3.5 out of 5
A TWISTED SKEIN is the sixth book in the Seaside Knitters Society mysteries by Sally Goldenbaum. The darling cover beckoned me to pick up the book. The seaside setting intrigued me, as well as the close friendship of the knitters who solve mysteries. Perhaps it’s because this is the first book I’ve read in the series, or because the point of view jumps from one character to another, but I had a difficult time connecting. The pace is slow and the setup of the characters and crime takes ten chapters to get going. This is more of a character-driven story with a murder mystery thrown in. The author provides a knitting pattern and a recipe at the back of the book, both of which sound cozy and inviting.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

As always, Sally Goldenbaum transports me to the seaside town of Sea Harbor. This book highlights the return of twins, Jillian and Rose Anderson, once teen workers in Izzy’s yarn shop, are all grown up and working and in Sea Harbor again. Rose has a secret, though, and it is driving her and her sister apart. As events spiral out of control, friends Birdie, Nell, Cass, and Izzy help untangle the threads of the mystery surrounding these young ladies, as well as a murder that touches them both.

Release Date: November 28, 2023
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Like every coastal town, Sea Harbor needs tourists and their dollars. But there’s something special about that time of year when summer people return to their normal lives, and the wide sandy beaches welcome back locals with their dogs and strollers. Sea Harbor’s upcoming fashion benefit will feature hand-knit garments, and enthusiastic knitters flock to the shop for supplies to create runway-worthy pieces. Yet Seaside Knitter Birdie is enjoying flocks of a different kind, thanks to a rekindled interest in birdwatching, a hobby she enjoyed with her late husband. Along with a small group of passionate birders, she often spends weekend mornings looking for warblers, or keeping watch for gannets and grebes. Birdie stumbles upon a fellow birder’s body. At first, it appears to be an accidental fall, but an autopsy soon reveals that the victim died before hitting a granite boulder. When police discover a clue linking the victim to one of the Seaside Knitters, the web of suspicion grows. Can the knitters unravel this mystery before the killer strikes again.

I really liked this book. I don’t knit but that didn’t really make a difference, I also haven’t read any others in the series but didn’t feel too lost. The victim was a beloved teacher and as the plot moves along, you feel his loss was even more of a tragedy than expected. This little knitting group is so close and caring that I felt enveloped in their warmth the whole time I was reading. There were a few suspects in the murder and I was surprised when I found out who the real murderer was as it wasn't either of the two people I really suspected. Also, I would have loved to have seen that fashion show! Highly recommended to anyone who likes a good cozy mystery!

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

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Who killed Josh? Birdie was out bird watching when she came across the body of a man she and others believed was a good person- but clearly someone didn't agree. Was it Rose or Jillian, twin sisters who argued about Jillian's relationship with him? Well, Birdie, Izzy, and the rest of the sea side knitters launch their own investigation to get at the truth and in true cozy fashion, discover there's a lot more to the story. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This series, which is centered around a yarn shop, is as much about friendship as it is about mystery (and less about knitting, btw). Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier installments in this long running series- this will be fine as a standalone.

Rose and Jillian are twin sisters who grew up in Sea Harbor. Their parents had both died, and they were away for awhile, but now are both back in town. For some reason they are having a problem between them. Izzie's knitting shop is planning a knitting fashion show which will be at Lucky's Bar. Izzie, Birdie, Nell, and Cass are working on some of the plans, and Rose is helping to make the fashion runway. Birdie has gone back to birding with a group. However, it is a shock when she is going out in the woods and discovers the body of Josh Elliott, a very popular high school teacher, and currently very close to Jillian. There are lots of possible killers, including Rose. The knitting group is sure that Rose is not culpable, but they need to find out who did kill Josh as well as figuring out the problem between Rose and Jillian. I really enjoy this series. The book is very well done, and keeps the reader guessing.

I thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC.

Oh wow I can't say enough great things about this book!! Yes it's a bit long but one never loses interest as things are kept exciting. Once again Nell, Birdie, Izzy and Cass manage to track a killer and help clear innocent victims of the crime. I want to live in Sea Harbor.

Another great cozy mystery in this series. One of the Seaside Knitters, Birdie, adventures off on a new hobby, bird watching. But rare birds is not all she discovers! When the body of one of the beloved teachers of town is found, Izzy, Birdie and the Knitters will gather round to discuss, sleuth, and snoop.
This is a fun cozy mystery with great characters. Looking forward to the next book.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

My first visit to Izzy Perry’s Sea Harbor Yarn Studio was an enjoyable one. The characters are as fleshed and detailed as real life people---I appreciated that so much, coming to the series in the 17th book. The cozy little sea-side town is the prefect setting for what I envision when I reach for a "cozy" read. If I have any negative thought, it is that the pace is much slower than usual, though that is not too distracting when compared to the excellent character development. As for the story itself, the blurb is more that enough to get you started. The cover art is ideal, and I cannot wait to read more in this series!

Thank you #NetGally and #KensingtonBooks for allowing me to spend time in Sea Harbor with these characters, via an advanced reader's e-copy.
#ATwistedSkein #NetGalley

The Seaside Knitters’ 6th adventure finds Birdie’s newest hobby, birdwatching, providing the focus of Sally Goldenbaum’s sixth novel. Twin sisters argue over one’s relationship with a fellow teacher who is murdered at the site of an early morning birdwatching meet. One sister becomes a suspect, while the other grieves deeply for her lost friend.

Naturally, the knitters discuss suspects and chase information about motives and opportunities. Ms. Goldenbaum fabricates a complicated mystery with appropriate red herrings. While the pace is steady, the story works, providing an intriguing twist on who-done-it.

Summer has run its course in Sea Harbor, Massachusets, and the weather and landscape are changing. The Seaside Knitters are preparing for a runway event exhibiting original designs modelled by friends and family. Knitting Club member Birdie has also recently joined a local, slightly eccentric, birdwatching group and is enjoying trips into the beautiful countryside she used to visit with her late husband.

When a weekend birdwatching trip ends in the murder of a much loved Sea Harbor resident everyone is left reeling. The Seaside Knitters know they have to try and discover anything they can to help the local detectives solve a case which  has changed everything in the small and usually friendly town. As Birdie and her friends begin to piece things together they find themselves in the sights of someone who has no intention of being identified even if that means killing again.

Book six in Sally Goldenbaum's lovely series is like being snuggled in one of the Seaside Knitters' sweaters. Birdie, Nell, Izzy, and Cass are all back for another investigation and as always it was like meeting up with good friends after a while spent apart. The case was fascinating with its various threads joining together for a resolution I absolutely didn't expect. I loved this and didn't want it to end.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Books, but the opinions expressed are my own. I have read some great cosy mysteries over the past year but this has to be one of my favourites. Highly recommended.

This is book 17 in the popular cozy series "Seaside Knitters Society". Thank you to the publisher, to Net galley and to the author for the opportunity to review. My review opinions are my own. This is a knitting based cozy series with great characters and always fun sleuthing action.

The Seaside Knitters of Sea Harbor Massachusetts are busy getting ready for a event in town now that tourist season is winding down. The event is a fashion show with only knitted clothing. The knitters are excited to present their work and every knitter in town is visiting the yarn shop and talking about the event. The great charm of this series are the knitting group and their strong friendships. I enjoy learning about knitting and with each book seeing the friendships grown.

One of their members is bird watching as a hobby with a new group of friends. When she finds the murdered body of a much loved teacher. It is shocking to everyone that one of their own is under suspicion. Soon the knitters are on the case with the help of their spouses and the local community.

I enjoy this series for the wonderful characters,, the action of the interesting sleuthing and the small town kindness that prevails in the series. Each book is wonderful escape for cozy readers to knitting and solving a murder. Well done to the author. I hope this series continues.

Cozy. That's how I somehow felt as I read this mystery. It reminded me of what the best cozy mysteries have to offer, the cozy feel of friendship, togetherness, and home. Some will argue that the pace was slow, true, but it was somehow fitting of this small town and group of knitters. It was absolutely fascinating to see how they all come together to solve the murder while still managing to go about their daily lives. You will probably feel like you know these characters better than you know many of your own neighbors by the time you finish. Even better, you'll like them.

The plot is nicely summarized in the blurb so I'll just say that the sense of sadness that hangs over the town makes you feel the pain. Many cozy mysteries seem somewhat removed from the actual killing, often via a widely disliked character being the victim. Not this time. Josh was a beloved teacher and as the plot moves along, you feel his loss was even more of a tragedy than expected. He may have marched to his own drummer but he cared about people (and birds) and had done many things to better the lives of those who live in Sea Harbor. He was the teacher you'd turn to when you felt like your world was about to collapse. He was a good person, bottom line. Thus, his murder was heartbreaking, even for those without direct connections. In fact, only after his death did many learn how much the perhaps owed the man.

So, who killed Josh? The immediate suspect is Rose, who was heard having words with him about her sister Jillian's relationship with him. Rose and Jillian are twins and Rose had taken her mother's wish that she protect her once sickly sister to heart, albeit Jillian was now healthy. Could Rose have done it, believing Josh had harmed her sister? How about the mysterious hiker? Or maybe Leon, who works/manages what was Josh's family's commercial real estate business? He's stand to lose a great deal should Josh become invested in overseeing the company or even sell it? How about the teacher heard bad mouthing Josh? Why was the memorial service quickly arranged by the school principal so impersonal? Josh died while out on a birding expedition. Could one of his fellow birders have killed him, even by accident? What sort of hints does....oh, enough teasers. Read the book. You'll like it.

Seriously, I hated to see this book end. Usually I'm all in a rush to finish and find out whodunit but this time that was mixed with a sense of having to leave behind my wonderful friends again. I don't knit but would still love to spend more time with this bunch, especially given the amazing knit creations showcase they presented at the end. Connections between people are important and this book has that in spades. I highly recommend it and thank #NetGalley and #KensingtonBooks - #KensingtonCozies for allowing me to spend time in Sea Harbor despite the heavy clouds or suspicion and lose of security hanging over the town for awhile. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

This had everything I want from a cozy. A small, close community, friends who support and look after each other, lasting friendships, and family. Of course, there's a murder to solve as well.

Description:
Like every coastal town, Sea Harbor needs tourists and their dollars. But there’s something special about that time of year when summer people return to their normal lives, and the wide sandy beaches welcome back locals with their dogs and strollers. And this year, even as the season cools down, Izzy Perry’s Sea Harbor Yarn Studio is heating up, thanks to an upcoming fashion benefit . . .

The show will feature hand-knit garments, and enthusiastic knitters flock to the shop for supplies to create runway-worthy pieces. Yet Seaside Knitter Birdie is enjoying flocks of a different kind, thanks to a rekindled interest in birdwatching, a hobby she enjoyed with her late husband. Along with a small group of passionate birders, she often spends weekend mornings looking for warblers, or keeping watch for gannets and grebes. The group members themselves are almost as fascinating as the birds. It’s a lovely, special time—until Birdie makes her way through a tangle of vines and stumbles upon a fellow birder’s body.

At first, it appears to be an accidental fall, but an autopsy soon reveals that the victim died before hitting a granite boulder. When police discover a clue linking the victim to one of the Seaside Knitters, the web of suspicion grows. Before the woods are ablaze in autumn glory and the knitters have cast off the final rows on their runway projects, they’ll have to unravel secrets and ties strong enough to bind friends and neighbors together—and some that may press a killer to take another life.

My thoughts,
This is the sixth book in the Seaside Knitters Society series and sadly, I've only read a couple of them so far but am planning to read more. This little knitting group is so close and caring that I felt enveloped in their warmth the whole time I was reading. I especially like Birdie, who seems to know everyone in town and seems to kind of bring the town together. I found the rift between the twin sisters to be sad and my heart went out to them. I found the bird watching group and their dynamics interesting. There were a few suspects in the murder and I was surprised when I found out who the real murderer was as it wasn't either of the two people I really suspected. Also, I would have loved to have seen that fashion show! Highly recommended to anyone who likes a good cozy mystery!

Thanks to Kensington Books through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on November 28, 2023.

A Twisted Skein is a charming cozy mystery and is the sixth installment in the Seaside Knitters Society mystery series. As Izzy and her fellow knitters prepare for an upcoming fashion show, Birdie is finding enjoyment in a new hobby - birdwatching. Unfortunately, on one of her bird watching excursions, Birdie stumbles across the body of a beloved local teacher. With a long list of suspects, Izzy, Birdie, Nell, and Cass are determined to solve this murder.

I love visiting Sea Harbor and following in the adventures of the Seaside Knitters. Izzy's shop is the perfect setting for a cozy, and I feel like I'm a fifth guest at their Thursday night dinners. I did find this particular book in the series to be a bit slow-paced. I found the story/mystery dragging on at times. With that said, I will definitely continue to read future books in this series.

"A Twisted Skein” is the well done sixth book in Sally Goldenbaum’s Seaside Knitters Society mystery series. This mystery has a little bit of everything – not only a murder, but a fashion show featuring handmade knit garments, family secrets, bird watching, even a touch of romance. The mystery is well done if sad – usually murder victims in these types of mystery are not very nice people but the opposite is true in this book – with plenty of suspects. I thought for sure I knew who the killer was and what the big secret in the book was but I was totally wrong about the killer and half right about the secret – well done by Goldenbaum. The one thing that I did not like about this book is the large amount of characters – even with a character list at the beginning of the book I still had a problem remembering who was who at times. Other than that, I really enjoyed this book.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Seaside Harbor is filled with sadness when a beloved school teacher is murdered. The Seaside Knitters are trying to figure out just who would be so cruel. I love this series. It's well written and contains everything a great cozy needs to be a smash read! Thanks #Netgalley and #Kensington for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

When a beloved teacher is murdered, Seaside Harbor is shocked and many parents and students are heartbroken. With two of their favorite young people involved, the Seaside Knitters find themselves trying to figure out who killed the teacher and bring back peace to the town. Did one of the twins killed themas because she was jealous of her sister’s relationship? Hopefully they’ll find the killer before anyone else is harmed.

This is one of my favorite series. I adore the Seaside Knitters and how their range of ages doesn’t mean a thing. Their love of knitting and justice brings them together for the good of the town and each entry is written so darned well that I can’t wait to find out whodunit, but yet I don’t want it to end.

A twisted skein was interesting read even though it had a slow paced storyline, I’ll for more in this series for a comfy read.

Two sister who grew up in Sea Harbor return to the delight of the locals. The sisters are now adults but their personalities have not changed. Rose is still the more vibrant of the two, but there seems to be something between them. When Jillian mentions another teacher at school, Rose shuts down and refuses to talk about him. When he is found dead in an isolated field, suspicion turns to Rose. Secrets and family promises some times lead to tragic events. Another terrific entry into this series.

A Twisted Skein by Sally Goldenbaum is the sixth in the Seaside Knitters Society series, with ten books in the earlier series Seaside Knitters Mystery series. The newest installment weaves a captivating tale of mystery and intrigue that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from start to finish. Set in the picturesque coastal town of Sea Harbor, the author expertly crafts an atmosphere of coziness and charm that serves as the backdrop for a suspenseful and perplexing mystery.

The story follows a group of close-knit friends who find themselves entangled in a web of secrets when a birding outing yields a dead body. As tensions rise and long-held secrets come to light, the bonds of friendship are tested, and the reader is kept guessing until the very last page.

Sally Goldenbaum's mastery lies in her ability to create a sense of familiarity and comfort while simultaneously building a sense of unease and tension. Each character is meticulously developed, and their complex relationships provide ample room for suspicion and doubt. The idyllic setting serves as a stark contrast to the dark secrets that are gradually unveiled, intensifying the overall suspense of the narrative.

A Twisted Skein is a masterclass in cozy mystery writing that skillfully combines the allure of a charming community with the gripping elements of suspense. (I received an advance reader copy of this book and all opinions are my own.) Even after sixteen books this series is always charming and engaging with a fresh new mystery to keep the reader turning just one more page until late in the night.