Welcome to my stop on the Great Escapes Virtual Book Tour for Embroidered Lies and Alibis (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) by Lois Winston! Today we are featuring a review of the 15th book in this cozy mystery series. Stop by each blog on the tour for interviews, guest posts, spotlights, reviews, and more! There is also a Giveaway for digital copies of Embroidered Lies and Alibis. ENTER HERE!

Embroidered Lies and Alibis (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
15th in Series
Setting – New Jersey
Independently Published
Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 10, 2026
Print length ‏ : ‎ 199 pages
Digital ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1940795812
ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0FZDBKCJD

About the Book:

A Stitch in Time Could Save a Life…

When Anastasia’s mother Flora is offered a free spa vacation from Jeremy Dugan, a man connected to her distant past, Anastasia and husband Zack suspect ulterior motives. After all, too-good-to-be-true often spells trouble. Their suspicions are confirmed when the FBI swoops in to apprehend Dugan. However, Dugan isn’t who he claimed to be, and his arrest raises more questions than answers.

The Feds link Dugan to a string of cons targeting elderly single women across the country, but his seemingly airtight alibi leaves investigators stumped. Then, shortly after his release on bail, he’s kidnapped. A certain segment of New Jersey’s population is known for delivering deadly messages, and the FBI believes Dugan received one of them.

Meanwhile, bodies begin showing up in the newly created public garden across the street from Anastasia and Zack’s home. With two baffling crimes, no clear suspects, scant evidence, and every possible motive unraveling, both the FBI and local law enforcement are once again picking Anastasia’s brain. This time, though, her involvement is far from reluctant. Will she stitch together enough clues before she or someone she loves becomes the killer’s next victim?

Craft project included.

 My Review:

Another fun installment in such a delightful cozy mystery series! I read this so quickly, pulled into the story immediately and not stopping until the very end. 

I love Anastasia and Zack together and of course, Anastasia is a top notch sleuth! I can always trust her to find the truth, despite the dizzying twists and turns present. 

The cozy details added to the story bring both the setting and characters to life – from descriptions of Anastasia’s home or the meals she’s enjoying, I love all that added cozy. 

I’d be remiss if I did not mention the humor sprinkled throughout. Never over done or mad-cap – just the right amount to add to my reading enjoyment. 

About the Author:

USA Today and Amazon bestselling author Lois Winston began her award-winning writing career with Talk Gertie to Me, a humorous fish-out-of-water novel about a small-town girl going off to the big city and the mother who had other ideas. That was followed by the romantic suspense Love, Lies and a Double Shot of Deception.

Then Lois’s writing segued unexpectedly into the world of humorous amateur sleuth mysteries, thanks to a conversation her agent had with an editor looking for craft-themed mysteries. In her day job Lois was an award-winning craft and needlework designer, and although she’d never written a mystery—or had even thought about writing a mystery—her agent decided she was the perfect person to pen a series for this editor. Thus, was born the Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mysteries, which Kirkus Reviews dubbed “North Jersey’s more mature answer to Stephanie Plum.” The series now includes fifteen novels and three novellas. Lois also writes the Empty Nest Mysteries, currently at two novels, and one book so far in her Mom Squad Capers series.

To date, Lois has published twenty-four novels, five novellas, several short stories, one children’s chapter book, and one nonfiction book on writing, inspired by her twelve years working as an associate at a literary agency. To learn more about Lois and her books, visit her website. Sign up for her newsletter to receive an Anastasia Pollack Mini-Mystery. She also blogs regularly at The Stiletto Gang and Booklover’s Bench.

Author Links:

| Website | Newsletter Sign-up | BookBub | Goodreads |

| Booklover’s Bench |

| The Stiletto Gang |

Purchase Links: Amazon     Kobo    Barnes & Noble   Apple Books

TOUR PARTICIPANTS:

• February 11 – Jody’s Bookish Haven – SPOTLIGHT
• February 12 – Books, Ramblings, and Tea – SPOTLIGHT
• February 13 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT  
• February 14 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT
• February 14 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT
• February 15 – Cozy Up With Kathy – CHARACTER GUEST POST
• February 16 – @bibliophile_foodie – REVIEW  
• February 17 – Jane Reads – AUTHOR GUEST POST  
• February 18 – Boys’ Mom Reads! – SPOTLIGHT  
• February 19 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW
• February 20 – Reading, Writing & Stitch-Metic – CRAFT PROJECT
• February 21 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
• February 21 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
• February 22 – Sarah Can’t Stop Reading Books – REVIEW
• February 23 – Sarandipity’s – CHARACTER GUEST POST
• February 23 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
• February 24 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – AUTHOR GUEST POST

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