Cathy C. (cathyskye) -
As someone who loves mysteries and knitting, the name of Josie Blair's shop, Miss Marple Knits, makes me smile. It is simply brilliant. By this second book, Sadie Hartwell's Tangled Web cozy series is shaping up nicely. Josie is funny and smart-- so smart that I can't quite figure out why she's having so much trouble learning how to knit. After all, if I can figure out those instructional videos on YouTube....
Anyway, there's a solid cast of secondary characters in A Knit Before Dying, and several of them have become Josie's good friends. For comic relief, there are two cantankerous, mule-headed old men in town-- one of them Josie's Uncle Eb-- who have been feuding with each other practically since they were in diapers. Now we get some background on the feud, and although the start to the feud is much as I'd guessed, it still made me scratch my head. Some of the things those two get up to do make for good comic relief, however!
There's also a complex mystery to enjoy, so if you're in the mood for good characters, crafting, a bit of humor, and a murder to solve, curl up with Sadie Hartwell's Tangled Web series. The first one is Yarned and Dangerous.
Anyway, there's a solid cast of secondary characters in A Knit Before Dying, and several of them have become Josie's good friends. For comic relief, there are two cantankerous, mule-headed old men in town-- one of them Josie's Uncle Eb-- who have been feuding with each other practically since they were in diapers. Now we get some background on the feud, and although the start to the feud is much as I'd guessed, it still made me scratch my head. Some of the things those two get up to do make for good comic relief, however!
There's also a complex mystery to enjoy, so if you're in the mood for good characters, crafting, a bit of humor, and a murder to solve, curl up with Sadie Hartwell's Tangled Web series. The first one is Yarned and Dangerous.
A Knit Before Dying by Sadie Hartwell is the second cozy mystery in A Tangled Web Mystery series. Josie Blair owns Miss Marple Knits as well as the building next to it in Dorset Falls, Connecticut. Josie has recently leased to Lyndon Bailey and his business partner, Harry Oglethorpe for Nutmeg Antiques and Curiosities. Josie purchases a box of beautiful (and one a little unusual) handcrafted doilies from Lyndon after he arrives. The day after the weekly knitting meetings, Josie heads over to give Lyndon some brownies. She walks in to find a stranger looking very pale standing in the middle of the shop. Josie goes to where the man is looking and finds Lyndon on the floor behind the checkout counter stabbed with old sheep shears. The stranger is Lyndon's business partner, Harry. The police quickly zero in on Harry as the killer. Josie feels the solution is not so simple. She exchanges her knitting needles for a magnifying glass as she searches for clues and suspects. Who could have wanted to harm Dorset Falls newest citizen?
A Knit Before Dying may be the second book in A Tangled Web Mystery series, but it can be read alone. I do, though, recommend the delightful Yarned and Dangerous (first book in series). I was hooked with Yarned and Dangerous and could not wait to get my hands on A Knit Before Dying. I thought A Knit Before Dying was easy to read and had nice, relatable characters (there is a nice mix too). I appreciated the small-town setting and the yarn shop (I want to buy up all the beautiful yarn). The book has a nice, steady flow which keeps the book moving toward the conclusion. One of my favorite characters is Josie's uncle, Eben Lloyd. He is such a character. I found myself laughing at his antics (his practical joke was very clever and amusing). My rating for A Knit Before Dying is 4.5 out of 5 stars (I loved it, but I did accurately solve mystery before reveal). I thought the mystery was intriguing with its complexity and uniqueness (hooray). Many readers will be surprised by the outcome (I loved it). I did feel that food was given too much attention. I do not need to know each and every item that the main character eats (I have been seeing this a lot lately in cozy mysteries). The romance element was light and nicely handled (thank you Ms. Hartwell). The ending is sweet and I loved who is teaching Josie to knit. I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in A Tangled Web Mystery series.
A Knit Before Dying may be the second book in A Tangled Web Mystery series, but it can be read alone. I do, though, recommend the delightful Yarned and Dangerous (first book in series). I was hooked with Yarned and Dangerous and could not wait to get my hands on A Knit Before Dying. I thought A Knit Before Dying was easy to read and had nice, relatable characters (there is a nice mix too). I appreciated the small-town setting and the yarn shop (I want to buy up all the beautiful yarn). The book has a nice, steady flow which keeps the book moving toward the conclusion. One of my favorite characters is Josie's uncle, Eben Lloyd. He is such a character. I found myself laughing at his antics (his practical joke was very clever and amusing). My rating for A Knit Before Dying is 4.5 out of 5 stars (I loved it, but I did accurately solve mystery before reveal). I thought the mystery was intriguing with its complexity and uniqueness (hooray). Many readers will be surprised by the outcome (I loved it). I did feel that food was given too much attention. I do not need to know each and every item that the main character eats (I have been seeing this a lot lately in cozy mysteries). The romance element was light and nicely handled (thank you Ms. Hartwell). The ending is sweet and I loved who is teaching Josie to knit. I will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in A Tangled Web Mystery series.
