I have really enjoyed this entire series and this story was no exception. Abby is roped into setting up and Arts and Crafts fair in Snowberry Creek. A vendor she scouted out prior to the fair is found murdered and one of Abby's friends is a suspect. Of course she has to investigate and gets in over her head.

Love this series, the characters and the setting. I will definitely continue to read this series as more books come out.

Abby serves as the city council liaison for the Snowberry Creek arts and crafts fair outside of Seattle in book six of the Abby McCree cozy mystery series. When a featured artist is murdered a week before the event, Abby is called on by the local police to see what she knows about the artist. Abby, her friends, and her boyfriend soon friend themselves in the middle of a crime investigation where many clues are revealed around the kitchen table with lots of meals and desserts. The book details the labor behind pulling together a successful small community event and moves along the series plot about Abby's future with her boyfriend, Tripp. Novel can be read as a standalone, but book six will make readers new to the series want to go back and start at the beginning.

Death by Arts and Crafts

by Alexis Morgan

Although Abby and Tripp, the protagonists of Death by Arts and Crafts, are good main characters, my favorite character in this series is Zeke, Abby’s faithful mastiff-mix, with a huge drool factor and a sweetly manipulative personality. Abby doesn’t need to work, at least temporarily, and spends a lot of time volunteering on civic events. As the title indicates, in this cozy mystery, she is the liaison between the town council and the committee for Snowberry Creek’s first arts and crafts fair. Tripp is a twenty year veteran for the Special Forces and rents the mother-in-law house on Abby’s property while he attends college. He and Abby have grown close, and his protective instinct clicks in quickly when she is in danger—which happens a lot in this mystery.

Abby and two of her friends enjoy a girls’ weekend visiting neighboring fairs and are surprised to discover when they return home that a murder occurred under their noses. They are interviewed by Ben, a homicide detective, and Gage, the local police chief. From that point, things get more complicated and dangerous for Abby and her friend Dayna. Dayna is a potter who discovers her art partner Wendy has been less than honest in her business dealings. This mystery has lots of threads, several murders, some attacks, and a kidnapping. There is resolution in the end along with the revelation of surprising motivations. I enjoyed coming along for the ride, watching the mystery play out, and observing the growing friendship of Tripp and Abby.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. #6 in the Abby McCree Mystery Series, but sufficient background is supplied for it to be a standalone.
2. Although there is a character who reads palms and tarot cards at the fair, her booth is considered an amusement by the other characters with no real involvement of the occult in the book.
3. There is a little too much emphasis on food—who eats what—for my “taste.”

Publication: December 27, 2022—Kensington

Memorable Lines:

“So, gentlemen, how many treats has Zeke conned you into giving him?” No one made eye contact, but Gage did his best to look innocent. “Let’s just say not as many as he wishes we had, but more than we probably should have. That dog has turned mooching into an art form.”

“I’ve found a home and a renewed purpose in knowing that I can help people in so many ways.”…”But that doesn’t mean it’s always easy or that bad things don’t happen to make me question some of the choices I’ve made. I think that’s true for all of us. It’s just part of life.”

“I’m not the only one who can’t resist him when he looks at you with those puppy dog eyes.” Tripp didn’t bother denying it. They both knew who held all the power in their little threesome, and it wasn’t either of the two humans.

This is one of my favorite cozy series. I really like Abby and her friends, and the mysteries are always solid. This installment was good. The mystery really did have me guessing until the end. While it isn't my favorite of the series, I still really enjoyed it. Can't wait for Abby's next adventure!

I received this book from NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

Although the series is new to me, this is the sixth in the Abby McCree series. Abby lives in a small town, Snowberry Creek, WA, where she inherited her aunt's home. In this entry, Abby, newly elected to the city council, is acting as liaison between the council and several artists who will be participating in Snowberry Creek's first art festival. The weekend before the festival, Abby and her friends attend an art fair so that Abby can meet the artists and are sure that there are no special requirements that have been overlooked in the planning phase. Not so surprisingly, a murder happens at the fair, and Abby finds herself reluctantly drawn into the investigations. I liked that Abby genuinely seemed to not want to get involved after her previous encounters with murder investigations. I also like that whenever she thought of something that had occurred to her and she wondered off the police knew, she immediately reminded herself that of course they had thought of that. I quibble a bit with her remembering things that she didn't tell Ben or Greg, the police investigator and local sheriff, both of who are her friends, but the author had to to have her withhold that information to make the story process, even if it didn't accord with Abby's desire to remain outside the investigation and help her friends out. What I didn't like was her 'romance' with Tripp. We are reminded several times that he won't tell Abby what he is studying in college; why not? How can you contemplate a serious relationship with someone who withholds such a trivial fact from you? I understand he has PTSD after his 20 years as special ops in the military; I even get why he'd not tell her what he saw in combat. But what his major is? I also heartily dislike his patronizing attitude; at one point he says he warned another potential suitor off and that he's "protecting what's mine." Ugh. I like Ben much more as a romantic suitor; he worries about Abby but doesn't patronize her, and respects her intelligence and integrity. Not sure I want to read any more of these if Tripp is going to remain an important secondary character (hey, wouldn't it be a twist to let then break up permanently?). There are only 3 suspects and it was very easy to figure out which was the likely murderer. While tension does build as threats to Abby and her friends escalate, and the whole story really does take place over the course of just a couple of weeks, the middle section dragged for me. Overall, the writing was good and I would have liked to have more on the setting, another one of those idyllic little towns where everyone knows each other and happily adopts the newcomer into their lives. NB: the editing in this ARC was bad in. the second half (multiple times main characters' names were mistaken).

As a festival organizer myself, I loved the theme of this book. Abby is in charge of an arts and crafts festival so she sets off to visit some other fairs to talk with vendors along with her two friends. Dayna is a crafter herself and is soon the prime suspect when a body is found at one of the fairs. Dayna's partner is missing which only adds to the suspicion. I enjoy this series, but Dayna was an annoying suspect. I do like the characters in this series and always look forward to being back in Snowberry Creek.

Dollycas's Thoughts

Abby McCree has become the newest member of the Snowberry Creek City Council and is appointed as the council liaison with a new committee that is planning the city's first Arts and Crafts fair. To prepare for the upcoming event she along with her friends, ceramic artist, Dayna Fisk, and coffee shop owner Bridey Roker take off on a girl's weekend to visit some other fairs. Abby takes time to meet with any vendors that are coming to Snowberry Creek's fair to make sure they are able to provide everything the vendor needs to make the event a success. Dayna also wants to check in at a booth carrying her works of art.

She has one last vendor to meet with but when she returns to his booth it is closed with a sign saying "Sold Out". She is disappointed but all three ladies are happy to head for home. She later learns the vendor she wanted to see was murdered and another vendor, Dayna's business partner is missing. Dayna had some terse words with the woman before walking away and the argument was witnessed by many others so the police have Dayna high up on their suspect list. This leaves Abby no choice. She knows Dayna had nothing to do with with the vendor's demise or the other vendor's missing status. She needs to get a little crafty and piece together all the clues to save Dayna all while staying under the real guilty parties' radar.

_____

I always enjoy catching up with the residents of Snowberry Creek. Abby is a favorite throughout the community, she has great organizational skills and is always ready to volunteer wherever needed. Her only problem is that she keeps finding herself involved in all these murder investigations.

Her relationship with Tripp Blackston is moving along nicely but he worries about her staying safe. It's not uncommon though to see local police chief Gage Logan and homicide detective Ben Earle along with Tripp gathered with Abby around her kitchen table discussing a case, with her dog Zeke nearby waiting for a treat or food to drop. They have grown to trust her and she had connections to so many people involved in this latest case they had no choice but to keep her in the loop while knowing she was going to be involved no matter what. These relationships are entertaining because sometimes tempers flare but they do all work well together. I also enjoyed Abby's time with her friends and the way they were always there for each other.

We were introduced to a variety of people due to the fair. They were crafty in more ways than one and it made them all very interesting. The one surprise was that there was a fortune teller at the events. Not the first thing I would think to be at an arts and crafts fair.

The mysteries put forth in this book were very intriguing but I did paste together the clues a bit faster than Abby. That did not hinder my enjoyment of this story one bit. In fact, there were a few moments when I thought I had it wrong but that final twist put everything to rights. I loved it. Not one but two exciting events leading up to another wonderful gathering around Abby's table to clear up any questions anyone may have had and put the case to rest.

The arts and crafts theme was a fun way for the series to continue and I appreciate the way veterans are proudly included in every story.

Death by Arts and Crafts was a great cozy that kept me captivated from start to finish. There was also a little foreshadowing at the end of what we can expect next for these fine characters as the series continues which left me very excited for my next visit to Snowberry Creek.

This is the 6th installment in the Abby McCree mystery series. Abby has promised she is going to stay away from any trouble and dead bodies. So as the newest City Council member she has been selected to act as a liaison for the Arts Committee who is about to host Snowberry Creek’s first Arts and Craft Fair. Abby has been asked to attend some of the other fairs in the area to connect with some of the vendors to check for anything that can be done to help the fair go off without a hitch. Abby decides to make it a gals trip with her friend Bridey and Dayna (who is also a vendor for the upcoming fair). Abby feels the trip has been a success so far as they attend the 3rd fair in 2 days. She has just has a couple more vendors to visit and one is Madame G who is a psychic and unfortunately she decides to give her a reading and warns her about an upcoming path that will darken her door. Abby hopes it is all just for show when she tries to visit her final vendor Josiah Garth who is a high profile vendor who takes up a couple of booths with all his handcrafted metal works and furniture. Abby witnesses Josiah having a very heated argument with a man but talks to his niece Jenny instead. Abby’s friend Dayna also had business to talk to her business partner and why she is not selling her pottery as well and this ends in a heated argument and Dayna being very upset. Abby attempts one more time to connect with Josiah before they leave but his tent is shut down. Abby later learns when Gage (Sheriff) and Ben (County Detective) arrive at her door asking why her business cards were at a crime scene that Josiah has been murdered and Dayna’s business partner Wendy has gone missing. Abby has promised to not get involved into another police investigation but that does not really work very well for her. She does not do active investigation like she has in prior investigations but she is in the middle of the investigation and being threatened. Abby and Tripp keep dancing around the nature of their relationship with it becoming very clear they are exclusive and are meant for each other. The finally are officially a couple at the end of the story. I have enjoyed every single story and this was no exception. I enjoy the relationship of Gage and Ben along with all her other friends. Maybe there will be some romantic interests for those two gentlemen sometime soon in the future. Love this series and look forward to the next installment.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Abby has been steamrolled. Into helping with another community event, this time an Arts and Crafts festival. In preparation for the weekend, she and two of her friends including potter Dayna travel to other festivals the weekend before so Abby can touch base with the artists who will be attending their festival as well. Things are going well until the man who was to headline the Snowberry event is murdered. When Dayna’s business partner goes missing, she becomes embroiled in the investigation that may or may not be connected to the murder.

Abby has all the best intentions. She has had enough close calls to leave the detecting to her two cop friends. But try as she might, she seems to be a magnet for intrigue and deadly doings. Good thing she has three capable men looking out for her- the two cops and Tripp, her erstwhile tenant and possibly something else far more intimate. The characters are always interesting as is the dynamic between Abby, Tripp, and Gage, one of the cops. She constantly feeds them and they constantly try to keep her out of trouble. It is always fun to see how she gets enmeshed in the mystery and how she gets herself out of it. This story does not disappoint.

Five purrs and two paws up.

When a killer threatens the Snowberry Creek arts community Abbey McCree starts looking for clues in her own murder investigation. Abby McCree is picked to liaise between the council and the new planning committee for the town’s first ever arts and crafts fair. As Abby spend the weekend tooling around Washington State checking out similar fairs with her two besties coffee shop owner Bridy River and ceramic artisan Danya Fisk. When someone is murdered at one of the events and vendors begin disappearing amid suspicious circumstances. Abby’s determined to keep her hands clean until Dayna finds herself stuck at the top of the suspect list. Now Abby has to gather clues and clear her friends name before the killer gets another victim. This was a fun story with great characters and enjoyable plot. I recommend to everyone.

Death by Arts and Crafts is the sixth book in the Abby McCree mysteries, and my first introduction to Snowberry Creek. However, it definitely won't be my last, because I absolutely loved this book!

Coming off a reading slump, I dove straight into this mystery centred around an arts and crafts fair. Snowberry Creek is getting ready for its first arts and crafts fair, and as a new member to the council, Abby McCree is helping out. However, she gets more than she wishes for when a dead body turns up and one of her friends gets tangled up in the mystery!

From the first page, I was absolutely hooked! The author writes believable, likeable characters and I couldn't wait to take an adventure with them! Abby is determined to not get involved in another murder case, and she really does try to stay out of it. Unfortunately trouble seems to follow her around. Especially as her friend, Dayna, seems to be tangled up in it!

About halfway through the book I was convinced I had identified the killer, and I was happy to be mostly right! I love when the ending is a surprise, and I definitely got a surprise with this one! The final denouement was thrilling, and kept me hooked until the end.

I am just smitten with the characters in Snowberry Creek, and while I wait for the next book to come out, I will be going back to read the earlier mysteries! If you haven't visited Snowberry Creek you need to... today!!!!

This is such a fun series. I love the characters in this one and all the town events that they participate in. The mystery was well done and I enjoyed the conversation between the characters. The story was a light, easy read with a bit of humor to break things up.

Abby McCree has been tasked with personally making contact with the vendors of the upcoming debut arts & craft fair for Snowberry Creek. Abby along with two friends go on a tour of nearby fairs so she can meet these vendors. Everything has gone great until the last one. When she tries to meet one artist he seems to be having a tense discussion with another man so she is unable to meet the last vendor on her list. After returning home she finds out that her business card has been found at a crime scene. She has vowed to stay out of police investigations, but will she be able to keep this resolution?

This has been a really fun cozy mystery series. This book did not disappoint, it was an entertaining cozy read. The characters have shown so much growth over the series in their relationships and character development. I really enjoy the relationships that Abby has formed with not only Tripp but Gage and Ben as well. Her fur baby Zeke is one of my favorite characters, he is so loving and protective. The mystery is well-plotted with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. I recommend this book to cozy mystery fans.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and I have not been by anyone.

A lot is going on in Death by Arts and Crafts, the latest installment in the “Abby McCree Mystery” series. An art fair has everyone excited, and as the newest member of the city council, Abby takes on more and more projects. But this time, the project is a fun one. Her job, check in with the vendors for the upcoming Snowberry Creek fair, shop, and spend the weekend with her BFF’s. Almost everyone’s idea of heaven, except one of the vendors, is murdered, and one of Abby’s BFF’s is the prime suspect.

The suspects in this book are intriguing, and there are plenty of red herrings and twists to make readers happy. The victim isn’t anyone readers will care about. However, this story makes readers wonder where the author is headed with the main character. The art fair and the city council tie-ins gave the plot a nice focus, but… I just couldn’t get into the story. The killer, I thought, was easy to spot, and the motive was unoriginal. I adore Abby, but I did not like the premise of the slight personality change that seemed to overwhelm the storyline and the character.

Overall, I found it difficult to get excited about this murder and this book. I would like to have seen less of Abby’s fearful side and more of the strong Abby we know and love. Her vulnerability was fine, but I think it just carried on too long in this story. I did not feel that the connection between Dayna and the victim was explained well enough, and there was a severe lack of motive on her part to commit murder. The art fair would have been more interesting if Abby and the others had spent more than just a couple of minutes looking at everything. The buildup to the killer’s reveal was slow, and to know one’s surprise, put Abby in danger. The constant city council projects are getting old. This was an okay read, but not my favorite in the series.

Death by Arts and Crafts follows the story of Abby as she fights to protect her friend for being framed for a murder she didn't commit. Set amongst the arts and crafts scene of weekend markets, this engaging read is complicated enough to keep you guessing to the end. I recommend this for anyone who loves to read cozy mysteries with a little creative flair.

This was a Netgalley review.

This book was an ok read. It started off great with the girlfriend's weekend getaway to visit other Craft Fairs, but then Abby didn’t seem to spend as much time with the friends throughout the rest of the story. It made the characters feel a little flat. I thought the warning from the psychic was a great twist, but also a foreshadowing of what was to come. There was some action in the story, but I felt like Abby wasn’t doing much investigating to find out what really happened. The ending reveal was a little surprising, but also not. Even though I found this book a little lacking, I am willing to read other books in the series because I liked Abby’s character and am curious about what other murders she was able to solve.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Abby McCree's a volunteer event organizer, multitudinous cookie baker and a reluctant murder solver. As the latter, her organizational skills rise to the fore and she doesn't stupidly put herself in peril as so many cozy heroines are want to do. As in the other books in the series, the characters are well defined and interesting. The mystery will keep you guessing and the writing will keep you turning pages.

I actually started reading this book before turning around and deciding to read the previous five first. From what I understand though is that you could read this book as a standalone.

The Victim(s)
Ooooh, this book has SO many victims in it! I don't know why I'm celebrating that. Some end up dead, and some walk away from it. Some, however do not. They are varied in behaviour and how they are perceived and the variety kept me guessing.

The Suspects
Due to the sheer amount of victims this book kept me guessing in the best ways. Some of them seemed too out there to be serious suspects, while others seemed a little too obvious. They were just as varied in personality as the victims and it seemed like a real change from the previous books.

The Scene(s) of the Crime(s)
Craft fairs! Workshops! Someone's house! Variety is the spice of life, and this has me wondering if I should keep walls off my craft cubicle.

The Characters
Abby - she is getting spicier and spicier with each book and I absolutely love that. She's really coming into her own, and while she does sometimes make remarks about ladies not being able to swear, I still like her. But sometimes, girl, it's nice to let one or two out. And does she get roped into yet another town duty? Yes she sure does.

Tripp - He's learned how to talk about his feelings! Just a little bit but enough to have me beaming. He deserves happiness.

Dayna - Abby's BFF was in the book just enough for me to be interested in her work as a pottery artist, but not enough for me to trust her.

Gage - Not enough Gage in this book but when he's there he's still a big presence.

The Plot

This book has one of the stronger plots of any of the books and might actually be my favourite. I loved that part of the crime happened outside of Snowberry Creek. It made everything more interesting, to see how the characters interacted with each other in different environments.

The fairs being set as a backdrop for the book was awesome. It allowed for the suspects, and potential victims to move around each other and for the reader to become more interested in who they are and what they were doing.

I also always love learning more about the people of Snowberry Creek.

A mystery of murder and kidnapping surrounding Abby who is working for city council examining art fairs. She is somehow stuck in the middle of the mystery and gets pulled in little by little.

This is the sixth book in the Abby McCree Mystery series by Alexis Morgan, set in Snowberry Creek, Washington featuring Abby and Tripp Blackston.

Abby helps organisations to raise money as well as making quilts and generally keeping herself busy. She is in a good place, her tenant, Tripp Blackston is a great person, and she is currently liaising between the Snowberry Creek City Council and the new planning committee for the town’s first ever arts and crafts fair. Abby’s in Washington State, doing some groundwork on other fairs along with Something's Brewing, coffee shop and bakery owner, Bridey Kyser and potter, Dayna Fisk, Abby's friend since college. But when someone is murdered Abby reluctantly gets involved in the mystery.

With her resourcefulness and sassy attitude, I was pleased to be back in Abby's company. Alexis Morgan has surrounded Abby with a great supporting cast and Tripp especially is easy to warm to. The connection and chemistry between him and Abby are evident. Abby also has a true friendship and understanding with Police Chief Gage Logan and Ben and of course, Zeke, Abby's lovable Mastiff mix, deserves a mention. The author has written a very strong mystery here too. With its great plot, the pacing is comfortable and there were enough red herrings to keep me guessing a while. Alexis Morgan's humorous touches were neat and helped to make Death by Arts and Crafts a really compelling, fun read. A marvellous addition to this series, I was totally entertained from beginning to end. Bring on book #7!

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my unbiased opinion.