A teenage girl is murdered and the police are investigating all of her known associates. Police Constable Cate Corbin notices an eerie resemblance to a fairy tale in the way the body is displayed. Soon, another murder follows and expert Alice Hyland is called in to consult on the case. Will Cate and her associates solve the case before more bodies accumulate in gory displays of fairy tales?

PATH OF NEEDLES alternates viewpoints between Cate and Alice. While I enjoy seeing multiple viewpoints in a story, the reliability of the narrators is constantly in question. This made it a bit difficult to thoroughly warm to either character, even as I wanted to cheer them for their continued efforts to resolve the case.

Alison Littlewood delves into the gruesome, somewhat lesser known versions of the fairy tales in PATH OF NEEDLES. I love the concept of PATH OF NEEDLES and the inclusion of the mysterious blue bird adds just the right supernatural touch to the storyline. It is intriguing to see the darker side of fairytales although some of the details (ie, the severed toe used as stopper for a vial of blood) are a tad nauseating.

PATH OF NEEDLES takes readers into the darkest hearts of the fairytales, casting new meaning on beloved old classics. Alison Littlewood knows her subject well, as even lesser known fairytales, such as The Blue Bird, are frequently alluded to throughout the storyline. Readers who like their mysteries tinged with just a bit of horror and the supernatural will appreciate Alison Littlewood's creative murder mystery.