Hanging by a Thread (A Sewing Studio Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – Fictional Town of Hideaway Grove
Kensington Cozies (September 26, 2023)
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages

Synopsis

The latest novel in a new crafting cozy series in the genre-leading Kensington Cozy Mystery program focusing on the members of a Sewing Studio.

Some of the independent shops in this sleepy town are barely hanging on financially—and that includes Sarah’s Sweets, Abbey’s aunt’s bakery. The shop’s advantage—aside from the deliciousness of its products—is the fact that it’s the only bakery in the area. But it looks like that’s about to change. The second wife of a wealthy businessman wants her own bakery—and money is no object.

When murder unravels the plans for the competing shop, Aunt Sarah is an immediate suspect—and Hideaway Grove’s merchants are on pins and needles about a big upcoming women’s conference, fearing the organization will cancel their booking because of the crime. Abbey’s doing her best to stay optimistic and stitch some custom tote bags for the attendees, but she’s also concerned with patching up Aunt Sarah’s good reputation. And when it comes to sorting through the possible motives of the victim’s family members and associates, she’s got a few tricks up her sleeve . . .

 

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Guest Post

Building a town in my head — with a sweet ending!

I’ve been very blessed to have published a lot of books.  I just finished writing number 50.  Whew!  About half of them were historical romances, written under my pen name Judith Stacy, so I was free to make up a small western town for the setting, or occasionally do a little research into Los Angeles for my characters living there in the 1890s.

When I began writing mysteries, they were all contemporary and most were set in Los Angeles.  With a brief google search or a few hours in the car (I live in the Los Angeles area) all of my research questions were answered.  Easy!

My newest cozy mystery series is the Sewing Studio Series, and I knew a big city wouldn’t do.  The characters and the story required something very different.  I was left with no option but to build my own imaginary town.  Because it was a series and I would be using it for many books to come, I had to come up with a very specific plan for the town.  Thus, Hideaway Grove came into being.

Hideaway Grove developed into a small, quaint town where visitors and tourists are drawn to specialty shops, art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants.  I felt like the town needed a theme.   A good friend had mentioned she’d taken a course about birdwatching, which I found interesting.  I decided Hideaway Grove should have its roots in that world, with the founder of the town naming the streets after birds—Hummingbird Lane, Hawk Avenue, and Blue Bird Drive.  The town’s founder especially liked owls, so images of them are woven through the town in the lampposts, playground equipment on the village green, and in the names of the businesses, such as Owl Nest Bookstore, Birdie’s Gifts and Gadgets, and the Night Owl Bar.

To keep everything organized in my head, I drew a map of Hideaway Grove.  It includes the streets, the businesses, and the homes of the characters.  I’m no artist, but the visual layout keeps me on track especially when I’m starting a new story.

The town is populated by nervous merchants anxious to keep their business afloat, gossips, busybodies, and a few hot guys—after writing all those romances, I had to put some good-looking men in the story!

In the launch book of the series, Seams Like Murder, Abbey Chandler’s life in Los Angeles falls apart so she retreats to Hideaway Grove where she spent idyllic summers with her aunt Sarah.  Abbey finds herself involved with a murder investigation and ends up heading a charity project making pillowcase dresses for girls in Africa—even though she can’t sew!

Sarah’s Sweets, the bakery Abbey’s aunt owns, plays an important part in the town and in the second book in the series Hanging By A Thread.  To accommodate her pillowcase dress parties, Abbey turns the bakery storage room into a sewing studio.  It becomes a natural gathering place for town merchants drawn together to discuss the latest problem—quite often a murder.

Aunt Sarah’s bakery is known for its delicious, beautifully handcrafted baked goods.  In Hanging By A Thread, Sarah is preparing for a 1950s event and prepares vintage recipes for her customers—while Abbey solves a murder!

I hope you’ll enjoy your visit to Hideaway Grove in Hanging By A Thread, and try this vintage recipe that’s been in my family for generations—coming soon to Sarah’s Sweets!

HOLIDAY PUMPKIN ROLL

Pumpkin Roll ingredients

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup solid packed pumpkin

¾ cup flour

½ tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

½ English walnuts, chopped (optional)

Filling

1 cup confectioner’s sugar

8 oz cream cheese

2 tbsp margarine

¾ tsp vanilla

Grease a 10”x15”x1” baking pan and line with waxed paper.  Beat eggs and sugar.  Stir in pumpkin.  Combine flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.  Add to pumpkin mixture and blend well.

Pour onto baking pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with nuts (optional).  Bake at 350F for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cake should spring back when touched lightly.

Remove from oven and loosen edges with knife.  Turn cake out onto a paper towel sprinkled with confectioner’s sugar.  Remove waxed paper.  Roll cake and towel together.  Cool completely.

Unroll cake and spread with filling.  Roll cake up again and chill.  Keep refrigerated.  May be frozen.

Enjoy!

About the Author

USA Today Bestselling author Dorothy Howell is the author of 49 novels. Her books have been translated into a dozen languages and sold worldwide. She writes the Sewing Studio mystery series, the Haley Randolph mystery series, and the Hollis Brannigan and Dana Mackenzie mystery series. Dorothy also writes historical romance novels under the pen name Judith Stacy.  Dorothy lives in Los Angeles.

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