Crafty folks rejoice- the 4th book in the Cora Crafts Mystery series does NOT disappoint.

Cora is excited to attend the Craft Mom's Escape Weekend until... someone is murdered and a dear friend is accused. Cora is determined to solve the mystery so her friend does not get convicted of the murder. Well done mystery!!!

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

Feeling crafty? Join Cora Chevalier as all of her hopes and dreams are coming true. Cora has been busy embracing her life alongside her boyfriend and her wonderful craft business. Unfortunately, this idyllic scene is shattered with tragedy. Stan Herald, the director of the theater group has been murdered on opening night.

Cora steps in as amateur sleuth to prove her friend's innocence. But with a list of suspects that is as long as the skeins of yarn she stocks in her store, how will she ever unravel it all?

This is the 4th in the Cora Crafts Mystery series. Set in Indigo Gap, NC. Our protagonist, Cora Chevalier is planning to attend the Crafty Mom's Escape Weekend. The night before the vent, Stan Herald, the not always liked local theater group director is murdered. To make things worse, Cora's friend Zee is accused of committing this murder. Cora is not going to let one of her friends be incorrectly put in prison for murder. Cora, Ruby, Jane, Cashel decide to find out who murdered Mr. Herald. I gave this book a solid 4 star review and would like to catch up on the first book to learn even more about the characters.

Cora Chevalier's current craft retreat is a Mom's Escape weekend but the beading classes are being overshadowed by the murder of the Community Theater director.Cora's friend, Zee, is arrested simply because she was found over the body with the murder weapon in her hand. Go figure, the police think she did it. Can't imagine why, but Cora is determined to clear her friend. Balancing her commitments to the retreat and searching out the real murderer has Cora near panic but she manages to stay the course.

The murder mystery is simple but the characters are carefully woven into the story The crafts that are featured for the beading classes seem to be interesting as well.

I am a huge fan of,anything written by Mollie Coz Bryan. Her books are entertaining and keep me guessing until the murderer is revealed.

Cora is settling into her life in Indigo Gap, North Carolina. She is a incredibly talented crafter, and she has used those skills and talents to build a craft retreat business. She has has a wonderful, caring boyfriend, Adrian. Things are going wonderfully until murder enters the picture…again. This time it’s Stan Herald, the director of the local theater group. What makes it worse is her friend, Zee is the prime suspect. Cora can’t resist…she has to save her friend!

Not only is there the mystery of Stan’s death, but Zee, herself, is a mystery. Cora isn’t sure about Zee’s past. For instance, she isn’t even certain how old Zee really is. She has her work cut out for her, but that is the thing about Cora….she doesn’t give up very easily. It’s one of the things I love most about her. I think everyone needs a Cora in their lives. She is completely loyal to those she loves.

The writing was fantastic as well as the cast of secondary characters, such as Adrian, Ruby, and Jane. They each added a great deal to the storyline. Heck, even the town of Indigo Gap is a character. She wrote the setting so well that I felt like I was a part of it myself.

As much as this is a cozy mystery, it is so much more! Underneath the storyline is the theme of overcoming obstacles and how you move forward…basically reinventing yourself. That really struck a chord for me and sets this book somewhat apart from other books in the genre.

I love when the author includes little extras, and Bryan not only gave her readers one thing but several, from crafts to recipes, and some I might even be brave enough to try. Looking forward to returning to quaint Indigo Gap in the future

I have always enjoyed books by Mollie Cox Bryan and this one is no exception. It's a solid mystery that keeps you interested, but isn't so easy to solve that you get bored before the end.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught.

Assault and Beadery by Mollie Cox Bryan is the fourth book in the Cora Crafts Mystery series. Cora has organized a mom's craft retreat with her friends Jane and Ruby. When the director of the community theater is murdered, their friend Zee is the prime suspect. Cora struggles to prove her friend's innocence while keeping the retreat guests in line. I enjoy the crafty side of this series. Each book gives background information on a particular craft which is beading in this book. The guests were a bit on the "moms gone wild" side, but it was nice to see a bit of a crossover with another series.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Cora and Jane are trying something different this time. A weekend retreat for Moms to learn about beadery and get away from their kids for a while. Things get off to a shaky start when the director of a local amateur theatre group is stabbed and one of their friends is found unconscious by the body, covered in blood with a knife in her hands. Naturally neither of them believe she is the killer but she is incarcerated without bail.
The show, or at least the retreat, must go on as the Moms arrive at the B & B. It does not take long for the ladies to begin to wonder if one of their guests might have been the culprit. The discovery of a bloody scarf in the garbage erases all doubt but which one is a murderer. I won’t tell anymore of the story since it is far too much fun to guess while reading but be assured there are a lot of false turns and twists. When the truth emerges, it is not what I expected. In fact, I cannot recall any clues whatsoever as to the motives.
I do like the characters in this series and the idea of crafting retreats is fascinating. I wanted to sign up for a few of them but being a cat, with no opposable thumbs, it might be too hard. I do like Cora’s long suffering kitty who hardly gets any attention from her. Cora struggles with panic attacks and they are so vividly written that the reader gets pulled into them. It makes how she copes even more admirable.
I give this book four purrs and two paws up.

Book 4 in the series.

My rating: 2 out of 5 stars, it was okay.

I keep wanting to like these books, purely because they're about craft retreats that sound so fun. But this one was especially slow to take off. I found myself skipping bits.

One good thing about this book is that Cora and Jane finally felt like separate characters, rather than interchangeable. But we're four books in, and I just don't know that I'll read any more.

This is the fourth in the series, I hadn't read the other books but this wasn't a problem.

It's the first Crafty Mom's retreat for Cora and Jane and also the opening night at the local theatre. Unfortunately, the Director is found dead and their friend Zee is found standing over the body and is subsequently accused of his murder.

Cora is determined to prove her friend is innocent. There are plenty of suspects, a bit of romance and a really nice depiction of female friendships.

: Cora and Jane run a crafts retreat. In this book the retreat in centered on moms who are looking for a weekend away. Jane and Cora are also helping with the local theater. On the evening before their retreat starts the head of the theater is found dead with Cora's friend Zee standing over him. Cora starts looking into things to prove Zee's innocence .

This was an ok edition to this series. I liked the mystery but I felt like the murderer was someone who was hardly mentioned in the book. I couldn't even recall the character until about half way through the book . I like Cora's relationship with Aidian and hope that continues and we see more of him in the next book.
I received this book from net galley in exchange for a honest review .

Dollycas’s Thoughts

We return back to Indigo Gap just in time for the Crafty Mom’s Escape Weekend. In addition to getting ready for the event, Cora is helping with scenery for the upcoming play at the local theater. But before the curtain goes up for the production, the curtain comes down on its director, Stan Herald. Cora’s friend Zee is found near his body and becomes the prime murder suspect. Cora, Jane, and Ruby know their friend is innocent. They commit to finding the real killer to free their friend all while handling the Mom’s who have escaped for a fun and crafty weekend. Hopefully, the weekend will be a beading success on both counts.

A strong group of friends shines within these pages. Cora, Ruby, Jane, Cashel, come together to help their friend Zee. Cashel handles the legal stuff. Cora and Jane do the sleuthing. Ruby does whatever is needed so the others can do their thing. In this story, that means keeping the moms entertained and she does is well. These characters are a lively group and people I would love to be friends with, tagging along crafting and sleuthing would be a blast.

It does take a group of people to handle everything happening within these pages. Mollie Cox Bryan has crafted a clever mystery to go along with the crafting theme. Twists and turns really kept me guessing. Even after a confession, the case is not solved. This was a good one that kept me guessing right up until the end.

It is stories like these that make me love cozy mysteries. Before an accident left my right side paralyzed I was quite the crafter. Books in this series have not only brought back great memories but allowed me to vicariously do some arts and crafts. In fact, I think I could make some of the beads described with one hand and just a little bit of help with the cutting.

Wonderful characters, a great mystery, and fun crafts make this story A Perfect Escape! I am ready to book my next trip to Indigo Gap!

Assault and Beadery is the fourth installment in the Cora Crafts Mystery series set in the small town of Indigo Gap, North Carolina and featuring the residents of the Kildare House, Cora Chevalier, her best friend Jane and inherited resident Ruby. Kildare House is set to host their third crafting retreat geared for Mom's and all types of beading.

Cora and Jane have been roped into helping their friend Zee with the set designs for the community theaters upcoming production of Fiddler on the Roof. Cora isn't too impressed with the overbearing and egotistical director Stan Herald. She's even less thrilled working amidst the petty Stage Moms. Rumored to cast characters in the play not because of their talents but how much money their parents contribute, it's not a surprise when Stan is found stabbed to death center stage.

Unfortunately, Zee is fingered as the killer. Despite her friend's mysterious past which she has kept hidden, Cora knows that there is no way her friend who have committed such a heinous crime. Determined to clear Zee's name Cora sets out against the wishes of her boyfriend Adrian and Detective Thomas Brodsky. Cora quickly discovers that a few of the ladies attending the retreat have ties with Stan and other members of the Indigo Gap community.

A fast paced mystery from page one to the last beading knot tied. A well developed cast of characters with personal histories that many readers can relate, terrific beading descriptions and helpful tips to learning a new craft.

I received an advanced copy of Assault and Beadery from NetGalley via Kensington Publishing. While not required to write a review I am more than happy to offer my honest opinion.

4.5 stars for this creative mystery full of friendship and twists.
Running craft retreats is a dream come true for Cora Chevalier and her friend, Jane Starr. They have even developed a good relationship with their inherited co-conspirator, Ruby.
This retreat is a bit different from the first two, as its aim is to provide mothers a break from their routines, time to relax, make new friends and perhaps learn a new craft. The main focus is to be a vacation of sorts, to recharge their spiritual batteries.
The women who signed up are a mixed lot, but all seem to be decent, caring women.

Along with the retreat, Jane and Cora have reluctantly volunteered to assist with a local theatre production. They find it difficult to say no to their friend Zee, but do their best to remain in the background, working on scenery. Unfortunately, their involvement consumes more time when the play's director is murdered and Zee takes the spotlight as prime suspect.

The only thing that kept this from being a full 5 star read for me is repetition amongst the dialogue. Certain things that did not bear repeating as frequently or as soon as they were.

I love learning about the crafts. The interactions between the main characters is something I look forward to in each book. The actual murder mystery was not too simple to solve. While there is a romantic element to the series, it does not overshadow other aspects of the story.
If I can't borrow this idea and create my own crafty get-away, I want to go to one on an annual basis! This is a series you'll want to become part of.

This is the fourth in the series and my introduction to the author and series. The novel could function as a standalone, however, characters and location well developed. Indigo Gap is described as a small mountain community and tourist destination offering beautiful scenery, quaint B&B's, cafes, and streets all named in exotic blue colors. Cora, Jane, and Ruby, are partners in the Kildare House in Indigo Gap, NC, a historic Victorian.

They fill their investment by holding specialized retreats, this one with special guest leader, Lena, who will introduce projects in beading along with other crafting ideas. The description of the home had me wishing I could take a tour! That is, until you get to the kitchen, which in their rehab process was put on the back-burner. In addition to preparing to receive their guests, they got involved with the local community playhouse and helped to paint backgrounds for the production slated to open. Unfortunately, the director is found deceased on the stage and their B&B neighbor and friend Zee found beside him with a bloody knife. They know Zee couldn't have done it, but how well do they know her--really?

I appreciated the atmosphere of the little town, the pride of the locals in their community, and the descriptions of the projects. The protagonists have made major changes in their lives and appear to be conquering difficult histories. However, Cora emerges as a rather weak-kneed protagonist fighting panic attacks. The weekend retreat seemed to last more than a Saturday/Sunday, as there was a lot of free time to go sleuthing, and no one ever fixed a meal. (Lots of restaurant referrals.)

It is cozy paced and well-plotted, just a little slow for me. Red herrings are thrown in, then dissed, and the antagonist was not a surprise. I was given this download by the publisher and NetGalley for this book tour and greatly appreciated the opportunity to read and review. Recommended for any heavy into crafting, particularly beading, or for someone you know would appreciate those hints and ideas--a little mystery with the craft projects!

Cora and her business partner Jane are set to begin their beading retreat when they receive an urgent call from their friend Zee. She has been arrested for murder. Not exactly the way they wanted to start their retreat. As Cora tries to focus on bead making, she begins to wonder if one of her attendees might be the killer. Also included are interesting descriptions of a variety of bead-making techniques. An enjoyable mystery.

Love the craft retreat. Nice getaway for mothers. This is a nice series, but this wasn't my favorite. I do like the characters. I do look forward to reading the next one.