Patch of Trouble

Southern Quilting Mysteries #6

by Elizabeth Spann Craig

When it comes to solving cold cases, nothing is ever cut and dried...

Quilter Beatrice Coleman is enjoying the sleepy peace of a tranquil afternoon...until it's interrupted by her friend, Miss Sissy. The elderly lady is making wild claims about narrowly escaping an intruder. And intruders are unusual in tiny Dappled Hills.

Miss Sissy isn't the most reliable of witnesses, and her claims are swiftly discounted--until her mysterious intruder is found dead.

Beatrice won't cut corners as she unravels the threads of both a murder and a puzzling disappearance from decades ago.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Mystery Thriller

282 pages, Paperback

First published May 8, 2016

About the author

Author also writes under Elizabeth Craig

Elizabeth is the bestselling cozy mystery author of the Southern Quilting mysteries, the Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries, the Village Library Mysteries, and Memphis Barbeque mysteries for Penguin Random House, Midnight Ink, and independently. Find out more about her books and sign up for her newsletter on her website: http://elizabethspanncraig.com . Find her books on Goodreads here: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list...

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I really liked this book, the mistakes made and typos were extremely frustrating.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one had a bit of trouble keeping my interest, but I shall press on and keep reading. I really liked the other ones I read.

[Julie Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this fun cozy mystery. I got it because I like cozy mysteries and the picture looked fun but it wasn't until the narrator started talking that I realised that I had heard quite a few of her books and when I went to check who it was again I also had another surprise, I had also had a lot of the author's books. I love the Myrtle Clover books this author writes about so was please that I had stumbled over a new series. While it wasn't as good as the Myrtle books , mainly because I am on book 10 of that series know the characters so well, it is very similar and I did enjoy it. The mystery was good with plenty of suspects and red herrings. The characters were elderly and a bit eccentric but balanced out with cute animals and although not as funny as her other series it did have its moments and is a series I will be keeping an eye out for.
Beatrice is trying to relax now that she has retired but gets a frantic phone call. A friend and fellow quilter Miss Sissy has been in a car accident. Beatrice drops everything and rushes straight to the hospital, where she finds that Miss Sissy wasn't in a car accident but was attacked in her own home by a stranger. But what is really weird is Beatrice stumbles over the man's body only hours later. He was a stranger, why would he attack Miss Sissy and why would anyone kill him? The man was only trying to get some answers, his mother on her death bed past him someone else's diary, the diary of a lady that lived in Dappled Hills at one point, before she went missing. Beatrice in the disguise of writing a quilting history book on the town asks everyone mentioned in the diary questions in order to get to the bottom of the murder. Could someone in town really be a killer and how far would they go to keep the secret buried? History has never been so dangerous.
I like the narrator and think her elderly voices are very good.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book #6: the mystery itself is mediocre. In spots, there seems to be a lack of finesse in disclosing clues or bits of information. Meadow, Boris, and Miss Sissy are the absolute highlights in the narrative. Also, the budding romance between Beatrice and Wyatt is tender and quite warm and fuzzy.

Sadly, the switch from Berkeley to self-publishing is very obvious here. The paperback is much more uncomfortable in the hand, and I couldn’t seem to settle in to the flow of the writing at all until I gave up and switched to the ebook. Then, even though there are still typo/editing errors, it moved much more quickly. I will be reading the digital version of book 7 and hoping for a return to the light, humorous prose that usually makes Craig’s books such a pleasure.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quilter Beatrice Coleman was enjoying a sleepy afternoon until she was interrupted by Miss Sissy. The elderly lady claims she narrowly escaped harm at the hands of an intruder. Since she tends not to be a reliable witness, her claims are discounted until that intruder is found by Beatrice and Meadow. He was dead near their homes. What had the stranger been doing in town? Who else had he spoken to while in town? What did he learn from those he visited? There seems to be a tie to the disappearance of a young woman many years ago! What secrets are connected to this woman?

[Dawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Though not the first book in the series, it is the first book in the series that my library has.

Beatrice is better than Myrtle (another of this author's series), but seriously? She's reached retirement age and doesn't know how to say no, or how to protect her time??? Just a tad overdone.

And she really pushes the interfering and the stupidity.

I enjoy cosy mysteries -- but really, the characters don't have to be obnoxious or brainless.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to satisfy the reading rush challenge for a purple cover. It was a cute story, it kept me guessing at the culprit till the end, but the mistakes in the book are a bit frustrating. It didn't get edited very well. I haven't read any of the other series, and probably won't.

[Judy Tolley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Too much sleuthing

Because Beatrice spent most of this book sleuthing, I felt like I was reading a detective book. I would have preferred more normalcy in her life than her constant busybody questioning about the crimes wherever and whatever she did. A bit too much.

[Marie]

I loved this book! I narrowed it down to two people but in the end I chose the wrong one as usual LOL. I loved the twists and turns.....can't wait to see what other trouble these ladies get into in the next book!!

[Kathie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining, fast paced summer read.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kindle

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The number 6 of the series. Good, quick, light reading.

[Elizabeth C. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced thriller

This story keeps you guessing until the end. The characters are believable and the plot has many twists. It is an engaging mystery.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was good but the narrator was less than desirable

[Theresa Powers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another good mystery!

Love this continuing saga of mystery in this little town. Always good characters and a sense of humor! Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Nancy Bradford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Ms. Craig. Love this series.

[Marisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

★★★★☆

[Sam Audia · Rating 3 out of 5]

After a long morning of pulling impudent weeds in her yard, Beatrice had just temped herself into the hammock with a tall glass of iced tea and what appeared to be a very promising novel.

[Julie Trapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Southern Quilting Mystery #6. As Beatrice relaxes in her backyard, Miss Sissy calls to tell her there has been an intruder in her home. Since Miss Missy isn't really a reliable person, there is some skepticism to her tale. When the intruder is found dead a few days later, Dappled Hills is up in arms as these things just don't happen in their little, quiet town. Of course, Beatrice is at the head of the investigation committee (not officially, as usual). A cute read, but I still am not enamored with Miss Sissy or Meadow. Miss Sissy should be in a home with NO license and Meadow is just plain an annoying neighbor.

Reread 2024. 2.5 rating, but same review. Really tired of Miss Sissy, Meadow and her dog, Boris.

[KyBunnies · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was enjoying this book until I stumbled upon so many editing errors ut was like ants crawling out searching for food.

Really for an author to not care enough to make sure spaces are between words (I thank the Irish Monks from the 8th - 11th century).

Since the beginning of this series I have had problems with the editing. Since it is still happening in the 6th book of the series I guess it is time to give up on this author. I am tired of wasting money on a book which clearly shows the author is not concerned with editing.

Disclosure: This book was purchased at Kobo.

[Dee]

Good book, I really like this series. Light hearted and fun.

[M. White · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written, fun cozy. The characters are well developed and the plot holds together well.

[Dorothy A. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fun addition to the series. Beatrice and Meadow sure know how to find trouble. All their snooping makes for a great read.