The S.H.E.s are back again in Holly Quinn's A Handcrafted Mystery series. The story is a mix of lighthearted silliness and sadness at the loss of a friend and all that means. This juxtaposition is at the same time fantastical and very realistic, which might be confusing or not pleasant to some. I actually look forward to more and in seeing where Sammy, Ellie and Heidi and their significant others will take us.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

'A Crafter Quilts a Crime' by Holly Quinn is a fun cozy mystery with a silly side. The S.H.E. group, Sammie, her sister and her cousin, is a club that the girls formed while children to solve crimes, is full of shenanigans. At times I found the S.H.E. almost too rediculous. As Holly Quinn's A Handcrafted Mystery Series progresses the books are getting sillier. I read both previous books in this series before reading this third book. I enjoy Ms Quinn's storytelling abilities and the quality of her mysteries. I would not have agreed to read the third book in the series if I did not. However, this last book is my least favorite. I recommend this book because it is an easy fun read although I liked the first two books better. This is an honest review in exchange for a complimentary ebook. Thanks Netgalley.

romantic, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth, women-sleuths, quilting, investigation, murder, small-business, small-town, law-enforcement

Ah, Wisconsin in the depth of winter with celebrations, lots of snow, biting cold, and. ..murder? Two sisters and their cousin get caught up in investigating the death of a friend and the apparent disappearance of her husband. It becomes a real tangle complete with misdirection, red herrings, and romantic issues with a policeman AND the detective! It's a good story and well worth your time even if I won't give in to the spoiler temptation.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

A Crafter Quilts a Crime was a cute read! I am a big fan of cozy mysteries as they are light and fun, and who doesn’t want to be a sleuth! It follows Samantha who is trying to figure out what happened to a fellow towns woman who died in her shop on the night of the town festival. It has mystery right from the get-go, and keeps the reader curious as to where it will end up! I really enjoy the relationship between the three main female characters and I also enjoy a book that includes a “will they/won’t they get together” aspect to it! Most cozy mysteries I have read have a furry sidekick, but the relationship between Samantha and Bara seems extra special and I really love that. If you are looking to start a new cozy mystery series, consider A Handcrafted Mystery series by Holly Quinn (this is #3 in the series!!)

I love the premise and the characters but sadly I had to DNF this book. I didn't even realise that it was the second book in the S.H.E. series. The title, cover and description piqued my interest but sadly it's not my cup of tea. I'm sorry. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of A Crafter Quilts a Crime.

This was a very easy to read book. I loved how the story unfolds and the craft description was spot on . This would be a great book for a holiday read

I enjoy reading mystery books from time to time. I don't like scary or gory, just a good ole cozy mystery. And this one fits the bill. I enjoyed this book, set in a small town with a crafting mystery. It was an easy, fun read that took one rainy afternoon. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

#netgalley #acrafterquiltsacrime

Loved this cozy mystery. The characters and the plot were excellent. I would recommend this to anyone who likes a mystery. Thank you Holly Quinn for this great read.

This was my first book for me to read by Holly Quinn. There are 2 books that are prior to "A Crafter Quilts a Crime" in the "Handcrafted Mystery Series", but it's not necessary to read them in order.

This was the first book I have read in the "Handcrafted Mystery Series and was happy that I could easily "get to know" the characters. This is a fast paced read and can certainly be read as a stand alone. The story was well written and held my attention from beginning to end. I'm looking forward to reading more about this close knit group of people.

The mystery kept me reading and I loved the Winter setting. What I found different about this cozy mystery was there wasn't just one amateur sleuth, but three of them! Sammy, Heidi and Ellie are all different in personality and it's easy to find a character to relate to in the book.

It doesn't take long before the murder is presented in the story. It begins with the Fire & Ice event, which is painted beautifully. When the Community Craft store's Christmas display becomes a murder scene, Sammy, Heidi and Ellie (aka S.H.E) go into sleuthing mode!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me to read this book.

Snowcapped pines and glittery dusted sidewalks adorn tranquil Heartsford, Wisconsin, while residents cuddle beneath heirloom quilts in front of cozy wood fires. But come the next day, the below-zero temperatures won't keep the locals away from Heartsford's annual Fire & Ice event. To boost customer traffic at Community Craft's one-night-only sale, Samantha "Sammy" Kane persuades a few of the craftspeople who sell their wares at the store to participate in a live mannequin window display contest.


Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Another great cozy mystery it had me on the edge of my seat

Really fun, crazy story. Really enjoy this series. Good mystery.. Lots of twists and turns. Really fun to read.

I have not read any books in this series, but I did enjoy this mystery. Holly Quinn gave just enough clues to make the story interesting. without making too easy to guess until towards the end when everything was coming together. Interesting characters--well-rounded, and believable which makes the story believable. Two sisters and a cousin are the main characters, and they formed the nucleus of the amateur detectives. The setting is in Wisconsin in January, which is important part because of the weather. The only criticism I have is too much detail in what they are eating.
I recommend this book for a cozy read and good mystery.

I only gave this book 2 Stars. I read the first book in this series and enjoyed it. But when I started reading this one, I thought it was too much like the first one. I did not realize it was part two in a series. It had too much information from the first book. I found out that there is a third book in the series. I purchased it for my kindle and I want to see
if the same beginning is in that one too!

I will not recommend these books to anymore. Although I finished the book and purchased the next one just because I want to see if anything is different.

Triple the laughs with the three women who call themselves the S.H.E.s

A Crafter Quilts a Crime is about a beloved women who is murdered during the annual Fire and Ice Event held in Heartsford, Wisconsin. The S.H.E.s, which stand for Sammy, her sister Ellie, and their cousin Heidi, try to solve the murder, much to the chagrin of Detective Liam Nash, who Sammy has the hots for, and Officer Tim Maxwell who is currently dating Heidi.

I truly enjoyed this story. The character’s in the story could have come from any small town in the U.S.A. I loved how the author incorporated many types of crafts through out the story, especially quilting. As a quilter/crafter myself, I enjoyed the realistic descriptions of the crafts. A perfect example of this was when Sammy tried to repair the seams that came apart in Wanda’s quilt after her dog, Bara, got his teeth into it.

One of my favorite scenes in the book took place when the S.H.E.s broke into Wanda’s house. The description of their actions, dialogue, and rapid heart beats as they tried not to get caught had me laughing out loud. And then, as they tried to make their escape before Officer Maxwell caught them breaking and entering had me in tears from laughing so hard. I swear, it remind me of my own antics as a teen, so I could relate to all of it. And that’s what is so great about this book, it’s very relatable.

The only negative was that the mystery itself was nothing spectacular. Having said that, incorporating quilting as a clue to the crime was ingenious and definitely kept me interested in the “who done it and why”.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves any type of crafting or fun mysteries. Even though this was book three in the series, I didn’t have a difficult time following the characters. I definitely am going to go back and read book one and two in the series. I only hope they are as much fun to read as this one was.

Thanks to Net Galley and Holly Quinn for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this 4 star mystery.

This is my first reading about SHE (Sammy, Heidi and Ellie respectively).
A lovely story, that weaves in and out of the 3 ladies lives and their penchant for sleuthing. I did find it a bit slow to get really "in" to the story, but I got there in the end and enjoyed it.

It is a lovely warm story revolving around the local craft show and the owner and friends, who sleuth on the side. A death in the front display window of the store, leaves the town in disarray and not sure who to trust, when the death is pronounced a murder.

I would have like a bit more on the quilting theme in the story, but as it is a mystery, that is to be understood. I know there are a couple previous books, and they would be good to read before this one, to get to know the characters. I would definitely pick up another in this series.

I found this one to be a fun one to read. This installment in the series has Samantha "Sammy" Kane running her craft store in Wisconsin and enjoying her time with neighbors and family. When a woman in the community is murdered during a festival, the sleuthing team of Sammy, her sister, Ellie, and their cousin, Heidi, is reactivated once again. The three first gave themselves the moniker of S.H.E. (based on their initials), and started looking for crimes to solve when they were children.

Once again, the crime solving females find trouble when they delve in where local law enforcement doesn't believe they belong. They persist in what they believe is right, determined to puzzle out what is going on and find out who is really the killer.

This book, as well as the others in the series, has a plethora of interesting characters in Sammy's friends, relatives, and neighbors. I'm hoping that there will be plenty more installments in Sammy's story.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy.

Well, I have to say I was totally entertained with this one. The girls are a riot by themselves and their poor men can’t seem to figure out who is in charge at times. It was intriguing and thrilling I like the blend of the thrill factor, the mystery, and the romance, they were all well balanced. Making this book a very intriguing and engaging package, this is a must-read, folks.

A craft shop which sells the wares of local crafters is open late for the January fire and ice celebration in Heartsford, Wisconsin. Proprietor, Sammy Kane, thinks she has the best idea for a window display which  will bring people into her store; a human mannequin competition. When her second competitor winds up dead though everything stops and Sammy finds herself investigating what happened to her friend.

The case means Sammy, her sister, Ellie, and cousin, Heidi, reform their investigative group, known as S.H.E., much to the dismay of local police detective, Liam Nash and Heidi's boyfriend, Officer Tom Maxwell. Gradually as things begin to get serious, and the weather gets increasingly worse, Sammy's impulsiveness brings danger to rest far too close to home.

This is the third book in the series and although I haven't read the first two I will be remedying that very quickly.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole reading experience; the characters were well rounded, the harsh weather conditions easy to imagine, and the reason for the murder and how it was solved original and very well executed. It was an easy read, just how I want a cosy crime story to be, in fact none of it disappointed. There was even a very pleasant surprise right at the end.

I was able to read an advanced copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an unbiased review and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys first class cosy crime whether they have read the previous books or not as there are no spoilers.

I love crafting mysteries and this one didn't disappoint! When the Community Craft store's Christmas display becomes a murder scene, Sammy, Heidi and Ellie (aka S.H.E) go into sleuthing mode!

The mystery kept me reading and I loved the Christmas setting. This was the first book I have read in the series and was pleased that I could easily "catch up" with the characters. Sammy, Heidi and Ellie are all different in personality and it's easy to find a character to relate to in the book. I wish that the character of Sammy would have curbed her curiousity because, in some instances, it affected other characters in hurtful (though that was not her intent at all) ways. The mystery was wrapped up.in a satisfying ending.

I will visit Community Crafts again to see what SHE is up too!

I received an ARC, from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of the book.

It's the one night of the Fire and Ice event, and every store in town stays open until midnight, including Samantha "Sammy" Kane's craft store. She has a unique idea to bring people into her store: she's invited the craftspeople to take part as being live mannequins, for twenty minutes each, and the person with the most votes for best one will get a gift certificate.

Everything seems fine when the first contestant - her cousin Heidi - manages to get through, but the second contestant - Wanda Wadsworth - seems to outdo Heidi. That is, until Heidi notices Wanda's lips have turned blue and calls an ambulance.

Then no one can reach Wanda's husband Marty, and now the search is on and they're wondering if he killed her, and why. So Sammy decides that she, her sister Ellie and Heidi - the members of S.H.E. - need to get back together to solve a murder and find a killer...

I have hidden below in a spoiler things that bothered me because I do not wish to ruin the book for those who haven't as yet read it:

THIS IS A SPOILER AND CAN ONLY BE READ BY CLICKING ON IT:
I have to be honest and say that I almost didn't read this book all the way through - almost. This is the third book in the series and I'm really getting tired of Sammy saying Heidi dyes her hair blonde. So what? Millions of women dye their hair. It's not novel and it's not a sin. Why does it bother Sammy so much? Is she jealous? Really, no one cares if she dyes her hair or not. I can honestly say I've never met a woman who told me that another woman dyes her hair. It's just never come up as a subject.

The second thing that bothered me is I'm also getting really tired of Heidi's "jazz hands." What adult in their right mind does 'jazz hands' on a regular basis? Seriously? Like she wants everyone to know she's a big deal? Heidi needs someone to give her a reality check.

Then Sammy hadn't seen Detective Liam Nash in a couple of weeks, and he shows up as the paramedics are there and appears not to notice this fact. He's a homicide detective. What is the first thing he says to Sammy? "Have you missed me?" Not, "where's the body?" or even "what happened here?" Then he starts flirting with Sammy and eats a cookie. That's right. Eats. A. Cookie. He mentions how good they are then, and only then, does he ask Sammy questions about the deceased. What kind of detective is he? Meanwhile, he's also playing with jars of jam - he's actually shopping! Okay, I get that he didn't know it was a homicide at that time, but it's as if he didn't care what was going on around him, and any homicide detective's instincts would have kicked in. So yeah, this bothered me. (And the next day Sammy notices Wanda's travel mug of tea and does Nash take it from her as possible evidence? Nooo...he comforts her and totally blows it off; then hears from Sammy's employee about an argument Wanda had the night before and then he decides to take the tea. After. Not right away.) I also thought it was odd that Nash wanted Sammy to answer Wanda's phone and pretend to be her. That's not how it works.

There are also people shopping in her store while all this is going on and she actually has to tell them to put down their merchandise and leave. Really? In a small town, where everyone probably knows everyone else, a person just dies while you're in a store and you continue shopping? What kind of people live in this town?

I also found it sad that Ellie's four-year-old son Tyler doesn't have any friends. He had a birthday party and the only people attending were his parents, Sammy, and Heidi. So he has no friends and his mother won't allow him to even have a pet. Very sad. My own children have always had cats or dogs, even fish and turtles...and friends - lots of friends.

Then came the kicker - someone kidnapped Sammy and left her dog to run outside in the bitter cold and snow. Sorry, but I will NOT love any book that deals with animal cruelty of any kind. This was completely uncalled for. A dog can die in the cold as well as the heat in a matter of minutes, and I don't care how desperate someone is, there is not reason for this at all. I guess I'll never understand why things like this don't bother people when it just makes me angry and I don't like it at all.
END OF SPOILER

However, the mystery itself was written well, I liked the plot, and it seemed that the members of S.H.E. weren't really involved in this one, and it was Sammy alone who happened to come across evidence which was fine with me, as it more or less brought Sammy and Nash to a better understanding of each other.

When the ending comes and the killer is revealed it's rather sad; but the clues were there to follow and that's the main thing. Although I enjoyed the first two books in the series more, I will read another because of that reason alone.