Excellent mystery with a great female protagonist, By SMS (Los Angeles, CA)
"This review is from: Unraveling Ada, a Quilted Mystery novel (Kindle Edition)
Rachel Lyons is a welcome addition to the female detective genre. A retired librarian who is relatively new to the P.I. world, she splits her free time between quilting bees and target practice. The best part of reading this book is getting to know Rachel and her world - she's got a strong, distinct voice and she's a character that I think many mystery lovers will enjoy getting to know. No nonsense but funny, tough but vulnerable, she manages to remain completely relatable while leading the reader through a complex and exciting story. The supporting characters are varied and distinctive - each one of them seem to have their own unique stories to tell. And the quilting information is fascinating and detailed without being too overwhelming for those with no previous knowledge of the craft. Without giving too much away, the mystery itself is a fairly sophisticated exploration of family secrets and violence - it is much more than your average whodunit story. I hope this is the first of many Rachel Lyons novels."
Unraveling Ada, a darn good read., May 2, 2010
By Edward Troy (San Rafael, CA United States)
"Move over John Grisham. Make room at the table Janet Evanovich, there is a new mystery writer on the scene that will keep all detective story lovers on the edge of their seats and eagerly turning the pages of one of the most exciting new novels of this year. I'm talking about Barbara Sullivan's first book, Unraveling Ada, a quilting mystery novel published by QuiltMyst Publishing
This estrogen charged novel introduces Rachel Lyons, a Southern California mid-aged private investigator whose life will undergo a rapid and disturbing change.
The discovery of a badly burned body in the Cleveland National Forest recent firestorm and Rachel's sharp eye forensic skills starts the reader on a journey that will enlighten and delight any lover of a good mystery.
Ms. Sullivan will introduce a host of interesting characters who she meets at a start-up quilting bee. Following the squares of an old quilt and the pattern of stitches leads our heroine to startling discoveries about a series of recent murders, a very strange and disturbing family who has a host of secrets to keep hidden and forces Rachel to confront some horrible facts about her own personal life.
This reader was taken with Ms. Sullivan's intimate knowledge of the workings of today's police department and how human they can be. Good cop, bad cop, dedicated cop, lazy cop are all part of this novel. From the initial crime scent and the need to protect same to the inside of an autopsy lab this author held the reader captive with insightful and informative details of police science and the way crimes are really solved.
I would recommend Unraveling Ada to any real mystery lover. Rachel Lyons, this Croc wearing silver Rossi 38 caliber revolver toting grandma takes the reader on an unforgettable journey of a tortured family and the deep secrets that they have been trying to hide from the world.
All in all a good read, this reader highly recommends Unraveling Ada and eagerly waits for the promised sequel."
Wonderful escapism!, By Anglers Rest (Devon, England)
"I was delighted when I spotted via Amazon just before Christmas. I had high hopes for the book and I wasn't disappointed. In fact I was only about a third of the way through the book when I checked if there was another in the series, which there was!
The series, opens with the introduction of the narrator Rachel, who with her husband Matt run a private investigator business. Rachel has a background in libraries and is a quilter looking for a regular American style quilting bee. Matt is an former military man. They are pretty much the business, although they do have a small team of employee who help them complete the various contracts.
Having looked for a quilting bee without success, the participants in one contact Rachel and invite her to join. Rachel does and is somewhat bewildered with the other members. Each one seems to have a story to tell and one to hide. By the end of the first evening, a member of the group ask Rachel if they can employer her to do some investigations. Rachel, agrees and leaves the quilting be clutching a quilt, a family tree and lots and lots of questions....
The story that unfolds is not complex, but it is a story with lots of strands, much like the strands holding a quilt together. The strands come together, which culminates with Rachel being threatened. Her investigations are getting close to the truth......and generations of secrets are about to be told.
I loved this book. It has everything that I love, characters that felt like they were having a conversation with me,a good storyline and a complex genealogy.
I am currently reading the second book in the series and I hope there is more in the series to come."
Quilts, coffee and murder ... what more could you want?,By S. Rasmussen (Texas)
"Although private investigator Rachel Lyons is the main character, the book is full of interesting characters ... interesting in more ways than one! As the newest member of a hand-quilting bee, Rachel quickly finds out that she was selected to participate in order to tap her skills as an investigator. After spending an entire night quilting with seven other women, she finds herself embroiled in a dark, family mystery that takes every ounce of her intelligence to solve, and more importantly, to stay alive.
This is a page turner that grabs you right from the beginning and won't let you go until you get to the end. I can't wait to read "Ripping Abigail"."
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