Dyeing Up Loose Ends: A Knitting Mystery

Welcome!  Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber is out today.  The Factory Girls of Lark Lane by Pam Howes comes out tomorrow.  It is a historical novel that sweeps you back to 1940.  The Scent of Waikiki by Terry Ambrose will be available on July 19.  It is the ninth book in Trouble in Paradise series.

Dyeing Up Loose Ends by Maggie Sefton is the sixteenth tale in A Knitting Mystery series.  Kelly Flynn is married to Steve and her son, Jack is now a boisterous four-year-old in Fort Connor, Colorado.  Kelly spends her days at Pete’s Porch Café and Lampspun working on her client’s accounts and enjoys evenings with her family and close friends.  Julie, one of the waitresses at the café, takes accounting classes at the local university and is currently having some issues with her boyfriend’s ex-girlfriends and her money grubbing brother.  One morning Jennifer and Pete arrive at the café to find Julie’s car already in the parking lot.  It looks like Julie has worked her last shift.  They find Julie dead in her car from apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.  Kelly and the Lambspun crew have another theory and they set about untangling the clues.  In between, the group has a wedding to organize for two special people.  Join the Lampspun crew one last time in Dyeing Up Loose Ends.

All our favorite characters from A Knitting Mystery series returns in Dyeing Up Loose Ends.  The book has a nice, steady pace and a conversational writing style that makes Dyeing Up Loose Ends easy to read.  A Knitting Mystery series used to be one of my favorites and I could not wait for each new installment.  The last couple of books, though, have felt like they were done by someone else.  They lack the same depth and complexity of the earlier books in the series.  Most of Dyeing Up Loose Ends is spent reminiscing (I ended up skimming through it since I have read every book in the series and I wonder if someone double checked their information).  The various characters share recollections on the cases they have solved as well as discuss how Kelly came to Fort Connor, inherited her various properties, her accounting business, how Kelly met Steve, and how they other characters paired up and married.  The murder mystery was simple and there was little investigating.  Identifying the guilty party was a snap.  There are cozy moments as Kelly spends time with her friends, a lot of eating, time with the children, a wedding, and time spent at Lambspun.  There are lovely descriptions of yarn included in the story and I laughed at Carl’s continued determination to catch a squirrel (my dogs have given up).  I believe this is the end of A Knitting Mystery series.  I just wish the author had decided to go out as she started the series.  If, like me, you have read all the books in this series, then you will want to read Dyeing Up Loose Ends (to find out what happens to the various characters).  For those who are new to the series, I suggest starting with Knit One, Kill Two.

I appreciate you visiting today.  I will be a part of the Revealed Celebrate Lit Tour tomorrow.  Revealed by Elaine Manders is the third book in Intrigue Under Western Skies series.  I hope you can stop by.  Take care, stay cool and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

Only Skein Deep: A Knitting Mystery

Welcome!  I hope everyone is having a good week.  Treble at the Jam Fest by Leslie Budewitz will be published on Thursday, June 8.  It is the fourth book in A Food Lovers' Village Mystery series. Death Around the Bend by T.E. Kinsey is also being released tomorrow.  It is the third book in A Lady Hardcastle Mystery series. There are many new books coming out in June!  

Only Skein Deep by Maggie Sefton is the fifteenth book in A Knitting Mystery series.  It is May in Fort Connor, Colorado and everyone is anxiously awaiting the birth of Kelly and Steve’s son.  Kelly is nine months pregnant and desperately misses coffee.  Kelly is waiting out the arrival of her son by working on her client’s account, spending time with friends, watching Cassie’s games, and knitting a baby hat.  One day Kelly arrives at House of Lambspun to find out that a body was discovered on the golf course.  The victim turns out to be Giselle Callahan, the second wife of William Callahan.  William, president of a local sports equipment company, had divorced his first wife, Meredith after a forty-year marriage.  Meredith was so distressed by the divorce that ended up committing suicide.  The investigation uncovers that Giselle was murdered.  Kelly wonders who wanted Giselle dead, but she is unable to contribute much to the investigation in her current state.  Curt and Jolene feel it is time for Kelly to make an honest man of Steve and they organize a wedding.   The members of the Lambspun family come together for the wedding that they have been waiting years to witness.  Will baby jack wait until after the wedding to make his arrival?  Who killed Giselle Callahan?

Only Skein Deep is nicely written, has a good pace and is easy to read.  It has been ten years since Kelly came to Fort Connor, Colorado.  Only Skein Deep summarizes why Kelly came to the town and what has happened since her arrival.   Readers get to hear how baby Jack is playing soccer in Kelly’s stomach (more than once in every chapter), the various sporting events the group participates in, the status of Kelly’s knitting project, how Kelly cannot have her normal coffee (in each and every chapter), Cassie’s final exams, food descriptions, the history of Fort Connor, Carl chasing the squirrel and the gorgeous yarn in House of Lambspun. If you have not read read the previous books in A Knitting Mystery series, you should not start with Only Skein Deep (this book is really only for fans of the series). I recommend beginning with Knit One, Kill Two.  I give Only Skein Deep 3 out of 5 stars.  The mystery is so far in the background in this book that it is practically non-existent.  It is discussed, but not investigated (everyone is too focused on Kelly’s pregnancy).  The killer’s identity can be discerned early in the novel.  No clues are needed to solve this one.  It was nice to catch up with the characters, but I wanted more.  I have read every book in A Knitting Mystery series, and this is the first one to disappoint me.  Only Skein Deep needed a complex whodunit and less focus on Kelly’s pregnancy (I quickly tired of the many references to the baby playing soccer in her stomach).  Only Skein Deep felt like it was written by someone else (or the author phoned in this one). It was disappointing to find out that Jolene and Curt as well as Greg and Lisa were married (done secretly and kept quiet).  It felt wrong and out of place with this group of characters (they share everything).  Only Skein Deep felt like the author was wrapping up the series and, after reading it, it should be the last one. 

I hope my review is helpful to you.  I am currently reading Once Upon a Spine by Kate Carlisle. May you have a lovely, happy and sunny Wednesday.  I will be sharing my thoughts on French Fried by Kyle Logan  next time.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader