Book Summary
Thread and Dead by Elizabeth Penney has Iris Buckley along with her grandmother, Anne preparing for the
upcoming Lobster Festival in Blueberry Cove, Maine. Iris is also working on updating their window
display at Ruffles and Bows. Iris is
thrilled when she gets a call from Eleanor Brady who has some vintage linens
and aprons to sell. Iris arrives at
Shorehaven, Eleanor’s home, and runs into Dr. Lukas de Wilde. Lukas, along with his colleagues, are paying
guests of Eleanor’s for the summer while they work with on the Farming the Sea
project with College of Isles. Eleanor
has beautiful bed linens for Iris plus a trunk full of vintage aprons. There is also a trunk of vintage Chanel
clothes in pristine condition that belonged to Eleanor’s mother. Iris agrees to help facilitate a sale of the
clothing for Eleanor as well as learn more about her mother’s history. The next morning, Iris is reluctantly rock
climbing with her boyfriend, Ian and her best friend, Madison. She stops at a ledge to rest and finds Hailey
Piper, Lukas de Wilde’s teaching assistant, dead. When it appears that the killer has set up
Lukas to take the fall, Iris begins digging into the case. Someone is unhappy with Iris’ curious nature
and attempts to derail her investigation.
Will Iris stay alive long enough to judge the first Annual Lobster Festival
Bib & Apron Contest?
My Thoughts
Thread and Dead by Elizabeth Penney is the 2nd book in The Apron Shop Series. It can be read as a standalone for those who
have not indulged in Hems and Homicide. I
thought this cozy mystery was well-written with developed characters. I enjoyed the author’s descriptions of Blueberry
Cove, Maine. She brought the city alive with
her vivid word imagery of the shops, people, the boats, the cliffs, and the
ocean. I like the cast of strong female
characters in this series. Iris Buckley
is a friendly and intelligent woman who loves vintage items. Iris co-owns Ruffles and Bows with her
grandmother, Anne Buckley. They also share
a farmhouse nearby. I like the close
relationship Iris and her Grammie share.
Iris has close female friends in Sophie, Madison, and Bella. It is great how they are there for each other
and have women’s nights that include Grammie.
Eleanor Brady was a delightful addition.
She is a lively woman for her age with a mischievous sparkle in her
eye. Her nephew, Craig is a bully who thinks
only of himself. I am glad that Eleanor
has good friends to watch out for her. The
death of Hailey Piper has multiple suspects.
It could be a local or someone with the Farming the Sea project. There are good clues to aid the reader in solving
this multifarious mystery. The second
mystery involves Eleanor’s mother, Claudia de Witte. Eleanor’s mother worked as a nursemaid, but
she had designer clothing. Both
mysteries were entertaining. I did feel
that the first half of the book was a little slow. There seemed to be more eating and chatting
than sleuthing. That soon changed as the
action ramped up. The Apron Shop Series
is character driven. The great
characters are what draw the reader in.
I just love the descriptions of the vintage bed linens, aprons, and
clothes. I collect vintage aprons, so I
was drooling over the trunk of aprons Iris scored for Ruffles and Bows. I
cannot wait to read Bodies and Bows in the spring. Thread and Dead is a charming cozy mystery
with antique aprons, comfort cuisine, a mysterious mother, sprouting seaweed, classic
couture clothes, and Lobster Festival fun.
Thread and Dead can be obtained from Amazon*. The first book in An Apron Shop Series is Hems and Homicide. Bodies and Bows will be the third installment in this series and it publishes March 30, 2021. Visit Elizabeth Penney's website to learn more about her and see what other books she has written. Elizabeth has written cozy mysteries for Guideposts and Annie's Attic (they are delightful). Thank you for visiting me today. I hope I have helped you to find a new book to read and enjoy. I am sharing my thoughts on A Reunion at Mulberry Lane by Rosie Clarke tomorrow. It is 6th book in The Mulberry Lane series. May you have a lively day. Take care, be kind, and Happy Reading!
Kris
The Avid Reader
*This
post contains affiliate links.
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