Two Purloined Pillows

When 30-something graphic artist Shelby Phillips reluctantly returned to her small hometown outside Asheville, North Carolina to manage her mother's needlepoint shop, she thought it was temporary. But getting entangled in murder investigations has a timeline of its own...

It's been a little over a year since Shelby started managing Nina's Nimble Needle following her office-romance and career implosion, and Shelby's mom has finally handed her the reins--technically, at least. Next, Shelby is excited to oversee two well-known needlepoint designers who will be participating in the town's first two-week-long arts festival . . .

Laura Bitters and Paul Bardo have each stitched up one-of-a-kind pillows that should be big wins for the Nimble Needle at the festival's auction . . . until the pillows vanish amid a sudden string of shoplifting incidents.

To add to the knot in Shelby's stomach, Laura proves highly anxious, while Paul is an egomaniac who believes Laura has been stealing his customers for years. But things go from bad to tragic when Laura behaves oddly at the auction dinner, then collapses--dead.

Soon after, Shelby makes a shocking discovery in Laura's room at the local inn. Then tests reveal that Laura was poisoned. Resolved to piece together the truth, despite the police chief's determination to keep her on the fringes, Shelby rallies her personal team, including her sister, Jessica, her friend Deb, and Jake, her potentially more than a friend. As an extra twist, a magazine reporter arrives with unsettling--yet useful--dirt that includes Laura and Paul.

What unravels is a skein of suspects, long-held resentment, bitter jealousy, and betrayal, from which Shelby will have to pull the one crucial thread tied to the killer: a murder-worthy motive . . .

Author: Allie Pleiter
Publisher: Kensington Cozies
Published: 03/31/2026
Pages: 272
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.79lbs
Size: 8.51h x 5.84w x 1.00d
ISBN: 9781496752031

About the Author
Allie Pleiter is an internationally bestselling author, an accomplished productivity coach, and an avid knitter and needlepointer. In addition to 6 nonfiction books, she has written dozens of popular fiction, mystery, and romance novels with more than 1.6 million copies sold. The creator of The Chunky Method, a time management system, she teaches creative people how to be more productive and productive people how to be more creative through her coaching practice and nationwide speaking engagements. She also is a regular speaker within the crafting and knitting community, appearing at yarn and craft shops as well as national events including Stitches Midwest, Vogue Knitting Live, and the Wanderstitch Cruise onboard Norwegian Cruise Lines. An alumna of Northwestern University, she is a member of Sisters in Crime, the American Needlepoint Guild and the National Speakers Association. She lives with her husband and adorable dog near Charlotte, NC, and can be found online at AlliePleiter.com.