Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Dangling by a Thread is the 4th in the Mainely Needlepoint series featuring Angela "Angie" Curtis. Angie has been in Haven Harbor, ME for the past six months running her Grandmother's needlepoint business and settling in to her empty family home now that her Grandmother has married Reverend Tom and moved to the rectory.
Jesse Lockhart is the man the locals call the Solitary. He is an army veteran suffering from PTSD who lives as a hermit on King's Island, just a few miles east of the Mainland. Jesse co-owns the island with his cousin Simon, and is devoted to the protection of the threatened Great Cormorants who use the island as their nesting refuge.
Patrick West is back in town after months of rehabilitation for the burns he suffered during the construction of Aurora, the large mansion he owns with his movie star mother, Skye. Patrick's Uncle Gerry Bentley and his pregnant wife float into town on their mega yacht and soon have their hearts set on buying King's Island and evicting both Jesse and his birds.
Dave Percy, one of the Mainely Needlepointers, is Jesse's closest friend. The man shows up on his doorstep agitated and upset that Simon and Gerry along with local realtor Jed Fitch are trying to have him found mentally unstable in order to force him from the island. The next day Dave and Angie set out for the island in order to visit, but feeling threatened by the visitors Jesse takes a shot with his bow and arrow, severely wounding Dave. Jesse is now wanted for questioning and is facing attempted murder charges, Angie volunteers to go out to the island to convince him to come to the Mainland and discovers the man bludgeoned to death.
There are plenty of suspects and Angie is determined to find Jesse's killer and protect the Cormorants habitat. Along with her investigating she has adopted one of the feral kittens from Dave's barn and named her Trixi, short for Beatrix. Unfortunately, it seems as though the author is about to introduce the dreaded love triangle and fingers are crossed that she doesn't.
A fun, fast paced storyline that features returning characters although there is not much interaction between the needlepointers in this installment, Angie's best friend Sarah Byrne is very distant as she seems distracted by a new relationship. While not absolutely necessary to read this series from the beginning, I would encourage it only to better understand the different characters and their backgrounds.
Jesse Lockhart is the man the locals call the Solitary. He is an army veteran suffering from PTSD who lives as a hermit on King's Island, just a few miles east of the Mainland. Jesse co-owns the island with his cousin Simon, and is devoted to the protection of the threatened Great Cormorants who use the island as their nesting refuge.
Patrick West is back in town after months of rehabilitation for the burns he suffered during the construction of Aurora, the large mansion he owns with his movie star mother, Skye. Patrick's Uncle Gerry Bentley and his pregnant wife float into town on their mega yacht and soon have their hearts set on buying King's Island and evicting both Jesse and his birds.
Dave Percy, one of the Mainely Needlepointers, is Jesse's closest friend. The man shows up on his doorstep agitated and upset that Simon and Gerry along with local realtor Jed Fitch are trying to have him found mentally unstable in order to force him from the island. The next day Dave and Angie set out for the island in order to visit, but feeling threatened by the visitors Jesse takes a shot with his bow and arrow, severely wounding Dave. Jesse is now wanted for questioning and is facing attempted murder charges, Angie volunteers to go out to the island to convince him to come to the Mainland and discovers the man bludgeoned to death.
There are plenty of suspects and Angie is determined to find Jesse's killer and protect the Cormorants habitat. Along with her investigating she has adopted one of the feral kittens from Dave's barn and named her Trixi, short for Beatrix. Unfortunately, it seems as though the author is about to introduce the dreaded love triangle and fingers are crossed that she doesn't.
A fun, fast paced storyline that features returning characters although there is not much interaction between the needlepointers in this installment, Angie's best friend Sarah Byrne is very distant as she seems distracted by a new relationship. While not absolutely necessary to read this series from the beginning, I would encourage it only to better understand the different characters and their backgrounds.
Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
I continue to enjoy Lea Wait's series, although I do have to admit that Dangling by a Thread is not its strongest book. There are two reasons for my opinion. First, the killer's identity was rather obvious, and two, the plot had much more to do with relationships and pitching in to help those in need than it did with the actual mystery. That said, there's nothing wrong with relationships and helping others; I'd just like more mystery.
As always, Wait knows how to bring her Maine setting to life. Each chapter begins with a quote and information about an antique needlework sampler. (I stitched a sampler when I was a child, but I have a feeling that they're "gone with the wind" now.) You may find it difficult to believe but these headings give quite a look at early life in Maine and other areas, and sometimes these glimpses can evoke strong responses. The author also puts us firmly on location with Jesse's protection of the endangered birds and how miserable the rich can make life for people living along the coast. (After all, the wealthy are the only ones entitled to a good view out their windows and a short commute, right?)
All in all, I did enjoy Dangling by a Thread. I found it to be an emotional read-- and not just because kittens destroyed some pieces of needlepoint. Jesse may not have lasted very long, but he made quite an impact on me. Wait hit home runs with her characters, their relationships, and with Maine, but I'm looking forward to more mystery in her next Mainely Needlepoint book.
As always, Wait knows how to bring her Maine setting to life. Each chapter begins with a quote and information about an antique needlework sampler. (I stitched a sampler when I was a child, but I have a feeling that they're "gone with the wind" now.) You may find it difficult to believe but these headings give quite a look at early life in Maine and other areas, and sometimes these glimpses can evoke strong responses. The author also puts us firmly on location with Jesse's protection of the endangered birds and how miserable the rich can make life for people living along the coast. (After all, the wealthy are the only ones entitled to a good view out their windows and a short commute, right?)
All in all, I did enjoy Dangling by a Thread. I found it to be an emotional read-- and not just because kittens destroyed some pieces of needlepoint. Jesse may not have lasted very long, but he made quite an impact on me. Wait hit home runs with her characters, their relationships, and with Maine, but I'm looking forward to more mystery in her next Mainely Needlepoint book.
Jody M. (jodymcgrath) -
Angie Curtis manages Mainely Needlepoint in Haven Harbor, Maine. Early one morning, she sees an old man rowing to shore. This turns out to be Jesse Lockhart. He is good friends with her friend Dave, but mostly he is a solitary individual. He lives rustically on an island that he owns with his cousin, that is home to the nesting grounds of theGreat Comorant, a threatened bird species. When a multimillionaire wants to buy the island and develop it into his Maine getaway, Jesse refuses to sell. Later, when Jesse is found with his head bashed in, Angie and her Needlepoint group take on Jesse's cause...and the solving of his murder.
This is the 4th book in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysterty series. I have not read any prior to this, and felt like I missed out on a lot of the backstory. The author seemed to refer back to a lot of things, so at times I felt lost. The book also has a strange writing style. When the characters are interacting, the writing is very straightforward and normal, but when it comes to descriptive paragraphs it gets a little flowery. I als out DNFed this book in the beginning due to the descriptions, but I found if I skimmed over them, the story was enjoyable.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters. None of them had much personality, they were just telling a story. The mystery took backstage to the save the birds information, and it was pretty easy to figure out the murderer. It was pretty disappointing. I finished the book and enjoyed parts of it, but I doubt I would pick up another one in this series.
*I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
This is the 4th book in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysterty series. I have not read any prior to this, and felt like I missed out on a lot of the backstory. The author seemed to refer back to a lot of things, so at times I felt lost. The book also has a strange writing style. When the characters are interacting, the writing is very straightforward and normal, but when it comes to descriptive paragraphs it gets a little flowery. I als out DNFed this book in the beginning due to the descriptions, but I found if I skimmed over them, the story was enjoyable.
I didn't really connect with any of the characters. None of them had much personality, they were just telling a story. The mystery took backstage to the save the birds information, and it was pretty easy to figure out the murderer. It was pretty disappointing. I finished the book and enjoyed parts of it, but I doubt I would pick up another one in this series.
*I voluntarily read an Advance Reader Copy of this book and have given an honest review *
Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait is the fourth book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis has been back in Haven Harbor, Maine for three months. She is the manager of her grandmother's business, Mainely Needlepoint. Angie is out early one morning, and she notices a stranger docking a skiff. Angie has not seen this man before and follows him as he goes about his duties (does anyone else find this odd). After some inquiries, Angie finds out that he is called The Solitary. He lives on King's Island and only comes to Haven Harbor every couple of months for supplies. His real name is Jesse Lockhart, an Iraq veteran who was injured in Afghanistan. Jesse is friends with Mainely Needlepointer, Dave Percy (met in rehab). Jesse needs the quiet of the island, and he feels he is protecting the Great Cormorants that nest on King's Island. The Great Cormorants are a threatened species (just before extinct). They need a certain type of environment to thrive, and King's Island is perfect for them. A big yacht has docked in Haven Harbor. It belongs to Gerry and June Bentley. They have decided that King's Island is perfect for a vacation home. Jesse does not wish to sell the island. Unfortunately, he jointly owns the island with his cousin, Simon. Gerry Bentley flies in Simon to woo him into selling. They want to have Jesse declared incompetent so Simon can sell the island to Gerry. When the hear what Gerry and Simon are up to, they head out to King's Island to warn Jesse. Jesse is on high alert and shoots an arrow at Dave (into his leg). The police go out the next day with Angie and find Jesse dead. Jesse did not deserve to die in this manner. He was a quiet man who was just trying to protect some birds. Angie is determined to find Jesse's killer. Dave, Angie and friends are also working to protect the island from being developed. Will they succeed in their endeavors?
Dangling by a Thread can be read alone. Lea Wait updates the readers on what happened in the previous novels. I must admit that this was not my favorite book in the series. I thought too many pages were devoted to Angie's thinking and contemplating about life, living alone, the antics of her new kitten, and Patrick West (the man she would like to date). I thought the concept for Dangling by a Thread was a bit weak. Angie had just met Jesse, but she dives in to save his island and solve his murder. A majority of the book is devoted to friendship, family, and Angie's interest in Patrick West. I give Dangling by a Thread 3 out of 5 stars (I am being a little generous). The murderer was obvious. One little statement gives away the identity of the killer. Some information is repeated a few times (and it was not necessary). I really got tired of hearing about Dave's poison garden (and it was not used in the murder). The chapters are very short and choppy (it was annoying). I hope the next book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series is better.
Dangling by a Thread can be read alone. Lea Wait updates the readers on what happened in the previous novels. I must admit that this was not my favorite book in the series. I thought too many pages were devoted to Angie's thinking and contemplating about life, living alone, the antics of her new kitten, and Patrick West (the man she would like to date). I thought the concept for Dangling by a Thread was a bit weak. Angie had just met Jesse, but she dives in to save his island and solve his murder. A majority of the book is devoted to friendship, family, and Angie's interest in Patrick West. I give Dangling by a Thread 3 out of 5 stars (I am being a little generous). The murderer was obvious. One little statement gives away the identity of the killer. Some information is repeated a few times (and it was not necessary). I really got tired of hearing about Dave's poison garden (and it was not used in the murder). The chapters are very short and choppy (it was annoying). I hope the next book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series is better.
