Sammy Kane just moved back to her hometown to run a craft store. But when the owner of a nearby yarn shop is murdered, Sammy will needle little help finding the killer.
When a heartbroken Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral, she learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of perishing with its owner. Confounding all her expectations of the life she would live, Sammy moves back home with her golden retriever and takes over Community Craft. A few doors down Main Street, fellow new arrival Ingrid Wilson has just opened the Yarn Barn, a real “purl” of a shop. But when Sammy strolls over to see if Ingrid could use a little help, she finds Ingrid’s dead body—with a green aluminum knitting needle lodged in her throat.
Detective Liam Nash is thrown for a loop as every single citizen of Heartsford seems to have a theory about Ingrid’s murder. And nearly everyone in town seems to be a suspect. But the last time Sammy did any sleuthing was as a little moppet. And this is not fun and games. Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam—who seems to be endlessly inventive in finding reasons to talk with her—and when Liam arrests affable woodworker Miles Danbury, Sammy puts everything on the line to help clear Miles.
As the case comes dangerously close to unraveling, Sammy must stitch the clues together. But the killer has other plans—and if Sammy’s not careful, she may wind up in a perilous knot in A Crafter Knits a Clue, the first warm and woolly yarn of Holly Quinn’s new Handcrafted mysteries.
My Review
A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book in a new series, A Handcrafted Mystery. Sammy (Samantha) Kane has moved back to her hometown of Heartsford, Wisconsin. Her best friend Kate passed away and she has decided to continue Kate's work by running her store, Community Craft. When another craft store owner is mysteriously murdered, Sammy works together with her sister and cousin to solve the case. This puts her safety in jeopardy and does not please police detective (and possible romantic interest) Liam Nash.
This is a great start to a new series! The first few chapters have a lot of needed exposition about Sammy and her friend Kate and Community Craft, Kate's store that Sammy has taken over. The mystery happens early on and the pace really picks up then.
The mystery aspect of A Crafter Knits a Clue is especially well done. There are a number of viable suspects and lots of little twists and turns. I loved the idea of Sammy, Heidi, and Ellie continuing their childhood sleuthing as S.H.E. (their childhood detective agency name). This lent a sort of Nancy Drew quality to the story that was a lot of fun.
I also liked the detecting the women did in Ingrid's spooky old house. (Ingrid was the murder victim.) It was very atmospheric and my favorite part of the mystery.
The relationship between Sammy and Liam is appealing and their banter is fun to read. I look forward to reading more of their story in upcoming books in this series.
The small town was charming and I could picture a number of the settings just from the descriptions in the book. Of course, I also loved Sammy's Golden Retriever, Bara!
I recommend A Crafter Knits a Clue for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy small town settings, crafting, or dogs will find the book especially appealing.
Author Bio
Holly Quinn is both an avid reader and crafter. Holly sells her artistic creations locally and dreamed of one day opening a gift shop to sell local artist’s handiwork. Instead, she began writing about it and thus her journey of the Handcrafted Mystery series was born. Visit her @ www.authorhollyquinn.com
Author Links
Website – www.authorhollyquinn.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/HollyQuinnbooks/
GoodReads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7940795.Holly_Quinn
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I received a copy of this book from Netgalley and Great Escapes Book Tour.
Thanks for touring with me and your sweet review! :)
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