Needle and Dread
A Southern Sewing Circle, Book #11
By Elizabeth Lynn Casey
ISBN: 97804252564
Author website: http://elizabethlynncasey.com/blog/ and http://www.laurabradford.com/
Brought to you by OBS reviewer Kayt
Synopsis:
The Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle is needled by the death of a highly strung woman in the new mystery by the author of Wedding Duress.
Downtown Sweet Briar is now home to a new sewing shop run by one of the circle’s own. With the help and support of her fellow members, Rose is determined to make SewTastic a success, and, to that end, she decides to sponsor a series of do-it-yourself weekends for sewing enthusiasts.
But when a group arrives at SewTastic to work on a project, a loud and argumentative guest pushes everyone’s buttons. And when she winds up dead in Rose’s project room—strangled by a sewing machine power cord—it’s up to Tori and the gang to stitch together the clues before Rose’s reason for living is ripped apart at the seams.
PATTERN AND SEWING TIPS INCLUDED
Review:
There is not a more fun or eclectic group of character than the ladies (and one man) of the Southern Sewing Circle. Author Elizabeth Lynn Casey’s group of women run the gambit of ages and personalities. In Needle and Dread, favorite matriarch Rose and man eater Leona have opened a sewing shop – SewTastic. They are having an inaugural do-it-yourself weekend with a small bus of out of towners from a neighboring town. Little did they know one of the guests in the small group was a vicious older woman who would end up dead. It was so sad for me, as a reader, to “see” poor Rose’s devastation and worry for the fate of her dear store. Victoria (Tori) and Margaret Louise have to do something to save it. Tori believes it will save Rose as well. As the ladies and Charles (who is visiting from NYC) begin to investigate, facts are hard to come by since the only other people in the store when the woman was murdered are the out of towners.
As the ladies try to research the sewing enthusiasts, they find out that Opal (the dead woman) was even crueler than they thought. Her antics in her home town surely did not garner her any good will. Coming up with motives and viable suspects is not easy, but Tori will not give up. She worries about Rose, her step is slower, she is not sleeping, she just is not doing well. Even though Tori is a newlywed, she has to find answers. Her wonderful husband Milo agrees. As the gang searches for clues and answers, suspects are revealed and motives are discovered.
The cast of characters in Needles and Dread is one of my all-time favorites. Sweet Briar is a fabulous setting. The friendship between this group of ladies, even in the face of their differences, is so enjoyable. Tori is a kind, loving and fabulous protagonist. These ladies have taken her into their lives, their hearts and they are now family. I love how Tori describes them and says there is something to love about each one because there truly is and I do too. As Tori says “with Beatrice it was her sweetness. With Leona, it was her fierce belief in herself. With Charles (yes he is one of the ladies now) it was his all-in personality. With Rose, it was her great strength. And with Margaret Louise, it was her normally endless smile.” Those things are what me us readers love them as well.
I adore returning to Sweet Briar and visiting with this crew. Elizabeth Lynn Casey’s writing style is easy, fun and dances on the page with intellect and humor. The mystery is extremely well plotted and written. The reader is kept guessing until the very end. I really enjoy that no one was outright accused of the murder while the gang was investigating. They researched it and tossed ideas off each other. This is how it should be done, awesome.
Needle and Dread is another exceptional installment in the fabulous Southern Sewing Circle series. Each book is better and better which is a real feat as they are all amazing, starting with the very first one. That said, if you have not read any of the others, you will have no trouble following the characters and story in this one. (Just make sure you go back and read the others. You don’t want to miss out). I recommend Needle and Dread to any cozy fan, especially sewing fans. But also to anyone that enjoys impeccably written fiction with strong and lovable female characters. Any fan of a truly well written mystery will love this one. Author Elizabeth Lynn Casey is a master of all things that truly make cozies a joy to read.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*
