Elizabeth Lynn Casey - Southern Sewing Circle 08 - Remnants of Murder
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Authors: Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Tags: #Mystery: Cozy - Librarian - Sewing - South Carolina
| Elizabeth Lynn Casey - Southern Sewing Circle 08 - Remnants of Murder | |
| Number VIII of Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries | |
| Elizabeth Lynn Casey | |
| Berkley (2013) | |
| Tags: | Mystery: Cozy - Librarian - Sewing - South Carolina Mystery: Cozy - Librarian - Sewing - South Carolinattt |
Less than a week after Dixie starts, her client, Clyde Montgomery, is found dead. The police think he died of old age, but with most of the town badgering Clyde to sell his picturesque land, his passing seems a little too convenient.
Determined to prove that Clyde was murdered, Dixie asks Tori for some sleuthing assistance. But with so many Sweet Briar residents in possession of a compelling motive, the sewing circle ladies will have to needle out the truth to find the killer.
Praise for the
Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries
Reap What You Sew
“There are plenty of suspects, both on the set and off, and there are plenty of red herrings to keep readers guessing until the end … The Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries are full of down-home fun and charm and a group of ladies readers will look forward to visiting with again and again.”
—
The Mystery Reader
“Tori is fun, sassy, smart, and crafty in more ways than one. I loved her wit, humor, and the small-town girl feel I got from her … I like feeling the connection to the characters, like they are old friends coming into my home for the night to sew and solve mysteries together.”
—
Two Lips Reviews
Dangerous Alterations
“I always look forward to seeing what disaster of the criminal vein befalls Tori and the sewing circle. And why not? This series has its own brand of charm, intrigue, and unique characters.”
—
Once Upon a Romance
“Elizabeth Lynn Casey keeps her readers entertained with
Dangerous Alterations
through her wonderful storytelling skills that feature light humor, gentle romance, and always an intriguing, suspenseful mystery to be solved. What more could you ask for in a cozy mystery?”
—
Fresh Fiction
Deadly Notions
“I always enjoy visiting Tori and her friends in Sweet Briar. They are their own band of sisters who squabble and pick at each other yet will drop most anything to lend a hand.”
—
Once Upon a Romance
“A perfect addition to the Southern Sewing Circle series. With strong personalities vibrating off each page, the twists and turns of the story line, and the exceptionally exciting ending, this one will please them all!”
—
The Romance Readers Connection
Pinned for Murder
“[Mixes] a suspenseful story with a dash of down-home flavor … Visiting with the charmingly eccentric folks of Sweet Briar is like taking a trip back home.”
—
Fresh Fiction
“A relaxing and pleasurable read. Ms. Casey has sewn together a finely crafted cozy mystery series.”
—
Once Upon a Romance
“An excellent read for crafters and mystery lovers alike. Elizabeth Casey has a knack for threading together great story lines, likable characters, and surprises in every page. The women in the Southern Sewing Circle are friends we all wish we had. This book was terrific from beginning to end.”
—
The Romance Readers Connection
Death Threads
“A light, fun mystery with southern charm and an energetic heroine.”
—
The Mystery Reader
Sew Deadly
“Filled with fun, folksy characters and southern charm.”
—Maggie Sefton, national bestselling author
“Sweet and charming … The bewitching women of the Southern Sewing Circle will win your heart in this debut mystery.”
—Monica Ferris,
USA Today
bestselling author
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
SEW DEADLY
DEATH THREADS
PINNED FOR MURDER
DEADLY NOTIONS
DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS
REAP WHAT YOU SEW
LET IT SEW
REMNANTS OF MURDER
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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REMNANTS OF MURDER
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author
Copyright © 2013 by Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group.
BERKLEY
®
PRIME CRIME and the PRIME CRIME logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
ISBN: 978-1-10162472-2
PUBLISHING HISTORY
Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / August 2013
Cover illustration by Mary Ann Lasher.
Cover design by Judith Lagerman.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
For Jim.
I love to borrow your brain over hot chocolate and a treat …
Acknowledgments
As always, writing is a very solitary profession. I spend large amounts of my time huddled over my keyboard, giving life to my Sweet Briar friends. Fortunately, I’m always surrounded by special people willing to share their expertise.
With that in mind, I’d like to take a moment to offer some heartfelt gratitude to a few of those special people …
Luci Zahray, thank you for answering my many poisonous questions as I began the writing of this book.
A special thank-you to Nancy M. Webster, my Facebook friend, for sharing her wonderful placemat pattern with all of us.
A huge thank-you to my cover artist, Mary Ann Lasher. Each and every cover she’s drawn in this series has been spot-on, but I truly believe she’s outdone herself with this book.
I’d also like to thank my editor, Michelle Vega, who has proven that change can work beautifully.
And finally, I have to thank
you
, my fans, for loving the ladies of Sweet Briar as much as I do. You are wonderful!
Contents
Praise for the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries
Chapter 1
Tori Sinclair heard the voice droning on in her ear,
bits and pieces of the man’s words mingling intermittently with the more enviable conversation taking place on the other side of the office between her fresh-off-maternity-leave assistant, Nina Morgan, and her predecessor-turned-nemesis-turned-trusty-right-hand, Dixie Dunn.
On any other day, or at any other moment, such a sight would have had her smiling and champing at the bit for a chance to chime in on her all-time favorite subject. But it wasn’t any other day. And it wasn’t any other moment.
“I’m sure you can appreciate our position on this, Victoria. Times are tough. Funding is being cut all across the country. This isn’t personal.”
The head librarian part of her knew Winston Hohlbrook was right. The board president had proven himself to be an advocate for Tori and the library since her first day on the job.
But the part of her that had gotten to know Dixie better during Nina’s absence couldn’t help but feel the knot of dread that had taken up residence in her stomach the moment Winston had gotten to the point of his early morning phone call.
“It’s a logical move. You and Nina have always handled things fine on your own and you’ll do so again.” Winston cleared his throat and continued, the conviction in his voice doing little to soften the impact of his words. “Now don’t get me wrong, Victoria. The board and I have greatly appreciated Dixie’s willingness to pinch-hit from time to time over the past nine months. But she’s—”