Backstitched and Stabbed

Grace Designs Mysteries #2

by Tilly Wallace

The only thing worse than wet woollen togs, is a knife in the back…

As the kiwi summer draws to a close, a family outing to the beach takes a deadly turn when a lifeless body washes up on shore. Grace is devastated to recognise the victim, Ricky, who worked in her friend’s bakery. But when the supposed drowning victim is rolled over, a shocking truth is revealed—he was murdered.

Drawn into finding the murderer of the cheerful baker, Grace picks at the tangled web of secrets that surrounded Ricky. The man lived a double, or even triple, life. But which version of him had provoked the fatal encounter? Grace and her friends must find the person responsible, before another life is lost to the same tide of violence that claimed Ricky.

This is the second instalment in the Grace Designs mystery series, about a seamstress turned sleuth in Wellington, New Zealand at the dawn of the 1920s.

Genres: Audiobook, Mystery, Historical, Cozy Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Paranormal

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 6, 2023

About the author

Tilly writes whimsical historical fantasy books, set in a bygone time where magic is real. With a quirky and loveable cast, her books combine vintage magic and gentle humour. Through fierce friendships her characters discover that in an uncertain world, the most loyal family is the one you create.

Reviews

[Quinn]

Wish she would stop stringing Frank along.

[Julia Sarene]

I'm quite enjoying this cosy mystery, with a small dash of fantasy, series.

Backstitched and Stabbed by Tilly Wallace is the second book, and our main character is once again drawn into solving a murder, close to herself.
I liked how this has a LGBT flavour, showing the prejudices back in the day, without it overwhelming the story or tone of the book. It's just one more layer adding a bit more depth.

I must confess I read it mostly for the voice of the main character, and didn't think the murder mystery part itself was too gripping. However the setting and tone of the story still made this a quick and fun read, I finished more or less in one go.

[Claire Blind Reader]

Ummm I don't know. I really want to like these books, considering how much I enjoyed her others, but there's just not much to them. By the end I was kind of confused about what the mystery really was because I didn't feel like we'd made a whole lot of strides in gathering clues or progressing the plot. But the thing that dragged this book to a halt and dropped it a star compared to the first is the heavy handed commentary about gay people. I kind of enjoyed how casual it was in the first book and, in general, I admire books that slip that kind of stuff in without hijacking their own plot to take a political stance. Multiple times in this book we had to stop for Grace to tell anyone who would listen her opinions about people liking who they want or presenting how they want.
But there's a murder afoot.
A murderer at large.
Possibly related to sexuality.
Wouldn't it make more sense to maybe keep that stuff to yourself so you can lure the guy out? He's not going to talk to you if your obviously not on his side.

I'm also coming off the tails of a hyper preachy book so my tolerance for this stuff is low right now. But man did it really bog the already short story down. I was pretty determined to finish this series but I dunno anymore. There's just not a lot of anything to these so I'm not sure if there's much to invest in. I was looking for a cozy mystery but even for someone who can enjoy a cotton candy book, there just isn't much to this one.
I guess we'll see.

[Kav]

3.5 because Grace sets someone up as 'bait' without getting their approval...or even telling them about it. Horrifying because she's planning on luring in a murderer Otherwise, Backstitched and Stabbed is a solid cozy mystery with engaging characters, a unique setting and a complex mystery. The author deals with a social justice issue of the times (1920s) and I couldn't help but feel like we are backsliding so that brought a poignancy to the story for me. I love scrappy Grace, eking out a life for herself as a war widow with a young son in Wellington, New Zealand. The fashion details are a fun cozy touch as is her growing dressmaking business. Grace has a unique ability which touches on the paranormal and it isn't explained very well in this second book so definitely start with the first book so everything will make sense.

[Cathy]

I'm beginning to really enjoy this series set in New Zealand (Wellington) in the 1920s. The main character is a designer/seamstress who creates beautiful dresses for the elite. She is a single mom, whose husband was killed during WWI, and lives with her Dad, who helps with raising her soon-to-be five year old.

Grace Devine seems to find herself in the middle of murders, which are rare in Wellington. With a friend and a police inspector, she sets out to find the culprit.

I enjoy cozy mysteries inbetween reading more serious books.

[Mackenzie]

This second installment of Grace's adventures was nearly as charming as the first. Grace continues to play an active role in the investigations she undertakes and makes excellent use of her network of friends and family to ferret out clues. I was anticipating that the magic system would be a bit more flushed out by the end of this installment, but readers know about as much as they did by the end of Grace's first investigation. Overall a cozy mystery with compelling characters.

[Ginny & Forrest]

More deadly (but stylish) deeds in Wellington

Grace Devine's dressmaking business is booming and her newly built-out premises is nearly ready. But of course, another murder is demanding her attention, too. This cozy mystery series is a fun peek into Wellington NZ in the early 20th century. Can't wait for the next one!

[Teresa]

Loved this audiobook! It is entertaining, well written and well narrated. 1920’s New Zealand is not the typical setting for a cozy, the characters are interesting, the mystery is solid, and the MC is a talented dressmaker with a heart who is coming into her own. I’m eager to learn where the touch of mysticism takes the next story.

[Tracy]

An engaging story, easy to read. Set in 1920s with the fashion and culture of the day it draws a long bow as it addresses the discrimination and brutality of how some people were treated as 'others' while still delving into the ideas of 'seeing' experiences of various characters which help solve the murder mystery.

[Louisa Jones]

This story was my favorite one in the series so far.

The story is delving into the prejudices about people who enter relationships different than the so-called “norm.” I could almost imagine trying to keep my relationships underground for fear that I could wind up ridiculed, beaten up, or even killed. In a way, this was a very intense book.

[Tammy]

Who killed Ricky? What secrets will Grace uncover? This second book of the Grace Designs Mystery series was a pleasure to read. With mostly likable characters and unexpected plot twists. It provides an interesting insight into 1920's New Zealand. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Ronette Spark]

Tilly writes wonderful stories with a bit of mystery and romance. This latest one doesn't disappoint. Although each story can be a stand alone I love the characters as they make their way through mysteries and support each other along the way. When is the next one coming out?

[Adele]

0 stars. DNF The first book in the series was moderately interesting. This one is typical modern woke literature. I don’t think there is a novel written since 2000 that doesn’t have a gay character or is centered around the gay agenda.

[Amani Pitts]

The writing is about the same as the first book in the series. I read this one because I like the idea more than the execution itself. I only made it through this one because I like the character designs and the potential of where this can go. But the writing itself is just so so

[Wendy]

3.5 stars, rounded up.

Grace is still naive, and there's no development with her relationships with either Frank or the detective. The mystery itself was maybe a bit more challenging/convoluted than the first book. Still no explanation at all about Grace's mystery power.

[Moriah]

Fun quick read with unusual setting

[Melissa]

3.75
Solid cozy mystery.

[Barbara]

Great characters and fun sewing knowledge, well-crafted mysteries

[Rachel Arney]

Nice bit of fluff. Goes quickly. End is open and lacking depth.

[Kelly]

3.5 ⭐️

[LaRae☕️]

This continues to be a solid cozy. Nothing spectacular but I like the setting (1920s New Zealand), and the fact that she’s a seamstress and gives descriptions of fashions of the time.

[Kelly Tyner]

Q

[Denise]

Cute historical mystery series

[Rosemary Sapio]

Found this cozy mystery writer and book 2 was as good as one. Onto #3

[Stephanie McDonald]

3.5

[Tammie]

I liked the first book in this series quite a bit. I thought it was a nice light read and I enjoyed the characters. However, I found while reading this book that the main character got on my nerves with the way she sent mixed signals to her brother-in-law. Her husband was killed in the war and her brother-in-law wants a romantic relationship with her. She doesn't really feel that way about him, even though she's still attracted to him in some ways. She kind of goes back and forth about her feelings for him but she doesn't seem to have any real intention of getting into a relationship with him. She should just be straight with him. I'm tired of the wishy-washy stuff. Especially when it's obvious that she's going to end up with someone else anyway.

The other thing that I didn't care for was one part where the characters were supposed to be investigating something on the down low, but they ended up putting a target on themselves by not dressing and acting the part.

There's only one more book, so I'm going to finish the series even though some aspects of it were a little annoying.



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