4 out of 4 stars
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Better Off Thread: An Embroidery Mystery by Amanda Lee is a refreshing, fun murder mystery. One might wonder how a murder mystery can be comedic and funny, yet dramatic at times. The author shows the reader just how that can happen.
Tallulah Falls is a fictional small town, where people know each other and everyone’s business. Marcy, the primary protagonist, owns the “Seven-Year Stitch”, a specialty embroidery shop cloistered among other small businesses. Much of the story takes place in the “Seven-Year Stitch”. Captain Moe is one of Marcy’s friends; he convinces her to play elf to his Santa at the local hospital. Playing elf is really the start of the town’s great murder mystery.
As Marcy arrives for one of her elf gigs, she discovers that Captain Moe has found the hospital administrator stabbed to death in Santa’s sled. Captain Moe becomes the prime suspect, but no one that knows him believes that he did it. Much to Ted’s (Marcy’s boyfriend) dismay and concern, Marcy decides to play amateur detective. Marcy has help from several other town characters: Vera, a sweet widow; Veronica, Ted’s mother; Riley, Uncle Moe’s niece and attorney; and Sadie, Marcy’s best friend, all have ideas and get into crazy antics with Marcy as she works to solve the crime. Angus, Marcy’s dog, even gets involved.
Who killed Sandra? The suspects are interesting and varied. Could it have been one of the women who wanted her job? Perhaps it was the security guard, who thought his favorite nurse should have the job. On the other hand, was it the contractor with a mean streak, who was no longer favored by Sandra, the hospital administrator? Perhaps it was the board member, who had a secret that he could not afford to have go public. Or was it someone else? Maybe it was Captain Moe after all. Throughout the story, you will suspect each of these people. Amanda Lee has a way of really making you wonder which one really did it. This reviewer kept changing her mind as to who she thought did it. You will laugh as Marcy and her friends take insane measures and do ridiculous things to find evidence. Laughter really was my favorite part of the story.
There are also elements of romance, as Ted and Marcy’s relationship develops throughout the story. For those of you that prefer clean romance, this is a good choice. A sweet romance, with a whole lot of mystery, that makes you smile.
I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. I could not put this story down, as I needed to know which one of these crazy characters committed the crime. I found nothing negative about the story or the writing. It is a top-notch fun story. I look forward to reading more of the series.
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Better Off Thread
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