Book Review: Stitched in Crime by Emmie Caldwell (Craft Fair Knitters Mysteries #2)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong mystery that kept me engaged

Cons: Characters might be a bit thin (but that might just be me)

The Bottom Line:

When crocheter falls

Lia searches for the truth

This will keep you hooked

Accidental Fall?  Or Murder?

I really need to read more crafting mysteries.  Since I’m not a crafter myself, the hooks don’t connect with me as much as some of the other cozy mystery themes, but the ones I’ve read I’ve enjoyed.  A case in point is the Craft Fair Knitters Mysteries from Emmie Caldwell.  I enjoyed the first, and I found Stitched in Crime to be just a strong.

It’s been a few months since we last checked in with Lia Geiger, and life is beginning to return to normal.  She’s enjoying having her daughter live with her again, even if the house is a bit crowded, and the crowds are beginning to return to the craft fair where she sells the things she and her friends in the Ninth Street Knitters make.

The crowds really return after an article spotlighting Cori Littlefield, the newest vender to the craft fair, and her wonderful crochet items.  Sadly, just a couple of days after that comes out, Cori dies in a tragic fall to the base of a nearby waterfall.

Cori’s death mirrors a death that happens a couple of decades ago, a death that Cori claimed to have witnessed as a child.  In both cases, the police rule the deaths accidents due to lack of evidence, but that conclusion doesn’t sit right with Mia.  So, she sets out to investigate and find some evidence to turn over to the police.  Will she uncover anything?

The mystery in this book in wonderful.  We have several viable suspects, and the further I got into the book, the more confused I got, but in a good way.  Each suspect kept doing something to move them to the front of the suspect list.  But once we reached the end, everything made perfect sense, including a question I had that the characters never brought up.

I do feel like the characters could be a tad stronger.  Don’t get me wrong, I like them, and I’m not completely sure why I feel that way.  Maybe it’s the plethora of background characters.  I never had an issue keeping the characters straight, so maybe that’s just me.  This is a very minor issue overall.  As I said, I do like the characters and the suspects are strong.

When I read the first book, I had an issue with one of the main characters being too prickly.  I’m happy to say she has softened significantly here.

If you are looking for a fun cozy, you’ll be happy you picked up Stitched in Crime.    Just a word of warning: You might have a hard time picking up your knitting needles until you’ve finished this book.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.