Thread Herrings is the seventh book in the Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series by Lea Wait. While I have enjoyed reading previous books in the series, and think it gives readers a better understanding of the characters and their relationships, I do think new comers will be able to enjoy the read as well.
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 shot to death 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.
Thread Herrings is a good mystery. I like the characters and the way they interact and offer up little details about themselves in the course of the story. I like how Angie is always looking to do the right thing, and while she does not always put her personal safety first she is starting to take note of how her risks effect those around her. I liked the lay out of clues and how Angie manages to discover so much while trying to lay low and stay safe. The mystery was good, but I have to say that I was expecting one more big twist. I kept waiting for everything to be turned on its head and someone or something to be not what it seemed. I felt like the mystery was solved in Angie's head a little too soon, with very little room for other possibilities to keep the reader guessing.
Thread Herrings is an engaging and entertaining read. I think that those following the series will definitely want to pick this up to continue to series, but this is not the book to capture new readers. It was good, but I wanted something more by the time I reached the end.
