Knot Ready for Murder (A Quilting Mystery #9) by Mary Marks
Cozy Mystery
Published July 27, 2021 by‎ Kensington
Mass Market Paperback ‏ : ‎ 320 pages

About the Book: Before quilter Martha Rose can tie the knot to Crusher, she has to track down his missing first wife…

One loose thread threatens to unravel Martha’s wedding plans: the groom-to-be married a pregnant teen to save her from scandal thirty years ago–and the marriage was never annulled. Now Crusher’s wife Hadas is coming to LA, along with his sister Fanya. But soon after she arrives, their houseguest goes missing, with her room ransacked and a chloroform-soaked cloth left behind. Could her apparent abduction be connected to her brother’s unsolved death from a hit-and-run six months ago? Martha and her quilting cohorts must find the pattern to solve the twin mysteries and determine if Crusher is still married–or now a widower…

4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the ninth book in A Quilting Mystery series by Mary Marks and I am still enjoying the mysteries, as well as everything Martha Rose and her family and friends get up to. I do recommend that you read these books in order as there is so much character and series development that add to the enjoyment and help you sort out all that is happening. In this book Martha has finally agreed to marry Yossi, but her happiness is short lived. Yossi tells her that a marriage over thirty years ago was not annulled as he was led to believe. Not only that, but his sister and “wife” are on their way to LA. When Hadas and Fanya arrive, the trouble begins. Hadas is kidnapped, Martha’s house is trashed and she and Yossi are suspects. Once again, Martha and her sister Gisele are joined by Fanya to find out what happened to Hadas. If they can’t find her, Yossi will never get his divorce.

This was a different mystery from many other cozies I have read. Martha, Gisele and Fanya have to find out who is after Hadas and why. They figure out that it ties in with the death of her brother in New York a year ago, but there is so much to piece together. I really enjoyed the investigation and how the ladies pieced things together. Martha is a smart cookie, she is also stubborn, courageous, caring and creative. I really identify with Martha, a 50 something, full figured woman, who has fibromyalgia and recognizes her limitations. Fanya was a great addition to the story, with her skills in krav maga and all her various superstitions. Yossi is not around much in this one, as he is working undercover, but he pops in and out. On the personal side, there is some quilting, with some knowledge shared in the story, and planning of the wedding with her quilting friends. There is also something brewing with Uncle Isaak. As always, Martha’s Jewish Faith plays a role with her weekly Sabbath dinners and other customs. The mystery had Martha in some sticky and humorous situations, but never in danger. There were some red herrings along the way and a couple of twists, but I did figure out the killer this time. It didn’t detract from my enjoyment of this story at all, and the wrap up was well done tying up any loose ends. I definitely recommend this book and series to cozy mystery lovers. The publisher provided a copy of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own.

Purchase Links – Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Google Play – IndieBound

About the Author: Born and raised in Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area, Mary Marks earned a B.A. in Anthropology from UCLA and an M.A. in Public Administration from the American Jewish University in Los Angeles. In 2004 she enrolled in the UCLA Extension Writers Program. Her first novel, Forget Me Knot, was a finalist in a national writing competition in 2011. She is currently a reviewer of cozy mysteries for The New York Journal of Books at www.nyjournalofbooks.com.

Author Links

Kensington: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496720511/knot-of-this-world/

Website:  https://marymarksmysteries.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mmarks2013