Joyce and Jim Lavene
Series
September 2nd :
Murder at the Ren Faire!
Hail ye, Hail ye and welcome
to the Renaissance Faire Village. Here Assistant Professor Jessie Morton
spends her summers honing her skills-- and finding the lady, lord or
serf whodunit. Usually the summer flies by but this time she gets
tangled in a deadly weave…
Jessie has been working as an apprentice to different artisans at the
Renaissance Faire Village every summer since she graduated from college.
But now that she's doing a Ph.D., it’s not just work, it’s research.
This summer her apprenticeship is with Mary Shift—a master basket weaver
who has a shop named Wicked Weaves, a dark past and a gift for creating
a tightly woven basket.
Things appear to be going without a hitch, until one day a man is bid a
deadly fare-thee-well with Mary’s signature basket weave wrapped around
his neck. It's up to Jessie to spring Mary from the stocks of the Myrtle
Beach police station. Yet innocence is hard to prove in a place where
there’s a fine line between reality and good theater—and Jessie must
work quickly before history repeats itself…
Renaissance recipes and facts included!
Praise for Wicked Weaves
"The action unfolds briskly and the renaissance faire setting is convincing in this rollicking whodunit. Wicked Weaves is a fun and fast-paced mystery tailor-made for renfolk of all ages." - Renaissance Magazine ~ Sept, 2008 issue
"A hearty HUZZAH! for Wicked
Weaves, first in the Renaissance Faire Mystery series. The Lavenes have
captured the essence of the modern faire experience. We doff our caps to
them!" - Renaissance Fantasy Magazine
"Enjoyable, as always, Joyce and Jim have captured yet another world
they make completely realistic, to the joy of their readers." - Koch's
Reviews
"Fast paced, clever and delightful!" - John Lamb, author of the Crafty
Teddy
"The Renaissance Faire setting offers a vibrant background for the
mysterious goings-on and the colorful cast of characters." - Kaye
Morgan, author of Sinister Sudoku
"As always, Joyce and Jim have done it again with a top-notch mystery
read that is laced with romance, exceptional, colorful, local characters
and a surprise ending. Just a great book from beginning to end, and one
I am proud to recommend."
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review
-- Publishers Weekly,
7/21/2008
Wicked Weaves
Joyce and Jim Lavene. Berkley Prime Crime, $6.99 (272p) ISBN
978-0-425-22330-7
This jolly series debut from the husband-and-wife Lavene team serves up
medieval murder and mayhem. USC doctoral candidate Jessie Morton studies
medieval crafts every summer at Myrtle Beach, S.C.’s Renaissance Faire
Village. While working with basket weaver Mary Shift, Jessie gets a
shock when Mary’s estranged husband, Joshua, is murdered in broad
daylight. She quickly learns the actors at the Faire may be hiding more
than their mundane lives. Jessie is certain that Mary is innocent of the
murder, but also suspects the old weaver knows more than she’s
revealing. The situation becomes more complicated as secrets from Mary’s
turbulent past comes to light. Faire bailiff Chase Manhattan (whose
hilarious name goes oddly unremarked) occasionally distracts Jessie with
the promise of summer romance, but her focus is on solving the mystery.
Fans of the Lavenes’ Peggy Lee Garden mysteries will appreciate Jessie’s
charm and determination as she sets out to clear her teacher’s name.
(Sept.)
Read our favorite scene from Wicked Weaves
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