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Patchwork #3
Muslin Mystery
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
January 1, 2016
SUMMARY: Once again Sarah Hart is busy restoring a quilt that involves a mystery - newspaper articles hidden in the lining and a mystery message stitched on the back. Is her previous boarder, Emily, involved in fraud and what mystery is the long time, small town Collins family hiding?
REVIEW: Quick, easy to read mystery in the style of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. No murders but rather hidden secrets waiting to be discovered. For those who are quilters, the two more seldom used techniques involved in this story, quilt as you go and mosaic, will be interesting. I did pretty much figure out "who done it" before the end, but this was still a very enjoyable read. This series was put out by Guideposts, and it written by a variety of well known Christian authors.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "She wondered if looking down at the quilt was something like God looking down at our lives. Up close, it was easy to get lost in the details of the tiny pieces, and miss the larger shapes of the figures they created. Some times it seemed as if all the pieces would never come together in a way that made sense. But from God's perspective, everything had been part of a beautiful pattern all along."
"Now each of the scraps, too small and insignificant to be shapes on their own, came together in a dazzling picture. It was so much like the way God drew together the strands of many lives, even using the hard pieces, like illness and secrets, to make a wonderful story. "
REVIEW: Quick, easy to read mystery in the style of the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew. No murders but rather hidden secrets waiting to be discovered. For those who are quilters, the two more seldom used techniques involved in this story, quilt as you go and mosaic, will be interesting. I did pretty much figure out "who done it" before the end, but this was still a very enjoyable read. This series was put out by Guideposts, and it written by a variety of well known Christian authors.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "She wondered if looking down at the quilt was something like God looking down at our lives. Up close, it was easy to get lost in the details of the tiny pieces, and miss the larger shapes of the figures they created. Some times it seemed as if all the pieces would never come together in a way that made sense. But from God's perspective, everything had been part of a beautiful pattern all along."
"Now each of the scraps, too small and insignificant to be shapes on their own, came together in a dazzling picture. It was so much like the way God drew together the strands of many lives, even using the hard pieces, like illness and secrets, to make a wonderful story. "
September 8, 2020
I do enjoy these Patchwork Mysteries! This is my second. The story is initiated by the appearance of an old quiilt in need of restoration, and carrying with it a secret, a seeming cry for help, and a connection to a local maple syrup company. This is a cozy mystery, complete with characters you would love to know, a Massachusetts town which you would love to visit, and pleasant and artistic details which simply make you feel good. The main character Sarah Hart, is an expert quilt restorer, so you get to learn about her processes and techniques while she tries to solve a puzzle. There is nothing cozy about these. They are precise, methodical, archival, creative. The story involves family secrets past and present, missing persons, and serious crimes hidden in plain sight. These books are put out by Guideposts. I confess that in this day and age, I will take a prayer or a blessing wherever I find one.
April 30, 2014
This is the coziest of cozy mystery series. Although most of the books do contain a thief or a swindler of some sort, for the most part the mystery involves people and relationships. And quilts. Each story involves at least one old quilt and the story and mystery it brings. The series is a religious one but they aren't boring or preachy in the least. The protagonist is a grandmother who researches and repairs old quilts and on the way discovers the story behind the quilt. I'd like her for a friend.
In this story newlywed Emily Collins asks for Sarah's help with quilted squares that have never been sewn together. It's a mystery quilt. When Sarah finally pieces it together she discovers a message on the back. The quilt also leads to a decades old question involving a land ownership scandal. The land now has a very successful well-established maple syrup factory on it. Then Emily disappears and Sarah is reluctant to believe the allegations toward her.
This mystery series, which involves some genealogy and heirloom quilts, was written by different authors but the stories flow smoothly, each one complete but best if read in order. I love this series!
In this story newlywed Emily Collins asks for Sarah's help with quilted squares that have never been sewn together. It's a mystery quilt. When Sarah finally pieces it together she discovers a message on the back. The quilt also leads to a decades old question involving a land ownership scandal. The land now has a very successful well-established maple syrup factory on it. Then Emily disappears and Sarah is reluctant to believe the allegations toward her.
This mystery series, which involves some genealogy and heirloom quilts, was written by different authors but the stories flow smoothly, each one complete but best if read in order. I love this series!
June 28, 2018
A former border asks Sarah to restore an heirloom quilt and she is surprised by the piles of squares that don’t seem to fit any pattern. She finds letters stitched in the blocks and newspaper clippings. While they are used for extra warmth these are odd since they are all on the same subject. The woman who gave her the quilt disappears and Sarah is warned against looking for her. Sarah has to find the reason behind the quilt. The first two books in the series talked a lot about her granddaughters and they were left out of this story so it seemed odd.
April 25, 2017
This book is in the series and honestly I enjoyed reading this one much better than the last book that was sent.
In this one the mystery isn't just connected to one but two but who and why and how did it all get started...hope you enjoy reading this one to figure it out plus more mysteries going on here...
In this one the mystery isn't just connected to one but two but who and why and how did it all get started...hope you enjoy reading this one to figure it out plus more mysteries going on here...
May 27, 2023
This has been my favorite of the series thus far. (No plot references because of spoilers.) This series has become a new favorite of mine- Christian references, Nancy Drew Vibes, and Coastal Grandma aesthetic mysteries. Love them!!!!!! ♥️
July 24, 2022
Love the Patchwork Mysteries. Each book is written by a different author, yet each story line follows the previous one. Sarah Hart loves the history of old quilts. Often these quilts tells of a mystery that Sarah tries to solve. Most of the characters seem real . So therefore I look forward to the next story in this series.
August 20, 2013
this is a new series at my library and I love finding new ones, had to start with #3 but loved it. If you like Aunt Dimity and the Lumby series, then this is for you - great mystery, people you care about, no guts and gore.
April 6, 2012
I really enjoyed reading this quilt mystery. I am a quilter so that made it more interesting for me. It takes most of the book to figure out the mystery.
May 5, 2014
Amazing!! I'm only 14 and these books make me want to keep reading them!
February 8, 2021
Sarah Hart is a quilt restorer. Her former boarder Emily gives Sarah a bag of quilted squares, wrinkled and old. Emily recently married Tad Collins, son of the owners of the local Genie Maple Syrup Company. The quilt squares were made by Tad's grandmother Genie who died before Tad was born. Emily asks Sarah to complete the quilt so Tad has something from his Grandmother. The quilt pieces are quite unusual, made in the the mosaic style, a technique used only by master quilters. Sarah's first problem is deciding what the quilt represents. It is not a pattern quilt, so it must be a scene. In attempting to arrange the squares, Sarah sees two oddities. First, there are letters on the backs of some of the squares - what do they say? Secondly, the quilt is layered with newspaper articles, all dealing with a land dispute back in 1936. In restoring a quilt, Sarah researches the quilter, but here she encounters another oddity. She remembers when Genie Collins died because her son, Tad's father, was in Sarah's classes in high school. But Sarah cannot find any obituary or grave for Genie Collins! Finally successfully arranging the squares, Sarah realizes the quilt letters contain a message she cannot ignore. But when Sarah asks questions, Emily appears frightened and other members of the Collins family become angry. When Emily disappears, Sarah is convinced the young woman is in danger.
May 29, 2023
Emily gives Sarah a quilt that is an old family heirloom to repair. While working on the quilt, Sarah discovers old newspaper articles and a message pleading for help and the initials EPC. Could it be Emily asking for help? Emily has started acting different since she gave the quilt to Sarah to fix, she won't answer Sarah's calls and then later goes missing. Sarah finds out that Emily is accused of embezzling money from her husband's family business. Also, is Emily's husband grandmother really dead? Read the book to find out the truth about Emily's husband grandmother and the embezzlement? A lot of twists and turns.
September 28, 2017
I know I don't have anywhere near the patience that our heroine, Sarah Hart, uses when reconstructing old quilts, but these stories make me want to head to my storage unit and pull out my quilts in progress. The painstaking detail the author uses in describing the quilt pieces and patterns truly brings the quilts to life.
Sarah's quest to finish the puzzles -- of the quilt itself and of the family it belongs to -- makes for a lovely, light read.
Sarah's quest to finish the puzzles -- of the quilt itself and of the family it belongs to -- makes for a lovely, light read.
May 8, 2018
Book 3 in the Patchwork series.
Sarah is a quilt restorer, a mother and grandmother, a good friend and established member of the community of Maple Hill.
Sarah is handed a quilt by a previous tenant who is acting strangely. She finds an amazing but complex quilt and more questions than she knows what to do with. Sarah embarks on another adventure as she tries to help her friend and discover the origins of the quilt.
Fun cozy mystery.
Sarah is a quilt restorer, a mother and grandmother, a good friend and established member of the community of Maple Hill.
Sarah is handed a quilt by a previous tenant who is acting strangely. She finds an amazing but complex quilt and more questions than she knows what to do with. Sarah embarks on another adventure as she tries to help her friend and discover the origins of the quilt.
Fun cozy mystery.
August 11, 2019
I enjoy these mysteries, but I always find I miss characters in previous books. The last book centered around the twins, this book, they make a 2 page appearance. I guess with the series being written by different authors, this will happen. I love that the mystery isn’t murder and how faithful Sarah is. I find myself praying with her over people I know. I love the quilting aspect and her trips to the deli :) I will be reading the whole series!
August 14, 2023
I've been reading a tall stack of mysteries lately. This one I enjoyed especially because it was a mystery where no dead bodies are tripped over. And it talked about quilt restoration, too. Another thing I liked was that Sarah, the main character, is a woman of faith but her appeals to God aren't preachy. They are about normal, everyday concerns she has. They don't seem as if they are randomly stuck in to emphasize religion. I think you will like that aspect.
July 27, 2017
I loved this book. Clean language, faith based, quilt focus and a great mystery! I would try to solve the mystery, and the facts continue to change. Kept me guessing. It was hard to put this book down.
July 30, 2017
This is third in this series and I would say the best so far. The best thing about these mysteries is that they are not about a murder. They are about missing persons or theft with a quilt connecting the mystery. This one the quilt really was the center of the story with more quilting details.
March 26, 2018
I'm so glad that I finally got back into this series. This third book was such a quick and easy read. It was full of suspense and intrigue. Very cozy, but very exciting at the same time. I would love to actually see the quilt that is described in the book.
January 17, 2020
A cozy mystery, with a vintage quilt restoration involved. Sarah Hart is an expert restorer and she is often found caught up in a mystery with whatever quilted item she is working on. The stories are fun, inspirational and entertaining.
September 26, 2022
Logged under "Christian" base because of the older woman's simple prayers is odd to me. It is a solid story. And old quilt with secrets, a family stepped in them and an embezzler. I am glad there were no grisly murders.
March 18, 2025
As I continue the series, I find myself more engaged with the characters. The author has built up a believable small town community with a variety of individual story lines. I’m looking forward to reading more about the main character Sarah and what will certainly be another clever mystery.
July 1, 2018
This is a really good series! It's amazing how each book is written by a different author but things stay the same! I really liked this mystery!!
September 26, 2019
A quick read and very interesting mystery.
February 1, 2020
Enjoyed the way this story was a mystery but not blood and gore but family love/history and quilting woven in it.
June 18, 2020
enjoyable book about a widowed grandmother and he restoring old quilts and being an amateur detective.
August 30, 2020
Quiet quaint mystery
September 21, 2020
Great read
January 7, 2021
Started off slow, but turned out to be very good.
March 14, 2021
Good stories. Im not a quilter but they are great fun stories to read. Very enjoyable.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews