REVIEW: A Crafter Knits a Clue

A Crafter Knits a Clue
Author: Holly Quinn

A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book in the new Handcrafted Mystery series. Samanatha Kane has recently moved back to Heartsford, WI. She came back for her best friend's funeral but stayed to run Kate Allen's craft shop, Community Craft. The shop sells local artists' work on consignment and also sponsors community fundraisers and other projects. She  just didn't have the heart to see the business close after her friend's death, especially since it is so important to the community. Just as the town is gearing up for the annual Spring Fling, tragedy strikes. Ingrid Wilson, owner of The Yarn Barn, is stabbed to death with a knitting needle in her shop. Ingrid was a difficult person...but she didn't deserve to be murdered. Sam joins forces with two of her childhood buddie, Heidi and Ellie. They used to play at detective in grade school. Things are little bit more serious when they are tracking a murderer!

A nice start to a new cozy series! There really isn't anything new here....there are a lot of crafting theme cozies. But, the characters are entertaining, the mystery is engaging and the theme of a local artists' consignment shop works nicely. I like Samanatha as a main character. She's putting her life together and helping the community and herself deal with the death of her good friend. The supporting cast of characters are great! I love how she pairs up with her old childhood sleuthing partners to solve the crime. Hunting down a killer is a lot different than searching out lost puppies and stolen bicycles though!

The mystery moved along at a nice pace with lots of clues, sleuthing and twists.  The ending wasn't a total surprise, but the story held my attention from start to finish.

In the back of the book there are several knitting patterns for socks! :) Yay! I love it when cozies have crafting patterns included! As with most cozies, the cover is fantastic!

All in all, while there was nothing especially creative or new about this story, I enjoyed it. Entertaining and interesting! It made for a nice rainy day read. I will definitely be checking out more of this series.

**I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book from Crooked Lane via NetGalley. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.**