A mysterious woman arrives in picturesque Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, and the Seaside Knitters welcome her into their cozy world of intricate patterns and colorful skeins. Unfortunately, nothing frays a warm introduction like cold-blooded murder . . . With her shy manner and baggy jeans, Rose Chopra becomes an unlikely hero the night she stumbles into Izzy Perry’s shop and inadvertently saves a … inadvertently saves a shipment of yarn from water damage. When the Seaside Knitters help the enigmatic handywoman settle into town and find work at a popular real estate company, Rose proves she can fix just about anything—until a potential homebuyer is killed and she becomes entangled in murder . . .
The moment controversial entrepreneur Spencer Paxton is found dead in a pricey ocean-side house, accusations fly at the last person on the property—Rose. But the Seaside Knitters have their doubts.
As tensions build in the sleepy New England community and Rose’s secret past unravels, the ladies face an unsettling realization—true victims aren’t always the ones buried six feet under . . .
Praise for Murder Wears Mittens
“A beautifully written mystery full of warmth and surprises.”
—Nancy Pickard, New York Times bestselling author
“A brilliantly written crime mystery, full of suspense and human warmth.”
—The Washington Book Review
“I was utterly charmed by the Seaside Knitters and their cozy community.”
—Laurien Berenson, bestselling author
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Dollycas’s Thoughts
Back in Sea Harbor amongst some of my favorite cozy ladies was exactly where I needed to be the night I started reading this book. A stranger comes into Izzy’s shop and solves a huge problem and almost immediately Rose Chopra is moving into to the apartment above the shop, has a job she loves and friends that care about her. But Rose has a secret, a secret that has to come out, especially after Spencer Paxton is murdered and Rose appears to be the last person to see him alive. The man had made plenty of enemies in the seaside town. Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass decide it is time to knit together some clues to solve the murder and try to protect their new friend whose life will never be the same.
I do love this series. It is very character driven. The core group of characters is close and heavily involved in each other’s lives every day, so when a pesky murder pops up they are all in. The ladies and their significant others band together to solve the case but also comfort the victim’s family and the person wrongly accused. It is like a big warm blanket that surrounds them that always includes food, shoulders to lean on and ears ready to listen. Rose and Stella blend into this group nicely and benefit from the big blanket of comfort.
I didn’t like the victim from the moment he was introduced. A snide man, greedy and feeling entitled, pushed all my beware buttons. If I lived in Sea Harbor I would have been on the suspect list.
The author takes on the big hot topic of bullying. A big topic in life and schools today but bullying has always been around. We see how it changed the life, the long-lasting effect, it has on a victim.
The mystery she has laid out is very well done. I did catch a key clue very early on that explained the how, but the who and the why took me quite a bit longer. Twists unraveling, turns to misdirect, knit the clues together, purl to see them in a different way. Following along with the characters as a pattern emerges to get us on the right path. This was such a fun mystery to read.
Sea Harbor is a wonderful place no matter the time of year. The mansion where the murder takes place wouldn’t be somewhere I would want to live but it sure has all the bells and whistles. At the end of the story, it does find the perfect owner.
This is another fantastic story from Sally Goldenbaum. She gives plenty of detail for the story to stand on its own. I have been blessed to read the story of the Seaside Knitters from the beginning and highly recommend them all.
The Seaside Knitters series is the very definition of “cozy.” Makes you want to curl up under a warm blanket and while the day away reading. The friendships feel authentic–and I feel like I’m part of the knitting circle. The murder kept me guessing. Love these books!
I HIGHLY recommend this whole series. The mysteries are never gory. In fact these books are absolutely character driven more so than story driven. Its so easy to fall in love with the characters and their charming little town.
This book introduced me to Sally Goldenbaum’s delightful Seaside town filled with likeable and entertaining characters. I’ve read the whole series, but I believe she has written another book which I haven’t read yet. I like cozy mysteries, and this is an excellent series, entertaining but not silly. You start to care what happens to the characters. Well written.
Love this series cannot wait for the next one!
The characters are so well fleshed out that they feel like old friends or new friends. The heartache, joys, celebrations and fear that the characters feel and share with their friends are felt by the reader as you feel like you have a connection to them. The plot is, as always, well done and the potential suspect pool in this case is quite deep. The childhood angst of Rose resonates for many, myself included. I love the camaraderie that the core characters share and can honestly say that I would love to visit this small seaside village and the wonderful yarn shop that resides there!
There is nothing quite like visiting Sea Harbor, Massachusetts the ladies of the Seaside Knitter’s Society. Author Sally Goldenbaum makes everything come to life to the point that you can hear the sounds and smell the aromas of the sea.
In HOW TO KNIT A MURDER, the Knitters welcome a newcomer with a secret past. Author Goldenbaum brilliantly reveals that past, and more, in this wonderful, faced paced mystery. Every chapter brought something to the tale that increased my need to find answers. Reading well into the night, I couldn’t bring myself to close this book until I had finished.
One thing I didn’t think I would get used to with this series, but I now enjoy is that you never know which character you’ll be “following”. Unlike books with one protagonist, this series gives all the Knitters equal status.
HOW TO KNIT A MURDER is a must read for any fans of knitting themed mysteries. But take it from someone who would be dangerous with a knitting needle, you don’t have to know how to knit to enjoy this series.
Enjoy this series
I love Sally Goldenbaum and the seaside mysteries
Very good read. Good characters and a great moving plot.
I found How to Knit a Murder easy to follow along and keep straight despite the many characters and threads. It does seem like the stories in the series have a familiar feel with a woman in trouble and the group helping out, but the stories are different and do tend to focus on a different issue affecting women (and men in this case). What is surprising is that, at least here, the author doesn’t make the group seem so perfect and blessed in life that one dislikes them.
The timely subject here is bullying, which the characters pointed out is not new, just the handling of it.
I received a copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
Love this series and always ready for a new book as soon as I close the cover.
I adore this series!!
How To Knit A Murder is the thirteenth book in the A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series.
I always enjoy visiting Sea Harbor and visit with Izzy Perry and her fellow knitters and friends.
Rose Chopra has returned to Sea Harbor to hopefully rid her mind of the terrible experiences she had growing up in Sea Harbor. As she is entering Seaside Knitting studio owner, Izzy Perry, is asking her assistant, Mae, for help locating a plumber as there is a pipe leaking in the storeroom. Rose quickly replied that she wasn’t a plumber, but experience as a fixer-upper and would be happy to try to repair the leak. Once the leak was repaired and Izzy learns where Rose is staying she offers her the apartment above her studio. Then, Stella Palazola, who works at he uncles real estate office next door to Izzy’s, hires her to do minor repairs to houses that they have on the market.
Spencer Paxton III meanwhile has his mind set on acquiring the home of deceased Anthony Bianchi. Paxton has a reputation of being bully since his high school days and will do whatever it takes to acquire the Bianchi property. Rose has been given the job to make repairs to the property to ready it for the market. One morning Paxton is found dead on the third floor of the house. Since Rose had been working in the room that Paxton’s body was found and becomes the prime suspect. Even though Rose doesn’t want to share much about her past, Izzy and her friends from the studio don’t believe she killed Paxton and set off to find the killer and clear Rose’s name. It soon becomes apparent that are several other suspects for the Seaside Knitters Society.
This a well-written and plotted story with a very interesting cast of characters. I would love to live in Sea Harbor and visit with them on a daily basis.
A pattern for a Slouchy Cardigan is also included with the book.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this enjoyable series.