Zero Day

Zero Day by David Baldacci

From the Goodreads website:

"War hero John Puller is known to be the top investigator in the US Army’s CID. So when a family with military connections is brutally murdered in a remote area of West Virginia, Puller is called to investigate, and soon suspects the case has wider implications. 

As the body count rises he teams up with local homicide detective Samantha Cole. As the web of deceit is revealed, it quickly becomes apparent that there’s much more to this case than they had first thought. It is an investigation where nothing is as it seems, and nothing can be taken at face value."

I'm trying to catch up on blogging about the books I've read and here's another one that I really enjoyed.  This was a new main character for me and I kind of like him. A little sad about the ending, but it is fiction and not every book should end "happily ever after."

Boneyard Shawl

I took a Craftsy class called Shawlscapes by Stephen West and this is the class project.  I definitely recommend the class.  One of the things I learned was better way to M1L (make 1 left) and M1R (make 1 right).  He is fearless with his use of colors. I also recommend visiting his website.  He has some fabulous designs. 

 

I'm using an alpaca yarn that I purchased from a vendor (sorry, I don't remember the name) at the Princeton Junction Farmer's Market a few years ago. I had started another shawl about a year ago, but it was very difficult to see the stitch pattern so I ripped it out and switched to this one.

 

One thing for sure, nobody can accuse me of being a speedy knitter.

The Burning Wire

The Burning Wire by Jeffery Deaver

From the Goodreads website: "Deaver's latest Lincoln Rhyme novel brings back the brilliant criminologist and his partner/paramour with the plot line that fans have clamored for.

About the plot:
As Earth Day approaches, someone breaks into the power company and starts manipulating the electric grid in New York City to create "arc flashes," 5000-degree sparks that leap from electrical outlets and kill anybody nearby. It can happen at anytime, anywhere . . . . Is it eco-terrorists, or a disgruntled employee of the utility, or some psychotic individual? Lincoln Rhyme, Amelia Sachs and the crew from the prior Rhyme books have to race against time to find and stop the killer before more people die. Meanwhile, Rhyme is working with Kathryn Dance and a police official in Mexico to find and trap his nemesis, the Watchmaker, who is in Mexico City to assassinate a businessman. And Rhyme is finally confronting the question of dangerous surgery to improve his condition."

Well, what can I say. It's a Jeffery Deaver book so I loved it.

Wreath Block

I've started appliquing the wreath block on the Pennington Saturday Sampler.  Start with the center circle.

Make some leaves.  I pin the shape onto the fabric.

Then I sew around it with my sewing machine

Take out the pins and lift off the paper pattern and my leaf is marked for applique.  Then I trim away the excess fabric leaving about 1/4 inch.

Place them on the block and pin into place.  This pattern does not require precise placement so I just went with whatever looked good.

 I pick out a few of the machine stitches and turn under the fabric.  Then I stitch it down with the teeniest stitches I can manage.  Pick out a few more stitches, sew down a little more.  I just keep at it until I'm done.

 I can't remember where I learned this, but it really works for me.

A Maiden's Grave

A Maiden's Grave by Jeffery Deaver

From the Goodreads website "Eight vulnerable girls and their helpless teachers are forced off a school bus and held hostage. The madman who has them at gunpoint has a simple plan: one hostage an hour will die unless the demands are met. Called to the scene is Arthur Potter, the FBI's best hostage negotiator. He has a plan. But so does one of the hostages-a beautiful teacher who's willing to do anything to save the lives of her students. Now, the clock is ticking as a chilling game of cat and mouse begins."

Jeffery Deaver books rarely disappoint and this one was no exception.  I loved it right up til the very end and I still recommend reading it.  The ending was just a little too far fetched for me.