As the first book in a new mystery series, One Sharp Stitch is well, sharp. It is well written with great characters and a quirky setting.
Shelby Phillips comes home to Gwen Lake North Carolina to help out her mother with her shop, Nina’s Nimble Needle. The Nimble Needle is a needlework shop - needlepoint, cross stitch and that type of handicraft.
The writing made me want to pick up a project.
Shelby’s friend from high school, Kat, has made a name for herself by crafting embroidery scissors and design along with knife sharpening. Kat dies. Most everyone besides Shelby thinks it was a terrible accident. Shelby thinks it may have been murder.
The sense of community is built quickly in the book. There is the group of grandmas, called NYAGs, who visit the shop often. There are the new and former friends that Shelby gathers together to help her search for answers.
The quirkiness of the town involves the lake and yachts, but you’ll have to read to know why that is quirky. It’s just too good to spoil the surprise in a review.
There were real problems to solve in addition to the death. The culprit behind the death was a bit of a surprise, although it was a conclusion I could see coming from clues given.
I enjoyed reading the book. The narrator of the audiobook enhanced the story. I recommend picking up One Sharp Stitch especially if you enjoy handicrafts and artistic endeavors.
Thanks to Netgalley, Kensington Cozies and Tantor Media for the opportunity to experience this book.

Thank you Netgalley & Kensington Cozies for an eARC ♥️


Hey, have you ever thought you were just temporarily escaping the chaos of your life, only to find yourself in the middle of a murder investigation? Yeah, that's what happens to Shelby Phillips.
Shelby's back in her hometown of Gwen Lake, North Carolina, taking over her mom's needlepoint shop, Nimble Needle. It's supposed to be a chill gig, but things take a deadly turn when Shelby finds the body of her former classmate, Kat Katsaros.
Kat was a bit of a rival, and Shelby's not exactly shedding tears. But she's determined to figure out who killed Kat, and she's not afraid to ask questions and stir up some drama.
As Shelby digs deeper, she's got some unlikely helpers - her sister, some stitchy friends, and a cute new guy in town. Together, they're gonna unravel the mystery and catch the killer before Shelby's life gets any more complicated.
This book is like a cozy cup of coffee on a chilly morning - it's got a little bit of everything: mystery, romance, and some serious small-town sass.😁

One Sharp Stitch is book #1 in the Nimble Needle Mystery series by Allie Pleiter.

I’ve never read anything by this author, but I was drawn to the series by the North Carolina location and the needlepoint shop. I wasn’t disappointed! Shelby‘s life is collapsing and she heads home to mind her mom‘s shop while her parents are on a month-long trip. She certainly wasn’t expecting to find a body. This was a nice introduction to the characters and the small town. I enjoyed the mystery and I look forward to the next book.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

When Shelby moves back to Gwen Lake to temporarily run her mother's needlepoint shop, she gets a little more than she bargained for, and it has nothing to do with needlepoint.

This crafty cozy mystery was an enjoyable read. Quirky characters, a small, locally owned business, a murder mystery and a small town give this one all the right vibes that I enjoy in a cozy mystery. The author does a great job of throwing you off the scent as you read along and try to solve the mystery. This is a fantastic start to what I hope will be a new series where we will learn more and more about the established characters.

Thank you to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

One Sharp Stitch by Allie Pleiter is a heartwarming and delightful read. With relatable characters, a charming storyline, and a perfect mix of mystery and emotion, it’s a cozy, feel-good book that will leave you smiling. (I received an advance reader copy and all opinions are my own.) A truly enjoyable experience from start to finish!

This is the debut book in the Nimble Needle Series by cozy author Allie Pleiter. I enjoyed this craft based series with the charming addition of needlework. The author has a well written debut with delightful characters and a well crafted sleuth. Thank you to the publisher, to Net Galley and to the author for the opportunity.

Shelby is in her thirties and nothing is turning out right for her. When her parents ask her to take over their needlepoint shop while they travel for a month by RV she agrees. Moving back to her small hometown was not in her plan for her life but she is sure it will only be temporary. When she is faced with a high school nemesis attempting a take over of her shop Shelby is determined to stop the women. Soon she is found dead and Shelby is the main suspect. She must clear her name to save her parents shop and free herself from suspicion.

I enjoyed this needlepoint based cozy and look forward to the next in series. The characters are done to perfection and the sleuth well crafted and kept me guessing to conclusion. A wonderful debut cozy.

Thank you to Net Galley for he ARC for review.

One Sharp Stitch is the first book in a new cozy mystery series by Allie Pleiter. We follow Shelby, a thirty-something who has just lost her job and has to move back home to help out in her mother's needlepoint shop, Nimble Needle. On her first day at work, she finds one of the shop's suppliers, and a former school acquaintance, dead in his van. Shelby keeps her cool and decides to solve the mystery, convinced that the death was not an accident. Together with her colleagues and regular customers at the shop, as well as her overly perfect sister, they try to solve the mystery.

One Sharp Stitch is a subdued, cozy mystery without overly disturbing or frightening scenes. The mystery unfolds at a steady pace, and any bumps in the road are quickly resolved. There are few surprising elements in the book. The main characters come across as somewhat bland, and the only character who shows much personality is murdered right at the beginning. I missed a bit more character development in Shelby and would have liked to hear more from her good colleagues. However, since this is the first book in a planned series, I am confident that this will improve over time.

I enjoyed the small-town setting, the craft shop, and the witty comments along the way. It wasn't the most entertaining cozy mystery I've read, but it certainly meets all the genre's rules. Pick it up if you're looking for a cozy, easy-to-read story.

This was such a fun read. It’s so much more than a cozy mystery. It has amateur sleuthing, new/old friendships (human & feline), a hint of potential romance and lots of humor. Some of the characters are bizarre which added to the overall experience. It really took a turn there at the end!!
Taking a quote from the book sums it up well, “Quirky in a heartwarming kind of way”. 🥰
Highly recommend to all readers who enjoy a feel good book - yes I know there’s a murder but still…😅
Can’t wait for further adventures with Shelby and Nabbit in Gwen Lake.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A nice start to a new cozy series that is centered on a needlepoint shop and focuses not only on murder but also on family. Shelby's had some career troubles (to put it mildly) and she's only meant to be running her parents' shop for a month. Dealing with the women who hang out there and with her sister Jessica is one thing but when she discovers the body of Kat well, that's something else altogether. This is a set up for a classic series, with red herrings about the villain, a nascent romance and a nice small town. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. This is my first book by Pleiter (I don't know how I missed her) and now I'm looking forward to more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I wasn’t too sure at first, because it didn’t have the stereotypical cute picture on the front that most cozy mysteries do, but it ended up being a really great story!! I can’t wait for the next one!

I am a big fan of Allie Pleiter's knitting series, and was excited for the opportunity to preview the first title in her new needlework series! It did not disappoint. I love that she can craft mysteries that are cozy without being corny. I enjoyed the characters and found the mystery compelling. Highly recommend for cozy fans.

One Sharp Stitch is a well written cozy mystery. I enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. Mystery fans will love this book.

I loved this cozy so much! As someone who also does needlepoint, I had so much fun with the way the author described colors and textures. The mystery was also very interesting and kept me guessing at every turn.
I eagerly await the next book in this series!

This is a solid start to Pleiter's latest series. I enjoyed the quirky characters, as well as the small-town vibe. The mystery is one that keeps readers guessing. The pacing was a bit off, and the murder isn't really confirmed until well into the book, which is unusually late for this genre. There is a nice secondary storyline growing with Shelby and her hometown, as well as her relationships. I am sure they will be explored in more details and upcoming books.

A new cozy series from Allie Pleiter, I had read a previous series based around a craft shop by this author and enjoyed it, and I enjoyed this one as well. When her management job at a graphic design business disappears as the company is sold and her fledgling relationship with the owner goes with it, Shelby moves from Savanah back to her small hometown in North Carolina. The timing is perfect for her parents as they want to roam the US in their new motor home, and now Shelby is there to hold down the kingdom of Nina's Nimble Needles, her Mom's needlepoint shop. Shelby gets way more than she bargained for with her mother's friends the NYAGs riding herd at the shop, a cat that decides he wants to share her apartment over the shop and her somewhat contentious relationship with her older "perfect" sister. As crazy as Shelby finds these changes in her world, it's nothing compared to finding a former schoolmate who is supposed to be doing a trunk show at the shop, dead in her van. With likable characters, colorful arts and crafts, and amateur sleuth who is smart and cautious, this was a story I enjoyed from start to finish. Many thanks to #Netgally, #KensingtonCozies, and the author for a chance to read. #OneSharpStitch #AlliePleiter #ANimbleNeedleMystery #bookreview #bookideas #retiredreader

I feel slightly bias as a North Carolina native in saying I loved the cozy mountain town setting for this cute novel. Hopefully this will become a series. We had a nice set up of characters and town lore that’s quirky. This felt fresh while still fitting in the cozy mystery format. We did have some blood but I am okay with that. Just a warning. Lots of laughs, found family and a start of a romance made this a fun read. But how was the puzzle, this is a mystery? Pretty good, lots of red herrings made it a big surprise. Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC for this book. I was delighted to read it. All opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this book. I hope it first of a new book series. Shelby is watching her mom's stitcher store when a murder take place. It looks like an accident but Shelby thinks it could be murder. Yes I would recommend it.

I love this series debut! Yes, it's built on tropes--daughter comes home to run a needlework shop. But at least her parents are just off on vacation, not dead! And while the tropes form the premise, there's a lot of great plotting and super characterization. There's plenty of suspense, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. I like it when cozy mysteries don't shy away from the dark side of small town life. And, I love the relationship between Shelby and her "perfect" sister. Lots to love here. Bring on book 2!

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Cute town and shop. I enjoyed reading about the quirky characters and traditions that come together to make the mystery. I do struggle to get into it at first but enjoyed it coming together in the end.

After losing her job Shelby returns home to take over her mom’s needlepoint store while her parents go on vacation. Someone dies as soon as her parents leave with Shelby finding the body. The good parts…the patterns for the alphabet coasters and the idea of creating a canvas from original artwork, finding the cat. The parts I didn’t care for….the constant assumption Shelby would be staying permanently and take over managing the store, her sisters marriage and how the sister handled an affair, the slow slow pacing and the ending. The entire book was blah.