A Crafter Knits a Clue: A Handcrafted Mystery

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.

I have zero crafty ability but still find myself drawn to crafty cozies. Sometimes, I learn something. I especially enjoy it when I don't realize how dumb I am during my education. Holly Quinn does an excellent job of writing her cozy in such a way that people of all levels can understand it without feeling bored or overtly ignorant. There were plenty of possibilities as to who the bad guy was. I did get a sense of who was involved but I never put it together before the reveal. I thought the way that Sammy came back to the town was very believable and the world that was created was one that was realistic. In fact, it felt like this wasn't the first in a series and I had to go back and double check to make sure it was. We don't see the moving chaos and she's already established her place in the community and her store when the story begins. All in all, I found this to be a wonderful book and I look forward to reading more by this author. Thank you so much to Holly Quinn, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

When a heartbroken Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral, she learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of perishing with its owner. Sammy moves back home with her golden retriever and takes over Community Craft. --- A few doors down Main Street, a new arrival Ingrid Wilson has just opened the Yarn Barn, a real “purl” of a shop. When Sammy strolls over to the Yarn Barn, she finds Ingrid’s dead body, with a knitting needle lodged in her throat.--- Detective Liam Nash is thrown for a loop as every single citizen of Heartsford seems to have a theory about Ingrid’s murder. And nearly everyone in town seems to be a suspect. Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam find the killer. When Liam arrests affable woodworker Miles Danbury, Sammy puts everything on the line to help clear Miles. --- As the case comes dangerously close to unraveling, Sammy must put the clues together. But the killer has other plans, and if Sammy’s not careful, she may wind up the next victim. --- -- Series: A Handcrafted Mystery Author: Holly Quinn Genre: Cozy/Craft Mystery Publisher: Crooked Lane Books --- A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book in a new series by author Holly Quinn. Ms. Quinn’s writing style is easy to follow. The plot is unusual giving the series a good base to build on. The small-town setting is typical of this type of cozy. --- A city girl turned small shop owner is interesting. The fact that Sammy took over the shop from her deceased beloved friend and community favorite puts additional stress on her that most business owners never have to deal with. Sammy doesn’t want to let anyone down, not even a newcomer who is demanding and disliked by almost everyone. --- For the first book in a series, the setup is fairly good but needs improvement. The characters are not well defined, but character building is normally expanded as more books are added to the series. Many readers might not be willing to give this series a chance based on the fact that none of the characters are notable. --- The character of Sammy is not very likable, her words and actions seem more of those attributed to a much younger woman, closer to a teenager. The love interest isn’t credible either as Sammy does nothing other than insult the detective (Liam) and act as if he hasn’t got a clue about how to investigate a murder after only the first meeting. Sammy’s sister and cousin are nice characters that need to be more involved in the investigations if the series is to grow. --- The murder itself appears to be motivated by reasons no one can fathom until the end of the story. When the killer is unmasked as well as the motive for the killing, readers will not be disappointed. --- Unfortunately, A Crafter Knits a Clue is a bit disappointing. It is hoped that with time and experience this series will get better and the reader will be less likely to set the book aside unfinished and uncaring about the characters or the story.