The cats & the riddle
(Book)

Beautiful -- but mysterious -- needle-felted sculptures of cats are being dropped off at homes, shops, and government buildings all around Stony Point, Maine, and no one has a clue as to where they came from or who created them. Even the members of the Hook and Needle Club are stymied. The club members know about the intricacies of the art of needle felting, but no one is accomplished enough to be the giver of the mysterious gifts. So the club, led by Annie Dawson and Alice MacFarlane, must decipher the riddle of the cats. In the meantime, another mystery pushes its way into Annie's life. Adam Smithfield, a publisher of children's books from London, has tracked one of his most beloved authors, Candace Caine, to Stony Point. Smithfield asks for Annie's help, but she senses that his interest in Candace goes deeper than a business connection. If indeed Candace is in Stony Point, is she trying to escape an abusive relationship? Or is Smithfield's spoken concern for Candace's well-being genuine? Annie doesn't know if she wants to find someone who simply doesn't want to be found. And is there some link between the children's author and the sudden appearance of the beautiful, needle-felted cats?