Knot on Her Life
A Quilting Mystery
by Mary Marks
About the Book
Cozy Mystery
7th in Series
Kensington (July 30, 2019)
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages
ISBN-10: 1496720504
ISBN-13: 978-1496720504
Digital ASIN: B07K5ZJRYX
While quilter Martha Rose awaits the birth of her granddaughter, a neighborhood girl appears at her door with a mystery that can’t be pinned down . .
Martha’s eager to finish the baby quilt she’s making for her new granddaughter, but she scraps those plans when a young girl rings her doorbell begging for help. Poppy Halaby, the foster child of Martha’s neighbor, is an orphan whose parents were murdered by a killer who was never caught. When Poppy’s doting foster mom falls suspiciously ill, Martha is determined to keep the child safe. But she’ll have to unravel more about Poppy’s parents to stitch a broken family back together again—and prevent another crime cut from the same cloth . . .
About Mary Marks
Born and raised in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary Marks earned a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Public Administration from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. In 2004 she enrolled in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Her first novel, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in a national writing competition in 2011. She is currently a reviewer of cozy mysteries for The New York Journal of Books at www.nyjournalofbooks.com.
My Thoughts
Knot on Her Life by Mary Marks is the seventh A Quilting Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you have not had the opportunity to read the rest of the novels in the series. Martha Rose is a smart, perceptive woman with a big heart who loves to quilt. Martha is divorced, engaged to ATF agent Yossi “Crusher” Levy, and suffers from fibromyalgia. The author accurately portrays what it is like to suffer from this painful and debilitating disease. Martha’s daughter, Quincy is expecting her first child which Martha is eager to spoil. There are a variety of quirky characters like Jazz, Sonia, and Giselle. Martha’s half-sister, Giselle has no filter and her comments provides levity. Marigold Poppy Sarah Halaby aka Poppy is a sweet, precocious child who has gone through something no individual, much less an eight year old, should go through in their life. The characters are realistic, developed and round out the story. Knot on Her Life is an engrossing story with a perplexing whodunit. It is a mystery that is atypical for cozy mysteries which I liked. There are a variety of suspects, a red herring and twists that will surprise readers (I love a good twist). I found it hard to put down this book because I wanted to discover who was the reprobate that killed Poppy’s parents. I particularly enjoyed the take-down scene. It was interesting to learn more about Jewish and Muslim customs which are explained in an easy to understand manner. There was one little matter at the end that I found disappointing because I was rooting for a different resolution. I like the author’s engaging writing style with steady pacing and smooth transitions. I hope Birdie Watson, a member of Martha’s Tuesday quilting group, returns soon because I miss her. Knot on Her Life has a wholesomeness to it that is welcoming. Knot on Her Life has a plucky young lady, a menacing killer, a complex crime, a brawny protector, and one determined lady sleuth.
Excerpt from Knot on Her Life
The oldies radio station softly played “Peaceful Easy Feeling” while I cut pink triangles for a baby quilt. I sang along with the Eagles, smiling in anticipation of the day two months from now when we would welcome my first granddaughter into the world and wrap her in this quilt. An insistent ringing of the doorbell cut through the soft cloud of my reverie. I glanced at the clock.
Who could that be at 8:30 a.m.? My peaceful easy feeling evaporated with every urgent chime. The closer Quincy got to her due date, the jumpier I’d become. But surely if my daughter went into premature labor, she’d call me or send a text message—not stand on my doorstep and ring the bell.
I tossed the rotary cutter on the mat, hurried to the living room, and peered through the peephole. When I couldn’t see anything, I opened the door and looked down. A girl about four foot six with caramel-colored skin stood shifting her weight from foot to foot. A worried frown presided over large, dark eyes, and her fuzzy brown hair needed a comb. I could relate. I’d struggled over five decades with a mop of unruly curls.
“Are you Martha Rose?”
“I am . . .”
“I think something’s wrong with Sonia.” She dispensed her words carefully, like a new dealer in a casino. “She won’t wake up. She’s not moving. Sonia told me you’re a friend of hers.”
Sonia Spiegelman, my neighbor across the street, lived alone for as long as I could remember. When I first met her, I dismissed her as just another yenta who patrolled the neighborhood, poking her nose into everyone else’s business. But I eventually understood that the woman meant no harm. Sonia merely sought friendship. Two months ago, she mentioned she’d applied to become a foster parent. “To make a difference in someone’s life.” I’d completely forgotten about it until now.
“Are you staying with Sonia?”
The girl nodded. “She’s my new foster mom.” Her body coiled tightly as she took a breath.
“Hurry.”
Knot on Her Life is available at Amazon, B&N , Google Play, and Kobo. You can find a list of the novels in A Quilting Mystery series here on Amazon. Forget Me Knot, the first book in A Quilting Mystery series, is available on Kindle Unlimited. The giveaway is for three (3) print copies of Knot on Her Life (US only). You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below. Good Luck! Thank you for stopping by today. I will return tomorrow with my review of Penne Dreadful by Catherine Bruns. I hope you have an uplifting day. Take care and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
Tour Participants
August 1 - MJB Reviewers – AUTHOR INTERVIEW
August 1 - The Power of Words – REVIEW
August 2 – Maureen's Musings – REVIEW
August 3 – The Avid Reader - REVIEW, EXCERPT
August 3 – Reading Is My SuperPower – SPOTLIGHT
August 3 – I'm All About Books – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Brooke Blogs - SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT
August 4 – I Read What You Write – SPOTLIGHT
August 4 – Lisa Ks Book Review – REVIEW
August 5 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
August 5 – Babs Book Bistro – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 6 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
August 6 – Sapphyria's Books - REVIEW
August 7 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews - REVIEW, CHARACTER INTERVIEW
August 7 – Laura's Interests – REVIEW
Beautiful cover, and I love quilts.
ReplyDeletebrowninggloria(at)hotmail(dot) com
Great cover. It makes me want to make a quilt.
ReplyDelete