Thimble Thievery, The: A Cozy Mystery of Prickly Problems and a Needlepoint Nuisance

?? Needlework shop owner and embroidery expert Tilly Thimble is preparing for the annual Stitchery Showcase when the town's most competitive needlepointer is found dead in her shop—pricked by a poisoned needle protruding from a valuable antique thimble. The police suspect a tragic crafting accident, but Tilly recognizes the thimble as part of a stolen collection and notices the victim's latest needlepoint contains a hidden message in the stitch pattern. With her shop under scrutiny and the stitching community in knots, Tilly must thread together an investigation as delicate as fine embroidery. Assisted by her embroidery circle and the handsome antiques appraiser valuing her thimble collection, Tilly uncovers a scheme involving thimble theft, forged samplers, and a smuggling ring for historic sewing tools. From suspicious needle marks that reveal left-handed stitching to thread fibers that don't match the period, every detail points to a killer with a sharp eye for textiles. But when Tilly discovers the victim was blackmailing fellow stitchers about their family secrets hidden in heirloom samplers, she realizes the killer is protecting a legacy more intricate than any needlepoint. With the showcase just days away and the real culprit still weaving deception, Tilly must unpick this tangled web before her own thread gets permanently snipped.