This is an interesting premise for a cozy mystery series. The main character, Hildy, is a single woman in her 30s. She has a beloved pet dog, who doubles as a therapy dog, and she's a social worker at a local hospital. Her own past as a foster kid after her mother's murder (which was never solved) makes her uniquely qualified to empathize with people who have lost loved ones.

Hildy runs a grief support group at the hospital, and a new member asks her to help investigate the death of her son, which was labeled suicide by overdose but she thinks he was murdered.

During her investigation Hildy works closely with a detective, on whom she develops a crush. No sooner do they have their first date than another man at the police department asks her on a date and she agrees.

It was an interesting, quick story. Though I liked Hildy and the other characters, I thought her background as a foster child was mentioned a few dozen times too many (we get it). Despite that, I do plan to continue reading the series.

Needled to Death is the first book in A Helping Hands Mystery series which is a spin-off of A Mattie Winston Mystery series. Needled to Death can be read as a standalone though. Hildy Schneider is a social worker, pleasantly plump, single, and has some quirks. Hildy’s mother was murdered when she was seven years old. She then found herself in the foster care system where Hildy was a less than an ideal child. She moved from home to home until she aged out of the system. Being in the foster care system left Hildy with an odd habit or two that she has been unable to shed. When Sharon Cochran asks for the grief support group’s assistance in proving her son was murdered, Hildy wants to help because her mother’s case is still unsolved. Hildy talks with Mattie Winston and then teams up with Detective Bob Richmond. Hildy became assertive with Bob regarding the case and also worked up the courage to ask him out on a date. Bob is a handsome and has been working out since he was shot. Hildy is surprised to learn he is fifty-two (he does not look his age). Jonas Kriedeman, an evidence technician, is attracted to Hildy and invites her to dinner. The mystery is multilayered with a twist or two. Hildy stumbles upon an interesting find that, in my opinion, was the best part of the mystery. I was happy that all the details of the case are revealed providing a satisfying conclusion. I found it fascinating when Hildy was trying to lift a print and how she was able to utilize it. I did find Needled to Death to be a slow starter and I did not like the repetitive details (that Hildy was in the foster care system, bad homes, she has no family, her mother’s history). I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and there are descriptive details on each character. I did not like that Needled to Death is written in the first person (it was unappealing to me). P.J., the neighbor’s daughter, was a delightful addition to the book. I liked her frank nature. Roscoe, Hildy’s golden retriever, is a protective and comforting dog. He was a sweetie. Those readers who enjoy A Mattie Winston Mystery series will be delighted with A Helping Hands Mystery series. Needled to Death has a protective pooch, a dashing detective, a cold case, a perplexing puzzle and a caring counselor.

Any book that has dog on cover I really gotta check out. Hildy is a likable by me so far but it's her sidekick Roscoe I fell in love with. Lot of curve balls are thrown in but all turns out in the end which i totally enjoyed. Waiting to see the characters grow so I will be reading this series.

This was a interesting premise for a new cozy series that captured my attention.
Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the ARC. My opinion is my own,.

I love a protagonist that is a strong independent woman and the author has certainly met that criteria.
Hildy is a busy social worker and runs a grief support group. in She is feisty, short and the author included very funny incidents about those of us in the short population which were endearing and funny! She has a golden retriever that is her constant companion.

She has a new attendee to the grief group that believes her son was murdered. The police do not agree. She wants Hildy to investigate which Hildy takes on without question. She is also balancing two love interest, both work for the police department.,

The sleuth was interesting as Hildy is new to investigating. She is smart and likable. .I liked the supporting charcters and love the addition of her dog. Hildy has a possible job change in her future and that will be a great tie in for the next book.
I look forward to the next in series.

I love cozy mysteries and thought this book sounded excellent so I was pleased to receive a cop. from the publisher. Sadly, it turned out to not be my cup of tea. I thought it was very slow moving and I couldn't connect with the storyline or the characters. I finally ended up skimming the book to the end.
I'm willing to give the series another shot....maybe the next one will grab me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or remuneration.
#NetGalley #NeedledtoDeath

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin. But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son’s potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to in-over-her-head amateur sleuth . . .

Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating clues—and an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others. With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharp-witted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy?

This is a great intro to what seems to be a very promising new mystery series! This has all sorts of little details I've never seen in a cozy mystery before.

A super mystery with some interesting characters and a great beginning to a new series.

Needled to Death is the first book in the 'A Helping Hands Mystery' series by Annelise Ryan. There were several levels to this mystery with quite a lot of depth and grittiness for a cozy. The story was extremely satisfying with some very good twists that kept me guessing throughout. I'm already very keen to read the next in the series!

I received a complimentary digital copy of this novel, at my own request, from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I have read all of Annalise Ryan's other series and this spin off featuring social worker Hildy and Bob Richmond, a cop.was a must read. I wasn't disappointed. Hildy works with grief counseling and, when a new member of the group is convinced that her son didn't commit suicide, Hildy joins forces with Bob to find out the truth. She gets a start at it when she contacts Mattie Winston and the Bob Richmond and the supporting cast of her neighbor, PJ who walks Hildy's dog Roscoe are perfect.
There are several levels to this mystery and some of it makes me feel like this should be called a 'sort of' cozy and that's not a bad thing. It's overall a cozy but Hild's back story had an edge to it. Her mother was murdered when Hildy was seven and as an adult she is a bit messed up, dealing with, among other things, trust issues. It makes her very human. The mystery itself was satisfying with some very good twists to keep me guessing. I'm ready to read the next book in the series.

Needled to Death is the first book in Annelise Ryan’s A Helping Hands Mystery series. The storyline is well and flows at a steady pace. This is a little grittier than your typical cozy mystery, but it does contain all of the requisite cozy elements and doesn’t include graphic violence, gratuitous adult situations, or harsh adult language.

Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider is a social worker at Sorenson General Hospital and oversees a bereavement support group in Sorenson, Wisconsin where she shares her home with Roscoe, a golden retriever, who not only provides comfort to her but also to patients. Hildy’s insightful young neighbor, PJ, walks Roscoe several times each day. Hildy’s mother was murdered when she was seven, and she experienced a painful upbringing in the foster system. Hildy is hopeful that one day the person who killed her will be caught. A new member of the bereavement support group, Sharon Cochran, who lost her only child, Toby, two weeks ago, tells the group that the authorities believe her son committed suicide or accidentally overdosed on heroin, asks the group to help her prove Toby was murdered. The group is intrigued by Sharon’s story and Hildy agrees to look into the case. She contacts Mattie Winston, who is a death investigator for the ME’s office, who believes there is something a little sketchy about the case. After visiting Sharon’s home and taking possession of Toby’s computer and an intriguing picture he repeatedly drew, she contacts police detective, Bob Richmond, and manages to create enough doubt that he agrees to reopen the case. Hildy has good instincts and works closely with the detective in an effort to learn the truth. Hildy is attracted to Detective Richmond, but when Jonas Kriedeman, an evidence technician and single father of Sofie, his seven-year-old daughter, invites her to dinner, she’s flattered and accepts his invitation.

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

This book was a fantastic start to a new series. I have read all of Ryan’s other series and this one is sort of a spin off from that, with some character cross over. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that going in but it actually worked really well and gave a depth to characters right off the bat that you wouldn’t normally get. I also loved that Ryan gave her character a job that allows her to be involved in cases without it seeming like she’s forcing something that doesn’t fit. It all fit together very naturally.
I also enjoyed the mystery itself and how it played out, I felt like it was well done. The only part that I didn’t really like was how the mystery ended. It felt just a little bit far fetched to me but it wasn’t something I had read before so there is that.

I love this whole idea for a storyline, and Hildy was such a fun and funny character. I got a kick out of how she just asserted herself around Bob the detective. She definitely went after whatever it was that she wanted. I really enjoyed the character of PJ, her 11-year-old neighbor who was very faithful about walking Hildy's dog Roscoe. She was more like 11 going on 17 or older, very intelligent but her middle school nature came out when she asked if Hildy was going to date the detective.

The thing I found off-putting about the book was that I am not a fan of present tense writing at all. I've only ever read one cozy mystery that was written that way, and it was a new series. But since this author has another series that this was sort of a spin-off to, I can only guess that it's also written in present tense. I had been hoping to start it. I can get through it, but my brain has to translate the verbs to past tense or it makes me crazy LOL! However, I really enjoyed the characters and story line in this book so much, and I've made it a policy never to rate a book by the style in which it's written, that I gave it my normal rating for when I really really like a book. I may be totally alone in my thinking on present tense too, but I had to mention it in case others feel the same way. Please don't skip the book because of that though, just use some extra gray cells and pretend it's normal tense ;)

The premise of this book, a social worker/grief counselor investigating a young man's "suicide" at the request of his grieving mother, is awfully far-fetched, but somehow Ryan pulls it off. Hildy's quirky personality and her past in the foster system make her a unique character. The relationships in this book feel layered and authentic, and I really wanted to know what happened to Toby. The ending was so sad, but also satisfying. I'll be looking forward to book #2!

Review copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Needled to Death by Annelise Ryan is the 1st book in A Helping Hands Mystery series, and it's off to a great start. First of all I love Ms. Ryan's other series, Mattie Winston Mysteries, so I was excited to read this one too. Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider is a colleague of deputy coroner Mattie Winson at Sorenson General Hospital in Wisconsin. Hildy is a mental health provider, and her beautiful Golden Retriever dog works along side her. When one of her group therapy members believes her son was murdered, Hildy is determined to find out the truth. Needled to Death is a very good cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot and all the of characters . I look forward to reading more books in this series. I highly recommend this book to all cozy lovers.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for an advanced copy of this book to review.

Needled to Death is the first in the new series, A Helping Hands Mystery, featuring single lady, Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider, a social worker in a Sorenson, Wisconsin hospital. Having lived in the foster care system after her mother’s murder as a child, Hildy now helps others who walk through the hospital doors in their weakest moments and also at her weekly Grief Support Group. At her support group meeting is where she meets Sharon Cochran. Her college age son, Toby, was found dead and the authorities closed the case as a suicide. Was it, though? Susan doesn’t think so and enlists Hildy’s help to get to the bottom of the case. Hildy soon finds herself talking to Detective Bob Richmond and convincing him that things may not always be what they seem. With the help of her trusty Golden Retriever, Roscoe, Hildy will not rest until the truth is uncovered.

Annelise Ryan (also known as Mattie Winston) had better be a fast writer, because I need the second installment as soon as possible. Had it not been for a few emergencies popping up, I would have finished this book in one sitting, and once I finally got the chance to get back to it, that’s exactly what I did. My suggestion, if you have never read any books by this author, please grab this one. Afterwards, if you’re like me, you will also add all of her other books to your ever-growing “To Be Read” pile.

Needled to Death is the first book in the A Helping Hands Mystery series by Annelise Ryan. The story is told entirely from Hildy's point of view which is the usual mo for books that belong in this genre. The dog on the cover is making me feel guilty for the following review, to be honest, and it's the reason I don't want to go with a 2-star rating. Hildy dates and plans to continue dating two men and I am not a big fan of this kind of plotline. It has the potential of becoming a love triangle and I hate that. There is also the 16 year age gap she has with one of the men. She is 36 years old and she is dating a 52-year-old man and it didn't sit well with me especially since the man mentioned that he could be her father. It just weirded me out. The other man seems like a better fit for her and in their case there was chemistry. The mystery was the best point of the book. I didn't feel like I knew Hildy's character and that bugs me since I spent 336 pages with her.

Hospital Social Worker Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider runs a grief support group as part of her job. A new participant arrives and upends the group with her proclamation that her son died two weeks ago and that she wants the help of the group to find his killer. Sharon Cochran acknowledges that the cops believe the death was a suicide, but she disagrees and wants his murderer found. Hildy teams up with Sorenson Detective Bob Richmond to uncover what really happened to Toby.

I’m thrilled to see a social worker as the main character in a cozy mystery and had to pick up NEEDLED TO DEATH for that reason alone. I love that the opening directly addresses one of the jobs that social workers often do. Annelise Ryan demonstrates good insight into the workings of a grief group and I particularly appreciate that Hildy herself recognizes when she allows the group to detour off the usually prescribed course of group work. One of my pet peeves is when a professional does something completely antithetical to their profession with no explanation. Instead, Annelise Ryan does an excellent job at explaining Hildy’s somewhat unorthodox approach to Sharon’s situation.

Annelise Ryan incorporates mental health into her story line quite well. Not only do we see the inner workings of a grief group from the professional’s standpoint, but we also see Hildy’s own awareness of her triggers. I like that Hildy sees a therapist of her own, particularly when she notices an increase in one of her quirks dating back to her childhood experiences. Annelise Ryan leaves so many avenues wide open about Hildy’s past and I’m eager to see where she takes us in the future.

NEEDLED TO DEATH is the first book in the <i>Helping Hands</i> series and is a promising start to a new series. There is a bit of a romance triangle brewing and I’m curious to see how it will play out in the next book. And oh, did I mention that Hildy has her very own therapy dog? I thoroughly enjoyed NEEDLED TO DEATH and am excited for the next book in the <i>Helping Hands</i> series!

*updated to add review link*

I loved this story, which had circumstances and happenings that I hope I never have to experience. It was well written and I love the characters living the experiences. I could feel their pain and felt like I was right there with them. I do like people that can go with the flow. Sometimes you just need to change things up a little. The characters are great, even the ones I don’t much care for. Hildy and good Detective made me giggle at times. I hope I can hang out with them again. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Hildy Schneider is a social worker who was introduced in book 10 of the author’s Mattie Winston mystery series. While you can certainly read this book as the beginning of a new series, I recommend reading book 10 to get an introduction into how Hildy became important in investigations.

Hildy gets involved in checking out a possible suspicious death when one of her group therapy members asks for the group to investigate. To stave off every member getting involved, she promises to look into it and to get her contact, Detective Bob Richmond, to do some research.

She has a bit of a crush on Detective Bob Richmond, so part of the promise is self-serving. She wants an opportunity to see him again. Bob responds with a challenge that almost knocks Hildy off her feet (literally.)

The character wasn’t all that funny in the prior book but she comes into her own in this one. The plot of the book is serious but the road to the end whodunnit is hysterical. I can hardly wait for the next book in this and the Winston series.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Needled to Death: A Helping Hands Mystery
By Annelise Ryan
Kensington
July 30, 2019

Review by Cynthia Chow

Social worker Hildy Schneider is adept at spotting the many forms in which people grieve and cope with loss. Mourning mother Sharon Cochran is seething with rage. Risking a new approach for her occasionally combative grief support group she leads, Hildy encourages Sharon to share an alternative to the police report and try to convince them that her son died not by accidental drug overdose, but was murdered. While Hildy is able to prevent the rest of the support group from embarking on the case as amateur detectives, she can’t help but follow her instincts and ask a few questions herself. Using police contacts she developed when previously consulted by death investigator Mattie Winston, Hildy seeks out Sorenson Detective Bob Richmond for access into the case.

As it turns out, the police are interested in a “Helping Hands” pilot ride-along program for on-the-spot social workers, and Hildy jumps at the chance to demonstrate her skills and bump herself up on the list of applicants. Using a bit of DIY fingerprinting duplicating to break into Toby’s laptop, Hildy not only shows off her ability to innovate, she discovers the University of Wisconsin’s fraternity connections that may have led to his death. Hildy’s determination to assist in the investigation leads to unexpected consequences, as not only does she become a reluctant workout partner for Bob’s crack-of-dawn gym sessions, she finds herself in the enviable and confusing position of juggling two suitors at once. It shouldn’t be surprising that the pressure and stress of so many changes trigger Hildy’s anxiety issues, making the care of her psychological health as much a priority as tracking down a possible killer.

This first installment of a new series excels at developing its starring character who only briefly appeared in the outstanding Mattie Winston mystery series. After the murder of her mother when Hildy was seven, she bounced through over a dozen foster homes that resulted in numerous psychological coping mechanisms. She’s slow to trust or make friends, and a childhood spent being deprived by foster families let to the unconscious pocketing food and treats. Although the mystery of Toby’s death continues to play out in the background, much of this novel focuses on the fascinating psychological challenges faced by Hildy and so many others. Being able to relate so well to those with anxiety and socializing issues has inspired her to train her golden retriever Roscoe as a hospital therapy dog, who comforts patients feeling orphaned and alone. The empathetic examination of psychological issues is as refreshing as it is intriguing, and makes this a standout novel by a skilled writer. This vulnerable, underdog heroine struggling to prove herself and be likable is a delightful contrast to the dry wit and dark sense of humor featured in the Mattie Winston novels. What both series have in common is how fully invested readers become in the future of these engaging, fully realized characters.

Needled to Death, the first book in an exciting new series by Annelise Ryan, is not your typical cozy mystery. While it does contain the requisite cozy elements – small town, amateur sleuth, and even a budding love triangle – it adds much needed realism and modernism to the genre. Both forensics and technology play prominent roles in this engaging novel.

Social worker Hildy Schneider is a counselor for a bereavement support group. Grief is a subject Hildy knows well, having lost her mother as a child. When a new group member insists that her son, Toby, didn’t overdose (accidentally or otherwise), but was in fact murdered, Hildy is skeptical at first. But when the group wants to focus on the facts of the case, Hildy thinks that she might be on to something and decides to investigate. She is aided in her investigation by both Bob Richmond, a police officer apparently introduced in Ms. Ryan’s Mattie Winston series, as well as police evidence tech Jonas Kriedeman, both of whom become potential love interests. Before all is said and done, Hildy must use her wits to catch Toby’s killer and keep from becoming the next victim.

There are so many things to like about Needled to Death. Hildy is a breath of fresh air in the genre. Not only does she have a distinctive job, but she has several personal quirks that are interesting and endearing. Bob Richmond is likeable, and his by-the-book style seems to contrast nicely with Hildy’s. I like, too, the concept of having Hildy join him in a ride along – it made her presence at crime scenes and witness interviews believable. The expanded pilot ride-along program – Helping Hands – likely will be a part of the series going forward. Jonas, too, is a great character, as his daughter, Sofie, who is a precocious charmer. Hildy’s dog-walking neighbor, PJ adds to the fun.

All told, Needled to Death, is a wonderful start to what promises to be a lively and intriguing series. I am eagerly awaiting the second book.

Note: I received an ARC of Needled to Death from NetGalley and Kensington Books. The above is my honest review.