Homespun Holiday

Patchwork #5

by Kelly Ann Riley

Snow is falling, carols are playing, the Christmas spirit is settling over the countryside, and Sarah is enjoying spending time with her son Jason and his family at this special time of year. But then she discovers that Belle, her boarder, has disappeared-along with the family heirloom Christmas quilt. The intricate Star of Bethlehem design was made by Sarah's husband's great-great-grandmother and has been in the family for generations, so the quilt- in addition to being quite valuable-has significant sentimental worth. But where could B elle have taken it? And why? As Sarah hunts for Belle, she finds clues that all is not merry in Maple hill. Will Sarah be able to bring the missing girl home in time for Christmas? Meet Sarah Hart, an expert in vintage quilt restoration who has a knack for piecing together mysteries. Whether she's creating a Log Cabin quilt or delving into a real log cabin to find a clue, her keen eye and gentle faith always lead her in the right direction. Sarah understands that the key to making an intricate quilt-or solving an intricate mystery- is knowing how to put it all together.l

Genres: Mystery, Christian Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Christmas, Fiction, Christian

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Elizabeth Meadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and interesting mystery story. The mystery itself was better than the actual resolution, but I really enjoyed the story. This mystery series has very likable characters and no murders (so far). There is usually a historical element and family is always important to the story.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed the guidepost series but this book missed, it wasn’t as interesting as others I have read. Sarah is getting ready for Christmas and her home will be on the tour of homes. She wants to use a family heirloom quilt to cover some stains on a wall. The quilt is missing and so is her border. She sets out to find her border and uncovers grand theft.

[Loraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fifth in the Patchwork Mystery Series written by a variety of auhors and published by Guideposts. Each story features Sarah Hart who is an expert in vintage quilt restoration and has a knack for piecing mystery clues together as well. This story focuses on her missing border, Belle, and Sarah's missing family heirloom, a Star of Bethlehem quilt that is almost 100 years old.

The characters in this cozy mystery series are delightful: Martha, Sarah's best friend; Liam, the owner of the Spotted Dog Cafe; Jason and Maggie, Sarah's son and daughter in law, Amy and Audrey, Sarah's 12 year old twin granddaughters, and the varied citizens of the small town of Maple Hill. Set in New England in the midst of winter and the holiday season, Riley provides enough clues to keep me guessing until the end of the book. Slow but steadily paced, this is a great cozy mystery to curl up with on a cold day. I recommend this series to those who like cozy mysteries and enjoy quilts or quilting.

[Roberta · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are told that Sarah Hart is an expert in vintage quilt restoration, although we don't see her at work in this book. Sarah is puzzled by the disappearance of her border, Belle, at the same time as a valuable family heirloom Christmas quilt. She suspects that Belle is in danger and, like all good sleuths, she ignores Chief Webber when he tells her to leave investigating to the police. In case her Christmas quilt is never found, Sarah starts a new Star of Bethlehem quilt so that the family tradition can continue.

The covers of the books in this series are so nice and colorful that the only disappointment is that the Star of Bethlehem quilt featured in the book wasn't used for the cover illustration.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is set before Xmas when the main character is lending a quilt that was made and passed down by her husband's family. It is unique and she is going to surprise her daughter-in-law by displaying it in the restored home of her son and daughter-in-law for a Christmas tour, then gift it to be passed on to the next generation. When the quilt disappears before the tour, there is panic, mystery and worry about not only what happened to the quilt, but where had the boarder gone?

[Jacquie Stricklind · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sarah is getting ready to spend Christmas with her family and things are not going well. First her heirloom quilt that she was going to give her daughter-in-law, Maggie for Christmas is missing. Then she finds out that her boarder is missing, and all her things are gone from her room. Why did Belle leave so suddenly and where is the quilt? Sarah is on the case! Read this good book to find out what happened to the quilt and Belle.

[Fawn Pender · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun series centering around quilts and quilters. The descriptions of the Christmas ornaments and the antique quilt that is the star of the story made me want to put down my book and pick up my needle!

[Jennifer Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read in this series. I love the characters and the sense of family and faith. Plus this mystery had me wondering until the very end.

[Sonia With an I · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, I adore Sarah!

[Vicki Gooding · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable mystery. The warmth of Christmas, likable characters, and intriguing story.

[Tambra · Rating 4 out of 5]

To me its Christmas all year round, you will feel it to after you read this book. Another great book in the Patchwork series.

[Sharyl Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the characters, good mystery.

[Terri Dufner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I’m looking for in a Christmas read.

[Deb Pizzica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reminds me of the Nancy Drew stories I read as a young girl.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another good story and I really enjoyed it. This one had me pretty hooked and I couldn't stop reading. This book and the last one was really good and just like the last one I was a little disappointed when Sarah, and Martha this time, decided to do something dangerous without telling anyone where they were going. I got this image of Laverne and Shirley, about 30 some years older, spelunking and climbing through holes in the ceilings of caves etc. In my mind I could even hear the voices of Laverne and Shirley as I read that part. I was half expecting them to run into the guys in the brown car and be in big trouble there. Just like with the last book it was like when you watch a bad horror movie and the blond girl hears a noise in the basement and decides to go check it out (and you know she is going to die). I had that feeling here and it is such a shame because I really thought Sarah was a smarter character than that. I guess I was wrong. I did really enjoy the book other than that though.

I did wonder about some things that were left hanging though, like with the character Andrew. Was he involved or just an $%^&*(). Also, what happened with Stout. I assume he was arrested but it wasn't really talked about in the ending. I was really disappointed that the quilt wasn't found. I was hoping it would turn up somewhere.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This Patchwork Mystery series is a collection of wonderful cozies. Each book was written by different authors but they flow seamlessly together. I just love them! This one is a Christmas story and I wish I had read it at Christmas.

Sarah Hart is getting ready for Christmas with all the small town hustle and bustle. Her home is going to be one on the Holiday Home Tour and her young boarder Belle Silver is planning the treasure hunt and gifts. Sarah is the current owner of the family quilt, a Star of Bethlehem pieced in 1910 by her husband's great grandmother. The quilt takes the place of honor on the living room wall each Christmas. But two things happen: Belle disappears and so does the quilt. Worried about the safety of Belle, Sarah and her best friend Martha find themselves deeper and deeper into the mystery and more than a bit of danger.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I figured I should read at least one cutesy Christmas book to get through the holidays and this was it this year. While I love a good cozy mystery, this one was a bit too fuddy-duddy (and I’m a sucker for a Hallmark movie, so that’s saying a lot). The book was leisurely-paced and heavy on the ambience (hygge vibes and nostalgia), which is the best part about a cozy (and especially in a Christmastime story). The plot of these types of books always requires a certain suspension of disbelief, which is fine, but when grandma and her bestie unspool a skein of yarn so they can track their way out of a cave dive I couldn’t help but laugh. The ending annoyed me, because Sarah never did get her precious heirloom quilt back, but since the moral of the story was cherish the past but live in the now/appreciate people not things, I guess that had to happen.

[Sherry Sharpnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favorite, so far, of the "Patchwork Mysteries" published by Guideposts. Sarah's boarder, Belle, is missing, along w/ the Hart's 100-year-old quilt handed down through the family. Are the two related? The suspense was excellent, & I enjoyed reading about an idyllic family Christmas, since mine never turn out that way!

[Bess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the series so much I just *bought* the next 5. And I don't really spend money on books - I prefer to swap for them or borrow them from the library. But since these basically don't exist anymore, and they give me so much contentment, I'm more than willing to spring for them.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sarah Hart at it again! Solving mysteries and making quilts! Her boarder Belle has disappeared along with her heirloom Christmas quilt. Where can they be? Is Belle's brother Ben involved? What about the Christmas tour that they all are supposed to participate in? Will they be ready in time?

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iam loving the Patchwork Mysteries. The characters are sweet and caring. Iam disappointed that the Christmas. Quilt was not found. It was 100 years old. That would have been a perfect ending to this story. Well on to the next.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A light and positive touch makes these mysteries involving Sarah Hart, quilt restorer, fun to read.

[Diana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Reading along I suddenly had a flashback and felt like I was reading a Nancy Drew book. Sweet Christian story. No sparkle.

[Michele · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like this mystery about what happens when one person gets greedy and how it effects others. Plus, I now want to make a "Star of Bethlehem" quilt.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is number 5 in the Patchwork Mysteries. As always it's a nice, fun cozy. I found this one to have a better mystery than the previous ones.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

1/17-1/21/14
Loved this mystery. It kept me guessing and I loved how it came together and wrapped up. I'm so glad I found this series. It's exceptional.

[Brandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this series