Table of Contents
Pinned for Murder
[Mixes] a suspenseful story with a dash of down-home flavor... Visiting with the charmingly eccentric folks of Sweet Briar is like taking a trip back home.
Fresh Fiction
A relaxing and pleasurable read. Ms. Casey has sewn together a finely crafted cozy mystery series.
Once Upon A Romance
An excellent read for crafters and mystery lovers alike. Elizabeth Casey has a knack for threading together great story lines, likable characters, and surprises in every page. The women in the Southern Sewing Circle are friends we all wish we had. This book was terrific from beginning to end.
The Romance Readers Connection
Death Threads
A light, fun mystery with southern charm and an energetic heroine.
The Mystery Reader
Sew Deadly
Filled with fun, folksy characters and southern charm.
Maggie Sefton,
national bestselling author of Unraveled
Sweet and charming... The bewitching women of the Southern Sewing Circle will win your heart in this debut mystery.
Monica Ferris,
USA Today bestselling author of Buttons and Bones
Berkley Prime Crime titles by Elizabeth Lynn Casey
SEW DEADLY
DEATH THREADS
PINNED FOR MURDER
DEADLY NOTIONS
DANGEROUS ALTERATIONS
For my readers.
Thank you.
Acknowledgments
One of my favorite parts of writing this book was the chance it gave me to reach out and solicit the expertise of some dear friends. Fortunately for me, they didnt blink twice when I showed up in their inboxes asking about things like fire, murder, and sewing projects.
A huge thank-you goes to my Facebook friend Janet Armentani for answering my endless questions about various ways to poison a person.
An equally big thank-you goes to my fellow I-High grad and friend John Garizio. His experience as a firefighter proved priceless. Thanks also to his wife, Suzanne, who heard my cries for help and pointed me in Johns direction.
And last but not least, a special thank-you to my friend Lynn Deardorff, who unknowingly started my mind plotting when she shared a pattern for a pillow with me!
Chapter 1
One by one, Tori Sinclair ran through the order once again...
Rub eyes. Check.
Blink fast. Check.
Pinch hard. Check.
Yet it made no difference. Dixie Dunn was, in fact, smiling.
At her.
The first part was a rare occurrence in and of itself. But the second part? The part about Dixie Dunn smiling at Tori? Well, monumental didnt even come close to doing it justice. Especially since Dixie steadfastly believed her earlier-than-intended retirement was 150 percent Toris fault.
Her. Tori. The one Dixie was smiling at like the proverbial cat whod swallowed the
Tori glanced down at the floor and took note of the carpet beneath her predecessors feet, the absence of yellow feathers more surprising than she would have expected. She met the elderly womans gaze. Youre twenty minutes early.
The womans stout frame rose and fell, the smile never leaving her face. I guess Im just excited. Its been a long time. With a silent clap of her hands, Dixie stepped forward and motioned toward the shelves of books that stood like soldiers in formation. I was up half the night thinking about the kind of changes we can make while Im here.
Changes?
All the libraries are going that way.
She swallowed. All the libraries?
Its meant to breathe life into the place and liven things up a little.
Rub eyes. Check.
Blink fast. Check
Pinch hard. Check.
Once again, Dixie was still there. Only this time the smile was parting to allow foreign gibberish to flow between her pencil-thin lips. Dixie. Dixie Dunn. The same person who had waged a one-woman war against change at the library less than two years earlier.
It was a battle that had ultimately resulted in Dixie being forced to retireand Tori being hiredas head librarian. Hence, the more-than-a-little-unsettling smiles effect on Tori.
Things? Tori repeated. What kind of things?
Dixie nodded, her voice a perfect accompaniment to the unmistakable sparkle in her eye. First, theres the matter of chairs. With a beckoning gesture, Dixie turned on her sensible white pumps and led the way to one of the reading nooks Tori had created shortly after taking the library helm. The high-back armchairs had been found at a consignment shop for a ridiculously low sum, making it easier than expected to replace Dixies wooden chairs.
Theyve already been replaced.
I see that, Dixie mused. But I think we can make them even more inviting.
She stared at the woman, unable to think of a single thing to say.
We want our patrons to feel comfortable here, dont we, Victoria?
Comfortable?
Dixie nodded. Of course. Thats what all the up-and-coming libraries are doing these days, isnt it?
Up-and-coming?
The more homey the better, I say.
H-homey? She knew she sounded like a squawking parrot but she couldnt stop herself. Dixie Dunn wanted to enter the age of progress?
In fact, I think we should talk to the board about opening a little coffee kiosk over there in the corner. Dixie gestured for Tori to follow, and, once again, she did. It wouldnt have to be anything terribly elaborate just
A coffeekiosk?
Again, the woman nodded. Its the wave of the future.
Tori stopped in her tracks, folding her arms in the process. Okay. Enough. Who put you up to this? Periscoping her head from side to side, she strained to make out Margaret Louise Daviss graying hair and plump form in the mystery section. Or her always-stylish twin sister, Leona Elkin, smirking in periodicals. Or even Rose Winters, in her telltale cotton sweater and penny loafers, glaring at Leona from the local history aisle.
Rose.
A quick check of the wall clock put her morning in perspective. If there was a hidden camera lurking for the sole purpose of recording her reaction to the woman formerly known as Dixie Dunn, its location would have to wait.
Look, can we pick this back up later? After Roses appointment? At Dixies nod, Tori turned and made her way over to the information desk in the center of the librarys main room. There are no groups scheduled today, and no story time until tomorrow. So between that and the pool weather were having right now, I imagine things should be fairly quiet while Im gone.
Dixies smile slipped momentarily only to return on the heels of a shrug. Thats okay. Quiet will give me time to make some adjustments.
What kind of adjustments?
The elderly woman pointed at the clock. You better get going. You want to be there when Rose starts her treatment, dont you?
Toris eyes followed the path made by Dixies finger, and she cringed. Okay, youre right. Ive got to go. But, Dixieshe reached down, pulled her purse and tote bag from its spot on the bottom shelf, then straightened to meet the womans eyewhy dont you hold off on any changes until I get back? Itll give us a chance to, um... brainstorm a little first.
