Welcome to another Fiber Arts Fiction Friday! Today we’re returning to Kathryn Mykel’s Cozy Quilting Mystery series with book #2: Quilting Calamity!
Synopsis (Story Details Below, But No Major Spoilers)
Alex Bailey may have thought she was returning to her childhood home on Spruce Street for some peace and quiet, but that’s definitely not the case! Her beloved adoptive grandmother, Nona, has ensured Alex has a life of adventure, even after her untimely death. When Alex picks up a mystery envelope from the town’s travel agent she discovers that Nona planned and pre-paid for an island cruise for all of the inhabitants of Spruce Street!
Alex is nervous about the cruise trip, in part because her own parents died mysteriously on a cruise ship when Alex was a child. She sticks close to her Spruce Street neighbors (although only about half of them made the trip) and is looking forward to spending time focusing in the on-board quilt class. Unfortunately, the trip isn’t quite as peaceful as Alex would have hoped.
A fellow passenger dies on board right before Alex’s eyes and is taken off the ship for an autopsy when they land at a small island. Alex and the Spruce Street crew also disembark, as Nona has yet an additional surprise planned for them! Alex brings one of Nona’s grandmother’s flower garden quilts with her, along with the mysterious keys that they found after her death. Both of these end up revealing a secret that Nona had kept hidden from Alex and all of Spruce Street for years!
Trouble has followed Alex to the island, and she is knocked unconscious with a blow to the head. When she comes to, she’s shaken and confused, but no one can figure out who would have wanted to attack her! Back on board the ship, Alex’s troubles continue until eventually the killer is caught! Finally Alex is safe, but the mystery of why trouble is following her continues!
My Review
This is another great read if you like the cozy mystery genre (which I do!). The author does a great job bringing in aspects of quilting and sewing, and cleverly ties them into the various plot points. The quilt they make in the on-board class is Storm-At-Sea, which feels like the perfect choice for Alex’s troubled voyage! I again wish the second book was longer, but I think part of the brevity is what makes a book a cozy mystery instead of just a more traditional mystery.
I remain surprised at the number of things Nona set in place before her death! Although that’s explained a little in the first book (she was suspicious of the person who turned out to be a killer right from the start!), she still clearly put in a lot of work to ensure both Alex and the Spruce Street neighbors were taken care of after her death. She also left behind several mysteries (and a quilt to match each one!), and it’s been fun to see those get resolved one at a time with each book.
Final Thoughts
I’m really enjoying getting to know the various inhabitants of Spruce Street, and can’t wait to see what adventures they (and Alex) get up to in the third book! These are fun books that manage to retain their lightheartedness, despite being murder mysteries! Another quilty fiction book for the win!
Want to grab your own copy? Grab it on Amazon here.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
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