The 16th book in the Crochet Mystery series finds Molly Pink and her fellow Hookers headed to a retreat while the bookstore undergoes a remodel. Molly has broken off her relationships with both Barry the homicide detective and Mason the celebrity attorney and is coping with the normal chaos of her multigenerational family. Mason has hired her to do some simple private detective jobs and it turns out that he needs her help near the retreat location. As always, Molly finds herself involved in a murder and can not help but get involved in the investigation. The writing is strong, the characters are well developed and the plot is well done. As always in a long established series, it would be better to start at the beginning but the author does a good job of defining the characters so the relationships are clear. NetGalley was kind enough to share an advanced reader copy, but the opinion is my own.

Murder by the Hook by Betty Hechtman

Murder by the Hook is the latest Crochet mystery by Betty Hechtman. I really enjoy this series and this book was no different! The mystery was fun to figure out, the characters were at their quirky best and Molly was really enjoying being a “private” private detective. My only wish for this series is that Molly would decide who she wants to date or maybe pick neither one. In any event, it seems like that has been dragged out long enough. If you are looking for a fun mystery that pokes fun at Hollywood, the California lifestyle and space aliens then this is the book for you. It was fun to escape into Molly’s world and avoid real life for a while!

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

The bookstore where Molly works as events coordinator is being renovated, so she and the hookers group (crocheters, that is) are going off to a crochet retreat weekend. Molly, who also works as a private private detective, is combining the retreat with a job for her former boyfriend, Mason. She will be attending a party with him to try to snare a kleptomaniac. When one of her suspects is murdered, she is caught up in that, as well.
The cast of characters is quirky and fun, though the knitting group doesn’t seem all that friendly. Adele, a member of the crochet group, is particularly irritating. The mystery kept me guessing right to the end.
Thanks to Beyond the Page Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

#MurderbytheHook #NetGalley is the newest addition to one 1⃣ of my favorite series.
Molly Pink is a fun character, and her ability to solve crimes has her working as a private, private investigator.
Working with her ex fiance Mason Fields opens up many feelings for Molly, but when she's asked to work on a case of missing items in an extravagant home, she can't resist.
The job shouldn't take long, and it fits in with her ladies getaway with her hooked friends.
Joining them on their trip is Adele, a very annoying crocheter who makes everything about her.
Trying to keep Adele at bay and work her assignment, Molly hopes to have this solved in minutes. Unfortunately things don't work out that way, and a simple job turns into a murder investigation, bringing Molly in contact with another ex, Detective Fielding.
Things really begin to take off and soon Molly has the answers to everyone's questions.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Sometimes, all you want is a lovely cosy mystery with food and fun, and this delivered.

But I have to get this off my chest. Adele is one of the worst characters I've ever had the misfortunate of reading. I don't mean she's badly written - she's not, she's well written - but in terms of why is she part of this friend group, she is the literal worse. I get that these cosy mystery stories need the quirky friend, but there is quirky and then there is this woman. She drove me nuts and I had to push through some of her scenes.

Luckily, all the other characters were interesting. Some were perhaps not as well fleshed out as they could have been, but considering the large cast and the relatively short page count, that is only to be expected. The writer did a great job of making the prime suspect a really engaging, sympathetic character that you really wanted to be innocent, as well as crafting some moments that really made you doubt what was going on. As for the killer... well I won't spoil it, but I was very glad they got caught.

Although it took me awhile to get into this one, I ultimately wound up enjoying it quite a bit. The main characters were interesting, with Molly Pink seeming to be juggling three romantic possibilities at once, while the supporting cast was quirky but memorable. I'm not quite sure how Molly and best-friend Dinah managed not to strangle Adele and become the focus of a murder investigation themselves. While Adele is married to a policeman, she is a definite, frequently annoying diva who thinks knitting is taboo while crochet is the only way to go. Nor is she reluctant to share her opinion, wanted or not. It took me a bit to sort out the other members of the Hookers, ie crochet group, further complicated by a relatively large group of suspects encountered at Lisa and Jerry R's gathering, most with some sort of show business ties. My favorite was Heddy, a former pop star who now using her talent to sing to her avocado trees. Oh, and she thinks she's being invaded by aliens. You know, just another day in the Hollywood zone.

So, who kills Kirkland Rush, a news hound always in search of a good story. I mean, this gathering was to celebrate his upcoming marriage. The bride-to-be? She doesn't seem terribly distraught but, then again, maybe discovering his ex-wife not only there but more or less in charge of the plans....and his finances. Hmm... money is always a good motive? There at the behest of her almost-husband, Mason, now friend, or maybe employer, Molly seems unsure of which. And, oh, the detective in charge? Seems to be another of Molly's former romantic partners. Ah, nothing like complicating things. But, wait, what did Molly and Dinah see while checking out the murder scene? Nah, couldn't be. Could it? All the while soothing the cranky Hookers who weren't having the relaxing outing they'd expected. And, to think, it starts when Molly's hired to catch a petty thief? How are the two crimes related? Or, are they?

But, more than enough teasers. Once I more-or-less had the characters sorted and the murder happened, the pace seemed to pick up. The twists and turns and red herrings kept me guessing, all wrong, I must admit. I ultimately liked the main cast of characters and wait till you meet Adele's husband. What does a tie have to do with anything? Nope. Not telling. Thanks #BeyondThePagePublishing for this early peek at Molly's busy, complicated life and friendships. I'm waiting now to find out how she uses that special gift she picked up at that booth. while I enjoy the crochet pattern and yummy sounding recipe.