Knitty Gritty Murder by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: Pamela Paterson was enjoying her coffee, her crumb cake, and the welcoming atmosphere of her best friend's kitchen.

 

Found strangled to death with a circular knitting needle, farm-to-table enthusiast Jenny Miller will never be able to finish her cookbook. With the murder weapon pointing uncomfortably close to home, Pamela and Bettina, two members of Arborville's Knit & Nibble group, decide to put their sleuthing talents to the test to uncover a killer who likes to knit.

Once they begin asking questions, they learn that Jenny Miller had plenty of enemies, so the suspect list is long. Are they going to be able to find the killer before anyone else dies? They're going to have to work fast.

~

Knitty Gritty Murder is the seventh Knit & Nibble cozy featuring a happy-to-be-single Pamela Paterson and her best friend, Bettina, who is a reporter for the local newspaper. Author Peggy Ehrhart paints vivid scenes with her use of color, and the comforting rituals her main characters take part in make readers feel right at home. 

Pamela is comfortable in her own skin and really doesn't feel the need to be paired up with a man no matter how hard Bettina pushes her. In fact, the whole subject of romance for Pamela really isn't necessary. This makes me wonder if there are any cozy mystery series being written in which the protagonist is happily single and everyone else is content to leave her that way? Pamela, who is widowed, has a daughter away at college who occasionally irritates me by trying to boss her mother around. (Kids these days! I dunno...) She also works for a magazine that allows Ehrhart to introduce some fascinating topics on various fiber arts. It's unfortunate that the magazine does not exist because I would subscribe to it.

If you're in the mood for good people doing the right thing, for tasty food, colorful knitting projects, a fairytale-like hometown, and a nice little mystery to solve, by all means, pick up Knitty Gritty Murder and all the rest of the Knit & Nibble mysteries.

 

Knitty Gritty Murder by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496733917

Kensington Books © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #7 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: B

Source: Net Galley

Knit of the Living Dead by Peggy Ehrhart

 

First Line: Pamela Paterson was feeling unimaginative.

During Arborville's Halloween celebration, Pamela Paterson discovers the body of a woman dressed as Little Bo Peep, strands of yarn wrapped around her neck. It's no time at all before she and her best friend, Bettina, are hot on the trail of the killer. 

Knit of the Living Dead, the solid sixth entry in Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble cozy series, provides some Halloween murder and mayhem for the residents of Arborville, New Jersey. As much as I like this series, it's one that I shouldn't read more than once per year because of the author's repetitive use of vivid colors and the daily rituals her characters share. How repetitive? I know the color of Bettina's dishes faster than I can name my own, and I could take charge in Pamela's kitchen whenever Bettina comes over in the morning for coffee.

This is definitely a series which shows the power of friendship and of what can be accomplished when good people join forces. This latest book, however, isn't the strongest in the series. I knew the identity of the killer the first time the person was described, and the will-she or won't-she of Pamela's possible relationship with next-door neighbor Richard is getting tired. Even the knitting sessions that I so look forward to seemed a bit lackluster.

But every book in a series can't be a blockbuster, no matter how talented the writer. Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble series is one that I turn to whenever I need to spend some light-hearted sleuthing with good-hearted people, and Knit of the Living Dead certainly hasn't changed that.

 

Knit of the Living Dead by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496723680

Kensington Books © 2020

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #6 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

A Fatal Yarn by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: If you were going to give a tree a sweater, wouldn't you do it in the fall-- not in the spring when days were warming and nature was coming back to life?

When the mayor of Arborville, New Jersey, is murdered, Pamela Paterson wonders if his death has any connection to the sweaters that have started appearing on many trees in town. An anonymous activist has been wrapping the tree trunks in yarn to cover the red X's that mark certain trees for removal. The mayor was an ardent advocate of this tree cutting.

When someone is arrested for the crime, it's a member of the group Pamela belongs to-- Knit & Nibble-- because he was seen arguing with the mayor. Pamela is positive that the police are barking up the wrong tree, and with the help of her reporter friend Bettina, she branches out on her own to find the real killer.

A Fatal Yarn has some good misdirection that makes for a mystery to keep readers guessing, and it continues to do something that I really appreciate. So many niche cozy mystery series have a "hook"-- be it knitting, cooking, glassblowing, or any other hobby-- but often those hooks are superficial. Once used to draw readers in, they have little to do with the actual story. Not with Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble series. Knitting continues to be at the heart of the stories, and I really liked the version of yarnbombing that was used in connection to the tree sweaters.

Pamela Paterson is the heart and soul of the Knit & Nibble mysteries. She's an editor for "Fiber Craft Magazine," and I have the sneaking suspicion that I'm not the only reader who wishes the magazine was real. Many of the articles mentioned sound fascinating. The only thing I don't care for is Pamela's best friend Bettina constantly trying to be a matchmaker between Pamela and Pamela's next-door neighbor. Not every single woman wants or needs a man to be happy, and that matchmaking schtick gets old.

Not only A Fatal Yarn but all the books in this series are perfect comfort reads for trying times. Ehrhart has a writing style that is lush, filled with a dazzling color palette and mouthwatering tastes and aromas. She wants readers to be fully immersed in her world, and she creates a wonderful feeling of community by including all the sorts of little rituals that bind us together. Just one tiny word of warning. If repetition bothers you, don't read these books one right after the other. If you do, you might want to scream after awhile when Bettina dons her pumpkin-colored coat for the umpteenth time or puts her sage green plates on the table yet again. If you aren't bothered by repetition, then dive right in. Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble mysteries are a feast for the eyes, the taste buds, and the heart. It's a series that I truly enjoy.

A Fatal Yarn by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496723673

Kensington Books © 2020

eBook, 336 pages

Cozy Mystery, #5 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley 

Silent Knit, Deadly Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: "I'm not sure it was a fair trade."

Pamela Paterson's daughter is home from college for the holidays, but when Penny finds a body while walking out in the woods, things take on a sinister cast. The victim is Millicent Farthingale, a wealthy craft shop owner who seemed to attract all the wrong sort of people, mainly scammers after her money. There's only a handknit scarf connecting the killer to the crime. Will Pamela and the rest of the Knit & Nibblers be able to use that to close the case?

The characters are important in Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble cozy series, and I do enjoy them all, especially Pamela who has a tendency to remind me of me as far as my wardrobe (and a few other things) go.

In this fourth book in the series, Pamela is learning to trust her college-age daughter in the midst of all the holiday festivities. The mystery is a good one in Silent Knit, Deadly Knit, but it definitely takes a backseat to Christmas so keep that in mind. If you're in the mood for lots of holiday cheer and a little dash of mystery to spice it up, this will be perfect for you.

Silent Knit, Deadly Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496723666

Kensington Books © 2019

eBook, 304 pages

Cozy Mystery, #4 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley


 

Knit One, Die Two by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: Pamela Paterson tried to keep her voice neutral, even pleasant.

Caralee Lorimer is learning to knit for her upcoming role as Madame Defarge in A Tale of Two Cities, so she's joined the Knit & Nibble group in Arborville, New Jersey. Trouble is, Caralee has never met a person she couldn't antagonize, and when she's found dead under a pile of props, her death is easily explained as an accident. But Knit & Nibblers Pamela and Bettina aren't so sure. They set out to find a pattern of clues that's sure to have a killer wanting to stitch them up.

Peggy Ehrhart's Knit & Nibble cozy series has been very enjoyable up to this point. The mysteries to be solved, the camaraderie of the knitting group, the types of articles Pamela has to edit for her craft magazine, even the cooking... everything combined to make a fun series. But Knit One, Die Two is another story.

The mystery is solid, but the repetition is the real killer in this book. Every single one of Bettina's outfits has to be described in detail down to the shoes and jewelry. I lost count of how many times we were told Bettina's dishes were sage green pottery, ditto the description of Pam's favorite mixing bowl, and don't forget both women have napkins they purchased at the craft shop. Then there are the seven cats that are fed multiple times per day. It's not a good sign when I want to start making hash marks on a piece of paper to learn the final totals of how many times the same things were mentioned in the story.

Unfortunately, I have to say that Knit One, Die Two has too much Martha Stewart and too little mystery. I do intend to read the next book in the series, but it will be with trepidation.

Knit One, Die Two by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496713322

Kensington Books © 2019

eBook, 288 pages

Cozy Mystery, #3 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: C

Source: NetGalley

Died in the Wool by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: "Do you think anyone will actually buy these?"

People really liked the aardvarks the Knit & Nibble group made for the annual town festival, especially since the proceeds benefitted the Arborville High School's sports program. But when Pamela Paterson starts packing up their booth and finds a dead body stashed underneath the table, the town's opinion of the group rapidly changes.

The dead person was a very unpopular history teacher, but the only suspect has an alibi and the only clue is a stuffed aardvark placed on the victim's chest. Now the Knit & Nibblers need to clear their good name-- fast.

I'm continuing to enjoy Peggy Ehrhart's cozy series for its marvelous sense of fellowship, its knitting, and its delicious food. I also like reading about the articles Pamela edits for the fictional Fiber Crafts magazine; there's always something to learn there.

Ehrhart has created a strong cast with the members of the knitting group, and the subplots involving various characters can be every bit as interesting as the main action of the mystery-- although I couldn't quite believe Pamela could be so clueless about her cat, Catrina (and no, I'm not a cat owner). I should also probably admit that there's a yarn shop in a nearby town that Pamela frequents that makes me wish I lived there so I could go on spending sprees to add to my yarn stash.

The only thing to dull my enjoyment of Died in the Wool was the identity of the killer. This person popped up so often I felt as though I was caught in a game of Whack-a-Mole. But in the entire scheme of things, this was a minor quibble because all the other elements hit just the right note to keep me smiling and reading. I'm looking forward to my next visit with the Knit & Nibblers. 

Died in the Wool by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496713308

Kensington Books © 2018

eBook, 320 pages

Cozy Mystery, #2 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: B+

Source: Net Galley

Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

First Line: Catrina was nowhere to be seen.

Widow and empty-nester Pamela Paterson keeps busy as an associate editor of the Fiber Arts craft magazine, and she enjoys the weekly meetings of the Knit & Nibble group she founded there in quaint Arborville, New Jersey. When she meets Amy Morgan and learns that her old friend has moved back into town, she encourages her to join her group that loves to knit, eat members' delicious baking, and do just a little bit of gossiping.

But Amy doesn't show up on the night of the Knit & Nibble meeting-- at least Pamela doesn't think she does-- until Pamela finds Amy's body in a hedge on her property, a knitting needle stabbed deep into her chest. Pamela sees that whoever committed the murder also took off with Amy's knitting bag. With her expertise, she may be the only one able to track down the killer, but she's got to work fast. She may be next on the murderer's list.

Peggy Ehrhart has created a knitting group that's an excellent mix of ages, sexes, and financial status. Type A Roland has joined the group on the suggestion of his doctor due to his high blood pressure, and I love the way the man follows a pattern when he knits. An elderly member knits for charity and Bettina is Pamela's neighbor who's always ready to do a little snoopi...err... sleuthing. The members of this group are all individuals, and they're all real; Ehrhart doesn't go overboard in making them quaint, quirky, and cute.

I also enjoyed Pamela's editing job for the craft magazine, but knitting and editing aren't the best parts of this first-in-a-new-series. The mystery is a good'un, and its resolution blindsided me even though it should not have because the clues were all Just. Right. There. Pamela is honest with herself; she knows that the major reason she's doing her own investigating is that she's nosy, but at least she does her very best to work closely with the police because they are the folks with the training.

Good crafts. Good mystery. And the best part of all: good relationships. Murder, She Knit is filled with relationships. There's the growing relationship between Pamela and the little kitten she's named Catrina. There's a strong suggestion of a romantic interest for Pamela, too. But most of all, there are the strong, lasting relationships between all the members of Knit & Nibble. This book is filled with so many good food smells, and knitting, and wonderful fellowship that I found myself smiling through almost the entire book. Bring on the next one-- my needles and black bottom cupcakes are ready and waiting!
 

Murder, She Knit by Peggy Ehrhart

eISBN: 9781496713285

Kensington Books © 2018

eBook, 289 pages

Cozy Mystery, #1 Knit & Nibble mystery

Rating: A

Source: Purchased from Amazon.