I just enjoy this series. The romance sucks (Angie and Patrick's will they, won't they is absurd) but I love Angie and Charlotte and the rest of the Mainely Needlepointers. This mystery was as per usual extremely enjoyable and gave a greater insight into Sarah and her family. ( )

I got this book from Overdrive to try to catch up on the series. This story tells how Sarah Byrne, the antiquest dealer from Austrailia, is related to Ted Lawrence, the son of famous Harbor Haven artist, Robert Lawrence. When Ted decides to invite his children to his home to introduce them to their cousin, Sarah it does not go as he planned. When Ted is killed and then another death happens, Angie and Sarah try to discover who is responsible for the deaths. The killer was a total surprise and even though I thought that person could be the killer, I was really surprised to find out that person was the killer. The ending was really a surprise. Really enjoyed this book. A great addition to the series. ( )

This is the fifth installment of the Mainely Needlepoint series. This was Sarah's story and there was not much needlepointing in it. I was fine with that as it was nice to find out more about one of the main characters in this series that i very much enjoy. Sarah is a member of the Mainely Needlepointers and a good friend of Angie's. She moved to Haven Harbor from Australia, but never really shared her reasons for this. In the last book in the series Sarah became close to wealthy gallery owner Ted Lawrence, and in this book she shares with Angie that Ted is her uncle. She tells her about her history and that her father was acclaimed artist Robert Lawrence, Ted's father. Ted wants to have a 75th birthday party with his three children who he bareley talks to or sees, Sarah, Jeremy (his assistant), Patrick and Angie. He plans to reveal who Sarah is and his plans to change his will. Well, things do not go as planned and some of Ted's announcements are a huge surprise. When Ted ends up dead from eating a clam that was poisoned from Red Tide, Angie suspects that he was murdered. For Sarah's sake, and at the request of one of Ted's sons, she begins to investigate.

Lea Wait never disappoints and there is usually something historical to learn. This time we learn about the period of history where foster children in Britain were numerous and costly. They were sent to Australia to a new life. Sometimes that life was good, but more than likely, they were treated as free labour. Sarah's father was one of these children. Sarah was able to locate her paternal grandmother, who had been told her son had died. From there she headed to Maine to search for her paternal grandfather and other family members. What she finds is Ted and through him, her cousins. Ted's children are a very interesting group of people. They are partly spoiled, think they are entitled and in some ways, waiting for him to die so they will inherit. They are not very accepting of Sarah and not very nice to her either. They add a lot of intrigue to the story, especially when another dead body shows up.

Even though, this was not really a needlepointing story, I really enjoyed it. I liked the character development, the way the relationship with Angie and Patrick continued to develop and the mystery. There were several suspects as well as the possibility that it could have been accidental. If you enjoy a cozy with great characters and a storyline that goes beyond the mystery, pick this book up. You will certainly enjoy it. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
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Angie's friend Sarah finally reveals some of her history and how she came to Maine so when Angie is asked to help her at the birthday party of her new found uncle, Angie can't refuse. No surprises to the reactions of her new cousins when they are told of her existence but things head toward a wreck at the lobsterbake.

I loved finding out more about the regular characters but I was disappointed at the lack of "Needlepoint" that was included in the story. But that no means implies that I will not continue reading these great stories! ( )

When Angie Curtis is invited to her friend Sarah Byrne's home for dinner, she doesn't expect bombshell news: that Sarah is the niece of Ted Lawrence, an artist and gallery owner whose father was the famous artist Robert Lawrence. It seems Robert had once had an affair during World War II that resulted in Sarah's father, and since he died when Sarah was a child, she has been searching for years for her family, which is the real reason she wound up in Haven Harbor all the way from Australia.

But it seems finding her uncle and cementing their relationship with DNA tests is bittersweet: When his children - Abbie, her husband Silas, sons Michael and Luke - are summoned from their homes for a birthday party with their father, Ted tells them he is dying of cancer, and that this will be the last visit they will all have together. But even more shocking - and more important to his children - is the fact that Ted tells them he is going to change his will and leave all of his father's paintings to Sarah.

But before he can do so, Ted dies, poisoned from a bad clam. While at first it looks like it might be an accident, the police think it might have been murder, and when another family member dies, Angie is hired to find out who the murderer of the two of them might be. With nearly everyone having a motive - the three children weren't close to their father and more than one had reason to hate him - Angie has her work cut out for her. She knows it's only a matter of time before the offspring hire attorneys and clam up themselves...

This is the fifth book in the Mainely Needlepoint series, and in my opinion, the best one. While I enjoyed the previous books in the series, in this new one we learn more about Sarah and her background, and how deep the desire to find one's roots can be in another human being. I will say though that I didn't truly understand why the subplot of the discovery in Angie's yard was added; it didn't have any bearing on the story at all, unless it was to bring in one of the other Mainely Needlepointers, who were missing throughout most of this tale.

Aside from that, I found this book highly readable and the plot well written. It shows the keenness that is felt when one wishes for something that is always slightly out of reach; and that what seems to be the overt reason for a murder might not be the true meaning after all. When we reach the end and the killer is revealed, it comes to a satisfactory conclusion; and I await the next in the series. Highly recommended. ( )