We all have our guilty pleasures, and mine is cozy craft mysteries. Patterns and recipes in the back, reliably quaint setting, baked goods popping up every thirty pages, unlikely friendships forged over stitching/quilting/knitting -- it is an escape to a world where you need only worry about gauge, and the occasional, improbable number of dead bodies piling up.I read Betty Hechtman's crochet series, which I have enjoyed, so I picked up this initial book in a new yarn-retreat series (set in what seems to be Asilomar). Quaint surroundings? Check. Bumbling narrator who has to learn the craft? Check. Dead body? Check, and check, and check again. Unfortunately, I otherwise didn't enjoy this. The murder mysteries were even more improbable and tacked-on than normal (to the point that I stopped looking for or caring about suspects), and the narrator reminded me too much of the narrator in her crochet series, although more of a cardboard cutout (aunt dies mysteriously, leaving her a yarn retreat business and a place to live! But her rich parents do not approve! They want to send her to pastry school in Paris! We should have such problems). I am giving this two stars because I did not dislike it so much that I will not give the next book a chance, but I am checking it out of the library, rather than buying it. Overall this book was really good. I loved how the knitting retreat helped each participant grow as a person and deal with some issues. The characterization was very relatable so I enjoyed that, although I thought the subplot with what the officer was doing in his garage just a tish out-there. However this subplot also added a lot of humor so I can see the merits for having it be part of the story.I am interested to see what happens next in this new series.
Do You like book Yarn To Go (2013)?
A nice comfortable story....makes me want to attend a yarn retreat!
—ladyofheart
