Over the last few months, I have become quite a bit enamored with Tallulah Falls and its charming inhabitants so vibrantly sketched by the gifted Lee. I have invested my time and have grown to love the quirky cast and their daily escapades, but sadly this installment was a bit crookedly stitched as it veered toward the reveal and climax. Thread Reckoning started with its usual laser point precision, eloquent narrative and smooth prose, but it just seemed a bit jumbled as it was wrapping up – a bit too fast.
Marcy, Angus and Jill are back to warm the hearts of cozy mystery aficionados as St. Valentine’s Day swiftly approaches the town of Tallulah Falls, Oregon. Amour is in the brisk Pacific Northwest air, and the pulse of intrigue is pounding fervently. Bridezilla du jour, Cassandra Wainwright, has enlisted Marcy Singer to glamorize her mother’s vintage wedding gown with sparkly baguettes for her Valentine’s Day wedding. Marcy is elated with this newly commissioned contract, until she realizes Cassandra’s picture is located right beside the dictionary definition of the word “Bridezilla.”
Sadly, the bride’s future mother-in-law, Francesca Ortega, is discovered stabbed to death outside of Marcy’s shop, The SevenYear Stitch. Francesca was transporting the jewels for Marcy to sew on the gown, but some baubles have come up missing. Now everyone is a suspect in this deadly jeweled caper, yes, even our delightful protagonist.
Lee’s plot starts unraveling at a heightened pace, and thus begins the haphazardness laced within Thread Reckoning.
I wondered if Lee was pressed to meet a deadline or to finish out her contractual obligation. I do believe book four is due next year, but am not sure if the passion illustrated in the first two chapters and the beginning of Thread Reckoning has reached its end. It seemed as if Lee had other things going on, and it knocked the sleekness out of alignment, and instead of reaching its pinnacle, the book collapsed. Lee’s invigorating energy was missing, and it became apparent with each page turned.
As Thread Reckoning progressed its sequence seemed fragmentarily crafted. Lee just may be exhausted after churning out the second volume, Stitch Me Deadly, just seven months ago and to be fair to Lee, she also pens another series under her own moniker.
Now as many of you are aware, I am a blatant cover tart, and I must say, the winner of cozy cover of the year goes to Amanda Lee’s Thread Reckoning. The Obsidian art department did an outstanding job and the result is one stunning cover — absolutely gorgeous!
Article comments