The first two Knitting Mysteries by bestselling author Maggie Sefton have been cozied up together in one volume, making a great gift for knitters and fans of cozy mysteries.

Knit One, Kill Two

When Kelly Flynn arrives in Colorado on the heels of her Aunt Helen's murder the last thing she wants is to tour the yarn store that invaded the farmhouse on her aunt's land. But the kindness of the crafters makes it impossible to keep her distance, and they become staunch support as new facts come to light about Helen's death that just don't make sense. Why would a wandering vagrant strangle Helen then steal her knitting? And what happened to the large family memory quilt that has hung on the wall for years? As secrets from her aunt's past are revealed, Kelly realizes she may not be as alone in the world as she believed, and thoughts of returning to her job in Washington D.C. don't hold the appeal they should.

Needled to Death

When local weaver and alpaca breeder Vickie Claymore turns up dead, Kelly is drawn in by her role as CPA to help Vickie's daughter Debbie straighten out the accounts for the lawyers. As the police look hard at Vickie's soon-to-be-ex husband, Kelly discovers clues that may indicate another killer is still at large.

Sefton's cozy knitting mysteries have a bit more backbone than others in the same genre. The warm connections between the knitters and other fiber folk at House of Lambspun feel vivid and real, and the reactions of Kelly to her losses strike true. The well-constructed mysteries are an integral part of the stories, but they are balanced by the underlying storylines of relationships that continue to grow through the series. As always, I enjoy the addition of recipes and knitting patterns tucked in at the end of each book.