SEAMS LIKE MURDER

A 20-something looking for respite in a new town finds herself in trouble when she becomes the obvious suspect in a surprising murder.

Call it keeping a low profile or hiding out: Abbey Chandler’s left Los Angeles for the low-key comfort of Hideaway Grove, California. Though she’d been in LA for less than a year, Abbey hadn’t been prepared for the way work drama took over her life, and memories of summers with her Aunt Sarah in Hideaway Grove make her think that this could be the perfect opportunity to restore and rebuild. Sarah converts a room in her shop, Sarah’s Sweets, so that Abbey can take over some sewing projects and craft a niche for herself. Abbey’s no sewing whiz, but she can learn, right? Sarah’s connected to a charity project that turns old pillowcases into dresses for African girls, and though the idea might seem to come from a bygone generation, the author’s notes and appended sewing directions link it to ongoing real-world charities. Abbey’s limited sewing skills are eclipsed when she sees the town’s latest librarian, Iris Duncan, mowed down by a car. And not just any car, but a car that looks just like Abbey’s—at least, according to the local sheriff’s department. Hideaway Grove isn’t the sort of place to have a murder, or is it? Abbey starts to wonder. To retrieve her car and clear her name, Abbey must get to know the community and find out if there’s something hiding under the surface of Hideaway Grove.

A new series launch with Howell’s signature spunk still sinks under a premise that’s not up to the challenge.