How to Knit a Murder by Sally Goldenbaum takes us to Sea Harbor, Massachusetts. Rose Chopra has returned to town to heal after the death of her mother. Rose is admiring the display in The Seaside Knitting Studio when Bree McIntosh draws her inside. Rose saves a new shipment of yarn from water damage and then proceeds to fix the leak for Izzy Perry. When Izzy learns that Rose is staying at a run down boardinghouse, she invites her to live in the apartment above the shop. Stella Palazola, a local realtor, offers Rose a job as the fix-it person for her listings. Spencer Paxton III has been making enemies with his plans to destroy Sea Harbor's historic district and his political aspirations. Spencer wishes to purchase a home that he father tried to acquire many years ago. That listing needs some dry wall repaired from squirrel damage and it is Rose's first job with Stella. When Spencer is found dead inside the home, fingers point at Rose since she was the last person known to have been on the property. The Seaside Knitters rally round Rose and begin exploring Spencer's murder. They have no shortage of suspects including Mayor Scaglia. Can the group stitch together the clues to reveal the killer?
How to Knit a Murder is part of A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series. If you have not read any of the previous twelve books in the series, I do not recommend starting with How to Knit a Murder (it would be confusing for new readers). While I enjoyed the earlier books in this series, I was not drawn into this one. I found the pace to be slow (the book dragged for me) with the murder not occurring until I was 39% through the book. By the time Spencer was found dead, I already knew the killers' identity (plus I knew Spencer would be the one to die). There was little investigating by the knitting group (they did discuss the case). There are many cozy moments in the story with the group enjoying their Thursday night get togethers, chatting, eating, and knitting. I liked the reference to Grey's Anatomy made by Mae. Bullying and its devastating effects are addressed in How to Knit a Murder. There is a knitting pattern for a slouchy cardigan at the end. How to Knit a Murder does contain all our favorite knitters plus the new addition of Rose with a quaint small town (good basis for a cozy). The characters are well-developed, but there are a number of them. It can be hard to keep them all straight. I like the charming town of Sea Harbor with the various artistic characters (creative bunch of people) and the charming knitting shop (I wish we had one in my town). I would, though, like the author needs to focus on the mystery element (make the story less predictable). The author needs to deviate from her formula and provide a complex mystery with active investigating (less eating). I hope Sally Goldenbaum ups her game in the next installment in A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series. I am giving How to Knit a Murder 3 out of 5 stars.
How to Knit a Murder is part of A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series. If you have not read any of the previous twelve books in the series, I do not recommend starting with How to Knit a Murder (it would be confusing for new readers). While I enjoyed the earlier books in this series, I was not drawn into this one. I found the pace to be slow (the book dragged for me) with the murder not occurring until I was 39% through the book. By the time Spencer was found dead, I already knew the killers' identity (plus I knew Spencer would be the one to die). There was little investigating by the knitting group (they did discuss the case). There are many cozy moments in the story with the group enjoying their Thursday night get togethers, chatting, eating, and knitting. I liked the reference to Grey's Anatomy made by Mae. Bullying and its devastating effects are addressed in How to Knit a Murder. There is a knitting pattern for a slouchy cardigan at the end. How to Knit a Murder does contain all our favorite knitters plus the new addition of Rose with a quaint small town (good basis for a cozy). The characters are well-developed, but there are a number of them. It can be hard to keep them all straight. I like the charming town of Sea Harbor with the various artistic characters (creative bunch of people) and the charming knitting shop (I wish we had one in my town). I would, though, like the author needs to focus on the mystery element (make the story less predictable). The author needs to deviate from her formula and provide a complex mystery with active investigating (less eating). I hope Sally Goldenbaum ups her game in the next installment in A Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series. I am giving How to Knit a Murder 3 out of 5 stars.
Lori C. (dollycas) reviewed How to Knit a Murder (Seaside Knitters, Bk 13) on + 705 more book reviews
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.
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.
