Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Review and Giveaway: Plagued by Quilt

Plagued by Quilt (Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery - Book 4) by Molly MacRae

Publication Date: 11/04/2014
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 352
ISBN-10: 045147130X
ISBN-13: 978-0451471307

(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Indiebound

Molly MacRae on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, goodreads

Books in the series

Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery

1. Last Wool and Testament
2. Dyeing Wishes
3. Spinning In Her Grave
4. Plagued by Quilt

Coverart: Click the Image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.



Synopsis:

The latest novel in the national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery series

Yarn shop owner Kath Rutledge is at a historic farm in Blue Plum, Tennessee, volunteering for the high school program Hands on History. But when a long-buried murder is uncovered on the property, Kath needs help from Geneva the ghost to solve a crime that time forgot....

 
Kath and her needlework group TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Fiber) are preparing to teach a workshop at the Holston Homeplace Living History Farm, but their lesson in crazy quilts is no match for the crazy antics of the assistant director, Phillip Bell. Hamming it up with equal parts history and histrionics, Phillip leads an archaeological dig of the farm’s original dump site—until one student stops the show by uncovering some human bones.
 
When a full skeleton is later excavated, Kath can’t help but wonder if it’s somehow connected to Geneva, the ghost who haunts her shop, and whom she met at this very site. After Phillip is found dead, it’s up to Kath to thread the clues together before someone else becomes history.


Thoughts:

Plagued by Quilt is the fourth book in Molly MacRae's Haunted Yarn Shop mystery series. This book has a little bit of everything and will appeal to many different types of readers. There is, of course, the mystery that is unique and full of surprises. Then you have the historical aspects of the story that are brought to life by the finding of two sets of skeleton's. You have the paranormal elements that are brought in through Geneva, the resident ghost and there is the everyday lives of some amazing characters. There is a lot going on in this addition to the series and you won't want to miss a thing!

What I liked:

Molly MacRae has given readers a series that might be focused on a group that is all about yarn, but that's hardly all this group of characters gets into. Protagonist Kath and your friends gets involved in all sorts of mysteries and other activities. In Plagued by Quilt, Kath is teaching a lesson on crazy quilting at a local venue, The Holston Homeplace. I loved the historical aspects of this mystery. There were nods to archaeology and protecting the heritage of the land, as well as, a very cleverly written whodunit. MacRae uses the history of Holston Homeplace to shed some light on not only what had happened in the area but also on Geneva's backstory.

Geneva, the ghost is Kath's sidekick of sorts and readers who enjoy a little bit of the paranormal in their mysteries will love her. She always has a hand in helping Kath and her friends with the Thank Goodness It's Fiber group solve the crime in each book, but this one seemed a little more personal. MacRae let readers in on several parts of Geneva's past that I found fascinating. I had wanted to learn more about her from the beginning of the series and this really helped to satisfy the craving.

Crazy quilting has always been a fascination of mine. Both of my grandmothers were avid quilters and crazy quilts were some of their favorites. I loved looking at each quilt and noticing fabrics that I recognized from dresses or outfits that members of the family had worn. The idea of the Plague Quilt was so interesting and I loved the way that MacRae stayed true to the essence of the series by making it a big part of the story.

The two skeletons, plus the murder of the Holston Homeplace assistant director, had Kath and her friends busy. Add in a very eclectic murder weapon, a teenage genus with a chip on his shoulder and plenty of suspects to keep readers off balance and you have one very good mystery. MacRae often leads the reader on a wild goose chase or two that keeps the suspense high and the reveal secret. I didn't know who did it until the end, but that murder weapon was a doosy!

Bottom Line:

This was a very good addition to the series. There were parts that helped not only move the series forward, but also explained some things along the way. The mystery itself was very unique and different and the historical aspects were truly interesting. Geneva is a ghost that keeps it interesting and Kath and her friends better hang on, no telling what's going to happen next!

Plagued by Quilt is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!



About the Author:


Molly MacRae, national bestselling author of Spinning in Her GraveDyeing Wishes, and Last Wool and Testament, was director of the history museum in Jonesborough, Tennessee’s oldest town, and later managed an independent bookstore in Johnson City. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine for more than twenty years, and she has won the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction.


Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Plagued by Quilt by Molly MacRae.

~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, November 19th.

1. Please leave a comment. Ever been interested in archaeology or digs? Ever found anything interesting from the past?

2. Please fill out the FORM.

24 comments:

Unknown said...

no, not an area i have had interest in.

Charlotte said...

No desire at all.
CABWNANA1@bellsouth.net

Linda Kish said...

I have always had an interest in archaeology but left it as an interest. I have never found anything interesting.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Angela - Bookaunt said...

I think archaeology would be fun. I am a history buff and it is neat to see the things that people can find. I actually have two bullets from the Civil War that an attorney I worked with found when he was a child and he gave them to me for my birthday one year. It was one of the best presents I ever received.

holdenj said...

I've not had any personal experience with archeology, but I do find the way they uncover items from the past interesting. I unearthed an old family photo that I later learned from an aunt that it had been taken by a door to door photographer during the Depression.

Anonymous said...

These cozy mysteries are so much fun. Are great when you need something really light.
Thereadmaster@me.com

lag123 said...

I love archeology. The only thing I have ever found is pottery shards and old bottles.

lag110 at mchsi dot com

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Karen B said...

I think archeology is fascinating! Things are being discovered all the time but not by me!
kpbarnett1941@aol.com

traveler said...

An interesting hobby which I read about. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com

Sue Farrell said...

The only interest I've had in archaeology is in books or movies---but it sure does make for good stories.

Dotty Kelley said...

I'm interested in ancient history so I enjoy reading about archeological finds.
dotkel50 at comcast dot net

rubynreba said...

It is interesting but I do not have any desire to

Carol N Wong said...

I love reading about going to a dig when I was a child and I still love to dig but have no place to do it! When I was in Indiana and we had a big garden, I found lots of arrowheads. The place where we built out house was part of a state forest and before that belonged to the Indians. Next door, there was the remains of a burnt out log cabin with only a fireplace remaining. Think of the tales that could be built around that!

CarolNWong(at)aol(dot)com

Anonymous said...

I was always hoping to find "treasure", when I was a child...a "rock hound", I carried home lots of them.



patucker54 at aol dot com

Unknown said...

i wanted to be an archeologist when i was around 8 until about 13 years old. we lived in north georgia so we had lots of arrowheads and animal bones that i would dig up.

Carol M said...

I have never found anything but I do find it interesting.

Helen Kotowske said...

I liked the La Brea Tar Pits dig.

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Linda said...

In 7th grade, I planned on being an archeologist or a librarian. I've been in library field for 38 years now!

"I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure seeker, or a gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am. ... I am a librarian!"

Anita Yancey said...

I have never been interested in archaeology, but my husband is. So far the closest he has come is digging up old coins with a metal detector. Thanks for having the giveaway.

ayancey1974(at)gmail(dot)com

Michelle F. said...

Yes, I'm interested in archaeology and it's due to Indiana Jones. I'm also interested in Egyptology due to the Amelia Peabody books. I don't really want to dig in the ground, though. I like to read articles in the paper about those topics and also when they find a new dinosaur.

I have the first and third books in the series.

bn100 said...

nope

Kimberly Wyatt said...

I've never "dug up" anything interesting from the past but I did find an old letter from early 1900's in the shed (used to be the kitchen, when they used to build the kitchen separate from the house) of an old house I lived in as a teenager. I thought it was neat, I still have it even though the content of the letter wasn't particularly exciting. I just thought it had lasted so long already I couldn't bear to throw it out.