when I considered a number of things that should have made me less engaged in the story.

For one thing, I'm not at all into handicrafts. I own a mitre saw and a cordless drill (and know how to use them), not an embroidery hoop and a stock of thread, and while Mom managed to teach me the rudiments of crochet, we gave up on the whole knitting thing. Happily, that doesn't matter with this book. In fact, Betsy isn't much into needlecraft, at least at the start, though she does take to it better than I might.

Another thing that surprised me was that I solved the mystery well before Betsy did. This was partly due to the author giving us some insight into the killer's mind (not any kind of confession, but enough to give a hint), and I am not sure I think that's a good idea. But let's just say I recognized the murder weapon the first time I saw it, partly because...well, the same weapon has shown up in at least one other mystery I've read. Again, this should have put me off the book, but by that time Ferris had already done what I most ask of a cozy mystery--drawn me into the lives of the characters.

There are some dubious sorts in Excelsior, and some are more likeable than others, but in general, the key players are people with whom I can empathize. They feel real enough--everyone has flaws, but they are mostly just ordinary people being as good as they can be. I also appreciated that the sleuth isn't some sweet young thing. She's my age (though I flatter myself I have my head a bit more together than she does). It's refreshing to have a female main character who is in her 50s.

The mystery, though I managed to solve it, held together very well. I'd rather solve the mystery in advance of the sleuth than end up feeling like there was some gigantic leap that I just have to accept. This one held together very well, and the police might even have a case when it's all done. Finally, the book is very well read by Susan Boyce, which always adds to the pleasure.

Recommendation:
For fans of the cozy mystery, especially but not limited to those who like crafts. A bonus for those of us no longer young who like a character once in a while who looks like us.

Full Disclosure: I checked Crewel World out of my library, and received nothing from the writer or publisher in exchange for my honest review.  The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."