Threads of Evidence

Mainely Needlepoint #2

by Lea Wait

It's hard to imagine anything bad ever happening in picturesque Haven Harbor, Maine--until a famous face rolls into town and unthreads some very dark secrets. . .

Angie Curtis and the Mainely Needlepointers are all too familiar with the Gardener estate. The crumbling Victorian mansion, known as "Aurora," has been sitting vacant for nearly twenty-five years--and some say it's haunted by the ghost of Jasmine Gardener, the teenage girl who died there in 1970 under mysterious circumstances...

Harbor Haven is abuzz with excitement when Hollywood actress Skye West decides to buy Aurora and sell off its furnishings. And Angie is intrigued when Skye asks her to appraise the estate's sizable collection of needlepoint pictures. But the more she examines the pieces, the more they seem to point toward Jasmine's murder--and the murderer--and it's up to her to stitch the clues together. . .

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary

290 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 25, 2015

About the author

Maine author Lea Wait writes the NYT-praised 8-book Shadows Antique Print Mystery series, the latest of which is SHADWS ON A MORNING IN MAINE, and the USA Today best-selling Mainely Needlepoint series which debuted with TWISTED THREADS in January, 2015, and was followed by THREADS OF EVIDENCE in August, 2015, THREAD AND GONE, in January, 2016, DANGLING BY A THREAD in late October, 2016, and TIGHTENING THE THREADS in March, 2017. Wait also writes acclaimed historical novels for ages 8 and up set in 19th century Maine, the latest of which, UNCERTAIN GLORY, takes place in a small northern town during the first two weeks of the Civil War. Lea's LIVING AND WRITING ON THE COAST OF MAINE, about being an author and living year 'round in Maine with a husband who's an artist also includes writing tips. Lea did her undergraduate work at Chatham College (now University) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and her graduate work at New York University. While she was raising the four daughters she adopted as a single parent she worked as a manager for AT&T. Now she writes full time and speaks at schools and libraries. She loves rowing, visiting historical sites, and, of course, reading and writing. See her website,
www.leawait.com, and the blog she writes with other Maine Mystery writers, http://www.mainecrimewriters.com, friend her on FB and Goodreads, and, if you'd like to be on her email list to find out when her next book will be published, send her your email address write to her at leawait@roadrunner.com

Reviews

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threads of Evidence is the second book in the Mainely Needlepoint cozy mystery series written by Lea Wait. I discovered the series because I was looking for one set in Maine, and I couldn't be happier. I enjoyed the first one, but the second was even stronger. Set on the coast, it offers a beautiful setting, appealing small town, vibrant characters, and a ton of possibilities. To point out how much I enjoyed reading it, I'll say this... I read the first book on Sunday morning and by lunchtime had downloaded the second one and later finished it before dinner. It's such an easy read but also keeps you guessing.

In this caper, a Hollywood star purchases an old mansion that's been abandoned for 25 years. A teenager died there years ago, and the girl's mother recently died too. Angie, our heroine and protagonist, is asked to inventory and manage the sale of all the furnishings inside the home before construction begins. While going through the items, she learns more details about the death from several decades earlier. Was it an accident? Murder? Suicide? Angie is intrigued but not enough to do anything... until the new buyer is poisoned. The star survives but subsequently begs Angie to investigate what happened back in 1970... and when more issues and mysterious events pile up, we know it had to be murder.

I enjoyed how Angie is integrated into the Mainely Needlepoint business this time; she's beginning to understand the art form and bring new sales while searching for more knitters. In doing so, she can ask questions about the extravagant party from years ago when the teenager drowned in the fountain. At the same time, Angie's trying to plan her grandmother's wedding, fix up the house she's living in, and remind herself that this is only a six-month return home. A few men begin to express interest in her, and she's not sure what to think about the thought of a relationship yet. She's late 20s, never been married, but also very independent. I know who I want her to get with!

All-in-all, the series offers a great atmosphere and quality writing for this genre. I could've started a third one last night but determined it would be better to pace myself, as there are only 9 in the series, given the author passed away last year. I am curious to explore the other series she's written about an antique business in Maine, so assuming this one finishes strongly, I'll give that one a chance too in 2021.

[Dorie - Cats&Books :) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since this is a library audiobook I don't usually write long reviews.

I really enjoy this cozy series which is a new genre for me. The descriptions of Maine are gorgeous and the characters are really believable.

The mystery in this one is multi-layered and not easy to figure out. There is lots going on in this little town in Maine and I'm about to start the next one.

For something easy and fun to listen to I recommend this series. The mystery is more complicated then you may at first think. I also like that the characters grow in the books, particularly the main character

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an author review -- so, yes; I'm prejudiced! But THREADS OF EVIDENCE was such fun to write!
I love old, crumbly, Victorian mansions ... I want to adopt them all and restore them and find out
their stories. And that's just what actress Skye West does after buying Aurora, a large home that's been unoccupied for years ... and was the scene of a seventeen-year-old girl's death back in 1970. Was the death an accident, as police at the time said? Or was the girl's mother right when she believed her daughter had been killed? And could the answer be hidden in the needlepoint canvases still in the old house? And .. why did a famous actress choose this home for her Maine residence? Of course .. not everything is as it seems. And I hope you'll enjoy unravelling the truth along with Angie Curtis.

[Cyndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was ok, but the mystery seemed to drag a lot. Also, the quotes included from needlepoint panels of the 1700 and 1800's were just plain creepy. There were eight year old girls who fastidiously embroidered about death. It was some dark stuff. I can just see some little girl dressed in lace and proudly showing her mother a work of art saying that she welcomes death. *shudder*
Anyway the mystery was so so, but the book is worth the read just for the samplers. 😊

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good read. Very good mystery. Fantastic characters. And lots of descriptions of some of the amazing food that comes out of Maine [be prepared to be hungry by the end and to crave lobster rolls as well {unless you have never had one and all I can say to that is I AM SO SORRY and please please please try and get one ASAP} ]

The first book was this good, but the narrator was not. I was highly disappointed to see that the same narrator was set for this book as well and consigned myself to not loving the book as much as I wanted because the narrator was so horrible. I was in for a pleasant surprise She has improved. Still a little more whispery than I like [because its kinda creepy and weird], but for the most part, it was a MUCH better narration and for that I was very grateful.

Looking forward to book 3 in this series.

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better "crafty" cozy series - and again, with a cold case, rather than body of the week.

[Leiah Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun cozy with great characters

"Cleaning Woolwork: If the woolwork is not much soiled, stretch it in a frame and wash it over with a quart of water into which a tablespoon of ox gall has been dropped. If much soiled, wash with gin and soft soap, in the proportions of a quarter of a pound of soap to half a pint of gin. - The Dictionary of Needlework: An Encyclopaedia of Artistic, Plain, and Fancy Needlework, London, 1882"

The members of Mainely Needlework understand the importance, and the history, of those pieces meticulously stitched by hand and folded gently into a girl’s trousseau. Saving the old, and creating new to carry on the tradition. Now that Angie Curtis is back in Haven Harbor (well, at least for six-months. Really. Just six months, then she is back to Arizona.) she is managing her grandmother’s business, though she really knows nothing about needlework. But she is good with business and she is able to help with her grandmother’s wedding to Reverend Tom, so life is good on the Maine Coast. And when Angie and her friend Sarah are asked to appraise the contents of the old Victorian known as Aurora, a house with a dark history, things are looking up for Mainely Needlework and Angie. Sold to a famous actress, Skye West, the decrepit house is slated to be brought back to its former glory. But things aren’t quite as they seem. Skye has another agenda. Back in 1970, Jasmine Gardener, daughter of the Gardeners who owned Aurora, died. And Skye is determined to find out who murdered her. The only problem?

Angie, as a former private investigator’s assistant, is coming close to the answer.  But someone is determined to assure that Skye doesn’t find out what happened to Jasmine. And if arsenic doesn’t work, fire might. The answers may be in the unlikeliest place – the needlework samplers stitched by Jasmine’s mother after her death and being restored by the Mainely Needlework stitchers.This is the second in the Mainely Needlework series, but you can comfortably read it (though the first one sounds really good!) I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a realistic review. All thoughts are my own.  

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dollycas’s Thoughts

I loved this story even more than the last.

Aurora is the name of an estate outside of Harbor Haven that has been vacant for years. It is a Victorian with a past. A young lady, Jasmine Gardener, died there at an end of summer party back in 1970. The case is still open. The youngest member of the Mainely Needlepointers, Sarah, runs an antique store and she had a visitor come in saying his mother has bought the home and plans to bring the old place back to life. They needed someone to go through the house and separate the trash from treasure. Sarah quickly accepts the job and brings Angie along to assist her. There are several needlepoint items throughout the house. The most salvageable are a group of framed pictures depicting special places around Harbor Haven including Aurora. The woman that purchased the home is Skye West, a Hollywood actress. She seems to be very interested in Jasmine’s death, she believes the girl was murdered and that with a little help she can solve the case. Could that help come from the Mainely Needlepointers? I don’t think Angie could stay out of it if she tried.

Again Angie and Gram stole my heart, but Skye’s story was very interesting too. The more we learn the faster the pages start to turn. It was almost impossible to put the book down. I made the mistake of starting this book on a very busy weekend for me. My solution was take the book with me everywhere I went and read it every chance I had. I had reached a very exciting part right when we had reached our destination and was torn whether to join the family or keep reading. Well of course I joined the family, but as soon as we arrived home that night I curled up with the book and didn’t move until I finished.

This story has something for everyone, a strong mystery that is so well written, fabulous characters you will love, humor, romance, and suspense too. The entire story was very unique and I was totally surprised at the ending. You do not have to know anything about needlepoint to enjoy this story but if you do I predict you will love it as much or more than I did.

The next book in the series Thread and Gone comes out the end of December.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mainely Needlepoint series has become a favorite cozy series for me. I like it because it is somewhat different than other cozies. The main character Angie was born in Maine. She did not have a traditional childhood. Her mother had a reputation in town and disappeared. She would see the town people give her pitying looks. She loves her hometown, her mother and Maine. She was fortunate to have a grandmother who raised her and loves her very much. Angie moved to Arizona for awhile where she was a private investigator assistant. She sometimes carries a gun that she was trained to use. The series starts with her return home to Maine. Her grandmother is the owner of Mainely Needlepoint.

Maybe because I am not from Maine or the eastern part of the U.S. I liked the parts of the book where she wrote about Maine meals. A traditional weekend meal would be baked beans and cole slaw. The lobster rolls that are common there sound wonderful to me. Some Maine expressions were used to such as "down east" I definitely enjoyed the Maine life style and atmosphere that were described in the book.

The mystery was good. It involved an old mansion named Aurora that went downhill after a summer party in 1970 where a seventeen year girl died. Itt was determined to be accidental. This started the breakup of the Gardener family. The father moved away and the mother lived there alone in her memories and sorrows with the belief that the death was not accidental but murder. The mother died in the nineties and the house fell into more disrepair.. A new owner buys the property and wants to restore it to its past glory. There is mystery as to the motives of the new owner as it will cost a fortune to restore.

This was a fun book. I enjoyed the preparation and work that Angie and Sarah did for the sale of items from Aurora. I enjoyed the mystery portion when Angie became involved in solving the mystery. She is level headed, confident yet has doubts at times. She brings the police in to help with the solutions of the murder. She is very relatable. I am loving this series. I will definitely read the next book. I should mention that many chapters start with sayings that young needle workers used on their work. It surprised me how young many of them were.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one, probably because it contains one of my favorite plot lines - combining a cold case and present day activities. I like Angie and the other characters and hope that Skye and Patrick will be back in future books.

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than book one.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I missed the first book in this series but I didn’t feel lost reading THREADS OF EVIDENCE at all. Author Lea Wait gave enough background to let me know about her characters. Protagonist Angie Curtis, the Mainely Needlepointers, and other characters in the book are extremely well developed. Though they seem more intense to me than characters in most cozies.

This book was an attention holding, fast moving story that led to a reveal like none I have read. There were so many twists and turns. So many things to think about and question. I’m interested to see what the third book will hold.

Not a needlepointer? No worries. You don’t have to know the craft to enjoy this story. It may however inspire you to take up needlepointing.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actress Skye West and her son purchase the Gardner mansion. She hires Angie and Sarah to see what household items can be salvaged and sold in a yard sale if she doesn't want them. Angie's needlepoint business will restore ten panels depicting local scenes. Skye came to Haven Harbor primarily to investigate what she believes was the murder of her friend Jasmine some 45 years before. She promised Jasmine's mother she would pursue it. Angie, of course, becomes involved in the investigation. Attempts are made on Skye's life before the "cold case" is solved. I loved the inclusion of the needlework in the resolution of the mystery. I listened to the audiobook.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the second book of the Mainely Needlepoint series we again meet Angie Curtis who returned to Haven Harbor Maine after the body of her missing mother was found. Angie has agreed to stay for at least six months. Her grandmother, who raised her, is getting married and has turned over the reins of Mainely Needlepoint to her. Several of the communities members work for them restoring and creating new Needlepoint Projects. The beautiful, yet dilapitated mansion, Aurora, has been standing empty for many years. The previous owner's daughter died mysteriously during a party 45 years earlier. When the actress, Skye West, purchased the mansion to restore, Haven Harbor is abuzz. She also states that she intends to find out who killed Jasmine, 45 years earlier. She enlists the help of Angie, a previous investigator in Arizona, to assist her in this task.

The characters that inhabit Haven Harbor are typical Mainers with the suspicious eye to any "foreigners". They are engaging yet tough. I enjoyed the story and meeting the characters. I will go back to read book one.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Linda Lpp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book I've read in this series by Lea Wait. I get the sense Angie and I are both granddaughters returning to the peaceful village of Haven Harbor to visit Gram who raised us from a young age. The organization of local needlepointers who commision their works is drawing Angie into their passion and dependency on the meagre supplemental income.
Now another needlepoint, restoration and antique project has come along.
Will Angie's initial visit (already extended to six months) be extended again?
....Ok back to the book so we (Angie & I) can get back to work. Stay tuned.
Well what a busy time piecing together her latest mystery (Angie). Enjoyed reading this book and series. Of course we the readers are left with what could happen in the next book. This book did conclude with a delicious sounding recipe for old fashioned bread pudding. When do we get a hint of the baked beans recipe so frequently mentioned?

[ML Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short chapters and a fast moving plot. Two good things about a cozy mystery!

[RO G'ma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in Lea Wait’s Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series and Angie Curtis, an “accidental” sleuth, is investigating a cold case murder mystery that happened 45 years ago and originally declared an accidental death of a 17-year old girl. The teen’s mother, however, died while still trying to prove her daughter was murdered by poison. Angie is the director of Mainly Needlepoint and helping her grandmother prepare for her upcoming wedding. She learns there are a lot more things to do for a wedding than she thought there would be … like planning a bridal shower. Angie is a refreshing character who doesn't jump recklessly into her investigation nor drag her friends into harm's way.

I found this to be a delightful read with a well-plotted storyline and likeable characters. Ms. Wait has provided sufficient character background that allows this book to be read as a standalone. This book has a fast-paced storyline full of mystery, suspense, and a bit of romance. This cozy series has definitely become one of my top favorites, and I'm looking forward to the third book, Thread and Gone. A quick, smooth read with twists and turns and a satisfying ending with all the ends tied up nicely.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a needle-pointer, I was very excited to read this cozy-I wasn't disappointed! What fun it was to read the solving of a 45 year old cold case with a whole host of interestingly intertwined characters in Haven Harbor, Maine. Many cozies have a fresh mystery to solve, and I liked that this cozy was solving an old murder. Throw in a creepy old mansion, needle point, and an engaging heroine and you've got a great book all stitched up!

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this second entry in the series as much as the first one and am looking forward to the next entry, too. Lea Wait makes the coast of Maine come alive. The mystery was clever and had just enough twists to keep me guessing. Highly recommended.

[L.M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love, love this series so far! I love the historic connection and Angie is always so busy it never gets dull.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s nice to be back in Maine after a couple of harrowing days in North Korea!! Book #2 in the series. Angie is a great character, kind of hang loose, but she gets the job done. I like that she isn’t chasing after or kowtowing to some man. Nice little twist at the end.

STOP HERE IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK - THIS IS A TINY SPOILER.
I deleted a star because of a situation that didn’t make sense. Pete Lambert, the cop that I despise, expounds on a premise that doesn’t ring true. He said Skye poisoned her lemonade as a publicity stunt. Huh? If the hummingbird hadn’t sipped it and died no one would have known it was poisoned. So….if Skye HAD drunk it she would have died. Some publicity stunt??

[Barbara K · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's been many years since I've read a cozy, which is exactly why I picked this book - to fulfill a "challenge" requirement to read something outside my normal preferences. I figured a cozy would be a quick read, and I was right.

I don't really feel qualified to rate or review a cozy, except to mention that there were a few clever plot twists but the characters didn't much engage me. All in all, it checked a box, but not much more.

[Terry Mckone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun mystery and the second book in the Mainely Needlepoint series. Angie gets drawn into another mystery that took place over 40 years ago and is asked to solve it. She is also dealing with her grandmother's wedding while trying to run the needlepoint business.

[Carolyn Manlove · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am amazed out how an author can pick a cozy mystery niche and place it into the story. This is done with the niche of needlepoint in this series. Cleverly done. Clues led to murderer; instead of the ´Perry Mason surprise confession’ at the end.

[Sherry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mainly Needlepoint #2: Antique store owner, Sarah asks Angie to join her in appraising the remaining contents of Aurora, a formerly gorgeous summer home for its new owner, actress Skye West and her artist son. Little of worth has survived other than a series of needlepoint canvases worked by Mrs Gardener after the death of her 17 year old daughter Jasmine 45 years before. Angie agrees to help Skye try to find Jasmine’s murderer.

[Dennise Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

“ Evil enters like a needle, and spreads like an oak tree”— This is the first quote that greets you before you begin chapter one of Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait. With a quote like that, you bet I was excited to start getting into this story. As I began to read and pass pages, I began wondering when the story would actually begin.

Angela is a twenty-seven year old who was working for a private investigator and has moved back to her home town, after her mother died, to be with her grandmother. The story revolves around an old home where a seventeen year old girl died over forty years ago. After the girl’s mother (Milli) passes away, a famous starlet purchases the home and is determined to solve the mystery of the death— enlisting the help of Angela.

A series of needlework pictures left behind by Milli are supposed to be the clues that can possibly solve said death. The problem with this book? Out of the three hundred pages the mystery was solved in abouttt ten— not exaggerating. The rest of the novel read like a bad filler, with the same conversations happening with different people (and if I have to read ONE more sentence of the diet Mainers have!).

In short, the whole idea of a mysterious death being solved by art was intriguing, but the author failed to actually deliver. The story stretched to a point where when the mystery is cracked you are just speed reading the end of the book to cross it off your Goodreads TBR list.

[Kristina Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait is the second book in the Mainely Needlepoint series. Angela returned to Haven Harbor, Maine a month ago. She thought she would only stay around for about six months to help her grandmother. Now, though, she is the director of her grandmother’s Mainely Needlepoint business and has started another business with her new friend, Sarah Byrne. Sarah owns an antique shop and she also does needlepoint projects for Mainely Needlepoint. Their new sideline business is to identify, conserve, and restore old needlework. Angela is busy with learning the ropes at Mainely Needlepoint and preparing for her Gram’s wedding. Gram (Charlotte Owen) is marrying Reverend Tom on the last Saturday in June. Angela has yet to find a dress to wear as maid of honor and Gram would like to have a wedding shower (she did not get one when she married the first time).

The Gardner Estate called Aurora has been empty since Millie Gardener died in the early 1990’s. The actress, Skye West just purchased the property. She has hired Sarah and Angela to look at the beautiful needlework. Millie Gardener did a lot of needlework in her later years. Unfortunately, since the house was so neglected a lot of it is damaged. There are ten panels, though, that were framed that can be salvaged. Skye West asks Sarah and Angela to set up a sale of all the furniture and belonging. She wants everyone in town to come. Skye offers them $15,000 to get the sale ready in one week. Turns out that Skye has an ulterior motive for buying the Aurora. She visited the estate when she was seventeen. She was friends with Millie’s daughter, Jasmine. Jasmine died the night of the end of the summer party at Aurora. It was ruled an accident, but Millie believes her daughter was murdered. Skye has come to find out the truth. Angela gets pulled in the case when Millie finds out that she worked with a private investigator in Arizona. It has been forty-five years since Jasmine died. Can they really find out the truth after so much time? The killer does not appreciate Skye and Angela nosing around. Millie left them some clues, but can they figure them out in time?

Threads of Evidence was a good book. I enjoyed reading it and solving the mystery. I like the way it was written. The book is very easy to read, lovely setting, and good characters. The mystery is medium level. It is not simple, but also not extremely complex (I figured it out before I was halfway through the book). I loved the clues and how they were incorporated into the needlepoint. The only thing I did not like was Sarah Byrne’s obsession with Patrick West, Skye’s son. As soon as she saw him, she was very focuses on him (even though he was more interested in Angela). Sarah acted more like a teenager than a grown woman who owned a business. One other thing that I found strange was Angela’s focus on alcohol. She was not a heavy drinker or an alcoholic, but it seemed to be mentioned quite frequently throughout the book. I did not understand her concern over it (nothing wrong with a glass of wine in the evening or with dinner). Otherwise, an entertaining novel. I give Threads of Evidence 4.5 out of 5 stars. Threads of Evidence can easily be relished without having read the first book in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of Threads of Evidence from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The review and opinions expressed are my own.

http://bibliophileandavidreader.blogs...

[Laura Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are several things I look for in a cozy. Let me break these down for you.

The cover. It must be colorful and fun and have something to do with the story. The cover for Threads Of Evidence is all of those things. It’s fun, colorful and a bit spooky. Showing the antiques, the needle point, and the candle gives it a haunted atmosphere.

The title. The title is quirky and leads right into the theme of this one.

The mystery. This has more than one. I had fun reading how they connected and didn’t have clue until near the end. Then, I was wrong. You have a cold case, the accidental death or murder of a young girl in the 70s. And the attempted murder of a new resident in the town of Haven Harbor, Maine.

The town. I like small towns. Haven Harbor, Maine is just that. The author painted a pretty picture with her words and I felt comfortable there, despite the dark deeds occurring.

The characters and their names.

I’ll talk about names first. I like it when names are used that are popular in the area the story takes place. Some are quite unusual and fun to try to pronounce in my head. You get plenty in this cast.

About those characters themselves. I’m huge on character driven stories and like to have several to love and loathe. There are so many in this book, I can’t possibly pick a favorite.

Angie’s return home is anything but uneventful. She lands a job appraising the contents of Aurora, a long abandoned and fallen to ruin mansion. Doesn’t every town have one of these? She’s quickly drawn into the cold case of a young girl’s possible murder. Her previous job working for a private investigator help her in this case. She’s good at sniffing out clues and handling the local police. Let’s just hope her curiosity, like a cat’s, doesn’t require she needs nine lives.

There’s the famous actress, Skye West, who along with her handsome son, Patrick,(possible love interest for Angie?) purchased the aging mansion and are fixing it up. I believe there is more to the purchase than that. Perhaps another mystery to explore?

I could go on, but then I’d be telling you half of the story.

I read this one fairly quickly. The writing flowed easily, the characters were engaging and distinct, and the mysteries had me hooked. I needed to solve them for myself.

I was also fascinated with the old mansion. I used to spend summers with my best friend at her father’s place. He had this small cabin in the middle of nowhere. We’d find these overgrown roads and drive down them to see where they went. We found many old houses in various states of decay. Being careful, we explored them. I found a lot of interesting stuff, and often wondered about the previous owners. Why did they abandon the house and leave their stuff behind? Did something tragic happen? I often thought I felt a presence lingering. Pretty sure it was my over active imagination.

What fun it must have been for these characters to go through that old mansion. Discovering it’s past, uncovering it’s secrets.

A fun cozy, with all the material to make me happy.

I received this book for my honest review.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Threads of Evidence is the second installment in the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angela Curtis is settling back into life in her hometown of Haven Harbor, ME and into her new position as the director of Mainely Needlepoint, the company started by her Grandmother Charlotte.

Angie and fellow needlepointer Sarah Byrne are invited to "Aurora", the old abandoned Victorian mansion recently purchased by Hollywood actress Skye West. Skye and her son Patrick are in the process of restoring the old home and adjacent carriage house and are interested in having Mainely Needlepoint identify and appraise the old needlepoint panels sewn by the previous homeowner Millie Gardener.

Angie soon discovers that 45 years ago Millie's daughter Jasmine had died during the annual end of the season party hosted on Aurora's grounds. Jasmine was found dead in the ornate fountain, the police say she had been drinking, fell and hit her head drowning in the water. But, Millie always believed that her daughter had been murdered, she spent the rest of her life isolated in the old manor sewing and mourning the loss of Jasmine.

Skye soon reveals that she had a past connection to Jasmine and believes like Millie, that her friend had been poisoned to death. When Skye discovers that Angie has experience as a private investigator she implores her to help locate Jasmine's killer. Angie and Sarah organize a lawn sale on the grounds of Aurora hoping to lure anyone who had contact with the Gardener family back to the scene of the crime. Verification that in fact there might have been foul play comes when a hummingbird sips from Skye's lemonade and dies, an autopsy on the bird reveals arsenic poisoning.

A fast paced storyline full of mystery, suspense and a little bit of romance. The author does a terrific job painting the Maine landscape, and the local seafood descriptions will leave your mouthwatering. Angie is a refreshing heroine who actually seems to have a brain and doesn't jump recklessly into her investigations nor drag her unsuspecting friends into harm's way.

I'm enjoying the character development of Angie as she struggles to come to terms with her past and find her place back into Haven Harbor society. It's refreshing to read about her insecurities as she looks to make new friends and perhaps find a love interest. Her relationship with Charlotte is heartwarming and I look forward to future installments as her grandmother settles into her marriage with Reverend Tom.

This cozy series has definitely become one of my top favorites, and I'm looking forward to the third book, Thread and Gone.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While I was not required to write a review, I am more than happy to share my opinion.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I visited Haven Harbor, Maine again. I visited with Angie Curtis, her grandma, and all the others that live in the small town.

This was the second book in the series of Mainely Needlepointers. In this story I was captured from the first page to the end.

There is an old Victorian House that has been empty for many years. In years gone by the people named their Homes and this one was named Aurora. In 1970 a young girl died there after a Labor Day party. No one really knew how she died, but the police ruled it an accident. But everyone in the town is excited because the house has finally been sold and the new owner is a movie star named, Skye West. The new owner is very much interested in redoing the house back to its original state.

It turns out that the person who bought the house, was at the party 45 years ago when her friend whose parents owned the house died. She never forgot the death and is now back to find out what really happened to Jasmine Gardner 45 years ago.

Angie and her friend Sarah, agree to help clean out the house and get involved in not only cleaning the furniture and stuff from the house. Angie because of her involvement with the private investigator in Arizona.

The book is very well written and was able to have me reading through the night until I found out who took the life of Jasmine Gardner so long ago. I continue to read this series I am on my way to #3.

I know it will be just as good or better than the first two!