About the Book
Genre: Cozy Mystery, A Tangled Web Mystery
New Series
Paperback: 288 pages
Publisher: Kensington (November 24, 2015)
ISBN-13: 978-1617737176
ASIN: B00U7LJOEK
Synopsis from Goodreads...
“A tale of murder and intrigue that will ensnare knitters and non-knitters alike. I couldn’t put it down.”—Barbara Ross, author of Musseled Out
Time has not been kind to sleepy Dorset Falls, Connecticut, where an erstwhile resident is hoping to bring a tattered yarn shop back to life—but with a murderer on the loose, the whole town is in knots…
Josie Blair left Dorset Falls twelve years ago in hopes of making it big in New York City. But after earning an overpriced master’s degree and getting fired by a temperamental designer, she finds herself heading back to her hometown. Her great-uncle was injured in a car accident, and newly unemployed Josie is the only person available to take care of him. Uncle Eb’s wife didn’t survive the crash, so Josie is also tasked with selling the contents of her Aunt Cora’s yarn shop. But the needling ladies of the Charity Knitters Association pose a far bigger challenge than a shop full of scattered skeins…
Miss Marple Knits is one of the few businesses still open in the dreary downtown. Josie can’t imagine how it stayed open for so long, yet something about the cozy, resilient little shop appeals to her. But when one of the town’s most persnickety knitters turns up dead in a pile of cashmere yarn, Josie realizes there’s something truly twisted lurking beneath the town’s decaying façade…
INCLUDES ORIGINAL KNITTING PATTERNS!
My Review
This book hooks you right from the start when Josie Blair’s mother wants her to go to Dorset Falls and take care of her great uncle who was injured in a car accident that also killed his wife. Not only does Josie have to take care of her uncle, but she needs to settle his wife’s business affairs which include a knitting shop. She has her work cut out for her.
As soon as she arrives, she is made to feel like an outsider starting with her ornery great uncle. Everyone in town makes sure she realizes she’s not welcome. They want her sell the knitting shop and go back home to New York City. Josie does manage to find a couple of friends along the way.
However, things take a nasty turn when a dead body is found in the knitting shop and members of the town council make it clear they want Josie to sell the shop immediately. It's obvious to Josie that someone is hiding something and she intends to find out what that something is.
Josie Blair is the newest amateur sleuth to hit the cozy mystery genre and she makes a great first impression. I loved how she stood up to her great uncle and never backed down even when he clearly didn’t want her help. In fact, she didn’t back down from anyone, not even those who wanted her to leave Dorset Falls immediately.
The pages flew by…well, I read this on my Kindle so the pages were swiped by. LOL I couldn’t put this down until I found out whodunit. It wasn’t a total shock, but it was interesting to see how the story unfolded.
The author has given readers an excellent beginning to a great new cozy series. She’s given cozy lovers everything they could want – a strong amateur sleuth, mystery and even a bit of humor woven through the story. I’m looking forward to another visit to Dorset Falls.
For reading challenges:
Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge 2015
2015 NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
FTC Disclosure: The author and NetGalley provided me with a copy of this book to review for this blog tour. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
About the Author
Sadie Hartwell grew up near the Canadian border in northern New York State, where it’s cold, dark, and snowy almost half the year—a perfect environment for nurturing a simultaneous love of mystery fiction and needlework. She attended St. Lawrence University, graduating with a degree in history, and has worked as a waitress, handbag designer/manufacturer, paralegal, and copy editor before turning to writing full time. Now she gets to play with yarn and make up stories whenever she wants, and wishes everyone had a job as much fun as hers.
Author Links
Twitter – @SadieHartwell
Purchase Links
Tour-Wide Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Ohh sneaky kitty
ReplyDeleteI adore the cover art, and the book sounds like a fun read.
ReplyDeleteWow I love the cover and being disabled with a severe nerve disease i don't know what i would do without still trying to crochet it keeps my fingers moving and i just make simple baby blankets to donate. Love the cozy mysteries also as reading is just wonderful.I sure hope there was 10 balls of yarn as couldn't go to the link to tell me and the kitty in the yarn my puppy loves to chew on the yarn like flossing i guess.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the chance to win this giveaway!! Happy holidays!!
ReplyDeleteI liked the review, thank you.
ReplyDeleteI love that she doesn't back down and I'm intrigued by the apparent town-wide conspiracy.
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great book and I love the cover.
ReplyDeleteWait! The yarn store is named Miss Marple Knits? That's all I need to know! :) Luckily the rest of the book sounds pretty good too. Definitely going on my TBR!
ReplyDeleteLove the cover. Great review!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great review!! And I learned more about the story this time, about how Josie was not welcomed, even by crabby great-uncle. Thank you for making this book sound even more appealing in spite of it!
ReplyDeleteNice review, I would love to read this book
ReplyDelete