It’s hard to imagine anything bad ever happening in picturesque Haven Harbor, Maine — until a famous face rolls into town and unthreads some very dark secrets…Angie Curtis and the Mainely Needlepointers are all too familiar with the Gardener estate. The crumbling Victorian mansion, known as “Aurora,” has been sitting vacant for nearly twenty-five years–and some say it’s haunted by the ghost of … the ghost of Jasmine Gardener, the teenage girl who died there in 1970 under mysterious circumstances…
Harbor Haven is abuzz with excitement when Hollywood actress Skye West decides to buy Aurora and sell off its furnishings. And Angie is intrigued when Skye asks her to appraise the estate’s sizable collection of needlepoint pictures. But the more she examines the pieces, the more they seem to point toward Jasmine’s murder — and the murderer — and it’s up to her to stitch the clues together…
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Threads of Evidence is the second book in the Mainely Needlepoint cozy mystery series written by Lea Waite. I discovered the series because I was looking for one set in Maine, and I couldn’t be happier. I enjoyed the first one, but the second was even stronger. Set on the coast, it offers a beautiful setting, appealing small town, vibrant characters, and a ton of possibilities. To point out how much I enjoyed reading it, I’ll say this… I read the first book on Sunday morning and by lunchtime had downloaded the second one and later finished it before dinner. It’s such an easy read but also keeps you guessing.
In this caper, a Hollywood star purchases an old mansion that’s been abandoned for 25 years. A teenager died there years ago, and the girl’s mother recently died too. Angie, our heroine and protagonist, is asked to inventory and manage the sale of all the furnishings inside the home before construction begins. While going through the items, she learns more details about the death from several decades earlier. Was it an accident? Murder? Suicide? Angie is intrigued but not enough to do anything… until the new buyer is poisoned. The star survives but subsequently begs Angie to investigate what happened back in 1970… and when more issues and mysterious events pile up, we know it had to be murder.
I enjoyed how Angie is integrated into the Mainely Needlepoint business this time; she’s beginning to understand the art form and bring new sales while searching for more knitters. In doing so, she can ask questions about the extravagant party from years ago when the teenager drowned in the fountain. At the same time, Angie’s trying to plan her grandmother’s wedding, fix up the house she’s living in, and remind herself that this is only a six-month return home. A few men begin to express interest in her, and she’s not sure what to think about the thought of a relationship yet. She’s late 20s, never been married, but also very independent. I know who I want her to get with!
All-in-all, the series offers a great atmosphere and quality writing for this genre. I could’ve started a third one last night but determined it would be better to pace myself, as there are only 9 in the series, given the author passed away last year. I am curious to explore the other series she’s written about an antique business in Maine, so assuming this one finishes strongly, I’ll give that one a chance too in 2021.
This was a very good read. Very good mystery. Fantastic characters. And lots of descriptions of some of the amazing food that comes out of Maine [be prepared to be hungry by the end and to crave lobster rolls as well {unless you have never had one and all I can say to that is I AM SO SORRY and please please please try and get one ASAP} ]
The first book was this good, but the narrator was not. I was highly disappointed to see that the same narrator was set for this book as well and consigned myself to not loving the book as much as I wanted because the narrator was so horrible. I was in for a pleasant surprise She has improved. Still a little more whispery than I like [because its kinda creepy and weird], but for the most part, it was a MUCH better narration and for that I was very grateful.
Looking forward to book 3 in this series.