Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed Something's Knot Kosher (Quilting, Bk 4) on + 157 more book reviews
Something's Knot Kosher, #4 in Mary Mark's quilting series, is an enjoyable cozy mystery. Character development takes place through the series, but enough background is given that each story stands alone. Rather than feeling lost by starting with the fourth book, I'm just eager to read the previous books. I don't expect books published in the general market to meet the same standards as the Christian fiction I review, but I was pleased that there was no profanity or explicit scenes. I didn't particularly care for the alternative lifestyle element, although it was handled well.
This series is about the adventures of Martha Rose a sassy, sarcastic woman of a certain age and her two quilting friends Lucy and Birdie, who have quilted together every Tuesday for sixteen years. I adore older characters and these ladies are charming, caring, and downright funny at times. And when you add Martha's cat and a retired police German Shepherd owned by her former love interest to that quirky mix, anything can happen! I'd like to know more about Martha, especially her Jewish heritage for while she follows Jewish dietary restrictions, nothing is revealed as to her faith.
The mystery plot surrounding the death of Birdie's husband, Russell, is well developed and I enjoyed the logical, step-by-step searching for clues, especially the road trip from Encino, California to McMinnville, Oregon.
Something's Knot Kosher is sure to delight quilters (beautiful cover art, by the way) and while I don't sew, I do love quilts. Quilting features prominently and I enjoyed all the tidbits of information scattered throughout. I had never heard of the Baltimore Album quilt that Birdie used to cover Russell's body and had to look into it further. It was also interesting to learn that quilters often bought fabric based on their emotional reaction to it ... "Either the colors or the print touched something inside that evoked a pleasant memory or feeling."
I read somewhere that Mary Marks is a grandma who likes to quilt and tell funny stories and her humor and knowledge shine through beautifully. I would like to read more from this series.
Thank you to Great Escapes Book Tours for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This series is about the adventures of Martha Rose a sassy, sarcastic woman of a certain age and her two quilting friends Lucy and Birdie, who have quilted together every Tuesday for sixteen years. I adore older characters and these ladies are charming, caring, and downright funny at times. And when you add Martha's cat and a retired police German Shepherd owned by her former love interest to that quirky mix, anything can happen! I'd like to know more about Martha, especially her Jewish heritage for while she follows Jewish dietary restrictions, nothing is revealed as to her faith.
The mystery plot surrounding the death of Birdie's husband, Russell, is well developed and I enjoyed the logical, step-by-step searching for clues, especially the road trip from Encino, California to McMinnville, Oregon.
Something's Knot Kosher is sure to delight quilters (beautiful cover art, by the way) and while I don't sew, I do love quilts. Quilting features prominently and I enjoyed all the tidbits of information scattered throughout. I had never heard of the Baltimore Album quilt that Birdie used to cover Russell's body and had to look into it further. It was also interesting to learn that quilters often bought fabric based on their emotional reaction to it ... "Either the colors or the print touched something inside that evoked a pleasant memory or feeling."
I read somewhere that Mary Marks is a grandma who likes to quilt and tell funny stories and her humor and knowledge shine through beautifully. I would like to read more from this series.
Thank you to Great Escapes Book Tours for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Something's Knot Kosher by Mary Marks is the fourth book in A Quilting Mystery series. Martha Rose and her friends (Bertie Watson and Lucy Mondella) get together every Tuesday for a day of quilting in Encino, California for the last sixteen years. Bertie and her husband, Russell have been together for 50 years. Russell is at work at First Encino Bank when there is a robbery and he is shot (was it random or intentional). Bertie needs her friends help (and their comfort) planning Russell's funeral. Bertie gets a call from the funeral home requesting her assistance. Someone else has shown up and wants input. Soon Jazz Fletcher (and his dog, Zsa Zsa) shows up on Bertie's doorstep. Turns out there was more to Russell and Bertie's life than anyone knew. Russell was gay but he kept it hidden because of his position at the bank. Bertie agrees to work with Jazz on Russell's funeral. Russell had requested to be buried in McMinnville, Oregon (him home town). Normally the body would be flown to the city, but Birdie will not take an airplane or a train. So it is arranged that a driver will take them to McMinnville. The group will travel in a car behind the hearse (Lucy, Martha, and Jazz are going with her). They take along a red journal they had found in the house safe. It is written in code and Martha believes it is important. Before the group departs they find out that the robbery may not have been random (nor Russell's death). And then someone tries to break into Bertie's house. What is going on? During the trip someone attacks the car and they get run off the road. Unfortunately, the casket pops out of the back of the hearse and falls open. They rush over to find a stranger in the casket (Russell is in there as well). Who is this man and how did he get in the casket? Martha Rose is determined to get answers for her friend. Can Martha stitch together the clues?
Something's Knot Kosher was delightful. It was entertaining to read (I have to admit that I even laughed a few times). The book contains engaging characters (Jazz is a riot) and a complex mystery (my favorite type). I loved following the clues. Something's Knot Kosher shows you really never know a person--not completely. Bertie and Russell's past will certainly surprise you. I give Something's Knot Kosher 4.5 out of 5 stars (since I was able to solve the mystery before I was halfway through the book). While Something's Knot Kosher is the fourth book in the series, you can read as a stand-alone. The author did a good job of bringing the reader up-to-date without boring someone who has read the other books in the series. I look forward to reading the next book in A Quilting Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of Something's Knot Kosher in exchange for an honest and fair review.
Something's Knot Kosher was delightful. It was entertaining to read (I have to admit that I even laughed a few times). The book contains engaging characters (Jazz is a riot) and a complex mystery (my favorite type). I loved following the clues. Something's Knot Kosher shows you really never know a person--not completely. Bertie and Russell's past will certainly surprise you. I give Something's Knot Kosher 4.5 out of 5 stars (since I was able to solve the mystery before I was halfway through the book). While Something's Knot Kosher is the fourth book in the series, you can read as a stand-alone. The author did a good job of bringing the reader up-to-date without boring someone who has read the other books in the series. I look forward to reading the next book in A Quilting Mystery series.
I received a complimentary copy of Something's Knot Kosher in exchange for an honest and fair review.
