a few mysteries that unravel with the knitting stories and of course love round out this novel
926452
This novel brings you to a small fishing town in Ireland where everyone knows everyone. Rebecca, a single mom from the States, comes to this village to learn about the history of ther knitting.
  Well developed characters, a few mysteries that unravel with the knitting stories and of course love round out this novel. Although Cating Off can be corny at times, the larger story of letting go and finding redemption and the charming characters make it a compelling and heart warming read.
4315853
The story is set in a charming little town in Oregon where the main character has set up a new business selling knitting and embroidery supplies. She left and accounting job in  San Francisco after a devastating failed relationship and decided to start all over in life. But her shop, that also offers classes, seems to always end up being the center of attention - and often not good attention. Mysterious deaths seems to turn up in the shop and all fingers are pointed at the new comer.  Learning about the characters and the dynamics of the town is fun and makes for a great mystery. Just who is who and why do people seem to end up dead at the "Seven Year Stitch". Maybe the Marilyn Monroe look alike dummy standing by the cash register might have the answers to all the questions, but she's being very coy. Also throw in a cute detective and handsome owner of a brewery across the street and you now have a mystery intertwined with romance. Oh and don't forget mom who is a Hollywood costume designer making for even more craziness and fun.
2381534
I was drawn to the delightful characters, quaint town, and intriguing mystery reminiscent of the TV show Murder, She Wrote. Our amateur sleuth Kay Driscoll soon finds herself embroiled in a murder investigation, and the body count rises. She employs the help of her quirky friends Elizabeth and Deirdre, and the trio soon discover there are few, if any fine citizens living among them that they can trust. Kay continues to uncover many clues as do her friends but with each new discovery there is another victim. Kay knows her life is in jeopardy, but she won't stop until justice is served. Fans of cozy mysteries will enjoy the amateur investigators headquarters, Sweet Marisa's Patisserie- you'll crave pastries and tea for days to come- and the lovely but strange community that is Sudbury Falls, WI.
4316667
This is a nice mystery with the clues there if you look. For me, hindsight is 20/20, so I missed some of the clues, especially in the subplots.

In this novel, our intrepid couple is off to India at the request of Portia (Julia's sister) and Jane (Portia's true love, who married to have a conventional family). The descriptions of the land reminded me of Amelia Peabody, although Julia is far more accepting of the culture.

I really enjoyed this one and moved straightway to the next book in the series.
881107
This book has a lot of lovely knits in it, several patterns that I can't wait to try.  The idea of them being almost seamless is also a real plus.  There are vests, sweaters, cardigans, and dresses.  The patterns are appealing and varied.

My favorites are the Deb Vest in a blue-greay color, knit in garter stitch with Blackstone Tweed Yarn from Berroco.  I love the Jenny Cable Vest, knit in an off-white aran with beautiful accent cables.  The yarn is Jeannee from Plymouth.  The Judy Cardigan Jacket is something to wear anywhere - work or pleasure- and is knit in a lovely gold hue.  The yarn is Ultra Alpaca from Berroco.  The Perri is a tunic length vest in subtle stripes of light grey, yellow and off white.  The yarn is Fresco from Wisdom Yarns and is 100% cotton.  The Wendy pullover sweater is bright and snappy looking.  It is striped in bright colors with a basket weave texture.  The yarn is self-striping and calls for Sonnet from Wisdom Yarns.  I also loved Patti, a cardigan sweater in a heathered brown with three buttons at the top.  The yarn used is Iceland from Crystal Palace.

I don't think any knitter could go wrong with this book.  It has sizes for real people, not just small sizes.  The patterns are varied and lovely and there are patterns for every level of knitter.

Bonnie Brody, 8/9/11
791142
Once again Edna Davies welcomes us into her large circle of family and friends, this time in the middle of a snowy Rhode Island February. It isn't long before Edna is working diligently to untangle several puzzling situations, one of which involving a suspicious death that has remained unsolved for years. Murder allegations, never proved or disproved, against the mother of one of Edna's granddaughter's school pals, threaten to derail their budding friendship. Meanwhile, Edna's neighbor is distraught over nightly, ghostlike thumpings in the top floor of her house. And when another good friend is arrested for vehicular homicide ... well, things really get interesting. It's Edna to the rescue as she applies her considerable botanical knowledge and usual good sense to the mysteries surrounding her. We are invited to come along and bask in the cozy ambience of Edna's fireplace, the neighborhood cat-and-dog menagerie, and comfort food recipes as we enjoy this satisfying caper. True to form, Edna has all the loose ends snugly tied up before her affable, but clueless, husband Albert returns from a Florida fishing trip. Great read.
3926249
I was drawn to this book because I like cozy mysteries. Then there was the added benefit of the book being set in "Cadbury by the Sea" aka "Carmel by the Sea," a place my husband and I really love.

Unfortunately, it took me a while to get into this book. It was difficult to connect with the heroine, although I'm not sure why. As time went on, though, I really enjoyed Casey, not the least of which was because we share a first name.

At about the halfway point, I was hooked. I'll definitely read the next in this series! So be patient, enjoy, and don't forget to pick up those knitting needles.
398908
A close friend and expert knitter gifted me this book with the recommendation that I read it on a snowy day. And I did.
It is a collection of short stories about how knitting has figured into the joys and vicissitudes of people's lives. Some
knitting patterns are included as well. I've already ordered another copy for a friend.
1441837
Interesting mysteries with a little bit of good natured kidding amongst characters
36868
Kate Morton has done her usual job of keeping the reading interested right to the end and having Cornwall as the setting will always be a winner with me.

 There are several mysteries to be solved, the main one being the disappearance of a baby in 1933. There is a good feeling of time and place as the story flips back and forth from the 1930s to 2003. I admit that once or twice I did find this a little confusing but as the book went on things did knit together.  However, I did see through some of her red herrings.

Altogether a good book for curling up with on a winter's evening.  My only criticism would be that I found the eventual outcome just a little TOO neat.
1030871
The latest Meg Langslow mystery has her working in a craft center owned and run by her grandmother Cordelia. The story opens with the beginning of the second week of a summer-long series of sessions where a group of professionals in various crafts (Meg, of course, is a blacksmith) spend a week at a time teaching students (of all ages) something about their craft and giving the students opportunities for hands-on work at the craft  with supervision. But the first week of the summer had been plagued by vandalism, and Cordelia and Meg are determined to put a stop to it. There are the usual collection of somewhat oddball characters, and of course near the beginning of the second week theres a murder (of an obnoxious person no one really mourns), and later in the week a second one. So the place fills up with law enforcement personnel of various sorts, and the usual run of entertaining events happenwith Megs grandfather discovering that somewhere in the vicinity of the center theres apparently a flock of Ords gulls, a species that had been thought to have gone extinct in the 1920s. Hes obsessed with finding their nesting site so it can be protected. A pretty typical entry in the series, which I always enjoy. And theres going to be another book out in late October, How the Finch Stole Christmasa much shorter interval between books than usual.
4329641
This is a fun read. For those already enjoying Cypress Hollow, Fiona is a little "different." For one, she is not a soft knitter--up til now we have had those who are making their living by knitting, or simply knitters of soft things, that other knitters can relate to. Fiona is a mechanic who makes jewelry, and when she does knit, it's with wire. I think this adds something to the legacy of Cypress Hollow, in that not all its denizens are knit-obsessed woolites...some are living there who don't knit!

Once again, Rachel's characters are well fleshed and relatable. Her plot in this one was a little more straightforward, but if you are an escapist reader (as I am) you will enjoy it. Parts of it were a bit of a slog for me, but that may have been my own outside influences while reading. Once again, a well-written romance journey, NOT for those fans of clinical, sex-free stories, but enjoyable for most any romance reader.
126633
Another great installment in the author's Pickled and Preserved cozy mystery series.  It is fun to see the characters' continued development, as Piper Lamb again uses her network of friends and pickling shop customers to investigate a murder.  Particularly engaging was the way Piper's interest in the case evolved even though the victim is an unlikable person--other people in town and Piper's relationships with them come into play in thoughtful and intriguing ways as the author shows, in a very natural and understated way, how much emotional resonance can be created by a crisis like a murder and its effect on others.  In many ways, this series has developed to the point that it reminds me of Alexander McCall Smith's Isabel Dalhousie series--we see much of Piper Lamb's thought process as she puts together the clues and motivations found in relationships on her way to solving the crime.
2840190
If you like mysteries and contemporary issues, you will love this.
605325
If you are a bit obsessed with knitting, this is a great read.  Along with amusing stories there are quite a few interesting projects to consider making.  The photography is great.  Some of the projects are whimsical, but what's wrong with that?  I probably wouldn't make an apron or a tea cozy, but if I were younger with a lot of time and creativity, these projects could be ideal.  There are projects for the entire family.
2304135
Kate returns in this second book of the Victorian mystery series by Robin Paige. While adjusting to her change in status as the lady of Bishop's Keep, Kate becomes involved in 2 mysteries: the disappearance of emeralds belonging to the mother of her newly married friend and the death of a policeman who was found in Mr. MacGregor's garden by one of her staff and the girl's beau. Kate also meets a shy young woman, Bea and invites her to Bishop's Keep. Bea is none other than Beatrix Potter. Charles Sheridan returns and there is much speculation and misinterpretation of the romantic relationships surrounding the two characters. I loved how Beatrix is incorporated into the story and the clever references to some of her stories. One of the authors (Susan Wittig Albert, who writes this series with her husband) has gone on to develop a whole series of cozy mysteries around Beatrix (The Cottage Tales) which I highly recommend. I enjoyed this story and look forward to seeing further developments with the characters in the next book in the series.
3877477
Under the guise of the cozy mystery, the unfolding life of Chief Inspector Gamache and the characters he encounters provide the author a way to communicate about life, death and the choices made in the space between. Ms. Penny has a gift for illuminating the way choices made under duress define a life. The murders that structure the books are solved by understanding the relationships or isolation of the people involved. Since many of the murders in this series take place in the Canadian village of Three Pines, we readers get to know an array of characters both from the village and the law enforcement community. Representing good and evil and the vast array of complexity existing in between the inhabitants of these books reflect tolerance and intolerance. They talk about art, music, food, sports, religion and curruption and reflect on matters philosophical. Particularly moving to me is the ongoing meditation on art and genius that surrounds a women named Clara who in the previous installment of the series is is shown struggling with her artistic muse. In this tale Clara is shown wrestling with her artistic vision with growing clarity. The focus on art is a theme that occurs in Penny's first mystery "Still Life" and runs throughout the series providing context for an ongoing examination on the nature of perception. Also ongoing is the fallout on Gamache his colleagues and family from a past case combating corruption in in the law enforcement community.
This specific mystery deals with the bizarre death of an exceptionally unpleasant person. What sets Louise Penny apart in her genre is everything she allows us to contemplate along the way. I highly recommend this series.