THREAD AND BURIED by Janet Bolin

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   June 4, 2013
ISBN:  978-0425252185
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Four  

Willow Vanderling can finally start renovations on her cottage, Blueberry Cottage.  With building permits in place, a contract who she’s kinda, sorta hoping might have more than a business interest in her and peace in the neighbourhood it’s time.  But before contractor Clay can dig too far renovating the cottage first a set of old bones appears at another construction site.  Worse is the discovery of jewels on Willow’s property.

Wait? Worse? 

Yeah, could be…since those jewels might be tied to that skeleton found at the other site. 

Willow and Clay do their civic duty and immediately call the police to turn in the jewels.  But not everyone is a conscientious as our sleuth and her potential beau.  Strange noises start to happen at night and then several townsfolk turn up sick following a local festival.  Worse than that, at least one person turns up dead.

Can Willow uncover the killer before the killer covers her up?

I had a great time reading book three of Janet Bolin’s Threadville mysteries, THREAD AND BURIED. It’s wonderful when a series starts off fun and in subsequent books the characters grow and develop.  It’s fun to catch up with them and see where the author has taken them from book to book and Ms. Bolin’s Threadville series does this so well.

I was a little on the fence about this series when I first started it with ideas of perfection—would she, could she, kill something less than perfect?

I wasn’t too sure about continuing on with Janet Bolin’s Threadville mystery series with book 1, DIRE THREADS mainly because what were, I believe, supposed to be quirky characters like the police chief, were just annoying.  But I like to give a new to me author a chance and went on to book 2, THREADED FOR TROUBLE and I enjoyed it.  The characters I didn’t much care for moved on and those I did like were enhanced and taken to another level. Now in book 3, THREAD AND BURIED, Ms. Bolin really hits her stride.  The characters are much more three dimensional and they have solid interactions with each other. There is a wonderful blending of an old murder mystery interwoven with a recent one. The differences and then the odd similarities between the two were really well done.  She had me guessing until the killer was revealed. 

I also enjoyed the addition to the two little kittens and the subtle public awareness message given in their story.  With the growth of Threadville and the ever present tour bus there are lots of opportunities for more stories in this truly fun series.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

THREADED FOR TROUBLE by Janet Bolin

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   June 5, 2012
ISBN:  978-0425251324
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Four Hearts

Willow Vanderling’s embroidery shop, In Stitches, has been selected as the store to present a Chandler Champion embroidery machine to the winner of its nationwide contest.  Local Mom of the Year, Darlene Coddlefield is that lucky winner.  On the day of the presentation Chandler representative Felicity Ranquels has some definite ideas about how the event should go including how Willow should rearrange her shop.  Not one to be easily satisfied Felicity finds fault from lights to other in house displays.  All is finally ready and the winner arrives with her children, all six of them, in tow.  Each child wears a beautifully made dress or shirt and Darlene is one proud mama and seamstress. 

But then something goes wrong, very wrong, because Darlene is found dead—killed by her brand new sewing machine.  At first her death is ruled an accident but soon Willow begins to notice some things that just don’t add up.  When she and best friend Halley begin training to become volunteer fire fighters she is disturbed by how some of the recruits behave and then there is that mysterious fireman who keeps showing up at odd places along with a number of mysterious fires. 

Are the fires related to each other?  And what about the killer sewing machine?  Does it really have a mind of its own?  And let us know forget Felicity and her ideas of perfection—would she, could she, kill something less than perfect?

I wasn’t too sure about continuing on with Janet Bolin’s Threadville mystery series because rather than quirky, some of her characters were annoying, especially the Chief of Police.  I was delightfully surprised with book 2, THREADED FOR TROUBLE because not only did she move characters I didn’t care for on but honed and enhanced those that were solid parts of the story.  They are still a tad quirky, which is one of the reasons I enjoy cozy mysteries.  There is more substance to them and a wonderful progression in their development.  Relationships begun in book 1 have moved along nicely with no sudden, unrealistic leaps.

The mystery of who killed Darlene is well done with a solid twist.  I didn’t see the killer or the reason why coming.  I’m looking forward to book 3, THREAD AND BURIED.  .

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.

DIRE THREADS By Janet Bolin

Publisher:  Berkley
Published:   June 7, 2011
ISBN:  978-0425241899
Genre:   Cozy Mystery
Book format:  Paperback
Obtained via:  Publisher   
Reviewed by name and email address:  Gina Gina@loveromancesandmorereviews.com

Two  - 1/2

After sending her scheming former employer off to jail for fraud and embezzlement Willow Vanderling has taken up her friend Haylee up on her suggestion to join her and her three weird mothers setting up shop in the quaint little town of Threadville.  Well, the town isn’t really called Threadville.  It’s actually the town of Elderberry Bay but because of all the wonderful needlework and sewing boutiques residents and tourists alike call it Threadville.  Willow is thrilled with not only her business, In Stitches, but with her little apartment on top of her shop and a darling little cottage on the property called Blueberry Cottage.  She has such plans for Blueberry Cottage, just wonderful ideas that will fit in so perfectly with Threadville’s mystique.  Unfortunately Mike Krawbach has his own agenda for the property.  When Willow hears what that plan is she wastes no time telling Mike she is going to kill him.  Unfortunately there are witnesses—witnesses who think Mike can do no wrong—to her statement.  When Mike turns up dead not long after is it any wonder the townfolk look in Willow’s direction for the killer?

I loved the idea of Threadville, the town created by Janet Bolin in DIRE THREADS, A Threadville Mystery.  As someone who loves needlework of any kind I found myself wishing there was a town just like it not far from my home.  What a great idea for the backdrop of a cozy mystery!  The story started off pretty solid but sadly went downhill from there until almost the very end. 

Uncle Allen, the local police detective was fun comic relief the first few appearances.  After that, along with his ignorance and annoying car just got old.  There were times when the author seemed on sure footing and then for no reason at all except maybe to create a red herring, went off in an odd direction.  It didn’t work for red herrings but seemed like maybe I’d put down one book and picked up another. 

The series has potential and I will give book 2 a shot and see where the author goes with it simply because I like the idea of the series. 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.