Beth Fish Reads: Pennsylvania Puzzles: Two from My Nightstand

10 July 2012

Pennsylvania Puzzles: Two from My Nightstand

I love a good cozy mystery; in fact, it's my favorite escape reading. Last month, Berkley Prime Crime published two titles that I can't wait to get started on. And here's why. One of the fun things about cozies is picking a series based on the protagonist's occupation (baker, cab driver, antiques store owner) and/or location (home town, college town, favorite vacation spot).

I want to read the books featured here because they take place in Pennsylvania, my adopted state. I haven't read either of them yet, but they sound perfect for a lazy Saturday on the deck.

Threaded for Trouble by Janet Bolin (Penguin USA / Berkley Prime Crime, 2012) is the third the Threadville Mystery series featuring Willow Vanderling, owner of a embroidery shop.

Welcome back to Threadville, Pennsylvania, where crafts are king, and a "killer" sewing machine lives up to its name . . .

Darlene Coddlefield, the winner of a national sewing competition, has come to Willow Vanderling’s embroidery shop, In Stitches, to be presented with a top-of-the-line Chandler Champion sewing and embroidery machine as her prize. But Darlene’s triumph is short-lived after she’s found dead under her sewing table, apparently crushed by the heavy machine.

It soon becomes clear that this was no freak accident. Who had it in for Darlene Coddlefield? The long string of suspects includes Darlene’s fire chief husband. So Willow and her best friend, Haylee, become volunteer firefighters to uncover the truth. But when a second sewing machine sparks trouble, the friends realize they may have jumped from the frying pan into the fire . . .

earse and Buggy by Laura Bradford (Penguin USA / Berkley Prime Crime, 2012) is the first in the brand new Amish Mystery series starring Clair Weatherly, who recently came to town from Manhattan.

Claire Weatherly has fled a high-stress lifestyle for a slower pace—in Amish country: Heavenly, Pennsylvania. She only planned a short visit but instead found herself opening an Amish specialty shop, Heavenly Treasures, and settling in.

Claire loves her new home, and she’s slowly making friends among the locals, including Esther, a young Amish woman who works in the shop. So when the store’s former owner,the unlikable Walter Snow, is murdered, and the man Esther is sweet on becomes a suspect, Claire can’t help but get involved. Newly returned Detective Jakob Fisher, who left Heavenly—and his Amish upbringing—as a teenager, is on the case. But his investigation is stalled by the fact that none of his former community will speak with him. Claire’s connections make her the perfect go-between. As Claire investigates, she uncovers more than she wanted to know about her neighbors. And suddenly, everything she had hoped to find in this peaceful refuge is at risk . . .

Buy Threaded for Trouble at Powell's, at an Indie, at Book Depository, or at a bookstore near you.
Buy Hearse and Buggy at Powell's, at an Indie, at Book Depository, or at a bookstore near you.
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Source: Review (both) (see review policy)
Copyright © cbl for Beth Fish Reads, all rights reserved (see review policy)

13 comments:

Daryl, 7/10/12, 7:44 AM: sounds like a couple of good beach or airplane reads.. as always, thank you
bermudaonion, 7/10/12, 8:12 AM: I love a good cozy too! These sound great to me!
Jenn's Bookshelves, 7/10/12, 8:13 AM: I adore cozy mysteries! These are both new to me, thank you so much for bringing them to my attention.

One of these days I'm going to get around to doing that Cozy Mystery feature I've been dying to do.
Beth Hoffman, 7/10/12, 8:19 AM: Sometimes a good cozy is just the ticket, and these sound terrific!
rhapsodyinbooks, 7/10/12, 9:55 AM: For some reason these cozy authors seem to be wild about "punny" covers. I just love that! Julie is always featuring some new punny ones, usually on Mondays, and I can't get over how creative they are!
Julie P., 7/10/12, 1:13 PM: How did I miss these PA books???
Sandy Nawrot, 7/10/12, 1:22 PM: I know cozies aren't given much serious attention, and are considered a little light and shallow, but Jill is right. They CAN be pretty creative!
Unknown, 7/10/12, 5:01 PM: I'm enjoying my first cozy mystery now, sort of between other books and I really like. I like some lighter things :).
The Well Read Fish, 7/10/12, 6:47 PM: I love a cozy mystery too. But more than that, I love a book about the Amish. My friend, from Lancaster, told me how the Costco has buggy tie-ups. That did it. Totally fascinating!
caite, 7/10/12, 8:53 PM: Hearse and Buggy..oh my. That sounds especially in my cozy vein.
Julie Goucher, 7/11/12, 6:22 AM: These look great!
Howard Sherman, 7/11/12, 2:29 PM: I think I'd like to try out a cozy mystery for a change. The opening line "Welcome back to Threadville, Pennsylvania, where crafts are king, and a "killer" sewing machine lives up to its name . . ." is just so darned cute!
nightstand, 8/3/12, 11:30 AM: These look supper cute!