The Devil's Puzzle by Clare O'Donohue

The Devil's Puzzle: A Someday Quilts Mystery (Someday Quilts Mysteries)

Plume

Published by The Penguin Group

4th in the series

Available Now

There is a lot going on in Archer's Rest. 

First, Nell and Oliver are planning a huge surprise for Eleanor.  They are going to replant the beautiful rose garden in her backyard and bring it back to the way it was before Grace, the previous owner died. But the surprise turns out to be on them as while digging up the garden they discover the skeleton of a human body. The mystery is started as Nell and her Chief of Police boyfriend, Jesse,  start to gather clues to determine who the deceased was and how he came to be buried in rose garden.

Archer's Rest is also planing a a big anniversary celebration for the town.  There will be a parade, a carnival, a quilt show, and fireworks to mark the 350th year since John Archer had founded the town that bears his name.

Add to that, someone is vandalizing everything from the school to the cemetery, and the rumors are flying around town about ghosts and witches.

As the clues and many secrets are revealed the job of sewing them all together may be too much for Jesse even with Nell's help. Thankfully they have many friends willing to assist them in solving this mystery.

My Thoughts

Visits to Archer's Rest are like a trip to visit friends.  Friends that understand perfectly my overwhelming fabric stash and my vast collection of quilting books and magazines.  

My favorite passage from this book, "We are all joined by needle and thread, by the usefulness and beauty of a quilt, and by the friendships that form because of it."

I love the way Clare writes, she describes the scene, makes her characters shine, threads together a complex plot with so many suspects,  and keeps it all tight and real.  This time there were so many pieces I didn't know how they were all going to come together but she sews everything up with missing a stitch. 

This is the perfect story to cozy up with as the weather turns cooler. Sit back and enjoy as Archer's Rest works together to not only pull off a fine festival but uncovers the real "devil" behind this mystery puzzle.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Plume, A Division of Penguin Publishing. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”