{"product_id":"picking-up-the-pieces-isbn-9798892422703","title":"Picking Up the Pieces","description":"\u003cb\u003eA dedicated group of jigsaw puzzle enthusiasts must put their problem-solving skills to the test when one of their own is murdered, for fans of Kate Young and Richard Osman.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter her mother’s passing, Katie Chambers returns to Cedar Bay, a  serene enclave nestled in the southwest corner of Washington State’s  Whidbey Island to support her newly widowed father, Jim Chambers.  Stepping into her mother’s footsteps, Katie takes on the role of graphic  designer at Cedar Bay Puzzles. With the help of her father, she  resurrects her mom’s cherished initiative, the South Island Jigsaw crew,  a group of puzzle enthusiasts who gather weekly at the library to test  and tackle the latest Cedar Bay Puzzles creations. But when a member of  their club is murdered and Jim is the last person to see her alive,  resulting in his arrest, Katie and the rest of the gang must use all of  their resources to obtain justice for both. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo prove  her father’s innocence, Katie reaches out to Connor Crozier, a  firefighter and her former flame who shattered her heart seven years  ago. With problems piling up at work and a competitor outright accusing  CBP of stealing his designs, it is up to Katie to puzzle out the mystery  before it’s too late. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePerfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Fellowship of Puzzlemakers\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eThe Marlow Murder Club\u003c\/i\u003e, this charming and fun mystery will have readers puzzling over the mystery until the last page.\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003ePicking Up the Pieces\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e“A great choice for both cozy fans and readers of other mysteries, and of course puzzle lovers.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eFirst Clue Reviews\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[An] inherently fascinating read from start to finish.”\u003cbr\u003e—\u003ci\u003eMidwest Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Fans of small-town murder mysteries will enjoy . . . With a good supporting cast, including a cat, there’s lots of stories left to tell in future novels.”\u003ci\u003e\u003cbr\u003e—Red Carpet Crash\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e“Spicy, smart, and entertaining, the chemistry between the characters sparkles. This one is a story to be read quickly, yet savored slowly.”\u003cbr\u003e—Steve Berry, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/i\u003e bestselling author of the Cotton Malone series\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Solving a jigsaw puzzle was never at once so deadly and so much fun.”\u003cbr\u003e—David Morrell, \u003ci\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/i\u003ebestselling author of \u003ci\u003eMurder as a Fine Art\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Cozy readers will be charmed and invested until the last piece of the puzzle is in place and the ending revealed. A fun new series!”\u003cbr\u003e—Holly Danvers, author of the Lakeside Library mysteries\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A witty, warm-hearted, fast-paced puzzler—an impressive mystery series debut! Lovers of \u003ci\u003eThe Thursday Murder Club \u003c\/i\u003ewill enjoy what author J.B. Abbott has created with The South Island Jigsaw Crew helmed by puzzle expert Katie Chambers. This crew tests the jigsaw puzzles that Katie’s firm designs and produces. The jigsaw testers—of various ages and professions—face a startling challenge when Katie’s librarian father is accused of murder and he refuses to fight for his innocence. Other major characters include a past boyfriend who is a local firefighter providing support and humor without overshadowing Katie and her puzzlers. Foggy, chilly Puget Sound provides a perfect mysterious setting. Whimsy the cat offers warm interactions at the right moments. This is a highly recommended debut novel in a mystery series led by smart characters that show a lot of heart.”\u003cbr\u003e—Christine DeSmet, author, Fudge Shop mysteries and Mischief in Moonstone novella series\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eBrian Tracey is the past chairman of DFWCon, Texas's premier multi-genre  writing conference. He's an active member and long-serving officer of  the DFW Writers’ Workshop and a member of International Thriller  Writers, serving as a volunteer in several capacities for ITW's annual  conference, ThrillerFest. He's published business articles and white  papers, and his short stories have appeared in \u003ci\u003eSuspense Magazine \u003c\/i\u003e(written  as Patrick J. McKnight). In addition to his thrillers, he also writes  cozy mysteries with Jeff Ayers. He lives in Texas with his wife, two  children, three cats, and many rabbits who've claimed his yard as their  own. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eJeff Ayers’s first book was a guide to the world of Star  Trek novels for Simon and Schuster, Voyages of Imagination. He read over  550 books for that project and interviewed over 350 people, including  William Shatner and John DeLancie. He has been a book reviewer for the  Associated Press and Booklist and is currently reviewing for Criminal  Element, Library Journal, and firstCLUE. Jeff has interviewed hundreds  of authors in newspapers, podcasts, and magazines. He is a retired  public librarian and a former coexecutive director of Thrillerfest for  International Thriller Writers. He co-writes thrillers about national  parks under the name A. J. Landau.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTogether they write as \u003cb\u003eJ. B. Abbott\u003c\/b\u003e.","brand":"Crooked Lane Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233475965157,"sku":"NP9798892422703","price":19.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9798892422703.jpg?v=1767734768","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/picking-up-the-pieces-isbn-9798892422703","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}