Thread Herrings

Written by Lea Wait

Narrated by Christina Delaine

Tagging along to an estate sale with her fellow Needlepointer, antiques shop owner Sarah Byrne, Angie Curtis impulsively bids on a tattered embroidery of a coat of arms. When she gets her prize back home to Haven Harbor, she discovers a document from 1757 behind the framed needlework-a claim for a child from a foundling hospital. Intrigued, Angie is determined to find the common thread between the child and the coat of arms.

Accepting her reporter friend Clem Walker's invitation to talk about her find on the local TV news, Angie makes an appeal to anyone who might have information. Instead, both women receive death threats. When Clem is found strangled in a parking lot, Angie fears her own life may be in jeopardy. She has to unravel this historical mystery-or she may be the next one going, going . . . gone . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977385208

Lea Wait

Lea Wait made her mystery debut with Shadows at the Fair, which was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Shadows on the Ivy, the third novel in her acclaimed series featuring Maggie Summer, is forthcoming in hardcover from Scribner. Lea comes from a long line of antiques dealers, and has owned an antique print business for more than twenty-five years. The single adoptive mother of four Asian girls who are now grown, she lives in Edgecomb, Maine. In addition to the Antique Print mysteries, Lea Wait writes historical fiction for young readers. Her first children's book, Stopping to Home, was named a Notable Book for Children in 2001 by Smithsonian magazine. Visit her website at LeaWait.com.

Reviews for Thread Herrings

[aztwinmom · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Angie, the owner of Mainely Needlepoint, attends her first auction with her friend and buys a poorly preserved embroidered coat of arms which intrigues her. The real surprise is behind the embroidery; a beautifully crafted bookmark and information about a baby who was given to a foundling home in London. Angie is intrigued by the story and is searching for more information. Her friend, Clem, a news reporter puts the story on air, asking the public for information. Instead, Clem and Angie receive anonymous threats. Of course, Angie doesn’t drop the search, despite the very real danger. The story leads back to the early days of Maine, but who cares enough to kill for it? This series continues to be enjoyable with a well-crafted mystery and sympathetic characters.

[cyderry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Angie Curtis is goes to an estate auction with her friend Sarah Byrne where she is captivated by apiece of needlework of an ancient coat of arms. Unable to resist,, Angie wins it but trouble comes along with her purchase. Researching the coat of arms and an ancient paper found with it dated 1757, apparently someone is not happy when her friend Clem who is a TV reporter, publicizes the information and the desire to find out more about the needlework. Clem is found dead the next day, Ange's car is bombed, and pole are certain that she is in danger. But Angie is determined to find out who killed her friend and why.Great addition to this series! The characters continue to grow and bring realism to the storylne.

[carlathelibrarian · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It’s February in Haven Harbor and Angie and her friend, Sarah Byrne, are going to attend an antique auction. Sarah is looking for items for her antique store, while Angie is attending to see what an auction is like and possibly find some needlepoint items. At the preview for the auction items, Angie finds an interesting embroidered coat of arms. It is in poor shape and Sarah tells her it is probably not worth anything, but it calls to her. When she wins the auction, she takes the piece home and removes it from the frame. In the backing of the piece, she finds a piece of ribbon and a folded piece of paper that is a receipt for baby Charles who was left at the London Foundling Hospital in 1757. Angie's curiosity kicks in and she decides she would like to find out who Charles is and if he has any relatives living in Maine. This decision sets in motion a chain of events that finds a friend of Angie's dead and her life threatened until she is basically under house arrest for her own safety. It is great to see the familiar characters from previous books all present to varying degrees and willing to help her with her research.

This is a great mystery, both the historical and the present day murder. Patrick and Angie are still moving forward with their relationship, but Patrick seems to be a bit overbearing in this book, perhaps due to his desire to keep Angie safe. It was really interesting to see how Ruth is able to use geneology to trace the baby left at the hospital and tie it to a political family. Are they ashamed of their past and want Angie to hush up? There are some red herrings, some obscure clues and lots of computer work used in the pulling together of this mystery. Once again, each chapter begins with an example of work from old samplers worked in colonial and later eras. If this does not interest you, you can skip over it, but I enjoy learning about the needlework of the past as it paints a picture of community, relationships and history. I pretty much figured out who the killer was about halfway through the book, but the motive was left until the end. This book has a lot of tension and suspense as well as relationship building and interactions between the Mainely Needlepointers. I recommend this book to cozy mystery lovers, especially if you enjoy more than one storyline that comes together beautifully at the end. The publisher, Kensington Publishing Corporation, generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Thread Herrings by Lea Wait is the seventh story in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis is the manager of Mainely Needlepoint in Haven Harbor, Maine. Angie is accompanying her friend, Sarah Byrne to an auction in Augusta. Angie has not been to an auction previously and is looking forward to the experience. Angie is intrigued by a half-finished vintage framed needlepoint coat of arms that is not in the best condition and she spontaneously bids on it when none of the other participants show interest. At home, Angie removes the needlework from the frame and finds a pale silk blue embroidered ribbon along with receipt from the London Foundling Hospital dated October 26, 1757 for a child baptized Charles. Angie wants to learn more about the coat of arms and the child, but she is unsuccessful at the Maine Historical Society. She has lunch with Clem Walker, friend and television reporter, who suggests doing a human interest feature and appeal to the public for information. Instead of receiving helpful material, both ladies receive death threats. Soon Clem is found shot dead in car in Haven Harbor and Angie’s car goes boom injuring someone close to her. Angie goes into hiding, but she this does not deter her from investigating. Can she identify the culprit before he finds her?Thread Herrings can be read alone if you have not indulged in any of the previous novels in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie goes to her first auction and her friend, Sarah kindly explains auction protocol. Since I have not been to an auction, I found it interesting. I had no idea there was a buyer’s premium added to the hammer price (winning bid). I could tell the author did her research on the London Foundling Hospital, land patents or grants, the billet or receipt for the child and mementoes parents left behind as identifiers (to later claim the child). Lea Wait incorporated the information in a way that made it easy to understand. Ruth Hopkins helps Angie with genealogy research, but we see very little of the other Mainely Needlepoint group. Patrick West is in town and Angie hides out in his finely appointed carriage house. Personally, I am not a fan of Patrick and I keep hoping they will break up. Patrick comes across as superficial (especially when he was discussing the yacht that could only sleep eight). Angie needs a partner with more depth and who is interested in sleuthing. The mystery plays out with clues interspersed up to the reveal. Angie must solve the mystery via phone since she is unable to go out in public which is a unique way of investigating the crime. Readers are unable to play along and solve this whodunit. I could have done without the frequent (I stopped counting after six) mentions of Angie’s gun (a Glock). Angie does manage to indulge in cooking, dining out friends (before the death threats), drinking fine wine, playing with Trixi (her kitten), watch movies, handle business details and check in with Gram. As the action heats up in Thread Herrings, you will find yourself riveted. You cannot help but keep reading to discover how the story plays out.

[diana.hauser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

THREAD HERRINGS by Lea Wait is a Mainely Needlepoint Mystery. It is the 7th title in this very clever ‘cozy mystery’ series.I don’t always have a ‘cozy’ relationship with cozy mysteries. I have liked some series and loathed others. But I do like this particular one. (Maybe because I live in Maine and Leah Wait also lives in Maine.) The titles are extremely clever - TWISTED THREADS, THREADS OF EVIDENCE, THREAD AND GONE, DANGLING BY A THREAD, TIGHTENING THE THREADS, THREAD THE HALLS and the current THREAD HERRINGS. The locale is coastal Maine and Ms. Wait has captured the sense of place very well. The characters are pretty believable and while the plots can be a bit thin, they, too, are believable. I like the embroidery and needlepoint themes throughout the books. Each chapter gives an example of a historical piece of needlework. I also like the references to real towns and cities, highways and restaurants, local history and customs. Angie Curtis and her friend Sarah are attending an auction and Angie bids on a tattered piece of embroidery that catches her attention. It is a coat of arms. Her interest leads to many questions - Can it be restored? Who did it belong to? Where is it from originally? What is the mysterious piece of paper and ribbon hidden in the frame?Angie’s sleuthing leads her to the Maine Historical Society in Portland and a Foundling Hospital in London. But why would someone be stalking her and her friends, trying to retrieve this piece of embroidery?Leah Wait is known for her excellent historical fiction (set in Maine) for elementary and middle school students. She also writes for adults.

[laurasreading · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What do you do when you live in a tourist area during a blustery cold off season?You might be surprised. There seems to be quite a bit of activity around Haven Harbor, Maine.For those who run shops based on collectibles and antiques, the off season is a time for education, research and adding inventory. Angie Curtis is still figuring out her life and one new experience is attending an auction. If you have never been to one, this is an education in the language and rules. Why do people bid on other people's cast offs? There are as many reasons as there are for why people commit murder. Angie feels something for an old, abused piece of needlework, an embroidered coat of arms.When she takes it home and takes it apart, she discovers a mystery. She asks friends for help discovering the meaning of a ribbon hidden behind the embroidery, which sets off an unexpected chain of events. It also causes the death of a high school friend, turned news reporter.Full of interesting historical information, this book helps us understand more of Angie's character.Danger comes to Haven Harbor. Can her circle of friends keep Angie safe?Cozy mysteries are always full of interesting trivia. This one takes it up a notch.

[cathyskye · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've enjoyed Lea Wait's Mainely Needlepoint cozy series from the beginning. I've painlessly learned a lot about Maine through these books-- from its fascinating history to its landscape and weather to the customs of present-day Mainers. And I am happy to announce, Thread Herrings is the best of the series so far. I loved the reminder of how much fun attending auctions can be, and I can imagine many other readers being tempted to attend their first one from Wait's description of Angie's experience at the beginning of the book. But the one thing that takes center stage in Thread Herrings is the mystery. Angie's friend is shot to death on her way to meet Angie at a local restaurant. From strangers asking locals where she lives to death threats by email and other means, it's clear to see that Angie's life is well and truly in danger and Wait skillfully ratchets up the suspense (and the need to read faster to make sure Angie doesn't come to harm).And guess what? Wait doesn't create this palpable tension by having Angie do something stupid! I can't tell you how refreshing that is. Angie gets a bad case of cabin fever, but when the local and state police tell her to stay put and stay inside, she does it-- and the book is still scary and suspenseful. (There are authors who need to make note of this because I'm not the only reader who can't stand characters who are TSTL-- Too Stupid To Live.)The reveal at the end of Thread Herrings is a satisfying one, and now I have to settle down and wait for the next installment. It can't come fast enough for me.

[joannefm2 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When Angie Curtis attends an auction with her best friend Sarah Byrne, she doesn't expect to find anything in particular. But on an impulse she purchases an old needlework embroidery of a coat and arms. Even though Sarah tells her it isn't worth much, Angie decides she likes it and takes it home. When she removes the frame she finds what turns out to be a piece of ribbon that identifies a child from a foundling hospital. When she investigates further she discovers that it originated in England.She decides to do a little more digging but the historical society is unable to help; running into her friend Clem Walker - a reporter for a television station - yields at least some sort of answer. Clem puts her on the air to talk about her find but the response they receive isn't one they're waiting for. Death threats ensue, and while Angie is shaken, she thinks at first it must be a crank. But when she's supposed to meet Clem for lunch and the woman doesn't show up, it's not long after that she's found dead in her car, with an embroidery needle in her neck, leaving the threat to Angie's life taken seriously.But when another tragedy strikes it's apparent to everyone that Angie's life is in danger, so she's convinced to hide out until the killer is found, having no contact with her friends or family unless by phone. But it's not long before she starts to feel caged; and since she has nothing but time on her hands, she slowly starts to put the pieces together of who wants her dead. But the why eludes her, and unless she can convince a killer to confess, someone just could get away with murder...I can't tell you how thoroughly I enjoyed this book. We get to see how Angie reacts when she's not only faced with a life-or-death situation, trying to figure out why someone would kill for a badly kept piece of embroidery. She's used to being independent and for the first time must actually do what the police say and keep out of sight, even if it is in a beautiful place with Patrick.Most of the "action" actually takes place through telephone calls which makes it a little unique in the fact that the protagonist didn't go out and stumble across clues. They were given through conversations (and a little bit of Internet research), which I thought was quite interesting.When Angie finally puts everything together she has a difficult time convincing people to believe her, but I think that only made the book more plausible and it showed that the author is able to convey a story without putting the main character through a bunch of false steps before figuring out the truth.I liked the fact that for those of us who have never been to an auction (nor probably will ever have a true desire to do so) the steps leading to the auction itself were explained, as I didn't realize that there was an 'order' that must be done (although I did know that one can't just go in, sit down and raise a paddle to bid).When the ending comes and we ourselves learn the truth, it is a tale as old as time, but a sad one nonetheless, and shows us to what extent some will go to in order get what they want. As the seventh book in the series, it is just as good as the previous ones, and Ms. Wait is indeed able to craft a story that keeps you reading throughout, wanting to know where the tale will lead. I look forward to the next in the series. Recommended.