Series: Threadville Mystery, #4
Publisher: Berkley
Released: June 3, 2014
Source: Review copy from the publisher
Rating: ★★★¾

Zombies, killer dresses, and ancient curses prove that Halloween in Threadville can be sew spooky…

It’s early October, and hordes of visitors have descended on the tiny, celebrated village of Threadville, Pennsylvania, to attend a Halloween crafts fair, a zombie retreat, and the wedding of Edna Battersby – dear friend to Willow Vanderling, owner of the chic machine embroidery boutique, In Stitches.

As a friendly prank for Edna’s wedding, Willow and the rest of the Threadville gang have fashioned an overly extravagant hoopskirt, complete with lights and music. But in a bizarre turn of events, the garish gown is implicated in a mysterious lakeside murder.

Now Willow must follow a trail of glow-in-the-dark thread, delve into ancient Egyptian curses, and creep through a haunted graveyard to unearth a killer – before she becomes the next fashion victim…

This was my first visit to the crafty town of Elderberry Bay, Pennsylvania, fondly known as Threadville to residents and tourists. This October is especially busy for the tiny textile town with three big events going on – a Halloween crafts fair, a zombie lovers convention, and the wedding of a local couple, bride Edna Battersby and her groom.

As a prank, Edna’s pal Willow Vanderling and the rest of her circle of friends create an ostentatious, over-the-top hoop skirt for the bride to wear. Unfortunately, the laughs don’t last long because the skirt is involved in the suspicious murder of a crafts fair participant. Willow was first on the scene, and though she’s promised police she wouldn’t get involved with another murder investigation, she just can’t help herself.

The mystery was complex and not easy to figure out. Ancient curses, glow-in-the-dark thread, disgruntled zombies. It was fun putting the pieces of the puzzle together as Willow discovered them. I especially loved the Halloween theme and the spooky atmosphere the author created.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING THREAD had a big cast of characters, and sometimes it was difficult to keep everyone straight. This might be because I’m starting at book four in the series, and I need more back story.  I’d love to know why Willow lets her mother boss her around all the way from South Carolina, including pushing an obnoxious house guest on her. Ugh. Brianna, the guest, was so annoying! Poor Willow.

This was a fun Halloween cozy, good for reading any time of year. There’s also a lovely embroidery project included that ties in with one of the events in the book.

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.