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A Knitting Mystery #10
Cast On, Kill Off
Wedding bells are ringing in Fort Connor, Colorado, and the House of Lambspun knitters are abuzz with excitement. But when a murder interrupts the wedding planning, Kelly Flynn will have to solve this crime fast to ensure the killer doesn’t wind up on the guest list€¦ Kelly Flynn’s knitting pal, Megan, is about to get hitched, and all the planning is falling into place. Megan has found the perfect seamstress, Zoe Yeager, to create the dresses for Kelly and the other bridesmaids. And each bridesmaid is knitting her own loose-knit shawl to drape over the lovely dresses. But Zoe has more than bolts of fabric and seam-cutters stashed away in her shop€”she’s harboring a secret. Bruises on her face show a troubling side of her marriage, and just after she finds the courage to leave her husband, Zoe’s found dead from a single bullet shot. Though her husband is a key suspect, it turns out there are others who might have had designs on Zoe
294 pages, Hardcover
First published June 5, 2012
85 people are currently reading
1404 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Sefton
35 books783 followersAka Margaret Conlan
From author website:
"First, a little biographical information as introduction: Born in Richmond, VA, I grew up in Northern Virginia in Arlington, close to Washington, D.C. I attended university and received a Bachelor's degree in English Literature & Journalism, married, and started my family there. All four of my daughters are grown and established in careers of their own and are literally scattered around the globe. I now reside in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with two very demanding dogs."
From author website:
"First, a little biographical information as introduction: Born in Richmond, VA, I grew up in Northern Virginia in Arlington, close to Washington, D.C. I attended university and received a Bachelor's degree in English Literature & Journalism, married, and started my family there. All four of my daughters are grown and established in careers of their own and are literally scattered around the globe. I now reside in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with two very demanding dogs."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 218 reviews
August 27, 2012
Wow.
What an enormous pile of shit.
I can only assume these books are successful because we knitters are rather desperate not to be portrayed as little old biddies or lonely cat ladies with no life. So we're willing to overlook obscene redundancy, head jarringly obvious "plot" points, and idiotic dialogue.
I mean, for crying out loud. If you have to have a character say, "Oh, my god, you're so funny!" three times in one scene to convince the reader your characters are funny? They're not funny.
And seriously, I don't care how hard your friends are trying to get you together with your ex. I don't. I'm reading this because it's a goddamn mystery. The mystery is why I didn't stop midway and throw it out the window.
And that "little buzzer" that went off in the main character's head? It's called common fricking sense. "Oh, btdub, Kelly, the sky is orange today." My little buzzer started going off. Something just wasn't right.
Seriously. Shut the fuck up. And stop talking about coffee. We get it. She likes coffee. Black coffee. Lots of coffee. Give me coffee.
Awful. Just god awful.
What an enormous pile of shit.
I can only assume these books are successful because we knitters are rather desperate not to be portrayed as little old biddies or lonely cat ladies with no life. So we're willing to overlook obscene redundancy, head jarringly obvious "plot" points, and idiotic dialogue.
I mean, for crying out loud. If you have to have a character say, "Oh, my god, you're so funny!" three times in one scene to convince the reader your characters are funny? They're not funny.
And seriously, I don't care how hard your friends are trying to get you together with your ex. I don't. I'm reading this because it's a goddamn mystery. The mystery is why I didn't stop midway and throw it out the window.
And that "little buzzer" that went off in the main character's head? It's called common fricking sense. "Oh, btdub, Kelly, the sky is orange today." My little buzzer started going off. Something just wasn't right.
Seriously. Shut the fuck up. And stop talking about coffee. We get it. She likes coffee. Black coffee. Lots of coffee. Give me coffee.
Awful. Just god awful.
February 1, 2013
Thank goodness this is the last of them or I might have ended up torturing myself to get through even more. I simply don't know what to make of this. Domestic abuse, murder, fraud, an entire community's seeming investment in two incredibly boring people starting to have sex again, and a wedding that seems like it's taken forever to arrive and then forever again to be over. I wonder if Sefton's had some feedback that Kelly and Steve seem two-dimensional and there should be more sex, because all of a sudden, this bunch of giggly people my own age seem fixated on who's doing it with whom and when, and it's minimally believable because until now, there's been less than zero sex in any book. You have to have a sense that characters are capable of human emotions and urges before you can believe they'd have sex, and there's been no reason to have that in any previous book. The characters are all a collection of bland traits. Kelly does numbers, drinks coffee, and seems to have a swarm of gnats living in part of her skull. Jennifer's a slut. Megan's obsessive. Lisa has no personality whatsoever; she just lives with Greg. Steve's Generic Man. Marty eats. Everyone over the age of 50 is either parently or a criminal. These books are like revisiting beloved TV shows from your youth and noticing that the sets look really fake and the jokes aren't funny.
It's a pity, too, because if we're going to accomplish the understanding that knitters aren't old biddies or flaky teenagers riding a trend, then we ought also to be able to establish that they aren't silly or stupid or obsessed with death. There are other mysteries worth solving besides murder. There is no conflict between above-average intelligence and the folksiness Sefton seems to mistake for genuineness in people. I really did want to like these characters, but they're unreal to a degree that defies suspension of disbelief. These don't read like books written by someone who has lived in the world much, talked with people, understood the gravity of murder, challenged herself, or developed much sense of nuance. When those come out, I'll read them.
It's a pity, too, because if we're going to accomplish the understanding that knitters aren't old biddies or flaky teenagers riding a trend, then we ought also to be able to establish that they aren't silly or stupid or obsessed with death. There are other mysteries worth solving besides murder. There is no conflict between above-average intelligence and the folksiness Sefton seems to mistake for genuineness in people. I really did want to like these characters, but they're unreal to a degree that defies suspension of disbelief. These don't read like books written by someone who has lived in the world much, talked with people, understood the gravity of murder, challenged herself, or developed much sense of nuance. When those come out, I'll read them.
June 24, 2012
I don't know. I've read all the books in Sefton's series. I must be getting a bit tired of them. This episode is fine. Not great. Not "Wow! I didn't see that one coming." But fine.
Spoilers ahead: but you will have seen these coming too. I don't make in a huge practice to guess "who done it." I mean, I do; but it's not my moment to live for. But I knew the perpetrator well before the halfway mark. Which is annoying. If I figure it out without really trying, what's the point?
Kelly and Steve get back together. We all saw that coming too. I am in no way a prude. And I can enjoy a well written sex scene as much as the next girl. (Hey, I got 9 kids! What do you expect?) But up until this book, we've known Kelly and Steve are sleeping together/living together. But the enjoying of these activities, desire for these activities hasn't really been a plot point. So when it came up in this book it seemed out of character.
And while the big bar stand off/near brawl at the end was amusing, it seemed out of character somehow. I don't know. The book was fine. I'll probably read the next one. But I'm not looking forward to it. KWIM?
Spoilers ahead: but you will have seen these coming too. I don't make in a huge practice to guess "who done it." I mean, I do; but it's not my moment to live for. But I knew the perpetrator well before the halfway mark. Which is annoying. If I figure it out without really trying, what's the point?
Kelly and Steve get back together. We all saw that coming too. I am in no way a prude. And I can enjoy a well written sex scene as much as the next girl. (Hey, I got 9 kids! What do you expect?) But up until this book, we've known Kelly and Steve are sleeping together/living together. But the enjoying of these activities, desire for these activities hasn't really been a plot point. So when it came up in this book it seemed out of character.
And while the big bar stand off/near brawl at the end was amusing, it seemed out of character somehow. I don't know. The book was fine. I'll probably read the next one. But I'm not looking forward to it. KWIM?
August 3, 2012
I have to say I keep reading these because I love knitting, and I love mysteries, and I keep hoping for better stories combining the two. This one had a bit more of a "story" to grab onto which was surprising after the last few, but the "who-done-it" part is still very predictable before being half-way through the book. There didn't seem to be the words "coffee", "caffeine", or "mug" on every page but the offset was more strangeness. I really have to wonder if anyone does any type of proofing of these. Because they're such quick reads it's so easy to pick up on repetitiveness that I can't believe no one else notices and suggests to change the dialogue in some places. It's like the author gets "stuck" on a particular phrase and can't let go. Is Burt losing his memory? Is that why he has to repeat Kelly's name after just about every single sentence in a conversation? Do the words "are you coming or going" all that these girls say when they enter a building? Do they ever talk on the phone while NOT driving? Can the guys ever eat without the same lame jokes or being pigs? I get that they're young and all, but are they going to mature at some point in the series? There was one TINY part where Marty as a lawyer was touched on that was a breath of fresh air.
What I did enjoy were the descriptions of the yarn shop, the overall atmosphere, the way that feeling of yarniness rolls over you when you first walk in, that was pretty decent. What I didn't enjoy was the weirdness of ALL her friends so "into" her having sex. It could be just the way it was written but it seemed to be perverse rather then funny eventually. The bar scene at the end was a whole other level of "why was this even part of the story?" Sometimes it's good to stop and let a story just be rather then adding something extra at the end that serves no purpose.
What I did enjoy were the descriptions of the yarn shop, the overall atmosphere, the way that feeling of yarniness rolls over you when you first walk in, that was pretty decent. What I didn't enjoy was the weirdness of ALL her friends so "into" her having sex. It could be just the way it was written but it seemed to be perverse rather then funny eventually. The bar scene at the end was a whole other level of "why was this even part of the story?" Sometimes it's good to stop and let a story just be rather then adding something extra at the end that serves no purpose.
May 30, 2013
I wanted to like this book especially after reading all the other books in the series. Instead I was disappointed and wondering if the author is just bored or confused by her own characters.
Up to this point in the series, the main characters have have been a likable, if somewhat two-dimensional, group that clearly cares about each others well-being. Now this entire group of people are solely focused on whether the main character is ever going to have sex again. It's completely out of character....especially for the people considered to be fatherly mentors to the main female character! Honestly, by the end of the book it was getting a little creepy. The bar scene at the end of the book had me wondering if the author is beginning to dislike her own main character. It was bad enough that the main couple was purposely injuring each other during a sports game in the previous book in the series, but now the author has the male characters betting on whether one of the women is going to win a "girl-fight" in a bar. It's a little insulting.
Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book to a fellow reader.
Up to this point in the series, the main characters have have been a likable, if somewhat two-dimensional, group that clearly cares about each others well-being. Now this entire group of people are solely focused on whether the main character is ever going to have sex again. It's completely out of character....especially for the people considered to be fatherly mentors to the main female character! Honestly, by the end of the book it was getting a little creepy. The bar scene at the end of the book had me wondering if the author is beginning to dislike her own main character. It was bad enough that the main couple was purposely injuring each other during a sports game in the previous book in the series, but now the author has the male characters betting on whether one of the women is going to win a "girl-fight" in a bar. It's a little insulting.
Unfortunately, I would not recommend this book to a fellow reader.
September 17, 2012
This book is the most recent Lambspun knitting mystery. There has been yet another murder tangentially related to the Lambspun yarn store that is being investigated by the ridiculously incompetent Fort Conner police department that the ever-irritating Kelly Flynn.
I have read all of the Lambspun knitting mysteries and this is by far the worse. It is an excruciating read. It deals with domestic abuse with the same tact and sensitivity that Sefton dealt with rape, i.e. absolutely none at all. Again, there's only three new characters so again it's clear by page 20 who committed the murder. And, worst of all, the characters are so damn irritating! They're always smiling and laughing at inappropriate times ("It's terrible that her husband beat her!" Kelly exclaimed. Bert chuckled, "You just can't live people's lives for them, Kelly". ARGH!) . Their combined interest in Kelly's sex life is creepy, not inappropriately funny.
I know I say every time 'Oh gosh, these books are terrible. I bet I read the next one though!' I think this one might actually be bad enough for me to give up on the series. It left a bad feeling in my mouth, and not from the disgusting-sounding recipes included in the back of the book.
I have read all of the Lambspun knitting mysteries and this is by far the worse. It is an excruciating read. It deals with domestic abuse with the same tact and sensitivity that Sefton dealt with rape, i.e. absolutely none at all. Again, there's only three new characters so again it's clear by page 20 who committed the murder. And, worst of all, the characters are so damn irritating! They're always smiling and laughing at inappropriate times ("It's terrible that her husband beat her!" Kelly exclaimed. Bert chuckled, "You just can't live people's lives for them, Kelly". ARGH!) . Their combined interest in Kelly's sex life is creepy, not inappropriately funny.
I know I say every time 'Oh gosh, these books are terrible. I bet I read the next one though!' I think this one might actually be bad enough for me to give up on the series. It left a bad feeling in my mouth, and not from the disgusting-sounding recipes included in the back of the book.
July 24, 2012
I've read all of these books but they're getting a bit predictable. Didn't care for the idea that Kelly and Steve weren't committed until after they slept together. Allowing a friend to drink to excess just because "have you ever tried to stop [her] from doing anything?" is not funny -it's irresponsible Also the bar fight at the end just felt unnecessary.
February 11, 2013
I have no idea why I continue to read this series. Apparently, it is like pulling of those clingy hangnails, you know that you should cut them off, but maybe, this one time if you do it quick it won't hurt. Then you have a bleeding, cut down your finger which hurts like the dickens-yeah this is how this series has become to me. Maybe, I will learn my lesson, but probably not.
August 7, 2013
I love knitting and books so I assumed I'd enjoy this. I did not. The characters are all so annoying, I figured out who it was as soon as she showed up, and if read the word 'sleuthing' one more time, I was gonna stomp on this book. Maggie Sefton clearly has favorite words, which she throws around like confetti (sometimes in just a few pages you'll read the same damn word so often, it starts to sound foreign). So to sum it up, boring, predictable and annoying. Thumbs down.
October 2, 2024
Sadly this one was a DNF. I wanted to love it—love mysteries, love knitting, and on top of that this copy was a gift from my MIL… but you can really tell it’s a product of it’s time.
Everyone has a basic name and a 1-dimensional personality. They’re all so aggressively white, suburban Americans—which is so indicative of these kinds of books written at this time and is just incredibly boring to me. And on top of that, the issue of domestic violence was handled SO poorly and blasé. Kelly was concerned but only a little, and when she brought it up to others it was a simple shake of the head or a chuckle and “i think women who stay with men like that are idiots” or “you can’t live people’s lives for them, kelly.” I’m sorry those just felt very patronizing and rude.
No matter how far I read I couldn’t connect to the story or the characters. Nothing felt real, or perhaps it felt too real and too mundane. The yarn shop is adorable and I truly did like it and the characters running it, but that’s about all.
Everyone has a basic name and a 1-dimensional personality. They’re all so aggressively white, suburban Americans—which is so indicative of these kinds of books written at this time and is just incredibly boring to me. And on top of that, the issue of domestic violence was handled SO poorly and blasé. Kelly was concerned but only a little, and when she brought it up to others it was a simple shake of the head or a chuckle and “i think women who stay with men like that are idiots” or “you can’t live people’s lives for them, kelly.” I’m sorry those just felt very patronizing and rude.
No matter how far I read I couldn’t connect to the story or the characters. Nothing felt real, or perhaps it felt too real and too mundane. The yarn shop is adorable and I truly did like it and the characters running it, but that’s about all.
March 17, 2023
the ending chapters seemed kind of out of place and some parts got a bit repetitive but this was the only book i’ve read out of this series and i liked it overall!
July 1, 2024
3.5 stars
September 6, 2025
I don’t think “cozy” as a sub genre is for me.
I disliked every character. Kelly is the worst “sleuth” of all time, even though everyone says she’s really good at it. Apart from having to suspend my disbelief that the police were basically involving her in helping solve the crime, she barely searched out any information. Mostly, characters were just gossiping with Kelly, she didn’t ask many questions. And whenever she had “new” information, the police already knew it!
Also, that bar scene at the end was so terrible and unnecessary, it made me dislike the book even more than I already did.
I disliked every character. Kelly is the worst “sleuth” of all time, even though everyone says she’s really good at it. Apart from having to suspend my disbelief that the police were basically involving her in helping solve the crime, she barely searched out any information. Mostly, characters were just gossiping with Kelly, she didn’t ask many questions. And whenever she had “new” information, the police already knew it!
Also, that bar scene at the end was so terrible and unnecessary, it made me dislike the book even more than I already did.
January 16, 2016
Kelly Flynn's friend Megan is getting married. They have found the perfect seamstress in Zoe Yeager to create the wedding and bridesmaids dresses. Each bridesmaid is knitting their own shawl to drape over the top of their beautiful dresses.
Megan has planned her wedding with the precision of a surgeon or a drill sergeant depending on which day you catch her. Nothing is going to ruin her wedding day. Not even when their seamstress gets enough courage to leave her abusive husband. The ladies all rally behind her to keep her safe. They help her get tucked away at a shelter and move her supplies right into Mimi shop so she will never be alone.
The plan works great until it doesn't and Zoe is found dead in a parking lot. Of course the key suspect is her husband but their are others who may have wanted her dead.
Kelly and her knitting friends are on the case. They are going to stitch everything together to catch the killer. Then they are going to get all dolled up to escort Megan down the aisle so she can start living happily ever after.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I have enjoyed this entire series very much. My excursions to Fort Connor always but a smile on my face. The characters have become old friends and I am always anxious to see what they are up to.
When I picked up this one what I really wanted to know is if Kelly and Steve were going to get back together. I can't tell you because you will have to read the story. I did figure out the murderer this time very quickly but the drama of Megan's wedding still made this a good yarn. Carl, the rottweiler, and the ongoing adventures with the backyard squirrel were funny and cute.
This is not my favorite story of the series. Sometimes there needs to be a book to keep the story lines moving along and Cast On, Kill Off is exactly that. The mystery wasn't as complex and did not have the usual twists but we are set up nicely for the next edition.
Megan has planned her wedding with the precision of a surgeon or a drill sergeant depending on which day you catch her. Nothing is going to ruin her wedding day. Not even when their seamstress gets enough courage to leave her abusive husband. The ladies all rally behind her to keep her safe. They help her get tucked away at a shelter and move her supplies right into Mimi shop so she will never be alone.
The plan works great until it doesn't and Zoe is found dead in a parking lot. Of course the key suspect is her husband but their are others who may have wanted her dead.
Kelly and her knitting friends are on the case. They are going to stitch everything together to catch the killer. Then they are going to get all dolled up to escort Megan down the aisle so she can start living happily ever after.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I have enjoyed this entire series very much. My excursions to Fort Connor always but a smile on my face. The characters have become old friends and I am always anxious to see what they are up to.
When I picked up this one what I really wanted to know is if Kelly and Steve were going to get back together. I can't tell you because you will have to read the story. I did figure out the murderer this time very quickly but the drama of Megan's wedding still made this a good yarn. Carl, the rottweiler, and the ongoing adventures with the backyard squirrel were funny and cute.
This is not my favorite story of the series. Sometimes there needs to be a book to keep the story lines moving along and Cast On, Kill Off is exactly that. The mystery wasn't as complex and did not have the usual twists but we are set up nicely for the next edition.
May 10, 2016
I don't like to be mean. But I just have to say this: The idea of the series is cool, the series, however, is not. I was faithful, really. I kept buying and reading them, because, you know, it might just be me. But it's the books, really. This was and will remain my last one.
I strongly recommend you to stay away.
Here's why:
1) The knitting. I love knitting, but this is just silly. The main character makes such a show of clumsily pushing her needle through a stitch in order to complete a scarf, and she does not seem to improve over the series at all. And the knitting kind of is the best thing about the books.
1b) The knitting pattern in the end. This is just a lure. There's nothing worth announcing as a pattern. "Cast on 20 stitches, then knit one, purl one for 11 ft and cast off" is not exactly a pattern.
2) The coffee. My g*d, this woman is drinking a lot of coffee. And it's black and strong and yeah, we get it. The rush of the caffeine the heroine gets is about the only high in the novels.
3) The soft ball practice and games. Do I need to elaborate?
4) The sleuthing (and the overuse of the word sleuthing). The main character is so bad at this, it's unrealistic - and painful to read. Let alone the death toll, but to list that would be unfair, since crime/suspense series tend to be over the top in this respect.
5) The dog. The poor, stupid dog.
6) The love interests. Come on. The difficulties in the main character's love life are here for one reason, and one reason only: so we go out and buy the next one.
But in this case, a cliff hanger just became a cliff dropper.
I am sorry to say this, but please do not read these books. The titles are witty, and there's really not much left to enjoy.
I strongly recommend you to stay away.
Here's why:
1) The knitting. I love knitting, but this is just silly. The main character makes such a show of clumsily pushing her needle through a stitch in order to complete a scarf, and she does not seem to improve over the series at all. And the knitting kind of is the best thing about the books.
1b) The knitting pattern in the end. This is just a lure. There's nothing worth announcing as a pattern. "Cast on 20 stitches, then knit one, purl one for 11 ft and cast off" is not exactly a pattern.
2) The coffee. My g*d, this woman is drinking a lot of coffee. And it's black and strong and yeah, we get it. The rush of the caffeine the heroine gets is about the only high in the novels.
3) The soft ball practice and games. Do I need to elaborate?
4) The sleuthing (and the overuse of the word sleuthing). The main character is so bad at this, it's unrealistic - and painful to read. Let alone the death toll, but to list that would be unfair, since crime/suspense series tend to be over the top in this respect.
5) The dog. The poor, stupid dog.
6) The love interests. Come on. The difficulties in the main character's love life are here for one reason, and one reason only: so we go out and buy the next one.
But in this case, a cliff hanger just became a cliff dropper.
I am sorry to say this, but please do not read these books. The titles are witty, and there's really not much left to enjoy.
May 26, 2014
Predictable, redundant, and boring.
I can't believe crap like this gets published. The following are just a few of the things that annoyed me:
An entire paragraph on the autumnal equinox and the explanation that there will be 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. And now the darkness will be longer than the daylight. Gee, thanks, Maggie Sefton. I'm so glad you explained that. I apparently missed that lesson in elementary school.
Four paragraphs on a character's arthritic knee. Four! A character that has nothing to do with the rest of the story and didn't make an appearance before or after these four paragraphs.
Kelly's cell phone "jangles" at least seven times in this book. Really, Maggie Sefton, cell phone's ring. You don't have to jazz it up. And if you do, break out the thesaurus and find some different words!
The "mystery" was lame, not remotely original and I figured out who the murderer was half way through the book.
In the past, I actually liked some of the characters, but now they are all one dimensional and obnoxious.
I read somewhere that this is the last in this series. I certainly hope so, as the books have gotten progressively worse. I'd hate to see what would come after this.
I can't believe crap like this gets published. The following are just a few of the things that annoyed me:
An entire paragraph on the autumnal equinox and the explanation that there will be 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. And now the darkness will be longer than the daylight. Gee, thanks, Maggie Sefton. I'm so glad you explained that. I apparently missed that lesson in elementary school.
Four paragraphs on a character's arthritic knee. Four! A character that has nothing to do with the rest of the story and didn't make an appearance before or after these four paragraphs.
Kelly's cell phone "jangles" at least seven times in this book. Really, Maggie Sefton, cell phone's ring. You don't have to jazz it up. And if you do, break out the thesaurus and find some different words!
The "mystery" was lame, not remotely original and I figured out who the murderer was half way through the book.
In the past, I actually liked some of the characters, but now they are all one dimensional and obnoxious.
I read somewhere that this is the last in this series. I certainly hope so, as the books have gotten progressively worse. I'd hate to see what would come after this.
February 8, 2013
Another of my fluff reads...good when work gets so overwhelming that though I need/want to read at the end of the day, I can't concentrate on something requiring even a little bit of attention.
Like Janet Evanovich, I think the author needs to finish up this series (although one of the reviewers said this one is perhaps the last!?!?). The characters and their quirks are getting repetitive and even more silly as the series progresses. And I think it is becoming even more obvious 'who done it'. I had the whole plot of who died and who killed her figured out not 40 pages into the book. Maybe my tolerance was better for this series at first because the books were about knitting and food...two loves. Now it seems the series is more focuses on the relationship between Kelly and Steve...will they or won't they. I just sort of skim through the books to get the general idea of the plot since taking time to read every word would not be a good use of my time. Like I said...fluff reading. But this will be the last one of these I read even if there are more in the series. It's just gotten too insubstantial.
Like Janet Evanovich, I think the author needs to finish up this series (although one of the reviewers said this one is perhaps the last!?!?). The characters and their quirks are getting repetitive and even more silly as the series progresses. And I think it is becoming even more obvious 'who done it'. I had the whole plot of who died and who killed her figured out not 40 pages into the book. Maybe my tolerance was better for this series at first because the books were about knitting and food...two loves. Now it seems the series is more focuses on the relationship between Kelly and Steve...will they or won't they. I just sort of skim through the books to get the general idea of the plot since taking time to read every word would not be a good use of my time. Like I said...fluff reading. But this will be the last one of these I read even if there are more in the series. It's just gotten too insubstantial.
July 11, 2012
Kelly Flynn, accountant and apprentice knitter, and her ex-boyfriend, architect Steve Townsend, get together amid the wedding preparations of their friends Megan the IT consultant and Marty the lawyer. There's a lot of beautiful Colorado weather and scenery, and Kelly solves a murder the police have fumbled. Judging by the word-count, that's the general emphasis on this Knitting Mystery, a series I keep swearing off and picking up again. Abused wife and seamstress Zoe is found dead, and while the knitting ladies are sure that her husband Oscar is the culprit, the police find her competitor Leann a suspicious figure until Kelly finds new facts. She also drinks a lot of coffee.
July 14, 2012
I've enjoyed the previous books in this series. But, with the last book and now this one-I really feel as though I'm done with it. I find it unrealistic that a former police officer 'checks in' with Kelley on crimes and even encourages her. I find her to be more and more irritating as the series progresses. On the rare occasions that something doesn't go right for her she seems shocked and a little bit whiney.
March 20, 2015
I love this series. I love this book and I love my Lambspun family!! The weeks leading up to Megan and Marty's wedding were filled with fun, craziness and murder. I actually solved the murder pretty early on because it was kind of obvious. I was right there along with all of Kelly's friends concerning her and Steve. The ending was great!!
August 28, 2018
There's been another murder in Fort Connor and the folks who hang out at the local yarn shop are caught up in it again. Kelly does more sleuthing while drinking tons of coffee and all turns out well in the end.
I do like this cozy series, but this particular entry is a bit of a low point so far. The running jokes/tropes are wearing a little thin. *shrug*
I do like this cozy series, but this particular entry is a bit of a low point so far. The running jokes/tropes are wearing a little thin. *shrug*
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June 25, 2012I really enjoyed the read. The only surprise to me, was I guessed the murderer before the end of the book. Maybe I am getting to be a j.fletcher??
July 14, 2012
Although this was better than the last, the ending wasn't a surprise at all! Kelly really needs to stop drinking so much coffee!
July 16, 2012
A disappointing outing - the author repeatedly uses cliche phrases like "she smiled slyly," and the mystery took a backseat to some very silly relationship antics.
July 20, 2012
This series is getting a little stale.
April 21, 2024
As I was reading this book I kept thinking, does this author really think people this age act this way? How out-of-touch is this lady?? And as I neared the end and got to the really odd bar scene (uhhh…wtf?) I realized that this cluelessness about how twenty-somethings or even thirty-somethings behave is exactly why this whole entire series is as off as it is. Also, the whole series has Kelly’s “friends” really excessively concerned with whether or not she is “with” (as in, having sex with) another person, and I have found it off-putting and inappropriate since book one. I enjoy a good romance, sure (and this book series is really tame in the romance department), but this author writes so poorly that the whole thing is distasteful and uncomfortable and has been the whole series. The FMC has been pressured into this relationship literally since book one (and I cannot stand how Steve behaves when he doesn’t like something, he is not someone I’d ever pick for myself so if my friends were pushing me to date him, I’d find new friends pretty fast). Ew.
The author treats this book’s “bad behavior” (abuse) as poorly as she has treated other behaviors (rape, drug abuse, and others) with no tact nor resolution nor assistance for a reader who may be experiencing these traumas themselves. In all cases across all the books in this series, each trauma depicts the victims as hopeless with no trauma resolution or healing experienced, nor any ability to seek justice or even any sort of real empowerment to find assistance or escape from their trauma. Unfortunately the victims are always silenced either because they’re killed off or because they are shamed into silence and this book sadly is no exception. I do not recommend this series for individuals experiencing traumas. The author really has missed opportunities to connect with and aid readers who may need help by discounting these victims.
Similarly, I do not recommend this series for individuals who are struggling with diet culture or eating disorders because it has terrible language about food-related decisions and fat-shames the characters and by extension the reader too in every book so far. Some books in the series are slightly better/worse than the rest but they all have the theme present and this book has been the same as all the others in the series.
WHY HAVE I STUCK WITH THIS AWFUL SERIES? (I keep asking myself this as I get to about a third of the way through every book.) As a knitter, I’m always on the lookout for knitting themed books. And I enjoy mindless cozy mysteries especially while knitting. And, probably more than any other reason, I hate DNF’ing things. Frankly the knitting topics in this series are not that great though they have been enough (barely) to keep me engaged. However, every book has continued to have mistakes in the knitting/spinning terminology and this one is particularly bad as it incorrectly explains to knitters how to steam-block a knitted shawl. Readers, if you are a knitter and are wondering if you actually need to be steaming your shawls multiple times every six hours or so (as the main character is instructed to do by her “expert” knitter friend), no you do not need to be. Although it is certainly possible to steam block shawls, do not follow the instructions in this book, and do not assume the explanations about the process are correct. Do a quick youtube search for much more reliable information. (In the same way I feel like this author is clueless about how twenty-somethings behave, I also feel like she must not be much of a knitter or spinner with the consistent mistakes I see across these books. How does a non-expert-knitter present themselves as an expert enough to become a writer of a knitting series???)
And as usual, Kelly drinks too much damned coffee, the police department shares an unrealistic amount of confidential information and their detectives evidently are idiots, the characters’ personalities are woefully flat and underdeveloped, the mystery is obvious and not a mystery at all, and the bonus items (knitting pattern and recipes) are laughable.
The author treats this book’s “bad behavior” (abuse) as poorly as she has treated other behaviors (rape, drug abuse, and others) with no tact nor resolution nor assistance for a reader who may be experiencing these traumas themselves. In all cases across all the books in this series, each trauma depicts the victims as hopeless with no trauma resolution or healing experienced, nor any ability to seek justice or even any sort of real empowerment to find assistance or escape from their trauma. Unfortunately the victims are always silenced either because they’re killed off or because they are shamed into silence and this book sadly is no exception. I do not recommend this series for individuals experiencing traumas. The author really has missed opportunities to connect with and aid readers who may need help by discounting these victims.
Similarly, I do not recommend this series for individuals who are struggling with diet culture or eating disorders because it has terrible language about food-related decisions and fat-shames the characters and by extension the reader too in every book so far. Some books in the series are slightly better/worse than the rest but they all have the theme present and this book has been the same as all the others in the series.
WHY HAVE I STUCK WITH THIS AWFUL SERIES? (I keep asking myself this as I get to about a third of the way through every book.) As a knitter, I’m always on the lookout for knitting themed books. And I enjoy mindless cozy mysteries especially while knitting. And, probably more than any other reason, I hate DNF’ing things. Frankly the knitting topics in this series are not that great though they have been enough (barely) to keep me engaged. However, every book has continued to have mistakes in the knitting/spinning terminology and this one is particularly bad as it incorrectly explains to knitters how to steam-block a knitted shawl. Readers, if you are a knitter and are wondering if you actually need to be steaming your shawls multiple times every six hours or so (as the main character is instructed to do by her “expert” knitter friend), no you do not need to be. Although it is certainly possible to steam block shawls, do not follow the instructions in this book, and do not assume the explanations about the process are correct. Do a quick youtube search for much more reliable information. (In the same way I feel like this author is clueless about how twenty-somethings behave, I also feel like she must not be much of a knitter or spinner with the consistent mistakes I see across these books. How does a non-expert-knitter present themselves as an expert enough to become a writer of a knitting series???)
And as usual, Kelly drinks too much damned coffee, the police department shares an unrealistic amount of confidential information and their detectives evidently are idiots, the characters’ personalities are woefully flat and underdeveloped, the mystery is obvious and not a mystery at all, and the bonus items (knitting pattern and recipes) are laughable.
July 17, 2012
Tenth in the Knitting Mystery series revolving around Kelly Flynn and her knitting friends in Fort Connor (a.k.a., Fort Collins), Colorado.
My Take
It's another sweet and cozy mystery that Kelly tackles. This one at Mimi's behest. A good read that fulfills my need for a homey setting with loving and supportive friends in the mythical small-town environment of Fort Connor. Friends who know your quirks and still love you. Will always be there for you.
Even Detective Dan has come to respect Kelly's discoveries---she's perfected that friendly art of questioning. Now if only she'd spill all the important details when she hears them! It's rather irritating when Sefton holds back on comments that obviously make a difference. It's one thing when it's innocuous, but what Kelly learns about Vera is overt enough that even I figured it out early on! It's just not consistent with Kelly's intelligence, although it does make it easier to stretch out the story and the "drama".
Then, too, what is with the "lawyer Lawrence…", "caterer Kevin", and "pharmacist Christine"? A. It hasn't been that long since we learned about Christine being a pharmacist and B. why not simply mention "my lawyer, Lawrence". It reads more like notes Sefton made to remind herself who they are and forgot to take the notes out. Dorky. Sefton also needs to re-check the style guides on the rules for capitalization.
I have a bit of a disconnect on Vera. If she is such a strong person after the murder, why didn't she ever stand up for herself before? Why not go to work for Leann if her sister is such a bitch?
Sefton has given her characters a lot of individuality and they share a sense of fun. I like how supportive people are in helping Zoe out of a bad situation.
I just love Sefton's description of the colors and textures of the yarns in the shop and the camaraderie around the knitting tables. Makes me want to take up knitting! Which is really saying something when my tongue between my teeth and/or curling up tightly is an intimate part of my knitting efforts! All of me gets exhausted trying! But those descriptions...sigh…
There are a couple of useful tips on fixing a shawl that is too short on one side. I enjoyed the bar fight and Sefton did a nice drop about the inheritance.
The Story
It's almost a race to see which happens first---Megan and Marty's wedding or Kelly and Steve getting back together together. All of Megan's fretting and worrying as she ticks things off her list while she and all their friends keep careful track of Steve and Kelly's romantic progress. It's in the midst of all this that Zoe Yeager leaves her abusive husband with life-ending results.
The Characters
Kelly Flynn is a curious accountant with a nose for crime and a squirrel-chasing, protective Rottweiler named Carl. She just can't resist asking questions and nosing around. An athletic girl, she's addicted to coffee and seems to be getting back on track with her former boyfriend, Steve Townsend. His architecture/construction business failed as the economy continued to nosedive and now he's working in Denver for Sam Kaufman. It's a good match business-wise and Steve is determined to rebuild his romance as well.
Their particular friends include Megan Smith, an IT consultant getting married in a few weeks to Marty Harrington, a lawyer and lover of food; Lisa Gerrard is a physical therapist living with Greg Carruthers, a teacher at the university; Jennifer Stroud is a real estate agent eking out the downturn by working at Pete's Café as a waitress---and dating the boss, Pete Wainwright (the man has been in love with her for years!); Mimi Shafer, a.k.a., Mother Mimi, owns Lambspun where Kelly first met the girls and Mimi is married to Burt Parker, a retired Fort Connors detective who is now spinning in Mimi's shop; and Curt Stackhouse, a rancher and Kelly's adviser on her oil leases and Wyoming ranch, who is dating Jayleen Swinson, an alpaca rancher. Hilda and Lizzie von Steuben are sisters and retired schoolteachers who knit beautifully. Lizzie's romance with Eustace Freemont is continuing albeit in short bursts since he's in prison after events in Unraveled .
Zoe Yeager is a seamstress and designer making the dresses for Megan's wedding. Oscar is her abusive husband. Vera Wilcott is Zoe's sister and helps her with the sewing. Leann O'Hara is another seamstress in town and she has a bone to pick with Zoe.
Lieutenant Dan Morrison is a detective with the Fort Connors PD and seems willing to use Burt as a conduit for Kelly's sleuthing results. Arthur Houseman is one of Kelly's major clients. Christine is a pharmacist at Super Duper and a friend and client of Vera's.
The Cover
It's sweet as ever with its cozy yellows and oranges sitting area in the Lambspun shop. A round table in the lower left holds a vase of flowers and a cup of needles side by side with an open bottle of champagne and two filled flutes. A low counter angles to the back, loaded with a bowl of yarn, cones of thread, and a tilting tabletop mirror in its stand. The colorful back wall is punctuated by a window on one side and a ceiling-height bookcase filled with a criss-cross of shelves loaded with a rainbow of yarns. In front of the bookcase is an easy chair piled with yarns and a cushion. All surrounding a simple white wedding gown adorned with a lacy knit shawl and a double strand of pearls around the mannequin's neck.
The title perfectly combines the two themes of the series with its Cast On, Kill Off.
My Take
It's another sweet and cozy mystery that Kelly tackles. This one at Mimi's behest. A good read that fulfills my need for a homey setting with loving and supportive friends in the mythical small-town environment of Fort Connor. Friends who know your quirks and still love you. Will always be there for you.
Even Detective Dan has come to respect Kelly's discoveries---she's perfected that friendly art of questioning. Now if only she'd spill all the important details when she hears them! It's rather irritating when Sefton holds back on comments that obviously make a difference. It's one thing when it's innocuous, but what Kelly learns about Vera is overt enough that even I figured it out early on! It's just not consistent with Kelly's intelligence, although it does make it easier to stretch out the story and the "drama".
Then, too, what is with the "lawyer Lawrence…", "caterer Kevin", and "pharmacist Christine"? A. It hasn't been that long since we learned about Christine being a pharmacist and B. why not simply mention "my lawyer, Lawrence". It reads more like notes Sefton made to remind herself who they are and forgot to take the notes out. Dorky. Sefton also needs to re-check the style guides on the rules for capitalization.
I have a bit of a disconnect on Vera. If she is such a strong person after the murder, why didn't she ever stand up for herself before? Why not go to work for Leann if her sister is such a bitch?
Sefton has given her characters a lot of individuality and they share a sense of fun. I like how supportive people are in helping Zoe out of a bad situation.
I just love Sefton's description of the colors and textures of the yarns in the shop and the camaraderie around the knitting tables. Makes me want to take up knitting! Which is really saying something when my tongue between my teeth and/or curling up tightly is an intimate part of my knitting efforts! All of me gets exhausted trying! But those descriptions...sigh…
There are a couple of useful tips on fixing a shawl that is too short on one side. I enjoyed the bar fight and Sefton did a nice drop about the inheritance.
The Story
It's almost a race to see which happens first---Megan and Marty's wedding or Kelly and Steve getting back together together. All of Megan's fretting and worrying as she ticks things off her list while she and all their friends keep careful track of Steve and Kelly's romantic progress. It's in the midst of all this that Zoe Yeager leaves her abusive husband with life-ending results.
The Characters
Kelly Flynn is a curious accountant with a nose for crime and a squirrel-chasing, protective Rottweiler named Carl. She just can't resist asking questions and nosing around. An athletic girl, she's addicted to coffee and seems to be getting back on track with her former boyfriend, Steve Townsend. His architecture/construction business failed as the economy continued to nosedive and now he's working in Denver for Sam Kaufman. It's a good match business-wise and Steve is determined to rebuild his romance as well.
Their particular friends include Megan Smith, an IT consultant getting married in a few weeks to Marty Harrington, a lawyer and lover of food; Lisa Gerrard is a physical therapist living with Greg Carruthers, a teacher at the university; Jennifer Stroud is a real estate agent eking out the downturn by working at Pete's Café as a waitress---and dating the boss, Pete Wainwright (the man has been in love with her for years!); Mimi Shafer, a.k.a., Mother Mimi, owns Lambspun where Kelly first met the girls and Mimi is married to Burt Parker, a retired Fort Connors detective who is now spinning in Mimi's shop; and Curt Stackhouse, a rancher and Kelly's adviser on her oil leases and Wyoming ranch, who is dating Jayleen Swinson, an alpaca rancher. Hilda and Lizzie von Steuben are sisters and retired schoolteachers who knit beautifully. Lizzie's romance with Eustace Freemont is continuing albeit in short bursts since he's in prison after events in Unraveled .
Zoe Yeager is a seamstress and designer making the dresses for Megan's wedding. Oscar is her abusive husband. Vera Wilcott is Zoe's sister and helps her with the sewing. Leann O'Hara is another seamstress in town and she has a bone to pick with Zoe.
Lieutenant Dan Morrison is a detective with the Fort Connors PD and seems willing to use Burt as a conduit for Kelly's sleuthing results. Arthur Houseman is one of Kelly's major clients. Christine is a pharmacist at Super Duper and a friend and client of Vera's.
The Cover
It's sweet as ever with its cozy yellows and oranges sitting area in the Lambspun shop. A round table in the lower left holds a vase of flowers and a cup of needles side by side with an open bottle of champagne and two filled flutes. A low counter angles to the back, loaded with a bowl of yarn, cones of thread, and a tilting tabletop mirror in its stand. The colorful back wall is punctuated by a window on one side and a ceiling-height bookcase filled with a criss-cross of shelves loaded with a rainbow of yarns. In front of the bookcase is an easy chair piled with yarns and a cushion. All surrounding a simple white wedding gown adorned with a lacy knit shawl and a double strand of pearls around the mannequin's neck.
The title perfectly combines the two themes of the series with its Cast On, Kill Off.
August 17, 2023
This was my first foray into this series, and i honestly don't think that I will try another one. I am truly surprised that this is not the author'a first attempt at writing a novel and that a publisher didn't suggest making at least characters interesting or believable. I have to wonder if the author has ever heard people speak in real life, because the dialogue has each character mention the name of who they are talking to with each line; "Hi Kelly how are you today"......"oh hey Mimi i am fine now i have my coffee, hows the yarn shop?"...."its bustling Kelly thanks for asking" "No worries Mimi" NO ONE ACTUALLY TALKS LIKE THIS!!!!!!
What frustrates me is that the loose mystery plot line could be made into something interesting if it weren't for all the additional fluff and the seemingly whole town's obsession at trying to get the main character and her ex back together. Happy for a romance in a mystery novel, but it shouldn't feel forced, and this one definitely does
What frustrates me is that the loose mystery plot line could be made into something interesting if it weren't for all the additional fluff and the seemingly whole town's obsession at trying to get the main character and her ex back together. Happy for a romance in a mystery novel, but it shouldn't feel forced, and this one definitely does
March 30, 2024
2.5 Kelly Flynn's knitting pal Megan is about to get hitched, and Megan has found the perfect seamstress, Zoe Yeager, to create the bridesmaids' dresses. But Zoe is harboring a secret. Bruises on her face show a troubling side of her marriage, and just after she finds the courage to leave her husband, she's shot dead. [amazon synopsis]
The most obvious suspect is Zoe's husband. Kelly and her friends really need to step up their sleuthing to find the killer so the wedding can go on without a hitch. I am not a Steve fan.
CONS: How much coffee can one person consume?
In real life, ex-police DO NOT share like this.
Talking on her cell phone while driving is a no-no. Even I have a hands-free setup.
More time spent on weddings and socializing than solving the mystery.
The most obvious suspect is Zoe's husband. Kelly and her friends really need to step up their sleuthing to find the killer so the wedding can go on without a hitch. I am not a Steve fan.
CONS: How much coffee can one person consume?
In real life, ex-police DO NOT share like this.
Talking on her cell phone while driving is a no-no. Even I have a hands-free setup.
More time spent on weddings and socializing than solving the mystery.
October 2, 2018
This was the most painful for me to finish so far in the series. The murder didn't take center stage. The story fell felt. The "sleuthing" was nothing really than asking questions. I always expect in mysteries to have some sort of anticipation and anxiety. She was never in trouble. I found myself skimming.
Also Kelly has a big mouth. Burt tells her to keep quiet and she blabbers it anyway and it isn't even addressed she broke Burt's promise. Burt doesn't even seem to care.
How has she not died yet from all these coffee she is constantly drinking?
Waaaay too much corny references to sex. It was in bad taste IMO.
Also Kelly has a big mouth. Burt tells her to keep quiet and she blabbers it anyway and it isn't even addressed she broke Burt's promise. Burt doesn't even seem to care.
How has she not died yet from all these coffee she is constantly drinking?
Waaaay too much corny references to sex. It was in bad taste IMO.
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