Interesting cozy mystery series. Inheriting a yarn shop far away from Hollywood, give Anne a chance to escape her babysitting duties, but also dumps her into a murder mystery. Enjoyed this one, and look forward to reading more in the series.

I am a big fan of Betty Hechtman’s Crochet Mystery series. At first, I didn’t think I’d enjoy this new series since the characters are much much younger (and I’m an older reader). However, Annie Sera and her friends won me over. The plot was a bit plodding and focused on a cold case. It had a predictable but satisfying ending. I am looking forward to seeing what the characters can do with an active case assuming the focus isn’t always on cold cases. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for review

The advice of “show, don’t tell” has never felt more important 🫣 There was no showing in this entire story. Nothing to visualise. No rhythm to get lost in, no music to the writing. It didn’t take long for me to realise that pretty much every sentence was “I did [x]. Then [x] happened. I thought [x]. I told [X] what I thought. [X] said [x] in response.” Boring in and of itself but there was so much repetition that the story felt m u c h longer than it was, if this hadn’t been an ARC I would’ve just DNF’d. Weird direction, too many characters with no development, bizarre encouraged-disordered-eating subplot, hints at a slightly magical cat that’s never properly addressed in a world that is otherwise not magical at all????? Basically 94% filler followed by an extremely abrupt ending. The final line could’ve been lifted directly from a 9 year old’s creative writing assignment. Definitely not the cozy mystery I’d expected, if you’re looking for a crochet-themed Murder She Wrote situation I’d advise looking elsewhere.

An enjoyable read, with the potential to become the first book in a great modern day America cosy crime series.

I really enjoyed reading this. Yes, I am a textile junkie and yarn lover. Lace knitting is my jam. So perhaps my review is biased... but small town country setting, a yarn store in an historic building, friendly town folk, a relatable main character and "sibling" with the extra helping of a murder mystery - yes please!

The following may sound harsh, but it is meant with the best intention of constructive criticism. Please know I thoroughly enjoyed the book, but...!

It had an okay balance of all of that... though I have to say I found the whodunit clues rather obvious, while the characters were portrayed as overly clueLESS to them. That got rather frustrating as you could tell the reader was having it spelt out for them, while the characters seemed to miss them entirely. And that abrupt ending? Ick. Surely the author could have polished it off a little nicer?

I loved the characters, loved the setting, loved the under current of mystery. I just found it so blatantly obvious. I'd also have liked a little more detail to the every day things. We got the summed up description of the reno, and crafting rather than that “inviting us in to be there doing it too” description other cosy crimes include.

Again, I apologise for sounding so harsh. I guess my inner copy writer saw potential for a smoother read.

From the book nerd side of things, yes it has its usual typos and repetitive text. But it was an ARC I read, so expected. I also found the formatting for Kindle very heavy. Just chunky pages full of text, giving the appearance of heavy reading for what was actually a lovely, light read.

But, despite all my niggling, I DID enjoy it, truly do hope it is the first in a great series, as I would read them!

Definitely one I'd recommend, but with the above feedback.

Annie Sara Hart has just inherited property from her Uncle. Wanting to view the only property that she has ever owned before putting it up for sale, she makes a trip to the small town of Franklin only to discover that the property is an old shop not a cottage. Deciding to stay for a while to tidy up her investment before sale, Annie soon finds herself drawn to the community where everyone knows everyone but no-one is quite certain of what happened in the murder of the previous owner.
I really enjoyed this cosy mystery. It was a good plot with plenty of interesting characters that kept the reader engaged. The pace was smooth with enough drama and plenty of 'twists to the yarn'

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Since she was a teenager, Annie Hart has lived her life at the beck and call of her talent agent father and his famous clients. When she inherits a yarn store from her uncle, she sets out for Franklin, Indiana, to find out what it's like to have something that is hers alone. This being a cozy mystery, the action takes place in a small town, filled to the brim with a cast of likeable characters, and the yarn store comes complete with assorted skeins of yarn and an unsolved murder.

This would have been a 5 star read had there been more actual sleuthing going on. However, I can't really be mad at a book that does so much to set up the relationships between all the characters and creating a lovely setting for their future together. This being the first book in the series, I'm treating it more like a pilot episode where we get to meet the main players and the town where the majority of the action will be happening in later installments.

This book has strong themes of self discovery and the importance of found family. It sets a strong foundation for future adventures.

"Death Among the Stitches" by Betty Hechtman is a delightful debut in a brand new series, and it quickly became a contender for my new favorite among her works. I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this cozy mystery, and I was immediately captivated by the charming story of Annie Sara Hart, who inherits a picturesque yarn shop in a quaint town.

Before Annie even arrives in town, the tranquility of the community is shattered by the murder of Eleanor Danton, the previous owner of the yarn shop. Eleanor was found strangled, her own yarn the instrument of her demise.

As Annie navigates the complexities of settling into her new life and taking over the shop, she finds herself drawn into the investigation. With the help of her newfound friends in the local knitting circle, Annie begins to unravel a web of secrets and hidden agendas within the seemingly idyllic community.

Hechtman masterfully blends the warmth and camaraderie of the knitting circle with the intrigue of a captivating mystery. The characters are endearing and relatable, and the setting is vividly brought to life. "Death Among the Stitches" is a charming and engaging read that will have you hooked from the first stitch.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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When Annie Sara receives a piece of property left to her by her deceased uncle, she just wants to see a place that is her own for once. Not her talent agent father’s, not her boss’s business that she runs, something that is finally her own. She travels from California to Indiana to check the place out and has a lot of surprises waiting for her, starting with a yarn shop of her very own… in complete disarray.

While I wasn’t sure how I was going to feel about Annie Sara or her social circle when the book started, I quickly became charmed by the town of Franklin and Annie Sara as well. This book did an amazing job of small town world building and connecting likable characters. I loved that the yarn store and crochet/knitting was a star of the book without feeling all-consuming. The tea, baked goods, and books all added to the cozy feel of this cozy mystery. While there were many aspects that felt at home in a cozy mystery, there were many times that I was surprised by the happenings in the story. I can’t wait for this series to continue so that I can spend more time in this world!

Death Among the Stitches is the first in what I hope will be a new series by Betty Hechtman. I really enjoyed this book. It has all the makings of a great new series. There is a fun setting, a good mystery and most importantly lots of great characters with tons of room for development for these characters. In the book Annie Sara, the main character, inherits a yarn shop in Indiana. After having grown up among celebrities in California, the small town setting is a welcome and enjoyable change. While there, she solves a mystery and as expected falls in love with the town and its inhabitants. This book was such an enjoyable read! I can’t wait for the next one to come out. I loved the mystery, the characters and the setting. I highly recommend Death Among the Stitches!

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to review this book. All opinions are my own.

The first book in a new Crochet and Crumpets series of cozy mysteries. And book with crochet in the title will earn my attention. Annie Sara has spent her adult life running errands and making other people happy as an assistant to her talent agent father. An inheritance of a yarn shop.....yes, please.....finds her traveling to Indiana with the intention of selling the shop....never....and going back to work. But the pace of life and the enthusiasm of her customers show her what a different kind of life could be. BUt there's an unsolved murder in the shop's history to investigate and many changes she'll have to consider before the resolve leaves readers with the chance of another book in this entertaining series.

Hechtmann's new cozy mystery series is off to an excellent start, with a unique setting, a cast of compelling characters and several mysteries to solve. The ending was a bit abrupt, and hopefully future volumes in the series will have less to do with the character's father and his issues, which bogged down the plot a bit.

Moving to a new town is tough. it’s even tougher when you’re predecessor was murdered. And that’s exactly or any heart. It’s finding out when she moves to Franklin. It’s not just that it’s a small town, where everyone knows each other, but that the previous owner of her shop was murdered and no one really knows what happened or wants to talk about it. But Annie is determined to find justice for Eleanor. Well, she stitch up one murderer or will the murderer drop two proprietors of the shop?

A great start to a new cozy series by the superb Betty Hechtman. I cannot wait for the next entry.

I think Annie’s character might take some time to grow on me, but I was surprised I ended up liking Gray’s character quite a bit, especially since she was so entitled at the beginning. I enjoyed the group of knitter and crocheters who were happy to have a place to meet and talk again since Annie was trying to fix up the store she inherited. The whodunit was a complete surprise and all I can say is Jack the shop cat was great at being a guard/attack kitty when Annie needed him!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Severn House via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

I enjoyed Death Among the Stitches, the first of a new series A Crochet and Crumpet Mystery series. Annie Sara Hart traveled to a small town in Indiana to check out property her uncle left her. Leaving obligations behind in LA, her plan is to get it on the market to sell but it turns out to be a yarn shop needing some sprucing up to make it more appealing. She is a helper for her father in LA as he works with celebrities and she needs to get back home as soon as possible. Things change when the daughter of a client goes to help her. Annie Sara makes friends quickly with the yarn group who met in the shop and they offer to help her get things in order but thee is a mystery about the death of the former owner that needs to be resolved for Annie Sara. This is a fun and different sort of cozy mystery that I enjoyed and look forward to more in the future.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my thoughts.

Billed as a "Crumpets and Crochet" mystery, I picked it up as I like crumpets and I like crochet. Death Among the Stitches is a feel-good mystery, combined with a fish-out-of-water tale. Annie Sara Hart from LA, used to life surrounded by celebrities, flies out to a small Indiana town where she's been left an old yarn shop by an Uncle she didn't know. Used to assisting her Talent Agent father with catering to the every whim of his clients, Annie Sara is now fending for herself and enjoying the independence.

Back in LA, she had been charged with looking after Gray Hanover, daughter of two celebrities, who is expected to live up to her mother's expectations and follow her into the industry. How will a spoiled nepo-baby survive out in the Mid-West?

The store's previous owner died in seemingly mysterious circumstances, and Annie Sara is curious as to what happened. The townsfolk are keen to see the incident pinned on outsiders, not wanting to look any closer to home, where many residents have their own motives for wanting to see the yarn shop owner dead.

I enjoyed the story, but felt the mystery took a backseat to the city girls transplanting to small town America, and more could have been made of it but it was fun seeing Annie Sara and Gray adjust to their new surroundings.

Death Among the Stitches is published on 7 January.

Thanks to Severn Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book

Annie Sara inherits a small property from her uncle in Franklin, Indiana, near the Indiana Dunes National Park. She intends to inspect it before selling and discovers that despite its stark contrast to her L.A. lifestyle, she truly enjoys the quaint town and its surroundings. As she prepares the Classy Yarn for sale, she learns of a murder that occurred in the building but is assured that it was a random event and the unknown murderer is no longer in the vicinity. She decides to make some improvements to fetch a better price before returning home. It will be difficult, as she has made new friends and enjoys the area, but she remains focused on leaving. However, there are some twists and turns that may alter her plans.

This is a heartwarming cozy mystery and a great beginning to the new Crochet and Crumpets mystery series. The characters are interesting and the setting sounds travel worthy. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Death Among the Stitches is book #1 in the Crochet & Crumpets Mystery series by Betty Hechtman.

This is an entertaining start to a new series. As a crocheter, I was drawn to this book. I found Annie to be a likable character as are the other characters in the book. The inheritance of a yarn shop was a major change for Annie. I thought the mystery was interesting and kept me guessing until the end. I loved the the ending. I look forward to more books in this series.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Brand new series by a beloved author. Annie Hart seems to always be helping her father who is a talent agent to stars. Annie branches out when she inherits a yarn shop in Franklin, Indiana. A small town loaded with secrets especially those that surround the death of the shop's previous owner. A great start! Looking forward to the next! Thanks #Netgalley and #SevernHouse for the eARC in exchange for a honest review. All opinions are mine.

A really enticing premise, but it just didn't deliver. The two main characters were so frustratingly immature, and although this is being marketed as a cosy murder mystery, there is nothing that could be classed as an investigation. Just a nosy young woman asking new acquaintances for gossip (which she often doesn't get!), so when the murderer is eventually revealed, there has been zero build-up.

What I did enjoy was the setting; the old schoolhouse and even the town of Franklin were vividly described. It seemed like the kind of place I'd enjoy visiting.

Annie is tired of being her father’s dogsbody, so when she inherits a small-town yarn shop, she’s thrilled to finally have something that belongs to her and her alone. When she arrives in town to check out the shop and is greeting by the police, she has second thoughts. She learns that the shop’s previous owner was murdered and that it may be affecting business, she and some of her new friends set out to find out what really happened… and who is responsible.

I wasn’t sure about Annie at first, but she grew on me as the book progressed and as she adapted to small-town life. I like the characters who will probably be recurring as the series continues, and would love to visit Annie’s new yarn shop. Even though I no longer do any yarn crafting, I still enjoy seeing walls of different colors and types of yarn :)

The mystery was well-done, although there were times when it felt like the mystery took a back seat to everything else going on in the book. As more information was accumulated, pieces started to fall into place, but I didn’t figure out who the culprit was until just before it was revealed in the book.

I look forward to reading the next book in the series to spend more time with the yarn lovers in Franklin, Indiana.