A killer may craft the perfect crime, but as every knitter worth her yarn knows–murder wool out.Mother’s Day should be a cinch for the good folks of the Crandalsburg Craft Fair, and knitting enthusiast Lia Geiger has a good feeling about this year’s yield. But things quickly get knotty when Lia’s daughter announces she’s quit her job and Lia finds herself tangled up in the murder of her best … the murder of her best friend’s ex-husband. While Belinda’s alibi quickly gets her off the hook, nasty rumors spread throughout Crandalsburg that shroud the entire fair in suspicion.
Could the vendors be responsible for the murder of a man hell-bent on unraveling the fair just days before his death? Lia and her crafty group of Ninth Street Knitters must put down their needles to gather clues and save the crafting community they’ve grown to love.
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A great new series! Lia is a widowed crafter living in the town of Crandalsburg, Pennsylvania. She sells her knitting along with items knitted by her knitting group at the local craft fair run by her friend, Bernice. Bernice’s ex-husband wants to buy the old barn the fair uses and a day later he is found dead in the barn. Bernice, of course, is a prime suspect, though the man definitely had some enemies. After a second murder, it looks as though someone is trying to frame Bernice. Lia, with help from her knitting group and her daughter, Hayley, investigate to clear Bernice. Very good book with interesting characters, an intriguing plot, and lots of fun crafting going on. It would be so much fun to visit a craft fair on a regular basis. I am looking forward to more of Lia and seeing how Hayley’s new job works out! Highly recommend!
A WICKED YARN is my first book of 2021. All I can say is, if the rest of the books I read this year are half as good, I’m in for some fabulous reading!
Author Emmie Caldwell’s (Mary Ellen Hughes) debut book in the Craft Fair Knitters is going to be a lot for the author to live up too. Like the pilot of a TV series, the first book in a series is all about introducing the characters and setting, so it can be often be slow going. That was not the case with A WICKED YARN. By the end of the first couple of chapters I felt like I was in a familiar place with wonderful friends.
As for the mystery, is was very well written. I tried to get into the author’s head for just a hint of who the baddy was, but I was stumped. Protagonist Lia and I learned the killer’s identity at the same time. Totally worth sitting up half the night to read.
A Wicked Yarn by Emmie Caldwell is the debut of A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery. We meet Lia Geiger who is a widow who has recently moved to Crandalsburg for a new start. Lia is a knitter who belongs to the Ninth Street Knitters. I liked this group of knitters who sell their wares at a booth at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair run by Belinda Peebles. I enjoyed the lovely descriptions of the yarns and the items they created. There is also a visit to an alpaca farm. Lia is creating a sweater from the soft yarn. I would have liked more information on Lia. Her last name is not mentioned a third of a way through the book. Lia’s daughter, Hayley is not happy with her marketing position in Pennsylvania and decides to make a change. Hayley explores her options while her mother worries about her. The mystery involves the death of Darren Peebles who is out to hurt his ex-wife through the barn where the Crandalsburg Craft Fair is held. You can tell right away that Darren will be the victim. The second victim is equally obvious. Lia decides to investigate to help her friend and save the craft barn. She questions various people and comes up with a list of suspects. Each suspect has a good motive (I am surprised the man was not murdered sooner). I like that Lia is not one of those amateur sleuths who dives into an investigation and is heedless of her own safety. The reveal of the killer involves drama and suspense. Most readers will be able to solve this whodunit before the killer is exposed. A Wicked Yarn has the cozy part down with knitting, chatting, food preparations, and eating. I liked the feel of the craft barn and the various vendors (who have created one-of-a-kind-items). The pacing could have used improvement. It was slow throughout the middle (lack of action) which had me speed reading through the sluggish sections. I thought the characters were realistic and I could understand their concerns regarding finances when business slowed down at the craft barn. A Wicked Yarn is a charming new cozy mystery with a crafty killer, adorable alpacas, daughter drama, comfy knits, and a dead developer.
“A Wicked Yarn” first in the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series by Emmie Caldwell. Great start to a wonderful new cozy mystery series! I really enjoyed this story, with its craft fair theme. I did one craft fair years ago and I can see how this can be a fun series with lots of quirky characters.
The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters especially Lia and her daughter Haley plus let’s not forget Daphene the ragdoll cat and the Alpaca!
I did suspect the killer prior to Lia and Haley but it did not take away from the enjoyment. I found myself engrossed in the story from beginning to end.
I’m looking forward to “Stitched in Crime” Coming Winter 2021
I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.
I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Pennsylvania, knitting, craft-show, amateur-sleuth, murder-investigation, family, friendship, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery
The hook for me was knitting, alpacas, and a Civil War barn. And of course, a murder to solve. Recently widowed Lia moved to a nearby town and became involved with a professional knitters group who sold their work at a historic barn in the community. Things were going well until a developer with ties to one of Lia’s friends was found murdered in that very barn. Soon Lia and her daughter take on the amateur sleuthing task and learned more about the deceased and other town citizens than they ever thought possible. A nice cozy read for an afternoon!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley. Thank you!
In this new series from Emmie Caldwell/Mary Ellen Hughes, “A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery,” the first book is a wonderful start to a new type of crafting cozy. A Wicked Yarn is filled with new characters, many of whom readers will love instantly, others they may not take to as easily. The small-town atmosphere is delightful, and the knitting crew is what most of us imagine it would be like to be a part of this type of group. Add in a craft fair and you have a winner.
Lia is not usually an amateur sleuth; she actually knows nothing about tracking down a killer. But she jumps in when her best friend is the prime suspect in the murder of her ex-husband. There are quite a few suspects and motives to keep track of, so readers will need to keep on their toes. The murderer is not caught easily, it takes everything Lia and her knitting group has to find the evidence and keep a killer from escaping justice.
This book is an excellent start in this series. Readers will enjoy the interaction between Lia and her daughter and the knitting crew. The scenery is picturesque with enough detail to make you want to spend a few hours roaming through the quaint little town. A Wicked Yarn is the first book in a new series, so there is a lot of setup and introductions; for some readers, this can be a turnoff, but in order to get to the good stuff, and for future books, it is necessary. Overall, however, I found the characters likable, the setting soothing, and the mystery believable. I look forward to the next book in this series.
What a fun new cozy mystery series!
Lia Geiger is still coming to terms with her husband’s death after 11 months without him. She has moved to a new town and made some new friends (while keeping in touch with her old ones). She loves the craft sale family that she has become a part of. But when the manager of the sale’s ex-husband is found murdered right after it comes out that he is threatening to tear the barn down, Lia is determined to help out her friend. Can Lia and her daughter get to the bottom of the crime before it’s too late to save the craft sale?
I had a fun time reading this first book in a new series. I normally read the cozies with younger protagonists because I have an easier time relating to them, but this one was a delight to read. I really liked Lia and her daughter. I loved their relationship. I found the town really charming and the craft sales each weekend so cute. The ending came as a big surprise. I had no idea it was going to end that way. I look forward to reading more from this fun series!
Ms. Caldwell first book in a new cozy mystery series, Craft Fair Knitters, was a delight to read from beginning to end.
Lia Geiger is a widow living in a small community in Pennsylvania. She is a retired surgical nurse and keeps herself busy knitting now that she has recently moved to Crandalsburg. The developing characters were all likable except for one who I found to be too rough around the edges. Lia and her daughter, Haley, are strong characters that I liked immensely as I got to know them. The mystery is smoothly paced with plenty of clues that provide the twists and turns and the suspects were quite plausible. The reveal was dramatic and totally unexpected. I never guessed who was behind the murder and mayhem.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Berkley via NetGalley. All of the above opinions are my own.
A Wicked Yarn by Emmie Caldwell is an excellent cozy mystery that is the first installment of a new series: A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery. This is a great start to what is sure to be an enjoyable series.
This book has a great combination of like able and relative characters, creative overall theme, a fun and interesting murder/mystery plot that kept me guessing, and plenty of characters for a nice continuation for further books to come.
This series takes place in small-town Crandalsburg, Pennsylvania and is a perfect location to create a wonderful niche and an eclectic and fun array of characters. I loved meeting our main character, Lia Geiger, her daughter Hayley , all of the Ninth Street Knits, and the full cast of locals. I enjoyed Lia as a main character overall, I felt she was realistic, fit the narrative perfectly, and someone I could identify with.
I also enjoyed the murder/mystery plot. There were plenty of suspects, and it kept me guessing throughout.
A great start to a new series.
5/5 stars
Thank you NG and Berkley for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts immediately. Book published on 12/29/20.
When Lia Geiger’s friend Belinda becomes the main suspect in a murder, amateur sleuth Lia springs into action.
The protagonist in this charming cozy is likable, and the secondary characters are realistic and relatable. The plot is well-conceived. There are plenty of suspects with believable motives. Descriptions are vivid. The small town setting is delightful.
Definitely four star reading pleasure here.
Lia Geiger has started a new life in Crandalsburg, PA after the untimely death of her husband Tom. She’s part of a knitting group who has a booth at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair. Everyone is especially excited for the weekend, since it’s near Mother’s Day and everyone will be looking for gifts. That is, until events take place that threaten the sustainability of the craft fair. Lia’s best friend, Belinda, is the craft fair manager. When Belinda’s ex-husband is murdered, the rumors fly and the craft fair becomes enveloped in scandal. Lia wants to help her friend and save her livelihood, thus beginning her amateur sleuthing adventure, involving her knitting group as necessary. Lia also has a daughter visiting, who is have a career crisis.
A Wicked Yarn is the first book in the Craft Fair Knitters mystery series by Emmie Caldwell. Lia is a likeable character who wants nothing more than the best for her daughter, Hayley and to help her friend, Belinda. She works hard at both, but I found the relationship between Lia and Belinda a bit unlikely. Had there been a bit more backstory on their friendship I may have jumped on the bandwagon but Belinda’s personality did not mesh well with Lia’s. Then again, people have become friends despite such extreme differences in personality. Other than that, the characters are enjoyable.
The book has a strong plot, believable mystery, and fantastic setting. My mom and I used to have a craft booth in a local craft building just outside of Flint, MI for many years. I was taken back to that time in my life and I enjoyed the memories the story invoked. Thankfully there weren’t any murders to contend with during our tenure. We only pulled our items out of the space when the building was sold and the craft sections turned in a new furniture store. We were pretty bummed.
The path to revealing the murder, although kind of slow-going, was well thought out. The author provided several viable suspects, keeping me guessing almost until the end. I figured out who the murderer was prior to Lia’s revelation, but it didn’t detract from the mystery. One thing that really impressed me about A Wicked Yarn was how smart Lia was while sleuthing. She didn’t put herself into needlessly dangerous situations nor did she dance the gray line of legality. I look forward to the next book in the series.
After the loss of her husband, Lia Geiger moves to a new town in Pennsylvania and starts selling things she and her knitting friends make at a local craft fair run by her best friend, Belinda. She’s expecting to sell lots of items over Mother’s Day weekend, and Saturday is great. But when she arrives on Sunday, she finds Belinda standing over the dead body of Belinda’s ex-husband, a developer who just the day before was planning to buy the barn where the craft fair is held and tear it down. With attendance at the craft fair dropping and Belinda everyone’s prime suspect, Lia jumps in to clear her friend. Can she do it?
While I don’t normally read crafting themed cozies, I’m glad I picked up this debut because I enjoyed it. The mystery is strong with several viable suspects, and it kept me guessing until the end. I did struggle with Lia’s relationship with Belinda. Even given what she is going through, I had a hard time believe that Lia and Belinda are best friends. However, there are plenty of other characters to love here, including Lia’s new neighbors and her young adult daughter. I enjoyed spending time with them. I’m looking forward to visiting Lia again when the next book in the series comes out.
A Wicked Yarn is the first book in the A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series by Emmie Caldwell.
A delightful new series comes from Emmie Caldwell, who also writes as Mary Ellen Hughes.
Lia, a recent widow, has moved to Crandalsburg. She soon joins a knitting group who call themselves The Ninth Street Knitters. The Ninth Street Knitters sell their knitted items at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair, and Lia handles their booth. Lia’s long-time friend, Brenda, manages the fair, located in a barn that dates to the Civil War days. One day Brenda gets Lia’s attention and informs her that the barn is about to be sold, but nothing is known about the barn’s future or the Craft Fair. Soon Brenda’s ex-husband, Darren, is overheard talking with a business associate about his plans to tear down the barn once the sale goes through. On Sunday, Mother’s Day, Lia plans on getting to the fair early show she can make sure that her booth is ready for what she expects to be a busy selling day. When she enters the barn, she finds Brenda standing over a body, who she soon learns is that of Darren. Fortunately for Brenda, she’s not the prime suspect, but foot traffic at the craft fair shows a drastic decline, so Lia sets out to investigate her own.
Lia’s daughter, Hayley, has come home for Mother’s Day and will be spending some time with Lia while she considers a job change. Hayley offers to help her mother with the investigation, and they will soon find several suspects.
I found the story to well-written and plotted. There were enough red herrings that kept me guessing until the end of the book as to who the murderer was. The characters are believable and well-developed, and I would be happy to call them my friends.
I will be watching for the next book in this engaging new series.
Love the craft fairs and crafters. Don’t we crafters all wish we had a place to sell our wares? Course we could do without some of the less pleasant situations and people. Love the way Lia sticks by her best friend, Belinda, even when others don’t quite see the good that she does. True friendship. Loved the story line and the characters. I hope to be able to visit with them again soon. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.
This was a great weekend escape read. I have no skill when it comes to crafts, of any kind but that doesn’t stop me from enjoying mysteries that center around crafts. This first in the Craft Fair Knitters series is a winner. Emmie Caldwell is Mary Ellen Hughes and, with four series, she knows how to craft a good mystery.
Lia is a member of the Ninth Street Knitters and sells at a local crafts fair housed in a classic old barn.
She has found a comfortable place after the death of her husband. Soon her daughter, Hayley, joins her after becoming unemployed. Little do they know that there will be more than knitting in their lives – they will become a sleuthing team to track down a killer. Was the motive the possible sale and destruction of the old barn for a development? Or are there hidden motives just under the surface that a person would want to stay secret? Lia and Hayley will untangle the mystery and catch the killer.
Not only are Lia and Hayley well developed characters, the supporting cast is also well fleshed out. The setting is perfect and the clues led me to guess wrong, as they should. I’ll be happily adding this series to my long list of TBR mysteries with a spot already for the next in the series.
My thanks to the publisher, Berkley Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.
A Wicked Yarn is the first book in the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery by author Emmie Caldwell (who also writes as Mary Ellen Hughes). This was a solid start to a new series. I really like that the series is centered on a craft barn with many different crafters who sell their wares. The characters were all very enjoyable, and I loved the mother-daughter relationship between Lia and Haley. The secondary cast of characters includes the crafters at the craft barn along with Lia’s knitting group known as the Ninth Street Knitters, whose wares Lia sells at the craft barn. Lia is an amateur sleuth drawn into solving two murders because she stumbled over both bodies. She decides to try and help her friend, who is under suspicion for the murders but also to save the craft barn as well.
I thought the mystery was well done. There is a lot of clues for Lia, who is joined by her daughter Haley in sleuthing, to follow. There are plenty of viable suspects that have good motives for committing the murders. Lia is not a reckless sleuth nor does she charge in and get herself in trouble. The killer’s identity is revealed toward the end and there is a climactic scene involving Lia’s daughter where the killer is caught. The one thing that kept me from giving this a 4-star review was the pace of the book. I, personally, felt that the pace was slow and dragged a bit in some places which made it harder for me to push through to the end.
All in all, I enjoyed this book enough that I will be returning for the next book in the series to see how the author grows the characters and to see how she plots the next story.
I voluntarily read a digital advanced reader copy provided to me by the publisher, Berkley, through Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.
A charming and cozy start to a new series! Fans of crafting cozies won’t want to miss this book!