Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait

First Line: "How many from Haven Harbor died?"

Ike Hamilton has fallen on hard times. He lives in a garage and subsists on disability checks and deposit bottles. Most of the residents of Haven Harbor know Ike and do what they can to help him out. When Ike is found dead, suspicion immediately falls on the teenage boy who's been living with him the past few weeks.

Angie Curtis is convinced that young Leo is innocent, and in trying to help the boy, she soon learns that, although Ike may have been simple-minded, he knew secrets that may well have gotten him murdered. Now all Angie has to do is trace Ike's bottle-collecting route. He witnessed something that cost him his life, and Angie is determined to uncover the killer.

Although I have to admit that my enthusiasm for cozy mysteries is waning, Lea Wait's Mainely Needlepoint series is still a favorite. Chalk it up to a cast of characters that's always interesting, mysteries that are always intriguing, evocative chapter headings that remind me of the samplers I stitched in my childhood, and a setting that has Maine in the top three on my list of states that I want to visit.

In Thread on Arrival, readers learn about Haven Harbor's annual Blessing of the Fleet, when those who have died at sea are remembered and the boats of the locals are blessed. It's a moving ceremony that is undoubtedly performed in coastal towns around the world where fishermen brave the elements to make a living.

We also get to know Dave Percy, one of the Mainely Needlepointers, better because he is the one who is adamant about helping prove homeless teen Leo's innocence, although others in the group are quick to offer their help. In fact, helping others is one of the themes in Thread on Arrival (and in the series as well).

Needlepoint, helping others, Maine traditions, interesting characters, and a mystery that has a long suspect list-- just five of the reasons why I continue to enjoy this series. If you haven't already, I urge you to give it a try.

Thread on Arrival by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781496716743

Kensington Books © 2019

eBook, 320 pages

Cozy Mystery, #8 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: B+

Source: NetGalley


 

Thread Herrings by Lea Wait

First Line: "This is an adventure?" I grumbled, still half asleep, as I maneuvered my sweatered-parkaed-and-booted self into the passenger seat of the faded red van Sarah Byrne used for her antiques business.

Angie Curtis didn't expect to enjoy her first auction so much; she even bid on an old embroidered coat of arms and won. At first glance, there's nothing special about the piece of embroidery. In fact, it's in bad shape. But when Angie takes it out of the frame, she finds a document dated 1757-- a claim for a child left at a foundling hospital.

Angie's imagination is completely fired up, and she has to know more. Her friend, news reporter Clem Walker, airs a local interest spot on TV in an attempt to get more information. What they get are death threats, and Clem is shot to death in a parking lot the next day. Everything points to that tattered coat of arms being the catalyst, so Angie's own life is in danger. Now all she has to figure out is how to solve a mystery when she's hiding from a killer.

I've enjoyed Lea Wait's Mainely Needlepoint cozy series from the beginning. I've painlessly learned a lot about Maine through these books-- from its fascinating history to its landscape and weather to the customs of present-day Mainers. And I am happy to announce, Thread Herrings is the best of the series so far.

I loved the reminder of how much fun attending auctions can be, and I can imagine many other readers being tempted to attend their first one from Wait's description of Angie's experience at the beginning of the book. But the one thing that takes center stage in Thread Herrings is the mystery. Angie's friend is shot to death on her way to meet Angie at a local restaurant. From strangers asking locals where she lives to death threats by email and other means, it's clear to see that Angie's life is well and truly in danger and Wait skillfully ratchets up the suspense (and the need to read faster to make sure Angie doesn't come to harm).

And guess what? Wait doesn't create this palpable tension by having Angie do something stupid! I can't tell you how refreshing that is. Angie gets a bad case of cabin fever, but when the local and state police tell her to stay put and stay inside, she does it-- and the book is still scary and suspenseful. (There are authors who need to make note of this because I'm not the only reader who can't stand characters who are TSTL-- Too Stupid To Live.)

The reveal at the end of Thread Herrings is a satisfying one, and now I have to settle down and wait for the next installment. It can't come fast enough for me.

Thread Herrings by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781496716729

Kensington Books © 2018

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #7 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Thread the Halls by Lea Wait

First Line: After ten years of not celebrating December 25 other than by listening to carols on my car radio during surveillance gigs, I was determined this Christmas would be perfect.

Movie star Skye West is bringing her costars, screenwriters, and director to her home in Maine for The Perfect Christmas, which means her son Patrick and Patrick's girlfriend, Angie Curtis, have to shuffle all their own priorities to make it so. If not for Angie and her group of Mainely Needlepointers, Patrick would find himself buckling under the weight of his mother's to do list, and for a while, things are running smoothly. But once the celebrity guests arrive, strange things begin to happen. Christmas cookies make Patrick ill, and an unscripted tragedy occurs. It's imperative that Angie and her group of friends catch a killer before Santa appears at the town pier on his lobster boat.

Lea Wait brings readers a wonderful Maine Christmas in this sixth book in her Mainely Needlepoint series, which has been one of my favorites from the very first book. Since Angie worked for a private investigator for ten years while living in Phoenix, she has the background to make her one of the strongest amateur sleuths you'll find. She shares all her findings with the local police, and she doesn't do anything stupid-- both things that I really appreciate.

There hasn't been much needlepoint being done in the last few books, but that's not really a problem. Wait begins each chapter with a quote from an historic sampler, and those quotes can tell readers quite a bit about the embroiderers and the times they lived in. (People really can live on through their stitching.)

The mystery is a good one with a large suspect pool, and the motive for the crimes isn't easily deduced. I had my eye on one suspect in particular, and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. What I didn't enjoy were Skye West and her son.

A week before Christmas, and this woman decides that she wants her large Victorian mansion lavishly decorated, a never-ending gourmet food supply on hand, and needlepoint gifts stitched for each of her guests. Everyone in town is supposed to drop what they're doing and dance to her tune because-- after all-- she does pay well for what she wants. (Her son behaves the same way.) I won't tell you what my response would have been, but you can tell that I felt like a put-upon member of the Mainely Needlepoint family.

Chances are excellent that you will, too. A wonderful Maine setting, strong mysteries, and an excellent cast of characters. Come join the family. I promise I won't make you learn needlepoint!
 

Thread the Halls by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781496706317

Kensington Books © 2017

eBook, 320 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley

Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait

First Line: Haven Harbor's streets and yards were littered with green leaves that had fallen too soon.

If there's one thing Sarah Byrne, the antiques dealer from Australia, has been keeping close to her chest, it's her past. Even friend and fellow Mainely Needlepointer Angie Curtis doesn't have a clue. But now Sarah has the one thing she's always wanted: family, in the form of wealthy elderly artist Ted Lawrence who owns an art gallery in Haven Harbor.

Ted and Sarah are ready to announce their secret to the rest of Ted's family, and Ted has called all his children home for the occasion. Unfortunately, those adult children of his aren't thrilled with Sarah-- especially when Ted announces that he's going to change his will. When Ted is poisoned at the family lobster bake, fingers begin to point at Sarah. Angie has to work fast to prove her friend's innocence.

It's now fall, and Angie Curtis has seen a lot of death in Haven Harbor in the four months she's been in town. As much as I like this series, I think she should take a trip back to Phoenix for a while where a dead body or two won't have as much impact. In Tightening the Threads, Angie comes across a mystery of her own while clearing a huge tree that fell during a storm, but her best friend's dilemma takes priority. 

For those of you who, like me, enjoy Lea Wait's ensemble cast in this series, you won't find much of them here, except for Dave whose poison garden comes in handy for answers to some of Angie's questions. The action has Sarah front and center over a long weekend. Although the truth behind her relationship to Ted Lawrence is really interesting, as the family dynamics unfold Ted is seen as a rather despicable man. His children have all gone their separate ways, haven't kept in touch with each other, and don't really seem to care about each other-- which points to something in the solution to the murder that rang false with me, although I can't talk about it without giving things away.

Tightening the Threads isn't the strongest book in this series, but it's still a good read. I love Wait's blend of setting, art, history, and Maine traditions; they all create the perfect backdrop for a cast of characters I've grown to care about a great deal.
   

Tightening the Threads by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781496706294

Kensington Publishing © 2017

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #5 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley  


 

Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait

First Line: The August fog felt damp and soft on my face as I sat on a bench on Wharf Street, sipped my coffee, and watched anchored boats in Haven Harbor appear and disappear.

Hermit Jesse Lockhart has post-traumatic stress disorder. He lives alone on a tiny island three miles east of Haven Harbor, Maine where he's created a private sanctuary for the endangered Great Cormorant sea birds. He keeps to himself so much that Angie Curtis of Mainely Needlepoint didn't even know he was on King's Island.

When a wealthy family decides that Jesse's island would be the perfect place to build their summer home and enlists Jesse's brother to help them in acquiring the land, Jesse's only friend, Dave Perry, rallies all the other Mainely Needlepoint members to his defense. All to no avail. When Angie visits the island, she finds Jesse dead. Now in addition to saving the Great Cormorants, she and her group must find a killer.

I continue to enjoy Lea Wait's series, although I do have to admit that Dangling by a Thread is not its strongest book. There are two reasons for my opinion. First, the killer's identity was rather obvious, and two, the plot had much more to do with relationships and pitching in to help those in need than it did with the actual mystery. That said, there's nothing wrong with relationships and helping others; I'd just like more mystery.

As always, Wait knows how to bring her Maine setting to life. Each chapter begins with a quote and information about an antique needlework sampler. (I stitched a sampler when I was a child, but I have a feeling that they're "gone with the wind" now.) You may find it difficult to believe but these headings give quite a look at early life in Maine and other areas, and sometimes these glimpses can evoke strong responses. The author also puts us firmly on location with Jesse's protection of the endangered birds and how miserable the rich can make life for people living along the coast. (After all, the wealthy are the only ones entitled to a good view out their windows and a short commute, right?)

All in all, I did enjoy Dangling by a Thread. I found it to be an emotional read-- and not just because kittens destroyed some pieces of needlepoint. Jesse may not have lasted very long, but he made quite an impact on me. Wait hit home runs with her characters, their relationships, and with Maine, but I'm looking forward to more mystery in her next Mainely Needlepoint book.

 

Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781496706270

Kensington Books © 2016

eBook, 325 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley 
 

Thread and Gone by Lea Wait

First Line: The simple folded leather packet looked old.

Mary Clough livens up the Fourth of July celebrations of Angie Curtis and her fellow Mainely Needlepointers. Seems that Mary has discovered a piece of antique needlepoint in the attic of her family home, and she wants the group to take a look at it. When they do, Angie's best guess is that it may have been stitched by Mary Queen of Scots. If she's right, that piece of stitching could be extremely valuable. Before starting any further research, Angie takes the needlepoint to her family lawyer who locks it in her office safe. But when the lawyer is found dead and the needlepoint missing from the opened safe, Angie knows she has to find a killer in addition to the provenance of that needlework.

I discovered two brand-new cozy mystery series in 2015 that I absolutely love, and Lea Wait's Mainely Needlepoint series is one of them. Wait has a knack for combining strong characters and intriguing plots filled with fascinating historical tidbits, and I find it irresistible.

In Thread and Gone, one piece of extremely old needlepoint has possible ties to Marie Antoinette, Mary Queen of Scots, and all of the Scottish queen's attendants who were also named Mary. (It's not as confusing as it sounds.) Wait also highlights a connection between Maine and France that I'd forgotten, and I appreciated the memory jog. In addition, the author's inclusion of quotes at the beginning of each chapter gives a real sense of the history of needlepoint.

So many of those on the suspect list are locals living in a poor area dependent on tourism. Times are hard. Money is scarce. Wait does an excellent job of showing us people who are tired of working endless hours to barely make ends meet, and she does it in a subtle way to root us firmly in the setting. (It also makes it more difficult to pinpoint the killer!)

As always, Wait's characters shine. Level-headed, smart Angie Curtis previously  worked for a detective agency, and this makes her one of the best amateur sleuths around. This time she's not aided by her grandmother, who's on her honeymoon in Canada. I did miss her, but the elderly Ruth filled in very well. One of the Mainely Needlepointers, Ruth is crippled by arthritis and helps Angie with online research. The fact that Ruth also writes and publishes erotica adds a little spice to a character too many would dismiss simply as a crippled old woman.

I think you can see by now why I enjoy this series so much. There are three books in the series so far, and I've read all three this year-- something that I very, very seldom ever do. All I can say is bring on number four!
       

Thread and Gone by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781617730092
Kensington Books © 2015
eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Mainely Needlepoint mystery
Rating: A
Source: Net Galley


 

Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait

First Line: One black Town Car, one blue Subaru, and a dented red pickup were parked in the driveway of the old Gardener estate.

Aurora, the crumbling Victorian mansion that's part of the old Gardener estate, has stood empty for the past quarter of a century. Some in Haven Harbor, Maine, say it's haunted by the ghost of young Jasmine Gardener who died there in 1970. But Aurora will no longer be cursed by neglect for famous Hollywood actress Skye West has bought it. Intending to renovate the old house, she asks Angie Curtis to appraise the house's contents so they can be cleared out and sold. She wants the remodel to begin as quickly as possible.

When Angie begins the process of restoring a series of needlepoint pictures created by the dead girl's mother, she finds clues that seem to point to the fact that Jasmine's death was murder, not an accident. When she tries to stitch everything together, it becomes crystal clear that the murderer wants the truth about Jasmine's death to remain buried.

With just two books in the Mainely Needlepoint series so far, I confess that I'm hooked. Lea Wait has a series that delivers when it comes to needlepoint (this time restoring old damaged pieces) without going overboard. That can be a tricky path to tread, but if there's needlepoint in the cozy I'm reading, I want its percentage to be somewhere between just walking past a shop window and saying, "Oh look at that needlepoint pillow!" and doing so much stitching that the characters don't have time to stick their noses outside to solve a murder. The author has the perfect blend in this series, and that really ups the enjoyment factor for me. 

Threads of Evidence also started like gangbusters with Angie and her friend clearing out that marvelous old house and getting ready for a sale. As long as that was going on, I refused any and all attempts to get me to come up for air. What's wonderful is that once the sale was over, the story and the characters assumed control and kept me turning the pages enthusiastically.

Angie is one of the best amateur sleuths going because she worked for a private investigator in Arizona. She's familiar with how to do things, and if she needs some help, she can always phone up her former boss. She's also very level-headed and smart. Life dealt her some hard knocks rather early in life, so even though she's positive and upbeat, she's still a bit reserved. (Have some fun, but don't be surprised if someone wants to shove you into the handbasket to Hell.)

There's some competition between Angie and her friend, and other Mainely Needlepointers do their part to help solve the crime. If that's not enough, there's Angie's grandmother's wedding to keep tabs on. I only solved half the mystery which is always a plus-- and I have a confession to make. I wish that Hollywood actress had chosen a screen name that didn't make my eyes hiccup every time they saw it. It probably won't bother you a bit, but since I'm from Phoenix, Skye West just sounds like a blend of Sky Harbor Airport and the old America West Arena-- or the name of an airline. I know. Silly, aren't I?

What's not silly is how much I enjoyed this book, and how highly I rate this series. Bring on book three! I can't wait to see what happens next to Angie and the Mainely Needlepointers.

Threads of Evidence by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781617730078

Kensington Books © 2015

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley 

Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

First Line: The day had already been the sort I wanted to drown in a cold beer or a bubble bath. Preferably both.

Angie Curtis thought she'd started a new life for herself in Phoenix, Arizona, until she got the call from her grandmother. Now she's back in Haven Harbor, Maine. When Angie was a child, her mother disappeared, leaving her to be raised by her grandmother. Now the mystery of her mother's disappearance has turned into an investigation into her murder. 

At first thinking that she'll tie up loose ends and then go back to Phoenix, Angie keeps finding reasons to stay. Her grandmother's needlepoint business has been fleeced by a shady middleman, and since Angie has some experience in tracking people down, she agrees to try to recoup their lost money. She's also not happy with the local police's lack of interest in finding her mother's killer. When Angie tracks that middleman down and he dies shortly thereafter, she goes from tracking a person of interest to being one herself. Angie has to work fast. If she wants to stay in Maine, she doesn't want to be looking out from behind bars.

I enjoyed this first-in-a-series for several reasons. As a main character, I'd give Angie Curtis two thumbs up. Growing up in a small town, Angie found it almost impossible to cope with the attitudes and behavior of townspeople and the other children at school due to her mother's disappearance. Petty, stupid words and unfeeling acts of cruelty can hurt a child deeply, and Angie has grown up to be distrustful. Living on the margins as she has, Angie is a serious person and has never spent much time thinking about shoes, nail polish, or hot dates. It's interesting to see how being back home amongst people who value her and her skills begins to bring about a change in her personality.

The people who value her are her grandmother (naturally) and the people who have joined with her grandmother to form the Mainely Needlepoint business. This first book isn't full of needlepoint tips or internet resources as I'd expected; that may come later. What it does share are the business aspects-- building client lists, choosing craftspeople, billing, payroll, and how to build an inventory. This may sound dull, but in author Lea Wait's hands, it's far from it because the information plays a part in the mystery.

The craftspeople who are a part of Mainely Needlepoint help create a large, interesting, and shifting suspect pool, for both the deaths of the middleman and of Angie's mother. They're also going to make a wonderful secondary cast in future books. In addition, Angie's grandmother's life is about to undergo a profound change, and it will be interesting to see how she and her granddaughter deal with it.

The plot of Twisted Threads hinges on one puzzle piece. Before that puzzle piece is put in place, I had no idea whodunnit, but once it plopped down where it belonged, everything was clear. Lea Wait's new Mainely Needlepoint series has been given a solid foundation-- one that's a bit deeper and a bit edgier than most cozies. I'm really looking forward to the next book!
    

Twisted Threads by Lea Wait

eISBN: 9781617730054 

Kensington © 2015

eBook, 320 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Mainely Needlepoint mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley