Thread the Halls

I have read all the Mainely Needlepoint books and they keep getting better and better! Very excited to see another one is coming out in the spring. Loved the Christmas setting of this book. I live in Maine and the descriptions of small town decorations, festivities, and neighbor helping neighbor are so true. I finished this book in a few hours because I couldn't put it down. I just had to find out who the murderer was and it was surprising! Congratulations to Lea Wait for another great read!

For me, this read it in one sitting title brought everything that I have come to appreciate from this series to the forefront. Angie, just over half a year back in Haven Harbor after a multi-year absence has started to truly put down roots. Living in the family home with a rescued kitten, a relationship with Patrick, a growing business with the Mainely Needlepointers and their cooperative, and discovering and making her own new holiday traditions. But, the period of adjustment as Angie tempers her excitement for Christmas with her own need to define her holiday anew, as an adult and living alone are coming fast and furious. Better still, Patrick’s movie-star mother Skye is coming to stay at her house for the holiday, with a collection of people from the movie she is filming. Needing the house decorated, food cooked and a smashing party on Christmas Eve, Patrick goes to Angie for help. From the first moments of the holiday preparations to the last, with a houseguest found shot, a very excited and always-there new client for Mainely Needlepoint, the first Nor’Easter of the season and Patrick’s near death experience with Arsenic-laced cookies, the story moves from moment to moment in this book that covers about 6 or 7 days (and nights) of action. Moments with characters we’ve met in earlier books, the seeming callous and staged reactions to a guests death, a climax that brings two different suspects forward and plenty of Coastal Maine atmosphere – the story is quick to read, cleverly plotted and wholly engaging. I’ve got copies of all the titles in this series – just waiting for a blank space in the schedule to open up so I can read them all, in order – hard to believe that 7 months have brought 6 books, multiple murders solved and lots of life changes for Angie, as well as living the seasons in Downeast Maine – and while you can read each of these titles alone – this is a good starter story to hook you in! I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Thread The Halls is the sixth book in the A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie is looking forward to spending her first Christmas, in ten years, in Haven Harbor and baking cookies, relaxing with friends and most of all some quality time with her boyfriend, Patrick West. But that is not to be, as Skye West, Patrick’s mother, and actress, is planning on flying home from Scotland and wants the house decorated in a quaint Maine Christmas theme. Skye and the cast will be taking a much-needed break from the filming of their latest movie. There are problems with the cast and script but, with some time away from the location and do some rewriting of some script, it is hoped they can put those problems behind them. Before going to meet Skye and her guests Patrick decide to take a walk to enjoy the starlit sky and have a little private time. Just as they are about to turn and head towards the house, Angie notices a shadow and when she goes to investigate she finds the body of the co-star, Paul Carmichael. Even with this unfortunate incident there doesn’t seem to be a lot of sympathy for what has happened to a fellow cast member and Angie begins to wonder if one of them wanted him out of the picture...for good. Then when there is an attempt on Patrick’s life, Angie really feels the need to learn who the killer is Lea Wait once again provides a well-plotted story with the Mainely Needlepointers providing their usual support for each other and members of their community. Delicious recipes are also included. I love this series and will be anxiously awaiting the next book in the series.

Throughly enjoyed reading another needlepoint murder mystery in this series. Love the characters and twist and turns in this story-. Waiting for next book.

It's barely a week before Christmas, and the stars are going to descend on Haven Harbor. Patrick West, Angie's boyfriend interest, is the son of a famous movie star who is taking a hiatus from filming in Scotland and coming to Maine for the holidays. This demands a lot of work from local townsfolks and Angie's Needlepoint friends as they ready the Aurora mansion for Skye West. The death of a co-star and attempt on a friend's life has Angie investigating once more, instead of concentrating on her Needlepoint business. I enjoyed the Maine setting at the holidays and found the familiar characters enchanting as usual.

This is a wonderful installment in a great series !

Angie is looking forward to her first Christmas in Heaven Harbor Maine in ten years. Her boyfriend, Patrick West adds tasks to her list when his mother, Skye, makes arrangement to bring the cast of her newest film home for the holiday. Angie and the Mainly Needlepointers are asked to create small pillows for the cast as well as help decorate the mansion as well as make the holiday special all while trying to do their other holiday plans. Trying to find a few minutes alone before entering the mansion, Angie and Patrick go for a walk on the grounds and find the body of one of Skye's guests in the snow. As if this Christmas season wasn't complicated enough already! Angie must help find the killer before anyone else gets hurt and then maybe everyone can celebrate a Merry Christmas. I really enjoyed this story. I have been a fan of this series since the beginning, but I think this is my favorite so far. Lea Wait does an amazing job of giving us many characters with unique personalities in a way that doesn't get confusing all while throwing in lots of twists and turns in the story.

Dollycas’s Thoughts Snow is falling in Haven Harbor, Maine and movie star Skye West has decided to come home for a white Christmas and bring the people working on her current movie with her. This means her son Patrick has his work cut out for him to get her mansion all decorated for the holiday. She also wants needlepoint gifts for everyone so the Mainely Needlepointers have a last minute job to take of. Angie is a little disappointed, it is her first Christmas since coming home from Arizona and she had wanted to have a quiet Christmas with Patrick. She decides any time with him is a gift after all he has been through so she helps him get everything ready for his mother’s arrival. Skye and her entourage arrive but before they spend one night in Maine, one of them is found dead in the snow. Patrick’s mother decided the show must go on and doesn’t let a murder ruin her holiday plans until Patrick is poisoned and rushed to the hospital. Angie knows they are a limited number of suspects but she is stumped about who killer could be. There is a definite chill in the air and it’s not from the typical Maine winter weather. There is a killer near by, she just needs to figure out who before it is too late. This was a very entertaining story. Haven Harbor has its own holiday traditions like Santa arriving on a lobster boat. Skye adds a snowy hayride for her friends too. Angie grows more in each story. She is really getting comfortable running the needlepoint business and her own needlepoint skills are improving. But she does keep finding those dead bodies. She tries to stay out the investigations but she always ends up right in the middle of them. I loved the part of the story where Angie decorated her tree, trying to bring back the Christmases she remembered. Angie’s relationship with her grandmother always warms my heart. I always have to adjust my thinking about Skye whenever she arrives on the page. She is a pushy and demanding women but there is no malice in her actions or requests. It is just the way she is. Patrick knows how to handle his mother and even though she sometimes forgets he is a grown man he still loves her. After the fire any mother can understand where she is coming from. They have a close relationship. I hope they both start to fit more into the fabric of Haven Harbor and be less like “the rich people in town” where they expect people to cater to them. Patrick is starting to make progress in that direction as his relationship with Angie gets more serious. The story unfolded at a comfortable pace with several twists. One I had worked out in the back of my mind. The climatic ending really took me by surprise. I knew something had to happen soon because we were getting to the final pages but I never expected what happened. Kudos to Ms. Wait for a very exciting ending! Again the author has stitched together a fantastic mystery with memorable characters in a spectacular setting. She also sprinkles humor throughout the story in all the right places. A perfect escape for the holiday season.

Thread the Halls by Lea Wait is the sixth book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis is looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Haven Harbor, Maine with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Patrick West. Then Patrick gets a call from his mother, Skye West that she is returning for Christmas and bringing some movie people with her. Patrick needs help getting Aurora (their estate) prepped for Christmas in two days (there goes Angie’s quiet Christmas). The Mainely Needlepoint group help Patrick prepare for the holidays including custom embroidered little pillows for Skye’s guests. After the guests arrive, Patrick and Skye are taking a walk when they discover one of the actor’s dead in the snow. Was it an accidentally killing by a hunter or was it deliberate? Then Patrick eats poisoned cookies and Angie is blamed. She is determined to find the culprit and get her Christmas back on track! Thread the Halls is nicely written and has a nice pace which makes it a quick read. The emphasis in Thread the Halls is on Christmas, friendship, food and family. The murder does not occur until the 25% mark in the story. There is little investigation in the book and it is child’s play to solve. There might as well be a giant neon arrow pointing to the culprit. There is a little surprise near the end that some readers might not anticipate. It was interesting to read about various Maine Christmas traditions including the Christmas boat parade (we have a similar one in my area). My rating for Thread the Halls is 3 out of 5 stars. Thread the Halls can be a standalone book. All the pertinent details are included in this installment. I was not a fan of Patrick West (or his mother) in this book. He assumed his money would get him everything he wanted done (which is mentioned several times). I did tire of the repetition of information. The same details are repeated throughout the book. I would have preferred more substance and less fluff. If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is big on Christmas spirit, then check out Thread the Halls.