I was lucky enough to receive and advance copy of "Knot in My Backyard" from Kensington Books in exchange for an honest review BUT I was already a big fan after Mary's wonderful first book "Forget Me Knot." So what's Mary Marks' new book about?
Baseball may be America's official pastime, but for Martha Rose and her friends, quilting is far more fun...and a lot less dangerous.
A diamond brocade pattern is more quilter Martha Rose's style than a baseball diamond--especially when it comes to the new eyesore of a stadium ruining her lovely San Fernando Valley neighborhood. Martha doesn't know a bunt from a bundt cake, but when she stumbles upon the battered body of baseball coach Dax Martin, she doesn't need a scorecard to know it's foul play. LAPD homicide detective Arlo Beavers is convinced one of her neighbors is responsible. But Martha and her fellow quilters Lucy and Birdie soon discover a whole field of suspects who might have wanted to take the coach out of the game permanently...
When Martha Rose stumbles across a dead body while on a walk one day as part of her latest weight loss plan, she stets off a chain of events that involves a group of homeless people, a motorcycle gang, and a giant of a man she refers to as a golem. Martha is a middle-aged, down to earth character who is thrust into several situations her conscience can't let her back out of and she is determined to discover who killed the baseball coach - in spite of the advice of her boyfriend Arlo Beavers. While she doesn't always make the safest decisions, Martha pokes her nose into a few dangerous situations and is lucky there is always someone there to save her.
Not being Jewish, I found I did stumble over some of the words Ms. Marks uses, but the charm and "homey" sense of the novel made it work and answered any questions I may have had. "Knot in My Backyard" neatly answers the question of who killed Dax Martin, but it also leaves us with a graceful lead in to Ms. Marks' next book to find out what will happen next in Martha Rose's romantic life.
You can find "Knot in My Backyard" on Amazon. Simply click on the book title!
Baseball may be America's official pastime, but for Martha Rose and her friends, quilting is far more fun...and a lot less dangerous.
A diamond brocade pattern is more quilter Martha Rose's style than a baseball diamond--especially when it comes to the new eyesore of a stadium ruining her lovely San Fernando Valley neighborhood. Martha doesn't know a bunt from a bundt cake, but when she stumbles upon the battered body of baseball coach Dax Martin, she doesn't need a scorecard to know it's foul play. LAPD homicide detective Arlo Beavers is convinced one of her neighbors is responsible. But Martha and her fellow quilters Lucy and Birdie soon discover a whole field of suspects who might have wanted to take the coach out of the game permanently...
When Martha Rose stumbles across a dead body while on a walk one day as part of her latest weight loss plan, she stets off a chain of events that involves a group of homeless people, a motorcycle gang, and a giant of a man she refers to as a golem. Martha is a middle-aged, down to earth character who is thrust into several situations her conscience can't let her back out of and she is determined to discover who killed the baseball coach - in spite of the advice of her boyfriend Arlo Beavers. While she doesn't always make the safest decisions, Martha pokes her nose into a few dangerous situations and is lucky there is always someone there to save her.
Not being Jewish, I found I did stumble over some of the words Ms. Marks uses, but the charm and "homey" sense of the novel made it work and answered any questions I may have had. "Knot in My Backyard" neatly answers the question of who killed Dax Martin, but it also leaves us with a graceful lead in to Ms. Marks' next book to find out what will happen next in Martha Rose's romantic life.
You can find "Knot in My Backyard" on Amazon. Simply click on the book title!
Find more books by Mary Marks here.
