I love cozy mysteries and I love to knit (shhhh, don't tell Adele), and crochet, so Betty Hechtman's Crochet Mystery Series is a favorite of mine. This installment finds Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers getting the chance to show off their skills when a new television show on the Craftee Channel chooses the book store to film their first episode. Of course, murder is never far away from Molly, and she's on the case, working with her ex, Barry, this time.

I love this series and enjoyed this book as much as I have all of its predecessors. Molly is a fun character who loves to put her detective skills to the test. All the Tarzana Hookers are great, even Adele in all her crankiness and fun outfits. I liked that Molly and Barry actually worked together on this mystery and hope that they continue to do so. I, of course, tried to figure out who the murderer was, and I, of course, was wrong, but that's part of the fun.

In summary, I love this series and this book didn't change my mind at all. I can definitely recommend it to cozy mystery lovers and yarnies alike, and think they will enjoy it as much as I did.

5/5 stars.

I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.

Molly Pink is finally starting to get her life in order -- again. She's found out she's the 'contact person' for the Craftee Channel, who want to film a show at Shedd & Royal Books & More, where Molly works. But her co-worker Adele isn't happy, since she thinks that she should be the right person. And when Molly discovers that a young reality star, Rory Graham, is going to be the host, she's less than thrilled -- especially when she finds out Rory can't crochet.

But then the Tarzana Hookers are joined by two new members -- Marianne Freeman and Connie Richards. Molly soon figures out that Marianne has some problems, and Connie is there to help her. But she also learns that Marianne's brother Errol isn't happy about it, and wants to keep Marianne where he can see her.

At least her love life is improving; she's back with high-powered criminal defense attorney Mason Fields, and they're starting all over, trying to make time for each other in their busy schedules. Although her ex homicide detective Barry Greenberg isn't happy, he's trying to learn to deal with it.

But then Connie is found dead on Marianne's lawn, electrocuted, and now Marianne is a suspect. She won't talk to the police, but Barry comes to Molly for help, which is a first, hoping she can get information from Marianne that the police can't. Molly, who has an innate curious nature, is more than willing to help.

When Molly starts asking Marianne questions she begins to learn more about the quiet woman than she ever imagined. It's obvious Marianne's brother doesn't want her in their home, but Molly persists, and Marianne is on Molly's side.

But Rory is another problem: if she's not ready for the show, everything will fall apart and Mrs. Shedd will be devastated. So Molly enlists her fellow crocheters to help, tries to get Mariane to talk, is trying to set up a very different type of book signing, keep her relationship with Mason going, and keep Barry and Mason apart, all while helping Barry. It's enough to make her take her eye off the killer so they can put theirs on her...

This is the eleventh book in the series, and there is a lot going on here. Rory is more interested in showing off her dance moves than crocheting, figuring that Adele can do the job for her (of course she can't); and Molly is trying to keep her helping Barry on the down low, which is near impossible when her best friend Dinah is having her own problems and hiding out at Molly's intermittently.

It's an interesting mystery that starts to come together slowly, with the clues being put together as Molly finds them. Is Marianne guilty? Molly doesn't think so, but Detective Heather Gilmore is sure of it, not even looking at other suspects. Barry doesn't agree with her, which is why he's enlisted Molly's help.

Of course, Molly is still feeding anyone who shows up at her house, and I find that a bit overdone; people know how to feed themselves. At least Adele has toned things down a bit in this book, and for that I am grateful. (One note that I have to say is that I am a left-handed crocheter. I have been crocheting since I was a child, learning from my mother, and never had any problem with patterns at all.)

When the ending comes and Molly puts everything together, the murderer is a surprise, which is always a nice thing. I did enjoy reading this book and look forward to the next, waiting to see what lies in store for Molly and her friends. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

I enjoyed Betty Hechtman's murder mystery. It was my first time reading Crochet Mysteries. Turns out, I started with the thirteenth installment. Because of that, I missed out on some of the backstories, but that mostly related to Molly's love interest/friendships. Throughout the novel, I suspected a few people. Turns out I wasn't even close. True to the title, Hooks Can Be Deceiving.

Hooks Can Be Deceiving, the thirteenth book in Betty Hechtman’s Crochet Mystery Series, sees Molly Pink’s chance of securing some favourable publicity for her book and yarn shop thwarted by yet another murder in Tarzana, California, which is starting to rival Cabot Cove for being the town with the most murders per capita.

A new cable television show has agreed to film an upcoming episode in the shop, with the idea being that the presenter, Rory Graham, will also spend some time on a crochet bracelet project with the Tarzana Hookers. Unfortunately, it quickly emerges that Rory has exaggerated her ability as a crocheter to get the presenting gig. Even more unfortunately, it seems unlikely that Molly will have the time to teach Rory how to crochet before the show, as she finds herself embroiled in another murder investigation. A new member of the Tarzana Hookers is electrocuted by a faulty radio that has been rigged to electrify a wet lawn just as she is setting out for a morning walk. When the police zero in on another member of the group as the most likely killer, Molly knows that she’ll have to put her publicity plans aside and help to identify the real killer.

The Tarzana Hookers are a great bunch of folks, featuring plenty of different characters and personality types. It’s a lot of fun following their banter, especially this time round as there’s a chance they’ll get themselves on television. Molly Pink is a charming central character and a canny investigator, and it’s interesting to see how her on-again, off-again relationship with policeman Barry Greenberg plays out after they agree to work together to solve the murder. The murder mystery itself features plenty of twists, turns and red herrings, and everything is nicely wrapped up in that regard by the end of the book.

A good book. Well written with great characters and a good plot. The storyline flows and the mystery is enjoyable. I highly recommend.,

This is the thirteenth book in the crochet mystery series.

The wonderful Tarzana hookers are at it again!! I enjoy this series and all the characters!! (Ok maybe not always Adele!)

This series is always well written with a great cast of characters and twists and turns! This book is no different from the rest of the series.

This is a wonderful cozy mystery series!

4.5 stars

This was a fun story to follow. Molly Pink works at a bookstore with a popular yarn area and an even more popular group of crocheters. When a tv show wants to film at their location, Molly finds herself in charge. The celebrity has over sold her abilities and has to get up to speed before the show starts to film. And then a dead body shows up connected to more people than Molly realizes..

I really liked how the crochet group and Molly worked together to solve the mystery. No one was overly annoying. I was glad of that. I liked that the focus was kept on Molly and her investigation.

The mystery was complex and the reveal shocking. I waffles quite a bit when trying to identify the killer. Great plotting and character building in these pages. I can't wait to read more on this fascinating series.

I received this as an ARC via NetGalley in return for an honest review. TY.

I have read all of the books in Betty Hechtman's series Crochet Mysteries and have fallen in love with the eclectic group of characters over my years of reading. It is definitely one of my favorite cozy mystery series and this one didn't disappoint. I had figured out one of the twists before it was revealed at the end but I didn't see the killer coming which was a nice change of pace from so many predictable cozy mysteries! I'll definitely continue to recommend her books to customers looking for a good breezy mystery series.

The Tarzana Hookers spend their Tuesday and Thursday nights at Happy Hour working on their latest crochet project, at least they did until the Craftee Channel's cable talk show decides to incorporate their weekly meeting into a segment complete with TV personality and Make n Take demo project. So many moving parts for group member and bookstore event coordinator Molly Pink to take care of. Between events, the Hookers, and basic yarn department responsibilities, Molly barely has time to see her significant other, Mason Fields (middle-age relationship titles are tricky). To top it off, the last thing Molly has time for is the death of a crochet member's companion. Was the companion's death a weird accident, was she the intended victim, could the heavily medicated Marianne have set it up. This story is as complicated as a granny square but tug just enough and the whole thing comes apart. Molly is tugging and this time it is with permission of Tarzana's own man in blue (and Molly's former man), Barry who has asked her to keep her eyes and ears open for any clues. Every cozy reader knows that once you give permission to a cozy sleuth, she is knot going to stop until she figures out the pattern. I enjoyed the back and forth between Molly and Dinah as they played the "Sherlock Holmes" game. I did not guess correctly as to the culprit which makes this a very good one and it doesn't hurt that there are some sweet treat recipes at the end plus if you can read crochet there are two patterns as well.

This is the 13th book in the series, but my first. It was easy to get to know the characters and read as if a stand alone.
Molly Pink manages the yarn section of a bookstore which includes the 'Tarzana Hookers', a group that meets at the bookstore every week to crochet and chat. In this book the store has been chosen for an episode of The Craftee Channel’s new cable talk show “Creating with Crochet”. Molly needs to teach the host how to crochet while solving a murder.
Great book. I plan on reading more in this series

This book was not capturing my interest for long periods of time currently. I will hopefully try this book after a while when my interests come back to this type of book.

I’ve been having so much fun discovering new cozies lately.

Molly’s thrilled when she learns a craft show will be taping in the bookstore she works at although her excitement diminishes slightly when she discovers she’ll be more or less babysitting Rory, an actress who will be the host of the show who has no clue how to knit. As the shows taping date grows closer, Molly’s starting to get things under control until one of their craft club members dies in a mysterious accident. Now Molly and her craft club mates need to figure out who the killer is before they become their next victim.

This one was interesting—I always like a craft-based cozy, even if I can’t knit to save myself—and I found the characters to be unique.

The mystery in this one was solid. There were a few red herrings being tossed about and I didn’t really expect the outcome, and that’s always thrilling.

Like most cozies, there’s a love triangle. Molly’s ex Barry, who happens to be a detective, and her new boyfriend Mason, who I believe is an attorney. While it seemed to me that she’s more comfortable around Barry, I feel like I was missing a huge chunk of what was going on.

Overall, I had fun with this one. The characters, the mystery, the bookshop/craft club setting but I feel like this one, being book 13, was a little too far into the series to actually pull me in since Molly’s backstory is missing.

I would eventually like to go back and read the previous books in this series.

The thirteenth book in the Crochet Mysteries series by Betty Hechtman is Hooks can be Deceiving. A craft channel is planning to tape an episode of a new crochet themed show at the bookstore where the Tarzana hookers meet. The show is off to a rocky start when it becomes apparent that the host cannot crochet. Molly, employee at the bookstore and member of the crochet group, has to put that problem to the side when a new member of the group is killed. Now that I crochet I appreciated the crochet themed mystery, but it is an enjoyable book for any cozy mystery fan.

I love this series.. whenever I want a crochet cozy she is one of my go to authors. I love how the characters are developing and the series..

Although this is the 13th book in the Crochet Mystery series, I had not read any of the others and found it quite enjoyable. It works as a stand-alone, although if readers want to know more about the Tarzana Hookers, I feel certain that they will not have any problems reading the earlier books.

Molly works in a bookstore that has certain areas dedicated to products other than books. There is a yarn section which s where the Hookers have their meetings. Two new women join who are very quiet and no one in the group can figure out the story behind them. When one of the women dies (accident or murder?) the second is suspected. But there is reason to believe that she is being framed, but by whom and why? Add to the storyline a prima dona reality TV star who is convinced she cannot fail and you have the makings of a fascinating tale.

I read this on kindle, so didn't look to see what was on the last pages. To my delight, the author included the directions for crochet projects featured in the book as well as two recipes mentioned in the storyline.

I will be watching for more of Betty Hechtman's books.

This series is like jumping with old friends, Molly and the gang, the Tarzan's Hookers. This time, Shedd & Royal Books and More is hosting several events, one of which is a spot for a potential new series for the Craftee Channel and reality star Rory Graham. Meanwhile, their crochet happy hour has a couple of new faces, which quickly get pulled into the latest mystery. Are the events connected with their guests? And while all that is happening, Molly Pink is trying to have a relationship with lawyer honey Mason, yet reporting information and updates on the investigation with ex boyfriend Barry, the local homicide detective. In the middle of all the yummy lunch and dinner eating, friend making, and crochet hooking, the mystery unfolds. And the killer is not who you think it is. Another cozy fun read in this series.

Hooks Can Be Deceiving by Betty Hechtman is the thirteenth A Crochet Mystery. Molly Pink is called into her boss’s office at Shedd & Royal Books & More. The Craftee Channel is creating a new program called Creating with Crochet, and they want to film the premiere show in the yarn department at the bookstore. Adele is confident that she will be chosen to host the new show with her explementary skills. Rory Graham, an actress, is picked to host Creating the Crochet. When Rory visits the store, she confides in Molly that she may have exaggerated her crocheting abilities (basically, she cannot crochet). Molly cleverly pairs Rory with Adele who believes she is destined to be the actress’s sidekick on the show. The Tarzana Hookers meet for Happy Hour each day and they have a new addition to the group. Marianne Freeman joined the group three weeks prior with her companion, Connie Richards. Molly befriends the Marianne and is worried when she fails to show up one evening. Molly arrives at Marianne’s home to find Detective Heather Gilmore on the scene with Molly’s ex-boyfriend, Detective Barry Greenberg. Connie is dead from electrocution and Heather is quick to accuse Marianne. Barry has his doubts, but he is not the lead detective. He enlists Molly’s help (talk about a shocker) in ferreting out the truth. He wants Molly to ask questions only (that’s a laugh). Molly works in her sleuthing in between her duties at the store, coming up with a make it and take it for the pilot program, keeping Rory on track with her lessons instead of doing a “dance break” every five minutes, keeping her furry companions in kibble and preparing for the upcoming taping of the show. The killer is not happy with Molly’s investigation and attempts to threaten her away (obvious he does not know Molly). Can Molly clear Marianne before filming of Creating with Crochet begins?

Hooks Can Be Deceiving is a fun and entertaining cozy mystery. I thought the book was well-written with steady pacing. Hooks Can Be Deceiving can be read as a standalone. I like that Molly is a mature main character with an active life. She has her son, her fur babies, her job, friends and she has started dating Mason again. The story has humor courtesy of Adele with her outlandish ideas and fashions choices. She is the perfect choice to host the children’s hour, but I am baffled why the children must register (Adele has an elaborate system in place). I wish my local bookstore had a yarn department like Shedd & Royal Books & More (it sounds like a great place to spend an afternoon—books, tea, snacks and yarn). The mystery is clever with a unique method of murder. The mystery can be solved by the reveal, but I have a feeling some people will be surprised by the killer’s identity. The ending did feel a bit rushed as the author hurried to wrap up the storylines. While Adele was not as prominent in this story, the animals were (too much). I would have liked the author to include descriptions of the yarns carried at the store. I am not sure how I feel about the relationship between Mason and Molly. His lifestyle and Molly’s do not seem compatible (she is more down to earth while he has fancy cars and dines in high end restaurants). We will have to wait and see how it plays out. I Hooks Can Be Deceiving is an engaging and spirited cozy mystery. I am giving Hooks Can Be Deceiving 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I am curious to see what trouble Molly will get herself into next time in the fourteenth A Crochet Mystery.

The Tarzana Hookers are back in book 13 of the Crochet Mystery series. The Craftee Channel is going to do an episode of Creating with Crochet and Molly is the contact person between the producer and the Book store. When new Hooker member Connie Richards is found dead from electrocution, her roommate Marianne is the prime suspect. Between teaching the producer about crocheting and solving the murder, Molly Pink is busy as can be. A fun easy read that is easily a stand alone cozy, you'll want to know more about this funny diverse group. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Molly Pink works at Mrs. Shedd’s bookstore. The show “Creating with Crochet” wants to film an episode at the bookstore while there is a book signing with Missy Z. In short time, there is a murder to solve. Writers and avid readers will enjoy this book. Fast paced, and action packed with likeable characters.

I have never learned to crochet but ,after reading this delightful mystery, I may just put it on my list of goals for the new year. If I could only live between the pages of this book and have Molly take me under her wing. Just don't add another murder to my lessons. Molly has her hands full with Rory, a popular tv host who is supposed to crochet live on tv and hasn't a clue. On top of that, in a freak accident that really isn't - it was murder - the companion of a new member to Molly's group, the Tarzana Hookers. Molly's ex boy friend asks for her help which puts Molly in the killers sights.
This series has a wonderful cast of well developed characters and, while this entry can be read as a stand alone, if you are new to the series, be prepared to play catch up. The humor is good for many laughs, there is some romance and there are friendships and assorted pets. The mystery gave me clues and read herrings and I guessed wrong.
My thanks to the publisher, Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.