Seams Deadly: 09/28/24

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey and Allyson Johnson (Narrator) (2023) is the start of the Measure Twice Sewing mystery series. Lydia Barnes finds her next door neighbor murdered shortly after they had been on a dinner date together. He was murdered with shears from the sewing shop Lydia works at.

Lydia needs to figure out who killed Brandon to clear her name and to get the awful image of him dead at his writing desk out of her head. She's also unsure of her future in Peridot. Will the store survive? Will she be fired for the trouble? Will she be convicted?

This initial volume has a Twin Peaks meets Northern Exposure vibe. It's quirky people doing things that confuse, confound, and captivate in equal measure. It's somewhere Lydia wants to stay but she's not sure she fits in or ever will.

Lydia is in a small group of cozy lead characters. She's older (forties). She's heavy (200 lbs). She makes her own clothing (but not well). She likes bright, clashing things and she's not obsessed with current fashion trends. She's one of the reasons I will be reading further in this series.

The other main reason is Baby Lobster. She's the calico cat on the cover. She's clearly written by someone who has lived with a calico or two in their life time. She's a lovable, no fucks to give chaos demon who is absolutely loyal to Lydia and only Lydia.

The second book is Quilty as Charged (2024).

Four stars

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