Dangling by a Thread by Lea Wait
Jesse lives a hermit’s life on an island just off Haven Harbor’s shore, alone except for his beloved Great Cormorants. When a millionaire visits Haven Harbor and decides to buy Jesse’s island, Jesse’s only concern is to save the island for the birds. When Jesse is found dead, there’s plenty of suspects, but who was the killer and why?
I enjoy Haven Harbor and its cozy atmosphere and the enjoyable plot kept a steady pace through the book, with a little bit of action to added to the suspense. I had a good idea who the killer was halfway through the book but it turned out I was wrong (close, but wrong.)

I liked the Save the Cormorant movement, and I especially liked that Angie and her friends were strong enough in their convictions and their loyalty to Jesse to risk the ire of the local townspeople to save their habitat.
I like Angie and the other characters (especially Gram) but I have to say, the one thing that put me off in this book was Angie and her issues. Her attitude towards Patrick was a little annoying; despite the fact that she’s a caring person who doesn’t judge, she seems to think Patrick is a snob only because he’s rich which makes her feel insecure. Seriously, Angie, get over yourself.
I thought the climax of the book was a little abrupt. The plot was slowly and steadily moving along, then screeched to a halt. It was, for the most part, a satisfying conclusion and the plot was resolved, but it was incongrous with the pace of the book and a the loose ends a little too neatly tied up.
Overall, I enjoyed Dangling by a Thread and I will continue to read the series and those Maple Oatmeal cookies sound amazing. No raisins for me, please.
Edit: I made the Maple Oatmeal cookies today and they are delish! They were super easy to make and I substituted chopped pecans instead of raisins. They baked up beautifully and the end result is a light cinnamon-y chewy cookie. I think next time I’m going to drizzle a little maple glaze over the top. But that’s a whole other post.
Dangling by a Thread is available at book retailers or online Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley, who provided an advance copy to read and review in return for my honest review.
Series: A Mainely Needlepoint #4 Rating: ★★★★✰ 4 Stars Publisher: Kensington Books Publication Date: Oct. 25, 2016 Format: Paperback, Kindle, Epub |
Genre: Cozy Mystery Language: English ASIN: B01BAYWZHU ISBN-13: 9781496706263 Reviewer: Tam (Mystereity Reviews) |
Good cookies, look forward to the book!
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Another great review… always fun to read your posts each week!
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Thank you! I loved your review of Bed, Breakfast and Bones, I’m adding it to my TBR, I love small town mysteries
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Thanks for your honest review! And — glad you enjoyed the cookies!
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My stepdad said they were the best cookies he’s ever had. That’s a pretty big complement!
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