A Murderous Tangle

Sally Goldenbaum's books are terrific, not only for the mysteries, but for the scent of wonderful fall foods you can imagine you can smell through the pages. I wish I were a knitter because I would love to join the Seaside Knitters at Izzy's shop or at Nell's house on Fridays. (A Murderous Tangle was recently released by Kensington Publishing.)

In A Murderous Tangle,  a young environmental activist has encouraged the preteens of the town to get involved in cleaning up the shorelines. Tess is an enigma and no one knows much about her. When Birdie's granddaughter Gabby sees Tess arguing with a strange man, then watches as she pushes him into the icy bay, she isn't sure who she should tell or if she should. 

It turns out the man she was arguing with is a bar owner who has no regard for recycling.  When he winds up dead the next day after being pushed from the deck of his bar, the Knitter leap in to investigate. 

Many suspects jump to the forefront including Tess; Gracie, the owner of the adjacent restaurant and sweet Margaret Garozzo. No one wants the murderer to be any of these people, but evidence seems to be piling up against Tess. Gabby tries to convince the adults Tess is not the murderer, but Tess' reticence to explain herself leads many to think she is guilty. 

Adding to the town's concerns are a series of petty thefts from the stores all up and down the Harbor Road. Sometimes the items are returned, but many are still missing. Nothing is any real value and it is creating tension in town. 

Another clever mystery with delightful characters and delicious sounding foods. Wish I had a group of friends like the Seaside Knitters. 

Murder Wears Mittens

If only I had friends like Nell, Birdie, Cass and Izzy, I might finally learn how to knit something other than a simple scarf. The Seaside Knitters are in full swing with their projects in Murder Wears Mittens by Sally Goldenbaum.

When Cass, who is hardly maternal, falls across a young boy in the laundromat late one night, she is worried as she watches him ride away on his bike. After he leaves, she finds a young girl's school uniform mixed in with her laundry. For some reason this continues to bother Cass.

She seeks assistance from her aunt Sister Fiona and discovers where the family lives. When she arrives to return the clothing, she finds the children alone pretending their mother will be back shortly. When Sister Fiona shows up and takes over, she rushes Cass and friends out the door without allowing for any questions.

The next day a reclusive neighbor of the children is found dead in her home. The dead woman was Dolores Francesca Maria Cardozo and she owned prime real estate lusted after by developers and a series of builders and investors. No one seems to know Ms. Cardozo, but then they discover she was a silent benefactor for many activities in the community.

When Kayla Stewart, the mother of the children, is named as a primary beneficiary in Ms. Cardozo's will and the chief suspect in her murder, the Seaside Knitters work to clear her.

The Seaside Knitters books are like a warm, friendly home on a cold night. The characters are well written and believable. I'd love to be part of their friend circle.

For a review of Trimmed With Murder, click here.

Seaside Knitters Mysteries

Moving all the way across the country to Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, the Seaside Knitters Mysteries (by Sally Goldenbaum) use several characters to solve the mystery. Knit shop owner Izzy Chambers Perry relies on her Aunt Nell and the other knitters to solve the murder of a hitchhiker. Izzy's brother Charlie unexpectedly returns from a long absence and is soon accused of the crime.

The Seaside Knitters use all their talents to solve the mystery while they continue knitting tiny ornaments for the first annual tree-decorating contest. Although Izzy is the lead character, I always find Aunt Nell solves the mystery in a more theoretical way.

The relationship among the generations featured in this book is what makes them so special to read. For example a group of knitters meets once a week at Izzy's shop. The same group and their spouses or significant others enjoy a weekly Friday night dinner at Aunt Nell's home and they all contribute something delicious to eat. Sunday mornings finds them informally gathering at a local restaurant. I enjoy the conviviality of the group and the moveable feast they provide.

Trimmed with Murder is Book #10 in the series, so do yourself a favor and start at the beginning

with Book #1 Death By Cashmere.