Sunday, January 25, 2015

A Stitch In Crime-Cathy Marie Elliott

A Stitch In Crime
Cathy Marie Elliott
Abingdon, Jan 20 2015, $13.99
ISBN: 9781426773655

In Larkindale, antiques store owner and Quilt-Without-Guilt member Thea James agrees to co-chair the town’s first “Legacy of Quilts” show.  At a soiree at the Wentworth mansion, textile expert Dr. Cottle fails to arrive as expected; and someone assaults Thea’s affluent elderly friend Mary-Alice Wentworth and apparently steals a diamond brooch from her.  As Dr. Wellman examines Mary-Alice, Thea interrogates newcomer Odette Milsap in an upstairs area she should not have been.  Soon after she finished her questioning, Detective Brewster arrives.

Meanwhile Mary-Alice’s family heirloom quilt Larkin’s Treasure quilt, rumored to be a treasure map, is on display at the Hastings McLeod Museum.  Thea plans to visits her injured friend, see the quilt, and run her shop; but when the other chair is never available to work on the event, she is stuck with everything.  Making matters worse, Thea’s BFF Renee, just back from Europe, acts mean-spirited towards her.  Finally Thea also gets embroiled in the investigation when the Larkin’s Treasure vanishes.

This is an enjoyable Quilts of Love (see Masterpiece Marriage by Gina Welborn and Quilted By Christmas by Jodie Bailey) cozy.  The heroine initially acts like a patsy, but with faith and her Uncle Nick’s support proves otherwise; slightly modifying I Am Woman by Helen Reddy: if she has to, she can do anything since she is strong and invincible.  Although the romance and the mystery are very light, A Stitch In Crime is an engaging life in a small-town novel.


Harriet Klausner

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