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    Thread the Halls
    Thread the Halls
    Thread the Halls
    Audiobook8 hours

    Thread the Halls

    Written by Lea Wait

    Narrated by Christina Delaine

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    This Yuletide season, there's no time for Angie Curtis and Patrick West to linger under the mistletoe. Patrick's being needled by his mother-movie star Skye West-to set the stage for a perfect white Christmas as she brings her costar, screenwriters, and director home for the holidays. With his mother's long list of wishes, Patrick's becoming unraveled. To help, the Mainely Needlepointers offer to decorate Skye's Victorian mansion and create needlepoint pillows as gifts for the guests.

    But not long after the celebrity celebrants invade Haven Harbor, an unscripted tragedy occurs. Then some questionable Christmas cookies make Patrick sick. Before Santa arrives at the town pier on a lobster boat, Angie and the Needlepointers need to trim down the naughty list, catch a cold-hearted killer, and wrap up the case . . .
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateSep 11, 2018
    ISBN9781977385192
    Author

    Lea Wait

    Lea Wait made her mystery debut with Shadows at the Fair, which was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. Shadows on the Ivy, the third novel in her acclaimed series featuring Maggie Summer, is forthcoming in hardcover from Scribner. Lea comes from a long line of antiques dealers, and has owned an antique print business for more than twenty-five years. The single adoptive mother of four Asian girls who are now grown, she lives in Edgecomb, Maine. In addition to the Antique Print mysteries, Lea Wait writes historical fiction for young readers. Her first children's book, Stopping to Home, was named a Notable Book for Children in 2001 by Smithsonian magazine. Visit her website at LeaWait.com.

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    Reviews for Thread the Halls

    4/5

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    • 5/5
      In Thread the Halls, Angie is excited to spend her first Christmas back in Maine after years spent in Arizona. She wants to relive old traditions and make new ones with her boyfriend, Patrick West. Just a few days before Christmas, Patrick announces that his mother (a famous movie actress) and a group of movie people will be arriving for Christmas. Suddenly, Angie’s plans are turned upside down. One of Skye’s guests is killed, Patrick is poisoned, and Skye and the police blame Angie! A surprise ending ties up the mystery nicely so everyone can enjoy Christmas. The story quickl drew me in and I didn’t see the ending coming.
    • 5/5
      Another great book by Ms Wait.
    • 4/5
      I have been following this series since it began and was getting a bit behind. With a new book due out soon, I realized that this Christmas edition of the Mainely Needlepoint series was just what I was looking for, now that I am beginning my Christmas reads.

      Angie and the Mainely Needlepointers are getting set to have a quiet Christmas season when Patrick West, Angie's boyfriend, drops a bombshell and asks for favours. His mother, actress Skye West, has decided to come home to Haven Harbor for a white Christmas. Not only that, but she is bringing home some people she is working with on her recent, troubled movie. He needs help decorating the mansion, making needlepoint gifts for each of the guests as well as inviting them all for Christmas Eve. There go Angie's plans down the drain. She had wanted to have a quiet Christmas with Patrick, but any time with him is a gift after all he has been through so she helps him get everything ready for his mother’s arrival. Skye and her entourage arrive but before they spend one night in Maine, one of them is found dead in the snow. While trying to keep Christmas on track and find the killer, Angie becomes a suspect, not only in the murder, but in poisoning Patrick as well. There is a definite chill in the air and it’s not from the typical Maine winter weather. There is a killer nearby, she just needs to figure out who before it is too late.

      Angie grows more in each story. She is really getting comfortable running the needlepoint business and her own needlepoint skills are improving. Whenever a dead body shows up, she tries to stay out the investigations but she ends up right in the middle anyway. Angie’s relationship with her grandmother is so special and I love when she laments about being an adult and not having her grandmother around to make her hot cocoa or whatever else she needs. Skye and Patrick are rich and used to getting what they want, so they take some getting used to, but they are not rude and malicious. Skye is a mother first, so whenever something happens to Patrick, she goes all mama bear, not always thinking about how she treats others. I am enjoying the relationship of Angie and Patrick, but he needs to think more about her, than his mother. I hope that improves as the series goes forward. I had a niggling in the back of my mind about one of the characters as the story unfolded and I was right in my suspicions. The motive for the murder was the one sticking point so the twist at the end was a great way to wind up this mystery. The story was well paced, with some surprises and that huge twist. Each chapter begins with a tidbit about needlepoint or a bit of a historic sampler, but you do not have to read them if that does not interest you. Another great entry to this series. I recommend it to cozy mystery lovers, especially those who love to learn about the area the story takes place.
    • 5/5
      I was sad when the book was over because I wanted it to continue. A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series is amongst my favourite series and this books is the best one. Characters have been improved, the plot is tight and there is no hole. I was kept guessing til the last page and was not expecting any further twist but I was surprised.
      Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for giving me the chance to read this book
    • 4/5
      Angel has been dating Patrick West so when his Film star mother calls and says that she's coming home for Christmas and needs to have the house decorated and food catered, Angel helps out with her team of needlepointers getting the house ready. On the evening of their arrival, Patrick and she take a walk in the snow and find one of the guests shot to death. Things get even more frighting with snowstorms and near deaths but Angie manages to keep from being plowed under.So much fun and a great read for the holidays.
    • 4/5
      Thread the Halls is the sixth in the cozy mystery series A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery by author Lea Wait but the first one I’ve read. It’s set in Haven Harbor, Maine where Angie Curtis is busy preparing for her first Christmas in the town in ten years. She plans on spending a quiet Christmas with family and friends as well as her boyfriend, Patrick. However, when Patrick announces his movie star mother, Skye is heading to the town with some of the people from the movie she is working on, all her plans for a quiet holiday are thrown out the window. Suddenly, she and her friends are helping Patrick to prepare for the arrival, decorating and needlepointing gifts. And if that isn’t bad enough, the media gets wind of the arrival and a rabid fan is determined that Angie introduce her to Skye. However, almost immediately after the celebrities arrive, one of them is murdered, not that any of the others seem to be upset. Then Patrick is poisoned and Angie finds herself chief suspect. Thread the Halls s a fun fast read. It was pretty easy to spot the culprit but that really didn’t make the story less enjoyable. It is more about the spirit of Christmas and the importance of friends, family, and traditions especially at the holidays. The best part of the book, at least for me, was a paragraph at the beginning of each chapter giving a small history of needlepointing going all the way back, in one case, to Shakespeare. These included quotes from real samplers (some seemingly quite morbid by today’s standards given that many were created by children as young as nine) as well as short biographies of the creators. A well-written cozy just in time for the holidays.Thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review
    • 3/5
      THREAD THE HALLS by Lea Wait is a Mainely Needlepoint Mystery. This is Ms. Wait’s 6th title in her popular ‘cozy mystery’ series involving Angie Curtis, her friends, neighbors and needle working business partners in Haven Harbor, Maine.Angie wants to enjoy a very special, nostalgic Christmas. But Patrick’s mother, Skye West, decides to bring her movie set co-workers to Aurora (her restored home in Haven Harbor). Her requests for decorations, catering, activities and special needlework presents leave everyone frazzled. A Christmas blizzard and the murder of one of her guests complicate everyone’s holiday plans. I like this series. The characters are interesting and realistic. I can imagine knowing these people. The plots are fairly believable (though they lack suspense).I like the cover art and I like each chapter’s beginning with a reference to historic needlework pieces. These references are so poignant.I like the recipes at the end of the book. In THREAD THE HALLS, Bev Clifford’s Tourtiere Pie (French Canadian Pork Pie) is a classic dish reminiscent of Maine’s French Canadian heritage.I like the location and sense of place. This series is extremely, over-the-top all things Maineish. The cultural, historical, and geographical details are interesting and welcome, yet can get a tad bit overdone. In this title, I think all the Maine details overshadowed the characters and the plot. Sky West’s guests, especially, suffered from a lack of character development. And the ending seemed to come out of nowhere and was very unsuspenseful.Cut a piece of tourtiere pie; brew a pot of tea and enjoy this cozy mystery.
    • 3/5
      Thread the Halls by Lea Wait is the sixth book in A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery series. Angie Curtis is looking forward to a quiet Christmas in Haven Harbor, Maine with her family, friends, and boyfriend, Patrick West. Then Patrick gets a call from his mother, Skye West that she is returning for Christmas and bringing some movie people with her. Patrick needs help getting Aurora (their estate) prepped for Christmas in two days (there goes Angie’s quiet Christmas). The Mainely Needlepoint group help Patrick prepare for the holidays including custom embroidered little pillows for Skye’s guests. After the guests arrive, Patrick and Skye are taking a walk when they discover one of the actor’s dead in the snow. Was it an accidentally killing by a hunter or was it deliberate? Then Patrick eats poisoned cookies and Angie is blamed. She is determined to find the culprit and get her Christmas back on track!Thread the Halls is nicely written and has a nice pace which makes it a quick read. The emphasis in Thread the Halls is on Christmas, friendship, food and family. The murder does not occur until the 25% mark in the story. There is little investigation in the book and it is child’s play to solve. There might as well be a giant neon arrow pointing to the culprit. There is a little surprise near the end that some readers might not anticipate. It was interesting to read about various Maine Christmas traditions including the Christmas boat parade (we have a similar one in my area). My rating for Thread the Halls is 3 out of 5 stars. Thread the Halls can be a standalone book. All the pertinent details are included in this installment. I was not a fan of Patrick West (or his mother) in this book. He assumed his money would get him everything he wanted done (which is mentioned several times). I did tire of the repetition of information. The same details are repeated throughout the book. I would have preferred more substance and less fluff. If you are looking for a cozy mystery that is big on Christmas spirit, then check out Thread the Halls.
    • 5/5
      **SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD**Moving back home to Haven Harbor, Maine after ten years away, Angie Curtis is getting ready to celebrate her first Christmas with her friends and family. While having a tree decorating party at her home with everyone, her new beau Patrick West, son of famous actress Skye West, asks everyone's help in decorating his mother's mansion - Aurora - for the holidays. It seems he just received a phone call from her where she's filming in Scotland, and she wants her costars, screenwriters and director to experience a 'real Maine Christmas.' But with Christmas only days away, how can they get ready in time?Everyone already has plans of their own, but with the offer to pay well and the fact they like Patrick, they agree. Everyone in the Mainely Needlepointers has agreed to make small gifts for the guests, and others have offered what they can - knowing the extra money wouldn't hurt. They've even convinced a local widow to become a live-in cook at Aurora during the visit. It's not going to be easy, but Angie, with some trepidation and the help of her friends and family, thinks it can be done in time; although it means changing some of her own holiday plans.Once everything has been done and the guests have arrived, Patrick asks Angie to come and meet everyone. But before they enter the home, they decide to take a walk around the estate to look at the stars in the clear night sky. On their way back, Angie sees something in the snow, and even though Patrick tells her it's probably nothing, her curiosity - and the fact that she worked for a private eye in Arizona for ten years and has a natural instinct - tells her to look closer. She discovers that it's a body, and calls in the local police.The dead man turns out to be one of the actors from the movie, but no one seems to remember him going outside or seems to have any reason to kill him. Yet he's dead, so someone must have had a motive. They soon realize that the murderer had to be someone from the house party, but who? They were nearing the end of the film, and why would they jeopardize all their jobs for murder?Angie tries to stay out of the investigation as she has other things to worry about. A storm is heading their way, everyone has been invited to the Christmas Eve party at Aurora, and there's an annoying potential customer from Texas who's enthralled with Skye and keeps showing up at Angie's unannounced peppering her with questions and trying to get her to introduce her to Skye. When it becomes apparent the killer has another target in mind, Angie begins to wonder if her life is going to crumble like Christmas cookies before she's able to wrap up a murder...I love reading about Angie and her friends. Although I do have reservations about the newest addition to her circle - Clem - who showed early on (no spoiler here since it's almost immediate) that she's not much of a friend at all. Angie's grandmother Charlotte is settling into her new life as the wife of Reverend Tom, Angie and Patrick are well on their way to becoming a couple, and reading about the local trimmings - home grown trees, handmade wreaths, food, etc., is a nice way to bring you into the Season.The mystery itself is done well. We're drawn into the story early on, and looking for clues along with Angie into who would want Paul dead. Even Angie herself is considered the main suspect at one point. The mystery is interspersed with the sights and sounds of Christmas, including an old-fashioned (sort of) sleigh ride, a parade, and the arrival of Santa Claus by boat. It's a delightful way to investigate a murder.All that aside, there is enough action to keep one interested, a few red herrings and people of questionable behavior, and a tight little mystery to solve. The characters are convincing, with a sweeping descriptions of Haven Harbor and what it must look like during Christmas. We are brought into the town as if we were there, a place that would be wonderful to visit. All in all, it's a pleasant way to spend an evening.When we come to the end and the murder is solved (as we know it must be) it is satisfying and yet a bit sad. There is also a bit of a surprise attached to it, and given the circumstances, I don't think anyone would know how they might react in the same situation. This is the sixth book in the Mainely Needlepoint Mysteries, but can be read as a stand alone. If you choose to go back to the beginning, the first book is titled Twisted Threads. I look forward to the next in the series. Highly recommended.
    • 5/5
      Lea Wait brings readers a wonderful Maine Christmas in this sixth book in her Mainely Needlepoint series, which has been one of my favorites from the very first book. Since Angie worked for a private investigator for ten years while living in Phoenix, she has the background to make her one of the strongest amateur sleuths you'll find. She shares all her findings with the local police, and she doesn't do anything stupid-- both things that I really appreciate.There hasn't been much needlepoint being done in the last few books, but that's not really a problem. Wait begins each chapter with a quote from an historic sampler, and those quotes can tell readers quite a bit about the embroiderers and the times they lived in. (People really can live on through their stitching.)The mystery is a good one with a large suspect pool, and the motive for the crimes isn't easily deduced. I had my eye on one suspect in particular, and I enjoyed watching the mystery unfold. What I didn't enjoy were Skye West and her son.A week before Christmas, and this woman decides that she wants her large Victorian mansion lavishly decorated, a never-ending gourmet food supply on hand, and needlepoint gifts stitched for each of her guests. Everyone in town is supposed to drop what they're doing and dance to her tune because-- after all-- she does pay well for what she wants. (Her son behaves the same way.) I won't tell you what my response would have been, but you can tell that I felt like a put-upon member of the Mainely Needlepoint family.Chances are excellent that you will, too. A wonderful Maine setting, strong mysteries, and an excellent cast of characters. Come join the family. I promise I won't make you learn needlepoint!