Knot of This World

Mary Marks

July 2020 · A Quilting Mystery Book 8 · Kensington Cozies

About this eBook

Quilter Martha Rose must patch together the clues to solve the murder of a cult leader in the California mountains . . .
 
Has Martha’s fellow quilter and dear friend Birdie Watson become unraveled? Birdie and her new husband have decided to join the Mystical Feather Society, a spiritist group living on a commune in the mountains of Ojai, California. Before her free-spirited friend makes a huge mistake, Martha organizes a surprise visit to check out the commune. While white-robed members conduct a seancé in a glass yurt, their leader—Royal St. Germain—is nowhere to be found . . . until, that is, Martha and her friends discover him shot in their Winnebago. Now Martha must track down the killer and debunk the cult—before it's bye bye Birdie . . .
 
Praise for Mary Marks and her Quilting Mysteries
 
“A pleasurable and satisfying addition to any quilting mystery fan’s reading list.”
—Library Journal on Knot in My Backyard
 
“A mystery combined with wry humor.”
—Kirkus Reviews on Knot My Sister’s Keeper
 

Ratings and reviews

Knot of This World by Mary Marks has Martha Rose worried about her friend, Birdie Watson and her husband. They have returned from wintering in Arizona to announce to the quilting group that they are selling their properties and joining the Mystical Feather Society in Ojai. Martha worries that this group is a cult, and her friends will be left with nothing once they turn over all their money. She suggests that they visit the Mystical Feather Society to alleviate their concerns. Martha, Birdie, Denver, and the others arrive to find the society members conducting a séance inside a yurt. They decide to head to down for lunch and return later hoping the group will be finished. They arrive at the RV to find the door open and the society’s leader, Royal St. Germain dead inside. When two of their expedition ends up under suspicion, Martha dives into the investigation. Knot of This World is the 8th A Quilting Mystery. It can be read as a standalone if you are new to the series. Martha Rose is a middle-aged protagonist who has Fibromyalgia. The author accurately portrays how this disease affects a person even down to how the bottom of your feet hurt. There is an eclectic cast of characters in this series from Martha’s forthright sister to Jazz with his pretty pooch. Quilting and food dominate the story. Martha’s quilting group get together each week to work on their quilt projects, chat, and eat. I like hearing about the different quilt designs and how the quilts are created. Martha is creating a Sunbonnet Sue quilt for her granddaughter, Daisy. Martha and her fiancé, Crusher are Jewish so Jewish traditions are included like Friday night Shabbat dinner. The mystery had some interesting components. Martha was worried about her friends joining the Mystical Feather Society and she soon learns that she was right to be concerned. The more Martha digs, the more secrets she uncovers. Of course, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department nor the mysterious John Smith of the FBI appreciate her help. I wish this whodunit had been more challenging. The solution was obvious early in the book. I enjoyed following Martha and her friends on their quest for the truth. There was just the right amount of humor scattered throughout the tale. Knot of this World is an entertaining cozy mystery, and I look forward to Martha Rose’s next adventure. Knot of this World is a character driven cozy with a charismatic commune controller, stitching Sunbonnet Sue’s, cult controversy, missing members, furtive FBI fellow, disrobed devotees, and fretting friends.

About the author

Born and raised in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary Marks earned a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Public Administration from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. In 2004 she enrolled in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Her first novel, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in a national writing competition in 2011. She is currently a reviewer of cozy mysteries for The New York Journal of Books at www.nyjournalofbooks.com. Readers can visit her at www.marymarksmysteries.com and www.facebook.com/mmarks2013.