Friday, February 21, 2014

Scraps of Evidence (Quilts of Love series) by Barbara Cameron



Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the book for free from the publisher through the Litfuse Publicity Group book  blogger campaign and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

  

About the Book: (Information taken directly from LitFuse Publicity's Promotions page.)


Scraps of Evidence: A Quilt of Love book.
Tess has taken some ribbing from her fellow officer, Logan,for her quilting hobby. He finds it hard to align the brisk professional officer he patrols with during the day with the one who quilts in her off-time. Besides, he’s been trying to get to know her better and he’d like to be seeing her during those couple nights a week she spends with her quilting guild.
Then one afternoon Tess and Logan visit her aunt in the nursing home and she acts agitated when Tess covers her with the story quilt. Aunt Susan seems to be communicating a message to them about Tess’s uncle. There’s a story behind this quilt, they realize, one that may lead them to a serial killer. Will they have a chance to have a future together or will the killer choose Tess for his next victim before they find him?

About Quilts of Love: Quilts tell stories of love and loss, hope and faith, tradition and new beginnings. The Quilts of Love series focuses on the women who quilted all of these things into their family histories. A new book releases each month and features contemporary and historical romances as well as women's fiction and the occasional light mystery. You will be drawn into the endearing characters of this series and be touched by their stories.



Author: Barbara Cameron  (Information taken directly from LitFuse Publicity's Promotions page.)
Barbara Cameron is a best-selling author who has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the author of more than 38 fiction and nonfiction books, three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Barbara is a former newspaper reporter. Some of her non-fiction titles include the “Everything Weddings on a Budget Book” and “Her Restless Heart: A Woman’s Longing for Love and Acceptance.” Cameron currently resides in Edgewater, Florida.



Format: trade paperback

Genre: Christian, Suspense, Fiction, Light Romance

Source: Litfuse Publicity Group book blogger campaign 

Published: Abingdon Press / $12.99 / 2014 / ISBN:978-1-4267-5278-0


Stalk the Author: Website

Buy the Book:  Abingdon Press / Christianbook / Quilts Of Love site




Why I Read this Book:  When I first saw the tour listed for this book and read that it was part of the Quilts of Love series, I just assumed that it was an Amish story with a bit of suspense thrown in to it.  I was WAY OFF because Scraps of Evidence has nothing to do with the Amish.  (Talk about me stereotyping because of the word-quilt.  Geesh!)  In any case, the suspense part was what really drew me in and made me want to read the book.


What I Liked:  The setting is St. Augustine, Florida--which just so happens to be one my favorite cities to visit when I get a break from teaching.  I loved the fact that I knew many of the (real) places that were mentioned, and had even been to them.  St. Augustine is full of history and I was thrilled that Ms. Cameron incorporated some of that history into the story-line. (No, I am not getting paid to advertise the city--although I would not be opposed to it!)  ;)  

The two main characters-Tess, and her new partner Logan, were very well matched (in more ways than one) and worked well together.  The compassion they showed to the victims and their memories  will stick in my mind for a long time.  I especially loved how they treated the homeless man to lunch before asking him questions concerning their case, and that they offered to get him to safe place to stay since he did not have home of his own.

I also enjoyed the family dynamics between Tess and her Aunt Kathy.  It reminded me of the relationship I have with my own aunt because of the easy-going attitude and spirit they share. 


What I Didn't Like:  It felt like the relationship between Tess and Logan was a bit rushed, but I've been told that "you know when you know," so I'll have to wait until it happens with me to be able to give better feedback.  I also think this may have been due to the fact that I couldn't put the book down and devoured it quickly--which may have caused the rushed feeling.  (Go figure.)  :)

The only other thing I disliked has to do with me.  I managed to guess "whodunnit" fairly early on, so the rest of the book was me anticipating whether or not I was correct.  I hate doing that to myself because I don't take as much time to enjoy the story because I'm too busy trying to figure out if I'm right.  Maybe someday I'll learn to slow down and savor, but this really was a page-turner, so it really couldn't be helped.


Overall Impression:  
If you're looking for a cozy read with a touch of romance and a bit of blood then Scraps of Evidence is for you!  You will be enchanted as you read  about St. Augustine's rich history and be enchanted with the lovable characters.  What are you waiting for?  Go get this book!


Rating: 4 out of 5 

Let me know what you think!  Happy Reading! 

1 comment:

Sue W said...

I just finished posting my review of Scraps of Evidence on the Litfuse link and thought I would read some of the other reviews listed. That's how I found yours and checked out your blog. We definitely have some similarities -- I was an English teacher and then became our district's librarian for 11 years. I retired two years ago and am reading, quilting, blogging, and spoiling my grandchildren. Our ages are on opposite ends of the spectrum, but I still feel I will be checking in on your blog often. I was hoping you would check my blog at http://thoughtsfrommillstreet.blogspot.com/ or Thoughts from Mill Street. I live in a rural WI community which has many Amish, so while I will read Amish novels by quality authors like B. Lewis and S. Woods Fischer I find many of the recent attempts to be nothing at all like the people who are our neighbors! Hope you stop by my blog.