A Catered Quilting Bee

A Mystery with Recipes #18

by Isis Crawford

For sisters and business partners Bernie and Libby Simmons, catering a quilting showcase is about as tame as it gets—until murder put them in a bind!

Quilts, quiet, and delicious food. That’s exactly what Bernie and Libby expect as they build the menu for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle’s first-ever exhibition hosted at the local library. The eclectic ladies of the group couldn’t appear more harmlessly wholesome if they tried, especially mild-mannered kindergarten teacher Cecilia Larson, who hired A Little of Taste of Heaven to cater the event. So it’s a complete shock when disturbing news drops about member Ellen Fisher, found hanging from a plant hook in her otherwise pristine sewing room . . .

All are very quick to deem the tragic death a suicide. All except for Cecilia. She believes something else happened to her best friend—who was busy adding the finishing stitches on her greatest work yet in hopes of displaying it at the exhibition—and looks to Bernie and Libby to expose the truth . . . and the killer. As Ellen’s patchy past comes into focus along with a mysterious connection to a missing seven-hundred-year-old quilt fragment, can the sisters unravel the victim’s final thread before another turns up dead?

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Crime

336 pages, Hardcover

First published February 20, 2024

About the author

Isis Crawford was born in Egypt to parents who were in the diplomatic corps. When she was five, her family returned to the States, where her mother opened a restaurant in Upper Westchester County and her father became a university professor. Since then Isis has combined her parents’ love of food and travel by running a catering service as well as penning numerous travel-related articles about places ranging from Omsk to Paraguay. Married, with twin boys, she presently resides in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, where she is working on the next Bernie and Libby culinary mystery.

A pseudonym used by Barbara Block

Reviews

[Deborah Almada · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought when I got this book that it was the first in a new series, so I was really surprised to find out that it was a very long running series. I don't usually like to start in the middle of a series but I have to say I enjoyed this mystery. I will admit I definitely felt like I was jumping into the middle of a story, there is not a lot of background here, but it is a long running series and the pick was on me, that being said I was able to follow along and get a pretty good idea of who was who and what was what. I liked the main characters Bernie and Libby, who are sisters and have a retired police officer as their father. Love the bits and pieces of their, shop, catering business and food talk. This one centers around a group of quilters, another interest of mine so this had a lot going for it. Add a really interesting mystery and this was a good read. I would recommend this series, but if you haven't read it before, I would suggest you do what I am going to do, and go back to the beginning. Thanks to #NetGalley and #Kensington publishing for the chance to discover this series!

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finished this delightful and cozy read in one evening. So very good!
It was a somewhat different read for me, and I actually figured out who did it early on, but I still enjoyed it.
Bernie and Libby are wonderful characters, and getting to know them was fun. I enjoyed sleuthing along with them. This was my favorite part.
Sometimes they made laugh and sometimes I just wanted to scream at them.
I had no idea this was in the middle of a series, but in my opinion, it could be read as a stand-alone. I'm always getting in the middle of some kind of series.
Here's a quote that I loved.
Sean raised an eyebrow. “Love. Money. They elicit powerful emotions. Add revenge,” Sean went on, “and you have the perfect trifecta for bad behavior.”
I still enjoyed it, and I highly recommend this novel. It's such a cute and fun read.
This book does have some nice surprises at the end. Ones that will make you want to drool and try for yourselves.
5 stars for a job well done!
My thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review this book. All opinions expressed are mine.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford is the latest addition to this long running series.
Bernie and her sister Libby are creating a mouthwatering menu for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circles first-ever exhibition hosted at the local library.
The quilting ladies are friends who may have more in common than fabric swatches and thread.
When a member is found dead, her death is ruled a suicide, but Libby and Bernie have their doubts.
When they are hired to look into her death, secrets are revealed and the truth finally surfaces.
This is a fun story to read, the sisters are funny as usual and their relationship with their dad brings the trio together as family and sleuths.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
#ACateredQuiltingBee #NetGalley

[Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan of this author. Won't be reading anymore books in the series. The two sister's banter got a bit redundant and boring. I found the story to be a little confusing and far-fetched

[Barbara Dougherty Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book.

What can I say? It was super great. I was hesitant. The cover wasn't really appealing to me, but the synopsis sounded like a good read.

Glad I took a chance. It was a really, really good read. Well, worth the time. The synopsis is spot on.

Recommend.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

"For sisters and business partners Bernie and Libby Simmons, catering a quilting showcase is about as tame as it gets—until murder put them in a bind!" Three people ended up dead.
Who killed them? Was it just one person or multiple people?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

March

This story has quilts, theft, old and new mysteries, adultery, and murder. Finding the solution to the mysteries involved a bit of a scavenger hunt. The ending wasn't what I expected. I thought it was someone else behind it all. I also liked the quilting that was sprinkled throughout the story.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sisters Bernie and Libby are catering refreshments for a quilt show when the news comes that one of the quilters has committed suicide. None of her friends believe it, but the police see nothing suspicious. Oh, but the sister do, especially when they are hired to find out the truth. True, there are no physical clues, and also true, it doesn't seem that anyone would kill a woman as inoffensive as the elementary school teacher, but there seems to be no reason she'd kill herself, either.

[Donna Pfeiffer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good murder mystery but certainly not believable with all they got away with without being killed. The sisters are the detectives who also own a coffee shop. Their home made baked goods sound irresistible so would be hard to read if you were dieting.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series.

[LittleRead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sisters Bernie and Libby run a bakery, and provide catering and their community. And while their food is always a big draw, it seems that murder follows them wherever they go. And this entry is no exception.

If you’re looking for a cozy mystery series with well developed characters, solid mysteries, full of red herrings and suspects, this is your series. Well, each one reads fine as a standalone comment having 16 books, previously published in this series, or you’ll be able to binge, read the entire series and catch up quickly. Then you’ll see why it is one of my favorite cozy series.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun mystery story with good characters.

[Leslie McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is part of a series, but it can stand alone, though there isn't as much backstory as I expected this far into the series. The pace is perfect for the cozy mystery genre, and there are enough red herrings to keep readers guessing. Crawford's latest is a quick, fun read overall. The recipes are a nice addition!

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy, but I wasn't required to leave a positive review.

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford

Rating: 3 stars

In A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford, sisters Bernie and Libby Simmons find themselves catering a seemingly tranquil quilting showcase until murder disrupts the peace. The plot unfolds as they navigate through a web of mysteries surrounding the death of a quilting circle member, Ellen Fisher.

The book delves into the world of quilting, delicious food, and a quaint setting, setting the stage for what promises to be a cozy mystery. The author weaves a well-paced narrative that keeps readers engaged in uncovering the truth behind Ellen's demise. Despite being the 18th book in a series, this installment stands strong as a standalone, making it accessible to new readers.

While the writing was good and mystery plot well plotted, the characters fell flat for me. The juvenile bickering between the sisters, Bernie and Libby, felt forced and detracted from the overall story. Additionally, some of their actions felt unrealistic and left me questioning their decision-making processes, such as stumbling upon a dead body, tampering with evidence at the crime scene, venturing to search the deceased man's house, all without notifying authorities of their discovery. It left me amused and slightly incredulous.

Overall, A Catered Quilting Bee is an okay read that balances a captivating mystery with cozy elements. The book's cute cover and well-constructed plot make it an enjoyable choice for fans of the genre. However, the character development and some aspects of the narrative may leave readers wanting more depth and realism in the interactions between the protagonists.

If you're looking for a light-hearted mystery with a touch of quilting charm, A Catered Quilting Bee offers an engaging storyline that will keep you guessing until the final reveal.

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

[Smitten · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

Bernie and Libby Simmons are sisters, and together they own A Little Taste of Heaven catering company. They’re really excited about their latest job and think it should be fun. They’ve been hired by teacher Cecelia Larson to cater an exhibition for the Longely Sip and Sew Quilting Circle at the local library. One of the members, Ellen Fisher, was putting the finishing touches on her entry for the show, but was found dead in her sewing room. It’s ruled a suicide, but Ceclia tells Bernie and Libby that she doesn’t think that’s true. The Simmons sisters agree to look into Ellen’s death, with some help from their dad, who is a retired police officer. They find out there was more to Ellen’s life than it first appeared and hope it will help them prevent a killer from striking again.

This book is a fun mixture of mystery, food, and quilting. I enjoyed the characters of Bernie, Libby, and their father Sean, but would have liked to know more about their backstory. The three of them make a fun sleuthing team. The author’s writing style and the frequent humor makes this a quick, light read. The clues were there, but I was still very surprised when everything was revealed. The solution was much more complicated than I had expected and some parts are far-fetched. However, I was happy that the story is wrapped up nicely at the end. This is a culinary cozy, so as expected, it includes recipes and they all sound tasty.

A Catered Quilting Bee is the eighteenth book of the series, but I’ve only read a couple of the prior books. It’s been a long time since I had read them, so it was like starting a brand new series. It took me a while to get to know all the regular characters and didn’t connect with all of them. The book was entertaining, but I think readers who follow the series more closely will enjoy it more.

~ Christine

[Maureen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t even finish the book!

The two sisters bickered like 10 year olds and it became tiresome very quickly.

But… as the story progressed -

Bernie and Libby are meeting with Cecilia regarding a catering job. Gail, a friend of Cecilia rushes in, very upset,to announce that mutual friend Ellen has committed suicide and other mutual friend Selene has discovered the body.
Selene is understandably upset and Gail wants to rush to her but remembers she (a college professor) is due to teach a class and can’t go.

Bernie and Libby don’t know any of the women involved, so what do they do? The rush to comfort Selene and bring her a cookie! Why doesn’t Cecilia go? This is not the time for a distressed and shocked woman to be accosted by two total strangers and pumped for the details.

They want to know more about the deceased so they ignore the police tape and pick the lock to her home,wander around for a while looking everywhere, discovering a gun which they remove from the home and give to the police who never say anything about their breaking and entering a crime scene and removing possible evidence.

Then …..they’re thanked for returning a valuable missing quilt to the previously introduced friends. There was no mention of them finding a quilt or removing it or giving it to anyone. Everything else in the house was trashed and another quilt was slashed. How and where did they find this one and why is it unscathed?

At that point I gave up! Just sloppy plotting and writing. If I could have given this book zero stars I would have.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quilting knowledge is not a prerequisite for enjoying this delightfully woven cozy, but count on picking up some of same by book’s end. The suspected murder of a seemingly low-profile senior quilter in town, found suspiciously hanged, moves affable catering/café owner (and amateur sleuth) sisters Libby and Bernie Simmons to accept the challenge of uncovering the killer, if there is one. Two murders later, there is no doubt! Wisecracking Bernie and straight-arrow sis Libby’s unique complementary strengths grapple with one hair-raising situation after another in their pursuit of justice for the victims, and these police chief’s daughters are adept at networking and otherwise gathering intel to make their case, disarming even the toughest adversaries with a veneer of humor and charm. (They’re all business, underneath, though.) The trio of recipes at book’s end are irresistible, as well. A great winter’s read under—what else?—a cozy quilt or two.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Catered Quilting Bee is part of a long standing series with two sisters Bernie and Libby who have a catering shop/company, and as well seem to do quite a bit of sleuthing on the side. This time they are involved in hunting down the killer of Ellen Fisher. To me it seemed Bernie and Libby spend a considerable amount of their time on the sleuthing and this time round any way they are  well paid for it.

Their Dad is a retired policeman and has the ability to gather in for them information from some friends that seem to provide good leads. There is quite a bit of cat and mouse chasing about, a past heist that comes into play, and some questions about who really is Ellen Fisher.

I enjoyed the story, I was suspicious of the killer from the beginning, I felt there were a few tip offs and the tone of the book towards a certain group sort of helped. However the way it would all roll out was still unknown and I enjoyed the ride.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ☆
Quick read, I wanted to know what happened, and I didn't guess the killer.
HOWEVER
The writing is not very good, repetitive, and full of unnecessary detail. The sisters' banter is exhausting. They are god awful at solving crime. Their 'in' with the cops makes some of their risks feel stupid when they could just... inform their cop friend. Their disregard for people's privacy and the law feels entitled and icky. Dropping into the middle of this series, I could not for the life of me figure out how old these women were supposed to be. That's not how underground railroad messages in quilts worked. There's no way that timeline at the bar meet-up made sense. Why would they drive everywhere in the most conspicuous van ever?? Seriously, they're so bad at questioning people; zero tact, not subtle, and so combative.

[Shirley Ann Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

When netgalley approved my request for this book, it went right to the top of my reading list. I just love this series featuring sisters and caterers Libby and Bernie. When Ellen Fisher, a member of the Longely Sip and Sew quilting circle commits suicide, some of her friends don't believe it was a suicide and hire Libby and Bernie to find out the truth. This was a well paced cozy with a good solid plot and plenty of red herrings. I was very surprised by whodunnit. I enjoyed this book but it was missing some of the humor from previous books. I wish the girls Dad Seth, a retired cop, and Libbys boyfriend Marvin, a funeral home director, featured more in this story. My thanks to Kensington books and nergalley for this ARC to read and review.

[Amy Dunlap · Rating 2 out of 5]

I usually really like this series, but this one took a huge nosedive. Bernie has dropped about 50 IQ points and kept making stupid non-jokes (“you can say that again!” AND SHE DID -an actual line from the book). Both sisters kept bickering like they were teenagers again, which happened a lot in the early books, but felt like they were regressing in this one. Additionally, not once, not twice, but THREE TIMES the sisters are caught breaking in to someone’s home? Why didn’t Libby ever start serving as a lookout after the second time? Answer: too busy with the petty bickering. And finally…they’re caught breaking into a murdered guy’s home, one they didn’t report to the police after stumbling on his body, and the cop’s response is…to let them look around before the CSI folks show up?!!?!

[Carol Deegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is #17 in a cozy culinary series, and unlike many other books in the middle of a series there was not a lot of back story included here. I was confused about the first 25% of the book. However, it was a good book. The characters and plot are all realistic and believable. I wondered how the owners of a bakery could spend so much time sleuthing and not running their business. I love the threesome of Bertie, Libby and their father, retired from law enforcement. This would be a good cozy mystery to read if you’ve read others in the series. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really wild mystery with several layers going for it and a decent amount of suspects. Our fave catering duo attacked this case with their usual flair and comedic lines throughout. Sean’s detective friend Clyde must have the patience of a saint for the stuff he always let the girls slip by, lol. All in good fictional fun though!

That was some showdown and impressive escape by the sisters who added a little information to Clyde’s explanation of everything at the end. And what case is complete without a toast, right? Till next time, Simmons sisters!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book, and my opinions are my own.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Catered Quilting Bee is book #18 in the Mystery With Recipes series by Isis Crawford.

This is a long running series and my favorite part is seeing how the characters and relationships have developed. It can be read as a standalone mystery. I enjoy the characters and the premise of the series. Reading and quilting are two of my hobbies so reading about quilting is a win for me. The mystery had twists that kept me guessing until the end. There are three yummy looking recipes at the end.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Amary Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Crawford's catering sisters Bernie and Libby seem to be drawn into frequent investigations. The catering job for the quilting group starts out with one of the ladies dead and another asks them to investigate. Surprise after surprise rocks the sisters' equilibrium, but they continue on, asking the advice of dad, a retired Chief of Police until they stumble upon the answers. Well played. Very enjoyable read.
I requested and received a NetGalley arc to peruse gratis and offer my opinion in the same.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew quilting could arouse such murderous feelings! Sisters Bernie and Libby who were meant to be catering an event for the quilters, found themselves investigating the murder of Ellen- and then more- all connected to an antique quilt. The sisters are a hoot (but never over the top) because they're just so different. They do, however, have a dad who was a police chief and noses for lies. There are some good red herrings in this classic cozy which while it is part of a long running series will be just as enjoyable as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC . AND- recipes !

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a new to me author. In the very beginning I was concerned that I would be lost, having not read the previous books in the series. The author did a great job of keeping me informed enough that I was okay. While I probably would have been more invested in the town if I had read the other books, I don’t feel it’s necessary. Some parts of the mystery I had figured out, and some parts of it I didn’t. I liked that it was a nice combination of mystery and humor. I would definitely try this author again.

[Monica C · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Catered Quilting Bee by Isis Crawford is the latest installment in the adventures of Bernie and Libby. A member of the local quilting group appears to have killed herself and Libby and Bernie work to figure out if she was actually murdered and if so, why.

I normally enjoy what Bernie and Libby get up to but this book was very hard for me to stay interested in. Something felt different about the characters and it just didn't hold my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this ARC.

[Joyce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read most of this series, it is always great to reunite with sisters Libby and Bernie and their former cop dad. Caterers by day but sleuths by night, I love the dynamics where no matter how old they are, they still trust their dad's insight.

What started out as a catering job ended up being a sleuthing job as they are hired by the same person when a fellow quilt member is found dead of an apparent suicide. However, things may not be as it seems as readers are taken along for a journey through the world of quilting.