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Black Sheep & Company Mystery #8
A Murder in Mohair
In Anne Canadeo's cozy eighth Black Sheep Knitting Mystery, a cold-hearted murder in Plum Harbor leads the knitters to investigate a new psychic who may be far more dangerous than she seems…
When Jimmy Hubbard, the manager of the local cinema, is murdered in a robbery gone wrong, the residents of Plum Harbor are mystified. Everyone liked Jimmy, and the struggling theater seems an unlikely target for burglars.
The Black Sheep Knitters are surprised and saddened by the crime, but are more suspicious of psychic-medium Isabel Waters, who has recently set up shop in town. Isabel has hoodwinked one of their friends into shelling out big money every week to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. Determined to reveal Isabel as a fraud, the knitters are pulled in the web of Isabel’s world and find themselves in a tangle of secrets and lies. They must solve two murders before the truth about all of Isabel’s clients—past and present—are revealed.
As in her previous books A Dark and Stormy Knit , The Silence of the Llamas , and Knit, Purl, Die —which Publishers Weekly praised for its “fast-paced plot that will keep even non-knitters turning the pages”—Canadeo brings her trademark style to this entertaining mystery that will psych you out and leave you wanting more.
When Jimmy Hubbard, the manager of the local cinema, is murdered in a robbery gone wrong, the residents of Plum Harbor are mystified. Everyone liked Jimmy, and the struggling theater seems an unlikely target for burglars.
The Black Sheep Knitters are surprised and saddened by the crime, but are more suspicious of psychic-medium Isabel Waters, who has recently set up shop in town. Isabel has hoodwinked one of their friends into shelling out big money every week to keep the memory of a lost loved one alive. Determined to reveal Isabel as a fraud, the knitters are pulled in the web of Isabel’s world and find themselves in a tangle of secrets and lies. They must solve two murders before the truth about all of Isabel’s clients—past and present—are revealed.
As in her previous books A Dark and Stormy Knit , The Silence of the Llamas , and Knit, Purl, Die —which Publishers Weekly praised for its “fast-paced plot that will keep even non-knitters turning the pages”—Canadeo brings her trademark style to this entertaining mystery that will psych you out and leave you wanting more.
286 pages, Paperback
First published December 1, 2015
58 people are currently reading
503 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
January 16, 2016
The Black Sheep Knitters--Maggie, Lucy, Dana, Suzanne, and Phoebe--are enjoying summer in Plum Harbor. They're shocked when the local cinema owner, Jimmy Hubbard, is found murdered one morning; just up the street from Maggie's shop. The cinema barely scraped by so a robbery was questionable.
A newcomer in town is psychic medium, Cassandra Waters. The knitters good friend, Edie, who owns Schooner Diner, has a grieving niece, Nora, who tragically lost one of her teenage sons. Nora is meeting Cassandra all the time now believing she is channeling messages from Kyle. Without warning, a murderer strikes again.
As the police investigate and the knitters keep their eyes and ears open for unusual happenings; they slowly gain insight into the darker side of life in their normally charming town. Much of this mystery is seen and told from Lucy's observations.
A Murder In Mohair has a steady, fast paced plot you're sure to enjoy. Ms. Canadeo has well researched the manipulative scams of fake psychics and the many ways they prey on susceptible victims. As always, the Black Sheep Knitters are charismatic, and caring, and have a few surprises to reveal to cozy readers! Enjoy!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
A newcomer in town is psychic medium, Cassandra Waters. The knitters good friend, Edie, who owns Schooner Diner, has a grieving niece, Nora, who tragically lost one of her teenage sons. Nora is meeting Cassandra all the time now believing she is channeling messages from Kyle. Without warning, a murderer strikes again.
As the police investigate and the knitters keep their eyes and ears open for unusual happenings; they slowly gain insight into the darker side of life in their normally charming town. Much of this mystery is seen and told from Lucy's observations.
A Murder In Mohair has a steady, fast paced plot you're sure to enjoy. Ms. Canadeo has well researched the manipulative scams of fake psychics and the many ways they prey on susceptible victims. As always, the Black Sheep Knitters are charismatic, and caring, and have a few surprises to reveal to cozy readers! Enjoy!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a copy of this book in the hopes I would review it.
December 29, 2015
A MURDER IN MOHAIR is a wonderful addition to the ever growing Black Sheep Knitting mystery series.
It’s always a fun, if murderous trip when visiting Plum Harbor! Lucy and the rest of the gang are always into something, and I’m not talking just knitting!
Author Anne Canadeo has an easy style of writing that makes her stories flow at a wonderful pace. With A MURDER IN MOHAIR, I found myself drawn into the story from, page one. Chapter after chapter I hung on every word I read. With plenty of twists throughout the story, this mystery wrapped up with a well thought out reveal that caught me off guard.
If you’re not a knitter, no worries. You don’t have to know a thing about knitting to enjoy this story or series. I’m needle work challenged and I was able to enjoy the story with no problem at all.
Make sure to the back of the book for a special feature that includes some tasty recipes!
It’s always a fun, if murderous trip when visiting Plum Harbor! Lucy and the rest of the gang are always into something, and I’m not talking just knitting!
Author Anne Canadeo has an easy style of writing that makes her stories flow at a wonderful pace. With A MURDER IN MOHAIR, I found myself drawn into the story from, page one. Chapter after chapter I hung on every word I read. With plenty of twists throughout the story, this mystery wrapped up with a well thought out reveal that caught me off guard.
If you’re not a knitter, no worries. You don’t have to know a thing about knitting to enjoy this story or series. I’m needle work challenged and I was able to enjoy the story with no problem at all.
Make sure to the back of the book for a special feature that includes some tasty recipes!
February 16, 2017
I like this series, I just wish there was more knitting!
February 14, 2016
Liked the book but at first it was confusing as the author introduced so many characters right away, I had trouble keeping them straight. After I got past that I found the story great reading.
November 15, 2024
I loved that Lucy has a new hobby and that it's biking, and also that Dana is doing it with her. It even inspired me to take a bike ride today. I generally reserve biking for mild weather - spring and autumn - and this book is set in the summer. That would be sweatier, harder work in the heat, but I do think they are located further north, so it might not be so bad. The swimming they also did seems more seasonally appropriate.
I loved all the "gadgets" that came with the new bike, too.
Biking to the beach reminds of the biking trails near Chincoteague, VA. Beautiful.
I hope that Lucy and Dana keep biking in the rest of the series. It's good to see main characters involved in pleasurable exercise.
Once again, the healthier recipes were not the ones in the back of the book, and this time, there were snide remarks about the healthier desserts.
I didn't love the psychic fortune teller as much. I half-expected the author to give her own opinion on the matter in a letter at the end, the way she did with the volume of the new age retreat. Most of her characters seemed skeptical about it, but some were drawn in. I loved that the characters were trying to evaluate the psychic's claims.
I liked the letter in the story from an unexpected character, at the end.
I had a different suspect in mind, although I had considered ...
Suzanne pushed Lucy too hard in her relationship with Matt. I am usually quite open to talking through things, but I think I would've just walked away from Suzanne at that point, at least for the moment. Some things are just personal, and Suzanne, though well-meaning, was just nosy and bossy. Even Dana, the psychologist, told Suzanne, "What a thing to say? Where are your boundaries? It's none of our business."
As a result of that encounter, Lucy sounded too forceful and too skeptical of Matt when she did talk with him, instead of gently talking things through. I think in real life, that sort of demanding, skeptical attitude would've given Matt second thoughts if he had any future plans for marriage.
It's better to talk things through little by little, rather than in a few, short, pressurized conversations.
A character did go off to see a murder suspect by herself again in this book - to warn the potentially volatile person that she was intended to inform the police, no less!
I hope I am not like Ellen, always putting people's pictures on Facebook. Most people, I think, enjoy group photos, but I always ask first, and let them review the pictures. There are some hikers I know who don't like their pictures posted or even like to be tagged in photos without their image.
There was the philosophical discussion as to which was worse: adultery or the deception that went on in this book.
I found that that there were several quotes that weren't quite right in this book. Coupling that with the misquoted Emily Dickinson earlier in the series makes me doubt all the attributions. I would've hoped the author and/or editor would've been more careful.
"No pain, no gain." didn't sound like Benjamin Franklin. It was Jane Fonda, although Benjamin Franklin did say something wordier that was similar, and Jane Fonda could've been paraphrasing him.
I never found the Emerson quote when I searched, or anything like it. "Heed the still, small voice inside you. It rarely leads you astray." That second sentence doesn't sound like Emerson to me, and I couldn't find it. In Christianity, the "still, small voice" can refer to the Holy Spirit in the Elijah story in 1 Kings 19.
Having seen three misquotes (including the earlier Emily Dickinson one about the candle), I started looking up all the quotes. The Oscar Wilde quote really was from Oscar Wilde. "I can resist everything but temptation." At that point, I quit looking them up. Just take them with a grain of salt.
Yes, we've used timers for various things, too: Christmas lights or heat lamps for the reptiles' terrariums.
Favorite quote:
"When in doubt, talk about the menu; she'd often found the ploy worked well to smooth over awkward social moments."
"And you didn't chase ... on your bike? ... You slacker. What will your friends say?"
I loved all the "gadgets" that came with the new bike, too.
Biking to the beach reminds of the biking trails near Chincoteague, VA. Beautiful.
I hope that Lucy and Dana keep biking in the rest of the series. It's good to see main characters involved in pleasurable exercise.
Once again, the healthier recipes were not the ones in the back of the book, and this time, there were snide remarks about the healthier desserts.
I didn't love the psychic fortune teller as much. I half-expected the author to give her own opinion on the matter in a letter at the end, the way she did with the volume of the new age retreat. Most of her characters seemed skeptical about it, but some were drawn in. I loved that the characters were trying to evaluate the psychic's claims.
I liked the letter in the story from an unexpected character, at the end.
I had a different suspect in mind, although I had considered ...
Suzanne pushed Lucy too hard in her relationship with Matt. I am usually quite open to talking through things, but I think I would've just walked away from Suzanne at that point, at least for the moment. Some things are just personal, and Suzanne, though well-meaning, was just nosy and bossy. Even Dana, the psychologist, told Suzanne, "What a thing to say? Where are your boundaries? It's none of our business."
As a result of that encounter, Lucy sounded too forceful and too skeptical of Matt when she did talk with him, instead of gently talking things through. I think in real life, that sort of demanding, skeptical attitude would've given Matt second thoughts if he had any future plans for marriage.
It's better to talk things through little by little, rather than in a few, short, pressurized conversations.
A character did go off to see a murder suspect by herself again in this book - to warn the potentially volatile person that she was intended to inform the police, no less!
I hope I am not like Ellen, always putting people's pictures on Facebook. Most people, I think, enjoy group photos, but I always ask first, and let them review the pictures. There are some hikers I know who don't like their pictures posted or even like to be tagged in photos without their image.
There was the philosophical discussion as to which was worse: adultery or the deception that went on in this book.
I found that that there were several quotes that weren't quite right in this book. Coupling that with the misquoted Emily Dickinson earlier in the series makes me doubt all the attributions. I would've hoped the author and/or editor would've been more careful.
"No pain, no gain." didn't sound like Benjamin Franklin. It was Jane Fonda, although Benjamin Franklin did say something wordier that was similar, and Jane Fonda could've been paraphrasing him.
I never found the Emerson quote when I searched, or anything like it. "Heed the still, small voice inside you. It rarely leads you astray." That second sentence doesn't sound like Emerson to me, and I couldn't find it. In Christianity, the "still, small voice" can refer to the Holy Spirit in the Elijah story in 1 Kings 19.
Having seen three misquotes (including the earlier Emily Dickinson one about the candle), I started looking up all the quotes. The Oscar Wilde quote really was from Oscar Wilde. "I can resist everything but temptation." At that point, I quit looking them up. Just take them with a grain of salt.
Yes, we've used timers for various things, too: Christmas lights or heat lamps for the reptiles' terrariums.
Favorite quote:
"When in doubt, talk about the menu; she'd often found the ploy worked well to smooth over awkward social moments."
"And you didn't chase ... on your bike? ... You slacker. What will your friends say?"
November 10, 2025
⭐⭐⭐
A Murder in Mohair by Anne Canadeo gives us two mysteries for the price of one, though juggling both storylines doesn't always work as smoothly as it could.
When Jimmy Hubbard, the beloved local cinema manager, is killed in what looks like a robbery gone wrong, the whole town of Plum Harbor is shocked. Jimmy was well-liked, and the struggling theater doesn't seem like an obvious target. Meanwhile, the Black Sheep Knitters are dealing with their own problem: a psychic-medium named Isabel Waters who's been taking advantage of one of their friends, charging big money to "communicate" with a lost loved one.
The knitters set out to expose Isabel as a fraud, but things get complicated fast when they discover she's connected to more than just fake readings. Suddenly they're dealing with two murders and a whole lot of secrets.
I appreciated the dual mystery approach, but at times it felt like the book couldn't decide which story it wanted to focus on. The psychic angle is interesting, and Canadeo does a good job showing how people can be manipulated when they're grieving. The knitting group dynamic remains strong, which is really the heart of this series.
The resolution ties everything together, though some of it felt a bit rushed. If you've been following the Black Sheep Knitters through eight books, you'll want to see what happens next.
#AMurderInMohair #AnneCanadeo #BlackSheepKnittingMystery #CozyMystery #MysteryBooks #Bookstagram #BookReview #KnittingMystery #BookLovers #MysteryReader #BookCommunity #InstaBooks #AmReading #BookNerd #CozyReads #BookBlogger #ReadersOfInstagram #Booktok #BookstagramCommunity #MysteryAddict #BookObsessed #BooksOfInstagram #BookRecommendations #ReadingCommunity #BookAddict #Whodunit #CrimeFiction #MysteryNovels #BookLife #Bibliophile
A Murder in Mohair by Anne Canadeo gives us two mysteries for the price of one, though juggling both storylines doesn't always work as smoothly as it could.
When Jimmy Hubbard, the beloved local cinema manager, is killed in what looks like a robbery gone wrong, the whole town of Plum Harbor is shocked. Jimmy was well-liked, and the struggling theater doesn't seem like an obvious target. Meanwhile, the Black Sheep Knitters are dealing with their own problem: a psychic-medium named Isabel Waters who's been taking advantage of one of their friends, charging big money to "communicate" with a lost loved one.
The knitters set out to expose Isabel as a fraud, but things get complicated fast when they discover she's connected to more than just fake readings. Suddenly they're dealing with two murders and a whole lot of secrets.
I appreciated the dual mystery approach, but at times it felt like the book couldn't decide which story it wanted to focus on. The psychic angle is interesting, and Canadeo does a good job showing how people can be manipulated when they're grieving. The knitting group dynamic remains strong, which is really the heart of this series.
The resolution ties everything together, though some of it felt a bit rushed. If you've been following the Black Sheep Knitters through eight books, you'll want to see what happens next.
#AMurderInMohair #AnneCanadeo #BlackSheepKnittingMystery #CozyMystery #MysteryBooks #Bookstagram #BookReview #KnittingMystery #BookLovers #MysteryReader #BookCommunity #InstaBooks #AmReading #BookNerd #CozyReads #BookBlogger #ReadersOfInstagram #Booktok #BookstagramCommunity #MysteryAddict #BookObsessed #BooksOfInstagram #BookRecommendations #ReadingCommunity #BookAddict #Whodunit #CrimeFiction #MysteryNovels #BookLife #Bibliophile
October 16, 2023
I’ve always enjoyed this series about Maggie Messina and her friends, a group of knitters who meet regularly at Maggie’s knitting store in Plum Harbor, Massachusetts. The characters are memorable, and I tend to think I have a favorite one until I read another installment where that favoritism rotates to one of the other characters. I strongly recommend reading the entire series to get the most from it. But that won’t be difficult. I don’t recall that any of the books are uneven in their plot or character presentation. If you start one, you’ll likely finish it with a sense of satisfaction.
They find a local movie theater manager dead in his business one day, but Maggie is dating a cop, and she has sworn off sleuthing. Or so she thinks. But the antics of a psychic who recently moved to town captures the group’s attention. The woman seems impressive, and she meets frequently with a friend of the knitters whose son died some years earlier. The psychic insists she can communicate with the dead boy, and the once-depressed mother begins to heal and respond to life again. But something’s not right about her, and the knitters ask her in for a group read so they can figure out just how fraudulent she is.
Not long after the knitters host her, someone murders the psychic. It’s up to the knitters to figure out who did that and to determine whether there’s a connection between the psychic’s death and that of the movie theater manager earlier in the book.
This is a solid mystery, and work-from-home graphic arts designer Lucy binger seems to be the main character of this installment. She’s fun to read about, and it’s worth your time to see how her domestic situations fall into place if they do.
They find a local movie theater manager dead in his business one day, but Maggie is dating a cop, and she has sworn off sleuthing. Or so she thinks. But the antics of a psychic who recently moved to town captures the group’s attention. The woman seems impressive, and she meets frequently with a friend of the knitters whose son died some years earlier. The psychic insists she can communicate with the dead boy, and the once-depressed mother begins to heal and respond to life again. But something’s not right about her, and the knitters ask her in for a group read so they can figure out just how fraudulent she is.
Not long after the knitters host her, someone murders the psychic. It’s up to the knitters to figure out who did that and to determine whether there’s a connection between the psychic’s death and that of the movie theater manager earlier in the book.
This is a solid mystery, and work-from-home graphic arts designer Lucy binger seems to be the main character of this installment. She’s fun to read about, and it’s worth your time to see how her domestic situations fall into place if they do.
February 13, 2023
Summer heat
Lucy and the Black Sheep knitters are stunned to hear a local cinema owner was murdered, just up the road from the shop; no one could understand what a seemingly kind and mild man would have done to become a victim of such a violent crime. Adding to the worry, diner owner Edie shares her concerns for her niece, who has begun seeing a psychic and apparently communicating with her dead son. It’s a mixed bag, since the woman is finally appearing to be feeling more hopeful - but Edie worries the psychic is a fake, and is taking her niece for a sucker. Trying to help Edie determine the truth, the knitters arrange a group session with the psychic, then later discuss and debunk what happened. But when she ends up dead as well, they wonder about connections - and find information that leads them to a surprising conclusion.
Lucy and the Black Sheep knitters are stunned to hear a local cinema owner was murdered, just up the road from the shop; no one could understand what a seemingly kind and mild man would have done to become a victim of such a violent crime. Adding to the worry, diner owner Edie shares her concerns for her niece, who has begun seeing a psychic and apparently communicating with her dead son. It’s a mixed bag, since the woman is finally appearing to be feeling more hopeful - but Edie worries the psychic is a fake, and is taking her niece for a sucker. Trying to help Edie determine the truth, the knitters arrange a group session with the psychic, then later discuss and debunk what happened. But when she ends up dead as well, they wonder about connections - and find information that leads them to a surprising conclusion.
July 23, 2018
First, Jimmy Hubbard, the owner-manager of the local movie theater is murdered, and it looks like may have been a robbery gone wrong. The Black Sheep Knitters mull over the mystery, but don't really reach any conclusions. They are more concerned about Nora Gordon, who became extremely depressed after her teenage son died. Lately though, she has begun seeing a psychic called Cassandra Waters, which seems to be providing her with some relief. However, her aunt and her friends worry about this relationship. And then Cassandra is murdered! Is her death related to Hubbard's? Or was she killed by a disgruntled client? This is a somewhat slow-moving mystery, that occasionally veers off onto tangents. Otherwise it is quite enjoyable.
February 7, 2019
Closer to a 3.5.
Better than the previous book, but still not great. Characters are slow to realize things that are obvious, yet keep their mouths shut about other things that most people would discuss.
The ending with the birthday party was particularly awful. Going to a beach house that is located 15 minutes away from their town, but somehow managing to get lost (on purpose) and taking over an hour to find it? It's a small point, but just screams stupid to me. I know what the author was going for, but it just felt heavy-handed and clunky, like most of the book.
Better than the previous book, but still not great. Characters are slow to realize things that are obvious, yet keep their mouths shut about other things that most people would discuss.
The ending with the birthday party was particularly awful. Going to a beach house that is located 15 minutes away from their town, but somehow managing to get lost (on purpose) and taking over an hour to find it? It's a small point, but just screams stupid to me. I know what the author was going for, but it just felt heavy-handed and clunky, like most of the book.
August 10, 2019
This is the 8th book in the series. The knitters are stunned to hear of the death of their local theater manager, in an apparent robbery. They are also surprised to find out that there is a new psychic medium in town, one who is working her way through the pockets of the community by way of their grief. The gang pulls together to see if they can out her fraudulent practices before she causes any more trouble. When another death occurs, the knitters must pull together the pieces and help solve the case. The book contains recipes and craft ideas in an appendix.
August 15, 2019
Eighth in this series and the Black Sheep Knitters are going strong. The manager of the local cinema is found murdered and it may be a robbery gone wrong but things in his past surface and drugs may be involved. Crime is on the move and the Black Sheet Knitters are suspicious of a woman who claims she is a psychic. The group decides to hire her for a group session to see what she is all about. Unfortunately this psychic is also found murdered and as her past is revealed things get very confusing but the group is determined to help catch the murderer.
January 12, 2025
A friend (AC) sent me a number of books from this series and I've been enjoying reading them.
I could not make the title of this one make sense to me regarding what happened in the book (other than murder).
The back cover blurb on mine names the character Isabel Waters but in the text she is Cassandra Waters. Something an editor should have caught.
I did not like that a psychic was the feature in this book. There are many warnings against that in the religion I choose to follow.
I did like that Lucy has taken up biking and that Dana joins her.
I could not make the title of this one make sense to me regarding what happened in the book (other than murder).
The back cover blurb on mine names the character Isabel Waters but in the text she is Cassandra Waters. Something an editor should have caught.
I did not like that a psychic was the feature in this book. There are many warnings against that in the religion I choose to follow.
I did like that Lucy has taken up biking and that Dana joins her.
April 5, 2018
This 2015 Black Sheep Knitting mystery series has the group of friends helping to figure out the murderer of both a local business owner and also a newcomer who is a psychic. Interesting characters and settings, with the usual romantic tensions and fitness nuts. Includes a couple of recipes and a link to a free online knitting pattern. (www.iliveonafarm.com)
April 26, 2019
Lucy's being given advice to have a serious talk with Matt about the future and it is causing her a great deal of stress. She is the lead of the knitting group in investigating the psychic and murders.
April 26, 2021
Well written and a great cast of believable and likeable characters. As a knitter, I enjoy adding a cozy knitting mystery into my reading rotation. This one didn't disappoint. I did find the end a bit sad though (the reasons behind why the crimes were committed).
July 16, 2022
Grab your knitting needles because we have to solve a murder and flush out a con-artist.
The Black Sheep Knitters are at it again solving another murder. Reading this book along
with the others in the series always puts me in the mood to grab my needles and try and
solve another murder. Fun time
The Black Sheep Knitters are at it again solving another murder. Reading this book along
with the others in the series always puts me in the mood to grab my needles and try and
solve another murder. Fun time
August 4, 2025
Each book continues where the previous one left off. This one high lights Lucy and her relationship with Dan. As well as two murders in Plum Harbor, can both be connected? Or are they each just random coincidentes. A good story line and hard to pit down.
October 31, 2017
A Black Sheep murder mystery. Local cinema owner is murdered then a physic ends up dead too. Are they related? Good read
December 16, 2018
A pretty good mystery. And there's knitting! This is the eighth book in a series and it would have been nice to read them in order but not totally necessary. Read it, you'll like it.
February 1, 2019
Another in the series
January 2, 2021
I adore this series and wish I had a group of friends like the Black Sheep knitters
September 30, 2021
great plot twists and fun coings for the knitting group
November 26, 2021
So repetitive…especially if you have read more than 2 of the series ( this is book 8). Mystery did not start until about page 95.
February 23, 2022
Excellent installment in a great series
October 16, 2022
Why is Matt the cutest cinnamon roll ever?? Oh I love this series
February 27, 2023
A great read of friendship,murder and knitting.
March 17, 2023
Cute read with likable characters. This book focused on Lucy's character. Looking forward to reading other books in this series.
October 15, 2023
Great mystery story with our favorite knitters!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews