Absolutely LOVED this book! I was thrilled to have Birdie back for this adventure too. The story was compelling with the right amount of suspense with a wonderful wrap up at the end. These books are always such a pleasure and joy to read and I look forward to seeing what's ahead for these characters in the next book. I strongly recommend this series if you haven't already read it.

Princess Fuzzypants here: It’s impossible not to like. Martha. She is a zaftig lady of a certain age with both child and grandchild, living with a hunky, much younger fiancé, quilter extraordinaire and all around good lady. She is also a very astute lady and very few things get passed her.

When her elderly friends inform her they are dispensing of all their earthly goods so they can go into the hills around Ojai and join a spiritual community, her spider senses are aroused. Those earthly goods then become the part of the trust that runs the place. Martha smells a rat and the more she researches the cult and its leader, the less she likes it. So she and her best friend Lucy travel with the couple to have a look around before the deal is signed.

It is not at all what her friends expected and they are happy to have found out in time. But before they can leave, they return to the Winnebago in which they travelled and they discover the very dead body of the cult leader in the vehicle. Naturally, they are high in the original suspect pool but are quickly eliminated by far more likely candidates that include three members of his family whom he had no idea were around. It’s a rather convoluted story that includes psychics, sibling rivalry, embezzlement and murder.

Martha and her friends keep the reader entertained although I must admit, I suspected the villains from the outset. But even that had some unexpected twists. From her Friday rituals for the Sabbath to her interactions with authorities on several levels to her ability to figure things out, Martha is just a great character. Five purrs and two paws up.

Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie

I really enjoyed seeing Martha Rose and her Quilty Tuesdays group of close friends and her stepsister. The characters are a wonderful group of caring, close friends and family, and the setting at first seems to be a peaceful place to go to for a retreat. The darkness lurking in the background, however, leads into mysteries for which no easy solution could be found. There are quilting tips throughout that, even if one is not a quilter, are interesting.

Birdie and her new husband, Denver, returned from wintering in Arizona; arriving for the Tuesday quilting group was a welcome surprise for Martha and the other quilters. Birdie and Denver are retired, in their 70’s, and had a most enlightening experience on the spring equinox in Sedona, Arizona. Birdie has always had an interest in psychic phenomenon. She announced that as soon as she and Denver sell his ranch and their homes, they will move to Mystical Feather, a commune in Ojai, California. Of course, that will require giving all the proceeds of their worldly goods into the Trust that the Society has and being cared for by them for the rest of their lives.

Very concerned about the situation, the group members tried to learn what they could from Birdie. Lucy, Martha’s best friend, and Giselle, Martha’s sister, were especially concerned. Martha asked her fiancé, Crusher, an ATF agent, to see if his friends in the FBI might know anything about Mystical Feather or Royal St. Germain. She also talked with Paulina, a friend who was a medium. While there were few definite answers, they did learn enough to raise their concerns to Birdie and Denver.

Mystical Feather had been started as a retreat by Madame Natasha St. Germain, a medium who had a large following and died suddenly in 1975. Her son Royal took over the retreat, eventually turning it into a commune for preferably wealthy people to spend the rest of their lives. There was suspicion regarding people who disappeared, rumored to have been murdered.

To ease their minds, Martha and Lucy talked Birdie and Denver into visiting the commune before selling everything. They had only met Royal St. Germain when they were in Sedona. The four of them would go to Winnebago on Saturday. Paulina and her friend Michael volunteered to go with them, as they might know good questions to ask due to their psychic abilities.

Martha, Lucy, and Paulina planned to ask questions of the people living there and find Royal St. Germain to learn what they could about the commune. The only people they could find were in a séance in the dining hall, which they couldn’t interrupt. Michael and Paulina went to look around the property to see who they could find, and while they were gone, the other four heard what sounded like gunshots. Paulina and Michael were unable to find anyone, so they were going to town for lunch. When they got back to the Winnebago, they found Royal St. Germain. He was dead, shot in the couple’s motorhome.

The characters are very well defined. I enjoyed the variety of backgrounds and age groups, a handful in their twenties and the majority in their 50’s or older. Each has their unique attire and grooming styles, from Giselle’s ultra-wealthy power clothing that meets her career as a corporate CEO to Birdie’s trademark Birkenstock sandals. I liked the easy camaraderie between the friends and even Giselle’s somewhat tactless manner of speaking. I also enjoyed seeing Uncle Isaac again.

The plot builds throughout, providing multiple clues and suspects. The premise itself is thought-provoking. Martha’s experience of helping with other murders gives her some knowledge of how to ask questions in such a way as to get the answers needed, but the sheriff’s department in Ojai was not enamored of her help. There is interesting background on Martha’s family and Sabbath traditions that rounded out her life. I thought I had a good idea who was involved in St. Germain’s murder and other situations at the retreat, but was still very surprised at the ending. I highly recommend this, especially if one enjoys quilting, quilting tips, and cozy mysteries.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review*

This a great cozy mystery book. It is the 8th book in a series but I did not read the other 7 books and was still able to understand who all the characters are. I will be reading the other books because I would love to see how Martha and Yossi meet and got together.

In regards to this book I did enjoy the mystery and how Martha went about finding out who the killer is. I really did not expect the person that did it. For some of the book I thought it was going to be another character. So the switch up was great. I would have liked a better wrap up of the case in regards to why the person did the crimes but that is just a small part and it really did not affect my enjoyment of the book.

An excellent addition to a favorite series.
I was happy to meet again the cast of quirky characters and read about their life.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining, full of twists and turns. The solid mystery kept me guessing.
I can't wait to read the next instalment in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This is Quilting Mystery #8 by popular cozy author Mary Marks. I have read the entire series and highly recommend it. This is a enjoyable return to the series with all the characters we love and a well crafted sleuth that kept me guessing to the end. Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinion is my own. This series is a "Do Not Miss" for me and I look forward to each new release. I love that the author has written such a smart fun series with the main charcter having Fibromylegia which I also have. its refreshing to read about a cozy protagonist with a debilitating disease to.

When Martha's friend Birdie and her husband are dead set on joining a commune Martha decides to visit the place with some friends and see what influence they are having on her good friend. She is shocked they are selling everything to go "find" themselves with a guru and giving the commune their life savings. Martha is a savvy investigator and fears something is not right with the situation. Soon after Martha arrives the guru is murdered and all eyes are on Martha's friend Birdie as he is murdered in her motor home. Martha must save her friend and find the true suspect.

This is always a fun series to return to with great charcters, fun information about quilting and a fantastic protagonist. I look forward to the next in series . Very well done to the author.

If you love quilting and eating fabulous food you will love reading this cozy mystery. I know nothing about quilting and I’m currently on a diet but I still loved this story. The characters are all so heartwarming and the storyline was very compelling. The descriptions of all the great food made my mouth water dang it. I also learned a bit about Jewish culture which is quite interesting. I highly recommend this book for all those that love cozy mysteries.

4.5 stars

This is eighth book in the A Quilting Mystery by Mary Marks.

This book is a little different than some cozy mysteries. Martha is trying to convince her friends Birdie and Denver to not join a cult called the Mystical Feather and leave them all their worldly goods and possessions. When they go and visit the campus where they will be living the leader who convinced them to come is found shot to death in their camper.

I have to admit that I had a little anxiety reading this book. The plot was well done and I could easily resonate with what was going on. I definitely loved all the quilting knowledge that was dropped here and there during the mystery. I loved how she quilted when she needed to think through something.

I am definitely putting this on my must read series list for sure!

If you want to read a good cozy mystery, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

The quilting mystery series is great. This is book eight and can be read as a stand alone if you choose. This is a great series for anyone who loves crafting cozies and small town gossip!

Martha is worried about her friends Birdie and Denver who are determined to give up their worldly goods (to a large extent) in order to move to a commune in Ojai run by Royal St. Germain. You would be too! The Mystical Feather Society my foot! Off she goes, along with her sister Giselle, Paulina, and Michael, with the support of her honey Yossi, to investigate what's really going on. And what she finds is murder- the murder of St Germain to be specific. AND, he's in Birdie's RV. Cozy fans know that Martha's going to solve this case but what new readers might not realize is what a wonderful sleuth she is. A "mature" woman with a wicked ability to quilt (which doesn't figure as much in this installment as in some of the earlier books), she's got great friends who make a family. Don't worry if you haven't read those - this is fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. One of my favorite cozys and a great read for a hot pandemic day (or anytime!).

Martha Rose finds out that her dear friend Birdie is going to sell everything she owns and give the money to a cult. Then Birdie and her husband will live the rest of their lives under the care of the cult leader. Martha and her friends will do anything to stop this from happening. Martha organizes a surprise visit to check out the cult/commune. Unfortunately the cult leader is murdered while they are waiting to meet him.
Sadly, the mystery is a very minor part of this story. The author spends a great deal of time explaining how to make a quilt, how to read tarot cards and details about Jewish tradition. This would be a good book to read if those are your interests, unfortunately they're not mine.

Knot of this World is the eighth book in the Quilting Mystery series by Mary Marks.

Calling all older cozy readers - Martha Rose is not your typical twenty to thirty-something cozy sleuth. She and her friends show that sixty to seventy somethings get into as much trouble as younger generations do. In Knot of this World, Martha's friend Birdie is considering giving up all of her possessions and moving to the Mystical Feather Society, a spiritual retreat/commune. Martha is afraid it could be a cult, so she and her senior friends embark on an RV trip to visit Birdie's future home. When the commune's leader is found dead in their RV, their spiritual journey takes an alarming turn.

I really enjoyed that this book was set in Ojai, California - a beautiful setting to contrast with the grim realities of murder.

There are definitely a lot of quilting references. I liked reading about the description of the Sunbonnet Sue quilt Martha was making her granddaughter. I also liked the contradiction between Martha and her sister Giselle - polar opposites who still like to have each other in their lives.

Martha and her friends may be older, but they are a modern bunch. Their shenanigans include a nudist colony, psychics, tarot card readings, and hikes for dead bodies. The story is very descriptive and knowledgeable in its facts. The killer was easily guessed, but the journey to that discovery was entertaining. It is a fun read for any age.

I received this book as an advanced copy from the publisher through NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

This was another wonderful Quilting Mystery. The protagonist is wonderfully made. She's intelligent, resourceful, articulate and sneaky when she needs to be. Her friends and cohorts are quirky and fun to read about. The plot was intriguing with a whodunnit that was impossible for me to figure out until the very end. I loved reading this mystery and can't wait until the next one. I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book and love cozies dealing with crafts. I will look for more in the series. I will recommend it to others.

Martha Rose is back at it again. She innocently plans a trip to keep her friends from giving away all their possessions and joining a cult. Murder ensues and Martha decides to find a killer. Good, fast-paced read. Would recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

I've read this series off and on, but cults and quilts are things I'd normally expect to find together. However, it made for a very interesting and captivating read.

I enjoyed this book. It has an unusual story and the characters are well done. Martha gets involved when some of her friends want to join a cult. They go to the cult and while there they find the leader shot dead. Martha investigates with some other friends and eventually finds the killers. I was surprised by who the killers were. #KnotofThisWorld #NetGalley

What a fun read! I originally purchased this series for my mom who is an avid quilter and she loves it, so I decided to check it out. Martha and her quilting group are drawn into a mystery surrounding a mystical commune that her friends are thinking of joining. There is concern that it could be a dangerous cult, which is validated when they discover a murder!
I loved the added mystical elements of this particular installment and even though this was not the first book in the series I quickly caught onto the characters. The only criticism I had was with the character of Giselle, I found her tackless comments more mean than funny and they didn't add anything to the story for me. Other then that I enjoyed the book very much and would read more from the series. i can see why my mom likes it and so many others as well.

This continues to be one of my most favorite cozy mystery series. Martha is alarmed when one of her best friends is determined to join a spiritual cult. She contrives a visit to the compound and the guru ends up dead in her friend's RV. Martha continues to investigate and discovers long lost relatives, extorted money, and a new purpose to her life. I'm growing more fond of outspoken Giselle, who adds comic relief with her barbed comments.

Martha and her diverse band of fellow quilters, friends, and family are all concerned when they hear that old friends are planning to sell up their property and donate it all to a community called the Mystical Feather. In exchange for all their worldly goods, the community promises to care for the couple for the rest of their lives.

The trouble is, it seems as though the rest of their lives may not be that long. Martha and her crew are not in complete agreement as to whether the paranormal-focused community is a complete hoax or not, but they all see evidence that things are not as they should be, including convenient deaths at the rural retreat.

Martha never shies away from a challenge, so she gathers a group to infiltrate the commune and learn the truth.

Things get more complicated and more dangerous from there.

Martha and her friends are interesting, and Martha shares her interesting life with readers through her down-to-earth interactions. This series is definitely about the relationships, but the mystery is presented with clues and supporting facts, so it also sustains interest.

I liked the way the author brings in information about things like tarot cards naturally, so we can appreciate the related plot points even if we don't know much about it. Quilting is very much in the background in this installment of the series, but the continuing characters are there for us to enjoy. It's a cozy story with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers guessing.