SATURDAY EDITION

I apologize I haven’t been feeling well the last few days and didn’t have this review ready to publish yesterday.

On Flashback Fridays I will share with you
the books I was not able to review
when they were first released which have been screaming at me
from my To-Be-Read bookshelf.

Quilty as Charged (A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Georgia
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Crooked Lane Books (August 20, 2024)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 256 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1639107991
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1639107995
Kindle ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CLKZCGQJ
Audiobook ASIN B0D5ZXFQ4L
Audio CD ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0DG132MZ1

Lydia Barnes has to thread the needle in order to discover the killer locked in with her amidst a sewing retreat in this second installment of the series, perfect for fans of Amanda Flower and Molly MacRae.

Lydia Barnes has made the picturesque town of Peridot, Georgia her home. But as the new owner of the Measure Twice fabric store, all financial burdens fall on her. In an effort to unspool herself from this tangle of thread and boost the store’s income, she invites her regular customers to a sewing retreat at her friend Fran’s Cherry Log mountain home. In between sewing lessons and quick lunches, a severe winter storm approaches. When Fran’s body is discovered murder is the only explanation, and the remaining six attendants are all suspects.

Trapped with the power and phone lines out, Lydia is restless to unmask Fran’s murderer. With the help of Auden, the cabin’s caretaker, Lydia must unravel the hidden lives of people she considered close neighbors and even friends–especially when another body is found along with a suicide note and a suspicious confession.

In a daring plan to uncover the killer, Lydia must risk it all, including her life, before she is cut asunder and the bobbin runs out.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The new owner of Measure Twice Fabric Store, Lydia Barnes is searching for a way to keep the store in the black. She decides a sewing retreat may be the answer. She runs her idea by the former owner and friend Fran who loves the idea. She offers her Cherry Log mountain home as the destination for the retreat and her assistance in any way Lydia needs. Soon a group of the store’s regular customers embark on a journey into the mountains for sewing lessons, projects, quick meals, fellowship, and fun. But then an extreme winter ice storm moves in. Fran’s friend and the cabin’s caretaker Auden arrives just in time to unclog a drain but stays too long getting them ready for the storm and is stranded with the sewists.

Then Fran is found dead . . . murdered . . . and her guests realize they are stuck in the mountains with no power, no phone lines, and a killer. Before Lydia, assisted by Auden can rip apart the seams to identify the killer another body is found, and while the death looks like suicide complete with a confession Lydia isn’t buying it. She comes up with a plan but it could backfire. Can Lydia solve the mystery? or has she sewn her last stitch?

As a former sewing enthusiast, an accident in 2001 took this joy away from me, I live a little vicariously through characters in books like this.

I wasn’t a fan of Lydia in the first book in this series, Seams Deadly, but I liked her better in this story. I loved Fran in the first book and it hurt that she was the first victim in this one. She had been like a fairy godmother to Lydia. But she had been facing battles and keeping secrets this time. She also made a costly decision. Characters we met in Seams Deadly return as participants in the retreat, Heather who works at the store, Clark a prickly man who owns Pampered Pantry, an organic food store, The M’s, Martha and Mary, they aren’t sisters but sure act like they are, and Cynde, a court stenographer, who lives above the fabric store brought her friend Amy as a plus one. They are an eclectic group. Lydia’s dog Charlie also attended the retreat. Her cat, Baby Lobster stayed with her neighbor.

Auden Williams was a great addition to the cast. He is smart, prepared, and easy on the eyes. He had a soft spot for Fran and became her confidant as she spent a lot of time on her own at her Cherry Log Mountain home.

The project for the retreat was a quilt coat that could be made from a secondhand quilt, a worn in places quilt you love, purchased quilted fabric, or fabric you quilt yourself. The edges were completed with a bias binding. The retreat guests also worked on English Paper Piecing projects.

This closed-room cozy mystery was well-plotted with a little repetition as Lydia tried to figure out who was killing people on her very first and probably very last sewing retreat. Fran did leave some clues that finally made other things that were happening make sense. She wasn’t 100% sure and I appreciated that she shared her thinking with Auden and was happy that he got on board with her plan.  The guilty party was at the top of my suspect list before everything fell into place for Lydia. It felt good to know I made the right choice for the right reason when all was explained.

We have ice storms in Wisconsin just like the mountains in Georgia that the author described so well. They are beautiful to look at while staying warm inside but they can be treacherous if you venture out. Charlie was the only one to do that and his trips were quick.

Quilty as Charged was an enjoyable read. It gave the characters we met in the first installment more depth. The location was perfect for a retreat and each scene was detailed well. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, especially with the little cliffhanger Ms. Bailey had left us.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent

About the Author

Courtesy of Crooked Lane Books

Maggie Bailey, an enthusiastic sewist and maker, is a graduate of Stanford, Oxford, Brown, and Sewanee Universities, Maggie Bailey has previously published two volumes of poetry. She lives in Atlanta with her husband, two young children, her dogs, and a growing fabric stash she can’t help but add to on a regular basis.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.” “As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.”