Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

 

First Line: My best friend, Margo Payne, was watching me  closely.

 

It's a very good thing to be Margo Payne's taste tester because she makes some of the most heavenly desserts ever put to a fork. And like Margo, Libby Beckett is determined to have her Y.A.R.N. knitting shop shine during Collinstown's festival. Libby has planned an event featuring artisan fiber dyer Julie Wilson who's known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers as well as her brilliant use of color. Libby is hoping that she'll have a large crowd for a special dyeing workshop.

But things begin to unravel as the festival begins. A flock of protest sheep parades down Main Street herded by farmers against Wilson's anti-wool stance. Then Wilson's celebrity chef sister shows up and the sisters' long-standing feud is loudly renewed. Despite this, the workshop is sold out, and Libby is thrilled. But the night before the event, Julie Wilson is found dead, her witty workshop title "Watch Julie Wilson Dye" now creepily prophetic.

Once again, Libby has her hands full trying to catch a killer.

 

~

 

I fell in love with the first Riverbank Knitting cozy, On Skein of Death, but I have to admit that this second book, Knit or Dye Trying suffers from a bit of a sophomore slump. I enjoyed what I learned about plant-based knitting fibers, but the amount of knitting featured was dialed way back compared to the first book. As obnoxious as Julie Wilson was, I have to admit that I wish we could have seen her at work before she shuffled off this mortal coil.

It seems as though too much of my reading lately has involved toxic families of some size or shape, and one features prominently here. I'm afraid I've reached my saturation point with them, and that had an impact on my opinion of the book. I'm also worried about something. Two out of two books in this series have dealt with the guest of honor at one of Libby's events being murdered. Pleiter needs to have something different happen in book three, or readers will begin thinking that Y.A.R.N. is really located in Cabot Cove.

I did enjoy the character development here. I like the fact that Libby is standing firm and insisting on some boundaries between her and her mother. It's realistic-- sometimes this is something that must be done to preserve a person's sanity. And I also really enjoy teenage Jillian, the girl Libby taught to knit in On Skein of Death. Jillian represents the future of knitting, and she shows how such a venerable craft can be kept thoroughly up-to-date through social media. If Jillian were a real person, I think I'd subscribe to her Youtube channel.

I may have had concerns with Knit or Dye Trying, but I'm still looking forward to the next book to see if any of those things are addressed. I hope they are because I can still feel the glow from reading the first book in the series. This is one that I want to have last for a good long time.

Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

eISBN: 9780593201817

Berkley Prime Crime © 2022

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #2 Riverbank Knitting mystery

Rating: B-

Source: Net Galley

On Skein of Death by Allie Pleiter

 

First Lines: So it's more than 'yarn'?" the young woman staring at my shop sign asked. "The letters...stand for something?"

 

After a painful divorce, Libby Beckett is fortunate enough to return to Collinstown, Maryland, to follow her passion: opening her own yarn shop. The name of the shop is Y.A.R.N. which stands for You're Absolutely Ready Now, and there is a blackboard in the shop to encourage patrons to devise their own versions of the acronym. 

Libby has worked hard to create a series of events that will not only put her shop and Collinstown on the map but will also further the career of Norwegian knitwear designer Perle Lonager. The events are turning into quite a big deal which angers obnoxious Chamber of Commerce president George Barker-- especially when Mayor Gavin Maddock decrees a Collinstown Yarn Day to celebrate. 

 

But it all turns to tragedy when Perle is found murdered on the stage of the local theater. Libby feels responsible for letting the town down, but most of all she wants justice for the talented young woman whose life was cut short. Does Libby have what it takes to be an amateur detective and capture a killer?

 

~

 

I think I've finally found the perfect knitting-themed cozy series for me. I had a big smile on my face as I turned the last page of Allie Pleiter's debut Riverbank Knitting mystery, On Skein of Death. It is a wonderful blend of mystery, character, setting, and knitting. 

In the other knitting-themed cozies that I've read, knitting is usually nothing more than the hook to entice readers to buy the book. You're lucky if the characters look at a skein of yarn or pick up a knitting needle once or twice during the course of the book. But On Skein of Death has knitting firmly woven into the story. If Libby's shop were real, I'd be making a bee-line for it and would undoubtedly spend way too much money there. When Libby can't sleep or needs to clear her mind so she can think, she picks up her needles and knits. She teaches a thirteen-year-old to knit and encourages a stressed-out businesswoman to take up needles, too. There are also dollops of yarn bombing and illusion knitting. But it's not only instances like these that put the knit and purl into On Skein of Death, it's the language Pleiter uses. She lets us know that knitters rarely get upset at delays because delays are just opportunities to whip out knitting projects and add a few rows. Libby also finds out that this investigation has "more twists and backtracks than it does to turn a sock heel."

But before you begin to think that there's nothing but needles and yarn to On Skein of Death, there's an interesting group of suspects for Libby to learn about. Was the killer the strange young man who showed up to the first event? Was it Perle's "what's in it for me" beady-eyed editor? Was it...? I enjoyed the mystery even though the identity of the killer was no surprise. (Unfortunately, I've watched too many episodes of Forensic Files.) 

Pleiter has also created a stellar cast of characters that bodes well for future books. Libby's outlook on life and her passion for her shop and knitting will warm your heart. She's also good at making friends and developing useful contacts, and she's not one to take unnecessary risks. Gavin Maddock is Collinstown's mayor and Libby's high school sweetheart, and Gavin's thirteen-year-old daughter Jillian is a little jewel. Libby's mother Rhonda and her friends (known as "the Gals") provide plenty of humor. and then there's Frank the police chief and his receptionist Angie whom I hope to see more of in future books. Good gravy, I forgot one of the most important characters! Hank the English bulldog is Y.A.R.N.'s mascot and quite skilled at modeling sweaters and being your best buddy when you're in dire need.

As you can see, I've fallen head over heels for On Skein of Death, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book in the series. You really don't even have to be interested in knitting to enjoy this book. Find out for yourself!

On Skein of Death by Allie Pleiter

eISBN: 9780593201787

Berkley Prime Crime © 2021

eBook, 304 pages

 

Cozy Mystery, #1 Riverbank Knitting mystery

Rating: A

Source: Net Galley