Publication Date: 04/07/2015
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Obsidian Mystery
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 045146740X
ISBN-13: 978-0451467409
(Received for an honest review from Obsidian Mystery)
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Indiebound, itunes
Amanda Lee on the WEB: website, blog, twitter, facebook, goodreads
Books in the series:
Embroidery Mysteries
1. The Quick and the Thread
2. Stitch Me Deadly
3. Thread Reckoning
4. The Long Stitch Goodnight
5. Thread on Arrival
6. Cross Stitch Before Dying
7. Thread End
8. Wicked Stitch
Coverart:
Synopsis:
When murder strikes the small town of Tallulah Falls, embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer isn’t afraid of getting down to the knitty-gritty to clear her name....
For most small-business owners in Tallulah Falls, the upcoming Renaissance Faire is a wonderful way to promote their specialty shops. For Marcy’s nemesis, Nellie, and her sister, Clara, it’s an opportunity to finally put Marcy and her shop, the Seven-Year Stitch, out of business. Apparently the sisters like to make grudges a family affair and have set up competing booths right next to Marcy’s at the Ren Faire.
When Clara is discovered dead in her own booth—strangled by the scarf she had almost finished knitting—Marcy becomes the prime suspect. Now she has to do whatever it takes to keep her reputation from unraveling—and get to the bottom of a most deadly yarn....
Thoughts:
Amanda Lee takes readers back to Tallulah Falls just in time for the Renaissance Fair. Wicked Stitch is the eighth book in the Embroidery Mystery series and readers who love a good yarn will love this one. Marcy Singer, owner of The Seven Year Stitch is putting up a booth in the fair along with several other shop keepers including her enemies Nellie and Clara. Lee captivates with well drawn characters, more than one mystery and plenty of eclectic knitting, embroidering and other arts. Readers who want a cozy with some flare will find this one right up their alley. A good addition to the series!
This series has been kind of hit or miss for me. Some of the books have had engaging plots and plenty of suspense and mayhem and others, not so much. With Wicked Stitch, Amanda Lee starts out on a good track. The Renaissance Fair theme is unique and full of potential for lots of interesting havoc. I liked the fact that Lee puts Marcy up against the sisters who want to ruin her. Nellie and Clara are always up to some no good and they make for an entertaining read.
Lee's ability to write good characters is the salvation for this series. Not only is Marcy, multi-faceted and fun to read about, but so are the secondary characters in the series. Ted, Marcy's love interest is always there to help her investigate and this time the murder of Clara ties in with a cold case Ted has been working, so readers get a two for one. I love it when there is some secondary conflict that the reader can get into along with the main story line. Lee pulls that off well here.
Once the big reveal came at the end, the story starts to rush a long at a head long speed. Basically, you find the killer and the end of the book sneaks up on you. I wanted a little more explanation and time to see the direction the next book would take and I didn't get that here. But this was a very solid book in the series and I think Lee did a great job with it.
Bottom Line:
This was a good book. It had a great theme with the Renaissance Fair and the murder wasn't easy to figure out. The characters as always were believable and down to earth. Ted and Marcy's romance is both sweet and comfortable. Even though there was a murder and an arson case, it just didn't heat up the pages for me. It was good... but perhaps not great. I recommend it to readers who are fans of the series and those who love embroidery. A good addition to the series!
Wicked Stitch is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
About the Author:
Giveaway Details:
The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Wicked Stitch by Amanda Lee.
~ You must be an email subscriber to participate.
~ US addresses only.
~ The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST, May 2nd.
1. Please leave a comment. Ever done any embroidery? Machine or by hand?
2. Please fill out the FORM.
30 comments:
When I was young my mother taught me to embroider and I enjoyed learning and embroidery of all types. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
I love to do counted cross stitch. I've done embroidery and crewel work also. I wish there was a shop like Marcy's in my town!
I used to do counted cross stitch and crewel work but not really embroidery.
I started doing embroidery at a young age and graduated to cross stitch, crewel, etc - but have not done any for years!
kpbarnett1941[at]aol.com
When I took Home Ec in high school, they tried to teach us basic embroidery, but I seem to be needle-challenged. Never got good at it, and it's been over thirty years now.
tcuevas@iccable.com
Vera wilson said
I have done lots. Find it to be relaxing. Even enjoy adding to a gift item.
snoopysnop1 at yahoo dot com
I've never done any embroidery but I do appreciate looking at people's finished works.
NoraAdrienne (at) gmail (dot) com
I have never done any embroidery.
skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net
I had an embroidery kit years ago when I was a teen, I actually enjoyed it I don't know why I didn't continue on. I have also done some crewel and I really love cross stitch, unfortunately my hands cramp so I haven't done it for awhile.
I have never done any embroidery.
Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com
I love to do machine embroidery.
lag110 at mchsi dot com
My mother taught me to embroider when I was young. I still have a few pillowcases that I did. Maybe it's time to take it up again. Thanks for the giveaway.
sallycootie@gmail.com
Yes, I have done hand embroidery. rlepree(at)musfiber(dot)com
Oh my yes I've done embroidery, by hand, many years ago, lol. Then I switched to the counted cross-stitch and now I don't do any of it. I really did enjoy it, don't know why I gave up all of my needlework, guess it was lack of time maybe.
wfnren at aol dot com
I'm totally incompetent when it comes to anything involving a needle and thread---so no, I've never tried to do any embroidery.
I love to embrioder. I do counted cross-stitch too but get tired of the same stitch. Have lots of frames pictures around of embriodery. The girl across the street taught me how to do it. We added embriodery to towels to dry dishes (before the advent of paper towels). I still have my 100 stitch book to refer to and a lovely own that I enjoy browsing. I seems to go in spurts. I stop for about five years and then start up again.
No, I haven't
In my younger days, I did some but only do larger cross stitch on plastic canvas now. I spend more time crocheting than this because I enjoy it more and more versitile.
Not in the longest time. I used to help my grandmother embroider kitchen towels, with varying success!
I did some embroidery by hand when I was younger.
No embroidery but love to do counted cross stitch.
I love to embroidery and counted cross stitch.
mlawson17 at Hotmail dot com
I love to embroidery and counted cross stitch.
mlawson17 at Hotmail dot com
My Mom taught me counted cross-stitch at 7 years old to keep me busy for an hour while she watched her soap opera. I self taught myself embroidery and some crewel. My favorite is counted cross-stitch but I haven't done it in a long time.
When I was a young girl my grandmother taught me to do hand embroidery. I did a few pieces but haven't done any since then. It really would be fun to get back into it !
Deanne Patterson
Cnnamongirl@aol.com
i have done embroidery, very soothing thing to do
I have done hand embroidery but many years ago. I don't do it now because arthritis. Love reading this series!
not any formal type of sewing, embroidery, knitting, crocheting....
I mostly touched upon each as a child, for fun......
I have never done embroidery. I'm bad enough with poking myself with a needle trying to fix a button. But I do greatly appreciate the talent of someone who does embroidery.
I've never done any kind of embroidery. I'd like to learn, it's just a matter of finding someone who can teach me. Thanks for the chance to win.
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