A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn: Review and Giveaway!

A Crafter Quilts a Crime

 A Handcrafted Mystery

by Holly Quinn

About A Crafter Quilts A Crime

A Crafter Quilts a Crime: A Handcrafted Mystery

Cozy Mystery

3rd in Series

Publisher: Crooked Lane Books (February 11, 2020)

Hardcover

ISBN-10: 1643852906

ISBN-13: 978-1643852904

Kindle ASIN: B07RTMXRK8

Perfect for fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, Holly Quinn's third Handcrafted mystery aspires to wrap you in its warmth.

Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane must piece together a patchwork of clues when a "live" mannequin ends up stone-cold dead.

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won't keep the locals away from Heartsford's annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft's one-night-only sale, Samantha "Sammy" Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.

Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack--tapping on the glass and making funny faces--but nothing disrupts Wanda's stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn't breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.

Detective Liam Nash can't seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy's cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda's untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort.

Live Mannequin Display

About Holly Quinn

Holly Quinn has published two stand-alone fiction novels in another persona. She graduated from Carroll University in Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in business and a minor in marketing. This is her third A Handcrafted mystery. Visit her @ www.authorhollyquinn.com

Author Links

Website – www.authorhollyquinn.com

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HollyQuinnbooks/

GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7940795.Holly_Quinn

Winter in Wisconsin

My Thoughts

A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn is the third A Handcrafted Mystery.  Sammy Kane has Community Craft ready for the town’s annual Fire and Ice event.  Sammy dreamed up a live mannequin contest that will take place in her front display window.  Sammy goes to check on Wanda’s progress and notices her lips are blue.  Wanda is dead and her husband is MIA.  When Ellie’s husband, Randy becomes a suspect, the S.H.E. team convenes.  Sammy, Heidi and Ellie work to stitch together the clues that will reveal Wanda’s killer.  A Crafter Quilts a Crime can be read as a standalone for those new to A Handcrafted Mystery series.  I like the close, heartwarming relationship between Sammy, Ellie and Heidi.  They get along well together and make a formidable team.  I admit that I prefer Ellie and Heidi to Sammy.  Sammy is nervy and lacks understanding of Liam’s position.  She does not understand when the police cannot share information with civilians.  Holly Quinn captured the feeling of winter with her word imagery.  I could feel the cold tingling my ears and nose from her descriptions.  I remember what that bitter cold feels like.  I enjoyed the images of Community Craft with its beautiful handmade items inside.  I wish my town had such a place where people can learn a craft and sell their handmade wares.  The live mannequin contest was a unique event that had an unfortunate end.  The investigation progressed slowly for Detective Liam Nash because he had limited clues.  He is searching for Wanda’s husband as well as a reason why someone would want to harm Wanda.  Sammy feels Liam is moving too slow.  When her brother-in-law is brought in for questioning, Sammy quickly calls Ellie and Heidi.  The three of them (S.H.E.) will do what it takes to prove Randy is innocent.  Sammy’s sleuthing methods could use some finetuning.  She is a little reckless and is quick to break the law as well as obstruct justice.  I like how quilts tied into the mystery.  There were some interesting clues to help readers solve this whodunit.  A Crafter Quilts a Crime is a cute cozy mystery that interweaves Sammy’s daily activities with the mystery of Wanda’s death.   A Crafter Quilts a Crime has a big bonfire, wintry weather, quilt clues, a spouse gone astray, and the S.H.E. squad.  

A Crafter Quilts a Crime is available at Amazon*,  Barnes and Noble,  BAM, IndieBound,  Powell’s Books, and Walmart.  The other two novels in A Handcrafted Mystery series are A Crafter Knits a Clue and A Crafter Hooks a Killer.  Would you like to win a print copy of A Crafter Quilts a Crime (sorry, U.S. Only)?  You can click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below.  Leave a comment on my blog for an extra entry.  Good Luck!  To learn more about the Wisconsin Barn Quilt Trail, click here.  Thank you for stopping by today.  I will return tomorrow with my review of Mercy House by Alena Dillon.  I hope you have day filled with joy.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

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A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn: Review, Recipe and Giveaway!

A Crafter Hooks a Killer

A Handcrafted Mystery

by Holly Quinn

About the Book

A Crafter Hooks a Killer: A Handcrafted Mystery

Cozy Mystery

2nd in Series

Crooked Lane Books (June 11, 2019)

Hardcover 274 Pages

ISBN-10: 1643850121

ISBN-13: 978-1643850122

Digital ASIN: B07MGS1XDW

Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane suspects that a tantalizing thread links the deaths of her best friend and a bestselling author. But can she weave together the clues?

Samantha “Sammy” Kane is settling into her new life in idyllic Heartsford, Wisconsin, running her late friend Kate Allen’s craft shop, Community Craft when one early June day, bestselling crochet author Jane Johnson visits Heartsford. Captivated by Community Craft, Jane devotes a chapter in her new book, Behind the Seams, to the store. Sammy is honored, though satisfaction quickly turns to shock when she finds Jane strangled to death—her cold hands clutching a copy of her most recently published book, with the words “THE END” raggedly scratched into the cover.

Heavens to Etsy! Not only must Sammy contend with the author’s inauspicious demise, she has to untie some knotty details from her own past. It turns out Kate’s death was not what it seemed, and instead somehow hooked to Jane Johnson’s demise. Handsome Detective Liam Nash is on the “skein”, more than happy to see the shop owner again, if less than enamored by her sleuthing interventions. But this was Sammy’s best friend—she has to know.

Fortunately, Sammy has a “lace” in the hole. As a child, she formed the S.H.E. detective team with her cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie. Having already reconstituted their partnership, the S.H.E. team searches for a pattern behind the latest death. As the case starts to unravel, will Sammy and team be able to sidestep Liam quick enough to stitch together the clues?

About the Author

Holly Quinn has published two stand-alone fiction novels in another persona. She graduated from Carroll University in Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science in business and a minor in marketing. This is her second Handcrafted mystery. Visit her @ www.authorhollyquinn.com

Author Links

Website - www.authorhollyquinn.com

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HollyQuinnbooks/

GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7940795.Holly_Quinn

Kane Family Lasagna Recipe

·         9 lasagna noodles

·         ½ lb. hot jimmy dean sausage

·         3/4-pound ground beef

·         1 medium onion, diced

·         ½ of a green pepper

·         3 garlic cloves, minced

·         2 cans (one 28 ounces, one 15 ounces) crushed tomatoes or 2 mason jars of Aunt B’s stewed tomatoes

·         2 cans (6 ounces each) tomato paste

·         2/3 cup water

·         2 to 3 tablespoons sugar (helps reduce acid)

·         1 teaspoon dried oregano

·         2 teaspoons dried basil

·         1/4 teaspoon salt

·         1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

·         1 large egg, lightly beaten

·         1 carton small curd cottage cheese

·         4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

·         3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°

1. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat 8-10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute. Drain.

2. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, seasonings, salt and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. In a small bowl, mix egg, cottage cheese, and a dash of basil.

4. Spread 2 cups meat sauce into an ungreased 13x9-in. baking dish. Layer with three noodles and a third of the cottage cheese mixture. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce and cheeses (dish will be full). Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered, 25 minutes longer or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. 

My Thoughts

A Crafter Hooks a Killer can be read as a standalone if you have not read A Crafter Knits a Clue.  Samantha “Sammy” Kane is happy running Community Craft which fosters community spirit and encouraging artists.  She is happy to be back in her hometown with Heidi and Ellie.  Her budding romance with Detective Liam Nash, though, has stalled out since he has not contacted her since the case was closed.  Jane Johnson, the Queen of Crafts, is coming to Community Craft for a book signing which is quite a coup for their small town.  But then Jane ends up murdered after telling Sammy she had sensitive information to share regarding Kate Allen’s death.  Kate was Sammy’s best friend and she realizes she does not know the details of how she died.  I like how the author tied the two whodunits together.  Sammy, Heidi and Ellie (the S.H.E. detective team) are quick to assemble so they can unravel this knotty mystery.  Despite being told by multiple people to leave the case to the police, Sammy questions various people while Heidi wheedles information out of her police officer boyfriend (poor Tim).  There is no absence of case details as the ladies’ work into the two crimes.  I liked when Sammy said that she had “a gift for seeking and finding the truth”.  Friendship, family, and food are not lacking in A Crafter Hooks a Killer.  Holly Quinn’s food descriptions will have your mouth watering.  I enjoyed reading about the beautiful painted glasses and crocheted blankets.  There are instructions for a lap blanket at the end of the book.  A Crafter Hooks a Killer has three curious ladies, two complex crimes, one disgruntled detective and a delightful doggie.  

A Crafter Hooks a Killer is available at Amazon, B&N, BAM, IndieBound, Powell's Books, and Walmart.  There is a giveaway of one print copy of  A Crafter Hooks a Killer.  Click here to enter or use the Rafflecopter form below.  Good Luck!  The next book in A Handcrafted Mystery series is A Crafter Quilts a Crime (which has a sweet cover) and it will be out on February 11, 2020. Thank you for joining me today and reading my review.  Sconed to Death by Lynn Cahoon is the book I am highlighting tomorrow.  May you have an upbeat day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

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June 11 – The Book's the Thing – REVIEW

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