Gentle Reader, you know my favorite mystery series is the Seaside Knitters Society series by Sally Goldenbaum. I love the little seaside village in Massachusetts, with its yarn studio, tea room, bookstore, and arts colony. The village large enough to have several successful restaurants such as Gracies, Sweet Petunia, and the deli, but small enough where everyone largely knows everyone else. Where friends have standing Friday night dinners and Thursday evening knit potlucks. I want all of that in real life. So every year I eagerly await the new mystery in Sea Harbor so I can visit with Nell, Izzy, Birdie, and Cass.

This year's book is The Herringbone Harbor Mystery. It's early summer in Sea Harbor, but everyone is starting to think about the fall mayoral election. Mayor Beatrice has run unopposed for several years, and some locals think it might be time for a change in leadership. Everyone is looking forward to the summer tourist season and a possibly exciting mayoral race if Nick Cabot can be convinced to run opposite Beatrice. But those summer plans are derailed when murder and a fire devastate the town.

Victims in previous books were known to our little band of knitting detectives, but in this book, Ms. Goldenbaum spends so much more time on the grief and shattering disbelief that affects the main characters. There are many discussions and passages where internal ruminations on grief occur. While some might find this off-putting, I found it very comforting, because one week into the book a friend of mine, a friend of 31 years, was found dead in his house. I was plunged into a similar unexpected grief. Reading about Nell's and Birdie's feelings and grief was actually very helpful to me. It wasn't until I read the acknowledgments at the end of the book that I learned that Ms. Goldenbaum lost her husband of many years while she was writing this book. It's very clear that she was processing her own grief in her story. My deepest sympathies to Ms. Goldenbaum and her family. I hope writing the book helped her through her grief as reading it did mine.

As for the plotlines in The Herringbone Harbor Mystery, I did suspect the murderer quite early on, but the denouement was deftly handled and still afforded me a surprise or two. The subplot surrounding Gracie's lobster shack provided a necessary redirection from the main murder plot. Gracie is a nice addition to the group, and I hope we continue to see more of her in future stories. I enjoyed meeting more of the extensive Palazola clan, all of whom seem to have the magic touch to create restaurants I'd love to eat in.

While the series builds on former stories, it's easy to start with any of the novels. The four main characters are so well drawn that the differences in personalities are noticeable, but the reasons why these 4 women are such deep friends is evident. You will easily succumb to their charms and want to live in Sea Harbor, too.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Sea Harbor, Massachusetts is getting ready for the tourists to descend on their wonderful town. Izzy is stocking up on varieties of yarn and planning new classes. Birdie’s granddaughter Gabby and her friend Daisy have started a successful little dog-walking business. There’s a new chef at the Lazy Lobster and Soup Café. The Seaside Knitters are creating a herringbone patterned afghan with each person knitting a long panel that will all be knitted together as their entry for the upcoming art auction. And the mayor is running around town trying to stay on top of it all.

Then one evening Birdie is awakened and sees smoke down by the harbor and hears sirens. Then Cass wakes up, smells burning wood, sees the smoke, and hears the sirens. Next, it’s Izzy’s turn. Then Nell. They all trusted the Sea Harbor Fire Department to take care of the fire. The next morning one of the dogs Gabby walks showed up at their door lost and scared. Soon the news is out. The home on fire belonged to a popular resident of the town and the dog’s owner. Nick Cabot was found dead in the ruins but he did not die in the fire. The police are investigating a homicide.

There are many questions surrounding Nick’s death and the Seaside Knitters are ready to untangle the clues and knit them back together to catch Nick’s killer before they cast on a new victim.

It is always a delight to return to Sea Harbor and catch up with my favorite knitters, Birdie, Cass, Nell, and Izzy. I love that they are collaborating on a knitting project for the art auction. You just have to look at the gorgeous cover to get a peak at the finished afghan. They get together every Thursday night to knit, eat, drink a little wine, and discuss everything happening around town. Nell’s house is usually a gathering place on Friday nights or whenever they need to all put their heads together about the current murder. This group of women and their spouses are all genuine and giving people. They are ready to lend a hand or a listening ear or with the best advice they can for anyone and everyone. Their friendships are solid and that is what makes this series one of my favorites.

The murder in this story was hard to take. We just meet Nick Cabot and learn of all the good things he did for others, that he wanted to run for mayor, and that he had a great shaggy pup named Squid. Then he was gone. It was hard to believe and even harder to pin down who would have killed him but the knitters came up with a few suspects. You know the author was going to throw in some twists and turns and she did. This story was perfectly plotted. A phone call that almost wasn’t made, made everything clear leading to a heartbreaking confession. I was surprised by whodunit, why, and how it happened. It was an emotional end to the case. The end of the story was filled with emotions too.

Sally Goldenbaum is an incredible storyteller. In The Herringbone Harbor Mystery, we are treated to a complicated mystery, set on the beautiful Massachusetts coast, with characters that leap off the page to bring readers into their lives. The theme of friendship is knitted into each book in the series. The Seaside Knitters have the golden gift of each other, a gift many of us long to have. And for us armchair sleuths to have a mystery to solve would be icing on the cake. Curling up with a newly created afghan would be special too.

Each of the books in this series can be read on its own. There are 11 books before the 7 published by Kensington cozies. You truly can start anywhere but if you can start at the beginning you will get to know Nell, Birdie, Izzy, and Cass from the start and see their friendships and lives build to where they are today.

This book is a masterpiece of love, mystery and community. When a beloved member of the community is found dead in his fire torched home the Seaside Knitters gather to figure out what all happened. There are several subplots that keep the group busy and eventually it all comes together. The author filled this book with love and joy and some sadness, all reflected from her personal journey in writing this book. It is an excellent read and the best of the series. Treat yourself to this lovely story and heartwarming friendships that span generations.
I received an advanced copy of the book in exchange for a review.

The Seaside Knitters are busy with new vacationer classes and a collaborative blanket project at the Yarn Studio, while Birdie’s granddaughter and her friend Daisy run a summer dog-walking business. The Lazy Lobster restaurant is buzzing with a new celebrity chef, adding to the lively atmosphere in their coastal town.

But the summer takes a dark turn when Birdie witnesses a fire from her balcony, which destroys a house in Fishermen’s Village. The blaze reveals a shocking tragedy: a beloved businessman and mayoral candidate is found dead inside. With the teenagers having walked his dog, Squid, and possibly being the last to see him alive, the knitters are drawn into unraveling the threads of a dangerous mystery.

Well written with brilliant characters. A great read!

Izzy and the seaside knitters are busy with projects and preparing for a tourist season. in their lovely seaside village. When a terrible fire happens to a friend Izzy is on the case with red herrings and clues to be questioned. She has the help of her wonderful group as they gain closure on the murder.
I love the friendships in this series. The small village by the sea is so charming to readers. The sleuth is always well crafted and kept this reader turning pages. The knitting projects are delightful. This is a endearing series that cozy readers love. I look forward to the next in series.

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley for the opportunity. My review opinions are my own.

The Seaside Knitters are looking to uncover who murdered their good friend Nick Cabot. Please see my complete review at www.reviewingtheevidence.com.

This was an ok cozy mystery for me. There were too many characters and POVs to keep track of and I often got the characters mixed up. Most of the dialogue contained everyday chatter that didn’t relate to the murder they were trying to solve which made the story drag on forever. I just wanted to skip to the end and find out what happened. I skimmed the pages in the second half of the book until I found my answer. It was easy for me to figure out who the killer was but I was surprised by the circumstances in which it happened. The book includes instructions for knitting a herringbone scarf and blanket and a recipe for Creamy Broccoli With Pasta. Unfortunately, I will not be reading more of this series.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This latest in the long running series might be most appreciated by those familiar with the many characters. It's a classic cozy set in a small town that has an amazingly high murder rate- murders which are solved by our intrepid group of knitters. This time out, there's a dog as well. There are some red herrings. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I can't put my finger on why this one didn't resonate with me the way the earlier books have so over to others.

Thank you, Netgalley, for an ARC of this book. This is my honest opinion. This is book 18 in a series, and I have read other books, but not all in the series. You could read this book as a standalone without any trouble, but having read others, you get a background on the characters and a full understanding of the story.
I liked the story it had a few twists in the mystery. Yet I also felt the characters didn’t ring true to previous books. Once they find out a dear friend has been killed they seem to be walking around in a fog which in past books was not the case. A huge plus for the series is the lovely knitting pattern and recipes included at the end.

The seaside knitters are back to their knitting at the beginning of the summer. Gabby, Birdie's granddaughter is visiting for the summer, and she and her friend have started a dog walking business. Gabby brings Squid (Nick's dog which Gabby loves) to meet the folks in the knitting group. Bobby Palazola is now the Chef at Gracie's Lazy Lobster. Gracie has also hired Elena's husband Marco. There seem to be some problems with the food, and Nick has suggested that they be made by Marco, who is also working with the chef at a new restaurant which is about to open in the old bank building.
Than, Nick's house is burned down and the police find Nick has been shot dead in his house. There are several possible murderers, including Marco, who Nick was suggesting should be fired from the Lazy Lobster, and Bobby, who had yelled at Nick. Also Mayor Beatrice Scaglia has been very upset when it was suggested that Nick should take her place as Mayor.

However, the Seaside knitters get their act together and eventually figure out why there were problems in the restaurant and what happened to Nick. This is a very good addition to the series on the Massachusetts sea side. I thank Netgalley and Kensington Books for the ARC so that I could read it before publication.

The Herringbone Harbor Mystery is the 7th book in the Seaside Knitters Mysteries. The Seaside knitters are devastated when their good friend is killed in a house fire. When the police determined he was murdered, the four women put their heads together to find his killer.


I always enjoy returning to Sea Harbor, with close-knit citizens, wonderful yarn shop, artists’ colony, and beautiful sea views. The plot is captivating and full of clues. The groups constant banter always has me in stitches (pun intended).

The weather is getting warmer in Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, and the tourists will soon be flocking to the picturesque, friendly town. The Seaside Knitters are working on an afghan (the pattern for which is included) to be auctioned later in the year and enjoying each other's company along with Gabby, the granddaughter of Knitters member, Birdie, who is staying for the summer. Everything changes when a well loved member of the community is killed, leaving almost everyone bereft and confused. The four friends determine to do everything they can to help find the person responsible, but the possibility of it being someone they might know and love takes its toll on all of them.

Book seven in this series has a far more serious and mindful storyline than previous books as the death of a close friend is investigated and mourned by the four main protagonists. The reason for this only becomes clear in the author's notes, which explains everything.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, Kensington Publishing/Kensington Cosies, but the opinions expressed are my own. I found this a sad read and would recommend new readers starting with an earlier book in the series.

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

When the town's "nice" guy is found in his burned down house, things get a little chaotic when it is discovered the fire was set on purpose. The knitters put their sleuthing caps on to find out who would do such a thing to Nick. There is more than one suspect, including the current mayor who thought Nick was a rival for her job. Connecting the clues to solve the murder is going to take lots of time, food and knitting!
Love the characters and all their banter. The plot is captivating and full of clues that may or may not be related to Nick's death.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

knitting-pattern, knitting, cozy-mystery, twins, friends, friendship, small-town, small-business, dog-walker, pet-dog, local-politics, chef, cafe, secrets, lies, greed, deception, Massachusetts, amateur-sleuth, local-gossip, fishing-community, lobstering, arson, murder, murder-investigation****

Sea Harbor is a small fishing village in Massachusetts where most everyone have known each other since their school days and most are cordial to each other if not actively good friends. The Yarn Studio’s Seaside Knitters are currently working on an afghan project for charity while gossiping. They are quite concerned that the mayor has been acting uncharacteristically paranoid and aggressive over a rumored rival, but they certainly didn't expect that said rival (and old friend to many) would be found dead in the burned-out shell of his house. Now the investigating begins in earnest!
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected proof copy from Kensington Publishing | Kensington Cozies via NetGalley. Thank you! Avail Nov 26, 2024
#TheHerringboneHarborMystery by @sallygoldenbaum #SeasideKnittersSocietyBk7 #NetGalley @KensingtonBooks #KnittingPattern #Recipe

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sally Goldenbaum for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for The Herringbone Harbor Mystery coming out November 26, 2024. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I haven’t read all of the books in the series, but I really enjoy seaside cozy mysteries. I thought the setting was really quaint and I love the small town vibes. I also enjoy sewing cozies. The mystery was good. There were some good friendships in the book. It was slightly long, but I really enjoyed it.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

The Seaside Knitters are devastated when a friend’s house burns and his body is found in the ashes. It’s even worse when they find he has been murdered. The question is who would want to kill someone who was almost universally liked? The knitters are working together on an afghan project for charity and come together to mourn and support each other. The mystery is secondary to the relationships in this cozy mystery, but it works well. There is good food, knitting, and close friendships.
Thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is a cozy mystery, though the mystery was never fully explained. It's the 18th novel in a series, but you can understand this story without reading the previous books.

So much of the story was the sleuths spotting clues but feeling too overwhelmed by the murder to think things through, so they ate or knitted instead. They also spent a lot of time sorrowfully saying how dealing with various bad events was just so 'heavy' and difficult to handle emotionally.

There were several mysteries to solve, and there were plenty of clues for those who like to solve the puzzle. I had most of it figured out long before the end. However, while the murderer confessed, the person didn't explain everything and frankly I didn't believe some of what whodunit did say. Worse, the guy who was killed was a wonderful person, but we're clearly supposed to feel sorry for whodunit, too!

I read an Advanced Reader Copy so this may be fixed in the final copy, but the grammar was bad. It was hard to keep track of who "her" referred to, for example, and sometimes the wrong name was used. This made the reading confusing and required stopping to figure out what the author was trying to say.

There was no sex. There were only a few uses of bad language. Fans of the characters might still like the book, but I no longer feel like this author writes what I look for in cozy mysteries.

It's always a treat to catch up with the Seaside Knitters Society. All they do is take days off from work and EAT. It's great escapism and the setting is close to my Massachusetts-born heart. This is number 18 in the series so best to start at the beginning.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve always liked this series. It’s a classy mystery. But I found this one very slow, they don’t start trying to solve the murder until about 2/3rds through & it feels like a confused mess. In the end it’s not really solved as it is resolved. #TheHerringboneHarborMystery #NetGalley