A Crafter Knits a Clue

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Dollycas’s Thoughts Knit one, purl MURDER! Sammy Kane has returned to Heartsford for her best friend Kate’s funeral and when she hears the craft store will close without a new owner Sammy decides to stay and take over the store. Community Craft has become a gathering place for the crafters in the area and also allows them to sell their creations. There is also another new shop owner in town. Ingrid Wilson has opened a store selling the most beautiful barn. While Sammy is happy to have The Yarn Barn in town, the owner is always needing help in one way or another. She has no problem calling Sammy’s employee, Kate’s little brother, with tasks she says she just handle. Carter and Sammy are trying to get Community Craft ready for the annual Spring Fling when Ingrid calls Carter for help. Sammy tells Carter to keep doing what he is doing while she handles a couple of things and then she will go over to help Ingrid. When she arrives, she finds yarn shop order dead on the floor, a knitting needle the killer’s weapon of choice. Heartsford, if it was an actual town would be a short drive from where I live in Wisconsin. I know the author lives nearby too because she has captured Springtime in Wisconsin perfectly. It is one of the places you can experience all four seasons in one day. Mother Nature is very fickle in the Spring. It can be snowing in the morning, the sun comes out in the early afternoon with rising temps, then later the wind picks up and by night she will throw a good old fashioned thunderstorm at us. Heck, there are days when it rains in the front yard while the sun is shining brightly in the backyard. 😎 Holly Quinn has inhabited Heartsford with fantastic residents too! So many crafters. I liked that in addition to the shops in town we see how important the school is to this community. School events play a huge part to the people in Heartsford and Wisconsin in general. Carter is on the basketball team and Big Ten scouts are at the game watching him and other players with scholarships hopes. The Spring Fling is more than just a shopping event, there is a parade that reminded me of the usual homecoming parade but for the winter sports. It was heartwarming that the town came together to support its own even with a murderer on the loose. The investigation had many facets. Sammy is a very observant person but so is the good detective. He found several ways to come in contact with Sammy, even sharing some unknown details while she filled him on things she had uncovered. Of course, he wants her to leave everything to him, but that was never going to happen. It was fun to follow along with S.H.E. and watching Sammy spar with Liam. This book follows what almost all first books in series’ do. It’s pace, in the beginning, is a little slow because the author has to introduce all the characters, their relationships and where they fit into the landscape of the town. The pace picks up nicely in the second half as clues start to fall into place and suspects are honed in on or eliminated. The murder mystery was wrapped up nicely at the end but there is a cliffhanger leading to the next story. Love that! This series is off to a splendid start. The story has a real hometown feel with characters I want to get to know better. I love that Sammy’s golden retriever is welcome and spends days with her at the store. The community was realistic. The mystery was well-plotted and executed. As a former crafter, I love the theme. All my cozy boxes were checked. I am excited about the next installment. *There are two sock patterns too after the story.

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A Crafter Knits a Clue by Holly Quinn is the first novel in A Handcrafted Mystery series. Samantha “Sammy” Kane took over running the Community Craft store in Heartsford, Wisconsin three years prior after her best friend, Kate Allen passed away in a tragic accident. Sammy and her part-time employee, Carter Allen are working on decorating the store for Spring Fling when she gets a call from Ingrid Wilson who owns The Yarn Barn. Since Ingrid had opened her shop, she calls frequently needing assistance. Sammy finds the back door to The Yarn Barn open and legs sticking out from behind the counter. Ingrid has a green aluminum knitting needle jutting out of her throat. Detective Liam Nash, the town’s handsome new detective, is on the case. When he arrests Miles Danbury, a woodworker for the crime, Sammy, with the assistance of her cousin and sister, sets out solve the twisty whodunit. They need to knit together the clues to reveal the killer. Ingrid was not a popular resident which provides an array of suspects. Sammy needs to be careful or she could end up in a knotty situation. A Crafter Knits a Clue is an engaging cozy mystery. Sammy Kane came to town for her best friend’s funeral and ends up returning to town permanently. The town relies on Community Craft for selling their craft items as well as a meeting place. It is a central hub for Heartsford, Wisconsin. Sammy took over the store and keeps an eye on best friend’s younger brother, Carter. Sammy is not alone in Heartsford. She has her sister, Ellie and her cousin, Heidi. The three of them grew up together and formed an amateur sleuthing club when they were children. I enjoyed the interactions between the three women (some of them will have you snickering). You can tell that they care for each and are supportive. Sammy can be a bit impulsive and brusque (especially with Liam). I did not like the way she dealt with Liam at times (put me on edge). She has her reasons which come to light later in the story. I liked the author’s writing style (conversational) which made the story easy to read especially with its steady pacing. I appreciated that the author took the time to provide the main characters background and establish the town. It helps me to imagine the characters and setting which brings a story to life for me. Ingrid’s home was especially appealing along with the handcrafted items in Community Craft. The mystery was uncomplicated. There is active investigating as the threesome hunt for clues and suspects. There are a few suspects and pointed clues. Readers will have no problem unraveling this whodunit. There are knitting patterns for socks at the end for those of you handy with knitting needles. A Crafter Knits a Clue is a pleasurable start to A Handcrafted Mystery series. I am giving A Crafter Knits a Clue 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). A Crafter Knits a Clue combines family, friends, food and crafts into one charming cozy mystery.