Member Reviews

Dollycas’s Thoughts

The new owner of Measure Twice Fabric Store, Lydia Barnes is searching for a way to keep the store in the black. She decides a sewing retreat may be the answer. She runs her idea by the former owner and friend Fran who loves the idea. She offers her Cherry Log mountain home as the destination for the retreat and her assistance in any way Lydia needs. Soon a group of the store’s regular customers embark on a journey into the mountains for sewing lessons, projects, quick meals, fellowship, and fun. But then an extreme winter ice storm moves in. Fran’s friend and the cabin’s caretaker Auden arrives just in time to unclog a drain but stays too long getting them ready for the storm and is stranded with the sewists.

Then Fran is found dead . . . murdered . . . and her guests realize they are stuck in the mountains with no power, no phone lines, and a killer. Before Lydia, assisted by Auden can rip apart the seams to identify the killer another body is found, and while the death looks like suicide complete with a confession Lydia isn’t buying it. She comes up with a plan but it could backfire. Can Lydia solve the mystery? or has she sewn her last stitch?

As a former sewing enthusiast, an accident in 2001 took this joy away from me, I live a little vicariously through characters in books like this.

I wasn’t a fan of Lydia in the first book in this series, Seams Deadly, but I liked her better in this story. I loved Fran in the first book and it hurt that she was the first victim in this one. She had been like a fairy godmother to Lydia. But she had been facing battles and keeping secrets this time. She also made a costly decision. Characters we met in Seams Deadly return as participants in the retreat, Heather who works at the store, Clark a prickly man who owns Pampered Pantry, an organic food store, The M’s, Martha and Mary, they aren’t sisters but sure act like they are, and Cynde, a court stenographer, who lives above the fabric store brought her friend Amy as a plus one. They are an eclectic group. Lydia’s dog Charlie also attended the retreat. Her cat, Baby Lobster stayed with her neighbor.

Auden Williams was a great addition to the cast. He is smart, prepared, and easy on the eyes. He had a soft spot for Fran and became her confidant as she spent a lot of time on her own at her Cherry Log Mountain home.

The project for the retreat was a quilt coat that could be made from a secondhand quilt, a worn in places quilt you love, purchased quilted fabric, or fabric you quilt yourself. The edges were completed with a bias binding. The retreat guests also worked on English Paper Piecing projects.

This closed-room cozy mystery was well-plotted with a little repetition as Lydia tried to figure out who was killing people on her very first and probably very last sewing retreat. Fran did leave some clues that finally made other things that were happening make sense. She wasn’t 100% sure and I appreciated that she shared her thinking with Auden and was happy that he got on board with her plan. The guilty party was at the top of my suspect list before everything fell into place for Lydia. It felt good to know I made the right choice for the right reason when all was explained.

We have ice storms in Wisconsin just like the mountains in Georgia that the author described so well. They are beautiful to look at while staying warm inside but they can be treacherous if you venture out. Charlie was the only one to do that and his trips were quick.

Quilty as Charged was an enjoyable read. It gave the characters we met in the first installment more depth. The location was perfect for a retreat and each scene was detailed well. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, especially with the little cliffhanger Ms. Bailey had left us.

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I read Book 1 to prepare for this ARC and I am glad I did. This was a super fun cozy and I can't wait to read the next book in this series. I want to see what this group of peeps gets up to!

#QuiltyasCharged
#NetGalley

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Fun old-style murder-mystery with isolation, a snowstorm, and a potential romance. Especially fun for quilters and sewists - others may glaze over at sewing jargon. Thumbs up from me! 3.5 stars.

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An entertaining and well plotted cozy mystery
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Enjoyed this one very much, another great cozy mystery from author Maggie Bailey. Never disappoints, highly recommend

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What a nice escape. Lydia has purchased Measure Twice fabric store from her now friend Fran. Lydia has planned a sewing weekend and Fran has offered to do it at her Cherry Log mountain home. After everyone arrives, they enjoy their first night there, but the next day they find they are snowed in and Fran has been murdered. Which of the 6 guests did it? What to do? They police won't get there until the storm has cleared out. Lydia leans on the caretaker, Auden to help her.

Such a fun cozy. Each character has her own quirks and each seems to have a reason to be mad at Fran. So much fun to read.

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Lydia Barnes has made the picturesque town of Peridot, Georgia her home. But as the new owner of the Measure Twice fabric store, all financial burdens fall on her. In an effort to unspool herself from this tangle of thread and boost the store’s income, she invites her regular customers to a sewing retreat at her friend Fran’s Cherry Log mountain home.

In between sewing lessons and quick lunches, a severe winter storm approaches. When Fran’s body is discovered murder is the only explanation, and the remaining six attendants are all suspects. Trapped, with the power and phone lines out, Lydia is restless to unmask Fran’s murderer.

With the help of Auden, the cabin’s caretaker, Lydia must unravel the hidden lives of people she considered close neighbors and even friends, especially when another body is found along with a suicide note and a suspicious confession. In a daring plan to uncover the killer, Lydia must risk it all, including her life, before she is cut asunder and the bobbin runs out.

Hooked from the beginning. Cannot wait to read more from the author. Will recommend to others.

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Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

This book is the second in a cozy mystery series about sewing. Lydia invites her friends to a sewing retreat at a cabin. When the weather turns bad and people start getting murdered, Lydia has to find the killer before she is the next target.

I thought this book was just ok. I don't really know anything about sewing so I am not exactly the target audience for this one. I think more knowledgable sewers would like this one more than I did.

I did enjoy the mystery and I liked the writing. The characters were all pretty likeable and the story itself was interesting.

I would still recommend this one to people who are looking for a new cozy mystery.

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I enjoyed this mystery. I like the MC and the setting. I look forward to more. Getting more information on Fran was interesting.
Thankyou to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Quilty as Charged is book two in Maggie Bailey’s A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery and features seamstress Lydia Barnes. Lydia is now the new owner of Measure Twice, a fabric store in the small town of Peridot, Georgia.

As the sole owner, Lydia knows she needs to boost the store’s income, so she offers a sewing retreat for her regular customers. The retreat takes place at Fran’s Cherry Log mountain home, and as the former owner of Measure Twice, Fran’s expertise is welcome on the retreat.

Unfortunately, a severe winter storm blows in, and Lydia quickly regrets her insistence that the retreat be “device free,” as both the power and phone lines go out in the storm. And then a body is discovered, clearly murdered. The six remaining attendants are the only available suspects.

The tension increases when a second body is found not long after the first, along with a possible suicide note and confession to the previous murder. Something seems off to Lydia, though. Along with the handsome caretaker of the cabin (Auden), Lydia begins an investigation, and secrets come out for all attendees.

This series offers wonderful characters, and a great small town setting. This more recent entry is a puzzling locked room mystery that kept me turning the pages. The winter storm made this such an atmospheric read. The book blurb does give away the name of the first victim, so if readers would rather be surprised, I would suggest skipping that.

As I sleuthed along with Lydia, the secrets revealed were shocking, and I honestly thought everyone was guilty at one point. The light romance developing between Lydia and Auden is a fun addition. While not officially an epilogue, I enjoyed the wrap-up ending and felt there was a strong set-up for future mysteries involving Lydia. I’d love to see where her relationship with Auden goes.

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2 1/2 stars. This was a fairly mundane cozy that had some very annoying characters that just did not engage me. Lydia, the female protagonist, did some stupid and dangerous things to catch the killer which always annoys me. I did like the interaction between Auden, the caretaker of the mountain cabin, and Lydia.

Nothing bad just nothing that really sparked my interest either to make it stand out from many others I read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

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Bailey has her mystery sewn up perfectly!

I’ll admit I didn’t read the first in this series, and while there are some gaps in the backstory throughout, this book did hold up on its own. The setting was moody and delightful, the plot was well crafted, and the characters had appropriate depth to them.

I did enjoy it, even without being a sewing or quilting aficionado. All told, a fun and fast read.

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A unique twist on the locked room murder mystery done cozy mystery style in a mountain home in an ice storm! So much fun with complex characters who aren't all as sweet as they seem or as bad as they seem with unique personality quirks that make them more realistic. The sewing retreat sounds like a fun one that I would love to take part in even though I know nothing about sewing! The plot is more complex than typical cozies and the characters are overall less caring than typical cozy stories or so it seems until the truth is revealed about all involved. I actually quite enjoyed the story and am really interested to see where the characters go from here and how they continue to develop.

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Lydia Barnes is starting a new chapter in her life with the help of her dear friend, Fran. Lydia bought the Measure Twice fabric store from Fran and is renting Fran’s apartment above the store. Now Fran is helping Lydia host a sewing retreat at Fran’s Cherry Log mountain home.

The weekend starts out great with meals, sewing and fun. A mild winter storm turns into a severe ice storm. Auden, Fran’s neighbor and handyman helps out when they lose power due to the storm. Lydia checks on Fran only to find that she's been murdered. Now it's up to Lydia and Auden to keep everyone safe until the power comes on and they can call the police.

Reading this book was challenging for me. It's written from Lydia's point of view and her thoughts are quite scattered. I found myself re-reading sections which I never like to do. She's a likeable character but makes illogical choices. Also, I'm not familiar with many of the sewing terms used in the book. And I sew!

#GuiltyAsCharged

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This was a good locked room type murder mystery with an ice storm raging outside. I picked out who I thought was the killer, but that choice became less possible, so I just sleuthed along with Lydia and Auden. I really love that she's met a nice guy and the good turn her life took in this story.

It's hard to say much more without spoiling things, so I'll just say I'm ready for the next book if there's a third one in the works. I'm eager to see what progress Lydia and Auden might make in their new friendship. It was sad when I read in the description who the person was that got killed first, but there might've been things no one knew about this sweet person. Lotsa secrets came out for everyone.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Crooked Lane via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

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Omg who doesn’t t love a new Maggie Bailey Cozy Mystery! She is on of my favorites. Love this. Will give a better review at a later date but definitely 4⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️s.. thank you NetGalley for this opportunity. And Maggie Bailey for writing a fabulous book.

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In “Quilty as Charged”, the second book in Maggie Bailey’s Measure Twice Sewing cozy mystery series, Lydia Barnes, still adjusting to her role as the new owner of the Measure Twice Fabric Store, has decided to hold a sewing retreat at a mountain home to bring in some much needed money to the store. She really needs the retreat to be a success but her hopes are quickly dashed when one of the participants is murdered in the middle of a storm. Trapped with a killer and no way to get out, Lydia and Auden, the cabin’s caretaker, must stop the killer before someone else dies.

I have read both books in this series and I still have mixed feelings about them. I do like the setting – first the Fabric shop and in this book the mountain home. Being stranded with a killer is not a new concept but I thought Bailey did it well (and I like the addition of Auden to the series). The mystery was well done with just the right amount of suspense and tension – I was somewhat surprised (and a little saddened by who the killer was). The one thing that bothers me about this series is the characters – I have a hard time liking most of them including Lydia herself (Auden being the exception) and wonder why they’d want to spend time with each other. To be fair, that seemed to change a bit at the end of this book – I have hopes that it will continue in future books.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

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After reading Quilty as Charged by Maggie Bailey! I need book one Seams Deadly!
This series is going to be amazing. Book two in A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery series was such a fun cozy mystery.
This cozy murder mystery was perfect for what I was in the mood for.
There were so many unique characters.
The main character, Lydia Barnes, is funny and engaging.
This will be perfect for those fall reads!
I’m now heading to Amazon to get book one.
So I can be ready for the third title when or if it comes! :)

Thank You NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

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The second book in this series and I have read the first one as well.

Lydia has organised a weekend sewing retreat but the weather turns nasty and they are snowed in with no power or phone lines. The group of people attending the retreat are a mixed bag and most of them unpleasant. The sole redeeming character is Auden, the caretaker. There are two murders and Lydia thinks she will be next.

I had to skim all the dressmaking parts as sewing is not an interest of mine. However the mystery was interesting especially as the field was very limited as to the identity of the murderer. Not a bad story but I probably will not look out for more in this series.

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Quilty as Charged is book #2 in the A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery series by Maggie Bailey.

Lydia is trying to boost her fabric store income with a cabin getaway with a few of her regular customers. With a murder and a storm that traps everyone together, Lydia has to figure out who the killer is with a help of the cabin’s caretaker. How well does she know these people? It dragged a bit in places, but overall it was an enjoyable read and I look forward to the next book.

Thank you to the author, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

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