You Better Knot Die

Crochet Mystery #5

by Betty Hechtman

Her crochet group, The Tarzana Hookers, is working overtime for the holidays-but Molly Pink is having trouble finding time to crochet so much as a snowflake. The bookstore where she works is adding a yarn department, and planning a huge launch party where the mysterious author of a popular series will reveal his or her true identity. But before the author appears, another person disappears. The husband of Molly's neighbor is missing. When a suicide note arrives, it appears the husband has jumped off the Catalina Ferry- but Molly smells something fishy. Despite the protestations of her detective boyfriend, Molly's soon hooked on unraveling another mystery. She better watch out-or her sleuthing may get her on someone's naughty list...

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Fiction, Christmas, Audiobook, Crochet

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 29, 2010

About the author

I grew up on the south side of Chicago and in a very busy weekend, got married, graduated college and moved to Los Angeles.

Although my degree is in Fine Arts, all I ever wanted to be was a writer and I've been doing it in one form or another for as long as I can remember. My shining moments in elementary and high school always involved stories or poetry I'd written. I wrote news stories and a weekly column in my college newspaper. My first job out of college was working on the newsletter of a finance company. I worked for a public relations firm and wrote press releases and biographies. Later I wrote proposals for video projects and television shows that went through various stages of development.

I tried writing screenplays and wrote three. I sold one and another was a winner in a Writers' Digest contest.

I was lucky enough to be a stay-at-home mom and did all kinds of volunteering at my son's schools including editing and writing several newsletters.

I wrote essays and small pieces that ran in the Los Angeles Times, the Daily News and Woman's Day among others. My short romantic and mystery fiction appeared in Woman's World, and Futures magazine.

From time I was a thirteen-year-old babysitter cooking for the kids I babysat, I dreamed of writing a book about babysitting. It took a little longer than I'd expected, but BLUE SCHWARTZ AND NEFERTITI'S NECKLACE was published in 2006.

My affair with crochet began in Las Vegas. I had always had a fascination with crochet, particularly granny squares, but thought there was some magic involved with making them that was beyond me. And then everything changed that day in Vegas when I saw the kids' kit in FAO Schwartz. If the instructions were easy enough for kids, I thought they might work for me.

My first granny square was missing a corner, but when I tried again, all four corners were there. I was in awe of my own accomplishment. I had found the magic. I went granny square crazy until pretty soon I didn't need directions anymore. Then I learned there were more squares than just basic grannies and I made squares with sunflowers in the middle and other patterns. I moved beyond squares and made flowers, hearts, bookmarks and more.

I was in love with crochet and began to make scarves, purses, afghans, and shawls. I started carrying my hooks everywhere. A plane trip became a pile of granny square wash cloths, or part of a shawl. A vacation in Hawaii turned into a tote bag.

And now I get to write about it...

** Sourced from authors website

Series:
* A Crochet Mystery
* Yarn Retreat

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I'd already read the first four books in the series, the next time I went to the library, I picked up the next three books.

Book 4 was my favorite in the series. This book wasn't so much a let down (my expectations aren't really high) as much as I'm getting exasperated by Molly and her love life. Barry is a jerk. Mason is a nice guy who wants to get laid but he also genuinely likes Molly. If a woman is having that much of a problem settling between two guys, then she doesn't really want either of them.

A third guy needs to enter the series, a man whom she can really get into.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. The mystery kept changing and I loved the mystery author event, it just added to the overall suspense in the book. I was surprised at all the outcomes and really enjoyed the ride to the conclusion.

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bookstore owners have decided to open a yarn department with Molly running that end of things, but she still has her full line of event duties including setting up for the biggest event they have ever had! They have landed the coup of the first ever author signing by a reclusive author that is so reclusive that no one knows who the author is and even the workers at the bookstore won't find out until he reveals himself at midnight! In the midst of things, Molly's neighbor is missing presumed dead and so is half the town's savings, including the bookstore owner's savings so once again Molly is pressed into snooping on the store's behalf. Great characters have been developed fully so that you become invested in their outcomes, even Adele who you want to kill half the time. I really can't wait to see what happens in the next book!

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is fine, the plot is okay, the characters are a train wreck. If you like shaking your head in disbelief, you'll have a great time. Includes 2 patterns and 2 recipes.

[Barb Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like the Tarzana Police Department, I left it up to Molly Pink to figure out who murdered Bradley Perkins, her neighbor and the apparent mastermind behind a ponzi scheme.

Honestly, Betty Hechtman left readers with plenty of subtle clues . . . if we were paying attention . . . as to who did the deed. (Un)fortunately, I was enjoying the story so much that I didn't put enough significance on those clues.

I also failed to discern who the mystery author behind a popular crocheting vampire book series would turn out to be.

Gosh. I'm a terrible amateur sleuth.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was almost cute, but oh so poorly written.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story line. A bit slow and the crochet thing is dull. She needs a better editor who knows grammar. "Me and my friends solved the crime.". Really?

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The staff at the bookstore are all in a dither, awaiting a big reveal with the unveiling of a mystery author at a book signing. One of the owners is also anxious because it’s almost certain that a large amount of money that she invested with a now dead, local businessman has been lost. But Molly is not so sure all is lost yet, because a suicide with no body seems suspicious to her. There’s a lot action, including chase scenes, secret messages, and more, in this entertaining Christmas cozy, filled with likable, if somewhat bizarre, characters.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly Pink finds herself trying to solve another mystery, this time involving her deceased neighbor involved in a financial scheme. For some added levity,, the bookstore where she works is hosting the mysterious author of a hit new vampire series featuring a crocheting vampire! This one is set around Christmas and was full of action. I liked the addition of the dual mystery in trying to guess the author's identity.

This series is wacky, but always fun and this was a great one for the holidays!

[Kathi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've crocheted most of my life. I can do lots of things while crocheting: watch tv, hold a conversation, ride the bus to work. But I cannot hold and read a book at the same time (unless it's audio). The two activities are pretty much mutually exclusive. So why on earth would an established bookstore add on a yarn department?

Other than that, this was a tidy little mystery with enough red herrings to make the ending (both endings -- murder and author) a surprise.

[Adelaide · Rating 4 out of 5]

My dad found this book for me because it said ‘crochet mystery’ on it and he said I had to have it. I really enjoyed it, it was so cute! It was like reading a hallmark movie and as a crocheter I loved the little crochet touches and patterns.

[Joy Gerbode · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was a bit slow getting started but by the end I couldn't put it down.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love to crochet. So when I first discovered this series that featured crocheting I was ecstatic. It's a pretty darn good mystery series as well. And I'm pleased to see that the series has broken into hardback fairly quickly. Of course since this is a series I collect, that means my book expenses have gone up, but that's OK.


Book Summary:


Her crochet group, The Tarzana Hookers, is working overtime for the holidays-but Molly Pink is having trouble finding time to crochet so much as a snowflake. The bookstore where she works is adding a yarn department, and planning a huge launch party where the mysterious author of a popular series will reveal his or her true identity.

But before the author appears, another person disappears. The husband of Molly's neighbor is missing. When a suicide note arrives, it appears the husband has jumped off the Catalina Ferry- but Molly smells something fishy. Despite the protestations of her detective boyfriend, Molly's soon hooked on unraveling another mystery. She better watch out-or her sleuthing may get her on someone's naughty list...


I find Pink to be a fairly grounded character considering all the crazy things that happen to her. She's caught between two love interests. Her two adult sons treat her with a great deal of condescension. Craziest of all is that she has to put up with Adelle, a knitting hating, over confident co-worker who horns in on everything. (I guess we all have an Adelle in our lives and that's just one of the aspects of this series that makes it easy for the reader to connect.)


In this latest installment, Hechtman taps into the vampire craze by featuring a secretive author who writes books about a vampire who controls his blood lust by crocheting. I'm not sure you would find a real series about a crocheting vampire, but it makes this book a fun read. Hechtman has even included a crochet pattern for a "vampire" scarf.


There were a few twists and turns in this installment that makes this my favorite of the series so far. If you enjoy cozy mysteries with a dash of comedy, this is a series for you.

[Manda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was so good! The two mysteries happening at once made it so interesting.

Edit after re-read:

I still love this one and the double mystery angle did make it really exciting. The murder mystery was twisty and I really did not see the reveal coming. I will say, I don't remember the ending being so sad though. There were some comments made toward Adele that were uncalled for and so hurtful. I was so happy when Molly came to her defense though! I had forgotten that this is kind of a turning point in their friendship. Adele will always be the overbearing, knitting-hater that drives Molly a little crazy at times, but she also becomes a real friend after this one (if memory serves, anyway.) Love this series, can't wait to dive back into the next one!

[Justine Bojarsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my favorite mystery in the series so far. I liked how much investigating Molly had to do.

Not into the all the men/boyfriends in the book. They’re all possessive assholes that “won’t allow their woman” to just BE PEOPLE. And the end proposal? BARF! Molly has way more fun and support from Mason and I still have no idea why the hell molly would be interested in Berry’s “alpha male” personality anyways. There’s nothing good about him except for the sex (I guess), the rest of the time he’s an intrusive piece of shit who does nothing but complain.

[MissAliceM · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a cute, fun, cozy mystery with likable characters and a fun Christmas setting. Unfortunately, there are some technical problems that are relatively easy to overlook in a quick Holiday read, but could be troublesome to longtime readers of this series. I have never read anything by this author and don't know if repeated sentences and continuity problems are habitual. Overall, a cute, fun Christmas mystery, but not great writing. I enjoy the characters, but not the mistakes.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the ninth novel in this series first, and now, I'm going through the series from the beginning. This fifth novel of the series was just as interesting and entertaining as the other books of the series I've read. As was also the case with the other novels in the series, I found the writing style to be good, and the plot was fun. I really enjoyed the novel and am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book reminded me too much of the Joanne Fluke food mysteries except it was about crocheting instead of cooking. Too many similarities between the books.

I do enjoy reading craft fiction books and it was nice to read one about crochet.

A decent read but nothing to really write home about.

[Cheryl Gilmore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved listening to this audiobook. It was fun and full of crochet and yarny goodness, which I loved. The characters were fun, my favorite being Adele, and the plot was well thought out and executed. I hope to read more from this series soon.

[JoAnne McMaster (Any Good Book) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molly Pink is a widow who works at a local bookstore as an events coordinator. She's trying to put together an event nearing Christmas that involves a local author -- one who's identity thus far is unknown. His vampire books are best sellers, and everyone is chomping at the bit to discover who he is. None more than Molly's coworker Adele, who's convinced it's her boyfriend, William, a childrens' author.

But when Molly's next-door neighbor disappears leaving a suicide note, his wife Emily is devastated. But then it's discovered that the man was running what appears to be a Ponzi scheme, taking money from others; some of those being Molly's friends and involving someone even closer to her. While her boyfriend, homicide detective Barry Greenberg, tells her to stay out of the investigation, she knows she won't, and she and her best friend Dinah decide to do a little sleuthing on their own. Now if they can just get the store event up and running on time, and catch a killer, then maybe their lives will go back to normal -- or not...

This is the fifth book in the series, and I think they've pretty much "evened out." That is to say, Molly has found her niche, and there's not so much a love triangle, which I absolutely abhor. The other thing that always grates on my nerves is the 'evil nemesis,' and I think (hope) Adele has come to her senses and will stop hounding Molly all the time.

The mystery was pretty decent, and kept us wondering throughout the book who the murderer was (because we know eventually there will be a murder). It kept Molly and Dinah hopping, and even though Barry thought they were off the mark, there was another unexpected clue that kept them on the trail.

When the ending comes and we finally find out who the killer is, it does come as a bit of a surprise, which is actually a good thing. It's also pretty much a surprise to find out who the author of the popular books is, and that's another good thing. Still, the ending left a bit to be desired, urging us to read the next in the series (and I hate cliffhangers).

[The Mystery Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐
You Better Knot Die by Betty Hechtman brings holiday cheer and mystery to the Crochet Mystery series, delivering a festive whodunit that's enjoyable even if it doesn't quite tie everything together perfectly.

It's Christmas time and Molly Pink is swamped. The bookstore where she works is adding a yarn department and planning a massive launch party where a mysterious bestselling author will finally reveal their identity. Meanwhile, The Tarzana Hookers are working overtime on holiday projects. But the festivities come to a halt when Molly's neighbor's husband goes missing. A suicide note suggests he jumped off the Catalina Ferry, but Molly isn't buying it. Despite her detective boyfriend's objections, she's determined to unravel what really happened.

The holiday atmosphere is strong throughout, and Hechtman captures that frantic, busy feeling of the season well. I enjoyed the bookstore yarn department launch subplot, and the mystery author reveal adds an interesting layer. The Tarzana Hookers continue to be a fun group, and their camaraderie feels genuine. The holiday crochet projects woven throughout are a nice seasonal touch.

The mystery itself is decent with enough twists to keep you guessing. The missing husband case has some good suspects and red herrings. However, the pacing feels uneven at times, and juggling the bookstore launch, the missing person case, and Molly's relationship drama makes the plot feel a bit cluttered. The resolution is satisfying enough, though I saw parts of it coming.

A solid holiday cozy mystery if you're already following the series and want something festive.

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[Vicky · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 5th in the series. It was better than the first two of the series. I'd give it a 3.5 of 5 stars. Molly Pink seems to spend more time out of the bookstore than in it. I'd probably lose my job if I did that. There are a few exciting things going to occur in the bookstore and Molly is supposed to be in charge of them. The mystery surrounds a man who has committed suicide after losing his clients' money. The man happened to be her next-door neighbor.
Even though this is the 5th of the series, Molly is still stringing along two eligible bachelors. She just needs to make up her mind.
With her friends from the Tarzana Hookers and a young guy who wants to make videos so he can be a star on You Tube, Molly sets out to find out what happened to her neighbor.
An enjoyable read, but not a keeper on my shelf.

[Anna Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The holidays are approaching and the bookstore is gearing up for a full season, including a special event - the revelation of the author of a series of extremely popular vampire books. Molly’s hands are full, but even more is heaped on her plate when her boss asks her to see if she can find out what happened to the investor she’d sunk her savings with, who had disappeared. When a suicide note turns up a few days later, it seems a bit too convenient; Molly’s inquisitive mind is busy thinking up scenarios, especially when the wife is acting a bit squirrelly. Could he be alive somewhere, and does the wife know where?

[Julie Trapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 The bookstore where Molly Pink works is planning a huge party where the identity of a popular author will be revealed. But before the author appears, another person disappears: the husband of Molly's neighbor. When a suicide note arrives it seems the husband has jumped off the Catalina ferry, Molly smells something fishy-and she's soon hooked on unraveling another mystery. [amazon synopsis]

The author to be revealed has never been seen. The dead guy had a Ponzi scheme going. Fun, quick read.

[Antoinette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my word this book has took me for a loop the person that was the killer was so surprising , Molly, Berry, Mason balance each other in a wired kind of way the world wind and up and downs of the plot is so exhilarating , I like seeing (aka reading ) Molly and Adele relationship getting closer in a big sister little sister kind of way, with all of the things going on with the mystery there was a another book author mystery of a vampire book that Molly had to take care of in the book store, and crochet for charity that the group decide to do.

[chrisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was pretty good. Maybe my favorite so far in the series and since I usually find the characters pretty irritating, that's saying something. Maybe I was feeling less annoyed than usual because it was a Christmas cozy mystery (and I love Christmas cozy mysteries), but it was pretty good. I will say that the end felt a little rushed - there were a lot of loose ends to wrap up and I felt like Hechtman told us more than showed us how everything was resolved.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books where for me, I'm rating it at a 4, but I can definitely see how others might rate lower. It's a cute cozy mystery where the main character crochets and works in a bookstore, which is really what I want, and this one had some extra Christmas coziness thrown in. It's not always the most masterfully written, and there are some interesting character choices made, but I always enjoy reading these and finish feeling really inspired to get crocheting again.

[JB · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one just didn't work for me, the cop boyfriend seemed like an idiot breaking down her door when she was out of town (use your key idiot) brief mention of dead bodies in her attic, were they rats? squirrels? something more exotic? I don't know. The neighbour is missing, so? isn't that for the police to figure out? there's way too much talk about vampire books. I gave up before the author's appearance so I guess I will never know their true identity. oh well.

[Stephanie Fox · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great addition. I really enjoy holiday themed cozy mysteries. They are so fun and festive. This was a even mix of holiday and mystery. I have been reading this series in order and really enjoyed reading how certain friendships have evolved. This series has a great group of characters. This one had 2 end of book shockers. Which made it extra fun. The who done it and the who wrote it. Was shocked at both. Cannot wait to read the next book!

[Deborah A G · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book for the quick funny mystery that it is intended to be. I love to crochet and a combination of bookstore, yarn shop as a setting was really appealing. Molly is doing great at being independent after the death of her husband, and in a comic way, can’t seem to stay away from a crime. Easy read.