First published 1996
Benni arrives in Kansas for her honeymoon, eager to meet her husband's family and childhood friends. The visit takes a dark turn when an ex-Amish woman with musical ambitions turns up dead. Benni finds herself drawn into the investigation, sifting through decades of relationships and small-town secrets. A quilt holds the key to the mystery, but not in the way she first expects. The pattern itself seems obvious, yet Benni must dig deeper into her memory to recall the specific names of quilt patterns. Each name carries meaning that could reveal the killer's identity. As she navigates the complex web of her husband's past friendships, Benni discovers that solving this murder means understanding how childhood bonds can twist into deadly rivalries. The case tests her detective skills while forcing her to confront the shadows that linger in even the closest relationships.
Genres: fiction, mystery, contemporary, thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-drama
Setting: Kansas
Period: Contemporary
306 pages · Hardcover · Berkley Hardcover