The Double Cross: A Someday Quilts Mystery

Quilt instructor Susanne Hendrick leaves Archers Rest, N.Y., for the Adirondack town of Winston to teach at the Patchwork Bed-and-Breakfast in O'Donohue's busy third Someday Quilts mystery (after 2009's A Drunkard's Path). Accompanying Susanne is crafty sleuth Nell Fitzgerald; Nell's quilt-shop owner grandmother, Eleanor Cassidy; Nell's trusty dog, Barney; and Bernadette "Bernie" Avallone, the onetime high school sweetheart of Patchwork's owner, George Olnhausen. Bernie has never forgiven George's wife, Rita, once her best friend, for marrying George. When George is found shot dead, covered by Bernie's "double cross" quilt, she becomes the prime suspect. Nell is relieved when her boyfriend, Archers Rest's police chief Jesse Dewalt, helps Winston police chief Jim McIntyre investigate. Barney sniffs out another corpse in the woods, adding more fun to a puzzler somewhat marred by an unconvincing subplot involving twins taking Susanne's quilting class. 6-city author tour. (Sept.)