Death Among the Stitches by Betty Hechtman

Death Among the Stitches

Book Summary

Meet Annie Hart: newly inherited yarn and tea shop owner and reluctant amateur sleuth.

Annie Hart, daughter of Bryan Hart – talent agent to the stars – spends her life getting roped into whatever new task her father needs her to do for his VIP clients. So when she inherits a yarn shop in the small Indiana town of Franklin, she is curious to see what it feels like to have something that is solely hers!

But when her arrival is greeted by the local law enforcement, Annie senses things are not quite as they seem in this idyllic town . . . everyone knows everybody in Franklin yet when it comes to the death of the shop's previous owner, nobody seems sure of anything!

Annie soon discovers that Eleanor Danton was in fact murdered, strangled with her own yarn . . . invigorated by her need to find out the truth, and feeling somehow at home with the friendly bunch of local yarn artists who frequent the shop, she sets out to finding the killer. Much can be achieved over a cuppa and a yarn . . .

My Thoughts

Death Among the Stitches by Betty Hechtman is the debut of A Crochet and Crumpets Mystery series. I enjoy cozy mysteries that incorporate crafts, so I was looking forward to reading Death Among the Stitches.  The story moved at an unhurried pace (I swear I saw snails zipping by me).  I did not like the main character, Annie Sara.  I wanted to tell her to grow a backbone and learn to say no.  The author needed to flesh her out more.  I wish the author had not included Gray in the book (this character was more developed than Annie Sara). The girl cannot please her mother who is a famous actress.  I did not like the body shaming (there was so much of it).  I did not enjoy the talk about the “diet,” getting Gray to fit into these ridiculously tiny jeans, and Annie Sara afraid to eat regular food in front of Gray.  There is also Gray’s romance with Officer Smith.  It is just plain silly (a police officer is, of course, no good enough for the daughter of Camille Constatine).

The mystery was lackluster.  The murder took place long before Annie Sara inherited the schoolhouse.  Annie Sara makes a half-hearted attempt to learn what happened to the murdered woman.  The clues drop at the end of the story before the anticlimactic reveal.  Those who are avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem unraveling the puzzle.  I enjoyed the snippets about knitting and crochet.  I wish the story had focused more on the craft.  My favorite part of the book was hearing about the Hoosier cabinet Annie Sara picked up for the kitchen at the schoolhouse (there was one in our kitchen when I was a child). I like that the history of the cabinet was included. Death Among the Stitches mostly dealt with Annie Sara’s day to day activities.  There were repetitive details particularly about the summer people who rented homes and liked to party. I wish Death Among the Stitches had likeable characters, more depth, and an intriguing mystery.  I felt that this story missed the mark.  

Death Among the Stitches is available from Amazon*.  You can find Betty Hechtman's other cozy mysteries here.  Two other books that came out today are The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis and Schooled in Murder by Victoria Gilbert.  Tomorrow I will feature The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis.  It is a captivating tale.  A cold front arrived last night, so I am keeping warm under my electric blanket with my cat, Dickens perched right next to me.  My mother is under her electric blanket along with a couple of other blankets.  It is hard to believe that I was wearing a t-shirt and capris yesterday.  Do you have snow in your area?  I have not seen snow since I was twelve (the last time I was in Ohio). I loved school, but I also enjoyed the occassional snow day (I could read all day). I hope that you have contented day.  Take care, stay warm, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book.  I am not required to leave a review.  The comments and opinions expressed are strictly my own.