Customer Reviews

Wild Goose Chase: A Quilting Mystery (Wheeler Large Print Cozy Mystery)

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I was lucky enough to get to read this book BEFORE it was published, and I can't wait to have my copy in hand and read it again. Terri knows quilting and she knows mysteries, and Wild Goose Chase is a tightly written,funny and friendly, taste of both.

In a world of craft mysteries, some good, some not so good, Terri's book stands out as the one you want in your hands, on your shelf, and on your birthday list for friends! Don't wait, order it now!

This book is much more than a crafting "cozy" mystery. The main character is written with compassion, exhibiting real human emotions while struggling to work through her mother's death. I enjoyed the many levels in the book, the mystery was there, but so were family issues, business concerns, and romance. I look forward to the next in this series and to the author's other new rubber stamping cozy series.

I'm not a quilter and I don't often read mysteries, but I totally enjoyed this book. The vivid descriptions of family relationships and the quilters' trade show, left me reminiscing about many of my own experiences.

This is a promising first novel that sets up a cast of characters for a new series and leaves plenty to be explored and expanded upon in subsequent novels.
I am not a quilter although I have friends who are but I don't need to be involved with a particular hobby or profession to enjoy reading about it.
The scenes at the convention center could have been a bit more inventive perhaps by rounding out the stories of some of the other vendors there instead of constantly going back to the annoying Kym.(don't we all know someone like that)
Including the sex scenes was brave and I thought the author made a pretty good attempt at it especially as some very well known writers have confessed that they find this difficult to tackle.
I would recommend this as a fun, fairly quick read especially for fellow Silicon Valleyites who will recognize the locales - perfect for a plane, a train, a beach or a gorgeous summer day in a San Jose backyard.
My order for the next book in the series is already in.

"Wild Goose Chase" is a strong start to what looks to be a promising mystery series. The plot moved a little too slowly for me, but the main character, Dewey Pellicano, was enjoyable enough to keep me reading. The author really develops Dewey, & I am interested to see where the next book takes her. Seeing that I am not into quilting in any way, Dewey's character development had to be great to keep me reading. The mystery itself was pretty cliche & way too obvious; right away, I guessed who the murderer was & their motive. The plot seemed a little like mystery writing 101, but I am sure that this series will get better with time. The publisher, Midnight Ink, does a great job of putting out quality mysteries.

I love cozy mysteries. I am always looking for new authors. I was so excited to stumble upon this series; however, after I began reading, I was extremely disappointed. I am certainly not a prude, but I definitely didn't appreciate the sex stuff just to be put in for sex. Half the time I thought I was reading a cheap Harlequin romance novel. I felt Dewey was acting like an over-sexed teenager. I'm sorry, but if there was a murder hanging over my head the last thing I would be thinking of is having sex. If you can get through the first 158 pages, the childish love-sick "when are we going to jump in the sack again" behavior lessens. The mystery wasn't bad. I did figure out who the killer was. It really wasn't too hard because I felt there were only two suspects. I would not read another book in this series though. I felt there was too much time spent on the physical relationship and not enough on the mystery. I would have quit reading after the first 50 pages, but I spent $11 on the book so I figured I might as well finish it.

I thought Dewey was a great protagonist. Growing up in the heart of Silicon Valley myselt, I really enjoyed all the familiarity with the neighborhoods. She was spot on in her descriptions. What a fun way to relive our local PIQF when it won't be back for another 6 months!-Not that PIQF would actually have a murder occur at it...I can't wait for the next installment.

Dewey Pellicano is the main character, who inherits a quilt store from her mother. She struggles with the store, not being a quilter, but a computer programmer. Dewey also deals with the loss of her mother, but not in a depressing way. There is a possible love interest in a police officer who Dewey knew as a child and reconnects with due to a murder at a quilt show. This book is an enjoyable read for quliters and non-quilters alike. I have never made a quilt and really enjoyed the references to quilts in this book. I thought that the story moved quickly and developed the characters very well. I am anxious to read the next book from this author.

I enjoyed reading this quilting mystery. I look forward to the next one as I can't wait follow the characters' adventures. A fun read.

A fun read that has a lot to commend it. There is humor, mystery, romance, betrayal, and beneath it all, an emotional core. The pacing was pitch perfect and there was a quirky self-deferential humor from the protagonist, Dewey Pellicano. Thayer had me hooked by page five when Dewey's annoying sister-in-law, Kym, pulled out a ruffled computer cozy to cover a laptop. She thought the computer clashed with the homespun calicos and gingham theme of their booth at a quilting convention.

A computer cozy? I laughed out loud at the thought and Dewey's horrified reaction.

Dewey is a likable protagonist who is struggling to find her way in a bad economy and having inherited her mother's quilt shop after her mother died in a car accident six months before.

Dewey doesn't sew, doesn't quilt, and would rather code software than thread a needle. As a non-quilter, I found it easy to identify with Dewey as a reluctant participant in the quilting world rather than if she were a committed quilter.

This fish out of water scenario is more than just a starting premise. The loss of her mother is a recurrent theme throughout the book. Dewey finally comes to terms with that loss and how she will choose to live her own life. Deciding whether or not to sell her family's business is set against a backdrop of murder at the largest annual gathering of quilters in Northern California and a budding romance with a man she still thinks of in terms of knowing him since adolescence.

The laughs were numerous in the book, but Thayer also snuck up and touched my heart as well by bringing forth tears. Well done. I picked up "Wild Goose Chase" as a casual read and found that I didn't want to put it down until I was finished.