A Holiday MarketWith crafts, toys, hot chocolateAnd a killer!The Vampire Knitting Club decide to take part in Oxford’s Holiday Market, selling exquisite hand knit scarves, sweaters and gift items. Their most popular item is the hand knit Christmas stocking, brightly colored and extra long to squeeze in a few extra small gifts. But when a sales clerk in another booth is found strangled with one of … clerk in another booth is found strangled with one of the stockings, Lucy Swift and her undead detectives are on the case, determined to find out who would do such a terrible thing. And why.
In the meantime, Lucy’s working hard at her spell book, learning to be a witch, with the help of her black cat familiar and her new assistant. Meritanum is a three thousand year old Egyptian witch and she’s having trouble with some of the concepts of modern life, such as traffic, Smart Phones and anything powered by electricity.
Life at Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop, in Oxford, England, is as colorful as the most garish Christmas sweater.
Join in the fun. This cozy mystery has no sex or gore, just lots of humor and fun. Grab your copy today!
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Stockings and Spells is a fabulous book. It is a great stand-alone as well as being part of the wonderful Vampire Knitting Club series. I love the thought of the vampires running a stall at the Christmas market and the description of the knitted stockings makes me want to go and buy one. Lucy is gaining confidence as a witch but still has hilarious mishaps and as always there is a mystery to solve. The characters that feature in all these books are delightful and are becoming old friends whilst new characters are fresh and genuine and are a perfect fit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the entire series to date, and definitely recommend it.
Stockings and Spells is the fourth book in the Vampire Knitting Club series. Lucy continues to work on learning how to use her powers, and when another crime occurs, she once again investigates. Some people are acting strange; could they have something to do with it? I loved the detail in this story. It made it easy to imagine being there. This was another one that hooked me from the start. Don’t miss out!
Plagiarism, murder, suicide? What’s a witch to do?
I had the supreme pleasure of being able to binge read this series, and let me tell you, it is sooooo binge worthy!! I think this was the best yet. I love the setting of the Christmas market and the vampires competing to make the best knitted items for the Market. I little romance, a lot of mystery, and Lucy finds herself right in the middle of it all again with Nyx and the vampires along to help. Ms Warren has made such a wonderful little corner of Oxford, can’t wait for the next book!
I received an ARC. This is my honest review.
What can I say. Finally , the vampires are creating knitted products for sale. Granted for a Christmas stall. Heading the way I have envision since book one but the vampires do not seem to share my vision, lol.
Lucy has a great heart and just doesn’t know it. Goes over to help someone in need. She even hires her cousin. She even helped Meri, who is attempting to adjust to three centuries of changes in the world.
What is the ‘connection’ between her and Rafe? Hmmmm?
Nice job NYX!!!! Now if we can get Lucy doing and trusting her magic….
The story line with the book is something that happens in real life. The question is how does the truth come out, who gets hurt, and who did it?
This is my honest and freely given review. I receive a complimentary book.
Stockings and Spells by Nancy Warren
Vampire Knitting Club Series Book Four
Lucy Swift is a knitting shop owner her can’t knit a stitch. She inherited the shop after her grandmother passed away…only to find out she’s not dead…but undead. And if there was ever a trouble magnet, Lucy is definitely that. Where Lucy goes—murder follows.
The vampires have decided to sell their knitting items at the holiday market. Should be simple enough as long as Gran doesn’t show her familiar face there. But, being Lucy, she befriends the neighboring booth owner and before she knows it…she’s neck deep in a mystery once again.
A great cozy series from Lucy’s point of view. As she learns about a world she never knew existed. That she herself is a witch and that vampires exist. And, that finding a good assistant—and keeping her—at Cardinal Woolsey’s Knitting Shop is quite a feat.
It’s not quite a romance as there is the very handsome Rafe…who isn’t very warm, since he’s undead. And then there is the handsome detective, but Lucy has quite a few secrets that she has to keep hidden from him. Her life is never dull and she’s brought quite a bit of “life” to the undead living underneath her shop. Looking forward to more in the series.
https://justjudysjumbles.blogspot.com/2014/01/nancy-warren-book-list.html
“Yes, I think Professor Naylor got it right. This is a story of Shakespearean tragedy and farce. It’s just that the characters are reversed.” “So, we have to put literary history right.”
It’s the Holiday season, and the Vampire Knitting Club has, with Lucy as the reluctant front, have rented a holiday stall at the market to 1-decrease their stock of knitted items, and 2- raise money for a local charity. The thing about this group is their beautiful items sell almost as fast as they knit.
Lucy helps a young woman in another stall and in doing so runs smack dab into a 40 year mystery that almost gets them all killed in the process. Not the best way to celebrate the holidays but, as Inspector Ian Chisholm is wont to say to Lucy “Where you go, disaster follows.”
This fourth book in the Vampire Knitting Club lives up to it’s predecessors although all can pretty much be read as stand alones. In Cardinal Woolsey’s Nancy Warren introduces characters on either side of the sales desk that make you want to visit as a customer and return as a friend. Highly recommended even if it’s not the holidays 5/5
[disclaimer: I received this book from the author and voluntarily reviewed it]
The Vampire Knitting Club has decided to spread holiday cheer and knitted gift items by setting up a booth at the Holiday Market. The last thing that Lucy Swift and her undead friends expected was to have one of their knitted stockings used to strangle a sales clerk from another booth.
Lucy has befriended the young woman who is selling bath products in the booth across the way. She discovers the woman is not only being stalked by a past suitor but also seems to be hiding a big secret. While she lays in a coma in the hospital, Lucy and her knitting friends decide to get involved finding the culprit before he finishes what he started.
I truly enjoy this series and all the delightful characters. From Lucy the owner of Cardinal Woodley and newly discovered witch, her vampire grandma who has a hard time keeping away from the store, Rafe the handsome and intriguing 100+-year-old vampire, Ian the hunky local detective, and all the other vampire knitters. If you are looking for a cozy mystery with a touch of paranormal, humor, and lots of mystery then you need to pick up and read this series for yourself.
This series just gets better and better. Each story has its own scintillating narrative, but the overarching series narrative is really what I love. Each book gives us a little more insight into the characters’ personalities and lives, and I find myself more and more torn by the future plot possibilities. The author has a magical touch; the more I read these books, the more I think they are not just in the realm of possibility, but that they are utterly realistic. Fantastic writing and great stories just have that ability, I guess!
STOCKING AND SPELLS is a standalone read with a great ending. It is really not a romance even though there is a possibility for a romance down the line. The mystery part of this book was a GREAT story. Lucy, the owner of a knit shop in Oxford, England, inherited from her gran. She is a young American that finds herself out of her element more times than not. The tunnels under the city run right under her knit shop and she inherited a whole nest of vampires when she got the shop. These are all very modern, friendly knitting vampires. They have their own little community and live very well, they are just like you and me except they are vampires. They are Lucy’s friends and help her find her way in a new city, a new community, and discovering her powers after she finds out she is a witch.
Lucy meets a young woman at the local Christmas market. The woman is all alone and running her booth by herself. She and Lucy hit it off right away but Lucy feels (with her witchy powers) that she is hiding something. Filled with adventure, at attempted murder, a murder and a 40 year old betrayal all add to the fun and adventure of this story. I absolutely loved it. I think it is the best of the series so far. All the books can be read as standalones or start with book 1 and get the beginning. All are great reads.
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. 11/29/18
I admit to eagerly waiting for this one and I was rewarded with a cozy that is more mystery than cozy. Delightful read with characters populating Nancy’s vampire riddled Oxford circus who are memorable and feel like new found friends. You can read this book without prior series experience and gain completely because Nancy has brought in back stories in a seemless way. Highly recommended.
The story continues as Lucy and the vampires knit their way through another mystery. A wonderful read. Can’t wait to start the next one. On ward we go. Please love up your copy and enjoy.
I wish I’d stopped with the second book. The third one had editing errors that were glaring, and the mc got annoying.
In this one, it’s far worse. Entire sentences repeated with slight variations. The author has fallen into the tiresome, lazy device of the mc “knowing” who’s guilty, one person after another, and that she’s wrong never seems to be addressed. Somehow we’re still to say oh yes, she has witch-power.
I’ve seen this in other cosys — she’s just senses who the bad guy is, and keeps telling the cop/love interest, and somehow, no matter how many different names she gives, or how far-fetched the scenarios, and how often she’s wrong, she still sees him as the bad guy for not immediately arresting people on her say-so? And she never, ever admits she was wrong, and/or apologizes, which makes her very unlikable.
It’s too bad, as this was a delightfully-opened series. Maybe, for the next book, the author will take time to properly edit, and come up with a more sensibly ‘witch-perceptive’ mc? Because in this book, the mc’s become a petulant, immature know-it-all.
Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library
Lucy Swift’s friends in the Vampire Knitting Club want to participate in the Oxford Holiday Market. They don’t need her to knit any products (thank goodness) or run the booth or do anything at all really. They just need her to sign up for the booth in her name and attend the market meetings. Because, well, they’re vampires. Lucy agrees (how could she deny her friends?) and the knitted items are a huge hit. The vampires can knit super fast, so once all of their stockpile has sold, they churn out more things to sell, especially the extra long and exquisite stockings that are going like hotcakes. When the nice woman in the booth across from theirs is attacked it’s up to Lucy and her amateur sleuthing vampires to figure out who could have done such a thing and make sure Gemma is safe in the hospital while she recovers. However, Lucy’s friend (and possible love interest?), Detective Inspector Ian Chisholm, may have some words about how Lucy is always right in the middle of all the action and not in a way that’s good for his blood pressure.
This series just tickles my fancy and I do believe each book is getting better than the last. The writing is tighter and the plot is more twisty. Lucy is getting better at running Cardinal Woolsey’s, her grandmother’s knitting shop, and she’s more comfortable around her vampire knitting club. She’s still dragging her feet about her magic abilities and that’s a little irksome, but understandable, considering the oops moments that have happened. There’s two possible romantic interests for her though both have their stumbling blocks and each book inches Lucy closer to having to make a decision. I’m in no hurry for her to though. Lucy makes a friend in this installment and I hope Gemma sticks around.
I just love everything about these books and I can’t wait to read the next one and see what kind of “trouble” Lucy gets into next.
Fourth in the series of this fun cozy series which continues as an entertaining read with interesting characters and plot developments.