A Drunkard's Path: A Someday Quilts Mystery

As with the Lover's Knot I had a hard time putting this book down! I love the suspense, drama and how the characters have developed from one book to the next. I applaud the writer for writing in such a way that reading the first book is not a requirement (not an easy task I imagine). I hope there will be more in this series!

Continuing off of my enthusiasm for the first novel, I quickly purchased the next novel in the series. I wasn't disappointed. A Drunkard's Path is an excellent continuation of Nell's story. Nell is a young woman, new to quilting, but gaining experience daily working in her grandmother's quilt shop in a small town. Once again, you do not need to be a quilter to understand what is happening in the story. The story picks up with Nell as she's beginning a relationship with Jesse, the town's police chief. However, it's not to be (at least that first date.) Jesse doesn't show up because the body of a young woman has just washed up on the shores of Archers Rest and a new mystery has just consumed the community... after all, it is a small town and gossip travels quickly. Nell, who has inherited her grandmother's free spirit, finds herself compelled to try to help solve the latest mystery and continually seems to step on Jesse's toes. At the same time, Nell's world is changing. She begins classes at her art school where one class in particular is taught by a local celebrity, the famed and mysterious Oliver White. She meets several new people in her class, one who seems down on her luck and comes to live with Nell and her grandmother, and another who turns up dead, just a short distance from Nell's home. Another young woman murdered in Archers Rest. Just who could have committed these crimes? Once again, the author does an excellent job of casting suspicion on different characters and the resolution doesn't come until the end. I found this book to be engaging, relatable, fun, sentimental and, all in all, an excellent continuation of the series.

This was an enjoyable and charming mystery that I couldn't put down. I like the author's tone of the story and I felt like I was there with Nell, rooting her on in finding the killer.

I read and enjoyed the first book in the "Someday Quilts" series and was excited when this follow-up came out. The charm of the first novel derived from the straightforward yet endearing first-person voice (Nell's), the tight writing, and the solid mystery. The quilting tips were woven in (excuse the pun) seamlessly, and were fun to read even if you can barely sew on a button. And the town and the characters came to life in a very realistic way thanks to Clare O'Donohoe's uncluttered yet evocative writing and sharp dialogue. I'm happy to report that all those elements are all very much present in "A Drunkard's Path." In this novel we see Nell more at home in the town and more at peace with her divorce. She and Jesse take some tentative steps towards having a relationship, and she's taking classes at the local university while still working at her Grandmother's quilt shop. Then a body is found and as the mystery slowly builds, all the other narrative threads build along with it. I love the way Clare O'Donahue writes. She's an economical writer, meaning that she knows how to convey what she means without flowery, overly-descriptive language. At the same time, she does a great job of making Nell, her home, her family, and everyone she meets seem like real people with layers, eccentricities, and believable struggles. The romance is also progressing nicely, albeit slowly, but that, too, rings true. Nell is still working on reinventing herself in a way, and as is the case with other mystery heroines, her curiosity often gets the better of her. So it makes sense that she and Jesse are being excessively cautious. The central connection is there, though, and I'm very interested to see how the ensuing books develop it. As for the mystery, I enjoyed it, but will admit upfront I'm not super picky about the ins and outs of mystery plotting. This one had me guessing, held my interest, and surprised me here and there, so it worked for me. And it made this book a great one to read right around Hallowe'en! Grade: B+

the second in the Someday Quilts Mysteries and to thank the author for another excellent read! Having just re-read my review for The Lover's Knot, I can truly say "DITTO". The characters have all moved along in the wonderful way people do in life and, this one left me with tears in my eyes. (No spoiler here.) The mystery, new characters, new relationships, new QUILTS, left me wanting to read the third installment soon!! To be perfectly honest, I ordered this book along with others due out in November and foolishly had them shipped together....HOWEVER, I couldn't wait to read this, found out my local library had it and borrowed it. I will, nevertheless, keep my own copy so it may sit alongside Volume 1 on the bookshelf. My recommendation would be this: if you haven't read "The Lover's Knot" yet, do yourself a favor and begin the series with that one as it immediately takes you into the lives and hearts of all the characters I'm sure you'll come to know, love and enjoy...THEN move onto A Drunkard's Path and you'll be most pleased with the way the author has continued to write another terrific book. ENJOY!!!