Marcy throws all her energy into her new venture and in no time she is up and running, ready to throw a grand opening party.  The people in her new town seem excited about the shop, her classes for different types of embroidery quickly fill up and the man Sadie has invited to the party to meet Marcy, Todd, who owns the local craft beer business, seems nice enough.  The only downside to the evening is when the former tenant of the shop, Tim Enright, shows up, apparently drunk, insisting he needs to tell Marcy something. 

Marcy neatly avoids Mr. Enright for the evening, but when she and her Irish wolfhound Angus arrive at the Seven Year Stitch the next morning, she finds Mr. Enright dead in the backroom, the words “four square fifth w” scratched in the wall with a tapestry needle.  At first, the police think Mr. Enright may have just been drunk and met an unfortunate accident, but after Marcy’s landlord Mr. Trelawney is also found dead, they start to think the new edition to the town may have brought trouble with her. 

Trying to stay in the town’s good graces, and out of jail, Marcy tries to figure out what Mr. Enright’s curious epitaph meant and learns there had been a development company known as Four Square whose members were accused of, and some convicted, of unethical business practices.  Marcy begins asking questions of the remaining living members of this group trying to figure out what the mysterious inscription meant. 

When she learns her identity has been stolen she has a whole new set of problems on her hands, but a ledger with unusual notations and some less-than standard bookkeeping may be the clue to solving the mystery, and letting Marcy get back on with her new store and some new relationships.  

A fun new edition to the already crowded field of crafty mysteries, The Quick and the Thread stands out with its likeable characters and polished plot.  Marcy does not wallow in her aborted wedding, nor does she shy away from the possibility of a new man, or men, in her life.  Both Todd and Detective Ted Nash show an interest in Marcy and she is willing to keep her options open. Marcy’s mother is a costume designer in the entertainment industry and Marcy often finds herself having “movie moments” quoting (to herself) a scene or line from a movie.  Her shop’s name is a play on the movie The Seven Year Itch and her greeter is a mannequin, dressed as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. 

Because she is so open and likable, Marcy quickly makes friends, notably the librarian Reggie and her husband who is also on the police force.  Sadie and Blake are also always there to lend a hand.  The plot is interesting and terms such as “straw man” are introduced and explained well.  Even though the plot is complicated, it is pretty easy to pick out the who, even though the why takes a little longer to deduce.  A solid start to a new series, readers do not have to be needlework enthusiasts to enjoy this new heroine.                                                  

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry