What fun, a writer whose mysteries are all set around yarn retreats. Sometimes knitting, other times crochet. And set on California coast near Carmel, in a Craftsman style hotel. 1. I loved this area when we visited, and 2. Carmel really does look like a fairytale village - which of course they encourage; and the coast is lovely there too. Then there is the Craftsman aspect. Similar to Arts and Crafts but with an emphasis on hidden cupboards and so on and no stained glass or embroidery that I saw.
And then knitting. I've always yearned to attend a yarn weekend. But the one I knew most about was far too expensive as it was always exotic locales.
So, a gentle mystery story with cluesfrom the start that only make sense at the end. I had no idea who 'dunnit'!

But not for me was more entertaining than I thought it would be. Casey showed she was no pushover this time around. Casey was impressive as an investigator, and I liked the by-play between her and Dane. It was a fun, entertaining, intriguing, and exciting book.

I have read most of this series as well as the Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers series. I started with this series but I think I like the other series better. That is, except for the police officer boyfriend. Dane is my favorite.
This book did not seem to focus on Casey’s retreat very much. In fact, she was gone doing other things so much, I’m surprised they did not complain. It was not bad, I did finish it but not so sure I will continue with this series.

Meh.
It's dry and the characters are not that interesting. There was no surprise at all in who the murderer was. It wasn't bad exactly, and if you already read the first book and enjoyed it, you'll likely enjoy this one too. I had no interest in the romance and there was a little too much going on in the "cozy" department with the yarn craft AND the dessert baking. Pick a cozy lane.

It's fine I guess, but I didn't find it cozy as much as I did boring.

Casey Feldstein is looking forward to hosting her latest yarn retreat at the Vista Del Mar resort across the street from her Cadbury, California home. Several members of her latest group have specifically requested the secluded resort for her low-key, fiber arts-focused getaway, and she's happy to be able to accommodate them.

Unfortunately, resort manager Kevin St John is less than happy about accommodating her, since he's accidentally scheduled her group on the same weekend as the booking of charismatic self-help guru Jordan (no last name.) Jordan wants the entire resort devoted to his people, so Casey and assistant manager Cloris must conspire to help her group keep a low profile and stay out of his followers’ way. Still, Casey can't help overhearing some of the unrest among Jordan's staff, and not just over his "food is just fuel" philosophy that eschews coffee and dessert – and indeed any form of seasoning – as empty calories. Clashing personalities and mean-spirited digs make for riveting gossip, especially to an observer as naturally inquisitive as Casey is. But when a Jordan staffer dies of food poisoning after a foraging expedition, Casey realizes that someone has decided to go beyond figurative backstabbing in order to get rid of the unpopular young woman.

Cloris is beside herself, since Jordan has decided that the ultimate responsibility for checking on the safety of the foraged items lies with her instead of with anyone associated with his brand. She implores Casey to help prove that she wasn’t negligent in her duties. Encouraged by this request, as well as by the roundabout way in which presiding Police Detective Theodore Borgnine asks for her help, Casey decides to do a little investigating. Since she's already onsite and compassionately assisting some of the otherwise tight-lipped group in clandestinely accessing caffeine and sugar, she's happy enough to pass on any information she gleans from her grateful new acquaintances to the cops… until someone gets wise to her scheme and decides that she needs to be silenced, too.

I love Betty Hechtman's clever, contemporary culinary cozies, that blend careful construction with wholly relatable characters and situations. I did manage to guess whodunnit before the reveal but not how or why, and was greatly satisfied with the denouement. I also really loved reading about Casey's ongoing struggle with her life plans, stemming less from a fear of her own commitment than from a fear of letting down the people who might want to commit to her. It's nice to see her start to accept that she's an important part of Cadbury, with a rich, fulfilling life that might not be what her mother had in mind for her but is still valid and worthwhile.

Along with a crochet pattern for scrunchies, But Knot For Me included the following recipe:

QUOTE
Sweet Biscuffins
Makes 12

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 ¼ sticks of cold butter cut in small pieces
1 cup buttermilk

For topping:
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line muffin tin with paper baking cups.

Mix flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.

Cut in butter using pastry blender or two knives until the dough resembles crumbs.

Add buttermilk and mix until just blended.

Drop with tablespoon or small scoop into baking cups. Brush the biscuffins with melted butter and sprinkle cinnamon sugar. Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Make glaze by mixing powdered sugar, milk and vanilla. Cool the biscuffins slightly then drizzle glaze over the top.
END QUOTE

These really did taste like the perfect hybrid of biscuit and muffin! The texture was exquisite, with that particular tooth you expect from biscuits, combined with the sweetness – but not too much sweetness – of a nice breakfast muffin. My kids loved these treats, which were fairly simple to whip up, too. The easiest part, I felt, was just combining the glaze in the measuring cup I used for the powdered sugar and pouring it over the biscuffins at the end. I always appreciate any step that saves me from washing an extra bowl.

Next week, we travel back to the East Coast to bake up another not too sweet treat while investigating another poisoning. Do join me!

This book was a first by this author for me and I will tell you, I will be reading the rest in this series, as someone who loves knitting and crochet it was lovely for it to be combined with anothe favourite of mine, cost mysteries. I hope to reread this one once I’ve read the first few books in this series. Casey is a complex character but is written amazingly well. I would recommend this to anyone who likes knitting/crochet or cozy mysteries

*a big thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc copy in exchange for an honest review *

I enjoyed reading this book. It held my interest from start to finish. It features amateur sleuth, Casey Feldstein, who helps solve two mysterious deaths at a seminar put on by a self-improvement guru named Jordan. Casey's knitting
group is meeting at the same resort as is Jordan's group, and the two groups run into each other frequently, although they aren't supposed to be in the same vicinity at the same time. The book had elements of suspense and surprise and kept the reader guessing. I highly recommend this book to other mystery readers.

Casey is upset that a life coach and his many followers have taken the spot her yarn retreat group was suppose to occupy. While trying to figure out what her group is to do she over hears an argument between two of the life coaches staff. Things go badly for the coach when one of the staff members is later found dead, murdered. Casey can't help but feel bad for the groups supporters and decides to help as much as she can. The rumor mill is going crazy leaving Casey with an abundance of suspects to look through. While moving ahead with her investigation another staff member ends up dead and Casey herself barely keeps herself alive. Follow along a see if she can catch a killer or will she get caught in the end!

If I had to sum up this book in one sentence, it would be superbly plotted, rich in detail, realistic and organic. I'd been meaning to get to this since I got it on NetGalley and I'm sorry I didn't move this farther up on my overloaded TBR list sooner! I hear a lot of good things about this series from my cozy mystery friends and when I saw this one, I knew I had to give it a try. I think I've tried every flavor of cozy mysteries except yarn cozies - well, until now! And I liked this one right from the first page; some writers have that amazing way of drawing you right into their world from the start and this one definitely did!

Casey is prepping for a yarn retreat at Vista Del Mar lodge and conference center when she's accosted by the manager, Kevin St. James, who tells her the inn is overbooked. Now, if I was Casey, I'd tell him to go out back and...well, use your imagination...but Casey is a lot nicer than me and was able to smooth the ruffled feathers so that self-help guru Jordan can run his fatally flawed retreat where he can torture people for money. As this is a cozy mystery, someone ends up dead, then another and Casey steps up to the bat to solve the mystery.

This is the first book I've read in the series, I really enjoyed it and I'm definitely going to go back and read the earlier books to learn more about the main characters, as most of the character development in this one went to the assorted retreat people, which I rather enjoyed. A lot of times you don't get to "meet" the victims before they're killed (which is true of the first death, but not the second) so having some context gave the crimes greater depth. I loved the surprise twist at the end when the culprit was apprehended (never saw it coming!) and I loved how it was all wrapped up. But what I liked best was the balance between the smaller side plots that added more depth to the story without detracting from the main plot, which moved quickly without sacrificing detail but not overloaded with what felt like filler. Just a great cozy mystery from start to finish with great characters, a rich plot and baked goods. Perfect!

Thoughts: This is the eighth book in a series. As I have not read the others (but probably will!), I felt as though I was missing some things, but it wasn’t a serious problem. The main character, Casey, runs needlework (knitting, crochet, etc) retreats at the resort across the road from her home. She also bakes amazing desserts for local restaurants.

Casey has a cop boyfriend, Dane, are ramping up their relationship to a new level which makes her nervous. Add to that, the resort where she’s holding her workshop has been taken over by a self-help egotistical guru who demands she keep her workshop people out of sight. Casey does her best, but it’s a challenge keeping her people away from the other group. The other group’s participants are literally drooling over Casey’s cookies and other food as they are relegated to what they can forage, bland oatmeal, beans and rice (with no spice). When one of the participants dies from poisonous mushrooms, the death is blamed on bad foraging. But Casey isn’t so sure. When a second body turns up, Casey is certain the deaths are linked, but convincing others takes some doing.

There are clever twists and turns through the story. And neither of the bodies were the one I was certain was going to be the dead person. Unfortunately. But the case does get solved (by Casey) and the perp caught.

I thought the whole “guru” bit was an interesting statement on these kinds of charismatic leaders and their self-help workshops. The characters in the workshops were also interesting like a woman who was addicted to her phone and went through withdraw when she discovered there was no signal at the resort. The other characters were just as much fun…but a little flat. Not a lot to them. Though, they are secondary characters so that’s not awful. As for Casey, her relationship with Dane was a problem for me. She needs to stop wavering and just do something.

Recommendations: This was a cute cozy with decent characters and really nice scenic descriptions. I enjoyed it for that alone. The ending is a bit of a surprise, which is always good in a mystery. If you’re into the series, definitely add this one.

Disclaimer: Thanks to Netgalley for providing this book. Disclosure of Material: I received a final and/or advanced reader copy of this book with the hope that I will leave my unbiased opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… My Opinions. I am posting this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”

In this Yarn Retreat Mystery Casey Feldstein and her yarn retreat group find themselves pushed aside when Vista Del Mar accidently double books. The other retreat is being held by a charismatic life coach who has been promised the run of the place. Casey refuses to back down so the the 2 retreats are forced to share.

Casey's group is having a great time knitting and socializing, but the other retreat is more like a boot camp.

The real problems start when one of the guru's employees dies after ingesting poisonous mushrooms. Some think it's an accident, but not Casey.

Casey's curiosity wins out and she begins to investigate the murder. She thinks she might have figured it out, when her main suspect is murdered, too.

After an attempt on her own life, Casey finally figures it out

This was a good book but had too many characters. I felt like there should have been more clues pointing to the actual murderer

This series always entertains. Casey has a retreat scheduled when she finds out that the manager of the resort has double booked. Two retreats at the same time. Casey's and one hosted by "Jordan" and self help guru. Casey is told to stay away from Jordan's group and he specifically said he wanted no other guests to be there while his retreat is occurring. This becomes more difficult when member's of Jordan's group start dying.

These stories are always fun and a nice light escape. The writing is easy to read and the story is engaging. The characters all have their quirks. There are lots of suspects and I admit, I was a bit surprised at the end. Fun for anyone who enjoys a crafty cozy.

I loved the storyline of this book. It was fun and interesting. Of the two retreats, I would definitely pick Casey’s. The characters in this book were very interesting and fun to get to know. Guess we all have something that we feel we can’t do without. I hope I can make another trip to Cadbury by the Sea and see what Casey and Dane have going on. I’m sure Julius will still be ruling the roost. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

This book is a prime example of how pain and loss can fester until you do something that you would not normally ever have done. Hanna never got over the loss of her sister and blamed those in the other retreat. Enter Casey with her amazing baked goods and analytical brain to figure it all out. Gotta love it...

Casey Feldstein is complicated. On the one hand she's friendly and efficient and shows not just investigative skills but leadership skills. On the other, she seems a mass of contradictions. As we discover, her past has colored her present and she's wary of putting down roots and opening up to others. Initially, it almost appears as if her closest and most enduring relationship is with her cat. As the story continues, however, she slowly begins to realize that she not only has friends but a man who, despite all the barriers she has thrown up, seems to genuinely care about her.

I won't detail the plot, which focuses on the retreat of a flashy and demanding, but charismatic guru known as Jordan and the contrast with Casey's own, more laid back, knitting retreat.They are all looking for something, however, an improved, better life. Then, two members of the Jordan retreat staff are murdered. Casey's ability to open up to others provides her with insight when some members of Jordon's staff come to her for enjoyable food and coffee. Seems the focus on Jordan's retreat is self sufficiency, self sufficiency right down to foraging for their own food. In the quest for that improvement, people have been seriously injured, Casey discovers. Given that some of the challenges include walking on hot coals and an escape room with all your fears included in the experience, it's no wonder. Casey's experience in the escape room is, well, you'll have to read the book to find out.

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BeyondThePage for the ARC.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Casey has a game changer coming up. She and her cop boyfriend Dane are going to take the next step in their relationship and she is a bundle of nerves. Before that can happen, she is running a Yarn Workshop at the resort across the road from her home. She thinks she has everything in hand until the acolytes of a self help guru and the big man himself sweep in. The manager of the resort has made a big mistake by double booking since the guru wanted the entire place to himself. Casey does her best to be accommodating but she is getting steamrollered.

The guru’s retreat gives austerity a new meaning so several of the participants are drooling, literally, over the good food and the fun that Casey’s group are enjoying. But as the body count increases in the guru group, Casey’s folks are happy to be with her. Are the incidents that led to the deaths just accidents or was there something more nefarious going on. Even the cops are getting nowhere in questioning the guru group so they are happy to have Casey’s insights. But someone is not happy. In fact, someone is downright unhappy and quite willing to risk Casey’s life to get her off the case.

The killer was a surprise and there were some clever twists and turns to lead the reader astray. There is also some interesting sub-text on why people buy into these self help schemes. Snake oil is alive and well and living in these “cults”. Four purrs and two paws up.

Loved this, a great read for crocheters!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this book in exchange for my feedback.

But Knot for Me A Yarn Retreat Mystery #8 by Betty Hechtman is a cozy mystery chock full of twists and turns. Casey has organized a yarn retreat that runs afoul when a self-help guru books the same venue and demands exclusivity. Casey stands her ground but becomes embroiled the investigation of a suspicious death.

The mystery was well-plotted and solid, with lots of clues as well as plenty of red herrings. Casey’s ability to bounce ideas off of the PI that she had worked for added a layer of interest to the story. I have to say that the retreat had the strangest crew of attendees, so much so that I was glad that I wasn’t there. They could have used therapy rather than a knitting retreat. Overall a well written cozy. (I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.)

I really enjoy this series! The author is a favorite of mine and her books are easy to read. The mystery was good, but I did have it figured out before the reveal. :) I look forward to the next book in this series!

Casey is hosting a Yarn Event at a rustic lodge. Unfortunately, the manager mixed up the dates and booked a self-help guru retreat for the entire lodge at the same time. His mistake, her fault; typical Kevin St. James! She would have to fix things, or cancel her event.

The yarn event people must "stay out of the way" of the famous Jordan and his people (the Elite group and the rest), or regret it... But a killer changes everything, except Jordan's diva attitude, and the caffeine withdrawal of some attendees. Fortunately, Casey is a much better host and detective than anyone expected.

This was a good mystery, and I recommend the mystery. However, the "will they, won't they finally do it" about Casey and her boyfriend was beyond tiresome. To have that define the beginning of their serious relationship was melodramatic. It all became too pushy when Casey said (repeatedly) that she just wanted it over with. It sounded creepily like a high school couple with they guy telling her to prove her love. Not what relationships are or should be about.

I wanted to give this book a higher score, but the "big night" theme was mentioned far too often to ignore. It seemed that the mystery took second place. And that's not the kind of book I want to read.

3/5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the free preview of this ebook.

#ButKnotforMe #NetGalley