Dying for A KNIT BEFORE DYING by Sadie Hartwell

My “To Be Read” pile is not small by any means. There are books sitting on that shelf that have been there for…well, let’s just say too long, which means I have no need to buy more books. Maybe. Maybe not, because there are those books that have been read and you’re dying to read the next one that must be bought and read. 

Right?

You understand, right? If not, maybe you should check out some of the books I’ve talked about here. 

Well, long story short…I’ve been waiting (not very patiently, I might add) for  A KNIT BEFORE DYING by Sadie Hartwell. This is book two in the “A Tangled Web Mystery” series. So no worries if you have read this series before, you’re only one book behind. And may I suggest, get thee to a bookstore (or Amazon) and read the first one STAT!

Sadie Hartnell (also know as Susannah Hardy) is a master at writing the cozy mystery. In  A KNIT BEFORE DYING she spins an intricate web of “whodunit,” linking multiple players and storylines to create an intriguing tale. Her characters are interesting, varied and layered pulling you into the story from page one and keeping you engaged until the very last word. 

In this book, we get to learn more about how our heroine, Josie Blair is settling into life in a small town in upstate Connecticut. One of the things I like best about Josie is she’s smart. Ms. Hartwell does not write the TSTL (too stupid to live) characters. Yes, Josie finds herself in danger—come on, it’s a mystery!—but, she doesn’t put herself in danger. She tells her friends where she’s going. She carries her cellphone. She calls the cops when she can. She’s also very good at solving a puzzle. The other thing I like is that while Josie is a nice person, she’s no pushover. Her Uncle Eb is kind of grumpy, but she puts him in his place…good-naturedly. She has her enemies, but stands up to them and she’s there for her friends. 

The secondary characters just add more flavor to an already good story. Each stand out as unique individuals that contribute to the atmosphere and plot—either with help in solving the mystery or creating chaos. 

My one complaint, if you could call it that, is we didn’t see enough of Mitch and Josie together and that’s only because I really like them together. I will say that I loved the last scene between the two of them that had me laughing out loud.

Overall,  A KNIT BEFORE DYING was a fun, comfortable read (by that I mean, I could sleep with the lights out) that kept me engaged from page one to then end and had me stumped on “whodunit”. Can’t wait to read the next installment.