Knit to be Tied
A Knitting Mystery, Book #14
By Maggie Sefton
ISBN 9780425282519
Author’s website: http://www.maggiesefton.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of Purl Up and Die returns as Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun Knitters must come together before their whole town unravels . . .
In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn the father of Nancy’s baby isn’t quite the man she dreamed he was. He’s a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be and strikes a cyclist, spinning the town into a frenzy. Everyone worries that a crazed killer is on the loose. Now it’s up to Kelly and the gang to put down their needles and cut to the chase before the culprit is driven to kill again.
Review:
When it comes to a group of close friends, Maggie Sefton has designed a group of men, women, and teens who have grown into a close-knit family, many brought together through their love of various fiber art. Kelly has been part of the House of Lambspun for about seven years now, having left the world of a corporate CPA to live in the cottage inherited from her beloved aunt. House of Lambspun had a special place in Aunt Helen’s heart as it has in Kelly’s. Kelly continues to assist, even in small ways, to help solve mysteries in Fort Connor, CO, without putting herself in danger.
A new member of the group, Nancy is in the same graduate school classes where Lisa, Kelly’s close friend, attends. She wants to learn how to knit well and has been under much stress. Neil, her now ex-boyfriend, broke up in a particularly cruel manner. They had been growing closer, she thought, to making a life together until she learned she was pregnant. She went to meet and tell him and he not only broke up with her in the bar where students often met to drink and unwind, but he accused her of being pregnant by someone else. Devastated, she planned to move in with her father.
Nancy’s father Felix is a recovering alcoholic with five years under his belt. When he learned what Neil had done and said about his future grandchild, Felix went to the bar to confront him. Nancy said he came home very late that night and smelled as if he had been drinking again.
That same night, Lisa’s boyfriend Greg was riding his bicycle home from the bar where he and some grad school friends had gotten together and was critically injured by a hit and run driver. Lisa and the group of friends gathered to wait for the results of surgery. Their lives would be anything but normal for quite some time, but at least Greg had survived.
Kelly learned later that someone on foot, had been hit and killed in that same neighborhood, and wondered if the two hit and runs were related. Then she learned the dead man was Neil, Nancy’s ex, and the Home of Lambspun family wove Nancy into its fold. Somewhere in the growing town of Fort Connor, a murderer resided with a car hidden away to prevent anyone from seeing the damage. A murderer also guilty, probably, of seriously injuring Greg.
Kelly and her friends at Lambspun are a very close-knit group, mostly of couples, as well as a toddler and a couple teens. These are all very likable; it is hard to have one or two favorites. I do appreciate the cast of characters at the front of the book! I also appreciate that the author brings the reader up to speed quickly and seamlessly on who the characters are, what relationships, if any, and some background where needed. Whether this is the first or the 14th novel in the series that a reader picks up, it is easy to get comfortable with the group.
This novel seems to be much more about the relationships of the Lambspun folks and less of a mystery. This reader enjoys both, but almost felt as though whodunit was less important than the challenges of those in this family. While it is enjoyable to learn more about the people and their lives, I felt almost as if I had missed the mystery except for the obvious, Steve’s injuries. Not a criticism, merely an observation. Perhaps it is because of the intensity of some of the earlier books in the series, this one seemed different. There was only one possible suspect for a while, then a quirk of listening and asking questions led Kelly to see there was a second one. This time I guessed at least a couple chapters before Kelly did, which happens infrequently. I do continue to highly recommend this series, and Knit to be Tied, especially to those who like their cozy mysteries liberally sprinkled with good friends, loving couples of varying ages, various fiber arts, including a pattern and recipe.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
