When it Takes a Village: Lea Wait
Edith, posting from Silver Spring, Maryland the day before Malice starts! Please join me in welcoming back a woman with amazing strength of character and will – and talent, too – the lovely Lea Wait.
Thanks for the invitation to be here!
It’s the Merry Month of May, and I‘m celebrating the
publication of THREAD ON ARRIVAL, the eighth book in my Mainely Needlepoint
series, centered around a small diverse cast of characters who do custom
needlepoint (and identify and restore antique needlepoint) in the working
waterfront community of Haven Harbor, Maine.
[image error]
As do most small communities Haven Harbor takes care
of its own. One of those is Ike Hamilton, a lifelong resident of the town. Ike
was born with an intellectual disability. His parents cared for him when they
were alive, but they’re gone now, the house they lived in was condemned, and
Ike lives in the garage his father had equipped as a workshop, with water and
heat. He survives on disability payments and by redeeming bottles and cans.
Many people in Haven Harbor save their empties for Ike, who makes regular
rounds to collect them. Some people share their meals with him. The postmaster
drives him to the redemption center every Saturday. And the local police keep
an eye on Ike on cold winter days.
In return, Ike keeps an eye on everyone in town. He
knows more than most people imagine about what is happening in Haven Harbor,
although he sometimes misinterprets what he sees. Exchanging gossip for bottles
and food is his currency. Ike’s a kind man, very conscious of what is right and
what is wrong, so when he meets Leo, a teenaged runaway, he offers to share his
home with the boy.
And because he does that, Leo is the logical suspect
when Ike is found, murdered.
Will Haven Harbor embrace the young newcomer? What
secrets did Ike know that might have led someone to kill him? Mainely
Needlepoint protagonist Angie Curtis decides to find out, especially after her
fellow needlepointer, Dave Percy, takes a special interest in Leo. But, then,
Dave has secrets, too.
Readers: Who have you known who keeps track of goings on in your town or community?
[image error]
BIO: Maine author Lea Wait has had 27 books published, including the Mainely Needlepoint series, the Shadows Antique Print Mystery series, and the Mainely Murder series. She also writes historical novels for both adults and children. For more information about Lea and her books, friend her on Facebook and check her website, www.leawait.com, which includes links to prequels of many of her books, including THREAD ON ARRIVAL.
