Decadent Deceit

Annie's Secret of the Quilt #2

by DeAnna Julie Dodson

Sofia glanced toward the stage where Naomi stood barking orders at the kids. How I'd love to give that woman a piece of my mind. She sighed. But my job is to get this scenery painted, not run other people's lives for them.

When Sofia Parker volunteered to use her artistic talents to help create props for her son's school play, she didn't expect to find herself in the middle of a mystery. But that's exactly what happens when someone tries to sabotage the production, and things take a dangerous turn for the star of the show.

The play's tyrannical director is of little help getting to the bottom of it, refusing to see what is really happening and alienating everyone with an overbearing attitude fit for a queen. To make matters worse, she appears to have it in for Sofia and Jim, Sofia's husband.

At the same time, Sofia is busy researching the second square in her family's prized heirloom quilt. Recently named as the next guardian of the antique cassone that houses the priceless quilt and the old diary that accompanies it, Sofia is determined to learn the true history behind each swatch.

According to the diary, her ancestor Cerise Belanger served in the court of Marie Antoinette, and a fabric swatch stitched in the quilt came directly from the royal court of France in 1789. Much like Sofia, Cerise finds herself in themiddle of a mystery involving the often-tyrannical queen, certain nobles who reside at the palace of Versailles...and murder

But Cerise has an agenda of her own. She must find a way to stay out of harm's way, remain in he queen's favor, and fulfill her dying father's wishes all while still being true to her own heart. Will Cerise's story inspire in Sofia the courage she needs to deal with the tyranny in her own life?

Join Sofia and her good friends of the Pinot Painters artist group as they set out to solve the mysteries of the present and past, and make a hearwarming discovery along the way.

Genres: Fiction

206 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

DeAnna Julie Dodson has always been an avid reader and a lover of storytelling, whether on the page, the screen or the stage. This, along with her keen interest in history and her Christian faith, shows in her tales of love, forgiveness and triumph over adversity. A fifth-generation Texan, she makes her home north of Dallas with four spoiled cats and, when not writing, spends her free time quilting, cross stitching and watching NHL hockey. Her first books, In Honor Bound, By Love Redeemed and To Grace Surrendered, are a trilogy of medieval romances and have just been redesigned and freshly edited for Kindle. She is also the author of the contemporary mystery, Letters in the Attic, and has recently signed on to write another Annie's Attic Mystery: The Key in the Attic, due out in 2012. Her newest books, yet to be released, are A Dinner of Herbs, a Civil War drama, and a 1930s English mystery, Rules of Murder. Civil as an Orange, her current work in progress, is the sequel to Rules of Murder. You can find out more about DeAnna and her books, including sample chapters, at her website: http://www.deannajuliedodson.com/

Reviews

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Decadent Deceit is in the Secrets of the Quilt series. These alternate between a bustling modern day family with four kids and tons of activities, and a story line based on a patch in an ancient quilt. This time we went to pre-revolutionary France. I'm enjoying learning the romantic stories behind each quilt patch, and following Sofia Parker's story as a mom with her unfolding dream of being a professional baker.

[Mary McDonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed book 2 of this series. Just a nice easy read. This one centered around the French Revolution and Marie Antoinette. Will be picking up book 3 as soon as I can.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 The present-day timeline lent absolutely nothing to the plot of the book; it was a distraction at most. The 1789 timeline was engaging but could have been more. The ending seemed abrupt to me; there was still more of the story to tell. I don't think I'll be looking for any more of this series.