Title: Strands of Fate (Creative Woman Mystery #1)
Author: Linda Kozar
Pages: 251
Year: 2012
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Publisher: Annie’s Fiction
Format: Hardback (also available in eBook)
About the book:
Loosening the strings at the closure
revealed a delicate, old-fashioned locket accented with emeralds and amethysts.
It took almost no pressure to open the piece. A lump formed in Shannon’s throat
as she stared at the picture inside. Now she knew there had been no mistake,
the package was truly meant for her. For the black-and-white photo of the
little girl with curls trailing down to her ears was a baby picture of her own
mother . . . who had vanished without a trace decades ago.
Meet Shannon
McClain – accomplish jewelry maker, loving mother, and recent widow.
Shannon runs her
own custom jewelry business from a workshop next to her home in Scotland. While
she works hard to ensure her teenage children get the attention and guidance
they need, the money from her late husband’s insurance policy is nearly
depleted, and she struggles to make ends meet.
When a mysterious
package arrives from a law firm in the United States, Shannon is shocked to
learn she’s been listed as a beneficiary in the will of Victoria Paisley, a
wealthy stranger who claimed to be her grandmother.
Shannon never
knew her maternal grandmother because her own mother vanished from her life
when she was four years old. Her father wouldn’t discuss her mother’s
disappearance, and Shannon could never understand why.
To claim the
unexpected inheritance, Shannon must travel from her home in Scotland to the
coastal town of Apple Grove, Oregon, and attend the reading of the will. Upon
arrival she finds new friends among the townsfolk, including the women of the
Purls of Hope knitting circle. But she also finds danger. It seems not everyone
in town is happy she’s there. Someone will go to great lengths to try and make
her leave before she can claim her inheritance . . . or unearth a dark family
secret.
Is Shannon
willing to risk her life to finally learn the truth about her family? And can she
trust the handsome investigator who offers his help? Join Shannon and her
friends as they unravel the mystery behind her mother’s disappearance and
discover the identity of the one person who would like nothing more than to see
Shannon disappear as well.
My review:
This is a
delightful cozy mystery!
The development
of the main character Shannon McClain is incredible. I was able to connect with
her from the very beginning. She is surrounded by numerous friends by the end
of the book even though she has picked up and moved from Scotland to Oregon
fairly early in the story. We are introduced to each one and slowly learn more
about them and their lives. I think that this will continue throughout the
series.
The mystery is a
fairly light one. No one has been murdered. No one has been kidnapped. There
are simply questions from the past and a trail of clues that was left
intentionally to find a hidden piece of jewelry. It was very entertaining to
follow Shannon and her friends as they worked to follow the trail and beat the
bad guy to the prize.
The small town of
Apple Grove is a charming setting for these books. I’m really looking forward
to seeing where the series goes since each book is written by a different
author.
Deborah,how sweet! I'm really glad you enjoyed Strands of Fate. I really enjoyed that character and wish I could have written the entire series to develop her further. Oh well! I do write other mysteries though and would live to send you a sneak preview of my next one, "Weighty Matters," when its finished. Again, thank you so much❤️ Linda Kozar
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