{"product_id":"patterned-after-death-isbn-9780425282571","title":"Patterned After Death","description":"\u003cb\u003eMurder hits close to home for the Southern Sewing Circle in the latest mystery from national bestselling author Elizabeth Lynn Casey.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEveryone in Sweet Briar, South Carolina, knows former high school football stars Jake Davis and Noah Madden. The two were fierce rivals once and now, twenty years later, the dueling quarterbacks haven’t lost their luster. So townsfolk are surprised when Jake and Noah team up for a business venture. And there’s only one suspect when Noah turns up murdered. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMargaret Louise, Jake’s mother and one of the founding members of the sewing circle, isn’t about to take the attack on her son’s reputation lying down. In fact, she’s in full mama-bear mode. And Tori and the rest of the Sweet Briar gang are more than willing to help her sharpen her claws to catch a killer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePATTERN AND SEWING TIPS INCLUDED \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eElizabeth Lynn Casey\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the bestselling Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries, including \u003ci\u003eNeedle and Dread\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eWedding Duress\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTaken In\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Remnants of Murder\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eLet It Sew\u003c\/i\u003e.Chapter 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Wentworth Tucking her tote bag beside her feet, Tori Sinclair      glanced over at the sixtysomething woman beaming at her from      behind the sun-faded steering wheel.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I really appreciate the ride, Margaret Louise.\" Tori reached up,      grabbed hold of the seat belt, and fastened it across her lap and      shoulder. \"Saves Milo the hassle of having to drop everything just      to pick me up.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Peeking into the rearview mirror, Margaret Louise Davis yanked the      station wagon to the left and pressed down on the gas. Hard. If      she noticed the way the back of Tori's head smacked against the      headrest, she didn't let on. Instead, she turned left out of the      parking lot, her smile widening with each additional number gained      on the speedometer. \"I don't think there's anything that sweet      husband of yours wouldn't drop for you, Victoria.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And knowing Milo, you're probably right. But he's already doing      me a huge favor. On his Saturday, no less.\" Tori tried not to      grimace as they sped around the corner. \"I just hope whatever is      wrong with my car isn't anything too expensive. I kind of went a      little crazy on our trip to Heavenly, Pennsylvania, last month,      you know?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the end of Main Street, Margaret Louise turned right and then      left at the next four-way stop. \"Bring it to Jake. There ain't      nothin' he can't fix.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"But he has a business to run and I don't want to take advantage.\"      And she didn't. Just because Jake was Margaret Louise's son didn't      mean he should have to drop everything to work on her car.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Margaret Louise waved Tori's protest aside as if it were a pesky      gnat. \"I love you. Melissa loves you. And all eight of my      grandbabies love you. That right there is why Jake would move your      car to the front of the heap. Well, that and the fact he's just      the sweetest, most wonderful son a mama can ask for. Been that way      since the day he was born. No fussin' and no troublemakin'. Ever.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Spoken like a proud mama.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"There ain't no prouder, Victoria.\" At the next stop sign,      Margaret Louise stayed on the brake. \"Victoria? Would you mind if      we stop out at the garage before I bring you home? All this talk      about my boy is makin' me want to give him a hug.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She felt the smile as it raced across her face. \"Hugs are good.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Woo-ee.\" Margaret Louise looked both ways and then found the gas      pedal with a heavy foot. \"Wait 'til you see his place, Victoria.      Jake calls it state-of-the-art. I call it fancy-real fancy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e There was no denying the way Margaret Louise's natural enthusiasm      for life bubbled over the moment the subject of her son, his wife,      or their eight children came up. Even if the woman didn't utter a      word, the love she had for them was as tangible as the polyester      warm-up suit covering her plump form.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori swung her attention off the road in front of them and back      onto her friend. \"So the renovations are done?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yes siree, Victoria. And it sure looks mighty purty out there      now.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And the partnership with Noah is working out okay?\" Tori asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e It was quick. And it was fleeting. But there was no missing the      way Margaret Louise's smile faltered in response.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Margaret Louise?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Again, Margaret Louise waved at the air with her hand, only this      time it was a tad bit less emphatic. \"Don't mind me, Victoria. I'm      just a mama bear with a memory that won't quit. But I'm workin' on      it. For Jake's sake.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I know I wasn't living in Sweet Briar when Jake was in high      school, but I also know that was a long time ago. Surely an old      football rivalry is long dead and buried.\" Though, even as the      words left her lips, Tori knew she was speaking from a place of      ignorance. Sweet Briar was a small town. A small southern town,      for that matter. Ninety-five percent of the residents had been      born there, as had their fathers and mothers before them. It was a      dynamic she found both endearing and, at times, a little      disconcerting, too.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Sure enough, Margaret Louise stiffened in her seat, her gaze      firmly fixed on the road. \"You might think that, Victoria. But      defeat don't always go down easy. Especially when it was suffered      in front of friends and family the way Noah's and Noah's mama's      and daddy's was. Memories like that don't just fade away.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Eighteen years isn't exactly fading away, Margaret Louise. Life      goes on, you know? They're grown men, with jobs. And, in Jake's      case, a family.\" Tori reached across the seat and squeezed her      friend's shoulder. \"And, from what I can see, Noah has done pretty      well for himself since high school. Because here's the thing: the      clubs you belonged to and the awards you won in high school might      have mattered at that time, but in the real world no one      really\"-she stopped, mentally called back the word she was seconds      from uttering, and opted to get the point across with a slightly      softer touch-\"thinks too much about it, you know?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Margaret Louise said nothing as she turned right at the end of the      block. There, in front of them, loomed the new sign for Jake's      Garage-bright and eye-catching. \"I guess, if nothin' else, Jake's      business will increase now that Team Noah won't be drivin' clear      into another town just to have their cars fixed.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Team Noah?\" Tori echoed.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"The folks who favored Noah as quarterback that last year were      called Team Noah. The folks with workin' eyes were Team Jake.\" The      car slowed as they approached the building but resumed its normal      speed as a quick perusal yielded a closed sign on the door and no      sign of Jake's car in the lot. \"Well, I'll be darned. Looks like      that hug is gonna wait 'til I drop you off after all, Victoria.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She was pretty sure she nodded in response, but really, her      thoughts had yet to fully leave the previous conversation. \"So      these teams were essentially made up of family, I take it?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Family, friends, people in town. Everyone picked a team. Though      it ain't any coincidence the nicer folks are Team Jake.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Are?\" she repeated, only to pause as Margaret Louise made a      U-turn in the middle of the road and headed toward Tori's side of      town. \"You say that like these teams still exist.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Because they do.\" Margaret Louise swerved to avoid a squirrel,      her eyes darting between the road and Tori. \"And they're just as      loyal and adversarial now as they were then.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You can't be serious.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Ask Leona sometime. Bein' a business owner in this town gives her      a front-row seat to the inner workin's of Team Noah. Why, she can      tell you a story or two 'bout Team Noah that'd curl your toes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori winced as they narrowly missed yet another squirrel, and then      looked back at the driver. \"What's your sister and her business      got to do with this?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Noah's money is all over this town these days. And as for Leona,      she's Team Jake by default on account of bein' kin.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Okay, slow down. You lost me on the money part . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Margaret Louise opened her mouth to speak but closed it as Tori's      phone began to ring. Reaching down, Tori fished it out of the      center compartment and glanced down at the screen.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"It's Charles. Do you mind if I take this? He was on tap for      checking on Rose this morning, and I want to see how it went.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Put him on that speaker thingy so I can hear, too. Saves him      another call that way.\" At Tori's raised eyebrow, Margaret Louise      shrugged. \"I'm worried 'bout her, too, Victoria.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Nodding, Tori hit the green button and the speaker button in quick      succession. \"Hey, Charles. I'm in the car with Margaret Louise.      She's giving me a lift home from the library.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Puh-lease tell me you are wearing your seat buckle, sugar lips.      You know how that woman drives . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I am, I do, and . . . you're on speaker.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Silence filled the station wagon as she exchanged glances with a      clearly amused Margaret Louise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Why, Victoria, it's gotten mighty quiet on Charles's end,      wouldn't you say?\" Margaret Louise teased. \"Maybe our resident      Yankee has gone and found some crow-flavored Pixy Stix?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Charles cleared his throat, coughed, and then repeated the      sequence once again. When he was ready, he spoke, his voice a poor      disguise for the embarrassment he was still working to overcome.      \"I, uh . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How was Rose this morning?\" Tori asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e If relief wasn't an audible emotion before, it was now. The only      thing missing was the visual of Charles's shoulders as they sagged      against the wall he was undoubtedly leaning on in the back room of      his new shop, Snap. To. It. Books \u0026amp; CafŽ. His rush to take      advantage of the shift in conversation, though, sufficed.      \"Honestly, Victoria, I'm worried.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori felt her body stiffen. \"Worried? Why? What happened? Is Rose      okay?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Nothing happened, per se. She just seemed to have a harder time      moving around her place than she had even at last week's sewing      circle meeting.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"And she wasn't movin' 'round good then, neither.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori nodded along with Margaret Louise's words even as her gaze      skipped to the dashboard clock. \"I'm going to be bringing a dinner      plate over to Rose later this evening, so that'll give me a chance      to see if there's any improvement.\" The words tasted bitter on her      mouth as the reality she'd been trying to ignore the past few      weeks loomed large.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Rose Winters's health was failing, plain and simple. Yes, Tori      could continue to chalk it up to the cooler than normal spring      temperatures, but Leona had been really good about keeping their      shop, SewTastic, at a comfortable temperature. And Tori could      continue to explain away Rose's hit-or-miss attendance at the      sewing circle's weekly meetings as a few repeated bouts of      fatigue, but even that made no sense. When Rose wasn't doing      anything but staying home, there really was no reason for her to      be so tired.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e She could feel Margaret Louise looking at her, but she refused to      make eye contact. If she did, she knew the tears she was trying so      valiantly to keep from her voice and her cheeks would finally win.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You'll give me a ring after you see her, won't you, sugar lips?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I will.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Well, I better get back out on the floor before closing time.\"      Charles sighed, then hesitated, and then sighed again. \"Margaret      Louise?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Yes, Charles?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I adore you. You know that, don't you?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I do. That's why I reckon I'll swing by and pick you up just as      soon as I deliver Tori back to that sweet husband of hers.\"      Margaret Louise winked at Tori just before she slammed on the      brakes at the next four-way stop. \"Why, maybe we can drive clear      out to Breeze Point and see us a movie . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I-I have plans with your sister tonight.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Oh?\" Margaret Louise taunted.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"I . . . yeah . . . we're . . . um . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori savored the emotional reprieve offered by Charles's hemming      and hawing and grinned back at Margaret Louise.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Margaret Louise winked and turned up the pressure a notch.      \"Because my car can fit three people, you know . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Uh . . . we're . . .\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori hit mute just long enough to give in to the laugh she could      no longer keep at bay. \"You can almost hear him sweating, can't      you?\" she whispered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Wait! We're . . . um . . . having a photo shoot with Paris,\"      Charles said as Tori un-muted the call. \"Yeah, that's what we're      doing. And it . . . um . . . has to be . . . um . . . in her own      environment!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You sure? 'Cause I got me a full tank of gas and I'm revvin' to      go somewhere.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"No. No. I'm good. I-I'll have to take a rain check on that      revvin'.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"How 'bout tomorrow, then?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Charles's silence hung heavy in the air before it was broken by      something that sounded suspiciously like a clap. \"I'm sorry,      ladies . . . a . . . a customer just came in. So as much as I hate      to cut this short . . . I have to go.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e And then he was gone, Margaret Louise's answering chuckle the only      sound that remained.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"So you know?\" Tori asked.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e The car slowed as they turned onto Tori's street. \"You mean 'bout      the paper bags he breathes into every time he's sittin' in my      backseat?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori swallowed, unable to speak.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"What do you think I am, Victoria? Three pickles shy of a quart?      Course I know.\" Margaret Louise sideswiped the curb in front of      Tori's house and slid the car into park. \"It don't make no sense,      if you ask me. I don't drive any faster than anyone else.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori resisted the urge to snicker and, instead, offered a      noncommittal shrug. \"Well, thanks for the ride. It was a huge      help.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Anytime, Victoria. You know that.\" Margaret Louise released her      hold on the steering wheel long enough to capture Tori's chin      between her fingers. \"I know you're worryin' somethin' fierce      'bout Rose. We all are. But the only thing we can do is exactly      what we're doin'. Keepin' a close eye on her.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"But what if something happens when none of us are there to help?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"She has her phone in her sweater pocket at all times, Victoria.      She'll call for help.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e But what if she falls and knocks herself out?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What if she's too weak to dial?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e What if . . .\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori shook the troubling thoughts from her head and took a long,      deep breath. She'd taken enough of Margaret Louise's time already.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Plucking her bag off the floor, she opened the passenger-side door      and stepped onto the sidewalk. \"Thanks again.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"You get that out to Jake this evenin', you hear?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Tori followed the path forged by Margaret Louise's finger and      sighed when she saw her car in exactly the same spot it had been      in when it started making weird noises that morning. \"It's      Saturday night, Margaret Louise. He's already gone home for the      day, remember? Besides, he's probably got a long list of customers      ahead of me.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Knowin' my Jake, he'll be back at the garage after dinner tyin'      up one loose end or the other. Been doin' that for years.\"      Margaret Louise returned her hand to the gearshift and her foot to      the gas pedal, but stopped short of actually engaging either as      she smiled out at Tori. \"And you ain't just a customer, Victoria.      You're as good as family. Jake knows that.\"","brand":"Berkley","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46300814180581,"sku":"NP9780425282571","price":7.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780425282571.jpg?v=1742921605","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/patterned-after-death-isbn-9780425282571","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}