Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait

Good Day!  A Twist in the Tail by Leighann Dobbs comes out on May 16.  The first book in The Oyster Cove Guesthouse series.  Southern Sass and Killer Craving by Kate Young will be released on May 28.  It is the first novel in A Marygene Brown Mystery series.  I will feature on May 20 as part of the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour.

Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait takes readers back to Haven Harbor, Maine.  Angie Russo along with her boyfriend, Patrick West are heading to the harbor for the annual Blessing of the Fleet which honors those lost at sea.  They notice Ike Hamilton has a teenage boy helping him.  Ike is on Social Security Disability and supplements his income by collecting bottles to return for their deposit.  Leo, who has been in town three weeks, is helping Ike who injured his back a few weeks ago and living in Ike’s garage with him.  The next day, Angie is at Dave Percy’s when Leo comes pounding on the door.  He has blood on him and blurts out that Ike is dead.  They quickly call Sergeant Pete Lambert who rushes to Ike’s.  Pete calls Detective Ethan Trask because Ike was murdered.  Unfortunately, suspicion falls onto young Leo who Angie and Dave believe is innocent.  Angie talks to various townspeople who provided bottles to Ike and learns that Ike was extremely observant.  He had the tendency of sharing what he learned with others which may have been Ike’s downfall.  Did Ike uncover someone’s secret which led to his death?  Then a second tragedy befalls the town when another resident passes away.  Will Angie be able to uncover the truth, or will the killer make sure that Angie does not celebrate her upcoming twenty-eighth birthday?

Thread on Arrival is the eighth novel in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series.  It can be read as a standalone, but I would recommend reading TwistedThreads first.  It will provide you with background information on Angie and the major secondary characters.  It is hard to believe that Angie has been in Haven Harbor for less than a year.  She is managing Mainely Needlepoint, dating Patrick West, has made some good friends and has her adorable black cat, Trixi.  In Thread on Arrival, we are introduced to Ike Hamilton who has fallen on hard times.  He wants to live out the rest of his days in Haven Harbor and, when his home was demolished for safety reasons, he took up residence in the garage.  Ike is an honorable man with principles.  He does not like seeing people harmed or being taken advantage of by those in power.  Angie feels bad that she was unaware that he collected bottles and could have assisted him.  When Leo becomes the prime suspect, Angie wants to assist the young man who has had a difficult life.

 All of the regular characters are in the Thread on Arrival (Gram, Sarah, Anna, Dave, Ruth, Reverend Tom) as they get ready for tourists to soon descend on the town and work on needlepoint projects for Mainely Needlepoint.  I enjoy the descriptions of the projects and the sampler quotations at the beginning of each chapter along with descriptions of the sampler.  Sarah Byrne is Angie’s best friend and owns an antique shop.  We get historical information on political memorabilia (political buttons are valued by collectors) and learned the history of embroidered “pockets” (see above picture).  There are lovely cozy moments as we follow Angie about her day-to-day activities.  I appreciated that we got to know more about Dave Percy in this installment (he has a unique poison garden).  The mystery was thought out with multiple viable suspects.  I was able to identify the killer early in the story, though, based on previous books I have read, and I had a strong suspicion as to why.  The secondary crime was more unique.  I like how the reveal was done and was happy to see this killer taken down.  There are recipes at the end of the book which includes Dave’s lasagna and Angie’s special birthday cake.  My favorite saying from Thread on Arrival comes from Gram "Everyone needs to be needed." Come along to Haven Harbor for good food, antiques, needlepoint, clear skies, and a pesky murder or two in Thread on Arrival.

The next A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery is Thread and Buried which will be out on November 26.  You can find out more about the author and her books on her website.  Thank you for reading my review today.  I plan on sharing my thoughts on Half Finished by Lauraine Snelling tomorrow.  I hope you have a gleeful day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Thread Herrings: A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery by Lea Wait plus a Giveaway!

Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)

by Lea Wait

About the Book

Thread Herrings (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery)

Cozy Mystery

7th in Series

Kensington (October 30, 2018)

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages

ISBN-10: 149671671X

ISBN-13: 978-1496716712

Digital ASIN: B079KSZ92D

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 . . .

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 (which I enjoy reading), 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.  Follow Lea on Facebook and GoodReads.

My Thoughts

Thread Herrings by Lea Wait is the seventh story in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series.  Angie Curtis is the manager of Mainely Needlepoint in Haven Harbor, Maine.  Angie is accompanying her friend, Sarah Byrne to an auction in Augusta.  Angie has not been to an auction previously and is looking forward to the experience.  Angie is intrigued by a half-finished vintage framed needlepoint coat of arms that is not in the best condition and she spontaneously bids on it when none of the other participants show interest.  At home, Angie removes the needlework from the frame and finds a pale silk blue embroidered ribbon along with receipt from the London Foundling Hospital dated October 26, 1757 for a child baptized Charles.  Angie wants to learn more about the coat of arms and the child, but she is unsuccessful at the Maine Historical Society.  She has lunch with Clem Walker, friend and television reporter, who suggests doing a human interest feature and appeal to the public for information.  Instead of receiving helpful material, both ladies receive death threats.  Soon Clem is found shot dead in car in Haven Harbor and Angie’s car goes boom injuring someone close to her.  Angie goes into hiding, but she this does not deter her from investigating.  Can she identify the culprit before he finds her?

Thread Herrings can be read alone if you have not indulged in any of the previous novels in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series.  Angie goes to her first auction and her friend, Sarah kindly explains auction protocol.  Since I have not been to an auction, I found it interesting.  I had no idea there was a buyer’s premium added to the hammer price (winning bid).  I could tell the author did her research on the London Foundling Hospital, land patents or grants, the billet or receipt for the child and mementoes parents left behind as identifiers (to later claim the child).  Lea Wait incorporated the information in a way that made it easy to understand.  Ruth Hopkins helps Angie with genealogy research, but we see very little of the other Mainely Needlepoint group.  Patrick West is in town and Angie hides out in his finely appointed carriage house.  Personally, I am not a fan of Patrick and I keep hoping they will break up.  Patrick comes across as superficial (especially when he was discussing the yacht that could only sleep eight).  Angie needs a partner with more depth and who is interested in sleuthing.  The mystery plays out with clues interspersed up to the reveal.  Angie must solve the mystery via phone since she is unable to go out in public which is a unique way of investigating the crime.  Readers are unable to play along and solve this whodunit.  I could have done without the frequent (I stopped counting after six) mentions of Angie’s gun (a Glock).  Angie does manage to indulge in cooking, dining out friends (before the death threats), drinking fine wine, playing with Trixi (her kitten), watch movies, handle business details and check in with Gram.  As the action heats up in Thread Herrings, you will find yourself riveted.  You cannot help but keep reading to discover how the story plays out.  Thread Herrings is available at Amazon, B&N, Kobo.

The next novel in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series is Thread on Arrival which comes out on April 30, 2019.  In honor of the tour, Lea Wait is hosting a giveaway.  You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below.  Make sure to leave a comment on my blog for an extra entry and visit the other stops where you can read their review and an excerpt from Thread Herrings.  Thank you for visiting today.  I am featuring His Promise by Shelley Shepard Gray. I hope you have a blessed All Saints Day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

a Rafflecopter giveaway

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

November 1 - The Avid Reader – REVIEW

November 1 - Cozy Up With Kathy -SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 2 -  Teresa Trent Author Blog – SPOTLIGHT

November 2 -  A Wytch's Book Review Blog – REVIEW

November 3 – The Power of Words – REVIEW

November 3 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW

November 3 – Mysteries with Character – SPOTLIGHT

November 4 – Lisa Ks Book Reviews – REVIEW, EXCERPT

November 5 – Here's How It Happened - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 5 – The Montana Bookaholic - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 6 – Rosepoint Publishing – REVIEW

November 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 7 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book  - REVIEW

November 7 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

November 8 – My Reading Journey - REVIEW, EXCERPT

November 8 – MJB Reviewers - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 9 – Brooke Blogs - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 9 – A Chick Who Reads – REVIEW

November 10 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW

November 10 – Handcrafted Reviews - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

November 11 – Readeropolis – SPOTLIGHT

November 12 – The Ninja Librarian – REVIEW

November 13 – Socrates' Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

November 13 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW

November 14 – Bibliophile Reviews – REVIEW  

Death and a Pot of Chowder: A Maine Murder Mystery

Welcome!  Airships, Crypts and Chocolate Chips by Erin Johnson is out today.  It is the sixth novel in the Spells & Caramels series staring Imogen and Iggy. 

Death and a Pot of Chowder by Cornelia Kidd (aka Lea Wait) is the first A Maine Murder Mystery.  Anna Winslow lives on Quarry Island in Maine with her husband, Burt and son, Jake.  She is surprised when she receives a letter from Isabel “Izzie” Jordan stating that she is her half-sister and would like to meet.  A couple of weeks later, Anna is in Portland to meet up with Izzie.  They arrive at their lunch destination when Anna gets a call from Burt regarding his brother, Carl.  Carl’s boat was found adrift and he is missing.  Anna and Izzie rush to Quarry Island where the search is ongoing.  Later that night, Carl’s body is discovered, but he did not die from drowning.  Detective Jonas Preston of the Maine State Police is on the case and they soon learn that the evidence is mounting against Burt.  Anna and Izzie band together to track down Carl’s killer.

Death and a Pot of Chowder is set on Quarry Island, Maine. The author provided detailed descriptions of the island and its history.  Anna is thirty-two and has been married to Burt since she was eighteen years old.  Burt is a fourth-generation lobsterman and expects his son to follow in his footsteps.  Anna grew up on the same street.  Her mother and grandmother still live in the house (close knit family).  It is a place where people can leave their doors unlocked and children can roam freely (until someone murdered Carl).  The author did a terrific job at setting the stage for A Maine Murder Mystery series.  I like how the author brought the two sisters together and their plans for the future.  I loved how Anne of Green Gables was woven into the story (one of my favorite books).  I thought the mystery was simple.  I easily identified the guilty party.  Anna and Izzie work together to figure out Carl’s movement before he was killed.  They question various people and get assistance from retired detective and neighbor, Rob Erickson.  I could have done with less speculation and repetition.  There needed to be more action which would have helped the pacing (which was slow at times).  My rating for Death and a Pot of Chowder is 3.5 out of 5 stars.  I found Jake to be extremely annoying.  I realize his attitude and behavior are realistic for a fourteen-year-old, but I did get tired of his yelling and door slamming.  Izzie’s love of cooking comes through as she describes how she likes to create dishes and execute them.  There are various cookbooks mentioned and there are recipes included at the end of the book.  There are many engaging cozy moments as the two sisters bond, explore the island, cook, and plan for the future.  Death and a Pot of Chowder is nicely written, has good characters, rustic setting and plenty of food.  Death and a Pot of Chowder captured my interest and I will be picking up the next A Maine Murder Mystery.

Cornelia Kidd aka Lea Wait is the author A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series and An Antique Print Mystery series. I appreciate you stopping by today.  I hope you are having a relaxing Saturday.  I will return on Sunday with my review of A Daring Venture by Elizabeth Camden. The second book in An Empire State Novel series.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Thread the Halls: A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery

I hope you are having a pleasant and relaxing Saturday.  Potions and Pastries by Bailey Cates will be released on November 7 along with Eaves of Destruction by Kate Carlisle.

Thread the Halls by Lea Wait is the sixth book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series.  Angie Curtis is looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Haven Harbor, Maine with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Patrick West.  Then Patrick gets a call from his mother, Skye West that she is returning for Christmas and bringing some movie people with her.  Patrick needs help getting Aurora (their estate) prepped for Christmas in two days (there goes Angie’s quiet Christmas).  The Mainely Needlepoint group help Patrick prepare for the holidays including custom embroidered little pillows for Skye’s guests.  After the guests arrive, Patrick and Skye are taking a walk when they discover one of the actor’s dead in the snow.  Was it an accidentally killing by a hunter or was it deliberate?  Then Patrick eats poisoned cookies and Angie is blamed.  She is determined to find the culprit and get her Christmas back on track!

Thread the Halls is nicely written and has a nice pace which makes it a quick read.  The emphasis in Thread the Halls is on Christmas, friendship, food and family.  The murder does not occur until the 25% mark in the story.  There is little investigation in the book and it is child’s play to solve.  There might as well be a giant neon arrow pointing to the culprit.  There is a little surprise near the end that some readers might not anticipate.  It was interesting to read about various Maine Christmas traditions including the Christmas boat parade (we have a similar one in my area).  My rating for Thread the Halls is 3 out of 5 stars.  Thread the Halls can be a standalone book.  All the pertinent details are included in this installment.  I was not a fan of Patrick West (or his mother) in this book.  He assumed his money would get him everything he wanted done (which is mentioned several times).  I did tire of the repetition of information.  The same details are repeated throughout the book. I would have preferred more substance and less fluff.  If you are looking for a light cozy mystery that is big on Christmas spirit, then check out Thread the Halls.  

I appreciate you visiting today.  I will be featuring Ghost on the Case by Carolyn Hart next time.  May you have a heartwarming day!  By the way--Why do turkeys say "gobble gobble"?  Because they never learned good table manners.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Tightening the Threads: A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery

It's Friday!  Congrats on making it through the last week of March. Please be very aware that tomorrow is April Fool's Day!  You need to watch out for the pranksters in your life (my father always loved playing jokes on me). 

Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait is the fifth book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series.  Angie Curtis is surprised when her friend and antiques dealer, Sarah Byrne tells her why she has been spending so much time with gallery owner, Ted Lawrence.  It turns out that Ted is her uncle.  Sarah has finally found family and this weekend Ted is going to tell his children about Sarah.  They are all coming to town for Ted’s seventy-fifth birthday.  Sarah asks Angie to come along for the weekend at Ted’s home The Point.  Jeremy, Ted’s longtime gallery employee and Patrick West will also be in attendance.  After Ted’s children arrive, they enjoy a special dinner and then birthday cake along with champagne.  Ted then announces that the kids (they are all adults) have a new cousin and introduces Sarah.  But, Ted is not finished with his pronouncements.  He tells them that he has stage four lung cancer, and he will be altering his will to include Sarah.  He wishes for her to receive the Robert Lawrence (Sarah’s grandfather) paintings.  The children are outraged and Jeremy is less than pleased.  The next day they prepare for a lobster and clam bake on the beach.  Everyone is enjoying the delicious seafood dinner when Ted suddenly stands up.  He cannot speak and points at his throat.  Ted is quickly rushed to the hospital where, unfortunately, he passes away an hour later.  Someone in the family objected to Ted changing his will, and they were making sure he would not be able to accomplish his goal.  Luke Lawrence hires Angie to investigate Ted’s death.  He wants the case wrapped up as quickly as possible (so everyone can return home).  The next day Angie receives word that there has been another death. Is foul play involved?  Angie needs to work quickly before Haven Harbor gets a bad reputation (or someone does away with the rest of Ted’s ungrateful children).

Tightening the Threads is easy to read, has good characters, and a beautiful setting. The author provides some lovely descriptions of the town and surrounding area.  I thought the book had a good pace.  I did not find any slow spots.  The mystery did not start until I was forty percent of the way through the book.  The first part of the book sets up the story and the last part is in solving it.  I give Tightening the Threads 4 out of 5 stars.  The mystery was intriguing.  I like how the author crafted it and the unique method of murder.  I thought that part of it was easy to solve, but the other element was a little more challenging (I am trying not to give anything away).  I do wish that there had been a good outcome for Sarah.  I am a little disappointed with Angie and her jealousy concerning Patrick West.  Patrick and Angie’s relationship is in the early stages and her jealousy seems unwarranted.  Patrick does not seem the type of person to kiss and cheat.  The author included a secondary mystery regarding bones in a wall dividing Angie’s property from her neighbors.  It really seemed like a senseless inclusion (it was a letdown).  Then there was the issue of Ted’s wife, Lily.  The way it was written in the book, I thought Lily’s death would turn out to be a long unsolved murder (I expected it to go somewhere).  Her death was mentioned a couple of times, and I kept thinking the author would tie it in somehow (a lover did her in, a jealous friend, someone spiked her drink).  Overall, though, I enjoyed Tightening the Threads.  It captured and held my interest.  I will be reading Thread the Halls when it comes out in October.  

Lea Wait also writes An Antique Print Mystery series.  You should get a sample of Shadows at the Fair which is the first book in the series.   I will see you tomorrow when I review Dying on the Vine by Marla Cooper. May each of you have a fantastic Friday.  I hope the day passes quickly for you.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader