Angie’s first auction may turn out to be her last—when she bids on a coat of arms that someone would literally kill to possess . . . Tagging along to an estate sale with her fellow Needlepointer, antiques shop owner Sarah Byrne, Angie Curtis impulsively bids on a tattered embroidery of a coat of arms. When she gets her prize back home to Haven Harbor, she discovers a document from 1757 behind … document from 1757 behind the framed needlework—a claim for a child from a foundling hospital. Intrigued, Angie is determined to find the common thread between the child and the coat of arms.
Accepting her reporter friend Clem Walker’s invitation to talk about her find on the local TV news, Angie makes an appeal to anyone who might have information. Instead, both women receive death threats. When Clem is found shot to death in a parking lot, Angie fears her own life may be in jeopardy. She has to unravel this historical mystery—or she may be the next one going, going . . . gone . . .
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Finding treasures at auctions and estate sales is part of the fun, but for Angie Curtis it means MURDER! Her friend, a television reporter is dead and Angie is getting threatened that she will be next.
Antique shop owner Sarah Byrne takes Angie to her first auction and she is drawn to a needlework coat of arms. When no one else bids she raises her paddle and takes it home. She takes it out of the frame to see if it can be restored but she finds a real mystery instead, a claim from 1757 for a child from a foundling hospital. While researching to see if the child is connected to the family from the auction she runs into Clem Walker who suggests they do a piece on the local news to see if one of the viewers may have information. Angie agrees and even hosts a party so her family and friends can watch her on television.
Clem plans a trip to visit Angie in Haven Harbor to discuss the calls the station received. But Clem doesn’t make the meeting, instead, her body is found. Angie knows to find Clem’s killer she has to find who is connected to the coat of arms. The trouble is to keep her safe she is hiding out and it’s hard to investigate anything stuck in a house.
There is so much I enjoyed about this story. It had a totally different feel. The Mainely Needlepointers didn’t do hardly any needle pointing but one member of the group, Ruth, is a key player in solving this mystery. Also, Angie accepts that her life is truly in danger after a hairraising event and actually listens to the police and moves to Patrick’s secure home until the killer is caught. As long as she has her cell phone and laptop she can keep investigating and pass along what she finds to the police.
At the core of the story are two prominent Maine families. I love the way 79-year-old erotica author Ruth Hopkins knows her way around the genealogy sites. She delves in and finds as much as she can about the families giving Angie plenty of clues and red herrings to sort through.
All of Ms. Wait’s characters are interesting, fleshed out and realistic. Most of the recurring characters are very engaging. Patrick is starting to mesh with the rest but still has some work to do. The closer he and Angie get the more he becomes more real to me.
The story is pretty fast-paced and filled with suspense. Key characters are truly in danger and I found myself actually holding my breath waiting to read the actual outcome. I know I was reading much faster from about the midpoint on. The author’s descriptions of each person, place, and even the weather were fantastic. She pulls readers right into this story and holds them tight until the final page. OMG, my heart was racing at the ending!
Before my accident auctions and needlepoint were two of my favorite things. Finding samplers and other needlework treasures at auctions always made for a great day. I love that both meshed together in this book.
This book reads very well all in its own but I always recommend reading series in order to really get to know the characters.
This is a wonderful addition to this series. The next book in the series, Thread on Arrival, will be released April 30, 2019.
Thread Herrings by Lea Wait is the seventh story in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis is the manager of Mainely Needlepoint in Haven Harbor, Maine. Angie is accompanying her friend, Sarah Byrne to an auction in Augusta. Angie has not been to an auction previously and is looking forward to the experience. Angie is intrigued by a half-finished vintage framed needlepoint coat of arms that is not in the best condition and she spontaneously bids on it when none of the other participants show interest. At home, Angie removes the needlework from the frame and finds a pale silk blue embroidered ribbon along with receipt from the London Foundling Hospital dated October 26, 1757 for a child baptized Charles. Angie wants to learn more about the coat of arms and the child, but she is unsuccessful at the Maine Historical Society. She has lunch with Clem Walker, friend and television reporter, who suggests doing a human interest feature and appeal to the public for information. Instead of receiving helpful material, both ladies receive death threats. Soon Clem is found shot dead in car in Haven Harbor and Angie’s car goes boom injuring someone close to her. Angie goes into hiding, but she this does not deter her from investigating. Can she identify the culprit before he finds her?
Thread Herrings can be read alone if you have not indulged in any of the previous novels in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie goes to her first auction and her friend, Sarah kindly explains auction protocol. Since I have not been to an auction, I found it interesting. I had no idea there was a buyer’s premium added to the hammer price (winning bid). I could tell the author did her research on the London Foundling Hospital, land patents or grants, the billet or receipt for the child and mementoes parents left behind as identifiers (to later claim the child). Lea Wait incorporated the information in a way that made it easy to understand. Ruth Hopkins helps Angie with genealogy research, but we see very little of the other Mainely Needlepoint group. Patrick West is in town and Angie hides out in his finely appointed carriage house. Personally, I am not a fan of Patrick and I keep hoping they will break up. Patrick comes across as superficial (especially when he was discussing the yacht that could only sleep eight). Angie needs a partner with more depth and who is interested in sleuthing. The mystery plays out with clues interspersed up to the reveal. Angie must solve the mystery via phone since she is unable to go out in public which is a unique way of investigating the crime. Readers are unable to play along and solve this whodunit. I could have done without the frequent (I stopped counting after six) mentions of Angie’s gun (a Glock). Angie does manage to indulge in cooking, dining out friends (before the death threats), drinking fine wine, playing with Trixi (her kitten), watch movies, handle business details and check in with Gram. As the action heats up in Thread Herrings, you will find yourself riveted. You cannot help but keep reading to discover how the story plays out.
What do you do when you live in a tourist area during a blustery cold off season?
You might be surprised. There seems to be quite a bit of activity around Haven Harbor, Maine.
For those who run shops based on collectibles and antiques, the off season is a time for education, research and adding inventory.
Angie Curtis is still figuring out her life and one new experience is attending an auction. If you have never been to one, this is an education in the language and rules.
Why do people bid on other people’s cast offs? There are as many reasons as there are for why people commit murder.
Angie feels something for an old, abused piece of needlework, an embroidered coat of arms.
When she takes it home and takes it apart, she discovers a mystery.
She asks friends for help discovering the meaning of a ribbon hidden behind the embroidery, which sets off an unexpected chain of events. It also causes the death of a high school friend, turned news reporter.
Full of interesting historical information, this book helps us understand more of Angie’s character.
Danger comes to Haven Harbor. Can her circle of friends keep Angie safe?
Cozy mysteries are always full of interesting trivia. This one takes it up a notch.
This was probably my favorite book in the series so far. The story had a lot of unusual elements for this series and kept steaming along. The only problem was the limited pool of suspects and a bit hard to believe motive.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Read 8.12.2021
Meh. I am sad at how this series has really gone down hill since its beginning. I was not impressed with this one at all – I am SO not a fan of how unsupportive everyone is of Angie and was even less than impressed with how Patrick often talks to her and how she just TAKES IT. NOT okay. 🙁
When Angie goes with her friend to an auction and she buys an old needlepoint, she never expected to find something hidden in the coat of arms. Then when she decides to look into it, trouble starts happening. Will Angie stay safe?
This is an interesting but good book. I really enjoy the characters in this series. The story line seems to be a little impossible. Can’t really see something like this happening. It made it a fun read. Can’t wait to see what happens next.
Thread Herrings is the 7th book in the Mainely Needlepoint cozy mystery series written by Lea Wait. I’ve been binge-reading the series the last month, even though there are only two more left. I find everything about them to be wonderful and will be sad when they are finished. Unfortunately, this one was probably my least favorite so far, but it was still good and kept me focused and interested. Shall we chat about why?
Let’s cover the negatives first this time. While I normally hardly notice any proofreading / grammar / style issues, nor do I comment on them… there were several repeated lines that actually caused me to stop and flip back to determine if I’d accidentally started rereading a section. Of course, this is minor, but when it stops a reader from a good flow, it’s a bit too much.
Also, the mystery was a let down. It began with a spark–embroidery at an auction holds a curious secret. Angie, our main character, goes on TV to ask for anyone who might help… and then, the reporter is killed and Angie almost dies in a separate incident. I was thrilled to find out what happened, but the suspect list stopped at 2 or 3 people, and the history leading from 1757 (when the embroidery was made) until now floundered. The concept, while intriguing, didn’t have a strong enough rationale for murder.
I did enjoy the genealogical aspects of the tale. I liked the growth between Patrick and Angie, and Angie and Sarah. Getting to know Pete more was also helpful, so there were bunches of positives. I love the setting and learning about auctions. So it was an enjoyable read, but I couldn’t get all jazzed up about the plot or the end product. The book sorta just said “and here’s who did it, so we’re done.” It worries me some about the remaining two books, but I am committed to finishing them this month. When I compare this book to the rest, I can’t give it 4 or 5 star… so I will settle on a 3 rating. I still liked it and would recommend the series, but I want to jump back to a solid one next, hopefully.
Keeps you guessing g.
Love this Maine author’s work
Not one of her better books but still entertaining. Looking forward to reading the next one.
I have enjoyed the books in this series. Well written, with great characters.
Couldn’t put it down. Learned a lot and thoroughly enjoyed the characters
This starts off with Angie going with Sarah to an estate sale. Angie takes to a tattered embroidery and decides to buy it. She takes her item home and finds a folded note in the back and so decides to find out about a possible abandon child named Charles. She goes on TV with her friend Clem and ask if anyone might have any information about it. After that both her friend Clem and she receive death threats. This escalates when her friend Clem is found strangled in her car. Angie needs to keep her wits about her so she is not next.
In the Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries, author Lea Wait has created a rich cast of characters that I always look forward to spending time with. It’s been wonderful watching them change and grow over the course of the series.
THREAD HERRINGS was a story I couldn’t tear myself away from. A true page turner of a mystery, with questions stemming from past to present, I just became more and more engrossed. There were scenes that were so emotional, I was literally crying, while other scenes found me gasping or holding my breath.
Lea Wait can stitch more excitement and intrigue into one book than some authors can into an entire series. The best installment yet, THREAD HERRINGS is proof of that.
Truly a book I won’t soon forget.
Thread Herring is the seventh book in the A Mainely Needlepointer Mystery series. I love this series and feel that Thread Herring is the best so far.
It’s February in Haven Harbor and Angie and her friend, Sarah Byrne, are heading to Augusta, ME to attend an antique auction. Sarah will be looking for items for her antique store, while Angie is going along to see what an auction is like and possibly find some embroidery items. At the preview for the auction items, Angie finds an interesting embroidered coat of arms and time has not been kind to it, but something about it tells her to bid on it.
Angie is the only to bid on the item and when she gets home she takes it out of the frame to get a better look at whether any it might be repaired. What she doesn’t expect to find is a folded piece of paper that is a receipt for baby Charles that was left with the London Foundling Hospital in 1757. Angie determines that the coat of arms is unrepairable, but she now wants to find out who baby Charles’ family was.
Her boyfriend, Patrick West is going to visit with a sculptor about showing his work and Patrick’s gallery and agrees to drop Angie off in Portland where she will visit the Maine Historical Society. The visit there didn’t give much hope of learning anything. While waiting for Patrick to return she calls a high school classmate, Clem Walker, a reporter at a Portland television station. When Clem hears the story she convinces Angie that they do a short segment to be aired on the station asking viewers to call if they might have any information about baby Charles or the coat of arms. A minute or two after the segment aired, the station received a threat that is Clem and Angie attempted to learn more, they would be killed. The next day the station got another threat and Angie receives a threatening the same thing.
Soon, Clem’s lifeless body is found in her car near Harbor Haunts where she and Angie are to have lunch. Then the next day while Angie is talking to Sarah in her store there is an explosion and when she looks outside she finds that the explosion was in her car and is now on fire.
Pete Lambert, Haven Harbor policeman and Ethan Trask, Maine State Trooper, are able to convince Angie to stay at Patrick’s house until the killer can be arrested. Since Angie’s computer has been taken by the police, she calls on fellow Maine Needlepointer to help scour the internet looking for clues as to who baby Charles is.
As much as Angie wants to be out and about investigating, she knows her life is likely online and stays holed up at Patrick’s, hoping that Ruth will be able to learn who Charles’ family was.
As always, Lea Wait provides the reader with a well-researched, well-plotted and told story and believable characters. Wait also provides the reader with the workings of an auction and an insightful look at the London Foundling Hospital. Once again, each chapter has either a description of an embroidered piece or a quote from a publication from 1700-1800’s.
A delicious sounding recipe is also included.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this informative series.