The Map Quilt

The Map Quilt

Book Two in The Buried Treasures series

A Novel by Lisa J Lickel

Genre: Sweet Romance Cozy Mystery

Release: May 4, 2012

Editor: Anne Duguid

Line editor: Greta Gunselman

Cover Designer: Nika Dixon

Words: 64808

Pages: 187

ISBN: 978-1-77127-038-0

Price: $5.95

Back Cover:

Death in rural Wisconsin is only the beginning to new chaos in Robertsville. What do a stolen piece of revolutionary agricultural equipment, a long-buried skeleton in the yard, and an old quilt with secrets have in common? Hart and Judy Wingate, who met in The Gold Standard, are back to solve the mystery of The Map Quilt. Hart’s new battery design could forever change the farm implement industry. But after the death of Hart’s most confrontational colleague in a fire that destroys Hart’s workshop, the battery is missing.

Throw in a guest speaker invited to Judy’s elementary classroom who insists she owns the land under Hart’s chief competitor’s corporate headquarters, and a police chief who’s making eyes at Hart’s widowed mother, it’s no wonder Hart is under a ton of pressure to make sure his adventurous pregnant wife stays safe while trying to preserve his company and his reputation.

Excerpt:

A week later, Hart still could not let go of the look between his mother and the chief. He saw them, googly-eyed, again and again, like in some movie reel. He had difficulty focusing on his plan to peek through Harding’s office now he and Bryce had flown to St. Louis. He had to shake off his mother’s business. He would deal with that little pickle when he got home. Maybe his brother Jim would like to know what was going on. Didn’t he care Mom drove so much, so far?

Back to the job at hand. Because of his widow’s lawsuit, Harding’s office was kept locked. It was on the other side of Crawford’s and shared an executive bathroom. Hart happened to know a spare key to Harding’s side was taped on top of the bathroom door frame, having seen Harding’s secretary use it one day when he was visiting his boss.

Bryce set up a golden opportunity for Hart to attempt access to Harding’s office when he offered to take Crawford and the others out for lunch. Hart made up the excuse of a phone call to stay back at the office, even though the celebratory lunch was for the reinstatement of his and Bryce’s project. Crawford’s long look did not deter Hart. Once Crawford’s assistant went to lunch herself, the coast was clear.

In Harding’s office, Hart booted up his colleague’s laptop while sneaking a glance at a stack of mail on the desk. He wondered about fingerprints, but decided to ask God to forgive him instead. Was there ever a good enough reason to break the law? Jesus went against the law of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Could he take a peek, if it would help figure out why Harding died? He did not, to his shame, know the state of Harding’s soul, but Hart was sorry he died in the manner he did. If anyone ever needed to look through his own personal or company papers to help Judy, he would be thankful.

Harding’s screen came to life and at the same time Hart noticed a bank statement poking out of the pile of mail. The envelope bore yellow tape marked “special attention.” Even with God’s forgiveness Hart would not have opened the envelope. He had seen that notation on notices that came to him he received before his former fiancé left him. It meant “overdraft.”

Harding’s file folders were arrayed on the desktop of his computer screen. Folder IA97762-F was right up front, along with a number of other projects in the 977 line, which stood for InventivAg’s power supply initiatives. Hart clicked the icon and saw that the information was stored in the “briefcase,” which meant it came and went with Harding, ready to be moved at a second’s notice into a portable flash drive; one of which was still inserted in a port. Three minutes later, the sweat of fear along his back chilled at the ominous sign of tampering in the design of his invention.

Hart had spent months with the tool people working out the type of steel to use. But Harding listed a different steel in the materials list for the key component. No wonder Jacobs from the production team had problems, as he stated in his fax to Bryce at the office before the fire. Was this the design that went out to assembly? He needed to check right away; hopefully he could prevent the bad steel from doing any lasting damage or hurting anyone if it crumpled under stress. Thank heavens the plant was right here, and not overseas.

Hart quickly shut down Harding’s system and rushed to the plant. Even if Harding was trying to take revenge on him or InventivAg for some unknown reason, Harding would not be so stupid as to try to pass on this mistake to Hugo.

About the Author:

Lisa Lickel is a Wisconsin writer who lives with her husband in a hundred and sixty-year-old house built by a Great Lakes ship captain. Surrounded by books and dragons, she writes inspiring fiction. Her novels include mystery and romance, all with a twist of grace. She has penned dozens of feature newspaper stories, short stories, magazine articles and radio theater. She is the editor in chief of Creative Wisconsin Magazine, a workshop leader, book reviewer, contest judge, and a freelance editor who loves to encourage new authors.

Customer Reviews:

From Elaine Marie Cooper, author of the Deer Run saga: http://deerrunbooks.comrnrnWhat could more intriguing than a contemporary mystery/romance about buried treasure that’s also filled with history? The Map Quilt by Lisa J. Lickel is a fun and satisfying read for the grown ups that still long for an involving mystery that provides plenty of detail without overemphasizing the grittier aspects of a story involving bodies.rnrnThe central focus of this novel, which is the sequel to Lickel’s The Gold Standard, is an old family quilt that turns out to be so much more. Dating back to the days of slavery and the underground railroad, the quilt becomes the link from the past to the present. rnJudy and Hart Wingate, now married and expecting their first child, become caught in the middle of both business intrigue and the ownership rights of property based on an old deed—an important document that has gone missing. After generations of an African-American family’s loss of their land ownership, will big business win against the rights of justice for all?rnrnAs is her usual style with characters, Lickel is engagingly creative with her descriptions and personalities, leaving a reader smiling frequently over the fun quirks of all her characters. A few are familiar returnees from her first book in this Buried Treasure Series, but there are a few additions to this cast in The Map Quilt that are equally charming. rnrnThe historical aspects included in this book are such a precious part of the plot. It reminds us how close our nation’s amazing history is to our present—and in The Map Quilt, it is as close as the characters’ backyard. rnIt was not that long ago that some white families reached out to help their black fellow Americans reach freedom. Some on both sides survived the dangerous endeavor, while others died in the effort. This is a book that will entertain as well as touch the heart and soul of America—freedom for all.rnWell worth the read.rn

You may also be interested in this/these product(s)

A Band of Roses $5.95