I’m not a quilter, but I’ve always appreciated the beauty and workmanship of handmade quilts. In many ways, creating a quilt is much like writing a mystery novel. When starting a quilt, the quilter must first decide on a design. As an author, I start by deciding on the book’s story.

The quilter then chooses fabrics to complement her design. I choose the setting for my story and the characters who will populate the story.

Most quilts are comprised of individual squares or blocks. Books are comprised of chapters. The quilter stitches together the individual squares into a quilt top, then adds interest and depth to the design by hand-stitching (quilting) the quilt top, batting, and bottom layer of fabric together.

I not only need to make sure my chapters are seamlessly “stitched” together to tell my story, but as a mystery author, I also need my sleuth to “stitch” together the clues to solve the mystery.

Since Anastasia Pollack, my reluctant amateur sleuth, is the crafts editor at a woman’s magazine, I feature a different craft in each book of the series. In Seams Like the Perfect Crime, the fourteenth and latest book, I chose to feature quilting.

As it turns out, today is the start of Quilt Week, a four-day event sponsored by the American Quilter’s Society. Quilt Week takes place in Paducah, KY, a Unesco Creative City, known as Quilt City USA®. Paducah is also home to the National Quilt Museum.

The American Quilt Society is the world’s largest quilting organization. According to its website, it’s “dedicated to TODAY’s quilter. Inspired by the enduring creativity and importance of quilts and quiltmaking, our objective is to provide a forum for quilters of all skill levels to expand their horizons in quilt making, design, self-expression, and quilt collecting. Through our magazines, quilt shows and contests, workshops, and other activities in the world of quilting, we strive to inspire, instruct, and nurture the art and skill of quiltmaking.”

Quilt Week offers workshops, lectures, special events, quilt exhibits, vendors, and appraisals. Since I’m not a quilter, I doubt I’ll ever attend Quilt Week. However, now that I’m living in Tennessee, I think a day trip to Paducah to visit the National Quilt Museum is definitely in my future.

In the meantime, I’ve begun work on the next Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery.

Seams Like the Perfect Crime

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery, Book 14

When staffing shortages continue to hamper the Union County homicide squad, Detective Sam Spader once again turns to his secret weapon, reluctant amateur sleuth Anastasia Pollack. How can she and husband Zack Barnes refuse when the victim is their new neighbor?

Revolutionary War reenactor Barry Sumner had the odd habit of spending hours mowing a small patch of packed dirt and weeds until his mower ran out of gas. He’d then guzzle beer on his front porch until he passed out. That’s where Anastasia’s son Nick discovers his body three days after the victim and his family moved into the newly built mini-McMansion across the street.

After a melee breaks out at the viewing, Spader zeroes in on the widow as his prime suspect. However, Anastasia has her doubts. There are other possible suspects, including a woman who’d had an affair with the victim, his ex-wife, the man overseeing the widow’s trust fund, a drug dealer, and the reenactors who were blackmailing the widow and victim.

When another reenactor is murdered, Spader suspects they’re dealing with a serial killer, but Anastasia wonders if the killer is attempting to misdirect the investigation. As she narrows down the suspects, will she jeopardize her own life to learn the truth?

Craft projects included.

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USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s chapter books, and nonfiction. Kirkus Reviews dubbed her critically acclaimed Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery series, “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” In addition, Lois is a former literary agent and an award-winning craft and needlework designer who often draws much of her source material for both her characters and plots from her experiences in the crafts industry. Learn more about Lois and her books at her website www.loiswinston.com where you can also sign up for her newsletter and follow her on various social media sites.