Since I really enjoyed the Mattie Winston series by Annelise Ryan, I was eager to read this new one. I was not disappointed. Mattie even makes a cameo appearance. Had to change some of my feelings toward the detective who plays a key role. This one is less humorous, but then a social worker does not need to find the humor to relive the gore of a coroner. I look forward to reading the next one.

NOTE: This should have been a 4* star review but I just read a 1 star that made my blood boil and decided to raise the rating to 5.
It's a new series and it's got a lot of potential but also some of the usual issues of a first instalment.
I loved Hildy: she's damaged, quirky and fun at the same time. A very good an unusual character for a cozy mystery. I also love the rest of the cast of characters, I found them fleshed out and likeable.
The plot is engrossing and entertaining, some parts requires a bit of suspension of belief but it flows without issues.
The mystery was good, full of twists and turns.
i look forward to reading the next instalment in this series.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Kensington Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Sharon, a newcomer in Hildy's bereavement support group, announces her son was murdered and did not commit suicide as the police believe. She begs for their help in proving it was a murder. Hildy then not only finds herself involved in looking into this death but it also brings back her desire to get more information on a decades old murder close to her heart.

I really like the way this story was written. First the author pulls you into the mystery and then introduces the characters. It has mystery, a touch of romance and moments of laugh out loud humor. This is a very good first in a series story and I look forward to more books in the A Helping Hands Mystery series. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Needled to Death by Annelise Ryan is the first book in a new series called A Helping Hand Mystery #1. The novel and those following are cozy mysteries about Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider. She is a social worker for a hospital and as part of her job she runs a grief group. A new member of the group shares story about her son and his suicide, but she does not beleive he committed suicide. Hildy finds herself interested enough to want to find the truth. And so we are pulled into an investigation done “Hildy” style!

Hildy reaches out and offers to help Bob Richmond, a Sorenson detective to find the truth. Bob needed to be convinced to reopen the case. Hildy is a pest to get her way and Bob sees her side. While they are working the crime, Hildy finds out the police force is looking for a social worker to join the force and she wants in!

Hildy is an unusual main character. Her background, her quirks and her knowledge of people make her interesting. I do not think that the town of Sorenson is ready for Hildy. Bob - oh Bob - you are so caught! Needled to Death by Annelise Ryan made me smile a lot. I loved her as a main character, because she is a character! It was a fun read!

"Needled to Death" by Annelise Ryan is the first in "A Helping Hands Mystery Series". This is a new to me author and I found it to be a good beginning to a new series.

Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of the Mattie Winston Mysteries written as Allyson K. Abbott and this is a spin off featuring one of its characters social worker Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider. I enjoyed this book and the setting of Sorenson, Wisconsin.

Protagonist Hildy is a complicated, messed up but loyal, and likable character and her sidekick Roscoe a golden retriever therapy dog is adorable.

There are plenty of twists and turns to keep me wanting to find out whodunit. I look forward to reading the next installment in this series.

I requested and received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from Kensington Books and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my OWN.

Annalise Ryan's new Helping Hands series is a winner. As a longtime fan of Ryan's Mattie Winston series, I was excited to read the debut of the new series. To my pleased surprise, this new series focuses on a character introduced in her last book, Hildy Schneider, a hospital social worker. And we meet up again with police officer, Bob Richmond, who plays an important role in this new series. In Hildy's grief counseling group, a new member challenges the group to help her prove her her son's death was murder, not suicide. Hildy, whose mother's murder remains unsolved, can't resist helping. Good mystery with great character. An auspicious start!

Hildy Schneider is a social worker who runs a grief support group at the local hospital. When a new attendee joins the group and asks for help in solving her son’s murder, Hildy and the group listen to her story and agree to help. While the police called it an accidental overdose, the grieving mother doesn’t believe it.

A former ward of the state herself, Hildy became a social worker to help other children in the system. However this time she is going to be helping a mother who has suffered the loss of a child. If it helps her get a little closer to her crush, Detective Bob Richmond, all the better for Hildy!

This first entry in a new series with great promise. I found HIldy to be a little spitfire, all five feet of her, with cajones. She’s honest about her shortcomings, faithful to a fault, and extremely likable, as is her golden retriever, Roscoe.

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

First of all, I liked how this took a different approach to the wholesleuth/detective theme most cozies have going on. There is usually a distinct difference, but in this one the Police are using social workers to help solve crimes or offer a different perspective, and Hildy gets to see more of the background of police work. At the same time it retains a cozy feel without violence (although there IS mentions of drug use and sexual abuse later on) so it both conforms to the genre but skirts being something completely different at the same time.

I really liked Hildy as a character; especially refreshing is her attitude to men, if she likes someone she just sees where it goes without pressure. She has a few good contacts as well that help round out that usual cozy network, and I can see it building with her police friends as well.

I really did enjoy this one, even if it technically ends up darker than I'd normally like. Five stars.

1 star

Don’t bother reading this book. It is the first in a new series and is just a disjointed mess. I started reading this book not realizing it was the FIRST in the series, I thought it was at least book two or three because Annelise Ryan writes it in such a way that makes you think you have missed important backstory.
There are just so many weird details such as the main character Hildy is apparently very short; however, she doesn’t ever say how short or even why it is such a large part of the storyline. It’s just oddly bizarre. Another example, Hildy is an almost 40-year-old woman with kleptomania tendencies who has never been married and apparently overweight, yet she has two men (both in law enforcement) wanting to date her within the first part of the book, it just doesn’t make much sense. It came off as the author wanted the main character HIldy to mirror the character of Stephanie Plum and/or other like characters.
I just cannot recommend this book. It is just a poorly written mess and it makes me wonder how Needled to Death ever got published.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own. #NeedledToDeath #NetGalley

Needled to Death is a spin-off from Annelise Ryan's Mattie Winston series, featuring diminutive Hildy Schneider. Hildy is a hospital social worker, dedicated to her clients, and as a result of her painful upbringing in the foster system, has several psychological "tics" of her own. One of them is a mild case of kleptomania that kicks in when she is under stress. Hildy runs a grief therapy group at the Sorenson WI hospital where she works. When a new member shows up, saying that her son died recently in what the police called an overdose death. The woman swears it was murder. The woman triggers Hildy's memories of her own mother's unsolved murder when Hildy was only seven years old. From time to time, Hildy will take a look at the police files of her mother's case in the hope something will pop up that might reopen the case. Not only is Hildy sympathetic, but she also hopes that Bob Richmond of the Sorenson PD might help her. Hildy and Bob, who has been a regular character in the Mattie Winston series, begin to co-operate when Hildy points out some discrepancies. Bob also has his doubts about the death of the young man and finds Hildy interesting, maybe in a romantic way. Hildy hopes so at any rate! Hildy's golden retriever is a charming addition to the story, as well as Hildy's young neighbor, PJ.

While the humor in this new series is not as broad as in the Mattie Winston series, it is present. Annelise Ryan uses her medical knowledge as a real-life ER nurse as a plus for all her books. Needled to Death is a strong opening with a complex and likable, despite a tendency to be manipulative, heroine and believable supporting characters. Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for an advance digital copy. The opinions are my own.


RATING- 4Stars

This is the first in a new series but actually is a spin off from the established Mattie Winston series. Social worker Clothilde “Hildy” Schneider is leading a grief forum and it's newest member Sharon is requesting help in proving that her son Toby did not commit suicide but was in fact murdered. Hildy decides to look into this and eventually goes to Bob Richmond the detective on the case and convinces him to re-open the case. Hildy is complicated and is a bit of a mess frankly but I liked her. She has a couple of options for love interests which I hope does not turn into a love triangle as I hate those in these stories. This was a fast and enjoyable read .

It was hard for me to get into this book. I like more food cozy mysteries. But hopefully someone else will like it

Annelise Ryan
Needled to death
I was drawn to the cover of this new book not sure what to expect.
I don’t think you can call it a cozy mystery through, it was more intense.
Saying all that I enjoyed the new book it kept you glued and entertained.
I never expected the ending.
With definitely look out for the next book with Hildy.

I love the cover of this book! I was very interested in reading this new series. I liked the book but struggled to like the main character. I would read the next book tough.

The author really tapped into something special with this book. The characters break my heart and make me feel at the same time, but, the author wrote everything in a way that is charming and enjoyable to get lost in.

Sorenson, Wisconsin, the location of the Mattie Winston series, is also Hildy Schneider's home. In fact we have met Hildy through her professional connection to one of Mattie's cases. Hildy is a social worker at the Sorenson hospital and has good observation skills as well as excellent problem solving skills, both needed for her job. When a client comes to grief counselling and tells Hildy that she believes her son was murdered, Hildy becomes intrigued and begins to investigate.

For fans of Mattie Winston, you will love this book. It is an extension into a community we have come to know through Mattie. For mystery fans, you are in for a treat. Author Annelise Ryan has given this first spin-off mystery a great beginning. An excellent mystery coupled with great characters, some inklings of romance, and some surprising twists, you won't want to miss this first in the new Helping Hands Mystery series!

Many thanks to Net Galley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read this delightful book!

This was an odd read. I was expecting a book of similar quality to the Mattie Winston books but I was very disappointed. It was choppy and awkward and had some very poorly written passages. I’ve enjoyed the Mattie Winston books for years so I was pretty let down.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

This was really fun and very different. The main character is very flawed and very honest about her flaws. It was so refreshing to read about someone who has issues and is dealing with them head on. The story was fantastic and inventive. A really fun read!

I enjoyed this book for the most part. I don't think it really fits the category of cozy mystery though. It was mostly about Hildy the main character and her issues. She even goes to see her therapist to discuss them. The investigation is limited but the ending is fast and answers all the questions. #NeedledToDeath #NetGalley

Hospital social worker Hildy Schneider leads a bereavement support group. She is surprised when new member Sharon Cochran makes is clear she is there not only to seek comfort, but also to ask for help in finding her son’s murderer. Hildy has a couple of contacts in law enforcement and learns Toby’s death was determined to be a suicide, but there were a few things that didn’t add up. Hildy takes this information and runs with it and is convinced the young man did not take his own life. Soon, Hildy is working with Sorenson, Wisconsin police detective Bob Richmond to catch a killer.

“Needled to Death” is the first in a new series. However, it is really a spin-off of her Mattie Winston series. Mattie works for the Medical Examiner’s office and had dealings with Hildy on a prior case. Mattie makes a brief appearance in this book, but it’s Hildy that takes center stage, working side-by-side with Bob Richmond to learn more about Toby’s suspicious death. I like that Hildy is not a perfect character. She is perceptive, caring, and quirky and can even be a bit manipulative to get what she wants. However, she uses her insights into people, gained through schooling and getting through a tough childhood, to help others. I love the fact that although she isn’t a beauty queen, Bob isn’t the only one who seems to be interested in Hildy romantically since. I don’t know if there will be triangle in future books or if her relationship with Jonah, the evidence technician for the police department, will become more of a friend. Either way, I like her interactions with both men.

In addition to a refreshing main character, the case itself is also interesting. The book deals with serious topics like suicide and drug abuse, but has a sense of humor without being too silly. Something seems off about Toby’s death and I recognized some of the clues introduced by the author, but I would never have guessed the truth about what really happened. Hildy puts herself in danger to get the evidence needed to solve the case, but luckily she’s not alone in her sleuthing. I wish there had been a scene or at least an epilogue with Hildy sharing information about the case with her bereavement group, but I still really liked the book. This case seems to be opening new doors for Hildy in both her career and her personal life, and I look forward to reading more books featuring Hildy.

I received this book from NetGalley, through the courtesy of Kensington Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.