Forget Me Knot is the first in Mary Mark's quilting mystery series.
Mary Rose is the youngest member of a quilting group, along with theme sweater collector Lucy and Birkenstock wearing Birdie. They belong to a quilt guild where competition, and sometimes emotions, run high. Award winning quilter Claire Terry has asked to join their group. But when they get to Claire's home they find her dead. Homicide Detective Beavers arrives at the scene to investigate, causing Mary Rose's heart to race.
Claire Terry's quilts have just won Best of Show and First Place Appliqué at the guild's show. Someone steals the quilts, which are worth thousands of dollars. Detective Beavers shows up again.
Martha Rose contacts Clarie's mother with the news of the stolen quilts and learns that the quilts contain 'hidden messages'. Martha Rose is asked to see if she can discern the messages in Claire's quilts stored at her home. But someone does not want the messages to be found, and Martha's life is soon in danger. So is her heart as Detective Beavers tries to rein in the headstrong and intrepid Martha.
The book has delightful characters, witty and well drawn. Non-quilters will learn about quilting as everything is explained as needed. Mary Rose is a California girl, Jewish, mid-50s, size 16, divorced a-- gal many will relate to. The way Claire incorporated messages in the quilts was quite an ingenious plot devise. Warning: there are a few pokes at Republican politics that may offend, and the back story behind Clarie's murder is pretty disturbing. Mark sometimes slows the story with descriptions or back stories.
I am not a big mystery reader, but for a night's entertainment Forget Me Knot was relaxing and fun.
*pun intended
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