Have you ever tried binding a quilt while unraveling a centuries-old conspiracy—with a chihuahua by your side? Welcome to my life.
I’m Alex Bailey—retired lawyer, accidental sleuth, devoted quilter, and, depending on the day, keeper of secrets, stray souls, and one very opinionated eight-pound mutt named Kibbles. She has her own form of Morse code: one bark for yes, two for no, and three if we’re all about to perish. Trust me, it’s more reliable than most cell service on my island of Madras.
My mornings usually begin with hot chocolate and the soft skitter of Kibbles’ paws. If I’m at the family homestead in Massachusetts, the scent of pine forest is ever-present. On Madras, the air smells like mangoes and mischief.
Wherever I wake up, my day starts with fabric. Quilting is more than a hobby—it’s meditation, therapy. Especially when I receive a suspiciously timed “gift” dropped at my door.
Midday is where the chaos blooms. I’m usually knee-deep in clues left by my late adoptive grandmother and the remnants of a semi-defunct secret society. When I’m not decoding the latest mystery, I’m juggling the finances of my chosen family—which includes a drama school, a crumbling island research center, and a boy-man barista with a flair for trouble.
And then there’s Hawk—yes, that’s his real and only name. My fiancé is equal parts myth and man: quiet until it counts, loyal to a fault, and always there… even when he’s not.
Evenings are sacred. That’s when I quilt, breathe, and listen to Kibbles snore like a miniature chainsaw. If Hawk’s around, he’ll sit beside me and say maybe five words—ten if someone’s trying to kill us. That’s love: it doesn’t always need to speak to be heard.
So that’s a day in my life: Quilt. Sleuth. Solve. Repeat. It’s a patchwork existence, but every day holds something new.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, Kibbles just barked in alarm… which probably means the mailman is about to drop off a clue for our next mystery.
Sewing Suspicion – A Quilting Mystery, Book 1
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Print, Digital, Audio
Purchase Link
Secrets and a patchwork of white lies.
Can Alex Bailey string together the truth before her life unravels?
Alex’s heart feels threadbare. Struggling with the dubious practices of her NYC law firm, she’s left her high-profile career to travel home and care for the woman who raised her. But when an ill fate befalls the quilting matriarch, Alex suspects someone is covering up murder.
Untangling the strands of her beloved grandmother’s life, Alex patches together clues that prove her loved one’s death was no accident. And when the law firm’s stained history is linked to the culprit’s devious handiwork, she’ll need to stay alive long enough to expose a heartless killer.
Can Alex get to the bottom of a sinister pattern before she ends up buried in a flower garden?
This is the first book in the 9-book series with Sewing Suspicion, Quilting Calamity, Pressing Matters, Threading Trouble, Stitching Concerns, Mending Mischief, Patchwork Perils (May 2025), Seaming Uncertainty (Aug 2025), and Whipstitching Worries (Feb 2026).
Meet the author
Inspired by the laugh-out-loud and fanciful aspects of cozies, Kathryn Mykel writes lighthearted, humorous cozies that play on her passion for the craft of quilting. She’s an avid quilter who resides in New England with her dog Bentley.
You can find Kathryn at authorkathrynmykel.com.