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An Embroidery Mystery #1
The Quick and the Thread
Opening an embroidery specialty shop in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, was a big deal for Marcy Singer. But it was nothing compared to finding a dead body in her store.
For the grand opening of her shop, the Seven Year Stitch, Marcy throws a soirée. Her friend Sadie, who owns the coffee shop down the street, provides the delicious refreshments, and the party goes swimmingly. Marcy’s registration sheet for embroidery classes fills up, and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass—or a needle—to support the shop.
But the morning after the party, Marcy and Angus, her pooch, find a nasty surprise: The man who leased the shop before Marcy is lying dead in the storeroom, with a message scratched by a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy’s shop has become a crime scene, and she’s a suspect in the murder. But Marcy will be darned if she doesn’t get to the bottom of this mystery, because it’s starting to look as if someone’s intent on putting the final stitch in her.
For the grand opening of her shop, the Seven Year Stitch, Marcy throws a soirée. Her friend Sadie, who owns the coffee shop down the street, provides the delicious refreshments, and the party goes swimmingly. Marcy’s registration sheet for embroidery classes fills up, and everyone in town seems willing to raise a glass—or a needle—to support the shop.
But the morning after the party, Marcy and Angus, her pooch, find a nasty surprise: The man who leased the shop before Marcy is lying dead in the storeroom, with a message scratched by a tapestry needle on the wall beside him. Now Marcy’s shop has become a crime scene, and she’s a suspect in the murder. But Marcy will be darned if she doesn’t get to the bottom of this mystery, because it’s starting to look as if someone’s intent on putting the final stitch in her.
313 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published August 1, 2010
172 people are currently reading
3,785 people want to read
About the author
Amanda Lee
7Ìýbooks318ÌýfollowersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Amanda Lee is a pseudonym of Gayle Trent.
Series:
*
(from Gayle Trent's webpage)
"Thank you so much for stopping by my site!
I live in Southwest Virginia with my husband and two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. I’m a full-time writer/editor/mom/wife and chief cook and bottle washer, and I love every minute of it. Okay, not the bottle washing so much, but the rest of it is great.
I’m happy to introduce you to my latest characters, cake decorator Daphne Martin and embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer.
Read more about Daphne and Marcy at my blog.
Who’s Amanda Lee?
Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle is using for the new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. The series is set on the Oregon Coast and features Marcy Singer, a spunky, thirty-something, entrepreneur who is handy with a needle.
Drop me a Line or join me on Twitter!
Amanda Lee is a pseudonym of Gayle Trent.
Series:
*
(from Gayle Trent's webpage)
"Thank you so much for stopping by my site!
I live in Southwest Virginia with my husband and two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. I’m a full-time writer/editor/mom/wife and chief cook and bottle washer, and I love every minute of it. Okay, not the bottle washing so much, but the rest of it is great.
I’m happy to introduce you to my latest characters, cake decorator Daphne Martin and embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer.
Read more about Daphne and Marcy at my blog.
Who’s Amanda Lee?
Amanda Lee is a pseudonym Gayle is using for the new cozy mystery series featuring a heroine who owns an embroidery shop. The series is set on the Oregon Coast and features Marcy Singer, a spunky, thirty-something, entrepreneur who is handy with a needle.
Drop me a Line or join me on Twitter!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 304 reviews
August 30, 2010
A good story. I liked the locale and characters, and especially the setting of a needlecrafts shop. I really wanted to give it four stars. The biggest reason for downgrading it is this: if an author is going to write a series centered around a craft, especially one she professes to have done, then she ought to be able to get the little details right.
Several times throughout the book, the author incorrectly refered to a 3/4 stitch as a half stitch. They are not the same thing. Anyone who does counted cross-stitch knows that a full stitch looks like the letter "X." A half stitch is just as it sounds, only half the [X] so that it looks like [\] or [/]. A 3/4 stitch looks like a [y] -- you leave off one of the four legs. Half stitches are very easy to do; 3/4 stitches, on the other hand, can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially for a beginner.
I know that many readers will not have known the difference, and even upon hearing of such a mistake are likely to think, "Big deal!" To the serious crafter, however, it is a big deal -- a VERY big deal. It distracted me the entire rest of the book.
Several times throughout the book, the author incorrectly refered to a 3/4 stitch as a half stitch. They are not the same thing. Anyone who does counted cross-stitch knows that a full stitch looks like the letter "X." A half stitch is just as it sounds, only half the [X] so that it looks like [\] or [/]. A 3/4 stitch looks like a [y] -- you leave off one of the four legs. Half stitches are very easy to do; 3/4 stitches, on the other hand, can sometimes be a bit tricky, especially for a beginner.
I know that many readers will not have known the difference, and even upon hearing of such a mistake are likely to think, "Big deal!" To the serious crafter, however, it is a big deal -- a VERY big deal. It distracted me the entire rest of the book.
November 9, 2015
This is the first book in the embroidery mysteries with Marcy Singer set in Oregan in the USA. Marcy has just moved to a small town with Angus O'Ruff, her Irish Wolfhound and opened a new sewing store, The Seven Year Stitch. The previous owner of the premises crashes her grand opening party; he is drunk and kept telling Marcy he had something to tell her � because he is drunk she keeps avoiding him, but the next morning she finds him dead in her storeroom. Before his death he had scratched a message on the wall that could be a clue to his murderer. Marcy is being looked at as a suspect so she decides she needs learn the meaning behind the message to clear her name. When a second body turns up she realises that she may be in danger.
There are some great supporting acts � the main ones being her childhood friend Sadie and her husband Blake along with a man called Todd they want to set Marcy up with. Then there is the investigative officer Ted, another potential love interest.
There is nothing over the top or unbelievable in the story and I think just about every character in the book became a suspect for me at one stage or another. So, other than the two deaths; there are misunderstandings, deceit, betrayal, financial shenanigans and an edge of the seat climax when everything is revealed. Overall it is a light-hearted read and I will certainly read more in the series
There are some great supporting acts � the main ones being her childhood friend Sadie and her husband Blake along with a man called Todd they want to set Marcy up with. Then there is the investigative officer Ted, another potential love interest.
There is nothing over the top or unbelievable in the story and I think just about every character in the book became a suspect for me at one stage or another. So, other than the two deaths; there are misunderstandings, deceit, betrayal, financial shenanigans and an edge of the seat climax when everything is revealed. Overall it is a light-hearted read and I will certainly read more in the series
February 21, 2011
So far I'm not really enjoying this book...I find the main character's life unbelievable. She decides she wants to move across the country and open a store, okay, she decides she needs a new car to drive up and down the coast, ok, she decides she needs to rent/buy a house, ok... Opening a shop is expensive (especially in the three months out of the blue she manages to do it in), never mind moving fees, buying stock, add onto that a new car and new residence, and I am wondering where her money is coming from. She says earlier in the book that her mom is rich but there is no explanation for her own ability to throw cash around like crazy, and I'm sorry but unlike a lot of the reviews I found so far, I don't find that believable. I also find the narrator kind of annoying...
September 8, 2010
I love cross stitch, dogs, and cozies, so I thought this would be a great selection. Unfortunately, it was all too predictable. Girl goes to a small town, opens a shop, finds a dead guy in the storage room, so she naturally investigates. Meanwhile, she's got a couple of guys wanting to date her. Decisions, decisions.
Best part about the book was Angus the dog.
Best part about the book was Angus the dog.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 24, 2019
I used to enjoy doing counted cross-stitch and knew that I would like reading this series. I wish I'd started it sooner though. I hadn't realized what I was missing! The mystery was really good and had me wondering who in the world to trust. The author did a great job of tossing out red herrings and shifting trust or mistrust to the various characters. I even wondered about a couple of the good characters, lol. I did enjoy getting to know Marcy and her new embroidery business customers, her good friend Sadie, her quirky but fun mom Beverly and her new friend Vera who had a skill that came in very handy during the showdown with a killer! That was some showdown too! It was very exciting and satisfying. I liked how everything was explained completely at the end too. I'm not sure whether Marcy will be interested in Todd that her friend Sadie fixed her up with or the good detective Ted, but I'm sure I'll find out when I read on. :)
May 22, 2014
This is the first book in the embroidery mysteries with Marcy Singer in Tallaluh Falls, Oregan. Marcy has just revamped her new store, The Seven Year Stitch, and has planned a gala opening. The old owner of her store's spot used to run a hardware store there. He crashed her party, drunk and making strange claims, and by the next day he was found dead in the store's storage area. Did he die naturally from drinking, or were his scratchings on the wall a clue to his murder?
This was an especially fun cozy mystery for me. I'm a needle crafter at heart and the references were just right to add great flavor to this mystery. Better yet, were the many funny, often sarcastic, references to old TV shows and movies. The characters were fully developed right from the start, and I found myself rooting for Marcy and her friends as they got into and out of difficult situations. I also liked her potential love interests--I know who is my favorite too. The mystery was deeper than most cozies and I found that very satisfying. Great start to this series!!
This was an especially fun cozy mystery for me. I'm a needle crafter at heart and the references were just right to add great flavor to this mystery. Better yet, were the many funny, often sarcastic, references to old TV shows and movies. The characters were fully developed right from the start, and I found myself rooting for Marcy and her friends as they got into and out of difficult situations. I also liked her potential love interests--I know who is my favorite too. The mystery was deeper than most cozies and I found that very satisfying. Great start to this series!!
October 12, 2019
The heroine has an Irish Wolfhound, a gentle dog, which gives her a companion and someone to speak to occasionally. Other than getting her out of the house for exercise he's not in a key role, but it's more unusual than the cats in many cosy craft mysteries.
Having arrived in a small town where she only has one friend, the amateur sleuth sets up her embroidery shop and waits for custom. The opening night party is spoiled when a drunk man who used to rent the shop arrives; next day he is found dead in the storeroom. Now, an incoherent man scratching a clue on the wall with a needle which he can probably barely hold, isn't going to write Four Square. He's going to scratch a number 4 and a square. I don't know how this got past an editor. I also spotted a few small proofreading errors; and I read this over a few evenings so I kept forgetting who was what and who was friendly or otherwise. The roles were pretty standard with an obligatory handsome and single male small town cop.
I did like the workings and a few unusual twists, also a warning about modern living. The author gives us too much that has to be explained at the end in lengthy conversations. However, this is the first in the series and she'll probably improve as she gains experience. No strong language or gore; suitable for teens as well as adults. This is an unbiased review. There is no pattern or recipe in the book.
Having arrived in a small town where she only has one friend, the amateur sleuth sets up her embroidery shop and waits for custom. The opening night party is spoiled when a drunk man who used to rent the shop arrives; next day he is found dead in the storeroom. Now, an incoherent man scratching a clue on the wall with a needle which he can probably barely hold, isn't going to write Four Square. He's going to scratch a number 4 and a square. I don't know how this got past an editor. I also spotted a few small proofreading errors; and I read this over a few evenings so I kept forgetting who was what and who was friendly or otherwise. The roles were pretty standard with an obligatory handsome and single male small town cop.
I did like the workings and a few unusual twists, also a warning about modern living. The author gives us too much that has to be explained at the end in lengthy conversations. However, this is the first in the series and she'll probably improve as she gains experience. No strong language or gore; suitable for teens as well as adults. This is an unbiased review. There is no pattern or recipe in the book.
August 15, 2016
Unfortunately this book just really wasn't for me. To be fair - I did only read this because it was an online book club choice, so its possible that I'm simply not the target market.
The novel is written in first person by Marcy, an accountant who's just set up a brand new needlework shop as the story begins. Before you know it someone turns up dead, and Marcy takes it upon herself to solve the case.
The problem is, Marcy isn't very interesting or engaging, it's very hard to believe that she would just solve the case, and the solution is just quite dull. The author really overexplains everything, every shift in mood etc is clearly stated, the Marcy's past is presented in long paragraphs instead of revealed gradually through events and interactions (and it's not an interesting past, just a normal past).
On the plus side, as someone who enjoys stitching, I thought that side of the novel was pretty well researched, nothing was jarringly wrong as can so often happen when a hobby you love turns up in fiction. The main character wasn't annoying, or stupid, or anything like that, I just didn't buy her as someone who would want to (or manage to) investigate a murder. There is a cast of secondary characters set up who could be interesting in future books, and her relationship with her best friend has more to it than just a bff/agree-on-everything set up. This isn't enough to get me reading the second book in the series though.
The novel is written in first person by Marcy, an accountant who's just set up a brand new needlework shop as the story begins. Before you know it someone turns up dead, and Marcy takes it upon herself to solve the case.
The problem is, Marcy isn't very interesting or engaging, it's very hard to believe that she would just solve the case, and the solution is just quite dull. The author really overexplains everything, every shift in mood etc is clearly stated, the Marcy's past is presented in long paragraphs instead of revealed gradually through events and interactions (and it's not an interesting past, just a normal past).
On the plus side, as someone who enjoys stitching, I thought that side of the novel was pretty well researched, nothing was jarringly wrong as can so often happen when a hobby you love turns up in fiction. The main character wasn't annoying, or stupid, or anything like that, I just didn't buy her as someone who would want to (or manage to) investigate a murder. There is a cast of secondary characters set up who could be interesting in future books, and her relationship with her best friend has more to it than just a bff/agree-on-everything set up. This isn't enough to get me reading the second book in the series though.
May 7, 2018
The author explains everything. "She walked through the door by turning the doorknob counterclockwise, even though a doorknob can also be turned clockwise as she discovered once by accident. She put her keys gently on the counter because she didn't like to drop keys violently on the counter. She sat in the small white chair, not the big blue chair, though sometimes she chose the big blue chair not the small white chair."
Okay, I'm exaggerating.
A little.
The MC is in Oregon and calls her mother in NY. At the end of the call, the MC says "It's later here than there and I need to get up early, so I'm going to sign off!"
This one? I forgive. Time zones make my brain hurt.
Okay, I'm exaggerating.
A little.
The MC is in Oregon and calls her mother in NY. At the end of the call, the MC says "It's later here than there and I need to get up early, so I'm going to sign off!"
This one? I forgive. Time zones make my brain hurt.
October 22, 2010
What a nice story. Nothing over the top or unbelievable. The setting is Oregan where Maggie has just opened her dream sop - a crounted cross stitch and needlework shop. Unfortunately, within the first two days of her grand opening, two men who came into the shop, each on a different day, are found dead.
Maggie's character isn't one of tons who decdes to do whatever because a man told her not to.
The storyline is character driven, and the explanations of the variou cross stitch project makes me want to get back to my cross stitch project! :-)
Maggie's character isn't one of tons who decdes to do whatever because a man told her not to.
The storyline is character driven, and the explanations of the variou cross stitch project makes me want to get back to my cross stitch project! :-)
June 27, 2016
Great first book in the series! I liked the characters and the setting. The mystery was good and it felt like I suspected just about everyone at some point. Can't wait to read the next book!
January 28, 2019
A great start to a new series, Marcy has been persuaded by her friend Sadie to pack in her soul destroying job in corporate accounts and do what she has always wanted to, namely open and run a needlework shop, on the opening night everything is going well, people are enjoying the food and drinks (provided by Sadie and her husband Blake) and they are also signing up for stitching classes of various types, but then the previous tenant of the building arrives and he appears to be drunk! The problem is the next day he is found by Marcy dead in her storeroom, and it appears he didn't die of natural causes.Ìý When there is another death Marcy and Sadie appear to be high on the list of suspects.
Now Marcy needs to decide if this is the place for her (and her Irish Wolfhound Angus) or should she cut the threads and go back to Corporate America?
Now Marcy needs to decide if this is the place for her (and her Irish Wolfhound Angus) or should she cut the threads and go back to Corporate America?
January 28, 2022
This cozy mystery is set in quaint Tallulah Falls, Oregon, and features Marcy Singer, owner of the Seven Year Stitch, an embroidery shop. The morning after the shop's grant opening, March discovers a dead body in the storeroom. To clear her name, Marcy investigates. Interesting, not much about embroidery, but a lot of romance.
August 26, 2016
Perché ho aspettato così tanto a iniziare questa serie? Eppure il suo tema di base, il ricamo, mi piace! Anche se, per ora, mi limito a punto croce e mezzo punto... Confesso che più volte, leggendo dei vari progetti, mi prudevano le manine e avrei voluto prendere ago e filo. Però, volevo ricamare e continuare a leggere nello stesso momento: una cosa impossibile da fare!
Questo è stato uno dei rari casi in cui fin dalla prima pagina mi sono detta "questo libro mi piace!". Non so cosa sia ad avermi dato questa impressione, ma il libro è continuato a piacermi anche dopo. Anche se la protagonista è solita fare riferimenti cinematografici: io non seguo il cinema in italiano, immaginate cercare di capire quelli con i titoli dei film in lingua originale! L'unica volta in cui l'autrice non mi ha persa è stata quando i riferimenti erano a telefilm polizieschi: lì mi ha fatto ricordare la mia infazia/giovinezza (Charlie's Angels, il tenente Colombo, la signora in giallo... Kojak!).
La storia gialla è ben congeniata e mi ha fatto continuare a fare ipotesi, pur avendo capito ben presto quale potesse essere il colpevole, ma non mi sembrava quasi possibile.
Morale della favola: devo procurarmi il prima possibile gli altri libri della serie. Meno male che hanno inventato gli ebooks!
Questo è stato uno dei rari casi in cui fin dalla prima pagina mi sono detta "questo libro mi piace!". Non so cosa sia ad avermi dato questa impressione, ma il libro è continuato a piacermi anche dopo. Anche se la protagonista è solita fare riferimenti cinematografici: io non seguo il cinema in italiano, immaginate cercare di capire quelli con i titoli dei film in lingua originale! L'unica volta in cui l'autrice non mi ha persa è stata quando i riferimenti erano a telefilm polizieschi: lì mi ha fatto ricordare la mia infazia/giovinezza (Charlie's Angels, il tenente Colombo, la signora in giallo... Kojak!).
La storia gialla è ben congeniata e mi ha fatto continuare a fare ipotesi, pur avendo capito ben presto quale potesse essere il colpevole, ma non mi sembrava quasi possibile.
Morale della favola: devo procurarmi il prima possibile gli altri libri della serie. Meno male che hanno inventato gli ebooks!
January 8, 2020
I've been really into embroidery recently and imagine my delight in finding these embroidery mysteries - a whole set. I gave the first one a try. The writing reminded me of the high school stuff I used to read. Lots of "padding" around in her slippers. A "splash" of lipstick. It was ok. I didn't figure out the villain so that's what held me to the end.
March 27, 2022
Sometimes you just need a cozy mystery to break up your other reading. This one, set in a needlework shop in Oregon, was a simple fun read. Not sure I will continue with the series as there are other books I’d rather read. But it was a fun quick read.
May 5, 2022
a nice and easy read :)
October 6, 2019
Great read. New series for me. Great characters and plot. Will continue reading the series.
August 25, 2020
*sigh* I just wanted to read a cozy mystery... and embroideries, nice. The cover looks really nice.
But... *sigh* Was not going to happen.
I'm glad this was a quick read, anyway.
Ok, I realized that I need to say the good parts of it, because there were good parts. (So I changed my review from 1 star to 2 stars.
It was a quick read. Amanda Lee isn't a bad author.
I like the dog.
I like the movie and tv show references. I like classic movies, too, and the mrs Danvers reference could have been funny, except that the context made it unkind, rude, unfair and mean.
There is SOME effort to actually depict embroidery as it is, and I get the impression the author knows what she is talking about, unlike some other authors I have read.
""He asked if anyone else at the party got sick.�
“He wasn’t sick. He was drunk.�
“That’s what I said. But Ted insists he was a lifelong teetotaler.�
“Why does Ted have such a hard time believing (he was drunk)?�
“I don’t know.�
“What galls me is that what happened is obvious to everyone except the detective investigating the case.�
I'd rather believe the detective than you, who don't even know the guy.
So... I just had to read this book to see if mr Enright gets vindicated. Sort of. But they can't stop bashing his widow.
I hate the main character. I reached the "look at that bitch eating crackers as if she owned the world" stage very quickly. I hate Marci. I even hate her name. Stupid name. Who names their daughter "Marci" now-a-days? [Or "Marcella". So stupid. (I apologize if your name is Marci or Marcella or any form of that. It's not a stupid name, I just hate this heroine so much everything about her is hateful.)]
A man tries to tell her something that he obviously thinks is terribly important, and she assumes he's drunk and avoids him. Then she spends the rest of the book whining about that, and everyone tells her it she didn't do anything wrong. Yes, she did. She knows she did. But - she doesn't need to learn anything from this, because she's miss perfect and everyone tells her she is.
She finds a dead man in her storeroom, and calls it "a minor aggravation, more or less".
Oh, no, she needs to close her store for a couple of days and cannot start with her embroidery classes... uh, so aggravating!
"Leave it to some drunken buffoon to wander in and not only spoil your party, but make you have to shut down your store to boot. What a shame.�
Yeah. How DARES he get murdered in your store! WHAT A HORRIBLE PERSON!!!
*rolling eyes*
Nobody seems to be sorry for the death of the guy. Except another store owner who said "He appeared to be a very nice man—never did anything untoward, as far as I know."
Nobody went to offer his widow any condolences or fruit baskets. Nobody went to his funeral, if he even had one.
BTW, what does our excellent MC say about the other store owner?
“She didn’t strike me as a particularly nice person,� I said, “which is too bad, because I like aromatherapy products.�
“That’s okay,� Sadie said with small smile. “I know a wonderful place in [in another place] that sells top-of-the-line stuff.�
YOU don't strike me as a nice person. So, I'll just boycott your store and order my embroidery stuff online. And that coffee shop as well. I'm sure my pastry is better than hers anyway.
(BTW; that store owner isn't mentioned again in the whole book)
The detective hasn't been anything but proper with her, but she sneers at him and is impolite and gets upset for no reason at all. He probably didn't strike her as a nice person either.
What is her problem? Why is she being a bitch?
(Oh, and later she's being a total bitch, and the detective curls a lip at the mean comment, and then she suddenly starts to like him. I suddenly found him as not a nice person, too.)
But - obviously the detective has a crush on her, because she's marysue and every remotely interesting single guy has to fall in love with her. That's the rule.
And obviously there's a threesome. And obviously she resents her friend who's trying to look after her other friend. How dares she assume she wants to keep both guys hanging? She's the HEROINE for crying out loud!!!
And, of course, the other woman apologizes first :-D Because heroines don't need to apologize. Ever.
But, she resents her anyway, because she's the perfect heroine who never does anything wrong, and it's always someone else's fault
God, I hate her.
She is more concerned about the fact that she is a suspect, than that two people are dead. That she's suspect is totally proper and correct way to deal with it. I really don't understand the "how can you suspect ME? EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW I'M A GOOD PERSON!!!" attitude so many USonians have. Do that, and your book loses another star.
Another star fell of because of the "I haven't done ANYTHING wrong, and THEY are being SO MEAN to me!!!"
Then they go to express their condolences to the landlord's widow, while no-one did that with the widow of the first murder victim, and behave nastily toward the murdered man's sister, and then they call the sister a shrew and “And I’d like to see if Mrs. Danvers has a reflection in the mirror over the mantel in the living room�
WTF? What a f-ing bitch!
Then they meet the grieving sister again, and assume she's being terribly inapporpriate and audacious, until she explains what she means, and shows she's just being prudent and considerate and kind, and only when she cries over her dead brother, the bitches offer her some sympathy... with "Why is it that even the most heartfelt sentiments expressed at times like this seem so trite?" Heartfelt sentiments, my ass!
AND NOT EVEN A WORD OF "OH WE MISJUDGED HER, DIDN'T WE, OOPS". Oh, no. Because these bitches are perfect.
Then she keeps buggering the guys and their families, even though it's none of her business, because "it’s not irrelevant to me. I need to know why two men are dead and if their deaths are in any way connected with my shop.�
No, you don't. You want to. That's something different.
And it is none of your business, bitch. You don't have the right to harass people because you want to stick you nose into none-of-your-business.
And, BTW, let the police do their job. It's not your job!
Oh, dear, how I hate this MC.
This book is losing stars pretty fast...
so - here's some chosen bits that I react to, because I just hate this book.
“Why did you name him Angus?� Detective Nash asked. “Are you a fan of AC/DC?�
Only a fan of AC/DC would ask that.
Angus, BTW, is more Scottish than Irish.
As soon as we got into Blake’s van, I dug around in my purse and found my hand sanitizer. I squirted a generous amount onto my palm. (because her hand had been "encased between Norman Patrick’s sweaty palms")
Such a lovely person.
“I can only remember one actress with a starring role who acted haughty toward Mom.�
“And she appeared on set in a garment that made everybody—paparazzi included—speculate about her ‘belly bump.� �
Sadie and I were still laughing when the waiter returned with our drinks.
Oh, yeah, the mom is such a nice person, as well.
"My mom is Audrey-classy"
No, she isn't. Audrey would never have revenged anyone behaving badly toward her by creating gossip.
The coffee house owner has a stomach bug. And her husband keeps the coffee house open. Nice. So, soon, half the town will have a stomach bug.
"I had some mini bacon-and-cheddar quiches, which have the flakiest crusts ever. Plus, they have bits of onion that really enhance the flavor of the eggs."
Ew. Bits of onion don't enhance the flavor of eggs. Eggs have a soft, kind, mild flavor, and it drowns in onions.
"he was carrying a bouquet of roses, daisies, and chrysanthemums"
Another yuk. Who puts roses, daisies and mums in the same bouquet? Roses and mums don't work together, they are too different.
You ask something very personal from the guy ON YOUR FIRST DATE, and when he doesn't react well to that, you get nasty. Brrr... I wouldn't date this woman even if she was the last woman on earth. She's as fake and nasty as her hair color.
But... *sigh* Was not going to happen.
I'm glad this was a quick read, anyway.
Ok, I realized that I need to say the good parts of it, because there were good parts. (So I changed my review from 1 star to 2 stars.
It was a quick read. Amanda Lee isn't a bad author.
I like the dog.
I like the movie and tv show references. I like classic movies, too, and the mrs Danvers reference could have been funny, except that the context made it unkind, rude, unfair and mean.
There is SOME effort to actually depict embroidery as it is, and I get the impression the author knows what she is talking about, unlike some other authors I have read.
""He asked if anyone else at the party got sick.�
“He wasn’t sick. He was drunk.�
“That’s what I said. But Ted insists he was a lifelong teetotaler.�
“Why does Ted have such a hard time believing (he was drunk)?�
“I don’t know.�
“What galls me is that what happened is obvious to everyone except the detective investigating the case.�
I'd rather believe the detective than you, who don't even know the guy.
So... I just had to read this book to see if mr Enright gets vindicated. Sort of. But they can't stop bashing his widow.
I hate the main character. I reached the "look at that bitch eating crackers as if she owned the world" stage very quickly. I hate Marci. I even hate her name. Stupid name. Who names their daughter "Marci" now-a-days? [Or "Marcella". So stupid. (I apologize if your name is Marci or Marcella or any form of that. It's not a stupid name, I just hate this heroine so much everything about her is hateful.)]
A man tries to tell her something that he obviously thinks is terribly important, and she assumes he's drunk and avoids him. Then she spends the rest of the book whining about that, and everyone tells her it she didn't do anything wrong. Yes, she did. She knows she did. But - she doesn't need to learn anything from this, because she's miss perfect and everyone tells her she is.
She finds a dead man in her storeroom, and calls it "a minor aggravation, more or less".
Oh, no, she needs to close her store for a couple of days and cannot start with her embroidery classes... uh, so aggravating!
"Leave it to some drunken buffoon to wander in and not only spoil your party, but make you have to shut down your store to boot. What a shame.�
Yeah. How DARES he get murdered in your store! WHAT A HORRIBLE PERSON!!!
*rolling eyes*
Nobody seems to be sorry for the death of the guy. Except another store owner who said "He appeared to be a very nice man—never did anything untoward, as far as I know."
Nobody went to offer his widow any condolences or fruit baskets. Nobody went to his funeral, if he even had one.
BTW, what does our excellent MC say about the other store owner?
“She didn’t strike me as a particularly nice person,� I said, “which is too bad, because I like aromatherapy products.�
“That’s okay,� Sadie said with small smile. “I know a wonderful place in [in another place] that sells top-of-the-line stuff.�
YOU don't strike me as a nice person. So, I'll just boycott your store and order my embroidery stuff online. And that coffee shop as well. I'm sure my pastry is better than hers anyway.
(BTW; that store owner isn't mentioned again in the whole book)
The detective hasn't been anything but proper with her, but she sneers at him and is impolite and gets upset for no reason at all. He probably didn't strike her as a nice person either.
What is her problem? Why is she being a bitch?
(Oh, and later she's being a total bitch, and the detective curls a lip at the mean comment, and then she suddenly starts to like him. I suddenly found him as not a nice person, too.)
But - obviously the detective has a crush on her, because she's marysue and every remotely interesting single guy has to fall in love with her. That's the rule.
And obviously there's a threesome. And obviously she resents her friend who's trying to look after her other friend. How dares she assume she wants to keep both guys hanging? She's the HEROINE for crying out loud!!!
And, of course, the other woman apologizes first :-D Because heroines don't need to apologize. Ever.
But, she resents her anyway, because she's the perfect heroine who never does anything wrong, and it's always someone else's fault
God, I hate her.
She is more concerned about the fact that she is a suspect, than that two people are dead. That she's suspect is totally proper and correct way to deal with it. I really don't understand the "how can you suspect ME? EVERYONE SHOULD KNOW I'M A GOOD PERSON!!!" attitude so many USonians have. Do that, and your book loses another star.
Another star fell of because of the "I haven't done ANYTHING wrong, and THEY are being SO MEAN to me!!!"
Then they go to express their condolences to the landlord's widow, while no-one did that with the widow of the first murder victim, and behave nastily toward the murdered man's sister, and then they call the sister a shrew and “And I’d like to see if Mrs. Danvers has a reflection in the mirror over the mantel in the living room�
WTF? What a f-ing bitch!
Then they meet the grieving sister again, and assume she's being terribly inapporpriate and audacious, until she explains what she means, and shows she's just being prudent and considerate and kind, and only when she cries over her dead brother, the bitches offer her some sympathy... with "Why is it that even the most heartfelt sentiments expressed at times like this seem so trite?" Heartfelt sentiments, my ass!
AND NOT EVEN A WORD OF "OH WE MISJUDGED HER, DIDN'T WE, OOPS". Oh, no. Because these bitches are perfect.
Then she keeps buggering the guys and their families, even though it's none of her business, because "it’s not irrelevant to me. I need to know why two men are dead and if their deaths are in any way connected with my shop.�
No, you don't. You want to. That's something different.
And it is none of your business, bitch. You don't have the right to harass people because you want to stick you nose into none-of-your-business.
And, BTW, let the police do their job. It's not your job!
Oh, dear, how I hate this MC.
This book is losing stars pretty fast...
so - here's some chosen bits that I react to, because I just hate this book.
“Why did you name him Angus?� Detective Nash asked. “Are you a fan of AC/DC?�
Only a fan of AC/DC would ask that.
Angus, BTW, is more Scottish than Irish.
As soon as we got into Blake’s van, I dug around in my purse and found my hand sanitizer. I squirted a generous amount onto my palm. (because her hand had been "encased between Norman Patrick’s sweaty palms")
Such a lovely person.
“I can only remember one actress with a starring role who acted haughty toward Mom.�
“And she appeared on set in a garment that made everybody—paparazzi included—speculate about her ‘belly bump.� �
Sadie and I were still laughing when the waiter returned with our drinks.
Oh, yeah, the mom is such a nice person, as well.
"My mom is Audrey-classy"
No, she isn't. Audrey would never have revenged anyone behaving badly toward her by creating gossip.
The coffee house owner has a stomach bug. And her husband keeps the coffee house open. Nice. So, soon, half the town will have a stomach bug.
"I had some mini bacon-and-cheddar quiches, which have the flakiest crusts ever. Plus, they have bits of onion that really enhance the flavor of the eggs."
Ew. Bits of onion don't enhance the flavor of eggs. Eggs have a soft, kind, mild flavor, and it drowns in onions.
"he was carrying a bouquet of roses, daisies, and chrysanthemums"
Another yuk. Who puts roses, daisies and mums in the same bouquet? Roses and mums don't work together, they are too different.
You ask something very personal from the guy ON YOUR FIRST DATE, and when he doesn't react well to that, you get nasty. Brrr... I wouldn't date this woman even if she was the last woman on earth. She's as fake and nasty as her hair color.
February 24, 2020
Almost an unfinished read. I found it pretty unbelievable - you've just moved to town and you know better than the police? The protagonist spent all her day sewing or investigating rather than actually running her shop, so I'm not sure how she afforded her new house and new car... I enjoyed the depiction of the town, but the characterisation was off for me.
March 15, 2023
I thought this was a fun and easy read. I love to do embroidery myself and it was fun to read a book where the main character shares the same hobby. The murder mystery was entertaining and I do look forward to reading the other books in this series.
February 26, 2013
So the first question in my mind was: Does the world need another needlecraft-based cozy series when Monica Ferris is still writing? The answer is, Sure. They aren't all that much alike. Marcy Singer, the protagonist of this one, opened her needlework shop because she wanted to ditch her accountant career. Her mom is a movie-industry costume designer (present only on the phone in this book). And the mystery doesn't focus on any obscure types of needlework, fabric, or yarn.
So it's a good mystery with several twists and two attractive guys interested in the new girl in town. Marcy works on stitching projects and holds classes and tries to figure out what's going on because, well, she's a little paranoid that she might be considered a suspect. That last part's weak but more or less expected in this kind of book.
I thought the author made a really interesting choice in the final confrontation, with the protagonist not doing something important, or at least hesitating so that the other character present did it. I kind of wonder how that's going to work out for the series, if it does well enough to continue.
Minor side note to the cover artist: When page 5 of the book describes the shop as having a black-and-white tiled floor and maple wood shelving and trim, it's really not a good idea to portray it on the cover as having green carpet and white-painted wood elements. Just sayin'. But at least the dog is correct.
So it's a good mystery with several twists and two attractive guys interested in the new girl in town. Marcy works on stitching projects and holds classes and tries to figure out what's going on because, well, she's a little paranoid that she might be considered a suspect. That last part's weak but more or less expected in this kind of book.
I thought the author made a really interesting choice in the final confrontation, with the protagonist not doing something important, or at least hesitating so that the other character present did it. I kind of wonder how that's going to work out for the series, if it does well enough to continue.
Minor side note to the cover artist: When page 5 of the book describes the shop as having a black-and-white tiled floor and maple wood shelving and trim, it's really not a good idea to portray it on the cover as having green carpet and white-painted wood elements. Just sayin'. But at least the dog is correct.
October 28, 2010
The Quick and the Thread is the first book of An Embroidery Mystery series. Marcy Singer leaves San Francisco for Tallulah Falls, Oregon to pursue her dream of owning her own embroidery shop The Seven Year-Stitch. Her best friend and former college roommate, Sadie and her husband Blake, also reside there. The couple owns MacKenzies� Mochas, which is conveniently located next door to Marcy’s shop.
The night of her open house, former tenant Tim Enright crashes the party and is determined to speak with Marcy privately. Turned off by his odd behavior (and assumption he’s intoxicated), Marcy keeps herself at arm’s length. Later after everyone has left for the evening, Marcy, Sadie, Blake and Todd (the man that Sadie is trying to fix her up with) are cleaning up when they hear a strange noise in the back. Blake and Todd make light of it and joke that it’s only a bear. The next morning Marcy discovers Enright’s body.
Before his death, Enright scratches a message on the wall that’s a clue to his murder. Marcy is suddenly being looked at as a suspect and decides she needs learn the meaning behind the message to clear her name. She begins speaking to the local residents and as a result another person is killed.
The night of her open house, former tenant Tim Enright crashes the party and is determined to speak with Marcy privately. Turned off by his odd behavior (and assumption he’s intoxicated), Marcy keeps herself at arm’s length. Later after everyone has left for the evening, Marcy, Sadie, Blake and Todd (the man that Sadie is trying to fix her up with) are cleaning up when they hear a strange noise in the back. Blake and Todd make light of it and joke that it’s only a bear. The next morning Marcy discovers Enright’s body.
Before his death, Enright scratches a message on the wall that’s a clue to his murder. Marcy is suddenly being looked at as a suspect and decides she needs learn the meaning behind the message to clear her name. She begins speaking to the local residents and as a result another person is killed.
September 29, 2011
It's a good first book in a new series. I liked the characters...I even liked including Angus the Irish Wolfhound being frequently mentioned. And for a person who's done a great deal of needlecraft in the past, I enjoyed the setting and the vivid details of the Marcy's shop. (There are a couple of stitch related errors but if you haven't cross-stitched, you'd never catch them).
The personalities of the characters are fairly well developed as is the mystery, and there are plenty of twists and turns involving who the killer(s) might be and who is behind the financial troubles and manipulations. Keeping track kept me on my toes.
The police, Ted, played his part, providing a variety of roles. One of which might be a potential boyfriend for Marcy in the future. There's numerous other secondary characters to add interest and you'll also find a couple of deaths, some misunderstandings, deceit, betrayal, financial shenanigans and a few other surprises. It's a cute, lighthearted read and I look forward to the next release.
The personalities of the characters are fairly well developed as is the mystery, and there are plenty of twists and turns involving who the killer(s) might be and who is behind the financial troubles and manipulations. Keeping track kept me on my toes.
The police, Ted, played his part, providing a variety of roles. One of which might be a potential boyfriend for Marcy in the future. There's numerous other secondary characters to add interest and you'll also find a couple of deaths, some misunderstandings, deceit, betrayal, financial shenanigans and a few other surprises. It's a cute, lighthearted read and I look forward to the next release.
March 5, 2021
I really wanted to love it. Cozy mystery featuring the Oregon coast and stitching? Everything pointed to being a new favorite...except it just was not good. The writing is clunky, like my writing in high school and my early drafts of stories for my creative writing courses in college. There's no real character development--they all fell flat. Angus the dog is a more well rounded character. The potential for great worldbuilding was there but it missed the mark with the excessive and unnecessary details that went on as listed features. I didn't particularly care for Marcy, who seemed to enjoy passing judgment on people she just met and telling everyone everything she knows, which is very little. She's a poor detective and doesn't seem to be a great shop owner either. As for the mystery itself, I was so uninterested I couldn't even skip to the last few pages to get the resolution. I just don't care about these people or this situation to even finish the book. I made it 4 chapters hoping it would get better but if anything it got worse.
March 5, 2011
Cozy, crafty mysteries are really becoming quite commonplace, so it is hard to find one that really stands out from all the rest. Amanda Lee's _The Quick and the Thread_ is definitely above average, and is worth a look. In an easy read, Lee's heroine, Marcy Singer, comes across as likable and not overly "cute" and perfect, like characters seen in other books. She may have flaws, but really she is an innocent abroad, if by abroad we mean moving from San Francisco to Oregon. Marcy fulfills her dream of moving to a small town to open an embroidery shop; a town where her married best friend already has a shop, right next door. Two men vie for Marcy's attention, but she genuinely is too busy with her new business, her dog, oh, and the dead guy in the storeroom to worry about who is Mr. Right. A believable mystery, even with a decidedly disappointing denouement, Lee shows promise, as does Marcy. I'll visit this town again.
February 2, 2017
Beyond the improbable set up, most of this book was on the surface without very much depth. The characters were barely one dimensional, the prose was static, and plots never really went anywhere.
Marcy was fine, but I wanted her to stand up for herself more when she was obviously bothered by things and the character quirk of being into movies/pop culture felt forced. Sometimes it came up in places where it had no business being.
(Also, isn't it a little ridiculous that she moves to town and within two days she has two men falling all over themselves to date her and who the other residents consider her beaus?)
The other major problem was that there was hardly any logical train of thought from Marcy. She just made wild guesses, fairly ridiculous ones at that, and hoped that they were right.
Just not very strong on most counts.
Marcy was fine, but I wanted her to stand up for herself more when she was obviously bothered by things and the character quirk of being into movies/pop culture felt forced. Sometimes it came up in places where it had no business being.
(Also, isn't it a little ridiculous that she moves to town and within two days she has two men falling all over themselves to date her and who the other residents consider her beaus?)
The other major problem was that there was hardly any logical train of thought from Marcy. She just made wild guesses, fairly ridiculous ones at that, and hoped that they were right.
Just not very strong on most counts.
January 15, 2017
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
December 11, 2012
If you like small cozy mysteries, the Oregon Coast, and aren't too picky about wanting to strangle a cross stitch shop owner who arranges her cross stitch threads not by number, but by pretty color, you may like this book.
It's a pretty straightforward cozy mystery. New girl moves to small OR coastal town to open embroidery shop, finds previous tenant dead in her storeroom on opening day, is a suspect in murder and must clear herself.
Other than being annoyed by the aforementioned organization of shop (which is silly, because it's not like I can actually SHOP there!)I did enjoy this book. It's a nice read for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea.
It's a pretty straightforward cozy mystery. New girl moves to small OR coastal town to open embroidery shop, finds previous tenant dead in her storeroom on opening day, is a suspect in murder and must clear herself.
Other than being annoyed by the aforementioned organization of shop (which is silly, because it's not like I can actually SHOP there!)I did enjoy this book. It's a nice read for a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea.
February 15, 2015
Cozies are a balm. Especially ones that have a mellow premise like this. Marcy opens her dream shop, Seven Year Stitch, an embroidery specialty shop. Opening night is good, but there's a dead body found in the storeroom the next morning. Everyone is a suspect and Marcy's dream store is a crime scene and closed for business for the time being. This leads Marcy to investigate on her own.
The setting is tranquil, not too cutesy. The premise is super, making me want to take up my embroidery hoop again. An excellent change at romance for Marcy and then there's Angus O'Ruff, Marcy's Irish Wolfhound. What's not to love?
Definite recommend.
The setting is tranquil, not too cutesy. The premise is super, making me want to take up my embroidery hoop again. An excellent change at romance for Marcy and then there's Angus O'Ruff, Marcy's Irish Wolfhound. What's not to love?
Definite recommend.
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