Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book by Holly Quinn that I have read as well as the first book in this new series. This book is a well constructed cozy mystery with many suspects and red herrings to keep the reader guessing until the end.

Samantha “Sammy” Kane has returned to her home town of Heartsford, Wisconsin to take over the running of her best friend’s store, Community Craft (due to Kate’s untimely death). What transpires rather quickly is the death of a fellow shop keeper – Ingrid Wilson – new owner of the Yarn Barn by way of knitting needle in her own yarn shop! When Sammy was much younger, she joined forces with her sister Elle and their cousin Heidi and formed S.H.E. – their detective club. The three unite to solve Ingrid’s murder. I love this trio!

Detective Liam Nash is a hunky individual charged with solving Ingrid’s murder. He is also the “love” interest – or could be for Sammy – as there is certainly chemistry between the two. During A Crafter Knits a Clue though – they tend to butt heads while at the same time Liam finds many ways of interjecting himself into Sammy’s life. Generally, Sammy’s amateur sleuthing gets under Detective Liam’s skin but he also worries about her safety.

Just as Sammy (and the police) are closing in on a suspect, the potential suspect is cleared. Then it is on to the next suspect. Is it a new person in Ingrid’s life or a blast from the past? Seems there really is no shortage of suspects. The journey through eliminating suspects is interesting and quite entertaining to see how Sammy’s mind works. The town’s inhabitants are colourful folks with entwined histories with each other (as to be expected in a small town such as Heartsford.

I quite enjoyed the cover art. The small town “vibe” is charming, a bit of romance and a whodunit that is not revealed until the end…just the way I like my cozy mysteries. I look forward to the next installment in the A Handcrafted Mystery series.

*OBS would like to thank the publisher for supplying a free copy of this title in exchange for an honest review*

Samantha “Sammy” Kane returns to her hometown of Heartsford, WI, for her best friend Kate’s funeral and learns that Kate’s much-loved craft store is in danger of closing. To honor her friend, Sammy moves back to her hometown and takes over Community Craft.
Yarn Barn owner Ingrid Wilson calls in need of a hand so Sammy comes to her aid, although not quick enough to prevent (or even witness) Ingrid's murder.
Detective Liam Nash is on the job, but has too many suspects with too many motives.
Sammy is eager to help the handsome Liam and he doesn't seem to mind. Unfortunately, Liam suspects someone that Sammy feels is innocent, so she needs to give him the real murderer..
I loved the story & characters and look forward to reading more from this author.

Title: A Crafter Knits a Clue

Author: Holly Quinn

Series: A Handcrafted mystery book 1

Chapters: 30

Pages: 330

Genre: cozy mystery

Rating: 3 stars

A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book in the A Handcrafted Mystery series by Holly Quinn. Sammy Kane has move back to Heartsford WI in order to keep her late friend Kate's craft store going. She forgot how small towns are with the gossip and knowing everyone. Especially when she finds the body of another shop owner. And everyone in town has a theory of who killed Ingrid and everyone just about is a suspect, which shocks Detective Liam Nash, who is new to small town life. When Miles becomes the prime suspect Sammy will do everything she can to clear her friends name. Even solve the case before the detective can. She in enlists the help of her sister and cousin, who along with her in school had their own mystery solving thing going.
A Crafter Knits a Clue was a fairly fast read but it wasn't my favorite cozy read though I did enjoy it. I didn't guess who the killer actually was so that was nice, with cozy's anymore I guess the killer before the end of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes cozy mysteries. Cozy mystery with a craft theme or mystery with pets in them.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

I might sound like a repeat when I say that I really wanted to love this book as much as I do some of the other handcrafted books about knitting or crocheting, but I just can't truthfully say that. I liked it, but that was all. It was a good mystery, and I was interested in following it through to the end. But I couldn't get that attached to the characters. They seemed somewhat juvenile, especially the arguments that Sammy and Det. Nash had. I couldn't really imagine talking to a detective like that and not getting tossed in jail lol.

I did love the idea that Sammy had taken over her best friend Kate's shop and carried on her idea of selling the town's handmade goods. I thought a store like that in a town would be really cool, a fun gathering place. The town's basketball star worked for Sammy, and she thought of him as her little brother since he was Kate's little brother. When the yarn shop owner was killed and Sammy saw a suspicious man hanging around, she and her cousin Heidi and her sister Ellie decided to make like detectives and investigate.

One line intrigued me and I'm wondering if that was purposely a teaser or just a killer lashing out. I won't say what the line is, but if you read it, I think you'll know what I mean!

Disclaimer: I read and voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley. My opinions are my own.

I have zero crafty ability but still find myself drawn to crafty cozies. Sometimes, I learn something. I especially enjoy it when I don't realize how dumb I am during my education. Holly Quinn does an excellent job of writing her cozy in such a way that people of all levels can understand it without feeling bored or overtly ignorant. There were plenty of possibilities as to who the bad guy was. I did get a sense of who was involved but I never put it together before the reveal. I thought the way that Sammy came back to the town was very believable and the world that was created was one that was realistic. In fact, it felt like this wasn't the first in a series and I had to go back and double check to make sure it was. We don't see the moving chaos and she's already established her place in the community and her store when the story begins.

All in all, I found this to be a wonderful book and I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you so much to Holly Quinn, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this story and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.

I absolutely loved this first in a series story. The protag Sammy is a bullheaded Midwestern gal who returns to her small town in WI and runs a shop in remembrance of her best friend and tried to fill her big shoes. While preparing for Spring Fling with all the local businessess owners, one of their own is killed. Samny feels it's personal and is off on her own along with her sister and cousin's help to solve this crime. Along the way, she butts heads with Heartstown's new detective who she is attracted to and this puts a wrinkle in her independent sleuthing, which makes for a nice sidebar to the story. I was hoping they'd get a little smooching in there, but maybe in the next book...we can only hope.
I was given a copy of this from NetGalley and Crooked Lane in exchange for my thoughts.
I really loved in the acknowledgements where the author says with the text we are inundated with everyday, she was grateful the reader chose her adventure. That resonated with me, because there's so much that demands our attention daily, I feel privileged to be able to sit and read a book.

I really enjoyed this debut cozy. The characters are eccentric and the mystery had plenty of twists and turns. The hint of a possible romance is promising. I certainly am looking forward to reading more about these characters. I received a copy from NetGalley and the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This was a great fun cozy mystery that was read in one sitting.
Very clean and easy to read with likeable characters.

I really enjoyed this first in a series story, I did feel that there must be a book before this though. I enjoyed getting to know Sammy and her family. I can't wait for another story to come out though because I want to see more of Detective Nash!

I have added this author to my watch list, I like the way she writes and I want to read more from her.

I have noticed that most of the books I like to read are from Crooked Lane Books, they are a publisher I'm going to watch for more good mysteries!
Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Land Books for a copy of this story.

For Maggie Sefton fans: This is not a traditional crafter's book as the main character is not a crafter of any kind she only sells homemade crafts. The book does include two sock patterns along with definitions of natural fiber yarns.

Holly Quinn has written the first of an intriguing new mystery series about a non-crafter who provides space for crafting groups and sells their wares. Due to this I personally felt the title was misleading. This is not a crafting based mystery by my standards. I did find it to be a well "crafted" mystery with a lot of heart and fun! I also enjoyed the abnormal setting of Heartsford, Wisconsin. It seems most mysteries I've read lately are either set in the South or Iowa with few variations.

Sammy Kane is the new owner of Community Craft Store in her hometown of Heartsford, Wis. a haven for crafters who gather to make and sell their wares. It also provides community support for locals going through a rough patch for one reason or another. This store model was set by the previous owner Kate Allen, the now deceased best friend of Sammy. "Coach's" aunt is killed within the first pages of the book. We then spend the rest of the book learning about Ingrid Wilson and inadvertently the townspeople as Sammy and Det Liam Nash (new to town) look into the crime. After Sammy is attacked in her store by a masked assailant her cousin Heidi agrees they should reactivate their childhood mystery solvers group SHE (Sammy, Heidi & Ellie). At the end, Ingrid's killer alleges that Kate Allen's death was not accidental but instead Murder! Talk about a hit out of the blue! It left me with questions that I can only hope are answered in book two. All in all, I really enjoyed this authors' first effort.


Disclaimer: I received this book from NetGalley.

This is a delightful start to a new knitting cozy series that has much promise for future books. The author has all the right elements for a great cozy series.. The setting is small town Wisconsin and a charming community of townspeople who set the stage in this first in series for future books. I love the character development and the close community of friendship and sense of community the author writes of.
Samantha “Sammy” Kane moves back to her hometown in Wisconsin to run a craft store after her best friends death. The store is a integral part of the community and was important to her friend. Sammy wants to continue the tradition of knitting groups and crafts and help the store thrive in the community. She jumps in and is welcomed by the community.
When she goes to see the owner of a local yarn shop Sammy finds her dead with a knitting needle. Sammy wants to find the suspect after she meets the local detective and develops a attraction for him. Sammy enlists the help of community members and friends to build her suspect list and soon she is on the right track.
This was a great start to a series. The character of Sammy is a smart savvy protagonist. I look forward to more mysteries in the series. The plot was well done and the sleuth well crafted to a surprising ending.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy from Net Galley . My opinion is my own. Very well done and welcome to the author !

A Crafter Knits a Clue is the first book in a new series, A Handcrafted Mystery. Sammy (Samantha) Kane has moved back to her hometown of Heartsford, Wisconsin. Her best friend Kate passed away and she has decided to continue Kate's work by running her store, Community Craft. When another craft store owner is mysteriously murdered, Sammy works together with her sister and cousin to solve the case. This puts her safety in jeopardy and does not please police detective (and possible romantic interest) Liam Nash.

This is a great start to a new series! The first few chapters have a lot of needed exposition about Sammy and her friend Kate and Community Craft, Kate's store that Sammy has taken over. The mystery happens early on and the pace really picks up then.

The mystery aspect of A Crafter Knits a Clue is especially well done. There are a number of viable suspects and lots of little twists and turns. I loved the idea of Sammy, Heidi, and Ellie continuing their childhood sleuthing as S.H.E. (their childhood detective agency name). This lent a sort of Nancy Drew quality to the story that was a lot of fun.

I also liked the detecting the women did in Ingrid's spooky old house. (Ingrid was the murder victim.) It was very atmospheric and my favorite part of the mystery.

The relationship between Sammy and Liam is appealing and their banter is fun to read. I look forward to reading more of their story in upcoming books in this series.

The small town was charming and I could picture a number of the settings just from the descriptions in the book. Of course, I also loved Sammy's Golden Retriever, Bara!

I recommend A Crafter Knits a Clue for anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Readers who enjoy small town settings, crafting, or dogs will find the book especially appealing.

Welcome to the small town of Heartsford, Wisconsin and the murder of Ingrid, a local store owner. Sammy, newly retuned to her childhood roots to run a community craft store owned by her friend who had recently died, is not a fan, least of all a friend of the victim. Ingrid is disliked by, it seems, a majority of the town. As Sammy was the one to stumble across the body, she is drawn into the case and into a possible relationship with the detective on the case. He likes Sammy but not when she is playing amateur sleuth. When she, her sister and their cousin were kids, they started their own detective agency - think Nancy Drew but with only two cases to solve...and those were a stretch calling them cases. But, heck, they were just kids. They called it S.H.E. after their initials and they get the idea to bring it back so they can solve the homicide. That is the last thing Det. Liam Nash wants. These are grown women and Nancy Drew was a fictional character and Sammy isn't going to stop, especially when the police arrest one of her friends.
The beginning was a bit slow, almost up to the halfway point but don't let that put you off. As this is the first in the series, the stage must be set and the cast must be introduced. Given that so many in town are on the suspect list, that takes some time. All three women of S.H.E. were a bit annoying at times but I won't hold that against them. I'll be interested to see how much more they are developed in the next book.

This is the first book in a new series and the first time I've read this author. The book was an enjoyable cozy centered around a crafter's store that's more like a consignment shop for crafty people and the local yarn shop. It was very good. Loved the main character, Sammy Kane, who owns the crafter's store and is very impulsive but also very good-hearted. The small town is adorable as are the residents. The mystery was good and Sammy's attempts to investigate were very entertaining. Will definitely be reading the next book in this series.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily chose to review it.

I always enjoy cozies that involve cooking or crafting.  Perhaps because I'm not extremely crafty and am a little envious of what the characters manage to create from a little yard, some paint, or paper.  I also enjoy the small town feel and the different festivals or events that these many small towns create to bring joy and excitement to the town and its residents.  Holly Quinn has managed to bring both of these together to this small town in Wisconsin with great success.

Sammy has a heart of gold but is very impulsive and jumps in feet first without looking or thinking.  This is a good and a bad quality to have especially if you are going to insist on helping solve a murder (even though you haven't been asked to help!).  She ropes her cousin and sister into helping and restarting S.H.E. (their first initials) which was a detective type group from their youth.  They definitely retained some of their skills from those days, but Sammy seems to be the one that is really diving into this mystery of who killed Ingrid, the yarn shop owner.

The murder victim, Ingrid, has her own story to tell in this book - from a tragic incident as a young woman, to trying to fit into this small town.  She doesn't succeed on that last part very well before she is tragically murdered.  The clues are there for the reader to discover the killer, but these clues are not obvious and I was kept guessing until the very end.  I was quite surprised to learn who the killer was but it made sense once the whole story was laid out for the reader.

Of course, this would not be a complete story without some sort of love interest for Sammy.  And in this case, it is the new police detective, Liam Nash.  It is not a smooth relationship for these two.  I think a lot of that falls on Sammy and the walls she has around her from her own past.  But I think we'll see more going forward for these two.

Overall the book was enjoyable.  There are times that the book moved slowly and the words were a bit choppy, but I think this could be a series to keep an eye on as it will flourish.

We give this 3 1/2 paws.

This was a really fun start to a brand new series. I haven’t completely made up my mind about Sammy, but she and her S.H.E. squad were thoroughly entertaining to watch. My sympathies go out to the police force in Heartsford. I anticipate their jobs are about to become infinitely more difficult now that the S.H.E.s are fully operational once more. While I spend a lot of time reading romance and love the passion and excitement of watching a new love blossom, I like that what’s taking place here is happening at a slower pace and being allowed to grow naturally. I can’t wait to see what trouble Sammy gets into next and how else she’s going to get tangled in Detective Nash’s investigations.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Knit one, purl MURDER!

Sammy Kane has returned to Heartsford for her best friend Kate’s funeral and when she hears the craft store will close without a new owner Sammy decides to stay and take over the store. Community Craft has become a gathering place for the crafters in the area and also allows them to sell their creations.

There is also another new shop owner in town. Ingrid Wilson has opened a store selling the most beautiful barn. While Sammy is happy to have The Yarn Barn in town, the owner is always needing help in one way or another. She has no problem calling Sammy’s employee, Kate’s little brother, with tasks she says she just handle. Carter and Sammy are trying to get Community Craft ready for the annual Spring Fling when Ingrid calls Carter for help. Sammy tells Carter to keep doing what he is doing while she handles a couple of things and then she will go over to help Ingrid. When she arrives, she finds yarn shop order dead on the floor, a knitting needle the killer’s weapon of choice.

Heartsford also has a new police detective. Sammy meets Liam Nash when he arrives on the scene. He learns right away about a tragedy in a small town – Everyone has an opinion and are not afraid to point fingers at any other resident they think committed the crime. Sammy has a little experience as a sleuth herself. S.H.E. was detective club of Sammy, her sister Elle, and their cousin Heidi had in their childhood. Like Nancy Drew, they solved several “crimes”. The group reunites when they think Detective Liam Nash is not solving Ingrid’s murder fast enough. They realize it’s not as easy as they thought especially when Sammy is threatened physically to back off.

****

Heartsford, if it was an actual town would be a short drive from where I live in Wisconsin. I know the author lives nearby too because she has captured Springtime in Wisconsin perfectly. It is one of the places you can experience all four seasons in one day. Mother Nature is very fickle in the Spring. It can be snowing in the morning, the sun comes out in the early afternoon with rising temps, then later the wind picks up and by night she will throw a good old fashioned thunderstorm at us. Heck, there are days when it rains in the front yard while the sun is shining brightly in the backyard. 😎

Holly Quinn has inhabited Heartsford with fantastic residents too! So many crafters. I liked that in addition to the shops in town we see how important the school is to this community. School events play a huge part to the people in Heartsford and Wisconsin in general. Carter is on the basketball team and Big Ten scouts are at the game watching him and other players with scholarships hopes. The Spring Fling is more than just a shopping event, there is a parade that reminded me of the usual homecoming parade but for the winter sports. It was heartwarming that the town came together to support its own even with a murderer on the loose.

The investigation had many facets. Sammy is a very observant person but so is the good detective. He found several ways to come in contact with Sammy, even sharing some unknown details while she filled him on things she had uncovered. Of course, he wants her to leave everything to him, but that was never going to happen. It was fun to follow along with S.H.E. and watching Sammy spar with Liam.

This book follows what almost all first books in series’ do. It’s pace, in the beginning, is a little slow because the author has to introduce all the characters, their relationships and where they fit into the landscape of the town. The pace picks up nicely in the second half as clues start to fall into place and suspects are honed in on or eliminated. The murder mystery was wrapped up nicely at the end but there is a cliffhanger leading to the next story. Love that!

This series is off to a splendid start. The story has a real hometown feel with characters I want to get to know better. I love that Sammy’s golden retriever is welcome and spends days with her at the store. The community was realistic. The mystery was well-plotted and executed. As a former crafter, I love the theme. All my cozy boxes were checked. I am excited about the next installment.

*There are two sock patterns too after the story.

This book was great. Samantha Kane, tries really hard to keep her Community Craft business floating peacefully. In this book we are jumped right into the mystery. Sammy volunteers to go to "The Yarn Barn" to ease the stress of Ingrid Wilson. Ingrid is our victim in this mystery. That was pretty obvious with the knitting needle sticking out of her neck.

The town of Heartsford WI needs more development, and I see more to this main street than I feel we do this time. I was not real thrilled with the new detective in town is a quick romantic interest. Either way you wrap it though the book was well written. It actually kept me reading at a good pace. I do like reading about the small details in this book. I do feel that the Spring Fling in the book finally happened, and I was shaken at one point. The idea of a S.H.E. Club is interesting, though it kept getting a little crazy trying to keep cousin, or sister to Sammy straight. I do wish there was more talk of knitting in this book than there was. I hope that the next craft featured in the series is something I learn more about. Together a really solid book. may of had some thoughts about it, but its a four out of four. Why? Even with my issues with the book it kept me entertained and kept my mind going, which is a good idea for a mystery.

Sammy Kane took over ownership of the local craft shop after the unexpected death of her best friend Kate. She has a part-time employee in Kate's younger brother, Carter. One day when he's helping her at the shop he receives a call from Ingrid Wilson, who has a yarn store just down the street. Ingrid wants his help at her shop, but after talking with Sammy, she tells Carter she'll go instead. Ingrid is not well-liked in the town, so Sammy decides to make her wait for a bit. But when she arrives at Ingrid's shop she finds the woman dead, stabbed with a green knitting needle.

With a killer on the loose, and a new detective in town, Sammy wants to stay out of the investigation. But when one of her friends is implicated in the crime, she decides that the only thing to do is enlist the help of her cousin Heidi and sister Ellie to find the right killer before the wrong one is jailed for something he didn't do. But will she be able to find the truth before it's too late?...

This is the first book in a new series and really wanted to love it; but unfortunately, I didn't. While it had some nice things going for it, there were a lot of things that irritated me. Heidi, for one. Who walks around saying, "I am here" and then does 'jazz hands'? Are you really that self-important that you have to gesture when you enter a room? Not to mention Sammy made it sound as if Heidi 'had work done,' which I just found odd. (Also mentioning that her hair was dry because she dyed it didn't make any sense. Women all over the country dye their hair, and it's not dry. What is she using? Cheap stuff?) It also really seemed as if she was making 'digs' at Heidi with these remarks. Plus, it doesn't say much about what Heidi thinks of herself if her boyfriend Tim cares more about 'the girls' than he does what she thinks or says. Throughout the book Heidi comes off as thinking she's one hot chick, and pretty egotistical about it. Just sayin'.

Then there were the little things, which are, in fact, the things that make up the book as a whole, of which some examples are as follows: How many times Spring Fling was mentioned - over and over. We got it. Who wears pantyhose anymore? I thought Bara was a dog but she calls him puppy? I don't call my cat my kitten, so I'm just wondering about this. Alpaca yarn isn't cheap. It's about $10-$11 a ball, and it takes 2 balls to make a pair of socks, so I have a hard time believing women were just tossing pairs of $20 socks to parade watchers. If people knew that giving Tyler candy made him hyperactive but upset her mother, why would they keep giving it to him? Is it really funny to watch a mother get upset? Plus, her sister won't own a pet because she's "meticulous" but has a two-year-old son. Riiiight. We're supposed to believe that her son is spotless? What does she do? Follow him around with a wet washcloth and a dust buster? Kids are messy. It's part of life. When Nash called in the Crime Scene Unit to dust for prints, instead of sending the three women home he should have taken them to the station to get their prints so they could be eliminated. Anyway, it's little things like this that make up the whole of a book, and if it's only one or two things, fine; but when it's time and time again it becomes irritating.

As to the big things, you have to like your characters, and I didn't like Sammy. She was self-righteous and acted like a teenager, being sometimes snarky even.

Liam told Sammy that she needed to pay attention to details; well, I do, and that's one thing no one has ever accused me of not doing. Unfortunately, it was these things that kept me from completely enjoying the book. That, and the climax, which I have hidden in a spoiler below:

So the killer just grabs her at a garage sale, which is full of people. She finds out that the house is being sold because the killer owes money to his drug dealer who will kill him otherwise, and his parents are willing to sell all their belongings to save him. I guess they never heard of rehab for their son or turning the drug dealer into the cops, right? They were willing to lose everything they'd gained throughout their life to protect their son who wasn't worth protecting in the first place? Did they think he would just give up drugs if they did this? I guess I wasn't impressed by this ending at all.
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As it stands, I'm giving a pass because this is the first in a new series, and I like to give the author time to hone the characters, so we will see where the next book takes us.

Devastated by the death of her best friend, Kate, Samantha Kane goes home to Heartsford, Wisconsin. She takes over Kate’s beloved craft store, Community Craft, and tries to establish a new life for herself.

Sammy drops by the shop next door, the Yarn Barn, and is shocked to discover the owner Ingrid Wilson murdered with a knitting needle. As a child Sammy, along with her sister and cousin, had a detective group called S.H.E. The three women decide it would a good time to bring back the group and investigate this real life murder.

Sammy’s big problem is that Detective Liam Nash wants nothing to do with S.H.E. In fact, he wants Sammy to mind her own business but that’s not about to happen. Regardless of the danger to herself, she is determined to solve this case.

This is a solid start to a brand new cozy mystery series. It took me a bit of time to warm up to the characters, but I did like the rapport between Sammy, her sister and her cousin. Sammy’s relationship with Liam has potential and I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.

The author gave us an intriguing web to untangle. There were a few different ways this storyline could have gone. It was filled with a wide assortment of suspects. Each one had a plausible reason to do in the victim. There were many layers to each possibility and I was surprised at the direction the author took.

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series and, once again, meeting up with this interesting cast of characters.