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…

Review

Willow Vanderling loves her embroidery shop in Elderberry Bay, Pennsylvania, better known as “Threadville” because it is the home of so many fabric and needlework shops. Felicity Ranquels is a guest of Willow’s shop, presenting a top-of-the-line Chandler sewing machine to a national contest winner. The lucky winner, Darlene Coddlefield, comes into Willow’s shop with her eight children and an attitude to claim her prize. Darlene smugly claims her prize, but then her luck quickly turns – she is found dead in her home underneath the heavy sewing machine she won!

Willow and her best friend Haylee think there’s more to Darlene’s death than meets the eye. Willow doesn’t want her shop associated with such a tragic death, and the more she investigates, the more it appears Darlene’s death was no accident. Willow and Haylee’s detecting leads them to become members of Elderberry Bay’s volunteer fire department to try to find out more about what’s going on in Threadville before there are any more victims of foul play.

Threaded for Trouble is a cute follow-up to Dire Threads, the first book in the series. I feel this newest book is a big improvement over the first one. Some of the quirkiness from the first book has been toned down for the sequel. Although some elements of slapstick humor remain, especially when Willow gets together with Haylee and her “three moms”, the silliness is tempered, leaving a light, entertaining mystery.

Since I don’t sew, some of the technical sewing terms and techniques mentioned went over my head, but the story is interesting to me and I appreciate how knowledgeable the author is on the subject of sewing. The details included throughout the book really make Willow believable as a sewing expert. Although some of the results of Willow’s sleuthing are predictable, there are still enough surprises to keep my interest throughout the book. I like seeing Willow investigate the case, but having her become a volunteer firefighter so quickly doesn’t work for me. I don’t understand why people are begging Willow and Haylee to join the force when their height seems to be their only qualification. Willow’s adventures in firefighting do play an important role in the story, but many parts of this sub-plot seem very far-fetched
There is just a hint of romance between Willow and fellow Elderberry Bay resident Clay Fraser. Since it’s early in the series, it seems appropriate that their friendship is moving slowly, and this leaves something to which readers can anticipate. Clay is a down-to-earth guy, but most of the characters in the book are quite eccentric. While adding much humor to the story, the unusual cast of characters could get to be too much. However, most of the time the author finds a nice balance between the believable - Willow teaching a sewing class to a wide range of tourists in her shop - and the bizarre - an opera-singing doctor named Dr. Wrinklesides.

All in all, this is a fun cozy that even includes a sewing project and sewing machine tips at the end. Readers who enjoy books by Lorna Barrett or Elizabeth Lynn Casey or are looking for a light-hearted summer read should enjoy the newest by Janet Bolin.

Reviewed by Christine

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