Sure to delight fans of Betty Hechtman and Maggie Sefton, A Crafter Hooks a Killer is the second installment in Holly Quinn’s Handcrafted mysteries.Community Craft proprietor Sammy Kane suspects that a tantalizing thread links the deaths of her best friend and a bestselling author. But can she weave together the clues?Samantha “Sammy” Kane is settling into her new life in idyllic Heartsford, … her new life in idyllic Heartsford, Wisconsin, running her late friend Kate Allen’s craft shop, Community Craft when one early June day, bestselling crochet author Jane Johnson visits Heartsford. Captivated by Community Craft, Jane devotes a chapter in her new book, Behind the Seams, to the store. Sammy is honored, though satisfaction quickly turns to shock when she finds Jane strangled to death—her cold hands clutching a copy of her most recently published book, with the words “THE END” raggedly scratched into the cover.
Heavens to Etsy! Not only must Sammy contend with the author’s inauspicious demise, she has to untie some knotty details from her own past. It turns out Kate’s death was not what it seemed, and instead somehow hooked to Jane Johnson’s demise. Handsome Detective Liam Nash is on the “skein”, more than happy to see the shop owner again, if less than enamored by her sleuthing interventions. But this was Sammy’s best friend—she has to know.
Fortunately, Sammy has a “lace” in the hole. As a child, she formed the S.H.E. detective team with her cousin, Heidi, and her sister, Ellie. Having already reconstituted their partnership, the S.H.E. team searches for a pattern behind the latest death. As the case starts to unravel, will Sammy and team be able to sidestep Liam quick enough to stitch together the clues?
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A Crafter Hooks a Killer by Holly Quinn is the second book in this series, though it can be read as a standalone. What’s not to love? The characters are fun and well rounded, the duo-plot is swift with twists and turns, and there is a spark of romance. Three friends,(two sisters and their cousin), Sammy, Heidi, and Ellie formed a detective club as children called “S.H.E.”. Sammy has returned to the hometown to reconnect with her sister and cousin, bought her deceased bestie’s shop, and locks horns with the attractive Detective Liam Nash. Solving the two cases is uppermost on their minds and they work together to see it through. The leisurely pace allows for time the reader to mull over the clues, and red herrings , to draw their own conclusions. A fun read!
Thank you to the author, Holly Quinn and to #CrookedLaneBooksPublishing for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own and unbiased.
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
A fantastic new addition to this artsy crafty cozy mystery series! We follow Sammy as she runs Community Craft with the help of some friends and family. She is settled in now and excited because she is about to be interviewed by a semi famous person. One problem: she finds her dead before the interview can even happen. With lots of questions Sammy activates S.H.E. With her friends to catch the killer. Wonderfully written with great chats gets as well as a mystery to keep you guessing. Perfect for fans of cozies. I totally loved it so I give it 5/5 stars.