ARC Review: Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey

Seams Deadly
Author: Maggie Bailey
Series: A Measure Twice Sewing Mystery (Book 1)
Publication: Crooked Lane Books (September 5, 2023)

Description: When sewist Lydia Barnes finds a dead body soon after moving to a new town, she will need more than shear luck to find the killer, in this novel perfect for fans of Molly MacRae and Anna Gerard.

Lydia Barnes is excited for a fresh start when she moves to the quaint mountain town of Peridot, Georgia. Her friend, Fran, offers her a job at the Measure Twice fabric store and even sets her up on a date with the handsome Brandon Ivey, who also happens to be Lydia’s new next-door neighbor. Finally, things are looking up. But after a disaster first date that ends with a fist bump instead of a kiss, Lydia doesn’t think her night can get any worse. She’s soon proven wrong when she later stumbles upon Brandon’s dead body.

Considered the prime suspect by the police, Lydia calls on her friends to help her hunt for the truth and prove her innocence. But when another body is soon found inside the Measure Twice store, Lydia knows that the killer must be close by, and that this town has more than its fair share of secrets. Who would want to frame the newest addition to Peridot for these terrible murders—and why?

Lydia may discover that while sewing might have a pattern, killing rarely does. Will she be able to stitch together the clues and clear her own name before the killer strikes again?

My Thoughts: SEAMS DEADLY begins a new cozy series set in a small town in northern Georgia. Lydia Barnes has fled there after catching her husband in bed with her teaching assistant. She had visited before and enjoyed stopping in at Measure Twice, a quilting store. Now she's been offered a job there and she also rents the upstairs apartment. 

When she is coerced into a date with Brandon, a younger man who works in the local bookstore, by her boss, she reluctantly agrees even though she knows she isn't over her cheating husband. The date is a failure since he's determined to talk only about his Great American Novel. After he walks her home and she walks her dog Charlie, she decides to drop off some brownies and discovers him dead at his desk. He was stabbed with a pair of sheers from Measure Twice. 

The local police think she killed Brandon which has the effect of making her dissolve into tears and suffer from shock. She's so new in town that she can't think of anyone else who might be a suspect. However, a few conversations indicate that Brandon did have some enemies who are unfortunately all alibied. 

When another murder occurs in the classroom of Measure Twice, Lydia is again the prime suspect. She needs to find the real killer in order to keep her place in this small town that really feels like home to her. 

There were lots of things I liked about this story. I liked that Lydia rescues a cat named Baby Lobster from the local shelter. Baby Lobster has quite an interesting personality. I also liked the setting of the story. The main thing I didn't like about the story was the main character. She seems totally self-absorbed and very prone to break into tears all the time or go off daydreaming at the most inappropriate times. She was a really unlikeable character for me. 

I'm not sure if I will continue with this series because I really didn't like the main character or most of the other characters. I don't think an interesting setting will be enough motivation for me to read more. 

Favorite Quote:

She didn't do fancy hair or fancy makeup, she made her own dresses, and too often she forgot to use the lint roller to remove the dog hair.

At least tonight, she'd remembered to do that, though her rescue dog, Charlie, had watched her with a slightly offended look, as though his hair all over her clothes was a good look and she was just being absurd.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.