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A Knitting Mystery #14
Knit to Be Tied
The New York Times bestselling author of Only Skein Deep returns as Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun knitters must come together before their whole town unravels . . .
In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant, Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn that the father of Nancy's baby isn't quite the man she dreamed he was. He's a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be and also strikes a cyclist, spinning the town into a frenzy. Everyone worries that a crazed killer is on the loose. Now it's up to Kelly and the gang to put down their needles and cut to the chase before the culprit is driven to kill again . . .
In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant, Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn that the father of Nancy's baby isn't quite the man she dreamed he was. He's a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be and also strikes a cyclist, spinning the town into a frenzy. Everyone worries that a crazed killer is on the loose. Now it's up to Kelly and the gang to put down their needles and cut to the chase before the culprit is driven to kill again . . .
1 pages, Audio CD
First published June 7, 2016
177 people are currently reading
1458 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 157 reviews
June 20, 2016
Coffee, coffee, coffee. Kelly likes coffee. Always. Hey, did I mention Kelly likes coffee?
Why the heck am I still reading this series? Supporting a local author just isn't enough reason anymore.
Why the heck am I still reading this series? Supporting a local author just isn't enough reason anymore.
July 5, 2016
Coffee, knitting, friends playing softball and eating pizza. That is about it. Not sure why I am still reading this series. No action, no intrigue, no more please.
February 6, 2017
Dollycas’s Thoughts
I have enjoyed this series from the start. Each trip to Fort Connor is like going off to visit friends. Kelly spends much of her days at the House of Lambspun, working on her accounts or knitting on the garden patio or at the large gathering table inside the shop. She meets her friends there and then plan get togethers and touch base on what each of them are dealing with. Sometimes it’s work or kids or baseball games. This time one of her friends is a victim of a hit and run while on his bicycle. He is terribly injured and facing weeks of rehab, and they have no idea who was driving the car. But Kelly with some assistance from Burt is knitting together the clues pretty rapidly.
I found Knit to Be Tied as more of a character driven story. The mystery was more of a subplot with only a couple of suspects and readers will figure it out pretty easily. That being said I did enjoy this story because of the investment I have put into these characters for 14 books. I want to know what they are doing, what is happening in their lives. There are some big things happening for this group of friends. They have grown so much over the years. And the author gives us awesome news at the end of the story that has me very excited for book 15.
This was a story that catches us up on the Lambspun gang and sets us up for the next one. Sometimes long running series need books like this one.
A comfortable read, cozy mystery lite
I have enjoyed this series from the start. Each trip to Fort Connor is like going off to visit friends. Kelly spends much of her days at the House of Lambspun, working on her accounts or knitting on the garden patio or at the large gathering table inside the shop. She meets her friends there and then plan get togethers and touch base on what each of them are dealing with. Sometimes it’s work or kids or baseball games. This time one of her friends is a victim of a hit and run while on his bicycle. He is terribly injured and facing weeks of rehab, and they have no idea who was driving the car. But Kelly with some assistance from Burt is knitting together the clues pretty rapidly.
I found Knit to Be Tied as more of a character driven story. The mystery was more of a subplot with only a couple of suspects and readers will figure it out pretty easily. That being said I did enjoy this story because of the investment I have put into these characters for 14 books. I want to know what they are doing, what is happening in their lives. There are some big things happening for this group of friends. They have grown so much over the years. And the author gives us awesome news at the end of the story that has me very excited for book 15.
This was a story that catches us up on the Lambspun gang and sets us up for the next one. Sometimes long running series need books like this one.
A comfortable read, cozy mystery lite
December 24, 2017
Oh good lord.
This is the sort of book that you keep flipping over to check that it was published by an actual publisher.
First and foremost, this book desperately needed a copy editor, or an editor of any kind. People have, in the space of a page, moved to town three years ago, or six years ago. A mans broken leg changes from the left to the right. A sweater changes colors, and people are working on other projects.
Secondly,the dialog is bad. No one talks the way these characters do, with too many mentions of peoples names, speaking in weirdly strained sentences, and laughing at things that are not funny.
The mystery is week, and probably only takes up about twelve pages of the whole novel. The rest is padded with the characters which are obviously supposed to be beloved fixtures. The trouble is that everyone seems to melt together, and I felt no affection for anyone, including the main characters, by the end of the books.
And then there is the knitting. This book hooked me in as I am a knitter, and I have a fondness for cozy mysteries with themes. And while more conversations than can be credulously believed take place in the yarn shop, not much else from the mystery connects to knitting. However, what knitting there is, is on par with the rest of the writing in this book. A character mentions that she's hoping to finish a sweater in a free half hour, but someone else states, a page later, that she's only half way through on the sweater. Even the most novice of knitters would know that if you were half way through a sweater then it would take much, much longer to finish than half an hour.
Argh. Give this one a miss.
This is the sort of book that you keep flipping over to check that it was published by an actual publisher.
First and foremost, this book desperately needed a copy editor, or an editor of any kind. People have, in the space of a page, moved to town three years ago, or six years ago. A mans broken leg changes from the left to the right. A sweater changes colors, and people are working on other projects.
Secondly,the dialog is bad. No one talks the way these characters do, with too many mentions of peoples names, speaking in weirdly strained sentences, and laughing at things that are not funny.
The mystery is week, and probably only takes up about twelve pages of the whole novel. The rest is padded with the characters which are obviously supposed to be beloved fixtures. The trouble is that everyone seems to melt together, and I felt no affection for anyone, including the main characters, by the end of the books.
And then there is the knitting. This book hooked me in as I am a knitter, and I have a fondness for cozy mysteries with themes. And while more conversations than can be credulously believed take place in the yarn shop, not much else from the mystery connects to knitting. However, what knitting there is, is on par with the rest of the writing in this book. A character mentions that she's hoping to finish a sweater in a free half hour, but someone else states, a page later, that she's only half way through on the sweater. Even the most novice of knitters would know that if you were half way through a sweater then it would take much, much longer to finish than half an hour.
Argh. Give this one a miss.
October 2, 2016
14th book in a series and I'm asking myself why do I keep reading? I liked another reviewers comment "It's a habit". IMHO, Maggie Sefton needs a new proofreader and editor. How can you go on about the hit and run injury with bones broken on the left side and some chapters later refer to the broken bones on the right? How can you end a chapter with Kelly telling Burt about a discovery and in the next chapter she's tells him again? And I'm pretty sure there were times a character spoke when they just left the scene. There were two things that really turned me off (1) the constant use of descriptive titles for all the characters--xx's boyfriend, xx the waitress, xx the client, xx, xx, xx ad nauseam, and (2) the frequent use of Kelly's name within the same paragraph. It was if we wouldn't know who "she" was if that was used. If I was talking to a person I felt was like a member of my family and they kept using my name in every sentence, I'd probably run out of the room screaming. One other problem I had, and maybe it was because I skipped reading, was I sometimes couldn't tell when the next portion of the chapter or the next chapter was happening. And why would you ruin a friends wedding with an announcement of your own--just plain rude!
June 11, 2017
Most of the tale occurs in the knitting shop at the centre of this series. Unfortunately that means that most of the action is told to us secondhand or thirdhand. A young lady student joins the group, knitting for the baby she's expecting. But her student boyfriend is a dodgy, not very supportive type, and her father is in overbearing fashion going to try to talk him into taking full responsibility. A road accident occurs which leads to a death.
While the ladies in the shop bring their gossip gathering skills and wits to bear on the problem, I found it feels claustrophobic after a while and I was delighted when they got out to examine the bar at the heart of the gossip. After several good mysteries in the sequence it must be tough to keep coming up with new challenges. We do get a flavour of the town life and its urban sprawl as families leave blighted cities. As newcomers arrive more suspects are provided.
If you are devoted to the series you will probably enjoy this instalment too. I did prefer the earlier books. I received an ARC from the publisher and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
While the ladies in the shop bring their gossip gathering skills and wits to bear on the problem, I found it feels claustrophobic after a while and I was delighted when they got out to examine the bar at the heart of the gossip. After several good mysteries in the sequence it must be tough to keep coming up with new challenges. We do get a flavour of the town life and its urban sprawl as families leave blighted cities. As newcomers arrive more suspects are provided.
If you are devoted to the series you will probably enjoy this instalment too. I did prefer the earlier books. I received an ARC from the publisher and Fresh Fiction. This is an unbiased review.
June 30, 2016
awkward dialogue
July 17, 2016
An easy and relaxing read that features Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun Knitting group. This a long-running series and the 14 book in the series. This series is better to read in order. New addition to the group is Molly, Megan's and Larry's daughter and Nancy Marsted, who is pregnant. The father refuses to accept to accept the fact. Nancy's boyfriend is killed in a hit and run accident that injured Greg is severe. Kelly along with a retired detective, Pete help solve it. A good visit with old friends in Fort Conners, Colorado.
My apologies to all as I made a mistake on who was kill.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions are my own.
My apologies to all as I made a mistake on who was kill.
Disclosure: I received a free copy from Berkley Publishing Group through NetGalley for an honest review. I would like to thank them for this opportunity to read and review the book. The opinions are my own.
August 14, 2017
3.5 stars. Just an average book in the series although the ending made up for it! I did figure out the murder before Kelly. It seemed like everyone's character description got repeated during the book, although I'm sure if you aren't that familiar with them that would be helpful (since there are a lot and that can be hard to keep track of sometimes) but for repeat readers it got monotnous. Can't wait until the next adventure!
December 13, 2025
This was poor in every way. Most of the books in the series were 3s. Very little knitting. Ridiculous dialogue. Boring.
June 26, 2016
Check out my other reviews, discussions and link ups at Fantasy of the Silver Dragon.
I received this book for free from Berkley Prime Crime in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This sounded like it was going to be a fairly interesting mystery. I liked the synopsis, and the first pages caught my attention. Unfortunately it started to irk me shortly after that. Almost every single character is introduced like this:
"friend Lisa", "newcomer Nancy", "Rottweiler Carl", "boyfriend Pete", "waitress so-and-so" ... And some of them were introduced that way multiple times in the book. As though the author was aware we might not remember who the character was because they didn't have much personality. The very central characters had enough personality and quirks that you remember who they are, but there are so many characters in the book that a lot of the secondary and periphery characters just don't.
In a number of places, it would have been less irksome had there been even just one more word added before the 'title' of the character. Like "here comes so-and-so and her boyfriend Pete." But most of the time it just felt stilted.
It was also unbelievable how Kelly found most of the clues. She would only go to one or two places in the town, and suddenly women would turn up and start gossiping and the clues would fall into her lap.
I did like how much of the lives of the characters we get to see. We see very little of the town itself, but the central characters have all kinds of drama to make up for it. We get to learn all about school, sports, family get togethers, lots of talk about knitting, and of course the drama around the accident itself.
The mystery didn't actually start until about 1/3 of the way in. Which didn't bother me, but it might be slow for those who like their mysteries to start right in.
Recipes Included: Llama Headband (knitting pattern), Cranberry Orange Nut Bread.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
I received this book for free from Berkley Prime Crime in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
This sounded like it was going to be a fairly interesting mystery. I liked the synopsis, and the first pages caught my attention. Unfortunately it started to irk me shortly after that. Almost every single character is introduced like this:
"friend Lisa", "newcomer Nancy", "Rottweiler Carl", "boyfriend Pete", "waitress so-and-so" ... And some of them were introduced that way multiple times in the book. As though the author was aware we might not remember who the character was because they didn't have much personality. The very central characters had enough personality and quirks that you remember who they are, but there are so many characters in the book that a lot of the secondary and periphery characters just don't.
In a number of places, it would have been less irksome had there been even just one more word added before the 'title' of the character. Like "here comes so-and-so and her boyfriend Pete." But most of the time it just felt stilted.
It was also unbelievable how Kelly found most of the clues. She would only go to one or two places in the town, and suddenly women would turn up and start gossiping and the clues would fall into her lap.
I did like how much of the lives of the characters we get to see. We see very little of the town itself, but the central characters have all kinds of drama to make up for it. We get to learn all about school, sports, family get togethers, lots of talk about knitting, and of course the drama around the accident itself.
The mystery didn't actually start until about 1/3 of the way in. Which didn't bother me, but it might be slow for those who like their mysteries to start right in.
Recipes Included: Llama Headband (knitting pattern), Cranberry Orange Nut Bread.
This review was originally posted on Fantasy of the Silver Dragon
July 5, 2016
This book was a quick read only because I could skip over whole chapters where nothing was happening that hadn't already happened. The repetition was over the top. A conversation with one character was repeated on the next page in a conversation with another character and again and again on it went until every character in the book had heard the same story. It reminded me of a copy and past operation. The plot, if any, was all over the place. I've always liked this series, but I'm ready to move on to something else.
April 6, 2019
This was a light easy read mystery with a lot of twists and turns and knitting
Along with all the talking.. The setting is Fort Connor, Colorado where a
Hit and run has taken place and another cyclist friend was hit immediately
after the first accident. The ladies are out to catch the person who did this.
It is a fast read with humor and charm. Enjoy!
Along with all the talking.. The setting is Fort Connor, Colorado where a
Hit and run has taken place and another cyclist friend was hit immediately
after the first accident. The ladies are out to catch the person who did this.
It is a fast read with humor and charm. Enjoy!
October 17, 2018
This one got a bit better than the past ones. I am curious to see what all happens next.
June 23, 2017
http://openbooksociety.com/article/kn...
Knit to be Tied
A Knitting Mystery, Book #14
By Maggie Sefton
ISBN 9780425282519
Author’s website: http://www.maggiesefton.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of Purl Up and Die returns as Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun Knitters must come together before their whole town unravels . . .
In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn the father of Nancy’s baby isn’t quite the man she dreamed he was. He’s a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be and strikes a cyclist, spinning the town into a frenzy. Everyone worries that a crazed killer is on the loose. Now it’s up to Kelly and the gang to put down their needles and cut to the chase before the culprit is driven to kill again.
Review:
When it comes to a group of close friends, Maggie Sefton has designed a group of men, women, and teens who have grown into a close-knit family, many brought together through their love of various fiber art. Kelly has been part of the House of Lambspun for about seven years now, having left the world of a corporate CPA to live in the cottage inherited from her beloved aunt. House of Lambspun had a special place in Aunt Helen’s heart as it has in Kelly’s. Kelly continues to assist, even in small ways, to help solve mysteries in Fort Connor, CO, without putting herself in danger.
A new member of the group, Nancy is in the same graduate school classes where Lisa, Kelly’s close friend, attends. She wants to learn how to knit well and has been under much stress. Neil, her now ex-boyfriend, broke up in a particularly cruel manner. They had been growing closer, she thought, to making a life together until she learned she was pregnant. She went to meet and tell him and he not only broke up with her in the bar where students often met to drink and unwind, but he accused her of being pregnant by someone else. Devastated, she planned to move in with her father.
Nancy’s father Felix is a recovering alcoholic with five years under his belt. When he learned what Neil had done and said about his future grandchild, Felix went to the bar to confront him. Nancy said he came home very late that night and smelled as if he had been drinking again.
That same night, Lisa’s boyfriend Greg was riding his bicycle home from the bar where he and some grad school friends had gotten together and was critically injured by a hit and run driver. Lisa and the group of friends gathered to wait for the results of surgery. Their lives would be anything but normal for quite some time, but at least Greg had survived.
Kelly learned later that someone on foot, had been hit and killed in that same neighborhood, and wondered if the two hit and runs were related. Then she learned the dead man was Neil, Nancy’s ex, and the Home of Lambspun family wove Nancy into its fold. Somewhere in the growing town of Fort Connor, a murderer resided with a car hidden away to prevent anyone from seeing the damage. A murderer also guilty, probably, of seriously injuring Greg.
Kelly and her friends at Lambspun are a very close-knit group, mostly of couples, as well as a toddler and a couple teens. These are all very likable; it is hard to have one or two favorites. I do appreciate the cast of characters at the front of the book! I also appreciate that the author brings the reader up to speed quickly and seamlessly on who the characters are, what relationships, if any, and some background where needed. Whether this is the first or the 14th novel in the series that a reader picks up, it is easy to get comfortable with the group.
This novel seems to be much more about the relationships of the Lambspun folks and less of a mystery. This reader enjoys both, but almost felt as though whodunit was less important than the challenges of those in this family. While it is enjoyable to learn more about the people and their lives, I felt almost as if I had missed the mystery except for the obvious, Steve’s injuries. Not a criticism, merely an observation. Perhaps it is because of the intensity of some of the earlier books in the series, this one seemed different. There was only one possible suspect for a while, then a quirk of listening and asking questions led Kelly to see there was a second one. This time I guessed at least a couple chapters before Kelly did, which happens infrequently. I do continue to highly recommend this series, and Knit to be Tied, especially to those who like their cozy mysteries liberally sprinkled with good friends, loving couples of varying ages, various fiber arts, including a pattern and recipe.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
Knit to be Tied
A Knitting Mystery, Book #14
By Maggie Sefton
ISBN 9780425282519
Author’s website: http://www.maggiesefton.com/
Brought to you by OBS Reviewer Jeanie
Synopsis:
The New York Times bestselling author of Purl Up and Die returns as Kelly Flynn and the Lambspun Knitters must come together before their whole town unravels . . .
In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn the father of Nancy’s baby isn’t quite the man she dreamed he was. He’s a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be and strikes a cyclist, spinning the town into a frenzy. Everyone worries that a crazed killer is on the loose. Now it’s up to Kelly and the gang to put down their needles and cut to the chase before the culprit is driven to kill again.
Review:
When it comes to a group of close friends, Maggie Sefton has designed a group of men, women, and teens who have grown into a close-knit family, many brought together through their love of various fiber art. Kelly has been part of the House of Lambspun for about seven years now, having left the world of a corporate CPA to live in the cottage inherited from her beloved aunt. House of Lambspun had a special place in Aunt Helen’s heart as it has in Kelly’s. Kelly continues to assist, even in small ways, to help solve mysteries in Fort Connor, CO, without putting herself in danger.
A new member of the group, Nancy is in the same graduate school classes where Lisa, Kelly’s close friend, attends. She wants to learn how to knit well and has been under much stress. Neil, her now ex-boyfriend, broke up in a particularly cruel manner. They had been growing closer, she thought, to making a life together until she learned she was pregnant. She went to meet and tell him and he not only broke up with her in the bar where students often met to drink and unwind, but he accused her of being pregnant by someone else. Devastated, she planned to move in with her father.
Nancy’s father Felix is a recovering alcoholic with five years under his belt. When he learned what Neil had done and said about his future grandchild, Felix went to the bar to confront him. Nancy said he came home very late that night and smelled as if he had been drinking again.
That same night, Lisa’s boyfriend Greg was riding his bicycle home from the bar where he and some grad school friends had gotten together and was critically injured by a hit and run driver. Lisa and the group of friends gathered to wait for the results of surgery. Their lives would be anything but normal for quite some time, but at least Greg had survived.
Kelly learned later that someone on foot, had been hit and killed in that same neighborhood, and wondered if the two hit and runs were related. Then she learned the dead man was Neil, Nancy’s ex, and the Home of Lambspun family wove Nancy into its fold. Somewhere in the growing town of Fort Connor, a murderer resided with a car hidden away to prevent anyone from seeing the damage. A murderer also guilty, probably, of seriously injuring Greg.
Kelly and her friends at Lambspun are a very close-knit group, mostly of couples, as well as a toddler and a couple teens. These are all very likable; it is hard to have one or two favorites. I do appreciate the cast of characters at the front of the book! I also appreciate that the author brings the reader up to speed quickly and seamlessly on who the characters are, what relationships, if any, and some background where needed. Whether this is the first or the 14th novel in the series that a reader picks up, it is easy to get comfortable with the group.
This novel seems to be much more about the relationships of the Lambspun folks and less of a mystery. This reader enjoys both, but almost felt as though whodunit was less important than the challenges of those in this family. While it is enjoyable to learn more about the people and their lives, I felt almost as if I had missed the mystery except for the obvious, Steve’s injuries. Not a criticism, merely an observation. Perhaps it is because of the intensity of some of the earlier books in the series, this one seemed different. There was only one possible suspect for a while, then a quirk of listening and asking questions led Kelly to see there was a second one. This time I guessed at least a couple chapters before Kelly did, which happens infrequently. I do continue to highly recommend this series, and Knit to be Tied, especially to those who like their cozy mysteries liberally sprinkled with good friends, loving couples of varying ages, various fiber arts, including a pattern and recipe.
*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review as part of their ongoing blog tour*
February 24, 2022
I had read this one before but didn’t remember much about it, was a little slow moving till about 100 pages in and then it got more exciting. Is it wrong to be excited when someone in the book you’re reading gets murdered? It is a knitting mystery after all!
July 20, 2016
Review originally published at The Bookwyrm's Hoard.
Sefton’s newest Knitting Mystery is more for fans of the series than new readers; the former will enjoy seeing what Kelly and her friends are up to besides solving mysteries, while new readers may find the mystery a bit thin.
These days, Kelly Flynn does much of her sleuthing in conversations rather than through direct action. In Knit to Be Tied, many of those conversations seem to occur spontaneously, dropping important clues in her lap without much effort on her part. On the one hand, this is much more realistic than the usual sleuth actively hunting for clues (and often getting herself into trouble.) On the other hand, there’s not a lot of suspense with this approach, and I was able to identify the murderer quite early on.
One thing I appreciate about this series is that Kelly has matured and become more sensible as time goes on. A few close calls in early books mean she is more cautious about putting herself into dangerous situations. (There are none in this book.) She also has a better-than-usual—and far more realistic—relationship with the police than most cozy heroines. Her friendship with ex-police detective Burt, who has friends on the force, allows her to funnel information to them, and she usually does so rather than withholding it as so many cozy mystery protagonists do.
As I’ve come to expect (and enjoy), this book focuses as much on the lives of Kelly and her friends as on the mystery. This time, there are significant events and developments in the lives of several friends as well as Kelly herself. Purists might object, feeling the balance ought to weigh more heavily on the mystery side, but to be honest, Kelly, the Lambspun yarn store, and her bunch of friends are a big part of what keep me reading the series. There is a real Lambspun shop, by the way, and it’s almost exactly as it is described in the books, though the characters are completely fictional as far as I can tell. I visited Lambspun back in 2013, on our way home from taking our daughter to college, but I never got around to posting my pictures. I’ll write up my visit on the blog, if I can ever find the photos!
Sefton always includes a knitting pattern at the back of the book, and often a recipe as well. I was rather surprised that neither the pattern (a headband) nor the recipe (cranberry orange nut bread) appeared in the book, but both look worth trying.
I don’t recommend jumping into the series with this book; for one thing, the mystery really isn’t that compelling in this one. (Sorry!) Instead, go back and start at the beginning with Knit One, Kill Two for an introduction to Kelly and the gang, Lambspun, and the pleasant (if sometimes perilous) Fort Collins, Colorado.
Read for the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
Sefton’s newest Knitting Mystery is more for fans of the series than new readers; the former will enjoy seeing what Kelly and her friends are up to besides solving mysteries, while new readers may find the mystery a bit thin.
These days, Kelly Flynn does much of her sleuthing in conversations rather than through direct action. In Knit to Be Tied, many of those conversations seem to occur spontaneously, dropping important clues in her lap without much effort on her part. On the one hand, this is much more realistic than the usual sleuth actively hunting for clues (and often getting herself into trouble.) On the other hand, there’s not a lot of suspense with this approach, and I was able to identify the murderer quite early on.
One thing I appreciate about this series is that Kelly has matured and become more sensible as time goes on. A few close calls in early books mean she is more cautious about putting herself into dangerous situations. (There are none in this book.) She also has a better-than-usual—and far more realistic—relationship with the police than most cozy heroines. Her friendship with ex-police detective Burt, who has friends on the force, allows her to funnel information to them, and she usually does so rather than withholding it as so many cozy mystery protagonists do.
As I’ve come to expect (and enjoy), this book focuses as much on the lives of Kelly and her friends as on the mystery. This time, there are significant events and developments in the lives of several friends as well as Kelly herself. Purists might object, feeling the balance ought to weigh more heavily on the mystery side, but to be honest, Kelly, the Lambspun yarn store, and her bunch of friends are a big part of what keep me reading the series. There is a real Lambspun shop, by the way, and it’s almost exactly as it is described in the books, though the characters are completely fictional as far as I can tell. I visited Lambspun back in 2013, on our way home from taking our daughter to college, but I never got around to posting my pictures. I’ll write up my visit on the blog, if I can ever find the photos!
Sefton always includes a knitting pattern at the back of the book, and often a recipe as well. I was rather surprised that neither the pattern (a headband) nor the recipe (cranberry orange nut bread) appeared in the book, but both look worth trying.
I don’t recommend jumping into the series with this book; for one thing, the mystery really isn’t that compelling in this one. (Sorry!) Instead, go back and start at the beginning with Knit One, Kill Two for an introduction to Kelly and the gang, Lambspun, and the pleasant (if sometimes perilous) Fort Collins, Colorado.
Read for the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge
FTC disclosure: I received a review copy from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions are entirely my own.
October 10, 2018
The best thing about reading an author one has never read before - there are few expectations. And we can choose to read more of the series or drop it completely.
Coffee, coffee, coffee - now we know Kelly likes coffee. We know she spends a lot of time at the knitting shop, we know she hangs out with friends - a lot - at the softball field. Characters are introduced, repeatedly, as Father Figure Burt, Shop Owner Mimi - most irritating!
Apparently there are people who enjoy her books, as this is the fourteenth in the series. This series is not for me.
Coffee, coffee, coffee - now we know Kelly likes coffee. We know she spends a lot of time at the knitting shop, we know she hangs out with friends - a lot - at the softball field. Characters are introduced, repeatedly, as Father Figure Burt, Shop Owner Mimi - most irritating!
Apparently there are people who enjoy her books, as this is the fourteenth in the series. This series is not for me.
July 25, 2019
Why, oh why, do I still love these books? It can't be just the knitting tie-in. I've read better written knitting related murder mysteries that don't make me crave the next book in the series. It's surely not the Colorado tie-in. I haven't lived in Colorado since 1998 and even then I never even visited Fort Collins (thinly disguised as "Fort Connor" in these novels.) It's not the accounting tie-in. That part works so much against the books. Seriously, the idea of a CPA working exclusively in a spreadsheet program is laughable. It's definitely not the writing. It's not that the writing is horrible but, honestly, no one uses the word "sleuthing" more than once or twice in a period of under a month even if someone they know is playing at being a detective. And the dialogue is kind of stilted and unnatural (I don't know about anyone else but I certainly don't refer to the person I'm addressing by name multiple times in one short conversation!)
That's just what's wrong with the books. However, all of what's wrong comes together to make it right somehow.
The already established group of couples who hang out together is kind of charming. Kelly and her Steve are oddly realistic. Lisa and Greg sound like people I know. Jennifer and Pete are people I want to know. Megan and Marty (and now their baby Molly) feel like my younger cousins. Well, MUCH younger. The peripheral characters, like Mimi and Burt, or Pete's niece Cassie who lives with Jennifer and him, round out the story very well. I'm not a fan of softball but I honestly cared how Cassie's team was doing.
This story was a little unusual in that, while there were a few choices for the murderer, it was pretty well telegraphed early on how the story would resolve. I didn't mind. How they got there was intricate and interesting. And sometimes scary, but not in the bad-guy-killer kind of way. When the deceased was killed by a hit-and-run driver, there was a second victim. One of the happy gang was also hit, and while alive, is severely injured. That character's road to healing really caught me.
The story circles around a sexual predator. There is a subplot also about a sexual predator but from a different angle. It kept me interested, especially since I had just been having a conversation about the #MeToo movement and the book was obviously timely.
I don't recommend the book as a fine example of its genre. It would be difficult to pick this book up without having read at least some of the earlier books in the series. But it's a good one in this series and I enjoyed it.
That's just what's wrong with the books. However, all of what's wrong comes together to make it right somehow.
The already established group of couples who hang out together is kind of charming. Kelly and her Steve are oddly realistic. Lisa and Greg sound like people I know. Jennifer and Pete are people I want to know. Megan and Marty (and now their baby Molly) feel like my younger cousins. Well, MUCH younger. The peripheral characters, like Mimi and Burt, or Pete's niece Cassie who lives with Jennifer and him, round out the story very well. I'm not a fan of softball but I honestly cared how Cassie's team was doing.
This story was a little unusual in that, while there were a few choices for the murderer, it was pretty well telegraphed early on how the story would resolve. I didn't mind. How they got there was intricate and interesting. And sometimes scary, but not in the bad-guy-killer kind of way. When the deceased was killed by a hit-and-run driver, there was a second victim. One of the happy gang was also hit, and while alive, is severely injured. That character's road to healing really caught me.
The story circles around a sexual predator. There is a subplot also about a sexual predator but from a different angle. It kept me interested, especially since I had just been having a conversation about the #MeToo movement and the book was obviously timely.
I don't recommend the book as a fine example of its genre. It would be difficult to pick this book up without having read at least some of the earlier books in the series. But it's a good one in this series and I enjoyed it.
June 19, 2017
Knit to be Tied is a pleasant novel with a rather straightforward mystery.
I enjoyed being with the "family" of couples and singles of all ages at House of Lambspun in Fort Connor, Colorado. This time, two of their own are victims of a hit and run driver. First is Greg, Kelly's close friend Lisa's boyfriend, with serious, life challenging injuries. The second is Neil, the ex-jerky boyfriend of new knitter in the fold, Nancy. Neil had publicly broken up with her and made false accusations when she told him she was pregnant. Neil, unfortunately, died at the scene.
There are two suspects that the police are trying to find sufficient evidence to arrest, and I had a good idea of who the driver was before Kelly or the police did. The mystery was almost an aside to the novel, not the central focus as has been the case in the past. With the exception of learning about Greg's injuries, surgery, and prognosis, there were no real breathtaking moments. I thought this was more about the lives, joys, and challenges of the group of people who are like family who are knit together through their relationships through Lambspun. Yes, it was very enjoyable to visit these friends again, but I was somewhat disappointed with the mystery and solution.
Overall, I recommend Knit to be Tied to those who have followed the series, people who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries that include fiber arts especially knitting and the beautiful setting of Fort Connor, Colorado.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, and this is my honest review.
I enjoyed being with the "family" of couples and singles of all ages at House of Lambspun in Fort Connor, Colorado. This time, two of their own are victims of a hit and run driver. First is Greg, Kelly's close friend Lisa's boyfriend, with serious, life challenging injuries. The second is Neil, the ex-jerky boyfriend of new knitter in the fold, Nancy. Neil had publicly broken up with her and made false accusations when she told him she was pregnant. Neil, unfortunately, died at the scene.
There are two suspects that the police are trying to find sufficient evidence to arrest, and I had a good idea of who the driver was before Kelly or the police did. The mystery was almost an aside to the novel, not the central focus as has been the case in the past. With the exception of learning about Greg's injuries, surgery, and prognosis, there were no real breathtaking moments. I thought this was more about the lives, joys, and challenges of the group of people who are like family who are knit together through their relationships through Lambspun. Yes, it was very enjoyable to visit these friends again, but I was somewhat disappointed with the mystery and solution.
Overall, I recommend Knit to be Tied to those who have followed the series, people who enjoy well-written cozy mysteries that include fiber arts especially knitting and the beautiful setting of Fort Connor, Colorado.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher, and this is my honest review.
May 17, 2025
This is the 14th book in the series. It is summer, but the fall knitting supplies have arrived, and Kelly has started working on a sweater. Her friend Lisa has been counseling a fellow grad student, Nancy, who is distraught when she finds out she is pregnant and is rejected and humiliated by the father. The gang is shocked to have one of their own, Greg, injured in a hit and run while he is biking in town,, and it turns out he is not the only victim. The other is a fatality and turns out to be Nancy’s boyfriend. Kelly begins to dig into his history and finds out that this is not the first time he has had questionable behavior with women. As they try to find out who is responsible, Kelly is also helping with Cassie’s softball clinic. Cassie’s mother has returned to the scene and wants to reconnect. An incident with her mother’s boyfriend leads everyone to rally around Cassie and pushes forward the formalization of her situation. While the mystery was fairly predictable, at the end we find out some news that will dramatically change Kelly’s life. The end of the book contains a knitting pattern and a recipe.
May 27, 2017
Better than the last book in the series where it appeared the author did a lot of copy and paste from her last books. It still lacks the interesting details of the first books. Kelly found a perfect table in the shade...over and over again. With black coffee, hot or iced. The dialogue is simple and once one friend calls Kelly "Sherlock," the term gets used in abundance. Tell me more details- I've forgotten what Kelly and her friends look like. Give people more depth than the guys love to eat and will grow a snout if they eat more bacon. I've learned to care about the people, but am losing reasons to. Give them different dialogue, etc. The plot was good, the book moved at a good pace, so I'll give this series one last chance with the next book.
June 28, 2017
There wasn't much mystery in this one. The crime/mystery seems to be an after thought. This series is becoming more of the story of Kelly and her friends than a mystery. There was a lot of repetition in the book. For example, Kelly had a conversation with Lisa about Greg and then she replayed the conversation to Mimi. I know this can happen in real life but I don't necessarily expect it in a book. I wonder if the author has lost her steam on this series. At least there didn't seem to be the blatant timeline issues like the previous book in the series. Because of this slight bit of redemption, I might read the next one but I will have to read it with the expectation that it will be heavy on the cozy and light on the mystery.
September 25, 2017
I dislike continuity errors in books. Kelly looks at grey alpaca yarn then later she is knitting a white alpaca sweater -- no mention that she changed her mind on the color. Greg breaks his left leg and arm in a hit and run accident. In rehab they talk about his right leg being in a the cast. Nancy comes in the shop to work on a baby sweater --- gets lots of help --- later in the book she is working on a baby hat. When did that happen?? Early in the book -- guy hits a foul ball, then has a strike and another strike and then a base hit. I read this 3 times to make sure she screwed this up. If you know baseball you know this is wrong.
Errors like these drive me nuts. They should have been caught in the proofing. (I may be a little OCD).
Errors like these drive me nuts. They should have been caught in the proofing. (I may be a little OCD).
May 9, 2024
Awful. The usual for this series still holds true: Steve is an asshole (this time at the end of the book, I won’t spoil it and say how, but omg how rude of him), Kelly drinks waaaay too much coffee, the background storyline is confusing (who’s married to who?, and who’s getting married?), the dialogue is stilted and repetitive, the characters are underdeveloped and immature, everyone has fatphobia and the negative aspects of diet culture keep popping up, the mystery isn’t much of a mystery and like all the others it basically is cut-and-pasted with a few things changed from the previous books in the series, the fiber themed stuff is only on the fringes of the storyline with a title that makes no sense to the plot. The book desperately needs better editing.
June 3, 2024
2.5 In Fort Connor, Colorado, the friends at the House of Lambspun knitting shop are welcoming a new face into the fold. Shy, sweet, and pregnant, Nancy Marsted would like to knit a baby hat, and the Lambspun ladies are more than happy to show her the ropes. They share their own pregnancy yarns and soon learn that the father of Nancy’s baby isn’t quite the man she dreamed he was. He’s a cad.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be. [amazon synopsis]
2 books to go in this series. Whew!!!! Getting very repetitive and boring. How much time can Kelly spend drinking coffee, watching the dog chase squirrels and getting together with all of their friends to eat pizza - repeat ad nauseum.
Then one dark night a speeding car fatally mows down the dad-to-be. [amazon synopsis]
2 books to go in this series. Whew!!!! Getting very repetitive and boring. How much time can Kelly spend drinking coffee, watching the dog chase squirrels and getting together with all of their friends to eat pizza - repeat ad nauseum.
January 23, 2026
This has got to be the lamest, most poorly written book I have ever read. I cannot understand how it can be the 14th in a series. I almost stopped reading it several times and wish that I had. Characters are introduced as Mother Mimi, Best Friend Jennifer, Father Figure Burt, ad nauseum. Information is repeated, over and over again, repeatedly. The life of our main character, Kelly, is built around drinking coffee that we are repeatedly told she has to constantly drink and obtaining and sharing the news of everyone's lives to everyone who will listen. It is a small town nightmare. And, finally, an editor should have been hired to actually read and edit this book which is full of nonsense, contradictory information and poor grammar.
July 13, 2018
A fellow grad student friend of Lisa's finds out she is pregnant and the father wants nothing to do with her anymore. Then Lisa's boyfriend, Greg, is hit while riding his bicycle. On their way to pick him up, the medics discover a body in the street that has also been hit by a car. It turns out to be the creep who rejected the pregnant girl.
There is no mystery in this book. It is filled with repetition and mundane conversation (At times I feel as if I am reading a Dr Seuss book). If it were not for the fact that Kelly discovers she is pregnant, I would not bother to read the next book in the series, which I have already borrowed from the library.
Boring!!!
There is no mystery in this book. It is filled with repetition and mundane conversation (At times I feel as if I am reading a Dr Seuss book). If it were not for the fact that Kelly discovers she is pregnant, I would not bother to read the next book in the series, which I have already borrowed from the library.
Boring!!!
August 1, 2018
This series has declined over the last several books, becoming more "chick-lit" than actual mystery, as the story is more focused on the relationships among Kelly and her friends than in the actual mystery. And I did not find the mystery itself terribly compelling, though it was sad. But because everything is filtered through Kelly's viewpoint to the reader, it seems to lose its immediacy. And though the mystery is solved (thanks, of course, to Kelly), it doesn't seem to actually be resolved. I will give the next book a try, to see if there is any improvement, but I cannot seriously recommend this one.
March 20, 2020
This was a fast and easy read. Kelly is a transplanted northern who has re-located to Fort Connor, Colorado. She has a large circle of friends. One of her friends, Lisa, introduces another girl to the group, Nancy. Nancy is going through a rough time as her boyfriend has abandoned her now that she is pregnant. In the middle of trying to help Nancy through her situation, the boyfriend is killed and Lisa's boyfriend is injured when both are hit by a hit and run driver. Through some light sleuthing, Lisa uncovers the driver of the hit and run vehicle. A lot of characters in the book with a lot going on. Fun book to read.
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