Karen S. (BoysMom) - My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A baffling murder, multiple storylines, and engaging characters make this second in the series a winner!
Hanging By a Thread is the second book in author Dorothy Howell's cozy series, the Sewing Studio Mysteries, and along with the murder of an abhorred local gold-digger, there are multiple subplots of interest to unwind. This robust story caught my attention from the start, and I was quickly drawn into the community life of Hideaway Grove.
The main character, Abbey Chandler, a recent arrival to town after her high-pressure life in LA imploded, is good-hearted and willing to help her friends and business acquaintances out any way she can. She is swamped with work, mostly favors for others, including Janine, the town's flighty tourism manager, in preparation for an important upcoming women's conference. All the while, Abbey is trying to establish her fledgling tote bag business and juggling volunteers for her charitable project making pillowcase dresses for young girls in Africa. It was exhausting considering what she had on her plate, but I could relate to her load as will many other readers who have pitched in to make things happen.The murder sets off the small-town gossip mill, and along with the fear of a killer on the loose, local business owners are scrambling, worried the failure of the sheriff to solve the case will impact the lifeblood of the tourist-dependent economy. Abbey's friend and local business owner, Anna, was most often the herald of imminent doom, spreading any and all rumors, no matter how outlandish. It got to the point that Abbey had to talk to her about her gossip's impact, but someone needed to have an honest "Come to Jesus" with the woman.
The murder victim is a perfect target, almost universally disliked for her well-discussed and dissected shady past behavior. Not a soul sheds a tear on her behalf, and the sheriff appeared to drag his feet on the investigation. Even with Aunt Sarah directly in his sites, he makes zero effort to drag her in for questioning. However, Abbey, believing she needs to solve the crime herself to save Aunt Sarah, puts off talking to her aunt for far too long. However, I loved where the story goes regarding the resolution of the murder, though.Other intriguing subplots were winners with me and will have me anxiously awaiting future books in the series. Abbey and Zack's relationship teeters between romantic and antagonistic. Props to Abbey for refusing the flowers; she was way more understanding of how Zack spoke to her than I would have been. Caitlin's personal saga will be one to watch, too, with her perceived future and past dreams so at odds and the presence of a third party in the wings with his own unrequited hopes for a future with her. The baffling mystery at the toy shop was also a great side story, especially with the lovely reputation and personality of the suspect. Also, tidbits detailing Abbey's projects and business are sprinkled throughout for the craft-minded among us to enjoy.
With multiple storylines and an engaging array of characters, I recommend HANGING BY A THREAD to cozy mystery readers, especially fans of the previous book and those who enjoy craft-themed stories or tales featuring small businesses.I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.
Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed Hanging by a Thread (Sewing Studio Mystery, Bk 2) on + 660 more book reviews Sarah's Sweets is going to have some competition when a new bakery opens up in town. Abbey's aunt was already worried about making ends meet and the new bakery has all the money it needs thanks to the owner's rich husband. Sarah is hoping the upcoming women's conference will give her business a bit of a cushion until she finds new ways to help the bakery be more profitable. The whole town really needs the event to be a big success. Abbey is hoping the tote bags she has been making in the sewing studio sell well too so that she can make some additions to the studio and grow that into a business of her own.
But the murder of the owner of the new bakery may tear everything apart at the seams. Aunt Sarah becomes the prime suspect. Can they really believe she would literally kill her competition? The town's merchants are worried not only about a murderer in their midst but also that the conference will be canceled because of the crime. Abbey is juggling quite a few things but her number one priority is clearing her aunt's name and then making sure the conference goes on as planned. She is going to need a little help from her friends because she still has to take care of her commitments for the women's conference, of which she has many.
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I do like the characters of this series, but I had the same problem with Abbey that I had in the first book, Seams Like Murder. Projects are just thrust upon her, and she can't say no. She was also very weak with an order placed for her tote bags. The conference committee wanted a tote bag that would be given out to all attendees and each and every design they provided was worse than the last, yet she made a sample of each one for them to approve which they didn't. She knew the designs were bad but she had no initiative to tell the committee that and offer suggestions until her friend Caitlin stepped in and offered to come up with the perfect design. By then, it was hard to believe Abbey had enough time to make all those tote bags and some of her own in time for the conference with only one machine. She also had to make poodle skirts for the servers at the conference to wear with no idea how to make them. Thankfully, again Connie, the fabric shop owner saved the day with an easy pattern and some pointers but she still needed to make a variety of sizes. She also had to track down pillowcases to make pillowcase dresses for a fashion show at the conference. She did have help with those but that is still a ton of projects so she didn't have much time to sleuth out a killer.
The are several supporting characters within the story. I wish Aunt Sarah had a larger role because she was definitely worried about something but she held it in for most of the book. I also am troubled by Caitlin's engagement, that subplot is going to blow up soon, I hope. A different subplot deals with another shop owner and a problem she asked Abbey to help with. I was very happy to have it contained within this story and that it had a positive ending.
The main mystery, the murder, unfolded slowly. Sheriff Grumman still continues to distress me. He jumps to conclusions with no evidence or he tries to make the evidence prove what he has preconceived. I am glad he has Deputy Zach McKenna to help him out. He has a good head on his shoulders and he has a budding romance with Abbey, although he is a little clueless in that department. Unlike the sheriff, I did focus in on the right guilty party but I needed just a few more clues for everything to fall into place. I knew the showdown was coming and it was exciting. It did happen before the women's conference so we have that to look forward to or at least how it may affect Abbey's Sewing Studio and Sarah's Sweets.
Hanging by a Thread is an entertaining cozy mystery and I am looking forward to the third installment of the Sewing Studio Mystery Series very much. Abbey has shown us how strong she can be in the face of danger. I need more of that strength to come out in her interactions with people who ask her to do things. I want her business to succeed and it can't be if she lets people walk all over her. She is a good person with a big heart but she is smart too, smart enough to stand up for herself and her time.
