A Crafter Quilts a Crime by Holly Quinn {A Book Review}

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are 100% my own. 

Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane must piece together a patchwork of clues when a "live" mannequin ends up stone-cold dead.

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won't keep the locals away from Heartsford's annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft's one-night-only sale, Samantha "Sammy" Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.

Local quilter Wanda Wadsworth emerges as a favorite to win the contest, as she manages to not move a muscle for an unusual amount of time. Onlookers outside the window try everything to get her to crack--tapping on the glass and making funny faces--but nothing disrupts Wanda's stillness. When the eagle-eyed spectators realize Wanda isn't breathing, a blanket of grief and fear descends upon the wintry town.

Detective Liam Nash can't seem to piece the clues together. Fortunately, Sammy's cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie, are on hand to reconvene their detective team, S.H.E. They set out to solve Wanda's untimely death before the case grows as icy as a sub-zero Wisconsin winter. But they are all too aware that the killer is too close for comfort.

Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born. Visit her @ www.authorhollyquinn.com

A Crafter Quilts a Crime is book number three in Holly Quinn's Handcrafted Mystery series. I must admit this is the first book in the series that I have had the chance to read. While you certainly DO get the impression that this isn't the first introduction to these characters (there is talk about how Sammy is *always* butting in, etc), it wasn't to the point that I felt that I missed out on what was happening in THIS story. I did enjoy this one enough that I am curious to read the others, but if you haven't yet, you can still enjoy this one (or take the time to get caught up). Either way you are going to want to add this cozy mystery to your reading list for 2020!

There's something about a cozy mystery that I love... especially in the winter time! They have everything I love about a good mystery, but tend to be a bit more lighthearted than your typical suspense novel... murder and all.

This one starts off with a bang when quilter Wanda winds up dead in the craft store window display. I really enjoyed this idea of a live window mannequin contest... imagine a beloved member of the town passing away right before your eyes and no one being any the wiser. Such a unique way to start the story if you ask me! From there, Sammy, Ellie and Heidi set out to find exactly what has happened to Wanda, and to figure out the clues she left behind. Throughout the story there are several twists and turns that kept me guessing! Though I'm not a quilter, I did enjoy the crafty aspect of this story and I'm certain that those who do enjoy quilting will appreciate that even more!

Overall, if you're looking for a good cozy mystery to help pass the winter days, this is one worth checking out. I look forward to reading more from this series.

A Crafter Quilts a Crime will be available on February 11, 2029