FRIDAY: Unraveled by Maggie Sefton

Summary

Kelly is sleuthing again when her friend Jennifer's real estate client is murdered. This time, Kelly is a little more connected to the case than she'd like to be as she works with one of her suspects. As she sleuths, her former boyfriend, Steve, is trying to figure out how to repair the rift he caused between them. Side stories with the usual cast of characters are fun and fit comfortably around the mystery.

Review

Great mystery. I appreciate how well Sefton does with balancing her mystery story line with the ongoing stories and relationships between her long-term characters. There's a great volleyball game scene in this story that was worth the purchase price of the book in my opinion. As a long time fan of the series, that scene was great fun. I found this story more enjoyable than the last one and I'm looking forward to another case for Kelly and her Lambspun friends.

4 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: mystery fans, fans of the series, knitters who like mysteries

Cautions: none

FRIDAY: Skein of the Crime

Summary
Kelly Flynn is sleuthing again, this time looking into the death of a young woman with a drug problem. Most people wrote off her death as the natural consequences of a misguided life, but Kelly isn't convinced. Side plots include trouble in paradise with Kelly's boyfriend, Steve.

Review
I really enjoy this series, but I didn't love this piece of it as much as I have others. The drug angle led to some sections of the book that felt a little preachy and repetitive. As always, the cast of long-time characters is fantastic. I enjoy reading about their ongoing relationships, and Sefton does a good job of using them to enhance the mystery rather than push it off stage completely. The ending really came together well and made the read worthwhile.

3 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: fans of the series, cozy mystery fans, knitters who like mysteries (although you don't have to be a knitter to enjoy Kelly and her friends).

Cautions: none other than my opinions expressed above.

THURSDAY: Yarn Harlot

For 2010, I am entertaining the thought of making a quilt and learning to knit and crochet. 

In the spirit of those goals, I have started roaming through the crafting section of the library's non-fiction stacks, which is where I came across these two hilarious books. Since I am not a knitter (yet!) and I could understand and enjoy the books, I don't think you have to know all about casting on and purling to enjoy this book (although a passing interest probably helps).

Yarn Harlot is the hilarious confessions of a capital-K Knitter. My favorite stories were about her OCD-like relationship with yarn, knitting needles and her projects. I could completely identify with her musings about acquiring more supplies. My feelings about fabric, scrapbook paper, rubber stamps and books are not dissimilar.


Reading Free-Range Knitter convinced me that the author must be an NF in Myers-Briggs terms. She waxes poetically about her love of potential and possibility in each ball of yarn and each new pattern. She feels like a kindred soul.


Knitters will love these essays. The author's style makes it easy to curl up on the couch under your homemade afghan and chuckle your way through her musings.


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