Haven Harbor is an authentic coastal Maine town—which makes it the perfect location for a new film production. But now it’s become the scene of a crime . . . Needlepointers Angie and Sarah are helping with set design for the movie being shot in their little New England hometown—but as the lighthouse and the wharves bustle with activity, a real-life drama is about to unfold. The producer, Hank … unfold. The producer, Hank Stoddard, has been harassing the pretty young female lead, and the two exchanged heated words at a lobster bake. Now someone’s lowered the boom on him . . .
After a wayward piece of sound equipment sends him to his death, theories fly about who went off-script. Meanwhile, a local woman’s tragic story about a true love lost at sea, which originally inspired the film, may lead to murderous revelations from long ago. Angie’s got to unravel these mysteries, and may need to give more than one killer the hook . . .
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Thread and Buried is the ninth and final book in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries written by the late Lea Wait. I’ve previously read the earlier books in the series and adore everything about them. For that reason, this will be a tough review. I believe the author was sick and passed away around the time this one was being finalized… and unfortunately, the final product isn’t as strong as the earlier ones. Given how much I like these books, I completely look beyond all that, as the core of this story was still good.
For most of the books, Skye West has been a looming presence in the background. She’s a famous actress who moved to Haven Harbor in Maine, and while she was suspected of murder a few times, she truly is a good character. In this book, she brings a film crew to town to produce a movie based on one of Ruth’s books. Ruth is an elderly woman who tries to keep anonymous but her secret is out. And she’s based some of her books on people around town. This time, as we suspected, the plot is about her own youth and a tragedy that occurred in her teens.
Most of this book focused on a cliff-related death. The director fell off, but it appeared like he was possibly intentionally knocked over by falling equipment and/or alcohol and drugs in his system. Angie investigates several film crew members, actors, actresses, and writers. Even Ruth who didn’t want more of her story told. On several occasions, the story was repetitive and a bit contradictory… likely due if it was pieced together near the end. It also had very little info (as it did in all the others) about needlepoint stories and connections. Either way, it has merit and kept my interest. I wanted to know about Ruth’s past and potential current connections among the movie folks.
I enjoyed Patrick and Angie’s growing relationship, as well as some townsfolk who took center stage compared to previous books. I found the setting just as wonderful, and the extracts from Ruth’s book versus reality in Maine appealing… it helped me try to guess who was who in the movie versus real life. Kudos to the author for changing up her storytelling methods, and in honor of her, I must say she will be greatly missed. Go into this series knowing it might falter a little in the last two books but overall, it’s a wonderful collection of 9 novels that will definitely entertain you.
Read 10.21.2021
This is Lea Wait’s last book; she died soon after she finished this. In reading reviews of this, I was hesitant to read it as quite a few people felt that it was almost incomplete and absolutely not one of her best. I am not sure what book those people were reading, but it isn’t the same one that I just finished. This was one of the better ones that I have recently read from this series. At no point did I want to skim ahead, nor did I want to do other things instead of reading. I was engaged from the very beginning and I had no idea who the killer was or what the outcome of the mystery was going to be. All-in-all, I was completely [and pleasantly] surprised when I finished this. I found this to be a fitting end to a fairly decent cozy series. May Ms. Wait rest in peace.
When Angie and some of her friends help with the start of a film in their cozy town all is going great. Until an accident happens and the police are involved…. Is it murder or an accident? Angie must figure out what happened….
This is a great addition to the series. It always gets “interesting” when a bunch of out of town guests are added to the cast. Adds more suspects and more craziness. It does end open-ended. They solve the case, but nothing is resolved with the main characters. I suppose we will have to guess on what happened to the characters. Since it is the last book. Overall, this is a great series to check out.
Fun and twisty.
Knowing this was her last book, I wish she had ended their stories. But as an entry in the series this was a good one. A few bloopers slipped by in the first few chapters, but the character interaction and story was the quality we expect.
Series: A Mainly Needlepoint Mystery – Book 9
Author: Lea Wait
Genre: Cozy Mystery/Hobby
Publisher: Kensington Books
Page Count: 272
From Kensington, Books comes the ninth book in the “A Mainly Needlepoint Mystery” hobby cozy series by Lea Wait, Thread, and Buried.
This enormously popular hobby cozy series has grown in leaps and bounds through each new book. The author has always had a grasp on what makes a good story that readers can sink their teeth into and keep turning the page until the very end. She also knows how to keep the identity of the killer a surprise, which makes it difficult to put the book down.
Angie is the type of character in a hobby cozy series that keeps things interesting, even when she sticks her nose where it doesn’t belong. This time she is involved right from the beginning, without intending to be. Along with her friend Sarah, Angie is helping with the set design of a movie, and even though they are ready, the script, the actors, and the writers aren’t. Due to the director changing his mind about everything. Until someone puts an end to him.
The killer isn’t apparent, or even if there is, in fact, a murder. All signs point to an accident, but… is it real or is it something far more sinister? These are the questions the characters and readers must answer in order to get to the truth in this hobby cozy book. The suspects all have reasons to have committed murder. The clues will lead readers down a rabbit hole. If they aren’t following all of the clues and or miss one, they may not be able to come to the correct conclusion. Which is exactly what readers want in a great mystery.
Thread and Buried is a great book and fits in well with this hobby cozy series. I am happy to recommend it to readers who enjoy hobbies, movies, and a killer conundrum. I caution new readers and old alike that there may not be any further additions to this series due to the death of the author.