This was such a fun little surprise! Seams Deadly is your classic cozy mystery, think quirky characters, a charming small-town setting, and a murder that interrupts the hum of everyday life but with a fresh voice and a good dose of sass.

The story follows Lydia Barnes, a former big-city lawyer who leaves it all behind to take over her late great-aunt’s sewing shop in a town called Peridot. Naturally, instead of a quiet new life full of buttonholes and hemming jeans, she stumbles across a dead body. From there, things spiral in the way cozy mysteries love to spiral, everyone’s a little suspicious, the town has secrets, and Lydia finds herself in the middle of it all with a sewing needle in one hand and too many questions in the other.

What I liked most? Lydia has personality. She’s smart, sarcastic, and feels a little more modern than the usual cozy mystery heroine. She’s not just bumbling around cluelessly, she actually thinks, but she’s also messy in a relatable way. The supporting characters are a hoot, too, especially the local gossip squad and the not-so-subtle small-town weirdos who all seem like they’re hiding something.

Now, it’s not reinventing the mystery genre or anything. The plot plays out in a pretty familiar rhythm: crime scene, quirky clue, misdirection, big reveal. But that’s kind of the charm, it’s comfort reading, like watching an episode of Murder, She Wrote or Only Murders in the Building, just with more fabric and fewer cell phones.

A couple of nitpicks? Some of the dialogue leaned a little too “cutesy” at times, and the pacing dipped in the middle when it got a little too caught up in day-to-day sewing shop life. But honestly, that’s kind of what you sign up for with a cozy, murder, sure, but also cupcakes, crafting, and awkward flirtation with the local cop.

Bottom line: Seams Deadly is charming, clever, and easy to breeze through. If you love small-town drama, amateur sleuths, and mysteries that won’t keep you up at night (in a good way), give this one a go. Bonus points if you sew, there are some cute little nods to the craft that’ll make you smile.

CALICO CAT IN A COZY MYSTERY IT'S A FAVORITE FOREVER!!! I hope things start looking up for Lydia soon, but her misadventures so far have proved delightful for me.

I really enjoyed this book! Lydia Barnes is such a relatable protagonist, and I loved how her passion for sewing is woven into the mystery. The small-town setting of Peridot, Georgia, felt warm and inviting, and the supporting characters like Fran and the cat Baby Lobster added a lot of charm.
The plot was well-paced with clever clues scattered throughout. I had a few guesses about the culprit, but the ending still managed to surprise me. Maggie Bailey’s writing style is smooth and engaging, making it an easy and enjoyable read.
If you like light mysteries with strong main characters and cozy vibes, this book is definitely worth checking out. I’m already looking forward to the next one in the series!

I love fiber art cozy mysteries so much and this one was especially fun!
The mystery itself was very well done, and I was quite proud of myself for figuring it out about halfway through. Only to find out that I was completely wrong when the real killer was revealed!
Excellently set up and very enjoyable.
And as a fellow sewist, I loved the mentions of fabrics, patterns, and pattern designers and I'm recognized a lot of them!
Very fun and I look forward to the next one!

Author Maggie Bailey's first book in the Measure Twice Sewing Mystery series delivers on all the major cozy mystery expectations. Sewist Lydia Barnes, reeling after leaving her cheating husband, finds a change of pace in Peridot, Georgia, where her friend, Fran, practically hands her a fresh start. With an apartment and job at Measure Twice fabric store settled, Fran's next fresh-start gift involves setting Lydia up on a date with Brandon, who works at the nearby bookshop. However, when the date goes from disastrous to deadly, Lydia suddenly finds herself the prime suspect in a murder investigation.

Seams Deadly checks the boxes on quaint community, the quirky cast, and the jumbled investigation by an amateur sleuth. Lydia, after a genuinely funny end to a rough date, stumbles into a pretty gruesome crime scene, which Bailey handles well. It's clear finding her first dead body has severely impacted Lydia, and her subsequent investigating has a simmering danger behind it. This balances against Lydia's new small-town life, which is populated by several eccentric and occasionally irrational characters (including a husband who insists on only eating meat without side dishes and an annoying neighbor obsessed with trains) who make for an overall lighthearted mystery—murder aside.

But it's the fabric that makes Seams Deadly stand out. Lydia thinks of folks as patterns, and assigns them patterns, fabrics, and so on based on their personalities. It's an interesting quirk that highlights perhaps Bailey's biggest strength: making sewing fascinating. When Lydia thinks of ways to expand the scope of Measure Twice and the classes they offer, it's hard not to want to see the store's expansion in further installments. The discussion of long arm quilting (cleverly used), the importance of shears versus scissors (also cleverly used), and Lydia's enthusiasm for dressmaking (just fun) sew this book together.

With a good hook in fabric, Seams Deadly is a solid cozy.

This was an interesting beginning to a new cozy mystery series, that I recommend if you think it sounds good!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher

I did not finish this book which is a sign of how much I disliked it. The main character was hopeless and the story was disjointed. Life is too short. As much as I hate to give up on a book, that is what happened here.

"Seams Deadly" by Maggie Bailey is a cozy mystery that introduces us to Lydia Barnes, a sewist who finds herself entangled in a murder investigation in the quaint town of Peridot, Georgia. While the premise is promising, the execution leaves something to be desired, earning the novel a three-star rating.

The setting of the quaint mountain town and Lydia's involvement in the fabric store, Measure Twice, provides a charming backdrop for the story. Bailey paints a vivid picture of the small community and its residents, adding a cozy atmosphere to the narrative.

Lydia Barnes is a relatable protagonist with her excitement for a fresh start and her passion for sewing. The novel successfully combines elements of romance with the murder mystery plot, creating a mix of personal and investigative threads. The inclusion of friends rallying to help Lydia adds a supportive dynamic to the story.

However, the execution of the mystery falls short in terms of pacing and depth. The disaster first date and subsequent discovery of a dead body set the stage for intrigue, but the plot tends to meander at times, losing the momentum needed for a compelling mystery. The resolution of the murders lacks the desired impact, and the identity of the killer feels somewhat predictable.

While the premise suggests a focus on sewing and the unique world of fabric stores, this aspect could have been further explored to add more depth and uniqueness to the story. The connection between the murders and the fabric store seems somewhat forced and could have been developed more organically.

Despite its shortcomings, "Seams Deadly" has its moments of charm, and fans of cozy mysteries may find it an enjoyable read. The book offers a light and easy reading experience, with a likable protagonist and a cozy setting. It's a decent addition to the genre, but it falls short of achieving the depth and suspense needed for a higher rating.

Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey is the debut of A Measure Twice Sewing Mysteries. I love cozy mysteries and I am always looking for new ones to read. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to finish this one. Lydia Barnes is a self-absorbed woman as well as whiny (and prone to tears). I found her immature for a woman in her forties. She relocated to Peridot, Georgia after catching her husband in flagrante delicto. I believe every person in Peridot knows her story. Lydia, though, has failed to ask her new friends questions about themselves (or listen to them). When she is not talking about her sob story, she is daydreaming about outfits she would create for herself or the person in front of her. As you can imagine, people have trouble getting her attention. I understand that Lydia loves fabrics and making her own clothes, but I did find it odd that she went from teaching to working part time in a quilting shop. Of course, Lydia has big plans for the shop (that is owned by another woman). The mystery was straightforward. Lydia is set up on a date, later finds her date dead in his apartment, and (shocker) the police believe she committed the crime. Lydia is determined to clear her name. Information seems to fall into her lap. There is little sleuthing. The mystery can be solved long before the reveal. I can tell that the author knows about fabric and sewing. I did feel that there was too much of that element in the story (I did end up skimming through some of these sections). I did tire of Lydia designing an outfit for every person she met (the fabric, the pattern, etc.). Seams Deadly is written in the first person so we get to know Lydia’s every thought. There is a repetition of words (the author really likes the word nice), phrases, and details. I really disliked the letch of a neighbor. He gave me the creeps (made my skin crawl). I do not understand why Lydia tolerated his behavior (or why the author felt the need to include this character). The writing is choppy, and the pacing is slow (I did not think the story would ever end). Lydia has a sweet older dog, and she adopts a cat named Baby Lobster who has a unique personality (in other words, a typical cat). Seams Deadly is not a series that I will continue to read (I encourage you to download a sample to judge it for yourself). Seams Deadly is a cutthroat cozy with an arranged date, waitress worries, a butchered booklover, a serious sergeant, a toddling dog, pattern plans, and a fabric filled future.

I sew enough (less than I actually want to, but more than in the previous years) to appreciate the subtle inclusions in this book. I chose to read it because it was the first in a new series, and I liked the industry it was based in.
This book is a decent beginning to a series, establishing both the protagonist and her choice of profession in a manner that makes sense for future books. The murder itself and the suspicion that follows her is not as intriguing as I hoped for. It was easy to see the direction in which the suspicions actually lie since the clues head in that direction. Even with the clues, I was not as invested in the eventual outcome.
The social circle and the town as a whole have some interesting and believable characters. Unlike some other stories, here, our leading lady is new to town and is trying to settle in when things like this start to stir up additional discomfort.
I would want to read another book based on this setup before I make up my mind about the series. I think this first book will work even better for those people who read fewer such stories than I end up doing in any given year. The author has written the people and interactions well, keeping the overall narrative entertaining.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC! Another great cozy mystery to cozy up with in the dreary months of winter. Will recommend!

Lydia and her dog, Charlie, are in Peridot, Georgia, after discovering her husband in a compromising position. Lydia works part-time at the quilting store and lives in one of the upstairs apartments Fran rents out.

Fran specializes in quilts but introduced Lydia to garment making. Lydia fell in love with sewing and is always on the prowl for ideas for new outfits. She encourages Fran to carry fabrics for fashion as well as for quilts. Her job is a great diversion from the disastrous end to her marriage. She hadn’t seen that coming!

Fran encouraged Lydia to have dinner with Brandon, one of the upstairs neighbors, just to get to know the town better. It didn’t take long for Lydia to figure out it was really a date. After an evening of listening to Brandon without an opportunity to comment, the evening ends with a fist bump goodnight.

Lydia walked Charlie and then decided to take Brandon brownies as a friendly gesture. When she knocked, the door swung open—and she found Brandon dead at his desk, a pair of shears in his neck. Shears embossed with the name of the quilt shop. As the person to have just been with Brandon, she’s a likely suspect. When another body is found inside the quilting store, she’s suspect number one.

This is the first book in the series. Readers will like Fran, the quilters, Lydia, Charlie, and a little cat named Baby Lobster. Lydia doesn’t include any patterns but does describe how she’s added her own touch to the outfits she makes.

The ending has a nice twist that will leave readers anxious to know what happens next.

The start of a new cozy mystery series, Seams Deadly by Maggie Bailey is fairly typical. A small town setting, a cast of quirky characters, a murder and a local under suspicion. It was fine, but I never was particularly interested in the characters or the plot. I finished the book, but I will not likely pick up the second in the series.

Thank you to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for a free copy of #SeamsDeadly by Maggie Bailey. All opinions are my own.

This is a well-written cozy mystery with older characters, which in my opinion was a breath of fresh air. It made the story a little more serious in nature and gave it a little more down-to-earth feel. Lydia is more introverted than most cozy mystery main characters and finds her information through casual conversations with others around town. Since Lydia was new in town and kept finding dead bodies, I was glad she had the crafting group to give her support. The plot was complex which made it harder to connect the dots between the two murders and figure out who the killer was. I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Princess Fuzzypants here: Sometimes you can like a story but there are pieces that jar a bit. I found myself feeling that the welcome Fran and the other citizens of Peridot gave Lydia seemed a bit OTT. True, she had her heart broken and had run away to her “safe” place where she could sew to her heart’s content but their generosity seemed unearned. But when the date that her friend, landlord and boss Fran had set up ends up stabbed with shears, Lydia is going to learn quickly who her true friends are.

She is the prime suspect because she found the body but when the cop investigating suggests Lydia find the killer, it creates another disconnect with plausibility. Which is a shame because the back story, including the killer and the motive, is quite compelling and intriguing. There is a terrific denouement with an unexpected/expected heroine. That was my favourite part of the entire book.

So balancing what I liked with what jarred, I give it four purrs but only one paw up.,

A lovely premise and introduction to a new series. A cozy mystery with animals, small towns, and fun descriptions about sewing garments. The characters and the suspects were engaging and varying with fun friends and creepy neighbors. Unfortunately the often detailed descriptions of how to and the different types/styles did take away from the story. And character dialogue was chosen in favor of what could have been taken care of in a couple of sentences also caused the story to drag. But these are minor and still had me curious about who was the culprit and why they did the killings. As a first book, Maggie Bailey did a fun job, cannot wait for more Baby Lobster and Charlie.

Thanks to Crooked Lane for this galley, but it didn't work out for me. Unlike other new cozy series, I wasn't drawn into this one quickly and the main character kind of irked me.

I found her not to be planned out well and her easily getting into drama, not matching the personality she was given.

I like the characters. The mystery kept me guessing and I look forward to more.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Maggie Bailey introduces a new series Measures Twice Sewing mystery in Seams Deadly. Lydia Barnes leaves her two timing husband to settle in the small town of Peridot, Georgia. She works in Measure Twice a fabric store. She finds Brandon, after her date, dead in his home murdered with her shops sewing shears. Too many suspects to count along with a second victim. Also a cute dog and cat. Small town gossip. Read and enjoy.

A fresh new life for the main character that is sweet enough but is honestly not the most interesting character. She falls into a whirlwind of drama when murder occurs in the new town she moves into.

As for the meat of my review, I don’t like it. It was hard to continue to hold interest in and want to read. There are many characters who are introduced but not fleshed out enough for me to remember who is who. The story doesn't really pick up speed very fast so it feels kinda dull at first. I wouldn't say this is the worst thing I’ve read considering I’ve read my friends horrible writing when they were younger, but it's probably one of the most disappointing books I’ve read.
I don’t think I would recommend this to anyone as whatever you could get out of this, you can probably get out of a better, more enjoyable book.

Still a thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me early access to the book.