Thread and Gone (Mainely Needlepoint Mystery, #3)

by Lea Wait

When a priceless antique is stolen, murder unravels the peaceful seaside town of Haven Harbor, Maine. . .

Angie Curtis and her fellow Mainely Needlepointers know how to enjoy their holidays. But nothing grabs their attention like tying up loose threads. So when Mary Clough drops in on the group's Fourth of July supper with a question about an antique needlepoint she's discovered in her family attic, Angie and her ravelers are happy to look into the matter.

Angie's best guess is that the mystery piece may have been stitched by Mary, Queen of Scots, famous not just for losing her head, but also for her needlepointing. If Angie's right, the piece would be extremely valuable. For safekeeping, Angie turns the piece over to her family lawyer, who places it in a safe in her office. But when the lawyer is found dead with the safe open and ransacked, the real mystery begins. . .

• ISBN10: 1617730084
• ISBN13: 9781617730085
• Publish Date: 29 December 2015
• Publish Status: Out of Stock
• Out of Print: 2 July 2024
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Kensington Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Mass Market)
• Pages: 304
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/isbn/9781617730085

Reviews

This one was great. Mary was an interesting addition - it would've been cool if she joined the Mainely Needlepoint for extra money. I didn't like Rob and frankly would've wished she dumped him but you can't usually tell young people anything - especially a young girl in love. I'm finding this series is getting better as it goes. The only thing I wasn't too fond of was the whole Patrick thing with Sarah - I was confused - I don't get why he is calling Sarah and not Angie when he barely spoke to Sarah?. I liked the code in the needlepoint - especially because I got it straight away! And there were a few twists and turns I didn't see coming. Overall great mystery and likable characters.

[Mystereity Reviews]

Thread and Gone is the third book in the Mainely Needlepoint series.  This is the first one I've read of the series, and there are a few references to the earlier books, but nothing that was confusing or made me feel lost. 
 
The setting, a small town in Maine, is quaint and cozy; who can't picture small town New England? It's an easy setting to lose yourself in, vivid and picturesque.   Likeable characters, especially the main character, Angie, are easy to relate to and realistic.   I really enjoyed the plots, both the investigation into the murder and the history and intrigue about the embroidery.  The story was paced well, although there was a lot of internal dialogue that recapped the story.  As I read the book straight through, it wasn't needed for me but I could see how it would help refresh things for people who didn't read it all at once, like I did.
 
The only thing that detracted from the story is that the story ended with the embroidery being found, but didn't resolve whether it was valuable. It was a loose thread (pun intended) that left the story a bit unfinished for me.  Perhaps it will be picked up in the next book.
 
Overall an enjoyable read and a big thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC.