Sewing Studio Mystery

Dorothy Howell returns to the Kensington Cozy Mystery program with the first in a new crafting cozy series focusing on the members of a Sewing Studio. Abbey Chandler needs a new start and a place to escape, so Hideaway Grove, where she spent her childhood summers, seems like a perfect choice. Once there, she takes up a rewarding new hobby-but also gets tangled up in a hit-and-run homicide... Abbey has barely arrived in the quaint, quiet town of Hideaway Grove before things turn from blissful to bloody-as the new librarian is mowed down by a car. The only witness on the scene isn't much help, aside from handing Abbey the bag of books dropped by the victim. Even worse, the sheriff's office seizes Abbey's car because of a suspicious dent in the right front fender. While she waits for the problem to be sorted out, Abbey is drawn into a charity sewing project-even though she can't tell a bobbin from a seam ripper. Before she knows it, she's graduating from pillowcase dresses to aprons, setting up a studio in a back room of her aunt's bakery, and making plans to participate in the upcoming craft fair. But through it all, she keeps looking for patterns and possible conflicts in the late librarian's personal, professional, and romantic life. Then a shocking discovery sends her in a new direction, and as the truth begins to unspool, she's got a notion about who's guilty...

The latest novel in a new crafting cozy series in the genre-leading Kensington Cozy Mystery program focusing on the members of a Sewing Studio. Some of the independent shops in this sleepy town are barely hanging on financially-and that includes Sarah's Sweets, Abbey's aunt's bakery. The shop's advantage-aside from the deliciousness of its products-is the fact that it's the only bakery in the area. But it looks like that's about to change. The second wife of a wealthy businessman wants her own bakery-and money is no object. When murder unravels the plans for the competing shop, Aunt Sarah is an immediate suspect-and Hideaway Grove's merchants are on pins and needles about a big upcoming women's conference, fearing the organization will cancel their booking because of the crime. Abbey's doing her best to stay optimistic and stitch some custom tote bags for the attendees, but she's also concerned with patching up Aunt Sarah's good reputation. And when it comes to sorting through the possible motives of the victim's family members and associates, she's got a few tricks up her sleeve . . .