Edith, posting from Silver Spring, Maryland the day before Malice starts! Please join me in welcoming back a woman with amazing strength of character and will – and talent, too – the lovely Lea Wait.
Thanks for the invitation to be here!
It’s the Merry Month of May, and I‘m celebrating the publication of THREAD ON ARRIVAL, the eighth book in my Mainely Needlepoint series, centered around a small diverse cast of characters who do custom needlepoint (and identify and restore antique needlepoint) in the working waterfront community of Haven Harbor, Maine.
As do most small communities Haven Harbor takes care of its own. One of those is Ike Hamilton, a lifelong resident of the town. Ike was born with an intellectual disability. His parents cared for him when they were alive, but they’re gone now, the house they lived in was condemned, and Ike lives in the garage his father had equipped as a workshop, with water and heat. He survives on disability payments and by redeeming bottles and cans. Many people in Haven Harbor save their empties for Ike, who makes regular rounds to collect them. Some people share their meals with him. The postmaster drives him to the redemption center every Saturday. And the local police keep an eye on Ike on cold winter days.
In return, Ike keeps an eye on everyone in town. He knows more than most people imagine about what is happening in Haven Harbor, although he sometimes misinterprets what he sees. Exchanging gossip for bottles and food is his currency. Ike’s a kind man, very conscious of what is right and what is wrong, so when he meets Leo, a teenaged runaway, he offers to share his home with the boy.
And because he does that, Leo is the logical suspect when Ike is found, murdered.
Will Haven Harbor embrace the young newcomer? What secrets did Ike know that might have led someone to kill him? Mainely Needlepoint protagonist Angie Curtis decides to find out, especially after her fellow needlepointer, Dave Percy, takes a special interest in Leo. But, then, Dave has secrets, too.
Readers: Who have you known who keeps track of goings on in your town or community?
BIO: Maine author Lea Wait has had 27 books published, including the Mainely Needlepoint series, the Shadows Antique Print Mystery series, and the Mainely Murder series. She also writes historical novels for both adults and children. For more information about Lea and her books, friend her on Facebook and check her website, www.leawait.com, which includes links to prequels of many of her books, including THREAD ON ARRIVAL.