Weave of Absence
Series: A Weaving Mystery Book #3
Author: Carol Ann Martin
Publisher: Obsidian (Penguin)
Page Count: 336
My Rating:
Book Summary
It’s a joyous time at Dream Weaver—Della Wright’s studio in small-town Briar Hollow, North Carolina—as part-time employee and full-time friend Marnie Potter is preparing for her upcoming marriage. Della has enlisted a tight-knit group of close friends to handweave a beautiful collection of fine household linens as a wedding gift for the happy couple.
But when Della notices Marnie’s suave fiancé engaged in a heated argument with one of her students at the engagement party, she starts to worry that there may be something wrong with Marnie’s Mr. Right. After the student turns up dead the next day, Della must weave together the clues to find the killer—before Marnie agrees to “’til death do us part.”
More Facts for Readers about our Sleuth:
Main Sleuth: Della Wright (age 35)
Business: Weaving Shop owner (Dream Weaver)
Pet: Winston, a French bulldog
Best-Friend(s): Jenny (age 35?), and Matthew (age 37)
Love Interest: Matthew, a criminology author
Family: Mother, long distance
Location: small town called Briar Hollow, North Carolina
Time of year: April
Any Cussing? Yes, very few and in context.
My Review
A great third addition to the Weaving Mystery series by Carol Ann Martin, ‘Weave of Absence’ once more brings us into the antics of weaving shop owner and main sleuth Della Wright. When Marnie, her top weaver, is suddenly engaged to a mystery man Della has to know more. And when he shows up to the surprise engagement party planned for Marnie – and seems to anger several women in attendance, he’s looking more like a culprit than a groom. It’s no surprise that when some of those same women starting turning up dead that he’s at the top of Della’s suspect list…
I’m having a genuinely great time reading this series. This is the third book and knowing that there’s only one more is pretty disappointing. What I love is the balance that Carol Ann Martin gives us as she’s unveiling the plot. We’re not too focused on the weaving business, the love interest, or the mystery itself – instead we get a truly well balanced blend of all three. No part of the story stagnates, and we always have something new to explore, or a new angle to consider. Our minds are racing to the finish line along with Della.
This is a series I like to keep reading straight through non-stop- it’s easy to just read one more page, or one more chapter because it’s that enticing. I’d say the only negative about this series is when there are moments that the characters are a little too abrasive and mean-spirited with their comments about one another. These moments of harshness are usually brief and not a main focus, but they jumped out at me while I was reading. A minor fault that doesn’t diminish my enjoyment.
