Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Circle, #4) by Elizabeth Lynn Casey

Deadly Notions by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Deadly Notions is the fourth book in the Southern Sewing Circle Series, which is a cozy mystery series. One of my favorite feel-good type of books to read when I am down is a cozy mystery, and when it is set in a small town in the south, even better; add in a little sewing and I am in a wonderful place.
This summer I set down one rainy afternoon, while the kids were playing games together on the computer and read this little number.

I have loved this series from the start, and am always anxious when I get ahold of the next book in the series, and it just happened to come in the mail from a swap so I was able to spend the time involved in the book, while it rained.

Tori is the head librarian at the Sweet Briar library, and transplant from Chicago. The Sewing Circle took her in the minute she arrived and have been helping her learn the souther ways to her new home town, like never, ever bring lemonade to a meeting, even if you did squeeze if by hand, all southern ladies drink sweet tea. But this time, the sewing circle has it's hands all tied up helping Melissa with a birthday party for her daughter Sally, but this can't just be a normal birthday party, no it has to meet the high standards and expectations of one mom in the group, Ashley Lawson, who just happens to be a wonderful dress designer, and would do anything in the world to make her daughter, Penelope, the net big thing. She has a way of talking down to all the other moms, and their party attempts, and heaven forbid you don't invite her child, well lets just say she has power in that tongue of hers. The bigger problem is that all this worship of her small daughter has lead to a massive chip on Penelope's shoulder, and none of the kids really like her, but they are forced to deal with her, or worse her mother.

With the Sewing Circle's and Tori's help, including the use of the library as a location it turned out to be quite the party after all, and everyone went home happy. Hummm, I wonder if our local library would be willing to let people use the reading room for dress up and book reading for a party? It actually sounded like a really cute and fun party idea for a seven year old. Until the next morning, when there are police at the library and Ashley Lawson is dead. The problem, there wasn't a soul at the party that didn't say something negative about the Mom, but none of them would have wanted to hurt her would they? Now it becomes Tori's job, along with those wonderfully helpful and noisy ladies of the sewing circle to find out who really killed Ashley and protect Melissa, one of their own and host of the party.

I am telling you, this is a delightful book. Lots of touches of southern charm, mystery, intrigue, twists and turns, followed with more southern charm. As the series continues, the relationships of the women of the sewing circle are deepened, even Rose and Tori and getting along better, and understanding each other better. And then there is the relationship between Tori and milo, even that is growing, in spite of some miscues and sabotage in this book. It was so much fun to follow the twists and turns and the rocks and bumps and finally to the end, where everything worked out for the best.

I just love this series, and I hope I didn't say too much about it to spoil the reading, but yet enough to encourage you to take a chance a try the book. I love to share good books I have found, and I hope you find it enjoyable too. Now, off to find the next book in the series!

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Books Can Be Deceiving (A Library Lover's Mystery, #1)

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I have been reading another series by Jenn McKinlay, her Cupcake Bakery Series, and I am waiting on the next book in that series, so I checked out information on the author and found she had a few other series, so i got ahold of this one from the library.

A Library Lover's Mystery, the lead character Lindsey is the director of the library, which reminds me of the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery Series, as the lead in that series is also the director of the library, but they are completely different stories.

One of the first things Lindsay did when she took over the library was to form a Crafternoon club, much to the dismay of the older library staff person, Mrs. Cole. A crafternoon club is a group that was part book club and part craft club. They met at the library once a month and read a book, which they discussed at the meeting, while crafting. In this book, they were knitting.

Lindasy's best friend from college, Beth has been the children's director at the library for ten years, and when the director position opened up she encouraged Lindsay to apply. Which came at a perfect time in her life, when the university was cutting staff, and her library position was downsized and at the same time lindsay found out her finance was leeping with someone else.

Now, in the quaint town of Briar Creek, Lindsay is settling into life, until a children's book publisher comes to town, and Beth is encouraged to show her the book Beth has been working years on. Problems start when Beth's boyfriend of five years, a children's author himself,Rick finds out. he is livid and breaks things off with Beth, and the next day when Beth shows her book to the editor she finds out why. Rick has submitted Beth's book as his own and it is set to publish that fall!  Beth and lindsay set out to confront Rick, only to find him dead!

The local small town sheriff, who has never had a murder in town, sets his sights at Beth as the murderer and refuses to even listen or look at anyone else. Good thing there is a state investigator in the case, and that Lindsay refuses to let her best friend take the fall for something she didn't do.

I felt it was a good book, well written and enjoyable to read. I loved the way the author develops the characters. I loved the first series I read by her, so I had high hopes for this series, and so far it doesn't disappoint.  I am looking forward to reading more in this series and even more book by this author.




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