Title: Double Knit Murders
Series: Knitting Mysteries, Books 1 & 2
Author: Maggie Sefton
My Rating: ★★★★★
Synopsis:
In Knit One, Kill Two, Kelly Flynn returns to Colorado for her aunt’s funeral only to suspect that the woman’s death was not an accident. With the help of the knitting regulars at House of Lambspun, Kelly’s about to get a few lessons in creating a sumptuously colored scarf-and in luring a killer out of hiding. In Needled to Death, Kelly visits her friend Vickie’s alpaca farm, and finds her splayed out on her original hand-woven rug, blood seeping into the design. Kelly can’t resist investigating-even if it means taking a break from the sweater she’s been knitting in the round. (Via Goodreads)
My Thoughts:
Pleasantly surprised is a good description of how I feel about the first 2 books in the Knitting Mystery series. It’s been a long time since I pulled an all nighter in order to finish a book, but that’s exactly what I did to get to the end of Needled To Death. Before we get into that let’s back up a bit.
Back in 2018, I read Knit One, Kill Two, but never got around to writing a review. So when I snagged Double Knit Murders from Bookbub, I figured it would make the most sense to read it again to refresh my memory before moving on to Needled To Death. That was a good decision!
Like any good first in a series, Knit One, Kill Two introduces not only our heroine but also the supporting characters that we anticipate we will see throughout the series. Our heroine in this cozy mystery series is Kelly Flynn, an independent self disciplined woman, with an analytical mind. It is very easy to relate to Kelly and follow along with her emotional and logistical journey to uncover the hidden truths about her aunt’s life and ultimately her death.
A wide range of supporting characters develop through the context of the knitting group at the local yarn shop. Each supporting character is unique in their own right and yet this eccentric group of individuals, through the connection of knitting, develop into Kelly’s friends, family, and coconspirators in her hunt for the truth. In Needled to Death, those friendships and Kelly’s connection to Colorado, develop even further as another shocking murder hits close to home for the knitting group.
The first book in this series also does what all first books in a good mystery series do, that is form a paradigm that explains or at least gives authenticity to how the main character becomes intertwined in various murder investigations. For the Knitting Mystery series, it is my assumption that Kelly’s analytical mind and unique way of seeing details that others might not, is how we will see her become embroiled in investigations.
Although I had previously read Knit One, Kill Two, I still enjoyed refreshing my mind on the creative way the the story unraveled through Kelly’s simple belief that the story of how her aunt was murdered just did not make sense. With each page, I enjoyed following Kelly’s train of thought and also loved watching her passion for fiber arts begin to develop. Since I already knew, or at least had a slight recollection, of how the story ended, I was able to enjoy more of the “background” environment when reading this a second time.
Within the first couple chapters of the second book, Needled to Death, I was positive I knew who was responsible for the murder. As I continued in the story, I fell in love with the character that I thought was the murderer. Even though this individual seemed to be the most likely culprit, page by page I kept praying that it was not true. Growing closer and closer to the end, that’s when I pulled my all nighter in order to find out the truth.
When it comes to book series, I definitely have brand loyalty and a binge mentality. That is to say that when I find a book series that I really enjoy I tend not to veer off of that series until I have read everything available, save waiting my turn for a book from the library. Therefore, it should be no surprise, that I have already borrowed books 3 and 4 from my e-library. I look forward to seeing what else is in store for Kelly and the rest of the knitting group.
If you’re looking for an intriguing mystery, one that’s not very heavy with dark criminal activity, and yet is captivating enough to keep you turning the pages; if you’re looking for a story that has interesting characters and relatable life events; if you’re looking for you’re next good read: I highly recommend adding Double Knit Murders to your TBR list.
Thanks for taking the time to read my review; if you like you can follow my reading activity on Goodreads.
Featured image created with help from Freepik.
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