A Wicked Yarn is the first book in the A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series by Emmie Caldwell.

A delightful new series comes from Emmie Caldwell, who also writes as Mary Ellen Hughes.

Lia, a recent widow, has moved to Crandalsburg. She soon joins a knitting group who call themselves The Ninth Street Knitters. The Ninth Street Knitters sell their knitted items at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair, and Lia handles their booth. Lia’s long-time friend, Brenda, manages the fair, located in a barn that dates to the Civil War days. One day Brenda gets Lia’s attention and informs her that the barn is about to be sold, but nothing is known about the barn’s future or the Craft Fair. Soon Brenda’s ex-husband, Darren, is overheard talking with a business associate about his plans to tear down the barn once the sale goes through. On Sunday, Mother’s Day, Lia plans on getting to the fair early show she can make sure that her booth is ready for what she expects to be a busy selling day. When she enters the barn, she finds Brenda standing over a body, who she soon learns is that of Darren. Fortunately for Brenda, she’s not the prime suspect, but foot traffic at the craft fair shows a drastic decline, so Lia sets out to investigate her own.

Lia’s daughter, Hayley, has come home for Mother’s Day and will be spending some time with Lia while she considers a job change. Hayley offers to help her mother with the investigation, and they will soon find several suspects.

I found the story to well-written and plotted. There were enough red herrings that kept me guessing until the end of the book as to who the murderer was. The characters are believable and well-developed, and I would be happy to call them my friends.

I will be watching for the next book in this engaging new series.

Lia is adjusting to life in a new town with new friends and a new business, selling items she and her friends have knitted at a local craft fair. The fair is run by an old friend who supported Lia when things were bleak, so Lia is quick to defend her friend when Belinda becomes Suspect #1 in a murder. Can she prove that someone else committed the crime?

This is the first book in this series by a new-to-me author, and I wasn't sure what to expect. Before The Plague shut everything down, I love attending craft fairs, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the book is set in Pennsylvania, in a fictional town not too far from where I live. It's always fun when a book is set in familiar surroundings :)

I liked the characters and can't wait to learn more about them as the series progresses. The mystery was good, with plenty of suspects to choose from, each with their own motive. I probably should have had the actual culprit higher on my suspect list, but I didn't figure it out until very near the end of the book. Overall, this book was much better than many of the first-in-series books I've read, so I have high hopes that the rest of the series will follow suit and can't wait to read the next book!

I was intrigued by The Crandalsburg Craft Fair Mystery Series by Emmie Caldwell. Former surgical nurse and widow Lia Gieger stars as a knitting sleuth in this series set in Crandalsburg, Pennsylvania. Lia runs a booth at the craft fair for her knitting group Ninth Street Knitters, but always has time to investigate a crime. When a developer who plans to demolish the craft fair barn turns up murdered Lia sets aside her knitting to do some detective work.

I was pleasantly surprised by this knitting mystery. I enjoyed the cozy small town setting and Lia’s visits to the craft fair and local restaurants. I haven’t read the previous books in the series, but it was enjoyable as a stand alone book.

This was a great weekend escape read. I have no skill when it comes to crafts, of any kind but that doesn't stop me from enjoying mysteries that center around crafts. This first in the Craft Fair Knitters series is a winner. Emmie Caldwell is Mary Ellen Hughes and, with four series, she knows how to craft a good mystery.
Lia is a member of the Ninth Street Knitters and sells at a local crafts fair housed in a classic old barn.
She has found a comfortable place after the death of her husband. Soon her daughter, Hayley, joins her after becoming unemployed. Little do they know that there will be more than knitting in their lives - they will become a sleuthing team to track down a killer. Was the motive the possible sale and destruction of the old barn for a development? Or are there hidden motives just under the surface that a person would want to stay secret? Lia and Hayley will untangle the mystery and catch the killer.
Not only are Lia and Hayley well developed characters, the supporting cast is also well fleshed out. The setting is perfect and the clues led me to guess wrong, as they should. I'll be happily adding this series to my long list of TBR mysteries with a spot already for the next in the series.
My thanks to the publisher, Berkley Books and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I liked the set-up of this book, and I'd give it 3-1/2 stars. Lia is practical and likeable, though her inner thoughts come off as pretty judgmental at times. But I like the crafty world, and the plotting held my interest. I'll definitely check out the next one.

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

A new cozy series with knitters and a cat? I’m in! This is the first in the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series and my old knitting soul thought it was delightful.

Lia, a recent widow and knitter, and her daughter Hayley have recently relocated to Crandalsburg Pennsylvania and has become friends with a group of local knitters. Lia’s friend Belinda hosts a craft fair at a barn and Lia has a booth there. The barn is potentially being sold and the new owner appears to be Darren, Belinda’s ex-husband. When Darren is murdered and Belinda is found standing over his body, she immediately becomes a suspect.

Lia wants to help clear Belinda’s name, and she does so with the help of Hayley and her fellow knitters. There’s a lot of suspects and the killer’s identity kept me guessing for a while even though I did figure it out correctly before the reveal.

This was a well crafted mystery with wonderful characters whose friendships are believable, a lovely mother/daughter relationship, and Daphne, a charming ragdoll. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series when those books come out and I recommend it to anyone who likes cozy mysteries.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This review. will be posted on my tumblr blog.

This first Craft Fair Knitters mystery opens strong. The historic barn and the small-town Pennsylvania setting are used well, and I liked how the author brought crafts into the story without overdoing it. The story flowed well and kept my interest-- primarily because of the main character. I liked recent widow Lia, her outlook on life, and her behavior toward others. I liked her daughter, Hayley, who gives her mother palpitations by quitting her job, and my liking for the young woman persisted even after she did something completely bone-headed. Good gravy, I even liked Daphne the cat, and I'm a dog person!

Yes, A Wicked Yarn is set up so enticingly that I'll be taking a look at the next book in the series when it comes along, even though two things bothered me a bit.
One was how easy it was to deduce whodunit. One line of dialogue did it for me. Oh well. I read a lot of mysteries. The second thing concerned the traffic flow at the craft fair post-murder. In A Wicked Yarn, things grind to a halt with scarcely anyone coming in to shop. In the vast majority of the mysteries I've read-- and from my own personal observations-- when a murder occurs, it seems to be human nature for folks to come running to check out the murder site. Business should have boomed. Or so I thought. But if it did, Lia would not have had that extra time to investigate, would she?

Casting those two items aside, if you'd like to learn a little about craft fairs and alpacas, if you'd like to spend some time with a friendly, interesting main character while she finds a killer, then A Wicked Yarn should be your cup of tea. Milk or lemon?

I always enjoy starting a series from the very beginning and this is an enjoyable first book in a new series by Emmie Caldwell. Lia and her daughter Hayley are accidentally thrust into a murder investigation at the craft fair where Lia sells her knitted wares. As in many first books in a series, it was a little slow at times due to introducing all the characters. But overall it was an enjoyable read. There was one cute cat, and lots of fuzzy alpacas also! Four paws up!
Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

This is the first in a brand new series A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery. Lia has relocated to Crandalsburg from York after the sudden death of her husband Tom she is getting acquainted with her new home and has taken a booth of her knitting and that of her friends with the Ninth Street Knitters at the local Crandalsburg Craft Fair located in a historic barn just outside of town. Her friend Belinda manages the craft fair and can come across often too direct and abrupt but it is shouting when her ex-husband Darren shows up claiming to have bought the barn and his plan to tear it down and would take Belinda’s livelihood away. Lia is surprised when her daughter Hayley arrives in town for Mother’s Day with some work troubles on her mind but they are enjoying their weekend when it is time for Lia to go to the craft fair. She arrives early and finds Belinda over the dead body of Darren who has been killed and staged with some items from the local crafters. Belinda immediately comes under suspicion and Lia knows her friend and does not believe her capable of murder. Town sentiment is not as kind as Belinda does not always endear herself to others with her direct ways. Hayley must go home but arrives back later in the week to help her Mom thru the trauma of the murder. Lia decides to do some investigating to help her friend out. I really enjoyed the debut of this new series and look forward to the next installment. The mystery was good and it was a fast and effortless read. Recommend.

It's always a treat to read the first in a new cozy series- and this is no exception. Lia, a recent widow, and her daughter Hayley find themselves investigating a murder when Lia's friend Belinda is found standing over the body of her noxious ex-husband Darren. Backing up a bit- Lia's involved with a craft fair managed by Belinda in a barn (she's a knitter) but it seems that Darren might be planning to evict the vendors and sell the barn. Yikes. Hayley has time on her hands (she's jobless at the moment) and Lia wants to clear her friend's name so they embark on a tour of the various people who disliked Darren. I didn't guess the villain (always a plus!) Caldwell does a nice job with these characters as well as with creating their town of Crandalsburg. The focus, btw, is on the mystery with little attention to knitting but that's ok. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of the genre- I'm looking forward to the next one.

A Wicked Yarn is the debut of the A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series set in the small town of Crandalsburg, Pennsylvania and featuring Lia Geiger, a recent widow and avid knitter. It's Mother's Day weekend and Lia is looking forward to a busy day manning her booth at the local craft fair.

A day filled with happy customers and a beautiful array of crafts hits a low when two gentleman enter the barn and cause a stir. The men are overheard bragging they are going to purchase the property and tear down the barn, effectively putting an end to the local attraction. The next morning, Lia arrives early to set up her booth and discovers her friend and fair manager, Belinda leaning over the body of a dead man. It's one of the men from the day before and it turns out to be Belinda's ex-husband, Darren Peebles.

Feeling a need to clear her friend's name and save the craft fair, Lia sets out with the help of her daughter, Hayley and the Ninth Street Knitters, her group of fellow knitters. Plenty of suspects come to the surface thanks to Lia's needling, including Darren's business partner and also one of the craft vendors.

A well crafted plot with interesting characters, a touching mother/daughter dynamic, a close knit group of friends and a delightful furry ragdoll named Daphne. This is a great start to a new series and if you haven't already done so I suggest taking a look at the author's other series, Pickled and Preserved written as Mary Ellen Hughes.

I received an advanced copy of A Wicked Yarn from NetGalley via Berkley Books and while not required to write a review I am happy to offer my honest opinion

Coming back across the pond this afternoon, this lovely cozy takes place in the NorthEast. It's the perfect read for holiday season, as it involves family, crafts and secrets! What seems like an unintended immediately turns into murder, and as the accusations fly, Lia realizes even though she thought she knew some of her new freinds in town and at the Crafters market,(she calls ita a fair, but to be honest, we would call it a market down in the South, because it's continually open, and not just one weekend, like traditional craft fairs) she really doesn't. And that those secrets might not just put her in danger, but her whole family! You do have to let go a bit of proper US police procedure, to allow for some of the license in the book, but cozies do tend that way, so it's not much of an issue. I do like the realistic look at post-millenials and their search for 'perfect', and the bounce back to home. It gives the book the authentic touch it needed. It was an enjoyable book and I'll be adding this cozy series to my reading list!

Loved the idea of a craft barn with various artists. Well written characters and an interesting mystery. Looking forward to more.

"A Wicked Yarn" first in the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series by Emmie Caldwell. Great start to a wonderful new cozy mystery series! I really enjoyed this story, with its craft fair theme. I did one craft fair years ago and I can see how this can be a fun series with lots of quirky characters.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and I loved the characters especially Lia and her daughter Haley plus let’s not forget Daphene the ragdoll cat and the Alpaca! I did suspect the killer prior to Lia and Haley but it did not take away from the enjoyment. I found myself engrossed in the story from beginning to end.

I’m looking forward to “Stitched in Crime” Coming Winter 2021

I recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This cooler weather has me searching out cozy mysteries, and this one did not disappoint. What a great beginning to a new series. It brought me back to my younger days when I helped out at craft fairs... and now I knit. The descriptions and dialogue kept the story moving along, and I did not figure out whodunit!

I enjoyed this book. I liked the characters and the setting. It is an interesting mystery. I was surprised by who the killer was and the reveal was great. I'd like to read the next one. #AWickedYarn #NetGalley

I could not put this book down! I loved the characters and the plot. This book was well written and fun. The characters felt real to me and I was invested in their well being. The plot, though reminiscent of many other cozies, came off as fresh and true to the book. I did not guess the murderer until the main character did and was only able to solve it along with clues she provided me. I cannot wait to read the next book!

A great beginning to a new series! Lia moved after the sudden death of her husband. She sells knitted gifts at the craft fair run by her friend Belinda. When the owner of the barn that the fair is held decides to sell. Murder and mayhem begin. Lia and her friends work to solve the case.
#AWickedYarn #NetGalley

I have been home from work sick this week, and this book has been the best medicine. As an avid knitter and crocheter the setting for the book had me "hooked". I love craft fairs!

Then there's our amateur sleuth, Lia, who is a knitter. And she has the knitters wit enough to solve the murder. (Though I will admit I had guessed "who done it" sooner than is revealed.) Lia is everything a craft-a-holic like me could ask for.

I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery, this yarn of murder and mayhem at a craft fair. A Wicked Yarn is worth investing in...you'll love it.

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the eARC to review, the publisher for letting me be approved and the author who made my week. Thank you, and please continue the series.

I am always on the lookout for new cozy mystery series. A Wicked Yarn fit the bill. Lia mans a booth at the local craft barn every weekend. She moved to a new town after the death of her husband. But bodies keep popping up in conjunction with the barn and Lia's friend Belinda had terse relationships with both victims. Can Lia knit together the clues in time to clear her friend. I liked the concept. I like the knitting angle. I'm a knitter drop out, but it's soothing to read about. I like the small town atmosphere. The culprit was fairly easy to spot. I think the series is off to a good start.