Knot Ready for Murder

Mary Marks

Jul 2021 · A Quilting Mystery Book 9 · Kensington Cozies

About this ebook

The ninth installment in the hit Quilting Mystery series by Mary Marks finds sleuth Martha searching for her fiancé’s ex-wife.

One loose thread threatens to unravel Martha’s wedding plans: the groom-to-be married a pregnant teen to save her from scandal thirty years ago—and the marriage was never annulled. Now Crusher’s wife Hadas is coming to LA, along with his sister Fanya. But soon after she arrives, their houseguest goes missing, with her room ransacked and a chloroform-soaked cloth left behind. Could her apparent abduction be connected to her brother’s unsolved death from a hit-and-run six months ago? Martha and her quilting cohorts must find the pattern to solve the twin mysteries and determine if Crusher is still married—or now a widower . . .
 
Praise for Mary Marks and Knot of this World
 
“Framed by details of quilting, tarot-card reading, and Rose’s Jewish faith, this satisfying cozy, replete with full-bodied characters, will be relished by quilters.”
—Booklist
 

Ratings and reviews

Knot Ready for Murder by Mary Marks is the 9th A Quilting Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but you will be missing out on watching the characters meet and become friends. We get to see characters develop over the course of the series. I like that the protagonist as well as the other characters are mature. I want to thank the author for giving us a main character who has fibromyalgia. Readers get to see what someone with the disease experiences (the day-to-day pain, trouble sleeping, the severe migraines). Martha Rose is ready to marry her fiancé, Crusher and announces it to the family at Friday’s Sabbath dinner. Martha soon learns that she spoke too quickly when Crusher tells her that he has recently learned that he is still married. Martha had no idea that Crusher had ever been wed. Crusher’s “wife” is on her way to California with his sister. Martha is looking forward meeting Fanya, Crusher’s sister. Martha soon learns that Hadas, the little “wifey”, has no intention of letting go of Crusher. When Hadas is kidnapped from Martha’s home, she sets out to find the errant wife with help from Fanya and her friends. If Martha wants her happily ever after, she needs to get Hadas to sign the divorce papers. I thought Knot Ready for Murder was well-written with steady pacing. I always love visiting Martha Rose and the Tuesday quilting group. They are a group of quirky characters that provide humor and energy. I learned new information about quilting as Martha teaches Fanya how to quilt plus Jewish customs. Judaism is a fascinating religion. I enjoyed learning more about their traditions. The mystery was fun. Martha Rose was challenged in tracking down Crusher’s missing “wife”. I had a good time joining Martha Rose, Giselle, and Fanya as they set out to locate Hadas. Fanya was certainly a hoot. She is an over-the-top character who is a wallpaper hanger who knows krav maga and is extremely superstitious. Fanya’s antics had me laughing frequently. I loved the epilogue. It was just the ending needed. Knot Ready for Murder was a special story and fans of A Quilting Mystery series will be delighted. Knot Ready for Murder is an entertaining whodunit with a missing mate, a superstitious sister, a frantic fiancé, quilting quips, a disparaging detective, a frustrated FBI agent, and a woman who is eager to wed.

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.