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Patchwork #11
Squared Away
When Vanessa Sawyer hosts a fabric swap at Wild Goose Chase, quilters from all over the area come to the store to trade fat quarters. Sarah leaves with all kinds of fun new fabrics, including a beautiful calico that is perfect for the quilt she’s making for the town’s 225th anniversary celebration.
But she notices something strange about the calico swatch: There are small traces of metallic ink on it. It doesn’t take her long to deduce that the ink is related to a series of counterfeit bills that have been circulating in town. This means one of the women at the swap is involved in the counterfeiting. Can Sarah track down which quilter brought which fabric swatches to find out who the culprit is?
But she notices something strange about the calico swatch: There are small traces of metallic ink on it. It doesn’t take her long to deduce that the ink is related to a series of counterfeit bills that have been circulating in town. This means one of the women at the swap is involved in the counterfeiting. Can Sarah track down which quilter brought which fabric swatches to find out who the culprit is?
295 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2011
3 people are currently reading
128 people want to read
About the author
Cara C. Putman
67 books1,902 followersCara C. Putman lives in Indiana with her husband and four children. She is a clinical associate professor in law and ethics at Purdue University's School of Business. She has loved reading and writing from a young age and now realizes it was all training for writing books. She loves bringing history and legal romantic suspense to life.
An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.
Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 46th book with more on the way. Please check out her website to learn more about her books and read first chapters.
An honors graduate of the University of Nebraska, George Mason University School of Law, and Krannert School of Management, Cara left small town Nebraska and headed to Washington, D.C., to launch her career in public policy.
Cara is an author chasing hard after God as she lives a crazy life. She invites you to join her on that journey. She's currently writing her 46th book with more on the way. Please check out her website to learn more about her books and read first chapters.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
March 27, 2019
Vanessa hosts a fabric swap and quilters from all over come to swap fabrics. Sarah gets all kinds of fabric, one that is perfect for the quilt she is making for a fund raiser. At home she finds the fabric is stained with some kind of ink she can’t remove. At the same time someone is passing fake money and she wonders if the same ink is being used. Sarah goes to everyone she can think of who was at the swap trying to find out who donated the stained fabric.
March 28, 2022
Probably more like 2.5 stars. I was disappointed. I liked that in earlier books, Family Patterns for example, the quilt played an important part in the story but, in this book, a fat quarter was important and it was never used in a quilt. Actually, if a quilt is supposed to tell a story, the fat quarter could have and should have been used in the quilt.
I also liked that in earlier books, again Family Patterns for example, there was some emphasis on Sarah's interest and expertise in restoration of old quilts. In this book, nothing. I don't count her (failed btw) attempt at stain removal.
Page 118 -- When you try to deposit a counterfeit $20 bill at the bank, the cashier doesn't just say "This is counterfeit." and give it back to you. They confiscate it. Always. In fiction books they should have confiscated it for the sake of the plot. One or two counterfeit bills would just keep making the rounds between the different businesses in a small town. In real life, one of us would put our "Where's George" rubber stamp on it and it would be a joke until the Secret Service showed up.
When books in a series are written by different people there are bound to be continuity problems and there are. I don't need to go into detail because people who have read earlier books in the series will notice them on their own and people who haven't read earlier books probably don't care.
And, finally, I wasn't totally happy with the "big reveal." The Crime Triangle refers to means, motive, and opportunity, the three things that are necessary to prove in a criminal trial.
I also liked that in earlier books, again Family Patterns for example, there was some emphasis on Sarah's interest and expertise in restoration of old quilts. In this book, nothing. I don't count her (failed btw) attempt at stain removal.
Page 118 -- When you try to deposit a counterfeit $20 bill at the bank, the cashier doesn't just say "This is counterfeit." and give it back to you. They confiscate it. Always. In fiction books they should have confiscated it for the sake of the plot. One or two counterfeit bills would just keep making the rounds between the different businesses in a small town. In real life, one of us would put our "Where's George" rubber stamp on it and it would be a joke until the Secret Service showed up.
When books in a series are written by different people there are bound to be continuity problems and there are. I don't need to go into detail because people who have read earlier books in the series will notice them on their own and people who haven't read earlier books probably don't care.
And, finally, I wasn't totally happy with the "big reveal." The Crime Triangle refers to means, motive, and opportunity, the three things that are necessary to prove in a criminal trial.
March 26, 2024
Sarah goes to a fabric swap to find a piece for the quilt she is making for the town's anniversary celebration. She finds the perfect piece but later finds out she can't use it because it has metallic ink stains on it. Meanwhile the business in the town are being hit with counterfeit bills. Even Sarah has been given counterfeit money by her border. Sarah decides she is going to find out who is passing these bills around Maple Hill. Also, it looks like things are changing for Sarah and Liam. Enjoy this really good book.
July 4, 2024
If you are into cozy mysteries, you won't want to miss Squared Away as Sarah is trying to find a counterfeiter! Learn what quilt block fabric might have to do with counterfeiting. Does Sarah have two men wanting to court her! Read Squared Away and find out!
January 5, 2020
Light easy reading....a good way to start 2020
February 9, 2021
My friend Debbie gave me 2 to read. These are great fun books to read. I dont quilt but love the story. I order more from the series to keep reading it. Great story.
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March 6, 2022Nice easy read
December 2, 2014
This Patchwork Mysteries series was written by various authors. Sometimes it's every evident. This book must have been in the process of being written at the same time the previous book, by a different author, was being written. Not too noticeable unless they are read one after the other, as I did. This book and the one before it, "Yesterday's Secrets", seem to take place within a week of each other, if that. In the last book they were having a very warm May and the garden had grown high (in Massachusetts). In this one it is still late spring, after a long cold winter (more realistic) and they have cool and rainy days.
The story: Counterfeiters are spreading fake $20 around town. When Sarah's daughter-in-law, Maggie, loses $400 over it, Sarah gets involved in tracking down the culprit. Her only clue is a "fat quarter", a quilt piece, that has metallic ink splashed on it. It was rather obvious to me who was the perpetrator but it still was a good story.
The story: Counterfeiters are spreading fake $20 around town. When Sarah's daughter-in-law, Maggie, loses $400 over it, Sarah gets involved in tracking down the culprit. Her only clue is a "fat quarter", a quilt piece, that has metallic ink splashed on it. It was rather obvious to me who was the perpetrator but it still was a good story.
January 5, 2015
Once again, another joy. The only thing I will say is that this one speaks about her faith a lot more than the others, which wasn't really for me. But that's just a matter of personal preference in the writing - the book itself was great.
May 14, 2015
Counterfeit bills, a fabric swap, and making a quilt for the 225th Anniversary of Maple Hill. Sarah Hart is busy again. Chester and Liam both seem to enjoy her company as well. Vanessa's husband reappears...
August 27, 2014
7/31/14-8/6/14
Sarah tracks down a counterfeiter in Maple Hill.
Sarah tracks down a counterfeiter in Maple Hill.
December 1, 2015
I like the way the mystery was kept until near the end.
December 20, 2012
This time Sarah is looking for a counterfeiter.
March 29, 2017
Another in the Patchwork Mystery series from Guideposts. This Christian cozy mystery once again features professional quilter and quilt restorer, Sarah Hart. While attending a quilt square swap at the local quilt shop, Sarah picks up a perfect square for the center of the quilt she is making for the town's 225th anniversary. But when she gets home, she discovers a metallic stain that she is unable to remove with any of her tricks of the trade. At the same time, counterfeit twenty dollar bills are appearing all over town. Is the mysterious metallic paint on her quilt square connected to the counterfeiters? This is a delightful, quick, easy to read cozy mystery series.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "Sarah thought about how life was often like a quilt. Oned pice might not go exactly the way she had hoped, but in the end God had a way of pulling all the disparate pieces together and creating a story that brought Him glory.
FAVORITE QUOTE: "Sarah thought about how life was often like a quilt. Oned pice might not go exactly the way she had hoped, but in the end God had a way of pulling all the disparate pieces together and creating a story that brought Him glory.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews