In tracing her ancestry, quilter Martha Rose discovers a ritzy half-sister, a stash of family secrets, and a decades-old mystery that only she can unravel . . . Martha Rose is shocked to find she has a half-sister, especially one so different from her. Giselle Cole is wealthy, widowed, and lives a glamorous life in West Los Angeles. At least her grandmother was a quilter! But Giselle can’t … quilter! But Giselle can’t answer Martha’s many questions about their father—he disappeared when she was only a child and the few clues left behind indicate he may have been murdered. So Martha and Giselle team up on an investigation that weaves them through the streets of L.A., their father’s hidden love affairs, and into some mysterious unfinished Cole family business . . .
Praise for Mary Marks and her Quilting Mysteries
“A pleasurable and satisfying addition to any quilting mystery fan’s reading list. Recommend to those who cannot get enough of Terri Thayer, Elizabeth Craig, or Earlene Fowler.”
—Library Journal on Knot in My Backyard
“Readers will be surprised by the ending.”
—RT Book Reviews on Knot What You Think
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Out of all the books in this Quilting Mystery series, this has become my favorite one. I love seeing Martha’s family grow and strengthen. Martha receives many surprises while searching for information about her father. Despite the problems rising at home, Martha still finds time to quilt with her friends, have heart-warming moments with her family, and to accept her newly discovered half-sister into her life.
I learned a lot about Jewish traditions, but the best part was how Mary Marks addresses misconceptions and stereotyping of the Jewish community.
Great read for someone looking for something ultra light. I loved the characters and the finding family aspect of the book. I also enjoyed reading more about Judaism.
Martha Rose discovers she has a half-sister Giselle living in Los Angeles. They get together to find out the story behind their father’s life and unravel the mystery of their father’s disappearance.
I really enjoyed reading this Quilting Mystery series by Mary Marks.
This is the first book in this series that I have read, and it won’t be the last, first I am a quilter, and second I found myself laughing out loud, this author is a great story teller.
We hit on genealogy big time here, and getting DNA in an uncouth way, stealing a cup! This story is about finding family, living with family, and getting away from family.
New relatives tracking down their missing father, and surprises and chuckles abound, a great book to unwind with and enjoy!
I received this book through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and was not required to give a positive review.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
If you are looking for a cozy with a Jewish flair, quilting, and different type of mystery then look no further then this adorable book. Martha was raised believing her father died in an accident only to find out differently years later though not who he was. When her daughter pushed her to do an ancestry DNA thing she agrees. What follows is really quite intriguing as each new secret is revealed. Daddy had some problems I must say. I never could have predicted the ending either. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
Knot My Sister’s Keeper is a different book than the rest of them in the Quilting Mystery series. This book is very personal to Martha. After submitting her DNA through an ancestry database, Martha learns that she has a sibling, a half-sister named Giselle Cole. The exact opposite of Martha, Giselle is rich, glamorous, and tactless. What they do have in common is the want of family and to know why their father disappeared without a trace so many years ago. An up-and-coming artist, their father disappeared at the high of his career, never to be heard from or seen again.
The emotional content in this book is heightened due to the personal nature of the situation. Thinking she had limited family members, Martha can’t believe that she has a half-sister. When the gravity of the situation surrounding their father comes to light, the new-found sisters know they have to try and find him. This entire book was an emotional rollercoaster. I liked the unique spin of this book compared to the rest of the books in this series.
Martha Rose is the typical heroine – totally not a crime solver/fighter but makes it her duty to dive in head first whether there’s water in the pool or not. Martha Rose puts herself into vary precarious situations and breaks a lot of laws in her quest to find the killer. During downtime in the quest to find their father, Martha still holds the quilting sessions that now include others besides Lucy and Birdie. Giselle, even though she is thoughtless in the things she says does take an active interest in Martha and Crusher’s Jewish customs and traditions, bringing the two sisters that much closer together. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and she to Crusher.
Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping everything a secret. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and the person responsible is not the person I thought it would be. The writing flows well and is concise. The author’s writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements of Knot My Sister’s Keeper are subtle and don’t overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.
Knot My Sister’s Keeper by Mary Marks is the sixth novel in A Quilting Mystery series. Martha Rose is bewildered when she receives a DNA kit in the mail from Deep Roots. Her daughter, Quincy sent it as a surprise, so Martha can find out more about the father she never knew. Martha is shocked when she learns she has a half-sister. Giselle Cole, Martha’s half-sister, is a wealthy widow living in Los Angeles and is looking forward to meeting Martha. Giselle is a forthright woman with expensive tastes and an over-the-top personality. Martha learns her grandmother was a quilter and she passed away leaving an unfinished quilt. Martha learns her father was Jacob Quinn Maguire, a painter who disappeared in 1980. Martha and Giselle want to learn what happened to Jacob and set out to get answers. Martha with the aid of her friends stitch together the clues.
Knot My Sister’s Keeper may be the sixth book in the series, but it can be read alone. I thought the story was well-written with a nice steady pace. I thought the story was well thought out and it contains a complex main character with a charming case of secondary characters. Martha is a strong, sassy smart woman with a gift for quilting and knack for solving crimes. I like that Martha Rose is a mature woman who has Fibromyalgia. Many people do not understand the disease or believe it is not real. We get to see what can trigger an episode and the pain Martha experiences. It was interesting to learn more about the Jewish culture and their traditions. It was a nice touch and allowed us to get to know Martha in a different way. Giselle is a dynamic woman, and I was happy to see her outlook changing towards the end of the story. The mystery was multifaceted and there was active investigating (no sitting back and waiting for clues to come to them). I do enjoy a complex mystery (I like the challenge). There are good clues to aid in solving the 32-year-old crime and it was clever how the author incorporated the clues for Martha into the story. I did miss Birdie in this Knot My Sister’s Keeper. There are references to her, but she is not present in the story (she is my favorite secondary character). Quincy is in town, but she is spending her time with Detective Noah Kaplan much to Martha’s dismay. Quincy has a special announcement for the family (oh no). The ending is just beautiful and will leave you smiling. The history of needles is included at the end of the book which I found fascinating. I am eager for the next installment in A Quilting Mystery series. I wonder if Martha will marry Yossi soon?
I have not read a book by this author before and I’m glad I got the chance now. This was a fun mystery. Martha Rose is an interesting character as well as her surrounding posse. Her significant other is Yossi or Crusher if you prefer. Both characters happen to be Jewish and so you learn a little bit about the customs and practices of the Jewish faith. Martha is given a DNA test as a gift. From these results she finds a half-sister she never knew about. Her father deserted her mother and she never knew him. With Giselle, her newly found sister, by her side, the two of them decided to solve the mystery of his disappearance. Great story. I enjoyed not only the story and the characters, but the writing style as well.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my review.
Intriguing Cold Case
Knot My Sister’s Keeper is the sixth book in Mary Marks Quilting Mystery series. This book is well plotted and has well-developed characters. Ms. Marks’ witty and humorous writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author provides enough background information that this book can be read as a standalone. There are lots of twists and turns and enough suspects to keep the reader engaged. The final reveal surprised me. I recommend this book to readers who enjoy cozy mysteries.
Martha Rose, Lucy Mondello, Birdie Watson, and Jazz Fletcher-Watson are friends who get together once a week to quilt together, but Birdie is on her honeymoon, so she isn’t there when Martha receives an unexpected package. Unknown to Martha, her daughter, Quincy, submitted a DNA sample to an ancestry firm and after receiving the results, she ordered another kit for her mother. When Martha sends hers in and receives the results, she learns she has a younger half-sister, Giselle Cole, who lives nearby. She soon discovers that her father, who abandoned her mother when he learned she was pregnant, is Jacob Quinn Maguire, talented artist, and that Giselle knew him as a devoted husband and father, until he mysteriously disappeared when she was twelve years old. Martha had always been told he died in a train accident, but a couple of years ago, her uncle, Isaac Harris, told her that wasn’t true. Giselle showed Martha three of their father’s portraits and Martha recognized the subject as her mother, painted years after he abandoned them. Martha Rose is engaged to Yossi Levy, a/k/a the Crusher, who is an undercover agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, who offers to try to get a copy of the missing persons file related to her father’s disappearance. A lot of time has passed and many of the players are deceased or their memories faded, but the determined half-sisters set out to find out what happened to their father who has been missing for over thirty years. Both Martha and Giselle uncover lots of unsettling things about their father. Martha isn’t happy that Quincy is dating LAPD Detective Noah Kaplan, and is worried about the “big” announcement they have to make.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
A rare 5 star review from me. I have read all the books in this series and reviewed most if not all. Not sure if I’ve given another a 5 star, but I give one to Knot because I didn’t want to put the book down and go to bed.
The story line is really unique and complicated. I like how Martha and Giselle maturely handle the shocking news and each other. The way the author even weaves in quilting as part of the story is realistic and well done. You also really couldn’t see where the story was going to take you next.
For fans of the secondary characters: Birdy is absent in this one. Lucy and Jazz pop up and help out, but have minimal roles as does Crusher.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.