A Crafter Knits a Clue is the debut novel in Holly Quinn’s A Handcrafted Mystery series. I had a hard time getting into the story. The dialogue and narrative seemed choppy in the first part of this book and moved slowly, but the pace picked up about halfway through the book, the choppiness disappeared, and I started to enjoy it and was anxious to find out who the culprit was and how the story would end.

Samantha “Sammy” Kane moved back to her hometown, Heartsford, Wisconsin, three years ago and took over her late best friend, Kate Allen’s, craft store instead of allowing it to close. Community Craft is a store that stocks handmade goods made by locals, where artists give lessons, and local craft groups meet. Sammy has developed a close relationship with Kate’s teenage brother, Carter, since Kate’s unexpected death. She has a golden retriever named Bara who provides her with companionship and comfort. Sammy’s sister, Ellie, and her husband, Randy, have a two-year-old son named Tyler; their parents have moved to Arizona; Sammy’s cousin, Heidi, an ER nurse, is dating Officer Tim Maxwell, who works for the Heartsford Police Department. While in grade school, the girls created S.H.E., their childhood detective agency. Heartsford is preparing for the town’s annual Spring Fling event.

Sammy goes to The Yarn Barn to help the owner, Ingrid Wilson, but instead of lending a hand, she finds Ingrid’s body with an aluminum knitting needle lodged in her throat. The victim hadn’t been back in town very long, but she managed to alienate a lot of people. The town’s new detective, Liam Nash, is assigned to the case. Not long after Ingrid’s murder, Carter’s high school basketball coach who’s Ingrid’s nephew becomes the victim of a hit and run. Sammy can't help but wonder if the two incidents are connected. When the evidence points to Miles Danbury, a talented woodworker, Sammy doesn’t see how that’s possible. After Sammy is attacked, Heidi insists they recreate S.H.E., to try to track down the culprit.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

A fun and quick read in the cozy mystery genre. The characters are quirky and the settings are fun. The dialogue with the characters is a bit awkward and stilted at times. Otherwise this made for a good read.

A Crafter Knits a Clue by Holly Quin is a first book in A Handcrafted Mystery series and is showing great promise.

Sammy came back to her hometown after the dead of her best friend planning to leave soon, but three years later she is still running her friends craft store. All is going well until she discovers the dead body of a recent arrival who just happens to be an owner of a newly opened yarn store and an aunt to a local coach.
Detective investigating the case has a hard time as every single resident has its own theory about the murder, so it's up to Sammy to play detective again and find out the murderer.

Well written, with an absorbing story and smart dialogue.
Protagonists are likable and realistic.
The setting is inviting and I believe this will turn into a very nice series.

Holly Quinn knits a great new series in her book, A Crafter Knits a Clue". Samantha Kane returned home to her small town of Heartsford, WI to run the Community Craft in the wake of the death of her best friend, Kate. What she doesn't expect is to find a new shop owner down the street murdered by a solitary knitting needle. Throw in a handsome new detective, an accident involving the high school basketball coach, Samantha's dog,Bara, and some amateur sleuthing by Samantha, her sister, Ellie, and their cousin, Heidi (who call themselves S.H.E.), and you've got the makings of a great cozy mystery.

I was shocked, as always, at the killer and the why was super interesting and neatly knit together (pun intended). Without giving anything away, there was a great back story from the person that was murdered to the murderer and everything in between. 4.5 stars.

I voluntarily reviewed this book on Netgalley. #acrafterknitsaclue #netgalley

I will post to Amazon once it is released.

This is the first book by Holly Quinn that I have read and I may be tempted to read another in the series some day, mainly because I am an avid crafter as well.

However, I did find the book very slow going! It was rather a tame mystery without any excitement to keep me reading late into the night.

If you’re looking for a lighthearted, cozy mystery, something along the lines of Miss Marple you will probably enjoy it.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a digital review copy.

A cozy murder mystery with a crafty background? Sign me up.

Unfortunately, I could not connect with the main character, I found her one-dimensional. The mystery wasn't very difficult to figure out, and the romance between the MC and the detective felt flat.

This is the first book in a new cozy series. Sammy has moved back home to take over the Community Craft store that was begun by her best friend who recently died in a freak accident. The store is a consignment shop for all sorts of local crafts and also hosts a number of different groups of crafters. She is busy getting ready for the Spring Fling - a community event complete with a parade - when her helper and adopted younger brother gets a call to go help the older woman who runs the knitting shop nearby. Sammy decides that she'll go see if she can help her rather annoying neighbor but she isn't in any hurry to get there.

Unfortunately, when she does arrive, it is to find Ingrid Wilson dead in her shop with a knitting needle as the murder weapon. Sammy does recall seeing a dark blue car driving quickly out of the parking lot but didn't pay too much attention to it. She decides to get her sister and her cousin back together, recreating their childhood detective club, to try to find out who killed Ingrid much to the dismay of the new cop in town - Detective Liam Nash.

As Sammy investigates, she finds that Ingrid has angered a number of the people in the small town leading to quite a variety of suspects and a nice glimpse into small town life.

I liked the small town setting. I liked Sammy's close relationship with her sister and her cousin. I liked Sammy's golden retriever. I had some problems with her relationship with Liam because she couldn't make up her mind about what she thought of him. I also found that some of her actions in the investigation were very impulsive and could have gotten her in a lot of trouble.

Knitters will enjoy the patterns at the end of the book for a couple of different kinds of socks.

This is the first in a new series about Samantha Kane. You learn she has returned to her hometown of Heartsford Wisconsin a few years earlier when her best friend Kate was killed in a horrible accident. The Community Craft shop that Kate ran would close and Sammy could not let that happen so she stayed and now runs the craft shop. As Sammy is getting ready for the “Spring Fling” parade and festival her employee Carter (and Kate’s little brother) gets a call from Ingrid Wilson the owner of the Yarn Barn a couple shops over and wants Carter’s help to hang stuff. Sammy tells Carter to continue working in her store and she will go over there. Sammy takes her time as she is getting irritated at Ingrid ordering people around and getting others to do work for her. Sammy comes to later regret this decision as she finds Ingrid dead in her shopping with a knitting needle in her neck. Sammy feels guilty thinking she may have been able to stop this from happening. Sammy meets the new detective Liam Nash and there is instant attraction between the two but he does not want her investigating. Interesting dynamics with these two. Sammy just gets drawn in and with small towns people begin to start telling her things. Ingrid was not well liked and some clues from the past maybe the key to solving this present murder. Sammy (S) also gets a little help from her cousin Heidi (H) and sister Ellie(E) who as kids they were part of the S.H.E investigators. I really enjoyed this story. Looking forward to the next one.

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.

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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.

ARC provided by NetGalley

Sammy recently moved back to her hometown to take over her late best friend’s craft store, Community Craft, rather than allow it to close down. Just when she’s getting into the groove of running a shop and trying to keep her late bestie’s spirit alive, she makes a grim discovery: the owner of the town’s local yarn shop has been murdered. Sammy is reeling from the discovery and decides to dust off her old amateur sleuthing hat off and get to the bottom of the murder.

I love crafting cozies, so I thought this book would be right up my alley. However, I had a hard time getting into the story and I think that is because Sammy doesn’t have much of a connection with the victim, Ingrid. Because of this, I found it hard to believe that Sammy was willing to put herself at risk multiple times to find out who the killer was. I didn’t really get into the story until around halfway through when her sister and cousin became more involved. I really like how they work as a team and seeing how they play off each other as friends and family as well as fellow amateur sleuths.

While I had a hard time getting into the story, there are things that I liked from the start. For example, I love that Sammy and the people she’s close to are very family oriented. They’re the type of people who are close as family as well as close enough with friends that those friends are like family. Even Sammy’s reason for keeping the Community Craft shop going is in the same bracket. The shop was her best friend’s passion for crafting come to life in a way that brings people together, and Sammy wants to keep it alive as well as the memory of her dear friend.

I love crafting, so I enjoyed seeing various people come together at Sammy’s shop as well as seeing Sammy work on the shop and what’s popular with its customers behind the scenes. I hope to see crafts make a bigger splash at some point as the series continues. It’s always fun to imagine what the characters are making and what their inspiration behind their projects are.

The mystery itself was semi-interesting. I found myself more interested in who Ingrid was and the secrets that were being discovered than I was in the murder mystery. I think that Quinn did a good job revealing bits about Ingrid in a way that made it seem like her life was the real mystery. That really caught my attention and I really enjoyed how she demonstrated that several people were holding their cards very close to their chest. I am looking forward to seeing how the series develops as more installments come out.

Because this is the first book of a new series, I expected some bumps. And there are plenty. Sammy comes off as a pushy, abrasive brat. Not a likable character at all. The detective, Liam Nash, comes off as a bit of a goof. He comes over to question her, and it comes off as a date. But they don't seem to have enough chemistry to make a relationship believable. He also seems to go out of his way to offend the townsfolk. Why? Who knows? And why do we get his first and last name every time he's mentioned? It's just a little thing that irritates me and makes the book come off as stilted. I'm hoping the series gets better.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A new cozy mystery by Holly Quinn. Set in a quaint Midwestern town in Wisconsin, the ambience is soothing, but trouble abounds. A body is discovered and the heroine is on the scene to discern clues. Secrets are revealed as the crafty sleuth delves deeper into the background of the deceased. I like the Midwestern setting and the characters.

This was a fun little escape. I really enjoyed the characters. Sammy is nice and tries to help everyone. She has come back to her home town after the death of her best friend Kate. She takes Carter, Kate's little brother under her wing and takes over Kate's Craft store. Now that she is home, she is able to spend more time with her sister Ellie and cousin Heidi. The three of them get into trouble when they try to solve the murder of the shop owner next to Sammy. There is an attraction between Sammy and the Detective which also leads to a bit of tension because the Sammy's sleuthing.

The writing style is easy-to-read and the story is a nice cozy. The characters are fun and the mystery kept me turning the pages. I would love to read another book in this series.

The first book in a new series has a lot of information to cover. Holly Quinn does a wonderful job of introducing us to the Heartsford, WI community. This book centers around a store that not only showcases and sells hand crafted items made by community members, but is also a gathering place for meetings and support to those in need.
Samantha Kane never really planned to run Community Craft but does so in memory of her best friend Kate, who died in a tragic accident.
When Sammy was younger, she and her older sister and cousin played girl-detectives. They never really solved any cases, but enjoyed investigating.

Sadly, Sammy stumbles upon a murdered shopkeeper. When a loyal craftsperson is implicated in the crime, Sammy can not sit back and let an innocent man take the heat. She encourages her fellow female accomplices to again collect evidence, since the local police seem too busy to do a thorough job. Besides the unwanted help by Sammy and friends, there is additional tension between Sam and the new detective in town.

I enjoyed the twists and turns this book took. My only comment is that perhaps the author did too thorough a job of reviewing the evidence and wrapping up the case at the end. It was more than was necessary.
However, there were a few questions left unanswered, so I am hoping the next book arrives soon!

Sammy Kane moved back to town to run the local craft store after the owner and Sammy’s best friend dies in an accident. Sammy and the Community Craft store would do almost anything for the community of Heartsford, WI but the owner of her neighboring store, Ingrid, is testing her limits of being neighborly and community spirit. Ingrid calls asking for help once again but Sammy finds things to do in her store so she can make Ingrid wait. When Sammy finally go to help Ingrid she finds Ingrid’s dead body. Can Sammy find out who and why Ingrid was killed while still being there for the community’s upcoming Spring Fling?

This is the first book in a new series by author Holly Quinn. I believe this is a good start to the series, having said that I do feel the series does have room to grow. The mystery storyline was entertaining and did have a good pace. There are several red-herrings included helping keep the reader in suspense. Most of the characters are enjoyable however Sammy comes off a little strong and at times off-putting especially in the scenes with Detective Nash. I feel that this is a relationship which can really add to the story in future books but the animosity between the two seems to be a little strong especially since he is new to the area and they haven’t met before.

I did enjoy the book and I would recommend this to cozy lovers if you are looking for a series to start reading at the beginning of the journey. I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and have not been influenced in any way.

The perfect first book in a delightful new series! Great characters, crafting, and a great mystery to solve, the perfect trifecta.

Fun read that kept me guessing, enjoyed the cosy feel with some humour. Will look out for other books by this author in the future

This was a new to me author. Book was very enjoyable. Protagonist became a little stubborn and annoying towards the end but it was kind of understandable. Great mystery. Didn't see the ending coming. Good fun read!

'A Crafter Knits a Clue' is the first in the new A Handcrafted Mystery Series, and I'm grateful it's just the first so I can look forward to many more. Sammy, the S. in the cousin's S.H.E. Investigations have a trickier crime to solve than they did together in their youth. This time it is murder, and with throwing in a delightful new detective in town and friends being suspects there is plenty to keep Sammy, Heidi and Ellie busy. This is a charming cozy set in Wisconsin with likable characters and small town humor. I highly recommend it to all.

I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't happen.
The main character is childish and the story itself left me confused. I didn't get past 68% of the book because I just didn't like it.

I volunteered to read and review an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley.