Monkey Wrench

A Quilting Mystery #4

by Terri Thayer

Dewey Pellicano's quilt shop has earned a spot in the annual Quilter's Crawl, and twenty-something employee Vangie has organized a trendy Twitter promotion to boost sales at the struggling store. But when Vangie's boyfriend dies from an overdose, it's up to Dewey to get her young staffer off the hook for homicide.

Meanwhile, the store's quilting teacher Pearl takes in a college-age "GrandSon," who turns out to be a real pill. As if Dewey didn't have enough on her plate, she's blamed when a customer is killed during a Twitter-induced stampede. Putting together the pieces to save her skin--and her store-- is a real monkey wrench in Dewey's murderously busy shop-hop weekend.

Praise:

"Thayer's pleasant fourth offers its curious heroine a touch of romance and several puzzles to solve, and adds quilting tips for the like-minded."--Kirkus Reviews

"A smoothly written blend of cast, plot, and craft."--Booklist

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Cozy, Fiction

275 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2012

About the author

I am the author of seven mysteries. Four quilting mysteries: WILD GOOSE CHASE, OLD MAID'S PUZZLE, OCEAN WAVES, MONKEY WRENCH.

I am a quilter, have been for more than 20 years. I love fabric and reading and writing mysteries.

Reviews

[LORI CASWELL · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's time for the annual Quilter's Crawl and this year Quilters Paradiso (QP) is back on the map as part of the crawl. Over the weekend quilters will travel to 12 different quilt shops in the area for special bargains and prizes. Vangie from QP has even set up a Twitter promotion to help boost sales.

Getting everything set up and organized has been quite hectic as Vangie has college classes to work around and a new boyfriend. The store's long time teacher Pearl is starting to fail a bit so she is not as much help as Dewey was hoping she would be. Dewey will work day and night with her few available employees to make sure everything is just right.

While picking up more maps for the Crawl Dewey learns of a program at the college that places young men with elderly women call "Grand Son". They help around the house, run errands, help with medications. She thinks this maybe just the thing to help Pearl get back to where she was and teaching classes again.

Just days before the Crawl a riot breaks out on campus as law enforcement tries to crack down on the drug problem at the collage and Vangie's new boyfriends dies from an overdose.

As if that's not enough, one of the Twitter promotions sets off a stampede and a customer is killed.

These events have all put a huge Monkey Wrench into Dewey's weekend plans. Now she has to untangle the clues and piece them back together to save her store and herself and her friends.

Dollycas's Thoughts
Terri packs her pages with drama, humor, a little romance and some wild characters. We were introduced to quite a group in this edition. All the shop owners for all the Quilter's Crawl stores, one leader very set in her ways, a few of her followers stuck in the past and not open to new ideas and a few that have wanted to evolve but not had enough courage to buck the leader. Add Dewey to the mix and watch the sparks fly. Things don't go exactly as planned but the group pushes forward together. They become quite a gang. I hope next year's Quilter's Crawl is a big success hopefully without the dead bodies. With the crew you just never know.

I love that Freddy has a shop near QP and was integral in the story. I even enjoyed Kym in a small dose as she steps in to help at the shop. Anyone that has ever remodeled anything will enjoy Dewey putting her brother through the paces to get a bathroom ready and operational before the big event.

The characters in these stories have become old friends, some I like more that others but they are all entertaining. The happenings at Quilters Paradiso are sometimes a long way from Paradise but I have enjoyed every single visit more than the last. I am looking forward to my next trip to California already.

[hana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dewey couldn’t catch a break

Trying to make a name for her quilting shop, the QP,Dewey enter the annual Quilter's Crawl where quilters will travel to 12 different quilt shops in the area for special bargains and prizes over the weekend. But while busy readying for the event, her young assistants boyfriend murdered and Vange was the usual suspect. Vangie is not the only one in trouble, so is her elderly customer and friend Pearl.

Dewey thought that having a college aged boarder would help Pearl, but soon Pearl is so into helping the young man that she's rejecting her other friends. . on top of that, Dewey's blamed when a customer is killed during a Twitter-induced stampede. And Detective(-what-his-name) would like it very much if Dewey was guilty.

[Deanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in the series. I am sad it has come to an end.

Dewey has finally been invited back to the Quilt Crawl (similar to current Yarn crawls) and trying to be current uses Twitter as a means to get the word out and generate interest. Of course things do not go as planned.

All this as she is trying to help Vangie stay in school, Pearl recover from her husbands death, spend some time with Buster, and avoid Kym.

I like how each of her books cover a different topic and this was no different and the tie in with Buster's case was interesting. Another good, and slightly unexpected dramatic ending too.

[The Honest Book Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, this is a cosy read but the mystery lacked a bit of substance. There were a few good clues, and I did enjoy Dewey, the main protagonist (for the most part). The main thing I noticed about this novel is that the quilting really didn't seem important. I read another quilting cosy-mystery series, and the cast of characters showed their quilting skills quite often. I think this needed the same - the characters were written well enough to form an interesting group.

Would I go back to read more of this series? I'm not sure. I don't think I'd go out of my way to read them, but if came across one in the library or a charity book sale, I'd probably give it a go.

[Sara Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot takes place in a short time, but it was a good story. I'll have so see what else Terri Thayer has written.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this series with quilting and a fun mystery. Couldn't wait to read the next one.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the series! Great characters, great story lines.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the best of the series. Waiting for next book. It's been awhile.

[Gale Penton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read. I am sorry this is the last book in the series. Enjoyed the characters and the plot. Great series. Would recommend it.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read in a series. I hope there are more.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast pace read!!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, cozy mystery.

[Edith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light hearted fun read!

[Kellie Neslund · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series of 4 books is a must read. Very fun.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Something to read if you have absolutely nothing else available.

[Avid Series Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monkey Wrench is 4th in the Quilting Mystery series by Terri Thayer, set in present-day San Jose California.

Dewey Pellicano owns QP, the quilt shop formerly known as Quilter Paradiso, founded by her late mother. Dewey did not originally intend to be a quilter nor a business owner, but now is very proud of her shop, and fond of her staff and the regular shoppers.

Dewey has entered QP in this year's Quilter's Crawl, a quilt shop hop. QP has not been part of the Crawl since her mother's death, and Dewey desperately wants it to be a success. A shop bathroom renovation is underway, however behind schedule as the Crawl approaches. Dewey relies upon her web-savvy assistant manager Vangie, a college student at San Jose State, who designed Twitter events for the Crawl.

Dewey clashes with the Crawl lead organizer, a shop owner and control freak set in traditional ways. Dewey hopes to win the support of other shop owners who may be ready for modern ideas. Freddy, the local sewing machine shop owner, is Dewey's steadfast supporter.

Vangie becomes overwhelmed with her class workload...or possibly, has decided to spend all her time with a new boyfriend, who organizes protest happenings on campus. A campus protest gets ugly, the police disperse the students, and the boyfriend turns up dead in Vangie's car. Vangie is prime suspect, and Dewey feels compelled to solve the crime herself, to clear her valued employee and friend.

Dewey also feels compelled to monitor elderly staff member Pearl's life. Dewey learns of a GrandSon program from the college, where college students live with an elderly person and do all the chores to help out, in exchange for room and board. Dewey sets up a GrandSon for Pearl, then later regrets her action.

All these activities hog Dewey's time, preventing her from responsibly managing her shop. She misses necessary business deadlines and continually has to rely upon favors from friends. This continuing theme in the series annoys me, although I assume the author intended it to endear readers to Dewey's caring personality.

The book and series is easy reading, likely to appeal to quilters and cozy mystery readers. I enjoyed the quilting references, didn't care much about the mystery. The stampede 'caused by Twitter' seemed unlikely and contrived. Those who know the San Jose area may enjoy the scene where Dewey and Freddy frantically drive to the dozen Quilter's Crawl shops in a day.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite a scrapy little tale.... Vivid, memorable, characters and a plot that just keeps twisting.

I wouldn't quite call this a Cozy Mystery because there wasn't much of an attempt at humor. I did find myself chuckeling at the pictures my mind would draw of the sometime comedic "grandmother" figure of Pearl.

Good friends... not so good friends... and some customers that you want to choke, make the "Monkey Wrench" feel like an afternoon of neighborhood gossip.

I enjoyed the ambiance of the quilting store but didn't get bogged down by too many quilting references. I will say that by the end of the story I wondered about trying my hand at quilting simply because of the joy and simple healing that it seemed to bring.

If you are looking for a good murder mystery without a lot of blood, gore, and in-your-face sex this is the book.

I find myself anxious for the next book in the series by Terri Thayer and am thankful for the opportunity to read and review "Monkey Wrench".

[Jeannie and Louis Rigod · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an cozy murder mystery revolving around a quilting store and one of it's employees/friends. There was a secondary tale about watching out for our elder friends that also can get into troubles.

The store's name is "QP" and the owner is Dewey Pellicano. I really do not know too much about her other than she has a policeman boyfriend, Buster. The reason is I haven't read the first three books in the series, and in this case, you need to go back to fill in the blanks.

This book finds a store employee's boyfriend murdered and the police like poor Vange as the killer. Of course, Dewey must find the real culprit, especially since Vange has a past with the force.

Dewey calls upon her friends, family, and others to aid her. This search happens while she is getting ready for the annual "Quilter's Crawl." Then another death occurs...

This was a pleasant read. We get the flavor of living near San Jose State University and areas around the quilting store.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn't the cloying cozy I'd anticipated, nor was it much of a mystery. Instead, this series about a quilt shop owner, her police officer boyfriend and her staff and quilting friends is really more of a character study hung around a vague mystery. There are two dead bodies and one attempt (that's the cozy part), and luckily the characters don't go a-sleuthing but do what most of us would do when faced with an unexpected, untimely death.

What was surprising was how little quilting actually came into this. I think of The Knitting Circle - admittedly, not a mystery - and how the stitches and patterns are explained throughout the book. Here, the title pattern doesn't even rate a real diagram or explanatory paragraph at the end of the book, much less more than a cursory mention or two inside (there is a scene with Dewey showing Sonya how to put the cut pieces together, but if you're not a quilter...).

Copy provided by publisher.

[Kaye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dewey Pellicano is trying to make a name for her quilting shop, the QP, during the annual Quilter's Crawl (12 shops in 4 days, participants need to get their "passports" stamped at each shop in order to be eligible for prizes). Her assistant manager, Vangie, has come up with a Twitter promotional giveaway, and has a lot on her plate. So while Dewey's police officer boyfriend Buster is working day in-day out, her favorite customer/teacher Pearl is having problems and takes in a "GrandSon" from the local college, and the shop's bathroom isn't done, it's enough to give Dewey a bad case of anxiety. When the unthinkable happens and Vangie's boyfriend is murdered, and Vangie is suspect number one, Pearl's grandson is behaving strangely, and Dewey is blamed when a customer is killed in a Twitter promotional stampede, Dewey needs to sort it all out and get back to normal. I really like this series. The characters are realistic and interesting.

[Marge · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book hardly seems to fit with the first three in the series. Sloppy editing and lazy writing made this book a chore to finish.

The author can only describe emotions with bodily functions and most times its 3 words sentences. My scalp crawled, my heart pounded, my gut roiled, my innards clenched. Really??? She is taken in the arms of her lover and her response - my shoulders heaved.

This book was all over the map has far as the characters were concerned and Dewey running the quilt shop was manic. One minute the crawl is everything and has to be a success, the next I don't care I'm closing early even if it is against the rules.

I certainly will not be reading anymore in this series.

[Scilla · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dewey Pellicano runs a quilt shop and dates an homicide detective. Her employee, Vangie, is going to college and is found dead is Vangie's car. Dewey goes to pick up flyers for a Quilters Crawl, designed by an Art Instructor, Sonya, at the college. There she finds an ad for students looking get an inexpensive room in exchange for helping around the house, by being a GrandSon for elderly women. Dewey recommends it to her elderly quilt teacher whose husband has recently died. The GrandSon isn't so great; a customer is killed during the Crawl, and things are bad for Dewey and her friends.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dewey is busy readying her quilt shop for the annual Quilter's Crawl, but her young assistant Vangie is in trouble, and so is her elderly customer and friend Pearl. Dewey thinks having a college aged boarder will help Pearl, but soon Pearl is so into helping the young man that she's rejecting her other friends. Then Vangie discovers her boyfriend dead, and becomes a suspect. Naturally, Dewey has to help.

[Maggie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun quilting mystery. A quilting crawl involving multiple shops and lots of customers leads to a death. Dewey's Quilter's Paradise shop is right in the thick of things. I felt Dewey's pain as folks criticized her for changing her mother's shop to suit her. I had the same comments when I updated my mother's house for resale. You'd have thought I hung Elvis impersonators all over the Eiffel Tower.

[Kemi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It wasn't great literature by any means, but it was a fun, fast-paced, quick read.

There were a few editing mistakes in the book. They were minor things, like using "come" instead of "came", forgetting quotation marks, and misspelling a word, but they were noticeable enough to pull me out of the story.

Overall, though, I liked what I read. I will go back and read the first book in the series, as well as new ones that are published.

[Sandy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are basic entertainment. I like Thayer's basic writing style and the mysteries are decently engaging. I do wish some of the characters weren't quite so caricatured--very one-sided. By book four, I'm pretty able to pinpoint early on who the perpetrator is because the books run to a bit of a formula. I will continue to read future books in the series, I'm sure, but will be hoping for a little less formula and a little more surprise.

[❂ Murder by Death · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, I can't really say why definitively, but I just found this one to be o.k. The characters just didn't gibe with me this time, I guess? It's well written and the plot was solid and creative (although I guessed the murderer almost right away, it was just that - a guess). Perhaps the series is fading for me, or maybe it was just that I wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read it? I wouldn't steer anyone away from it; I just didn't love it.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't see that ending coming! As a wannabe quilter I do enjoy this series of books. I wish the author would have included the instructions for the Monkey Wrench quilt block. Having been on quilting shop hops it was fun to read about a fictional one that gave a little look into the excitement of a real Shop Hop.

I believe this is #4 in the series. Dewey/Buster, her boyfriend/ Vangie, employee and some of the others from the rest of the series all add to the story line.

[Marcie Mathis]

I wish there were more in this series

I have enjoyed all the books in this series and wish there were more. I hope the author adds to it. I like the characters, and the connection with quilting, especially the inclusion of the Quilters Crawl in this story. Also, the mention of more modern quilters. I liked the surprise near the end, just when it was feeling a little predictable.