Showing posts with label Mary Marks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mary Marks. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 31, 2022

Book #Review: Knot on Her Life (A Quilting Mystery) by Mary Marks #CozyMystery @KensingtonBooks


Knot on Her Life
A Quilting Mystery, Book 7

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: July 30, 2019
Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages 
ISBN-10: 1496720504 
ISBN-13: 978-1496720504 
Digital ASIN: B07K5ZJRYX
Purchase on Amazon



About the Book:

While quilter Martha Rose awaits the birth of her granddaughter, a neighborhood girl appears at her door with a mystery that can’t be pinned down . .

Martha’s eager to finish the baby quilt she’s making for her new granddaughter, but she scraps those plans when a young girl rings her doorbell begging for help. Poppy Halaby, the foster child of Martha’s neighbor, is an orphan whose parents were murdered by a killer who was never caught. When Poppy’s doting foster mom falls suspiciously ill, Martha is determined to keep the child safe. But she’ll have to unravel more about Poppy’s parents to stitch a broken family back together again—and prevent another crime cut from the same cloth . . .

My Review:

Knot on Her LifeKnot on Her Life by Mary Marks
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Martha Rose is back and expecting a grandchild any day now. While she’s waiting, she’s making a quilt for the new baby. When her neighbor Sonia’s new foster child, Poppy, comes knocking because there’s been a medical emergency under suspicious circumstances, Martha’s attention is diverted. Poppy’s parents were murdered, and the killer was never apprehended, raising suspicion in both Martha and her fiancĂ©, Crusher. Circumstances behind how Poppy ended up in the foster care system puzzle Martha, as well, since both of her parents come from wealthy, prominent families. Be prepared for an emotional trip that will not only tug at your heartstrings but infuriate you, as well.

Martha Rose has really developed as a crime solver/fighter. She does the best she can in the situations presented to her. She’s not nearly as daft and is a little bit better at taking precautions. She still bends the laws on occasion but either it’s not as often as in the first few books or I’m just getting used to her methods. In this book, she manages to accomplish more than those assigned to the murder case. When you have a rapport with people like Martha does, it’s no wonder she gets adults and children to open up to her.

I love all the characters in the Quilting Mysteries by Mary Marks. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and her to Crusher. The quilting group, which now includes Giselle, Martha’s half-sister, is a riot and totally have Martha’s back. I really feel like they are all my friends since we’ve now been together for seven books. I hope we continue to get more books in this series.

Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping everything a secret. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and the person responsible is not the person I thought it would be. The writing flows well and is concise. The author's writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements of Knot on Her Life are subtle and don't overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.

Thank you Kensington for the review copy.  

View all my reviews

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Book Review & #Giveaway ~ Knot of This World by Mary Marks @KensingtonBooks ~ A Quilting Mystery, Book 8



Knot of This World
A Quilting Mystery, Book 8
Mary Marks

Book Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: July 28, 2020
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages 
ISBN-10: 1496720512 
ISBN-13: 978-1496720511 
Digital ASIN: B07ZPJ5BLM

About Knot of the World:

Quilter Martha Rose must patch together the clues to solve the murder of a cult leader in the California mountains . . .

Has Martha’s fellow quilter and dear friend Birdie Watson become unraveled? Birdie and her new husband have decided to join the Mystical Feather Society, a spiritist group living on a commune in the mountains of Ojai, California. Before her free-spirited friend makes a huge mistake, Martha organizes a surprise visit to check out the commune. While white-robed members conduct a seancĂ© in a glass yurt, their leader—Royal St. Germain—is nowhere to be found . . . until, that is, Martha and her friends discover him shot in their Winnebago. Now Martha must track down the killer and debunk the cult—before it's bye bye Birdie . . .

My Review:

Birdy is back in the quilter's group after returning to California from wintering in Arizona with her husband, Denver. She brings with her shocking news. They are selling all of their homes and possessions and retire to the Mystical Feather Commune. All of the money from the sales will be submitted to the Commune's trust for its sole and exclusive use. Smelling something fishy, Martha convinces Birdy and Denny, and a small group of friends, to take an impromptu trip to visit the Commune and meet its fearless leader, Royal St. Germain. Only, the surprise is on them. It seems Royal has disappeared and their trip was in vain. As the group decides to pack back up and head out, they find Royal dead in the vehicle they used to make the trip - Birdy and Denny's Winnebago.

In an effort to help expose Mystical Feather Society as a fraud, Martha finds herself eyeball deep in another murder. This one happens while she are in the same area but the clues to the murderer aren't as clear. Two of the "friends" on this journey of Operation Debunk aren't who they say they are and land themselves on the suspect list. Meanwhile, additional suspects present themselves or Martha speculates their involvement and potential reasons. I had an idea who may have been involved but the author did such a great job presenting several contenders that I wasn't sure until the very end.

I love all the characters in the Quilting Mysteries by Mary Marks. The relationship between Martha and Crusher is sweet and I’m honestly glad she is with him. He is so devoted to Martha and her to Crusher. The quilting group is a riot and totally has Martha’s back. I really feel like they are all my friends since we’ve now been together for eight books.

Mary Marks does another wonderful job building up the mystery and keeping the reader on their toes. The truth of the situation is revealed at the perfect time and I was not disappointed. The writing flows well and is concise. The author's writing style is fluid and smooth and so easy to get lost in. The romantic elements in the series are subtle and don't overshadow the mystery. The entire novel is engaging; never a dull moment.

I was provided an ecopy of this book to read.

My Rating:


Purchase Links - Amazon - B&N - Kobo - Google Play - IndieBound

Tour Post & Giveaway:

https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/2020/08/book-review-giveaway-knot-of-this-world.html