A new business might add some much-needed charm to downtown Dorset Falls—and draw tourists to Josie’s yarn shop. But when someone gets murdered, a close-knit community could come undone . . .Shop owner Josie Blair is finally settling into the pace of living in Dorset Falls, Connecticut. Between running Miss Marple Knits, jumpstarting a blog, and handcrafting items with the help of her … help of her knitting pals, Josie’s too preoccupied to worry about her past in New York. And thanks to Lyndon and Harry, the owners of the brand-new antique shop next door, she has another project in her midst—repurposing a box of vintage crocheted doilies adorned with the most curious needlework . . .
But before Josie can formally welcome her neighbors, she discovers Lyndon on the floor of his shop stabbed to death by a rusty old pair of sheep shears. Police have pinned Harry as the killer, but Josie isn’t so sure. Now, she’s lacing up for another homicide investigation—and no eyelet or stitch can go unexamined, lest she herself becomes ensnared in the criminal’s deadly design . . .
INCLUDES ORIGINAL KNITTING PATTERNS!
“A tale of murder and intrigue that will ensnare knitters and non-knitters alike. I couldn’t put it down.” —Barbara Ross on Yarned and Dangerous
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A KNIT BEFORE DYING by Sadie Hartwell. This is book two in the “A Tangled Web Mystery” series. So no worries if you have read this series before, you’re only one book behind. And may I suggest, get thee to a bookstore (or Amazon) and read the first one STAT!
Sadie Hartnell (also know as Susannah Hardy) is a master at writing the cozy mystery. In A KNIT BEFORE DYING she spins an intricate web of “whodunit,” linking multiple players and storylines to create an intriguing tale. Her characters are interesting, varied and layered pulling you into the story from page one and keeping you engaged until the very last word.
In this book, we get to learn more about how our heroine, Josie Blair is settling into life in a small town in upstate Connecticut. One of the things I like best about Josie is she’s smart. Ms. Hartwell does not write the TSTL (too stupid to live) characters. Yes, Josie finds herself in danger—come on, it’s a mystery!—but, she doesn’t put herself in danger. She tells her friends where she’s going. She carries her cellphone. She calls the cops when she can. She’s also very good at solving a puzzle. The other thing I like is that while Josie is a nice person, she’s no pushover. Her Uncle Eb is kind of grumpy, but she puts him in his place…good-naturedly. She has her enemies, but stands up to them and she’s there for her friends.
The secondary characters just add more flavor to an already good story. Each stand out as unique individuals that contribute to the atmosphere and plot—either with help in solving the mystery or creating chaos.
My one complaint, if you could call it that, is we didn’t see enough of Mitch and Josie together and that’s only because I really like them together. I will say that I loved the last scene between the two of them that had me laughing out loud.
Overall, A KNIT BEFORE DYING was a fun, comfortable read (by that I mean, I could sleep with the lights out) that kept me engaged from page one to then end and had me stumped on “whodunit”. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
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.