mkean's review
3.0
slow, full of fluff, characters unbelievable, premise not used to full potential, more talking and fumbling than anything interesting.
francesp's review
5.0
One of my all time favorites. This story blends all my loves, romance, magic and fiber arts! All told in a lovely, enchanting manner.
sjgochenour's review
4.0
HAUNTED QUILT. Also: 1. LOTS of textile appreciation 2. large cast of excellent and often very funny characters, including animals 3. the rare Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters love interest who I think would be delightful in real life and not just in fiction 4. a twist that is a bit different than any I've seen before.
jellicle's review
5.0
Intriguing subject. Can fabric be haunted-why not given the intensity of emotion wrought into the very threads. Loved seeing old friends.
bookhero6's review against another edition
4.0
A fantastic trilogy with a satisfactory ending. I absolutely adore Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters. Definitely one of my favorite authors.
samirakatherine's review
5.0
Barbara Michaels is not literature, she is pulp fiction. But I love her books, have read them every few years since I was a teenager, and find them to be constantly, wonderfully engrossing. Reading them feels like visiting friends.
euchre35's review
3.0
Enjoyable book. Fun for me as I am a quilter and enjoy the story of the where the fabrics came from and how it was quilted.
the book has a supernatural feeling to it. I wish she had built on the Wiccans more and made them more believable rather than blowing them off as charlatans.
the book has a supernatural feeling to it. I wish she had built on the Wiccans more and made them more believable rather than blowing them off as charlatans.
jedimom9's review
3.0
I read a handful of Barbara Michael books in the 90's and really remember enjoying them. This is part of a trilogy that starts with Aimee Come Home which was the first book of hers that I read and really loved. It has been a long time so I didn't really remember much about it except that it had a great gothic creepiness to it and sucked me in. Sadly, this did not do the same. I felt like the supernatural elements were not brought to life but rather discussed like a dissertation. It removed me from the action and bogged down the pacing. There was also a lot of talk about feminism while at the same time detailing lots of chauvinistic remarks and behaviors. That bothered me a lot and had me trying to remember if all her books were like this or just this one in particular. But I enjoyed it enough that I will try another Barbara Michaels book, as well as an occasional Amelia Peabody, in the future.
hollie313's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
krisrid's review
5.0
Great book!! This book has so much in it that I don't even know where to start.
There's a mystery surrounding the antique quilt that arrives at the vintage clothing store where main character Rachel works. There's smart and funny inter-play between the very different and interesting other people in the story. There's in-depth examinations of the superstitions and magical beliefs and practices of various cultures. There are restless spirits, and what appears to be a possession of one of the characters by one of these mysterious spirits from the past. There's also romance, with the required obstacles to same.
The story is very entertaining and engrossing. You find yourself leaning forward as you read because you're dying to know what happens. The supporting characters are very colourful and the way they all interact makes for some funny scenes.
I should mention that this is the second in what could "loosely" be termed a trilogy [the other books are Ammie Come Home" and "Shattered Silk"]. However, due to the talent of author Barbara Michaels, each book is a fully-developed story all on its own, with a complete and satisfying ending.
You can absolutely read and enjoy each book on its own without reading the others. But if you have read the earlier books, the references to the other books that Michaels gently and skillfully works in to the present story will add an extra element of enjoyment to the current book.
Something else I particularly enjoyed about this book was the ending. Often a mystery or suspense novel works up to a frothing head of fever and the ending has to be an explosive and over-the-top climax. It's almost a formula. This book has a very unusual and creative ending for this type of book. Don't misunderstand - it's a perfect ending to the story based on what's come before, but it's a unique approach and I loved it.
I definitely would recommend this book.
There's a mystery surrounding the antique quilt that arrives at the vintage clothing store where main character Rachel works. There's smart and funny inter-play between the very different and interesting other people in the story. There's in-depth examinations of the superstitions and magical beliefs and practices of various cultures. There are restless spirits, and what appears to be a possession of one of the characters by one of these mysterious spirits from the past. There's also romance, with the required obstacles to same.
The story is very entertaining and engrossing. You find yourself leaning forward as you read because you're dying to know what happens. The supporting characters are very colourful and the way they all interact makes for some funny scenes.
I should mention that this is the second in what could "loosely" be termed a trilogy [the other books are Ammie Come Home" and "Shattered Silk"]. However, due to the talent of author Barbara Michaels, each book is a fully-developed story all on its own, with a complete and satisfying ending.
You can absolutely read and enjoy each book on its own without reading the others. But if you have read the earlier books, the references to the other books that Michaels gently and skillfully works in to the present story will add an extra element of enjoyment to the current book.
Something else I particularly enjoyed about this book was the ending. Often a mystery or suspense novel works up to a frothing head of fever and the ending has to be an explosive and over-the-top climax. It's almost a formula. This book has a very unusual and creative ending for this type of book. Don't misunderstand - it's a perfect ending to the story based on what's come before, but it's a unique approach and I loved it.
I definitely would recommend this book.