What makes you pick the next installment of a series? A continued plotline, the characters, the author? I find myself going with the last two more and more. Characters and settings that familiar to me are just as good as comfort food. Things have been a little tough around my house lately and discovering a new installment of Wait’s Mainely Needlepoint series was like a bowl of mac n’ cheese for me. Though she addresses tough issues she does it without bashing you over the head with them. Her books are just a good, satisfying read. I’ve enjoyed them all and this one doesn’t disappoint.

Ike Hamilton isn’t homeless, but he is living below the poverty level and collects the town’s bottles and cans for cash. The Haven Harbor Chamber of Commerce see him as an eyesore and not the face they want the tourist to see when they come to town. When Ike is murdered, some feel it was a petty crime and want to take the quick solution. Angie wants justice for Ike and for the young man who is being accused. Little does she know she is about to open many eyes to what is really going on behind the closed doors of Haven Harbor.

Cozy mystery lovers will like this new read set in coastal Maine. The owner of the local needlepoint company is a serious amateur sleuth and she spends most of the book trying to prove "who done it".

This author is new to me. Her style is fairly crisp and keeps the story moving along, with a few friendship and dating ventures thrown in for balance. 3.5 stars.

This is the 8th installment in the Mainely Needlepoint series. Angie Curtis runs Mainely Needlepoint (which she took over from her Grandmother) and attends with her boyfriend Patrick the Haven Harbor Blessing of the Fleet. This is an annual ceremony with the reading of the names of those who have been lost at sea and blessing of the boats. While at the ceremony they meet Ike Hamilton and his new young friend Leo. Ike is a fixture in the area and is surviving on his disability and he supplements his income collecting bottles and now Leo is helping him out. Dave (a fellow needleponter and high school teacher) wonders about Leo as he has not seen him at school. He lets Leo know if he needs anything to come to him. Well the next day that happens and Leo runs to Dave to ask for help as he has blood on him and tells him that Ike is dead. Leo is a top suspect but Angie and Dave do not believe he is guilty. Angie begins her investigation and has to learn more about Leo’s past. Dave takes Leo in and while Angie investigates she learns that Ike knew many things about his neighbors and the town. Did Ike know something someone did not want discovered? Good solid mystery and love the characters and location.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book!

I do love cozy mystery titles; however there is another 'Thread on arrival' by another author and I didn't even realize I'd marked it as currently reading instead of this one! Reader beware! This book however was delightful. I loved the characters and the setting in Maine. From the very first chapter with the blessing of the boats I was hooked, and I wanted to know more about both Ike and Leo and how things had come to pass. I had my suspicions, which proved to be correct, and it was a satisfying ending.

The characters give this a real small town feel, and I liked the investigation aspect. It wasn't too over the top and the police work didn't really interfere with the sleuthing. Although this contained plenty of recipes, I wouldn't mind seeing more of the needlepoint side, but I guess that occurs on the 'on' season more. Hopefully I can track down the rest of the books!

If you're looking for a fun little cozy to pass some time, then this is a winner. Five stars.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. First I must start by saying that I have never read any books by Lea Wait. That being said and the fact that this is the 8th installment in series did not prevent it from being enjoyable and easy to identify the characters in the book.

The book starts off with Angie Curtis back in Haven Harbor, in a relationship with Patrick and running Mainely Needlepoint. The first few pages is all bout the “Blessing” of the fleet and the author describing everyone that is present. We learn as we read that these characters are obviously important to the story. So that you know the Blessing is done annually to honor those fishermen that have lost their lives and to also bless the boats before the season begins.

Angie and her friend Dave Pearce, a needlepointer and local teacher notice Ike Hamilton along with a scrawny young man Leo. Dave realizes that something is not quite right and tells Leo if he ever needs help he can easily find him as he lives in the yellow house in town. Sure enough the next day while Angie is picking up Dave’s needlepoint Leo comes knocking. When Dave opens the door there is Leo frightened and covered in blood. Leo tells Dave it’s not his blood. The blood belongs to Ike and that he is dead and it appears he has been murdered.

At first the police believe Leo is the murderer as they have no clue as to who he is, but Dave feels Leo could not have killed Ike. Angie and Dave both believing Leo is telling the truth decide they are going to prove he is innocent.

As Angie begins to investigate she learns that Ike would tell stories about the people in town. He did not like anyone that stole from old people or anyone who abused someone. It seems Ike may have known too much about the townspeople and someone wanted him out of the way.

Towards the end you start putting two and two together and can figure out who the murderer is especially when a second person dies.

In the end, everything was explained neatly and the murderer broke down and admitted to what had happened.

The reason I am giving this a 4 star is twofold. First of all, I did not care for the quotes and explanation at the beginning of each chapter. I think it was too much and after a while I just stopped reading them. secondly, There should have been a little more interaction between Angie and Patrick. It seemed at times that they were not even dating. Almost as if their relationship was an afterthought for the author.

Otherwise, I truly enjoyed reading this book and recommend it to other readers.

I love visiting Haven Harbor Maine and catching up on everyone and everything!! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a delightful cozy mystery series and Lea Wait just doesn't disappoint. Her characters are fresh and interesting and the storyline/murder came together at the end and I can't wait until the next book to see what murder Angie must solve!!

It's one of those cosy mysteries that has some sad moments as it touches upon subjects such as poverty and domestic violence, but it is important topics that needs to be discussed. Some might claim that as Thread on Arrival is a cosy mystery, it sugarcoats the topics and their seriousness, it can be a nice way to introduce the topics. Nevertheless, it is a charming read and as an added bonus there's a few recipes in the back.

This is a well written cozy mystery, it kept me entranced throughout. The characters and plot are well developed and felt very natural. I really enjoyed this book. The day of blessing is very moving and the story itself brings up a good point about abuse. #ThreadOnArrival #NetGalley

Lea Wait never disappoints and the latest Mainely Needlepoint Mystery, Thread on Arrival is a little richer than usual.

Ike Hamilton insists on living in the garage after his family home was condemned and demolished. Surviving on disability, Ike collects bottles and cans to augment his income. When Angie Curtis and Dave Percy run into Ike at the Blessing of the Fleet event, he introduces them to Leo, a young boy who helps him when his back pain hampers his ability to bend over or lift bags.

The next day, Leo knocks on Dave’s door and breathlessly tells Dave and Angie that Ike is dead. After meeting with the police Dave volunteers to let Leo stay with him since the garage is now crime scene and Leo has no where else to go. Leo claims he’s 18 so the police can’t call social services to place him in care.

Angie Curtis, a private investigator in Arizona before moving to Haven Harbor to take over her Gram’s Mainely Needlepoint business, is determined to uncover who wanted Ike dead. Turns out that Ike knew a lot about folks in Haven Harbor due to his weekly route around the community collecting bottles and cans to earn money at the redemption center. To prompt information from Leo, Angie and Dave persuade the teenager to accompany them around Ike’s collection route, hoping the activity will help Leo recall some of Ike’s insights. For instance, Leo remembers that when stopping at Jim Lewis’ house, Ike told him that Sandra Lewis was not a good person. Jim Lewis was Ike’s best friend but suffered from MS and Sandra was his wife and full time caregiver.

In another example, Ike confronts Gus, the bookstore owner who harasses his young women employees and threatens to tell his wife. Ike also told Leo that “the Chambers” wants him to move out. Ed Campbell, head of the Chamber of Commerce, campaigned to get Ike moved to a facility, contending he was a blight on the community as he wandered around collecting bottles. And then there is the person who beat Ike, but Ike refused to identify the individual, would not even tell Leo.

Visiting the community Leo claims is his hometown, Angie discovers Leo is Leon Blackwell, with no living relatives since his parents were killed when their home exploded. Leon survived because his parents had locked him out and he was sleeping on the front porch when the explosion occurred.

Ms. Wait fabricates a fascinating mystery with familiar characters confronting red herrings and a few twists. What makes this a compelling story is Ms. Wait’s skill in integrating emotionally charged relationships so effectively as key components. Lea Wait is a consummate story teller and Thread on Arrival is an excellent example of her considerable talent.

Ike Hamilton has been a fixture in Haven Harbor, Maine for many years. He’s the one who collects cans and bottles from his neighbors and most of the businesses in town to supplement his disability checks. But, some people believe that he needs to go away, and someone took care of him permanently. The main suspect in his murder is a runaway teenager who found Ike’s body. Can Angie find out the truth before someone else is killed?
Some authors have the ability to grab a reader and take them to another world, learning about different people, places and hobbies. The reader forgets about their troubles and enjoys the story. Ms. Wait has this amazing gift. I loved this book, its characters and plot were both absorbing and thought-provoking. What would we do if a homeless person was in trouble? Would we step out and help him/her? Would we take him/her in and give them a home? And, what if he/she were a suspect in a murder? I think that Angie showed a lot of courage to stand up and help the homeless teen get out from under the murder investigation and find the real culprit. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Lea Wait has produced another great addition to her A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. "Thread on Arrival' unfolds as Dave asks Angie to go with him to question Ike Hamilton and the young boy with him gathering bottles and cans for recycling. This starts a string of events that is intriguing and engaging as Angie once again does her amateur sleuthing. I was led all over the place with suspects, along with some truly dark moments on serious subjects. I also got more insight into Angie, Dave and Patrick which was helpful and made me appreciate them more. Without being a spoiler the ending was satisfying on many levels and I look forward to more. One other thing I loved about this book is the way in which it smoothly flowed. Each chapter, as in all of the series, opens with information about a sampler and then Angie's quest gently brought forward more and more information. I just happily jumped on for the ride and thoroughly enjoyed it. I highly recommend the entire series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Angie Curtis lives in Haven Harbor, Maine and runs Mainely Needlepoint, a small business she took over from her grandmother; she and its members create needlepoint items that they sell online and in stores. She and her boyfriend Patrick are attending the Blessing of the Fleet, an annual ritual where her grandfather (by marriage) Pastor Tom is conducting this year. It is a reading of the names of those who have died while fishing, and a blessing of the boats before the season begins.

When Angie sees that one of the other needlepointers, Dave Pearcy, she goes over to say hello. Dave is a high school science teacher, and together they notice Ike Hamilton. Ike's a bit slow, and since his parents died, he lives alone - or so they thought - in his family's old garage, their home having been destroyed years ago. With him is a teenager who only identifies himself as Leo.

Dave wonders about Leo, since he hasn't seen him at the school and wonders who he is. He tells Leo if he ever needs help, to come find him; describing his house for the young boy. Little does he know that it will be sooner than later Leo will need his help. The next day, while Angie is visiting Dave, Leo shows up at his door. He tells Dave that Ike is dead, and he needs help.

Angie calls the police - even though Leo doesn't want anything to do with them - and he tells his story. Dave decides to care for Leo since there is no one else, but the police have him down as the main suspect in the murder. While Dave and Angie both believe the boy is innocent, she decides to do a little sleuthing herself.

Angie, who worked for a PI while living in Arizona, has a bit of experience in this (also having helped solve other murders). What she finds out about the people in her town is eye-opening, to say the least, and gives her a few suspects that may have had a reason to want Ike out of the picture. But her final help comes from an unlikely source, and it shows her the truth isn't always easy to see, even if it's right in front of you all the time...

This is such a delightful series to read. The characters are well-drawn, and I love the fact that Angie doesn't walk blindly into situations that could put her in danger. She actually thinks things out first, putting all the facts in front of her, then disassembling them piece by piece until she can put the puzzle back together again. It's refreshing to read.

Angie's investigation takes her out of town, where she learns about Leo's past, which she shares with Dave, and he, in turn, shares with the police. But Dave's faith in the boy only wavers a little; they're still convinced he's innocent of murder (although Angie does waver a tad). Yet she always wants to find the truth, unwilling to convict without sound evidence. Unfortunately, it brings several people to view in an unfavorable light, which bothers her.

She's also coming into a new stage with Patrick, and he's allowing himself to realize that he doesn't mind her sleuthing at all. It was a nice surprise, and hopefully Angie will appreciate that this a good man who truly loves her. We will see on that front.

Anyway, we learn a little more about Dave's past, and while it's rather sad, it made him the man he is; I have always liked him and I like him even more; it's always nice to learn about the secondary characters. It makes them more human, and brings you more into the story. We've already learned about Sarah's past, so I recommend that if you haven't read any of the previous books, you go back to the beginning and do so, because it's a very good series indeed.

I did know the who the murderer was early on, but only because I read so many mysteries and pay extreme attention to details; still, my enjoyment of the book never faltered as Ms. Wait is a talented writer who knows how to weave a story admirably and put everything together so well. And this she does admirably.

In the end, I felt that the ending was quite satisfactory; the murderer revealed in an unexpected setting, with everything joined nicely and giving a tale that is filled with plenty of clues and quite fun to read. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.

amateur-sleuth, family, friendship, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, maine, historical-research, needlework, teens, culinary *****

What a marvelous book!
Putting the mystery aside for the moment, the chapter introductions each describe a sampler and its creator complete with a bit about her life in the late 18th or early 19th century and the East Coast town she lived in. It was like a trip through a fine museum, and I loved it!
The mystery, characters, twists, and red herrings were very well done and the frustrations and puzzlements of those involved are so clear that the reader is so tightly caught up in the story that putting it down just doesn't feel like an option. The publisher's blurb does pretty well, and spoilers are just wrong, so I'll just repeat that I loved it!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you so much!

Not knowing much about Maine, I enjoy the "extras" sprinkled throughout the story. Really enjoy the small town setting and the unique characters. It was so nice to see a story set around the disabled and see how the community cares about him. The web of secrets kept me guessing on who the killer was and it was nice to see a secondary character taking the lead for once. Another great addition to the series.

I can't get enough of cozy mysteries, especially this series. Spring has arrived in Maine and Angie is enjoying it. Until the town bottle recycler, Ike, turns up dead. Leo, the teenager who had been hanging around with Ike has secrets of his own that Angie has to uncover. While managing the needlepoint business, Angie also noses around for who may have wanted Ike dead. She seems to spend more time with Dave than Patrick in this book. Angie cracks the case with assistance from her friends. A great story with many heartwarming moments about a community that cares.

I like the town and the characters. The how of the murders kept me stumped and I like that Angie doesn't do anything stupid while finding out who the killer was. Her relationship with Patrick is moving slowly ahead. This is a fun read and I feel keeps moving along.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my eARC I received in exchange for my honest review.

Every town has their traditions, disabled residents, and secrets and Haven Harbor Maine is no exception. Angie Curtis joins her townsfolk for their annual Blessing of the fleet where they remember those lost at sea and prepare for the upcoming season. During the festivities she meets one of the town’s disabled residents and a young boy who lives with him. Angie is enjoying getting reacquainted with the residents in her community and meeting new ones.

The next day the young boy finds his friend murdered and Angie can’t bear the thought of the frightened young boy being blamed for a murder he didn’t commit, so she gets into sleuthing mode and takes a long hard look at who would want to kill this harmless man and why. While there are no clear suspects at the start, Angie begins finding that the dead man had quite a few secrets he was keeping and she needs to determine which one of them would kill to keep their secret hidden.

The story was well written, the characters developed and enough red herrings to make you question yourself more than a few times as you continue to read. This is the first book of the eight book series I have read and it was perfectly fine as a stand alone. The other seven will go on my list of books to read.

This is the 8th Mainely Needlepoint series after Thread Herrings. In this book we find Angie back in Haven Harbor, this time in spring. Ike Hamilton has been a fixture in the community for years, picking up deposit bottles for the community and getting enough cash from them to subsist on. Now he has a high school kid helping him (Leo). Unfortunately, when Ike is murdered, suspicions turn to Leo who has a complicated past. Since Angie is with her friend Dave when Leo reports the murder, she feels vested in finding out who killed Ike. What did Ike know that made him lose his life?

If you like the Mainely Needlepoint series, you will like this one. It is typical for the series. All the regular characters are back (Gram, Tom, Patrick, etc.) with enough newbies to create a cast of suspects. Lea Waite is able to paint a picture of the area of Haven Harbor, as well as of the characters. If you are looking for a series that sets the reader in a typical cozy atmosphere with a hometown feel, this is it.

Although this is part of a series its easy to read as a stand alone novel.

Ike has fallen on hard times and survives on disability cheques and returning bottles for their deposit, most of the town are happy to help him out so who would want to kill him? A young teenager Leo is suspected but Angie believes he's innocent. Can Angie prove Leo is innocent and find the real killer whilst continuing to run her needlepoint business?

Thread on Arrival is the eighth book in Lea Wait’s Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. This is a clean, quick read with a well-plotted storyline and well-developed, likable characters. The books in this series can be read as standalones. This is a quick, smooth read with twists and turns and a satisfying ending with all the ends tied up nicely. The reveal of the killer was a surprise to me. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading a well-crafted cozy mystery.

Angie Curtis moved back to Haven Harbor, Maine about a year ago, is managing Mainely Needlepoint for her grandmother, and dating Patrick West, who is preparing for the upcoming opening of his art gallery. Angie and Patrick, as well as almost all of Haven Harbor’s residents, are attending the annual Blessing of the Fleet day, which remembers those lost at sea and prays for the safety of those who make their living from the sea or enjoy being at sea. When Angie sees Ike Hamilton, a local man with disabilities who many residents help, she notices a young man with him who she doesn’t recognize. Angie and her friend, Dave Perry, a high school teacher, approach Ike and learn that the teenager, Leo, is helping him collect and redeem recyclable items in exchange for room and board. Dave believes the teen is troubled and tells him to come to him if he ever needs anything. When Leo discovers someone has murdered Ike, he rushes to Dave’s house, his shirt and hands covered with blood. Sergeant Pete Lambert of the Haven Harbor Police Department calls in Ethan Trask, the Maine State Police homicide detective who handles murders in this area of Maine. Angie and Dave believe Leo is innocent; Dave takes the now homeless teen into his home, and Angie uses her investigative skills to find out more about Leo and hopefully clear his name. Angie discovers Leo isn’t who he says he is and uncovers secrets held by several residents, which may prove to be the reason for Ike’s murder. Angie also learns that several people had been angry with Ike because he’d threatened to tell the police or their spouse about what was going on. Angie is having trouble narrowing down her suspect list, and Patrick offers his help.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.