Dropping stitches and catching killersWhen an older gentleman keels over in his scones and tea at the Elderflower Tea Shop in Oxford—a victim of poison—Lucy Swift and her band of undead amateur detectives are on the case.Elderflower Tea Shop is next door to Cardinal Woolsey’s, the yarn shop Lucy runs and home to the late-night Vampire Knitting Club. The tea shop owners are a pair of octogenarian … The tea shop owners are a pair of octogenarian spinsters and old family friends, so Lucy wants to help clear up the mystery that’s keeping their shop closed. But murder isn’t the only issue troubling the Miss Watts. A man has come between them. Miss Florence Watt is being romanced by an old flame, one Mary Watt distrusts.
In between figuring out who, among his many enemies, might have poisoned the unpleasant Colonel Montague, Lucy’s trying to brush up on her magic spells before the Wiccan potluck dinner her witchy cousin insists she attend.
However, she’s still settling into being a witch and since she botched a spell and blew up her kitchen, she’s taking the magic slowly.
Her knitting endeavors aren’t much better. Between purling when she should knit and dropping so many stitches her hand-knit scarf looks like it was attacked by giant moths, there are days Lucy thinks she’ll pack it all in and move back to Boston. She might, except she’d miss her beloved undead grandmother, her new friends, one very sexy vampire and a local detective who is very much alive.
Stitches and Witches is Book 2 in the Vampire Knitting Club series of paranormal cozy mysteries. It is a standalone novel with no sex or gore, just humor, knitting, magic and a touch of romance.
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“I’d just about got used to living with a nest of vampires, I didn’t think I could take a nest of rats as well. I’m a tolerant woman but I can only go so far. – 44%”
Stitches and Witches is book two in the Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
This was another fun cozy mystery in the Vampire Knitting Club. I had fun reading this story. Theirs vampires, knitting, murder, and more.
Lucy is easy to like and enjoy. She’s a hard worker and a little bit of a disaster with her knitting and magic. She’s one of those characters that’s easy to like and relate too. Then we have all the vampires; especially our sexy Rafe, who is one of the possible love interests, but don’t get me wrong this is a mystery and the author focuses on that. As for the vampires I adore and like them all. They are quirky, obsessed with knitting, and since they live so long, they are willing to help find out who the murder is. Ya, they want something to do. Last, we have Detective Inspector Ian, the other possible love interest. He’s a great detective. The only thing I wish is that we had more moments with him.
The mystery is well done. I didn’t catch onto who the murder was until it was reveled. I was thinking it was a total different character we meet. I like not knowing who the killer is, until the end.
This series is cute, fun, and easy to read. I’m really enjoying the mysteries, paranormal elements, and fun characters. Can’t wait to see what befalls our Lucy and her vampire friends.
Rated: 4 Stars
Nancy Warren presents us with another intriguing cozy mystery with paranormal elements. Lucy is still spinning from discovering that she is a witch and is ambivalent to learn that a friend turned her grandmother into a vampire when someone tried to murder her and would have succeeded had the elderly shop owner not been turned. Now it is her elderly neighbors who need her help in solving the death of a jerk who is poisoned right in front of her.
A wonderfully enjoyable, well-written paranormal cosy mystery. Loved the first one and this one is even better. The plot is compelling, and the characters really come alive. Love that there are so many unexpected twists. I am utterly hooked on this series!
Stitches and Witches by Nancy Warren
The Vampire Knitting Club Series Book Two
The peaceful street in Oxford where Cardinal Woolsey’s, a knitting shop, resides hasn’t been quite the same since Lucy Swift arrived on the scene. First, her grandma is nowhere to be found when Lucy arrives. Finds out her grandma had been murdered. And more mayhem starts happening. That was the start of it in book one, The Vampire Knitting Club.
Now, as Lucy is having tea with Rafe—who is tall, dark, handsome, and undead—a man falls over dead. Definitely ruins drinking tea for Lucy. On the other hand, her underground neighbors…members of the knitting club…are thrilled to have something to do with their endless days…years…centuries…and more. They’re all enjoying doing their part to help solve a murder—or two.
Funny, unpredictable, and page-turning books. Looking forward to the third book in this series. Not only is Lucy in the middle of murders… She also has two incredibly handsome men. One, she intrigues her and scares her. The other, at least he’s alive…if only he’d show some interest in her.
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In Stitches and Witches, Warren crafts a tightly knitted cozy mystery within a fantastical world of vampires, witches, and wool. Her finely defined characters are so unique and likable they drew me into their world. I want to know more about them.
The murder, set in a tea room, was so brilliantly written I didn’t see it coming. Intrigued by all the subplot action in the room, the murder came as a complete surprise. Loved it!
As Lucy unravels the whodunit, the mystery deepens in delicious detail. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy light fantasy, witch cozies, or just a good yarn (pun intended).
This story was another fun and enjoyable read. Lucy has her hands full, and you can’t help but keep reading through to the end. Another excellent story in this series. Don’t miss it!
Lucy Swift is trying to move on with her life and quietly run her grandma’s knitting shop, but quiet is the last thing she gets. It is not easy discovering that your grandma has been turned into a vampire and she herself is a witch. While enjoying a cup of tea at the Elderflower Tea Shop, a man drops dead from poisoned tea and fingers start being pointed including at the two octogenarian spinsters who run the tea shop.
Speaking of the old spinsters, a man from their past comes back into town and causes a rift between the sisters. Lucy is not one to sit back and watch as both a murder investigation is taking place and sisters are fighting. Once again Lucy finds herself with her hands full working with a new employee, trying to keep grandma out of sight, learning a few magic spells, and trying to solve a murder.
This is the second book in the new Vampire Knitting Club series and is just as delightful as the first. It is the perfect mix of humor, paranormal, romance, and mystery with a cast of quirky but lovable characters.
A fun and cozy read
Lucy’s adventures continue. For the new kid on the block she sure find herself in the middle of a bunch of murder mysteries. I wish she had just a little bit of romance (especially with Rafe) to balance things out the chaos in her life but I guess she’s too busy sleuthing. Although she’s been visiting, now she’s getting to know herself and the community on a much deeper level.
Misses Florence and Mary Watt own the Elderflower Tea Shop which is next to Cardinal Woolsey’s Knitting Shop. Lucy has stopped in for lunch and sees an older gentleman die during his tea. Unfortunately, he’s been poisoned. Lucy feels the need to investigate the murder as Mary Watt is the chief suspect.
This is the second book in the series. I enjoy the character development and the mystery. I look forward to Book 3.
I’m addicted to this series.
While book 1 didn’t fully hook me, when I saw that book 2 was available in audiobook I decided to give the series another try. I am happy to say I enjoyed book 2 a lot more than book 1. Not sure whether it’s because of the audio version or because this book has less introduction than book 1, but I had a great time listening to this book.
Stitches and Witches is the second book in the Vampire Knitting Club Series. When Lucy is over next door in the tea shop to see how the developing romance goes between Florence and an older gentlemen who is new in town, a colonel drops dead after eating and drinking there. Soon she finds herself in the middle of another mystery.
I liked this mystery, it had a bit of a slow start and took a while before the murder took place and even then it took a while before clues became clearer. I liked following Lucy around and she with the help of her vampire friends tired to figure out what had happened. There are some interesting twists and by the end I had the motive sort of right, but was thinking in a completely different direction for the murderer.
Just like the first book the book is pretty light on the paranormal elements. I would like to see a bit more of it, but as I now expected it to not be as big of a part I found myself able to enjoy it more. I liked the scenes where Lucy used her magic or figured something out. There also are some fun scenes with the vampires and I like how they help with the mystery.
I thought Lucy made for a nice main character. There are a few instances like at the end where she doesn’t make the smartest or safest choice, but I liked how she wanted to solve the murder. She’s also quite loyal to her friends and really seems to care about those she considers friends. It was clear how much she struggled with the two Miss Watts being on odds as she liked them both. There also were some interesting scenes with her new shop assistant.
Picking up the audiobook versions for this series was a good idea, something about it made me more immersed in the story and the narrator did a great job with these. I liked her style and voice, although some of the male voices could sound a bit similar. She also did the different accept really well, everything from a Polish, British, Scottish and Australian accent was in this book if I remember them all correctly. I liked hearing the different accent and how the accent was well done, but I could still follow her words easily as well. I liked how she did the different voices and almost every character sounded unique. I’ll be listening to the rest of the series as well.
To summarize: While book 1 didn’t fully pull me in, I am glad I gave book 2 a try in audiobook as I had a great time listening to this one. Now that the introduction to the series is done it was easier to get in the story. The start is a bit slow, but still fun to read, it takes a while for the murder to take place. And even then it takes a bit for clues to start piling up. I enjoyed trying to figure the mystery out and while I was thinking in the right direction for the motive, I guessed the murderer wrong. There were some interesting twists int he mystery. I liked Lucy more in this book. She’s a nice main character who really cares about her friends. I liked how the vampires helped her with the mystery. The paranormal element is quite mild so far in these books, but as long as you know that going in I don’t think it’s an issue. I liked how the narrator handled this book, she did the different voices well and her voice was pleasant to listen to. I also liked how she did the different accents. All in all I had fun listening to this one and will be listening to the rest of the series as well.
Second in the series and another thoroughly entertaining novel with twists and turns before the villain and the motives are revealed.
4.5
Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library
Lucy Swift inherited her grandmother’s wool shop in Oxford and next to the shop is the comforting there-since-forever Elderflower Tea Shop run by the spinster Watt sisters. When an elderly gentleman drops dead in their shop it’s up to Lucy and her vampire knitting group to unravel the mystery before it tears the sisters apart.
Ok, I really liked book one which is why I used my Kindle Lending Library pick for book 2. I’m glad I did! This cozy paranormal mystery is even better and had me forcing myself to put it down to do the boring adult stuff that comes with being a semi-responsible adult. I love the writing and adore the characters. The plot is twisty and turny enough to keep me guessing. Lucy has two hot guys who seem interested in her. Yum! The vampire knitting group tickles my fancy and the fact that Lucy can’t knit worth a damn and yet runs a knitting shop is hilarious in my eyes. My only complaint, and it’s a tiny one, is Lucy and her procrastination about learning magic. Seriously? Come on! I’d be all over that new ability and Lucy avoids it like the plague. In any case, I look forward to continuing on with this entertaining series.
Even better than the first book!
Murder in a tea shop run by two little old ladies, oh my! A waitress that couldn’t waitress, a cook that was an actor, a decidedly unpleasant victim, a band of sleuthing vampires that knit and a witch that owns a knit shop but can’t knit! It really doesn’t get much better. This is such a fun series! A mystery or two and a little romance.
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
I liked this second offering in Nancy’s series because it provided more characterization than the first. I particularly liked the quirky characters she introduced me to and the way they are driven to approach topics like death and murder. It was quite entertaining.
“I imagine we all have enemies. It’s a question of knowing how far they will go.”
In this, the second of the Vampire Knitting Club series, we get to learn the backgrounds of a number of the ongoing characters like Rafe, and Sylvia, and the Watts sisters who run the Elderflower Tea Shoppe next door.
When Miss Florence’s beau from long ago comes calling at the Tea Shoppe, Miss Mary is flabbergasted when they seem to pick up right where they left off. When Florence and Gerald come in to be “customers “ during a crowded afternoon, they, as well as everyone else are witness to an elderly gentleman‘s demise. When the police arrive and take out the body, everyone’s reaction isn’t what Lucy and Rafe, who are there to check out things, expect. Everyone is held for questioning, including Lucy and the widow, and the shop is closed ‘till it’s figured out.
Meanwhile, Lucy Swift keeps running Cardinal Woolsey’s as she searches for a new assistant. She still can’t knit above knots, but her magic is increasing in strength if she can stop being afraid of backfires…and worry seems to fuel the problems, along with the occasional witch related visit from her aunt and cousin.
And then, Miss Florence’s friend Gerald is found dead, in the refrigerator at the Tea Shoppe, his backstory is revealed to be as knotted up as Lucy’s knitting!
I love how Nancy Warren is developing this collection and the foundations for a great series. Can hardly wait for the third book! Highly Recommended 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
Stitches and Witches is the wonderful second book in this delightful and unique series but it can also be read as a great stand-alone. Vampires, knitting, magic and murder are all the ingredients this book needs. The characters are great, well rounded and engaging and the story flows from start to end. I would be Cardinal Woolsley’s best customer.. or the next assistant! I cannot recommend this book highly enough .. fans of cosy romances will love this book.
I received an advanced copy of this book and this is my honest and voluntary review.
STITCHES AND WITCHES is a standalone read. It is the 2nd book in a series about a young woman that inherits her gran’s knit shop In Oxford, England. She is on her way to visit her gran when she sees her walking down the street. When she calls to her there is no answer and then she disappears in an alley. A few minutes later she gets word that her gran has passed.
This is where the vampires come in. This is a fun, feisty group of vampires. No scary scenes, no killing for blood, none of that stuff. This is a fun light-hearted read. There is a murder of a bad guy so you don’t get upset. The vampires join forces with Lucy to track down the killer. Of course, there is a black cat. Rafe is the leader of the vampires and he skirts around flirting with Lucy. The vampires all knit!! The grandmother knew them and had set up a back room where they could all meet at night and knit. This book can be enjoyed without reading the first book but the first book goes into greater detail explaining the vampires situation and how they came to be living in the tunnels beneath Lucy’s shop.
It is a fun read and it all makes perfect sense. Who knows?? Maybe vampires do live in the tunnels. I enjoyed this story and found it to be very entertaining. I definitely recommend it. There are no sex scenes so any age group can enjoy it. You will also learn a bit about the area since the author lived there for a time and has a great bit of knowledge about the history of the area.
I was not paid for this review. I am not a writer nor do I know one. I am not kin to this author. I am a reader and this is my opinion, nothing more, nothing less. 10/12/18
Book two is this series is just as good as book one. This book can be read all by itself or first and still follow story line easily. You will not go wrong with this series especially if you like cozy mysteries.
This story stumped me. I had figured some else as my suspect. It took till the end until of the book to figure it out. Even though now that I am finished, I can see the clues that could lead you there.
This story was more focused on the solving and little of the magic stuff or her new found relatives.. Still waiting to see if the vampires are headed in the direction I see with their knitting. How does Nyx function as a familiar? She does a lot of advertising for the store, so good for her. She is one of my favorites.
This is my honest and freely given review. I did receive an ARC book.