Wednesday, April 20, 2022

Review: Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter (Blog Tour)


About the Book


Genre
Cozy Mystery

Format
E-ARC

Publisher
Berkley

Release Date
April 5, 2022


Synopsis from Goodreads:

Business is booming for Libby Beckett and her fabulous Maryland shop, aptly named Y.A.R.N., but when a town festival brings a fatality with it, Libby gets all tangled up in murder.

As spring comes to Collinstown, the village launches a food festival to draw a new group of tourists. Libby, proud owner of Y.A.R.N., has planned a yarn event to provide an alternative option to a foodie weekend. Artisan fiber dyer Julie Wilson--known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers such as bamboo and hemp as well as her brilliant use of color--will hopefully draw a crowd with a special dyeing workshop.

The festival begins, but it draws more than crowds. First a flock of sheep parades down the street, herded by farmers protesting Julie's antiwool stance. Then Julie's celebrity chef sister appears, and the siblings resume a long-standing rivalry. Despite all this, Julie's workshop has sold out. Libby is thrilled, and they're preparing for a full house. But the night before the event, Julie is found alone in the warehouse event space--dead. The witty "Watch Julie Wilson Dye" workshop title now has a terrible new meaning--and it's up to Libby to catch a crafty killer.

My Review

The small town of Collinstown, Maryland is getting ready for a huge food festival.  Libby Beckett is busy preparing for a major event of her own at her yarn shop.  Julie Wilson, an artisan fiber dyer, will be conducting a workshop featuring her dyes using animal-friendly and plant-based fibers.  Unfortunately, her views rub the sheep farmers the wrong way and they are protesting the event.

Julie’s sister is a celebrity chef and will be appearing at the festival.  The sisters are not happy with each other which adds even more tension to an event that was supposed to be fun.  Things take a very nasty turn when Julie is found dead.  Libby is determined to find out who could have done such a horrible thing.

This is the second book in the series and I enjoyed this one even more than the first.  Libby’s character is strong, fun and is surrounded by a lovable supporting cast.  I feel as if I got to know them even better in this book.  Libby deals with all of them in a believable way.

The mystery kept you guessing and thinking through the whole book.  I thought I figured it out early, but I didn’t.  All the pieces didn’t fit until the end.  

I don’t knit, but this made me want to learn.  Libby makes it all look like fun and so easy.  There’s even a touch of romance tossed into this one.

While the mystery is self-contained in this book, I think it’s always more fun to start a series from the beginning.  Fortunately, this is only the second book so there’s not much catching up to do.  If you decide to start with this one, I think it will be fine.

This cozy mystery has it all for me…likeable characters, an intriguing plot, and just a dash of romance.  All set to the backdrop of a small town.  It sounds like the perfect ingredient for a cozy mystery to me.


For reading challenges:

Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2022 (Craft Related)
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge 2022 (Maryland)
NetGalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2022


FTC Disclosure: I voluntarily reviewed a free Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review.  All opinions expressed are my own.

4 comments:

  1. Sounds like a great read.

    Have a fabulous day and rest of the week. ♥

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like the sound of this one! The setting of the yarn shop sounds interesting. As does the character who dyes fiber and has conflict with sheep farmers.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I like the sound of this one! Anything with likable characters and an intriguing plot is a mystery I would enjoy!

    ReplyDelete

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