Janet Bolin Books In Order

Publication Order of Threadville Mystery Books

Publication Order of Deputy Donut Mysteries Books

Janet Bolin is a Canadian cozy mystery novelist with 5 very popular titles to her name. She started writing her very popular Threadville Mystery series in 2011. Like most cozy mysteries, the novels are set in a small town/village setting where you can get engrossed in the good old-fashioned mayhem, machine embroidery, quilting, and murder. Even as Bolin only started writing in 2011, she has exploded onto the cozy mystery scene in a big way to become one of its most popular writers.

She always had a knack for embroidery and design from when she was seven. For years, she would offer helpful suggestions to embellish the clothes that her mother sewed and designed for her. However, the turning point for her was when her mother asked her to design a skirt for herself. After painstakingly choosing her fabric, cutting it, stitching it up and finally applying the finishing touches with wine red embroidery, she was hooked, forever. While before embroidery and design was simply a hobby, it became an obsession, which has never let up to this day.

Growing up, Bolin always had a fascination with reading. She would frequently ask about where the books came from, and about the authors of the books. At a very early age, she knew what she wanted to do when she grew up – become a writer. Nonetheless, she asserts that whether she grew up or not is still up in the air. She still has the same fascination with books that she had as a kid, and is still a voracious reader. But that is not the only thing that she does, as she also enjoys crocheting, knitting, sewing, writing, reading, and going on long walks with her dogs. She also tries to learn the piano but she has somehow managed not to learn anything to write home about. Nonetheless, her first loves will always be embroidery and writing, which explains why she writes books where her chief protagonist is Willow Vanderling, an embroidery shop owner that solves crimes.

A few years ago, she discovered high tech sewing machines, and embroidery with software. With her love of embroidery, she feels like embroidering almost everything that she owns, though that is impractical. Even so, she finds the creation of designs fun in and of itself, to add to the fact that they make for spectacular quilt patterns. Given that she lives out in the countryside, she felt that she had to create a story of the struggles of people that take long drives to buy supplies, so that they can embellish or create their own garments and textiles. The need to tell this story is how Threadville, the village setting for the Threadville Mystery series of novels was born. In Threadville, everything that an embroiderer or clothes designer might want or need can be found on one short street. She also created the strong willed Willow Vanderling, the embroidery shop owner who sells machines, software, fabrics, and gorgeous threads that Bolin always wished she could get from her local shop in the village. Every now and then, Vanderling and her friends are involved in solving a murder two as a way of getting away from their creative pursuits.

One of the best cozy mystery writers to emerge in this decade, Janet Bolin has been on the shortlist for the Agatha Award for Best Novel of 2011 for the title Dire Threads, and was nominated for the 2012 Bony Blithe Awards for Threaded for Trouble. Cozy Mystery Book Reviews once asserted that calling Janet Bolin a masterful storyteller is an understatement – that is just how good she is.

One of the most popular of Janet Bolin’s novels is Dire Threads, the first novel in the Threadville Mystery series. The main attraction in Threadville, Pennsylvania is its beautifully designed tiles. However, things go haywire when a prominent figure in the little town is killed, leaving the community reeling, and asking questions. Meanwhile Willow Vanderling who has recently opened her embroidery shop is anxious to see it become a success. As for traffic numbers, she has nothing to worry about as her store, as In Stitches is a big hit with tourists. But Mike Krawbach, the town’s zoning commissioner is not impressed by the Vanderling’s small business and is out rightly hostile. He denies her ambitious plans to refit the beautiful cottage behind her shop, and tries to trick tourists to sign a petition asking for the cottage to be demolished and an ATV trail be established on the route. Furious with Krawbach’s backstabbing, she publicly declares war against the corrupt commissioner. Mike does not do her any favors as he turns up dead in her backyard. Suddenly Threadlville’s newest shopkeeper and most outspoken resident has to try to get herself out of a murder charge. With so much evidence against her, Willow has no choice but to find the inspector’s murderer or else an orange prison jumpsuit is the next thing she will be embroidering.

Threaded for Trouble, the second title in the Threadville Mystery series of novels is another title that has become very popular with cozy mystery fans. The central theme of the small Threadville, Pennsylvania as the capital of crafts persists. The winner of a national sewing competition, Darlene Coddlefield has visited Willow Vanderling’s little store to collect her prize. In Stitches will present the winner with a Chandler Champion embroidery and sewing machine, a top of the line machine. But Darlene’s celebration is cut short as she turns up dead under her sewing table inside Willow’s store. The cause of death seems to be blunt force trauma as a result of the heavy machine falling on her. A little digging soon reveals that this was no ordinary accident. It is evident that someone must have crushed the young woman with her new sewing machine. The question is who had a vendetta against Darlene Coddlefield? Darlene’s husband, a fire chief, tops the long list of suspects that could have committed the ghastly deed. With the husband as the main suspect, Vanderling and Haylee her best friend, try to get more information from him by infiltrating the fire department as volunteer fire fighters. They soon find out that they may have sparked more trouble, when a second sewing machine turns problematic, threatening their very lives.