Such a fun newish cozy series. I love the eclectic cast of characters. Super fun and enjoyable read.

This book had a good storyline but was cluttered with disjointed chatter and imaginative thoughts. Lydia sometimes acts like an airhead and wonders in her mind too much. When chaos ensued with the murder of her friend, a snowstorm, and a blackout, things became scary for the group. It was a mild cozy mystery, with mild intrigue and excitement.

This is a new series and author for me. Although it was the second book in the series, I was interested in the premise, a fabric/sewing shop, the location in the South, a slightly older than normal (40) MC starting over. I will be honest. This was almost the first DNF I would have done since I started reviewing books. I figure, if I ask for a book, I owe the author and publisher the courtesy of at least giving the book a read. The beginning is so disjointed, Lydia has the maturity of a fifteen year old, not a 40 year old business owner, and she has basically left the organization of her Sew Relaxing Retreat to her mentor, the woman she bought Measure Twice from. She is disorganized, distracted, and a pushover, facing nothing head-on. It is so annoying. The biggest problem for me, however, is that there is only one likeable character in this whole mess, besides the fur babies, and he doesn't even enter the book until about a third way in. I have never read a book with so many annoying, obnoxious, and self-absorbed characters. I am all for quirky characters, but these people are not quirky, just awful folks whose stories I couldn't get invested in. Thus, I didn't care about solving the mystery. With the addition of Auden, the handyman and Lydia finally used a little bit of the brain she was given. The second half picked up a little. I would not be interested enough to pick up anything else in this series. Thanks to #NetGalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the opportunity to explore this series.

Quilty as Charged by Maggie Bailey is about a mountain sewing retreat.

Will Lydia find the killer and keep everyone going in this storm?

Lydia Barnes
It’s been six months since the last book, as we are in February, and Lydia decided to host a sewing retreat at Fran’s mountain home during the winter. Well, it all seemed dandy to Lydia until the retreat started, and now, it’s not so much. Lydia is still the crazy, colorful character from the first book and wants to solve the mystery especially after everything is said and done with her finding Fran’s dead body and not knowing what to do during a winter storm that knocks the power out.

The Mystery
Lydia finds Fran’s dead body in Fran’s room, and then shortly after that, the winter storm majorly hits the mountains, and they lose power. She puts it into her head that she needs to figure out who had the motive to kill Fran. Her options are someone in the house killed her or that it was some stranger who came into the house and left the house without any of them knowing. Lydia wasn’t sure what to think about what was happening.

I guessed who did it and the motive as well. Honestly, I wasn’t even sure that I was right until it was revealed.

Four Stars
My rating for Quilty as Charged by Maggie Bailey is four stars, and I recommend it. Ms. Bailey has done a great job introducing a character who is very into sewing and other creative hobbies. It’s a great book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Quilty as Charged by Maggie Bailey.

Until the next time,
Karen the Baroness

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

It was a nice cozy mystery story but not something I will probably read again. The characters were mostly well-developed but seemed a litt bit cookie cutter-ish. I would recommend that the author take another pass at the dialogue, perhaps. But the love interest really needs more more.

A workshop in the mountains, an ice storm is coming up. The sewing club gets trapped in the Laurels. And then there's a murder. Can they find the culprit? It's an interesting story, easy to read with nice characters. Lydia, is a down-to-earth and takes the lead. There's drama and action that keeps you reading until the end. It can be read as a standalone.
I received an advance review copy via NetGalley for free and I'm leaving a voluntary and honest review.

This was such a cute, cozy read! This is my first by Maggie Bailey and my first cozy mystery. I was originally in a reading slump and this immediately hooked me and got me out of it! I loved the author's ability to hook you in and create a connection with the characters and mystery.

Now, I'm not a series girl, but I think this changed that and I can't wait to read more from Maggie Bailey and join Lydia Barnes in her sewing journey.

Loaded with characters who all have a motive to be guilty. The reader will be guessing until close to the end. Second in the series but can be a standalone read. Lydia who is the owner of Measure Twice holds a sewing retreat when trouble ensues after one is found dead. Quirky characters with a good story plot. Fun read. Thanks #Netgalley and #CrookedLaneBooks for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

This was a great cozy mystery. I liked that it was not too stressful, there was mystery without keeping you on the edge of your seat which to me is the definition of a cozy mystery. I do think that the twists were a little predictable at first, but in the end it was not what I expected. I enjoyed the casual writing style, it was easy to read and I think this is a good choice for someone who is tired or feeling burnt out as I often am. If I can read something without falling asleep after a busy day it's a good sign that I will recommend this book to others.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book! I had not read book one of the series, but found it was not a problem as the author explained who was who and some back story so I wasn't confused. Bailey kept me on the edge of my seat, and I wasn't able to figure out who the culprit was until close to the end of the book. Many of the characters had a reason to be guilty and I appreciated this as it kept me guessing. The book was a little slow going in the beginning, but once it picked up I stayed engaged and interested. If you like cozy murder mysteries, you can't go wrong with this one!

This second installment in the series is a notch above the debut. Despite an ending that was dragging a bit, I thought it was an entertaining piece with a compelling plot. Looking forward to the next one!

This was such a cute little cozy mystery. Lydia, the new owner of Measure Twice, decides to lead a sewing retreat where the attendees get more than they bargained for when one of them ends up being found murdered while a winter storm knocks out all power and phone lines.

I really enjoyed the cast of quirky characters, although I wish I had gotten to know a little bit more about each of them.

While there was no mind blowing twist, this was a fun little read and I would love to see what else Lydia gets herself into!

Lydia Barnes loves her new life in Peridot, Georgia. But her sewing business is struggling. She needs an additional source of money. So, she decides to hold a sewing retreat. All is going well until their host turns up dead. The group is snowed in. They don't know if they are sharing the house with a murderer. And then someone else dies. Lydia needs to find the murderer before others lose their lives.

In this next book in the series, we learn more about Lydia and her new friends. But this book takes a darker turn than the first book I read. Several of her friends who were heroes in the first book I read, turn out to have darker sides.

I really enjoy this series. The characters are well-developed. The story flows nicely. And the plot is intriguing and unpredictable. I highly recommend this series.

This was a decent followup to the first book in the series, but I did find it very predictable at times.
It was a pretty quick read for me, and if you like this author, you will like this book.

While the mystery kept me engaged with its well-developed characters and intriguing setting, the solution felt too obvious, lacking the surprise I anticipated. Nevertheless, I appreciated Lydia's character and the progression of the storyline, finding myself invested in the series. The portrayal of Lydia's growth, along with insights into secondary characters, added depth to the narrative. With surprises woven into the cozy atmosphere, "Quilty as Charged" offers an enjoyable escape for fans of the genre.

In the quaint town of Peridot, Georgia, Lydia Barnes, owner of Measure Twice fabric store, orchestrates a sewing retreat to boost her shop’s fortunes. Trapped by a brutal winter storm at her friend Fran’s mountain home, the serene atmosphere shatters when Fran is found murdered. With power and phones out, suspicion blankets the six remaining attendees. Restless, Lydia, aided by caretaker Auden, unravels hidden lives, discovering another body with a perplexing confession. In a daring plan to expose the killer, Lydia risks everything, her life hanging by a thread. This gripping tale, reminiscent of Amanda Flower and Molly MacRae, promises a riveting journey through a deadly tapestry.

The creator worked hard keeping me baffled. The characters were recently imperfect and amiable enough to cause them to feel genuine and make me believe I should see a greater amount of them in ongoing books. There is a restricted cast of characters that all have special characters and are concealing more than they let on. The writer’s narration kept me stuck to the book as I attempted to sort out every one of the breadcrumbs of signs.

In any case, the secret was altogether too clear to me and it didn’t shock me or rush me however much I had anticipated. I cherished the setting, it is continuously fascinating when a homicide happens in a detached setting. A lot of clients in the mountains lay everything out for a comfortable homicide secret. I adored the general storyline, particularly Lydia. I can hardly hold back from perusing the following book in this series.

pet-cat, series, state-of-Georgia, amateur-sleuth, small-town, small-business, quilting, friends, friendship, sewing, sewers, cozy-mystery, murder, local-law-enforcement, winter-storm, southern-mystery****

Very slow beginning but generally a nice cozy mystery set deep in the woods where a sewing retreat was being held in hopes of saving the sewing store.
I requested and received a temporary EARC from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Available 20 Aug 2024 #MeasureTwiceSewingMysteriesBk2

It was a good mystery. A bit slow-paced in the beginning but it picked up later. The characters were multi-dimensional, and the more I read, the more I felt that I was wrong in judging them actually. I think I would just love it if I read the first book in the series as I can know the characters again.
Lydia, I liked her character. She is good at handling all the mess she stumbled upon after her first day at the sewing retreat. And I really liked some of the other characters.
The story progressed with a nice rhythm and the ending was good. Just loved it. I can totally say, I'm really invested in this series.
And the sewing in the book, loved it.

There are plenty of surprises in this cozy, and I had a good time revisiting Lydia, Fran, and the gang in Peridot. I think this second book in the series is stronger than the first. Lydia's--and everyone's, really--character feels much more authentic and developed than in book one.

From the surprising victim to the locked room plot, this mystery holds my interest. Lydia's more relatable and self-aware (eventually) in this book, and we learn more about all the secondary characters too.

I enjoy the sewing world of this series, and this title has everything I need for an enjoyable couple of hours of escape reading.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the overall storyline, but especially Lydia. Her character was well written and believable.

Quilty as Charged was fun to read and I hope to have more books available by this author in the future.