When Beatrice Coleman retires from her museum curator position in busy Atlanta and moves to a small town in North Carolina to be near her daughter, she has no idea how her life will change.

Nosy neighbor Meadow is not only the sheriff’s wife; she is also the president of the Quilters Guild and always looking for new quilters to join their fellowship and fun. The quiet, peaceful life in a small Southern town eludes Beatrice as she is constantly visited by her neighbor and Meadow’s giant lovable dog, Boris.

Although Beatrice does not claim to be a quilter, or even have a desire to learn to be a quilter, she does have a lot of experience as a curator of folk art and recognizes the art in each of the quilts being produced in the guild. In offering her appraisal of one particular quilt, Beatrice sets off a tidal wave of suspicion and anger among her new quilting friends, resulting in the death of one of the ladies. Suddenly everyone is a suspect, including Beatrice, and when two additional attacks are made on Beatrice and the matriarch of the town, nerves are set on edge.

Since the sheriff is convinced that the attacks and death are unrelated, Beatrice sets out to assist in the investigation herself. Using her curator senses, she narrows down the possibilities and homes in on the guilty party, but not before she is caught in the murderer’s clutches. Only her whistle and an unusual companion will be able to turn the outcome to Beatrice’s favor.

Author Craig has given us characters who are as familiar as our own neighbors and family. As the mother of two young children, it is difficult to imagine how she finds time to bring these characters to life, but we are grateful that she does and hopefully will continue to do so. With the first “Southern Quilting Mystery” under her belt, we look forward to new stories about old friends.