I’m not a terribly crafty person, but I do enjoy a good cozy mystery with a crafty theme. So, when I came across Murder, She Knit (I love the title, by the way) by Peggy Ehrhart, I knew I needed to give this new series a try.

Pamela Paterson is a member of the Knit & Nibble knitting group. This eclectic group of knitters gathers each week for social time while working on their projects and then share good eats. Pamela runs into an old friend and invites her to join the group, which just happens to be meeting at her house that week. When the friend doesn’t show up, Pamela is disappointed, but then she stumbles across her body in her front yard. She can’t help but snoop to try to figure out whodunit because “the cops don’t ask the right questions.”

I liked Pamela, eventually. It took a little while to warm up to her. Early on in the story, before she really got into sleuthing, she spent way too much time internally complaining about her new neighbor. I’m not entirely sure what the point was, but she kept noticing his knocked-over trash cans and people coming and going from his house. Maybe it was just the author’s way of indicating how nosy Pamela can be, but that was also achieved in other ways later in the story.

There was also a lot of filler in the story that seemed unnecessary. Did I really need to know what Pamela ate for every meal? Or about every article she edited for the magazine she worked for? I would have preferred the time to have been used to get to know the other club members better or for more sleuthing or even more internal chewing on the problem.

The plot itself was interesting, and the reveal came out of nowhere for me. But it was all pulled together in an enjoyable mystery. And Pamela really did solve it and not accidentally stumble upon the solution, which I appreciated.

Murder, She Knit was a solid mystery in a new series. While there was plenty of world-building, it didn’t overwhelm the mystery. The book wasn’t perfect, but I got pulled into the story and can’t wait to revisit this small New Jersey town and the Knit & Nibble group.

Has all the things key to a cozy mystery series, though the main character fell a tiny bit flat in my eyes. Hoping the rest of the series gives her more of a backbone.

A great book by a fantastic author. The writing is excellent and the mystery keeps you turning the pages. Characters are well developed. Highly recommend.

The first book in the series of a widow empty nester Pamela and her group of knitting friends. Throw in a murder and you have a fun cozy mystery. A great start to the series and really helps lay out the ground work for the characters. Sadly I read a few others in the series first, and found some details lacking in there. Reading this one first would have made a big difference. Fun story and would highly recommend.

Murder, She Knit is the first book in the new Knit & Nibble Mystery series. This book has everything I like in a cozy mystery. There is a cute pet (a cat in this case), a group of women and one token male (a knitting group called The Knit and Nibble group), a dead body found in the front garden of our MC and of course an amateur sleuth. What this one doesn't have is a romantic interest and that was just fine with me.

Ous main character, Pamela Paterson, is a widow and her daughter has left home to attend college. She is a empty nester and keeps herself busy by editing articles for a fiber crafts magazine. She is the unofficial leader of the Knit and Nibble, has a best friend who lives across the street and is a very friendly and smart woman. When she runs into an old acquaintance on the street, she immediately invites her to attend their meeting that night at her home. The members of the knitting group are all very different from one another, yet get along well together. They are not all without problems and that not only adds to the story, but provides a couple of red herrings as well. The mystery moves along at a nice pace with a simple plotline. There were several suspects and a few twists along the way, but when the reveal came, I was a bit surprised. It seemed to come quickly and although it made sense, there were not really any hints along the way so it was a bit abrupt. It was an enjoyable story, but I would like to see more quirkiness and clues along the way. I did enjoy the stray cat that Pamela fed and eventually he moved into her home. I will continue with this series to see what is next for the Knit and Nibble group. The publisher, Kensington Publishing, generously provided me with a copy of this book to read upon my request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own.

Pamela hosts her knitting club and invites Amy from her past to join the group. Amy never shows and Pamela finds her dead out in her yard after the knitting group leaves.
Pamela and her friend Bettina investigate and Pamela finds lots of interesting clues and evidence in her daily walks. Things heat up when her daughter comes home from college for Thanksgiving.
The police are nearly nonexistent in this tale as Pamela explores what is going on. True to form Pamela nearly gets killed when she heads over to the murderers home to check on some details.
I liked it but it was just an average cozy mystery. There wasn’t anything that stood out as amazing.

I think everyone needs a Knit and Nibble group! This was a very cute cozy. I liked the side story of Pamela's daughter coming home from college. along with the requisite cozy elements. Best friend, check, Knitting needles, check. Alibis, ??.

When Pamela finds her friend Amy dead in the bushes with a knitting needle through her heart, she begins looking at clues to find out who killed her. The story is a fun to read mystery with knitting instructions and a recipe at the end of the book!

Pamela Paterson, a widow whose only daughter is away at college, is looking forward to the weekly meeting of the Knit and Nibble club, which she founded. While doing her marketing at the C0-op grocery she runs into Amy. She hadn’t seen her in 5 years, not since Pam’s husband was killed on a construction site. Pam invites Amy to join the knitting club. On the night of the club meeting, as the other guests arrive, she can’t figure out where Amy is so she searches and finds her under a hedge with a knitting needle in her chest. Pam sets out to solve the murder. I enjoyed reading this book as it was a fast read. I also loved hearing about knitting projects. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to read this advanced reader’s copy.

Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart Knitting, New Jersey, a middle aged protagonist--this book was written for me, I thought. Pamela, widowed copyright editor for a knitting magazine, is enjoying late fall: her daughter is coming from college for Thanksgiving, she has a new neighbor who has piqued her curiosity (and her ire), and she's invited a colleague of her late husband to her knitting group's next meeting, which she is hosting in her spotless house. Too bad the night is marred by a murder, and the victim is found under Pamela's bush. Pamela and her neighbor find themselves sleuthing to solve the mystery before Pamela becomes the next victim. The suburban NJ town was very familiar and delightful to visit, although very much gentrified and yuppified and millenialified (a terrible word, I know, but how else to describe a lifestyle where Pamela gets to work from home, make daily visits to the perfect, eco-friendly co-op which only carries locally sourced, non-GMO, certified fair trade items that are reasonably priced?). Part of me found Pamela too good to be true (she keeps her large house effortlessly perfect) but also annoying (she admits that she rewrote articles she's editing after "she just decided what she wanted it to mean and rewrote accordingly." AUGH!!!! If I had had an editor like that, wait, I did--and I complained mightily.), especially her irritation with her neighbor and her jumping to conclusions which invariably turned out to be wrong. The mystery is not too hard to figure out, but also isn't far-fetched, and the clues are subtle but present so readers who like to solve the murder can. I enjoyed the book, and while I'd like to see Pamela not be so perfect, it was a restful visit to a town similar to my old home town in NJ and a quick read, so I'd recommend this as one of the better knitting subgenre cozies currently in print. Unlike a lot of those, you can tell this author probably does know how to knit.

What a cute premise to a new cozy mystery series. We get it follow Pamela on her knitting adventures that just happen to end up tangled with a murder. I can say that it took a little bit for the story to get moving but once it does it moves pretty quick until you find yourself at the end amazed how something that seems so ordinary can be so significant from a different angle. I was loving the reluctant kitten especially with the happy ending. If you enjoy cozies and knitting then this is probably the book for you. If I am being totally honest it would get 3.5/5 stars but I always round up sense halves are not possible so it gets 4/5 stars.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

Murder, She Knit is the first in the A Knit & Nibble Mystery Series by Peggy Ehrhart. I was drawn to the book by its description and the cover art as well as the fact that I enjoy cozy mysteries with knitting and animals. What kept me reading was I the need to know more about the stray cat, Catrina. I kept figuring Catrina would play a more prominent role… well, maybe in future books in the series she will.

The tale begins with Pamela getting ready for the Knit & Nibble club meeting she is hosting. Getting to know the motley crew was entertaining: Bettina Fraser, Nell Bascomb, Jean Worthington, Roland DeCamp, and Karen Dowling. I must say – I loved Roland’s knitting project ☺. I predict you will too once you read about it yourself!

Earlier in the day, Pamela invited Amy Morgan (an old friend who recently moved back to Arborville) to join the knitting group. Everyone had arrived…except Amy. Wondering where she was a mystery. After everyone had left, Pamela went in search of Catrina’s food dish as it was not on the porch. What she found instead was a body. In fact, the body of Amy! And so the mystery begins.

There are many red herrings throughout the story – adding depth and in my mind at times, confusion. But that certainly added to the mystery. Pamela takes it upon herself to figure out who killed Amy because after all, she died in her yard. She feels guilty for asking her to join the club because if Amy had not been in Pamela’s yard, she would have not gotten killed … or would she?

I found the pace a wee bit slow, until Pamela’s daughter Penny came home for Thanksgiving. Then things got hopping. So much so that a second murder occurred! Pamela better hurry up and figure out who is murdering these people. Was it Amy’s sister? Or a disgruntled university staff member? Or??? Really, there was no shortage of possible suspects. The journey that Pamela (and her best bud Bettina) took to figure out the suspects, and eliminate them one by one was an entertaining journey.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere in the small town of Arborville… and the name of the pizza joint – When in Rome – was great. To be able to walk to the co-op and know your neighbors (so much so that Pamela rummages through the apartment buildings garbage for “great finds”) is refreshing. I imagine this is what small town life is like.

Murder, She Knit is a cozy mystery with many interesting and entertaining characters. The many story lines provided for many possibilities in future books in the series. Of course, more murders…but maybe a romance or two? And my overriding question…will the knitting club knit enough elephants so that all the kids at the woman’s shelter get one? And of course…. who was the killer in this book? I love it when I don’t figure out ‘whodunit’ until the very end.

I anticipate picking up more of Peggy Ehrhart’s cozy mystery series in the future and hoping that the intensity and pace that was in the second half of the book shines throughout the remainder of the series. And that we get more story time from Penny and Richard in future books.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Princess Fuzzypants here: There are some stories you read that from the first page, things gel nicely. There is a flow with characters that blend and combine. I cannot explain exactly why but with this story, I got the feeling that the author was trying to put all sorts of lines in motion that will come together at some later date or book.
That is not to say I disliked the book at all. I did like Pamela, Penny and especially Catrina. The backstories were all compelling, particularly the one where our killer is revealed. Pamela discovers both bodies, the first of whom was a friend who had been there for her when her husband died. It makes sense that she would have an interest in finding out who did these horrible deeds.
For me this is where the story stumbles a bit but does recover very nicely towards the end. In fact,, I will be interested to see where the story line will be going as I assume, this is the first of a series. I will be interested most definitely to see how Catrina assists her new humans in their endeavours.
For that reason, I give it four purrs but one paw up. Time will tell if it gets the second paw up next time around.

Enjoyable first book in a series. I look forward to hearing more from the Knit and Nibble group.Pamela and her neighbor and fellow knitter try to figure out who killed their newest group member, before they do, another body shows up. A decently challenging mystery story.

Entertaining cozy mystery. Great characters. Appropriate that the murder was committed with a knitting needle. Fun read!

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read this book!

I do adore a really good cozy mystery, and this one was brilliant! It didn't follow the full formula for a mystery, especially going on for a few chapters after the mystery was solved, but I liked the wrap up. The characters are varied and interesting. The mystery was well thought out and I didn't suspect the murderer, which is always a plus.

There may be an interesting romance planned too, and if you follow my reviews you know how rarely I think that! Still though, I enjoyed the characters as a whole as well as their connections to one another.

This is only the first book in the series, so there are plenty more to come. If you're looking for an excellent new cozy series, then this might be the book for you! Four stars.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Pamela Patterson is hosting this week’s meeting of her knitting group, o.k. one of them only crochets. They get together to do their craft, do a little show and tell, and talk about all the happenings in Arborville, New Jersey. Pamela has invited her old friend Amy Morgan to join the group. They haven’t seen each other in years, so she thought it would be a good chance to get caught up.

When the group arrives at Pamela’s house Amy is a no-show. Pamela is disappointed. As the group leaves, she is busy trying to locate the bowl she had left out for a stray kitten. Instead, she finds her friend Amy in the bushes with a knitting needle stabbed into her chest. Then a few days later she finds another body throw out with the trash at a nearby apartment building. The same building where Amy had been living. Pamela decides the police are not moving fast enough so she starts her own investigation hoping she can knit together the clues to catch the killer before she finds another body.

Pamela Paterson is an editor for a crafting magazine. She works mostly from her home so that gives her plenty of time for other things like knitting with her Knit and Nibble group, picking through her neighbor’s trash for treasures, and hunting down murderers. She is a widow with a daughter in college so she has no one except a stray kitten to rush home for. She is good friends with her neighbor Bettina Fraser who becomes Watson to her Sherlock. The other members of the Knit and Nibble group keep their ears open for pertinent gossip and serve some yummy treats at the weekly meetings. We are just getting to know these characters and being the first book in the series we have barely scratched the surface but so far I find them interesting and engaging.

The story is well written but some of the clues to solve the mystery really didn’t sink in with me at first. Pamela went to Amy’s funeral and to the college where she worked. She was questioning everyone she could. Pamela seemed to have a lot of theories, some seemed pretty out there but soon all the clues dropped into place both for Pamela and me. I was totally surprised.

I love the knitting theme of this series. Prior to my accident that left my right side paralyzed I loved to knit although, I was still learning. In the book, they talk about a harness that allows people to knit one-handed. I have tried many different one-handed techniques but usually become frustrated so I had to search the internet for this device but couldn’t find it. Maybe the author will give us more info in a future story.

I found this to be a comfortable cozy with genuine characters I want to know better. I am looking forward to seeing how a very frisky feline makes herself at home with Pamela too.

First in the series.

I'm not usually a fan of the older Miss Marple type protagonist, because I have a harder time identifying with them. But Pamela is a fellow knitter so I gave it a chance. And of course the cover was adorable, so it pulled me right in.

I'm glad I gave it a chance It was a cute, fun book and a nice light, quick read. A super cozy Cozy, haha. The protagonist is likeable and she and the rest of her knitting group sound like folks I'd like to knit with.

I will definitely look for the next book in the series.

Widow Pamela Paterson has a simple, gentle life filled with knitting and friendships that keep her busy and happy now that her daughter is away at college.
When a new member of her Knit & Nibble club gets stabbed with a knitting needle, Pamela falls into the investigation.... and she won't back off. Bodies pile up and the surrounding circumstances get stranger and stranger. Can Pamela succeed with her investigation -- or survive it?
This is a slow-paced cozy mystery with interesting characters. I look forward to more of the series.