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A Knitting Mystery #3
A Deadly Yarn
Kelly Flynn's finally feeling at home in Fort Connor, Colorado, especially when she's knitting with friends at House of Lambspun. But her friend Allison is ready to leave town—until someone cancels her trip, permanently.
Kelly and Megan are happy for their friend, Allison Dubois, a talented, young artist who's joining a designer's New York studio. But when they arrive to take Allison to the airport, they find her dead on the apartment floor, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills. Police suspect suicide, but Kelly and Megan aren't convinced. Soon, Kelly learns that while Allison's career was on the fast-track, her social life was a mess. A bad news boyfriend, a jealous design student, and a mysterious man named Brian arouse Kelly's suspicions as she and her friends try to unravel this tightly stitched puzzle.
Kelly and Megan are happy for their friend, Allison Dubois, a talented, young artist who's joining a designer's New York studio. But when they arrive to take Allison to the airport, they find her dead on the apartment floor, apparently from an overdose of sleeping pills. Police suspect suicide, but Kelly and Megan aren't convinced. Soon, Kelly learns that while Allison's career was on the fast-track, her social life was a mess. A bad news boyfriend, a jealous design student, and a mysterious man named Brian arouse Kelly's suspicions as she and her friends try to unravel this tightly stitched puzzle.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2006
135 people are currently reading
1631 people want to read
About the author
Maggie Sefton
35 books777 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 302 reviews
June 25, 2013
AH HA! I have figured out the trick! I have figured out a sure-fire, no fail way to enjoy these god awful books!
Introducing The Knitting Mystery Books Drinking Game!
Grab your favorite alcohol, and get to reading!
Take a shot every time:
* Kelly verbally masturbates about coffee.
* Take two shots if the coffee is called "nectar".
* Take three shots if the coffee is called "black gold".
* Kelly's "intuition" kicks in.
* Take two shots if Kelly's got a cutesy name for her intuition. i.e., "insects flying at her", "alarm bells going off", "little birdies", "flying pianos smashing her in the head repeatedly".
* Kelly does something that would make an intelligent police officer arrest her for fucking with an investigation.
* Kelly's friends nag her.
* Kelly's friends tell her what she should be doing with her life.
* Kelly thinks she can't possibly knit a project.
* Kelly or her friends "rush" into the knitting shop.
* A character goes to the yarn shop, pulls out her knitting, then immediately remembers somewhere she has to be and runs out.
* You see the word "teased".
* A character tells another character how funny they are.
* A character tells another character how wonderful they are, and the original character demures.
* An idea forms in Kelly's brain.
* Your eyes glaze over from not giving a fuck about Kelly's trek to get coffee.
* You wonder why we're still talking about Kelly's boyfriend and wonder when the mystery part of the mystery is going to get talked about.
* You contemplate burning the book in your hands.
* You contemplate burning your house down for having this book on your bookshelf.
Feel free to add your own! There's a possibility there's another one of these fuckers on my bookshelf, I intend to follow the drinking guide!
I'll need two bottles, since the fucking coffee talk is going to take an entire bottle.
Introducing The Knitting Mystery Books Drinking Game!
Grab your favorite alcohol, and get to reading!
Take a shot every time:
* Kelly verbally masturbates about coffee.
* Take two shots if the coffee is called "nectar".
* Take three shots if the coffee is called "black gold".
* Kelly's "intuition" kicks in.
* Take two shots if Kelly's got a cutesy name for her intuition. i.e., "insects flying at her", "alarm bells going off", "little birdies", "flying pianos smashing her in the head repeatedly".
* Kelly does something that would make an intelligent police officer arrest her for fucking with an investigation.
* Kelly's friends nag her.
* Kelly's friends tell her what she should be doing with her life.
* Kelly thinks she can't possibly knit a project.
* Kelly or her friends "rush" into the knitting shop.
* A character goes to the yarn shop, pulls out her knitting, then immediately remembers somewhere she has to be and runs out.
* You see the word "teased".
* A character tells another character how funny they are.
* A character tells another character how wonderful they are, and the original character demures.
* An idea forms in Kelly's brain.
* Your eyes glaze over from not giving a fuck about Kelly's trek to get coffee.
* You wonder why we're still talking about Kelly's boyfriend and wonder when the mystery part of the mystery is going to get talked about.
* You contemplate burning the book in your hands.
* You contemplate burning your house down for having this book on your bookshelf.
Feel free to add your own! There's a possibility there's another one of these fuckers on my bookshelf, I intend to follow the drinking guide!
I'll need two bottles, since the fucking coffee talk is going to take an entire bottle.
October 20, 2009
The copy editor was asleep during the editing of this one, though. That got really annoying. Not enough love interest in this one, either.
Other than that, I am totally hooked on all the knitting and coffee drinking. I love the gossip and chatter at the knitting shop and want to find a place like that around here.
It is a light easy read, just like the 2nd one. The characters are not 'deep' or anything, but I am so tired at night, that sometimes these books are just what the doctor ordered.
I do not find Kelly very annoying or anything. I find her dog annoying! LOL!!
Other than that, I am totally hooked on all the knitting and coffee drinking. I love the gossip and chatter at the knitting shop and want to find a place like that around here.
It is a light easy read, just like the 2nd one. The characters are not 'deep' or anything, but I am so tired at night, that sometimes these books are just what the doctor ordered.
I do not find Kelly very annoying or anything. I find her dog annoying! LOL!!
January 17, 2012
I really like these knitting mystery books by Maggie Sefton when I am in the right mood. The main character, Kelly is easy to warm up to and all of the yarn shop talk is always inviting to me. Not much makes me happier than to picture a group of women sharing life around balls of yarn, cups of tea and loads of laughter. There's just enough mystery in each book to give interest without being overbearing when a heavy mystery is not what I am looking for. All in all they are a light, feel good, cozy kind of read for me.
June 1, 2009
Found this confusing, with lots of spelling and grammar mistakes. Don't really know why I stayed with it, was hoping there would be some redemption in the end, but no. Even figured out who did it, and I never do!
May 9, 2013
I found the murder plot to be boring, had no interest in who killed Allison, and found it unbelievable that these friends who were so close to Allison knew nothing about her.
July 22, 2018
Ok. That was horrible. I almost didn't finish it, but I was on vacation and needed something to read. The story was lost in a sea of wishy-washy characters with zero development and the author's insistence on using people's first names in the dialog. Every. Single. Line. A kept shouting, "Use a pronoun!" No one talks like that, Maggie. Maggie, I wish you would stop using people's names in every possible place, Maggie. Ugh. It was painful. I left it by a swimming pool at in Delaware, hoping that a more appreciative reader will find it. (And, of course, I have the next book in the series waiting on my bookshelf. I don't remember the first two being that awful. Maybe the next one will be better.)
November 1, 2020
These books remind me of hallmark mysteries; light and slightly impossible. But as an amateur knitter I like the fiber references.
April 21, 2025
A lovely mystery involving a yarn shop, a knitters' group and a herd of alpaca! It was interesting to read how the amateur sleuths solved the murder mystery. Several twists and turns until the mystery was solved. While the murder was tragic there were lots of joyful moments. The book includes recipes and a knitting pattern.
May 20, 2015
This is the third book in the Knitting Mystery series. Kelly and Megan are on their way to take Allison, a fiber artist, to the airport to start a prestigious internship. When they arrive, they find her dead, of an apparent overdose. Megan cannot believe that her friend would kill herself, so they begin to investigate to find out if this was murder. There are many potential suspects including jealous students and a bad boyfriend. On a personal note, Kelly is struggling with her plans to return back to corporate life and her old home or making the leap and staying. She is also just in the early stages of a relationship with Steve. Of course, knitting plays a key role in the story, and the book includes a pattern at the end.
September 14, 2017
A friend of Kelly’s is moving from Colorado to New York to further her artist career, but on the morning another friend, Megan, is supposed to pick her up to get her to the airport, she is found dead. Kelly and Megan begin sleuthing to find out who killed Allison (though Kelly has been warned against sticking her nose in before!).
It was ok. A quick read. I think this is where I’ll stop with this series, though. The mystery was fine for me, but I was quite bored with Kelly’s personal issues/decisions/life. I thought the author did a nice job with her descriptions of Colorado, though. There are plenty of cozy mysteries out there, but this series has lost my interest.
It was ok. A quick read. I think this is where I’ll stop with this series, though. The mystery was fine for me, but I was quite bored with Kelly’s personal issues/decisions/life. I thought the author did a nice job with her descriptions of Colorado, though. There are plenty of cozy mysteries out there, but this series has lost my interest.
December 1, 2007
I have to admit, if this series weren't about knitting, I probably wouldn't keep reading it. This book seemed to be the most poorly edited of the three so far -- several typos in the text, and errors in plot that should have been caught but weren't.
Kelly and her friends just aren't real people to me -- more "Betty and Veronica," where they are two-dimensional, with no real depth or interest.
The plot was slightly interesting but not all that compelling. Just didn't hook me (no pun intended). Still, as long as it's about knitting, I'll keep reading.
Kelly and her friends just aren't real people to me -- more "Betty and Veronica," where they are two-dimensional, with no real depth or interest.
The plot was slightly interesting but not all that compelling. Just didn't hook me (no pun intended). Still, as long as it's about knitting, I'll keep reading.
October 3, 2011
this was murder.........
April 28, 2019
This one has been sitting on Mt Git'r'Read for a long while. I am rehabbing from hip replacement and perfect for reading time and clear the shelves. So I finished this. I read the first one a long while back, really didn't think I'd get back to this series. Found this on the shelf on the cozy stack and decided to try again.
It's good, not great. Good enough to finish but not to get any more in the series. If I find more on the shelf, I'll put it in the donate pile.
The premise is good. Woman moves to a college town in Colorado because of an inheritance. She finds a knitting shop full of women who want to be friends and murders that need investigating.
What I like is the closeness of the friendships and how they support each other in their small businesses and times of sorrow and happiness. I love the idea of ranches, raising alpacas, spinning wool, knitting...all that was swell.
What I had a hard time with are the varying ways the main character talks about working and how much work is waiting for her but actually only is in the knitting shop or out sleuthing. The fact that the cops let her is amazing, especially when she holds onto evidence.
And she rarely strolls or walks. She 'scurries', 'skips', 'slides', 'races', all those types of fast movement. Which isn't too surprising with the amount of black coffee she drinks.
This one is just not my cuppa....
It's good, not great. Good enough to finish but not to get any more in the series. If I find more on the shelf, I'll put it in the donate pile.
The premise is good. Woman moves to a college town in Colorado because of an inheritance. She finds a knitting shop full of women who want to be friends and murders that need investigating.
What I like is the closeness of the friendships and how they support each other in their small businesses and times of sorrow and happiness. I love the idea of ranches, raising alpacas, spinning wool, knitting...all that was swell.
What I had a hard time with are the varying ways the main character talks about working and how much work is waiting for her but actually only is in the knitting shop or out sleuthing. The fact that the cops let her is amazing, especially when she holds onto evidence.
And she rarely strolls or walks. She 'scurries', 'skips', 'slides', 'races', all those types of fast movement. Which isn't too surprising with the amount of black coffee she drinks.
This one is just not my cuppa....
December 3, 2021
Kelly and Megan have made a new friend in Allison, an incredibly talented designer whose budding career is about to take her to a dream opportunity in New York. The day she is due to leave, however, they find her dead in her home. Despite the initial ruling of suicide, Kelly and Megan can't let it go, and soon Kelly is digging through Allison's life to find out who's really responsible. Like the other Sefton books I've read, this one is fairly obvious early on, but I enjoyed the characters and found Kelly's investigations amusing and relaxing to follow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 7, 2025
3.5 !!!
I have so much fun with these books! I really love the town it's set in and the vibes of the book. It's sooo cozy. These can get a little slow at times and repetitive, but I enjoy that and it's a nice book to read as a break between denser reads.
I have so much fun with these books! I really love the town it's set in and the vibes of the book. It's sooo cozy. These can get a little slow at times and repetitive, but I enjoy that and it's a nice book to read as a break between denser reads.
March 29, 2018
Quick cozy read. My only real complaint is how much Kelly complains about how much work she has and how little sleep she's getting while she spends an entire day questioning people hours away from her home office all day. I know solving a murder is very important, but ugh! But I do love the little knitting lessons that happen here and there and the friends Kelly is surrounded with.
February 8, 2023
Fell into place too easily. Why would certain people be calling her volunteering up info? And the most observant neighbor just happened to live below?
December 29, 2020
I liked earlier books from this series better, this one seemed slower and more boring
April 18, 2011
This is the third installment in the Knitting Mystery Series by Maggie Sefton. The first is Knit One, Kill Two, and the second is Needled to Death. The series is centered around Kelly Flynn and a group of ladies who spend a great deal of time together at the local knitting shop.
Kelly returned to Fort Connor to wrap up her aunt’s estate in Knit One, Kill Two and hasn’t quite made it back home to D.C. She is slowly building a life in Fort Connor but hasn’t actually acknowledged the fact. This installment introduces a new character, Allison. Allison is moving to New York to begin an apprenticeship with a designer when she is found dead in her apartment. In an effort to feel more at peace with the loss of her friend, Kelly makes it her business to help the police solve the crime.
Kelly spends a great deal of time asking questions and “sleuthing” in order to feed tidbits of information to the police. Like the previous installments, the whodunit was fairly obvious. Make no mistake about it, this series is most definitely brain candy. It is sometimes exceedingly sweet. One of the things that really bugged me about this installment was the number of grammar, spelling, typographical, and just plain simple mistakes that were within the text. I am by no means a grammar guru so I rarely comment on such things, but these were just making me crazy.
I picked up the series because Maggie Sefton is a local author. I’ve continued to read it because the fictional town of Fort Connor is based on our town. Maggie often references local spots, some of the names are fictionalized and some are not. It is kind of fun to see those references. These women have such a great time sitting around their table working on their various projects that I want to learn how to knit as well.
If you want an escape from your daily routine and don’t mind a few references to Kelly’s “accounting lobe” or “frothy yarn” then you might enjoy picking up A Deadly Yarn. Since it is part of a series I would suggest starting at the beginning to get some of the back story on the characters, this one doesn’t work well as a standalone. If you are looking for a great deal of intrigue and suspense I’d suggest trying something else.
Kelly returned to Fort Connor to wrap up her aunt’s estate in Knit One, Kill Two and hasn’t quite made it back home to D.C. She is slowly building a life in Fort Connor but hasn’t actually acknowledged the fact. This installment introduces a new character, Allison. Allison is moving to New York to begin an apprenticeship with a designer when she is found dead in her apartment. In an effort to feel more at peace with the loss of her friend, Kelly makes it her business to help the police solve the crime.
Kelly spends a great deal of time asking questions and “sleuthing” in order to feed tidbits of information to the police. Like the previous installments, the whodunit was fairly obvious. Make no mistake about it, this series is most definitely brain candy. It is sometimes exceedingly sweet. One of the things that really bugged me about this installment was the number of grammar, spelling, typographical, and just plain simple mistakes that were within the text. I am by no means a grammar guru so I rarely comment on such things, but these were just making me crazy.
I picked up the series because Maggie Sefton is a local author. I’ve continued to read it because the fictional town of Fort Connor is based on our town. Maggie often references local spots, some of the names are fictionalized and some are not. It is kind of fun to see those references. These women have such a great time sitting around their table working on their various projects that I want to learn how to knit as well.
If you want an escape from your daily routine and don’t mind a few references to Kelly’s “accounting lobe” or “frothy yarn” then you might enjoy picking up A Deadly Yarn. Since it is part of a series I would suggest starting at the beginning to get some of the back story on the characters, this one doesn’t work well as a standalone. If you are looking for a great deal of intrigue and suspense I’d suggest trying something else.
August 6, 2019
I wanted to love this because so shout out to fiber arts! When I first started it was ok. By the end, I was rolling my eyes wishing it was over.
Firstly, there were so many errors that an editor should have caught. Then again, maybe the editor was just as annoyed with this book as I was and just gave up. I honestly laughed aloud when Kelly said that "...Kimberly's death was not a suicide at all." TO KIMBERLY! That and I don't know about most other people, but symbols draw my eye. When I saw "protÇgÇes" instead of "protégés" I wanted to throw the book across the room.
Secondly, oh my goodness so much repetition. How many times do we need to hear that Kelly loves coffee, that the snow is coming, that Kelly's friends know she a major "sleuth," that Carl chases the damn squirrels be cause he's a fricken dog, etc. We get it!
I'm sad that a fiber arts book I really wanted to love ended up being so, so awful!
Firstly, there were so many errors that an editor should have caught. Then again, maybe the editor was just as annoyed with this book as I was and just gave up. I honestly laughed aloud when Kelly said that "...Kimberly's death was not a suicide at all." TO KIMBERLY! That and I don't know about most other people, but symbols draw my eye. When I saw "protÇgÇes" instead of "protégés" I wanted to throw the book across the room.
Secondly, oh my goodness so much repetition. How many times do we need to hear that Kelly loves coffee, that the snow is coming, that Kelly's friends know she a major "sleuth," that Carl chases the damn squirrels be cause he's a fricken dog, etc. We get it!
I'm sad that a fiber arts book I really wanted to love ended up being so, so awful!
July 9, 2009
I wasn't sure what to expect from this serial novelist, given that they are murder mysteries and knitting themed. I have read a few other knitting related serial novels, a cross-stitch mystery, and a bunch of other serial mystery novels. The majority of them are poorly written and do not have a plot or characters that hold my attention or keep me guessing.
While I did figure out "who did it" early on, I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are around my age and for once the writing about knitting made sense. Yes, there was excessive use of descriptive words, yes, some of them were romantic or schmaltzy, but it didn't bother me enough to stop or to throw the book across the room every time I picked it up. Usually I plow through books I hate because I dislike unfinished reads.
I think I'll now go back and read the two earlier books in this series.
While I did figure out "who did it" early on, I enjoyed reading this book. The characters are around my age and for once the writing about knitting made sense. Yes, there was excessive use of descriptive words, yes, some of them were romantic or schmaltzy, but it didn't bother me enough to stop or to throw the book across the room every time I picked it up. Usually I plow through books I hate because I dislike unfinished reads.
I think I'll now go back and read the two earlier books in this series.
August 7, 2013
I was in the mood for a cozy read, and I knew that despite being a murder mystery, this series has actually fit the bill quite nicely so far, so I saw no reason why the next book should be any different.
Fortunately it delivered as expected, and I greatly enjoyed being back with Kelly, Mimi and the others. There was less actual knitting-related in this book than in the two previous ones, but that bothered me less than I would have anticipated. Even though the setup to the murders is getting increasingly ridiculous, the actual sleuthing in this one was a lot more well thought out and realistic and in the two first books. I hope Maggie Sefton can keep this up! I appreciate that Kelly isn't trying to work against the cops, but actually relates her findings to them as appropriate.
Fortunately it delivered as expected, and I greatly enjoyed being back with Kelly, Mimi and the others. There was less actual knitting-related in this book than in the two previous ones, but that bothered me less than I would have anticipated. Even though the setup to the murders is getting increasingly ridiculous, the actual sleuthing in this one was a lot more well thought out and realistic and in the two first books. I hope Maggie Sefton can keep this up! I appreciate that Kelly isn't trying to work against the cops, but actually relates her findings to them as appropriate.
October 23, 2014
I enjoy these cozy mysteries because of the characters and the setting. And I secretly have knitting envy. I cannot knit, have never knitted and have no idea how to even begin to start. But I really want to! So I can live vicariously through the characters in the series and enjoy their camaraderie over their shared love of the craft. The solutions to the mysteries in this series always seem to come a little too soon, though, so I wouldn't classify the Knitting Mysteries among the best of the cozies. But I really do enjoy them for light, fun reading.
February 6, 2015
I love Kelly and all her friends in Colorado. Kelly always finds herself investigating some type of murder around her. The series is funny as well as a mystery. We get to see more and more of her friends and her soon to be boyfriend Steve. A good book to curl up with hot cocoa and read.
April 12, 2014
Another good book in the series. Kelly is forming great friendships in Colorado and has decided to stay. In between knitting, being with her friends, working as an accountant, and starting new business ventures; Kelly sleuths and solves the murder mystery. I am enjoying this series.
February 29, 2008
Absolutely awful. Don't even bother picking it up.
July 23, 2008
Oh Kelly.
January 25, 2009
These are such a guilty pleasure. I really don't think they are good books - but I always look forward to them because of the knitting aspect.
September 25, 2012
These are poorly written books and I'm stopping at number 3.
July 5, 2018
I wish there was an option for 2.5... it's decidedly ok.
If you like cozy mysteries, (i.e., mysteries where murder occurs off-stage and isn't described in gruesome detail, and the investigation doesn't bring up any really gruesome/horrifying details), this is a decent one. I was unsure who the murderer was until late into the story, and then I was unsure how the murderer would be caught. The pacing wasn't ideal, the tension dissolved a little too early. It's no Agatha Christie, but then no one else is that good IMHO.
This series is my first dabble into knitting-themed novels. This author indulges in a lot of detailed descriptions of wonderful yarns and delicious foods. There are a lot of quips about knitting projects and knitter behaviors that hold a lot of verisimilitude to this knitter. I find that enjoyable, though it is a bit at odds with the spareness of description of every other detail in the novel.
The spareness of detail is really only an issue at the emotional level. It is in part hindered by the audiobook reader who seems to only manage emotional tones of jovial, warm, or mildly friendly - which is lovely for books centered around a knitting shop... but gets a little weird when we're focusing on characters that should be sad or distraught because a friend got murdered. But the author didn't give the reader much to go on for emotional descriptions, so I'm going to say the fault is 50-50.
Where the author really gets bad marks from me for failing to properly address emotional tone is
That emotional description issue is so irksome, I don't know if I'm coming back for another book. That said, as much as I like knitting, and cozy mysteries, I'll probably come eventually come around. I need to ask around my knitting group to see if there are other novels/series that would satisfy the "knitting novel" category better.
If you like cozy mysteries, (i.e., mysteries where murder occurs off-stage and isn't described in gruesome detail, and the investigation doesn't bring up any really gruesome/horrifying details), this is a decent one. I was unsure who the murderer was until late into the story, and then I was unsure how the murderer would be caught. The pacing wasn't ideal, the tension dissolved a little too early. It's no Agatha Christie, but then no one else is that good IMHO.
This series is my first dabble into knitting-themed novels. This author indulges in a lot of detailed descriptions of wonderful yarns and delicious foods. There are a lot of quips about knitting projects and knitter behaviors that hold a lot of verisimilitude to this knitter. I find that enjoyable, though it is a bit at odds with the spareness of description of every other detail in the novel.
The spareness of detail is really only an issue at the emotional level. It is in part hindered by the audiobook reader who seems to only manage emotional tones of jovial, warm, or mildly friendly - which is lovely for books centered around a knitting shop... but gets a little weird when we're focusing on characters that should be sad or distraught because a friend got murdered. But the author didn't give the reader much to go on for emotional descriptions, so I'm going to say the fault is 50-50.
Where the author really gets bad marks from me for failing to properly address emotional tone is
That emotional description issue is so irksome, I don't know if I'm coming back for another book. That said, as much as I like knitting, and cozy mysteries, I'll probably come eventually come around. I need to ask around my knitting group to see if there are other novels/series that would satisfy the "knitting novel" category better.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 302 reviews