I received a copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I was going through my Netgalley shelf looking at older review copies I hadn't gotten to yet and I got reminded of this one. I was in the mood for a cozy mystery and picked it up. I really like the concept for this series, main character Cora starts a new business hosting craft retreats in a small town after quitting a stressful job. I liked the daily life aspect and especially reading about the craft retreat was fun. I liked the cozy vibe of the town and setting as well. The mystery didn't really hook me, but it had an interesting twist at the end. Coincidentally I had just finished a cozy mystery with a great mystery, but where I didn't like the daily life stuff as much. And this book was the opposite.

Sadly the mystery sadly didn't quite work for me. The mystery had a slightly unusual set up with the murder already having taken place before the start of the book. Cora gets involved as her best friend Jane is a suspect. It made sense why Cora got involved and I liked how she helped out her friend. Unfortunately the mystery just didn't grip me, I just didn't really get invested or curious. It just fell flat for me. Cora get involved in solving it, but I felt she didn't really make much progress for most of the book. There were lots of people acting slightly off, but none of it comes together till the end. She also doesn't really solve the mystery, but sort of stumbles upon the killer. I did appreciate how the police actually seemed capable and working on the case. I also thought the twist toward the end was interesting.

For the most part I liked Cora. The way she was starting anew with her friend in this small town was nice. I liked her craft retreat and reading about the retreat and the crafts they did was fun. I thought Cora was an interesting character, she had some struggles with anxiety and wanted a quieter life. She is fiercely loyal to her friend Jane and committed to her new business. There are some possible love interests for her, but I didn't really care for them so far.

One thing that did bother me and which I found a bit odd was Cora thoughts about Jude and how she regretted having a male teacher as it upset the energy and how she wouldn't hire a male quest teacher again. That seemed sexist. Ofcourse Jude turns out to be sleeping with some of the retreat quests, but I still didn't think that was a good reason to ban male quest teachers in general as that had more to do with this person than all males. I also thought the whole thing was odd, because will she only allow female crafters then? And what if some crafters aren't straight at all? And the crafters can still go out to town and hook up with someone there, it's not like she can control what the crafters do while at her retreat. Also none of the crafters actually minded Jude and how he was sleeping with some of them. The whole just didn't sit well with me and was brought up multiple times throughout the story.

Another thing I wanted to mention is how this book actually has multiple point of view, most of the book is told from Cora's point of view, but a few scenes are shown form Jane's point of view. I thought this was interesting as I've rarely seen this in a cozy, but at the same time I wish it was handled a bit differently. There were so few scenes from Jane's point of view, that it always confused me a bit and was jarring when there was a scene from Jane's point of view. It also wasn't announced with a cue or Jane's name before the scene. There also is one scene in which head-hopping occurs, where the point of view switches in the middle of a scene, that was very jarring. This was an ARC copy so hopefully that got fixed in the final version.

To summarize: I liked the theme of a crafting retreat and liked reading about the retreat and the various crafts. It was such a fun theme for the book and the small town felt cozy. The mystery sadly didn't grip me, I just didn't feel invested in it at all. It was a bit odd how the murder occurred before the start of the book, so the reader never gets to read about the victim. It also felt not much progress was made till the end and even then Cora sort of stumbles upon the killer. There is an interesting twist at the end and I did appreciate how the police actually seemed capable. I liked the daily life scenes and reading about the craft retreat. Cora was a likable character for the most part, she cared a lot about her friend Jane and was determined to help, she also was very committed to her new business. It did bother me how she could be kinda sexist with her attitude and regret about having a male quest teacher at the retreat, that just didn't sit right with me as I thought her issue should be with the guy in question instead of males in general. And even then she can't prevent the women of her retreats to hook up with anyone. There are a few scenes from Jane's point of view instead of Cora, which was a nice touch, but could feel a tad jarring as it didn't happen very often and there was no cue to indicate a scene would be from Jane's point of view instead. I already have the second book, so I'll probably give that a try too.

Initially, as I read through the book, I found the writing a little amateur especially because it had two POVs, but then as I kept reading further, I was actually drawn to the story. I really liked Cora. Jane was a secondary character and even though she was a person of interest, there was not a lot of her backstory covered well. So, the purpose of having her POV was a little lost. I mean if you have her POV, then at least take the opportunity to completely explore her past. But her POV was used in a very stilted manner which affected the way the story actually turned out.

All the stars I've given are because the mystery was actually a good one. I was drawn into the story and really curious about who was the killer. Even though this was a cozy, the book didn't compromise on the mystery and that is what I really liked.

Summary from Goodreads:

"For thirty-something blogger Cora Chevalier, small-town Indigo Gap, North Carolina, seems like the perfect place to reinvent her life. Shedding a stressful past as a counselor for a women’s shelter, Cora is pouring all her talents—and most of her savings—into a craft retreat business, with help from close pal and resident potter Jane Starr. Between transforming her Victorian estate into a crafter’s paradise and babysitting Jane’s daughter, the new entrepreneur has no time for distractions. Especially rumors about the murder of a local school librarian . . .

But when Jane’s fingerprints match those found at the grisly crime scene, Cora not only worries about her friend, but her own reputation. With angry townsfolk eager for justice and both Jane’s innocence and the retreat at risk, she must rely on her creative chops to unlace the truth behind the beloved librarian’s disturbing demise. Because if the killer’s patterns aren’t pinned, Cora’s handiwork could end up in stitches . . ."

My Thoughts:

I've been meaning to give this series a try for some time now so I'm glad that I finally did just that. This book was an enjoyable cozy mystery although I did have a few issues with it. Let's start off with the positives first though! This author has created some really great characters with Cora and Jane. I adore cozy series where I also adore the main characters. In this book, Cora has started a new business by opening a "craft retreat" where fellow crafters can go and spend the weekend crafting all types of things together. I don't know that I would consider myself a crafty person necessarily but I do enjoy trying different things (when I have the time). I've been wanting to learn to knit for years but haven't yet taught myself - my plan is to learn by watching YouTube videos. I'm getting off track here but I loved the idea of a mystery series featuring crafting so on to the never-ending TBR list this went. I really felt like this was a unique set-up to this cozy mystery series which made it stand out to me. I loved reading about the different arts and crafts - my favorite was actually the candle and soap making which sounds like something I would definitely enjoy doing! I need to learn how to do this as well now!

One of the things though that I didn't care about with this series though is kinda difficult to put into words. In this book one of the characters falls into bed with another (no this wouldn't be considered a spoiler at all I wouldn't think), and I didn't care for the way that this was portrayed. There was a kind of judge-y feel to it and I can't really describe it any better than that. All I know is that it took me out of the story while I was reading which is why it bothered me. I was able to get sucked back in though so ultimately I enjoyed this book. Just a few minor quibbles which maybe lowered my rating from 4 stars to 3.5 stars. I found the mystery portion of this book to be very well done. I didn't guess any of the ending which is always a good thing! I also found myself unable to stop reading at the end. I just had to know how everything was going to turn out!

All in all, I ultimately did enjoy this beginning to a new to me mystery series. I'm planning on reading the second book soon and have already added it to my TBR list. I'm always looking for new cozy mystery authors to follow and I do think that Mollie Cox Bryan will be one of those authors that I continue to read. I really enjoyed reading about the crafts and am inspired to try to teach myself knitting yet again. I feel like this would be the perfect winter hobby for me! I would recommend this book to cozy mystery and mystery fans as well with only a slight hesitation. Recommended!

Bottom Line: A good beginning to this cozy mystery series and I will be reading more!

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley.

This is a new series by an author that I enjoy. The craft theme is still here, but it is a very different series. This series is set in Indigo Gap, a fictional town located in the mountains of western North Carolina. It is a small town with a great atmosphere. It has everything you come to expect from a small town in a cozy mystery including artisan shops, quaint restaurants, pretty churches, and so on. Cora, the main character, is a well-written, strong female lead. She had previously worked as a counselor at a women’s shelter in Pittsburgh. She had seen many things that upset her and eventually gave her an anxiety disorder. She used crafts to help the women she worked with heal as well as to bond with one another. When she left the job due to her anxiety, she purchased and renovated Kildare House, to become a Craft Retreat. Kildare House is a beautiful Victorian home with a carriage house and a cottage. The other two main characters in the story are Jane, Cora’s business partner and close friend who lives in the Carriage House and Ruby, a quirky character who "came with the house" and lives in the Cottage. Jane and Cora met at the women’s shelter after Jane left her husband. She is a survivor who decided that her new life was worth fighting for. She and her daughter London are basically part of Cora's family. The friendship between Cora, Jane, and Ruby is a big part of this story and made me care very much about these characters.

The initial murder in this book actually occurred before the book started which was a bit different. As it turned out, when Jane went to get fingerprinted to volunteer at London's school, her fingerprints were similar to those found at the murder scene. This put her in the spotlight as she was a "Person of Interest". Of course, this could ruin the new business that Cora was starting, so she began to investigate to clear Jane's name. The characters who came to the retreat were fun. They got in some minor trouble with a male crafter, but overall they bonded over their crafts and filled out the story nicely. The plot moved quickly and the ending, while it surprised me, fit the story well. I am looking forward to meeting up with Cora, Jane and Ruby in their next outing at the Craft Retreat.

Review was declined. Thank you for the opportunity.

Cora Chevalier has moved from the big city to a small own in NC to start a crafting retreat. She hires several crafters to demonstrate their abilities and teach her guests, but when her friend is suspected of a local murder, Cora has to work to save her dream from the tangle of deceptions.

The writing pleasantly wove the murder and the character exposures together so that the reader not only "met" them but was rooting for them as well.

Good start for a crafty series!

Setting: Indigo Gap, North Carolina

Characters:

Cora Chevalier - Former counselor at a women's shelter, current craft retreat owner in the small town of Indigo Gap, North Carolina
Jane Starr - Cora's best friend, potter, and one of her partners in their crafting retreat business
Ruby O'Malley - An herbalist who lives at the craft retreat and also teaches there
Cashel O'Malley - Attorney, Ruby's son
Assorted crafters, victims, and suspects!
Plot: Life as a counselor to women who had experienced domestic abuse took a toll on Cora; she's ready for a reboot. Cora and Jane leave Pennsylvania for North Carolina and a lovely historic Victorian home in a small town. Together, they fix the place up and create homes for themselves - Cora in the attic apartment and Jane in the carriage house with her daughter, London - as well as a crafter's retreat in the main house. Cora and Jane both know the benefits of creativity and are eager to share the experience with others. Just before their opening weekend, Jane comes under suspicion of murder - she's accused of killing the school's former librarian, a woman she barely knew. Cora and Jane's friend, Rudy, enlists her son, Cashel, to defend Jane in court, but Cora can't just leave it to fate. Using her past experience with and knowledge of police procedure, she begins her own investigation into the murdered woman's past. Some rather unique collector's items may be the key to unlocking the truth about who killed the librarian.

Pacing: A little slow

Predictability: Low

Wild Card: I like Cora a lot, but I'm still warming up to Jane. I also really enjoy the premise and wish I could find a crafter's retreat to attend! The craft instructions included in the book seem like fun and I'm hoping to try a few. All in all, Death Among the Doilies is a clever and charming mystery with a couple of unexpected turns.

Hit, Miss, or Draw: Hit

Death Among the DoiliesEath Among The Coilies

Synopsis

This is the first book in the series of “A Cora Crafts Mystery” . Cora Chevalier and Jane Starr (and her daughter) are starting over. Cora worked in a woman’s shelter which caused her to have a stress related condition. Jane is getting over a violent relationship, while raising her daughter in a new environment. They are transforming a Victorian estate into a craft retreat business. Unfortunately, their first retreat includes a murder where Jane’s fingerprints are found at the crime scene. Not to mention the fact that they are not popular among the regular town folk. This is not a great start to their business.

A Book Review (4. 5 stars)

What I really like this about this book was Cora. I can relate to Cora’s stress related condition, I have a chronic illness that reacts to stress. If I don’t have my medicine handy or I don’t take it regularly plus water, I am in a great deal of pain. This retreat plus Cora’s blogging really intrigue me and gave me pointers on my blog plus really increased my desire to get out of the classroom.

Amazing start to a new series! I loved the characters and the premise of this story line!

An interesting cozy mystery by a new author (to me anyway), that was fun and hard to put down. At times the genre gets a little overused, but that is to be expected. I liked Cora, and the people around her in her new town of Indigo Gap, NC. I am more of a quilter than a scrapbooker, but in many ways there is a similar vibe among those who are in their hobby element. Highly recommend this book, and will not be the last book I read by this author.

This is the first book in the New Cora Crafts mystery series by Molly Cox Bryan. This is a great start to a very promising series. Cora and her friend Jane are opening a craft retreat business in Coras Victorian home in a small town in North Carolina. She has left her former job at a woman's shelter after suffering PTSD.. Jane is her good friend and rebuilding her life . They are pouring their heart and soul into making it a success. They hope crafters can come join together and enjoy learning from each other. A avid crafter herself Cora has great ideas for the retreats.
The local librarian is soon murdered and Jane's prints are found. She is immediately arrested and Cora is determined to clear her friend. The townspeople become angry and turn on Jane. Her retreat guest begin to cancel. Cora must clear her friend , to save her reputation and save her business.
I loved this story. The town is picturesque, the supporting characters are all interesting and fun. Each adds depth to the story. It is a very true description of small town life. The sleuth is very well crafted and was not predictable giving this avid mystery reader a challenge. This is a great start to a fun cozy series. I look forward to the next in series with anticipation.

This first book in the series really seemed to start about half way through the book I would have preferred. We come in after Cora and Jane move to a new town and have pretty much finished renovating their (technically Cora's since she's funded it...where did she get that kind of money having been a domestic abuse counselor?!?) crafter's retreat. We miss all the set up which really hindered me connecting with the characters. They are supposedly best friends from grade school, but it doesn't feel like it. Many of the other characters are a little off too like the caterer with tons of staff yet demands Cora and Jane help even though it's only a group of about 10 people and requires no table service. Two caterers maximum should be necessary for such a small group. The caterer even insults Jane in front of Cora. Every man is apparently a horn dog.

The police are complete morons focusing in on Jane as the killer (it's in the blurb, no spoilers) despite the fact there is absolutely no motive. They also miss a vital bit of information that should have come up when questioning witnesses which provides a twist near the end which at first I appreciated, then started thinking about how preposterous it was.

I would consider starting the second book just to see if things make more sense and if the characters gell a bit more, but would not finish the book if not.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first book by this author and I really enjoyed it. This was a great first book in a new craft series. I'm not a crafty person myself, but really admired Cora's crafting abilities. The characters were well developed and the story flowed very well. I was guessing until the very end about who the killer was. A very well written mystery.

The story has depth and emotion, humor, a vivid setting, I love the setting you can see yourself there, Cora is a great amateur sleuth to get this series going and going it did not to complex yet simple enough to enjoy. I'll read more by this author