Violet Ashford has found her perfect rhythm in Cornfield Crossing, where she runs The Velvet Needle, a cozy fabric and quilting shop that serves as the heartbeat of the small Midwestern town. As October arrives and the annual Scarecrow Festival transforms Main Street into an autumn wonderland, Violet looks forward to hayrides through covered bridges, whimsical scarecrow displays, and the highly anticipated Scarecrow Ball at the historic Thornhill Barn. But when Cassandra Thornhill, the sharp-tongued Festival Committee president and owner of Thornhill Orchards, is found dead in her corn maze the morning after the ball, the celebration turns into chaos. With her golden retriever Buttons by her side and her talent for seeing patterns in both fabric and human behavior, Violet finds herself drawn into a murder investigation that will test everything she thought she knew about her friends and neighbors.
The Scarecrow Ball had been a disaster even before it ended in murder. Cassandra spent the evening systematically destroying relationships, publicly humiliating longtime volunteers, threatening to expose secrets, and making enemies of nearly everyone in attendance. Now Deputy Police Chief Michael Reeves has a town full of suspects, each with compelling motive and murky alibis, and he turns to Violet for help. As The Velvet Needle becomes an unofficial investigation headquarters, Violet pieces together a puzzle involving family betrayal, decades-old resentments, financial desperation, and carefully guarded secrets. Between serving customers and hosting her weekly quilting circle, she listens to confessions, observes contradictions, and slowly unravels a mystery where the killer planned every detail with the same meticulous care Violet brings to her quilts.
As autumn leaves fall and suspicion spreads through Cornfield Crossing like morning fog, Violet must navigate the complicated truth that people are capable of both extraordinary kindness and terrible cruelty, sometimes simultaneously. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who love small-town charm, witty dialogue, and an amateur sleuth who solves crimes one careful observation at a time, Scarecrows and Suspects is a delightful fall read that proves the most intricate patterns often hide in plain sight, and sometimes the quietest voices carry the darkest secrets.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
The Scarecrow Ball had been a disaster even before it ended in murder. Cassandra spent the evening systematically destroying relationships, publicly humiliating longtime volunteers, threatening to expose secrets, and making enemies of nearly everyone in attendance. Now Deputy Police Chief Michael Reeves has a town full of suspects, each with compelling motive and murky alibis, and he turns to Violet for help. As The Velvet Needle becomes an unofficial investigation headquarters, Violet pieces together a puzzle involving family betrayal, decades-old resentments, financial desperation, and carefully guarded secrets. Between serving customers and hosting her weekly quilting circle, she listens to confessions, observes contradictions, and slowly unravels a mystery where the killer planned every detail with the same meticulous care Violet brings to her quilts.
As autumn leaves fall and suspicion spreads through Cornfield Crossing like morning fog, Violet must navigate the complicated truth that people are capable of both extraordinary kindness and terrible cruelty, sometimes simultaneously. Perfect for fans of cozy mysteries who love small-town charm, witty dialogue, and an amateur sleuth who solves crimes one careful observation at a time, Scarecrows and Suspects is a delightful fall read that proves the most intricate patterns often hide in plain sight, and sometimes the quietest voices carry the darkest secrets.
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Used availability for Maisy Marple's Scarecrows and Suspects