Needled to Death - A Knitting Mystery Review

Since I'm all caught up with Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries, I picked up the second of Maggie Sefton's Knitting Mysteries (there are currently 8 books in the series), for my 7th entry in the Thriller and Suspense Reading Challenge at Book Chick City.

It's an enjoyable book, not a real page turner, but still a pleasant enough read. Sefton puts a lot into character development this time around, somewhat at the expense of the mystery, but I do now feel quite a bit more invested in the characters.

There was one major editing gaffe. In the early chapters, one of the murder suspects visits the heroine, Kelly, at her home, to appeal for help. Later, near the end of the book, when Kelly recounts the event to another character, the place and time of the conversation are changed, as if the earlier chapter was rewritten, but the later chapter was forgotten. Not being integral to the plot, it's a minor point, but it does give the story a slapped together feel.

And, I'm not sure the cavalier attitude of the characters towards a brutal murderer being on the loose, seems quite true to life, either. Or, the fact, that everyone has time, in the middle of the day, to meet, chat, and knit at the local yarn shop, when they all are supposedly holding down full time jobs. It is a very nice yarn shop, though. And, the characters are enjoyable enough to entice me to visit it again.

There are a couple of interesting knitting patterns at the back of the book, as well as a delicious looking recipe for blueberry pie. But, while I was following Kelly in making a practice piece of knitting, I realized something I've suspected for a while - I have not been purling correctly! So, before I move on to any new patterns, I'll be spending some time with another library find.

It's great to be a homeschooler.