Dewey Pellicano would rather swallow needles than run a quilt shop. But Dewey's mom, who died suddenly just six months ago, left Quilter Paradiso to her. This last tie to her mother is spoiled by a conniving employee who's also Dewey's baby-talking sister-in-law. During a national quilt show, Dewey decides she's had enough and agrees to sell Quilter Paradiso to quilting celebrity Claire Armstrong. Her plan unravels when she finds Claire fatally slashed by a rotary cutter. This gruesome tragedy brings homicide detective and old family friend Buster Healey into Dewey's life. Their reunion turns into a hot romance — until another murder takes place.

A mysterious notebook written in code helps Dewey thread together the not-so-secret illegal transactions of Claire . . . and her startling connection to Dewey's mom. Can Dewey come to terms with her mother's death, patch things up with Buster, and sew up the case before the killer strikes again?