Knot on Your Life by Betty Hechtman

First Line: "That was intense," I said, coming in the door to my kitchen.

A change of pace is in the cards for Casey Feldstein. Instead of the usual yarn retreat where she has to plan everything from soup to nuts, a client has requested a "birthday retreat" and told Casey of all the things she wanted to be included. Yes indeed, Casey is looking forward to a stress-free weekend, but she should know better. When she walks into Vista del Mar where the retreat is being held, the lobby is already jammed with people attending a mindfulness retreat and another for birdwatchers.

When Casey discovers the body of an attendee of the mindfulness retreat on the rocky shoreline of the resort, it doesn't take her long to suspect that the man's death was not an accident but a calculated murder. Now to prove it...

I continue to enjoy this cozy mystery series even though after seven books, I'm beginning to think that a real Vista del Mar resort might be bankrupt from all the murders that have taken place there. (Lethal word of mouth, don't you know-- and imagine the Yelp reviews.) The enjoyment arises from a wonderful California coast setting, a fun cast of characters, and a succession of intriguing mysteries to solve.

There's quite a bit of fun to be found while Casey tries to solve another murder. Where does one of her retreat members keep sneaking off to? Is learning to crochet really that easy? Will resort manager Kevin St. John get a chance to enforce his No Pets on the Premises rule? And how about that mindfulness retreat he put together? (Three raisins?!?) Other things that made me smile were the attempts Casey makes in order to keep her burgeoning romance a secret in her small town, and the fact that it seems as though everyone beats a path to the Blue Door Restaurant after hours to talk to her. How on earth does she manage to get her baking done?

And guess what? While I was having so much fun with the characters and the various situations, I found myself led astray by some very good misdirection in the mystery. All in all, Knot on Your Life is light and fun and a pleasure to read. More, please!

Knot on Your Life by Betty Hechtman

ASIN: B07ZS2FJPL

Beyond the Page Publishing © 2019

eBook, 275 pages

Cozy Mystery, #7 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Inherit the Wool by Betty Hechtman

First Line: I looked out the window at the sunless morning with a knot in my stomach, hoping this call would help.

After connecting with some old college friends on social media, Casey Feldstein finds herself strong-armed into hosting a knitting retreat for the group. She's a nervous wreck, mostly because she thinks the others are going to judge her harshly for her unconventional lifestyle and her choice of a rustic, electronics-free venue for the gathering.

The women have barely stepped foot on the Vista del Mar property when the complaints begin, followed shortly thereafter by old grudges that have simmered over the years. But those are the least of Casey's problems when one of the women is found dead.

Everyone's a suspect, and as long-held secrets begin to rise to the surface, Casey's got to work fast before the retreat ends and everyone goes home.


I always want to take up my knitting needles after reading one of Betty Hechtman's Yarn Retreat mysteries and Inherit the Wool is no exception. The author has created a strong plot with plenty of misdirection, and although I deduced part of the solution, part of it did elude me.

I do have to admit that I found this book a bit harder to get into than previous installments because of the reunion setting. This has nothing to do with the author's writing and everything to do with my personal experiences with old classmates and reunions. If I were the main character, there would be no Inherit the Wool because I wouldn't have agreed to host the retreat for those women in the first place. (Yes, in this instance I am a killjoy.)

Personal feelings aside, the reunion plot line is well written and shows readers a part of Casey's past that they hadn't seen before, and the resolution is satisfying. Whether or not you like to knit, Inherit the Wool is a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon. If you haven't given this series a try, I do recommend it. Now... where's that knitting project of mine?

Inherit the Wool by Betty Hectman

eISBN: 9781946069849

Beyond the Page Publishing © 2018

eBook, 191 pages

Cozy Mystery, #6 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

 

A Tangled Yarn by Betty Hechtman

First Line: Did I really want to do this?

Casey Feldstein is field testing a new muffin, which isn't a good idea when she's also up to her eyes in preparing for the latest yarn retreat at the Vista Del Mar Hotel. The retreat barely begins when it becomes clear that those attending aren't very happy with learning the chosen arts of arm knitting and finger crochet.

Things go from bad to worse when a travel writer from a neighboring retreat group is found dead in his room. Casey had sworn off doing any more amateur sleuthing, but when one of the owners of the Vista Del Mar pleads for her help, Casey can't say no.

One of the things that I enjoy most about Hechtman's Yarn Retreat series is that she doesn't forget about the "hook," or what made me start reading the series in the first place. (I like to knit.) Not only does the author always include yarn arts in her storyline, she also makes me feel as though I have a good idea of how these yarn retreats work.

This is the first time that a retreat has gone wrong with its choice of classes, although I had serious doubts about combining two trendy arts-- arm knitting and finger crochet-- instead of combining one trendy with one traditional. Having worked in customer service for a long time, I had to smile when Casey had her first two attendees who seemed to pay the fees and show up simply for the pleasure of non-stop complaining. Yes indeed, it's all about how you deal with those folks!

A Tangled Yarn is another example of a trend I've noticed in cozies lately: that of having the main character swearing off amateur investigation yet having a friend guilt/embarrass her into doing it anyway. In some ways, this irks me because it shows that the character has no spine, but that's just me. Regardless of how I feel about trends, there's a good, solid mystery here and a cast of characters I really like. This is another fun entry in one of my favorite cozy series.
 

A Tangled Yarn by Betty Hechtman

ISBN: 9780425282687

Berkley Prime Crime © 2017

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #5 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.


 

Gone With the Wool by Betty Hechtman

First Line: Why hadn't I realized this problem before?

Every October, Cadbury by the Sea has a festival to celebrate the return of thousands of monarch butterflies to their winter homes on the Monterrey Peninsula. Casey Feldstein has her hands full setting up a yarn retreat, doing her nightly baking for local businesses, and helping out at the festival. But when a former butterfly queen is found dead, Casey has to add one more thing to her to-do list: finding a killer with a score to settle.

Fellow fans of this series will like knowing that a secret from the previous book is dealt with here in Gone With the Wool, and the reaction Casey gets isn't exactly what she expected. How's the mystery? First rate, because Hechtman's red herrings led me in the opposite direction from the villain-- a bit like Julius the cat's "stink fish" would make me head away from the kitchen pronto.

If there's any weakness in this book for me, it's the fact that Casey spent 97% of her time sleuthing and dodging irritating parents. You see, her friend Sammy's parents are in town, and they still think Casey is going to marry their darling boy. (Definitely not happening.) 

The reason that Casey had so much time to play detective is that her "early bird" friends who attend each of her yarn retreats are now so well-trained that they can do the work themselves. (You're not paying them, Casey, shame on you.) One of the reasons why I enjoy this series so much is that I love the participation in the retreats and the interaction with all the crafters. For me, yarn is as big an addiction as reading, so I need my fiber fix as much as my mystery fix. 

If you're in the mood for a book (and a series) with a strong cast of characters, a good setting, intriguing mysteries, and a few balls of yarn thrown in for good measure, I suggest you sign up for one of Betty Hechtman's Yarn Retreats.

Gone With the Wool by Betty Hechtman

ISBN: 9780425282670

Berkley Prime Crime © 2016

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen.

Wound Up in Murder by Betty Hechtman

First Line: "This time it's going to be different."

Casey Feldstein has been in charge of two yarn retreats now, and she finally feels like she has a grip on the business. But there's no time to pat herself on the back-- a woman attending another retreat at the same resort is murdered, and Casey finds her body. Worse yet, Casey's ex-boyfriend Sammy is Suspect #1. She and her friends have a lot of work to do to prove the hapless Sammy is innocent.

One of the things I enjoy the most about Hechtman's Yarn Retreat cozy series is that readers get a good feel for the business of conducting these things. Not only that, but we can watch Casey commit several beginner mistakes and actually learn from them.

In Wound Up in Murder, Casey's instructors work together like oil and water, and her "early bird" friends take up so much slack during the retreat while Casey is off investigating that I actually missed the knitting parts that were in the first two books in the series. 

Casey does have a bit of background in the private investigation business, which I like. Not only does she have a murder to solve, she's also trying to identify the possible heir to a local fortune. She's the amateur sleuth with the heart of gold (bringing an elderly woman out of her shell) who just so happens to bake tasty treats that will make your mouth water and your tummy rumble. 

Hechtman has a solid, enjoyable cast of characters, and both mysteries are strong ones. The only thing that makes me slightly nervous is that Casey is in the middle of a love triangle with two handsome, eligible men in town. I swore off love triangles when I stopped reading Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum mysteries, so I hope this one is resolved. Quickly.

In the mean time, I find Betty Hechtman's setting, characters, and mysteries-- which are leavened with yarn and chocolate-- irresistible!
      

Wound Up in Murder by Betty Hechtman

ISBN: 9780425252659 

Berkley Prime Crime © 2015

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating:  B+

Source: Purchased at The Poisoned Pen. 


 

Silence of the Lamb's Wool by Betty Hechtman

First Line: There is nothing like being awakened by a ringing phone and finding a pair of yellow cat eyes staring back at you.

After inheriting her aunt's yarn retreat business, dessert chef Casey Feldstein has an ambitious second retreat planned. "From Sheep to Shawl" is supposed to show retreat members how to shear a sheep, prepare the wool, spin it into yarn, and then use that yarn to knit a shawl.

Casey has hired expert spinner Nicole Welton as the teacher for this retreat, but when Nicole is found dead Casey not only has to work frantically to prevent the retreat from becoming a disaster, she has a killer to find.

Betty Hechtman's Yarn Retreat cozy series continues its winning ways in this second book. With my loathing of overbearing mother characters I have to admit that Hechtman thrilled me to bits when Casey's obnoxious, class conscious parent turns out to be barely a blip on the radar in Silence of the Lamb's Wool. But the non-appearance of one character is not why I enjoy this series so much. 

Beyond the gorgeous setting of California's Monterey Bay, Casey has gone to the trouble of actually learning how to knit-- something that's not always a requirement in cozy series like these. We're not hit over the head with what she's learned; it's just nice to know that she's interested. It's also good to see that she's not a fabulous business woman. Casey's well known for running when the going gets tough. To have her seamlessly take over her aunt's business when (1) she's never run a business before, and (2) she knows nothing about conducting retreats or even knitting for that matter, would be completely unrealistic. In this book Casey makes novice business mistakes, and I think it makes the story much stronger. 


Some readers may not be pleased with the knowledge that Silence of the Lamb's Wool ends with a cliffhanger, but it certainly makes me look forward to the third book in the series, Wound Up in Murder. The mystery in this book is a good, solid one that often left me guessing. The strong secondary cast helps Casey throughout, and I was happy to see that the retreat members were not involved in the story as deeply as they were in the first book. Hechtman isn't always going to use Casey's customers as murder victims. (Definitely not good for business!)

An intriguing mystery, a strong cast of characters, a little romance for Casey, some yummy desserts, and a fascination with knitting all combine into a winning series that has me wanting more.
      

Silence of the Lamb's Wool by Betty Hechtman

ISBN: 9780425252581

Berkley Prime Crime © 2014

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: A

Source: Paperback Swap


 

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman

First Line: I was in the middle of laying out the ingredients for my carrot muffins when the call came.

When dessert chef Casey Feldstein discovers that her recently deceased aunt still has a scheduled yarn retreat, she reluctantly agrees to host the event-- even though she doesn't know a knitting needle from a crochet hook. 

The idyllic setting on California's beautiful Monterey Peninsula turns deadly when one of the retreat regulars is found murdered in her room. Feeling somewhat responsible for the woman's death, Casey begins making observations, asking questions... and before long she sees a pattern beginning to form that may even shed death on her own aunt's death. She can't stop now.

Casey Feldstein is a likable young woman with a talent for making mouth-watering desserts. The unfortunate thing is, she doesn't seem to have a talent for sticking with anything for very long. Of course that may have something to do with her overbearing, oh-so-superior, meddler of a mother, bless her heart. (You Southerners know what I mean.)

Casey also happens to be surrounded by an interesting group of secondary characters. Her best friend Lucinda runs a popular local restaurant along with her OCD husband, Tag (whom I see as a potential rich vein of plot twists). Hotel manager Kevin St. John is a perfect thorn in Casey's side, and those attending the retreat are certainly a good blend of differing personalities.

The hook-- knitting retreats-- is more than a hook and plays an important role in the book. In fact-- with my own rekindled interest in knitting-- it sometimes overshadowed a very good mystery. With Casey being a complete novice, author Betty Hechtman was able to "show us some of the ropes," as well as really showcase what a yarn retreat is all about. I found myself paying just as much attention to what handmade items the retreat members were wearing, how each of their local groups operated, and how Casey's aunt was a genius in choosing individualized projects as I did to clues so I could identify the killer.

With the beautiful setting, a fine cast of characters, and a good blend of knit, purl, and murder, I definitely look forward to reading more books in this series!
 

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman

ISBN: 9780425252215

Berkley Prime Crime © 2013

Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Yarn Retreat mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Paperback Swap