Sunday, February 9, 2020

Book Review: A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won't keep the locals away from Heartsford's annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft's one-night-only sale, Samantha "Sammy" Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.
Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack--tapping on the glass and making funny faces--but nothing disrupts Wanda's stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn't breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.
Detective Liam Nash can't seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy's cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda's untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort. [summary via Amazon]

In Heartsford, Wisconsin, townsfolk are getting ready for the annual winter festival, the Fire & Ice event. However, the evening turns deadly when local quilter, Wanda Wadsworth, is discovered dead in Sammy Kane's shop, Community Craft.  Together with her sister, Ellie, and cousin, Heidi, Sammy decides their detective trio (named S.H.E.) must put their heads together to solve the crime!

Oh, how much I loved A Crafter Quilts a Crime! This was my first trip to Heartsford, Wisconsin, but it most certainly won't be my last. Heartsford is full of the cozy town charm, that all cozy mystery readers love. I quickly became smitten with the cutesy-named shops and their occupants. However, one step inside Community Crafts and my crafty soul was singing for joy! I loved the mix of crafts and the community atmosphere, and I could just imagine myself sitting down with my quilting and ready to listen to all the gossip. 

Of course the real reason we pick up cozy mysteries is for the mystery... and this one left me absolutely stumped! I couldn't figure out who would want Wanda dead. She seemed sweet enough, if a bit of a "health nut", and certainly not someone I'd pick for an early grave! When the final denouement was unravelled I let out a little gasp! 

With a charming town and a thrilling page-turner of a mystery, A Crafter Quilts a Crime was a 5-star read for me. I leapt into this series with this book, and I didn't feel lost at all. I liked that I was able to dive right in. By the end of the book I felt like I need more of the S.H.E. gang and will definitely be reading their earlier adventures.

A Crafter Quilts a Crime is recommended for fans of "crafty" cozies and those that are looking for a good mystery to read by the fire in these chilly February days!

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