Knot My Sister's Keeper

Mary Marks

Jul 2018 · A Quilting Mystery Book 6 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

“The results of a DNA test change a woman’s life . . . A mystery combined with wry humor” from the author of Knot What You Think (Kirkus Reviews).
 
In tracing her ancestry, quilter Martha Rose discovers a ritzy half-sister, a stash of family secrets, and a decades-old mystery that only she can unravel . . .
 
Martha Rose is shocked to find she has a half-sister, especially one so different from her. Giselle Cole is wealthy, widowed, and lives a glamorous life in West Los Angeles. At least her grandmother was a quilter! But Giselle can’t answer Martha’s many questions about their father—he disappeared when she was only a child and the few clues left behind indicate he may have been murdered. So Martha and Giselle team up on an investigation that weaves them through the streets of L.A., their father’s hidden love affairs, and into some mysterious unfinished Cole family business . . .
 
Praise for the Quilting Mysteries
 
“What’s knot to love? Mary Marks has crafted another winner stitched together with humor and heart—Martha Rose is one gutsy lady.” —Rochelle Staab, national bestselling author of the Mind for Murder Mysteries
 
“Mary Marks had me on pins and needles and wanting to wrap myself up in a warm quilt while reading her cozy debut!” —Lee Hollis, author of the Hayley Powell Food & Cocktails Mysteries
 
“A pleasurable and satisfying addition to any quilting mystery fan’s reading list. Recommend to those who cannot get enough of Terri Thayer, Elizabeth Craig, or Earlene Fowler.” —Library Journal

Ratings and reviews

Knot My Sister’s Keeper by Mary Marks is the sixth novel in A Quilting Mystery series. Martha Rose is bewildered when she receives a DNA kit in the mail from Deep Roots. Her daughter, Quincy sent it as a surprise, so Martha can find out more about the father she never knew. Martha is shocked when she learns she has a half-sister. Giselle Cole, Martha’s half-sister, is a wealthy widow living in Los Angeles and is looking forward to meeting Martha. Giselle is a forthright woman with expensive tastes and an over-the-top personality. Martha learns her grandmother was a quilter and she passed away leaving an unfinished quilt. Martha learns her father was Jacob Quinn Maguire, a painter who disappeared in 1980. Martha and Giselle want to learn what happened to Jacob and set out to get answers. Martha with the aid of her friends stitch together the clues. Knot My Sister’s Keeper may be the sixth book in the series, but it can be read alone. I thought the story was well-written with a nice steady pace. I thought the story was well thought out and it contains a complex main character with a charming case of secondary characters. Martha is a strong, sassy smart woman with a gift for quilting and knack for solving crimes. I like that Martha Rose is a mature woman who has Fibromyalgia. Many people do not understand the disease or believe it is not real. We get to see what can trigger an episode and the pain Martha experiences. It was interesting to learn more about the Jewish culture and their traditions. It was a nice touch and allowed us to get to know Martha in a different way. Giselle is a dynamic woman, and I was happy to see her outlook changing towards the end of the story. The mystery was multifaceted and there was active investigating (no sitting back and waiting for clues to come to them). I do enjoy a complex mystery (I like the challenge). There are good clues to aid in solving the 32-year-old crime and it was clever how the author incorporated the clues for Martha into the story. I did miss Birdie in this Knot My Sister’s Keeper. There are references to her, but she is not present in the story (she is my favorite secondary character). Quincy is in town, but she is spending her time with Detective Noah Kaplan much to Martha’s dismay. Quincy has a special announcement for the family (oh no). The ending is just beautiful and will leave you smiling. The history of needles is included at the end of the book which I found fascinating. I am eager for the next installment in A Quilting Mystery series. I wonder if Martha will marry Yossi soon?

A Martha Rose story that is like no other. Like the story line. It is always fun to read Mary Marks. She ties a mystery into Martha's family history. It's just never long enough. Would have liked to see the siblings find the body of their long lost father, or what Martha decides to do with the money she learns she has sitting in an account from her father, or even had Martha and Crusher set a date. It would have even been exciting to see a report come out that Quinn had drew these pictures for each of his l

Not bad!!!..books 1-5 were much better...however...i love mary marks books and will continue reading her books...as many as she writes...thank you mary...

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.