During a heatwave in Tinker's Cove, Maine, part-time reporter Lucy Stone becomes unseasonably entangled in handmade quilts--and a twisted case of murder . When a community center opens in town, many embrace it as a space where locals of all ages can gather and create. Others view it as a waste of taxpayer dollars. The director, Darleen Busby-Platt, is no less controversial. Intense and showy, Darleen has huge plans for her new role. But Lucy believes the woman isn't exactly as warm hearted--or qualified--as she seems. That hunch deepens when Darleen and a young employee vanish . and dismembered remains appear! With lots of clues and few concrete answers, Lucy rushes to connect loose ends.

First there's the disappearance of Tim Stillings, a troubled twenty-something who endured harsh treatment on the job. Next there's Darleen herself, who made fast enemies as the highest-paid resident in Tinker's Cove. Finally, there's Darleen's rich ancestry and ties to heirlooms worth either a fortune or nothing at all. The closer Lucy gets to the facts, the more she realizes that solving this murder depends on the lies. Because the truth rests somewhere between wild rumors, a trusted friend's emotional new sewing project, and the authenticity of a mysterious three-hundred-year-old patchwork quilt. And Lucy must piece together the big picture--before she becomes part of crafty killer's deadly design .