Quilt City Murders: A Hadley Carroll Mystery

by Bruce Leonard

Quilter Hadley Carroll thinks her life can’t get any worse after being demoted from reporter to newspaper courier and having her fiancé, Matt Ackerman, dump her without explanation. But then, while chucking a sack of newspapers into the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky—known as Quilt City—she finds Matt’s body snagged under the transient dock. She knows she’ll never find peace if she doesn’t figure out why he left her and who killed him, so she gets to work.
As QuiltWeek Paducah, the largest quilting event in the world, approaches, then fills the small town with 30,000 textile connoisseurs, quilters turn up dead. Paducah’s mayor tries to instill calm as citizens panic, protests flare up, and visiting quilters flee by the thousands.
Despite grieving the loss of Matt, Hadley perseveres, strengthened by her troubled upbringing and aided by her weekly quilting group. She uses her investigative skills and impressive intellect to solve the murders, to bring peace back to her hometown, and to get a good night’s sleep—finally.

292 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2023

Reviews

[Jeannie Weller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quilter loves this book!

It was so well written, and the ending was a surprise, which is always good in a mystery. But the best things were all of the correct references to quilting.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a lot of characters and I sometimes had to go back to figure out who they were referring to. But I loved the story, the mystery, and the setting. I will definitely be reading the rest in the series.

[Vickie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work of fiction is set in my hometown of Paducah KY. Ironically, I read it one week after this year’s Quilt Week. Apparently the author lived here for a short amount of time and was/is quite familiar with the city & its businesses. He is sure to mention many local businesses, only changing the names or locations of a few. One thing I didn’t like was that he painted the city’s police department in a bad light. He made up for it at the end, or attempted to. Even so, it was in poor taste. He should’ve made them sound as good as they are, and not venture in to the territory of making them (or at least a few of the officers) sound bad. Overall, a fairly good story. Paducah Police officers should not have been painted as villains in the story. Also, Thankfully, the town is much safer than it is portrayed in the book, and PPD (along with the county Sheriff Dept) keeps it that way.
The.book held my attention and I didn’t predict the ending.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quilt City Murders is a delightful start to the Hadley Carroll Mysteries series. With a strong, relatable protagonist, an engaging mystery, and a unique setting, it’s an enjoyable read for fans of cozy mysteries and amateur sleuths. The combination of quilting and crime adds a fresh twist to the genre, and the book is well worth reading for those looking for a cozy yet gripping mystery. It sets up the potential for future books in the series, and readers will likely look forward to following Hadley on more adventures.

[Debbie Vetter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, Didn't Guess Who Dunnit

Hadley is a smart young woman who's like a dog with a bone. Guess that's from bring a newspaper reporter. Hadley was slapped around, literally and figuratively, by her boss, a policeman, finding the love of her life floating by the boat ramp, having friends and others murdered. Playing Sherlock Holmes she figured out a lot without having privy to other information. Great story. Looking forward to Book 2. Thank you for introducing us to Hadley.

[Carolyn Payne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book was okay. I was surprised that a male author would tackle a quilting mystery. I expected a cozy mystery but it was more traditional. I do have a question: do quilters really buy fabric by the bolt?? I normally buy yards, but not full bolts.

[Jody Holmes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complicated.

Love a good mystery, and I enjoyed reading the relationship develop between characters. This story line is complicated. There are lot of murders, characters and clues to track. I enjoy quilting and recently visited Paducah and the National Quilt Museum, so I especially enjoyed these references. As the story unfolds, it all aligns and the final reveal works.

[Antoinette Pickett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great murder mystery

I enjoy a great murder mystery which his is. As a quilter who has been to Paducah, visited several fabric stores and the Quilter’s museum there, it gave the book another dimension why I enjoyed it so much.

[Pat Brammer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

Story keeps you interested.
Look forward to reading more from the author.
Good to see a quilt themed mystery.
Must read

[Marlyn G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quilting and death.

Loved the intriguing story lines in this book. The characters are enjoyable. Descriptions of quilting events and quilt supply hoarders is accurate!

[kc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific first book in a series. Introduces you to the main characters, which are well developed. Great storyline.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this book while quilting - needed something light to have on in the background. Listening to books is not my favorite way to enjoy books, but it served the purpose.

[Debra Stockton · Rating 5 out of 5]

snappy dialogue

Great story with good writing and some excellent literary allusions. This was a good start to a series. Keep em coming!

[Rebecca Purdue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will fully admit that I am not a fan of men writing in women’s voices, usually. Sometimes I’m surprised. This time, I wasn’t.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book especially since I've been to Paducah's AQS quilt show many times. I want to try the pizzas at Mellow Mushroom now! Lol!

[Janet Bontke · Rating 5 out of 5]

fun read

Full of twists and turns. Definitely wasn’t who I thought the murderer was!!! Fun book to read !!! Enjoyable style