When Marcy Singer, owner of embroidery shop Seven-Year Stitch, is asked by her friend Reggie to lead a class for local domestic violence victims, she's more than happy to help. She begins to rethink her decision during the first session when the women file in, some who can't even look her in the eye, speak in a voice barely above a whisper, and one who brings her daughter.

Marcy soon learns that the mother-daughter duo is Mary and Melanie. Mary would really like to leave her abusive husband, but she's afraid to leave her elderly father-in-law behind, fearing that her husband would take his anger out on Chester. Chester doesn't want to leave because he believes he is in possession of a tapestry that doubles as a treasure map of sorts - a sunken pirate ship from long ago off the Oregon coast is said to have untold treasure on board, and the tapestry holds the secret to the location of the ship.

Mary talks Marcy into meeting with Chester, believing that Chester's tapestry is worthless and that Marcy will be able to prove this. However, when they meet, Marcy isn't able to validate the veracity of the treasure map, but she can authenticate the approximate age of the tapestry itself, which is in keeping with Chester's overall story. Chester eventually agrees to go to a shelter, as long as Marcy will keep the tapestry safe.

But when the police show up to transport Chester to the shelter, they find a ransacked house and his dead body. Marcy feels awful and Reggie is wracked with guilt. Have their actions led to his murder? Did someone hear about the tapestry and decide that his story was true? Were the alleged treasures worth killing Chester? Marcy decides she needs to do whatever possible to help Mary and Melanie, including figuring out who may have had the biggest motive for killing Chester.

I've read other books in the Embroidery Mystery series, but THREAD ON ARRIVAL may be the one I've enjoyed most. The plot moves at a great pace, and it incorporates contemporary themes such as domestic violence and reality television seamlessly, while not getting bogged down. I'm also happy that Marcy finally made a choice in men out of Ted and Todd. Not only is it fair to both men, but it is definitely less confusing for readers! THREAD ON ARRIVAL is fun, full of suspense, and it lead to a satisfying conclusion -- readers can hardly ask for more!