The eighth in the Seaside Knitters mysteries, MURDER IN MERINO returns us to Sea Harbor. It's hard to imagine a more disparate group of characters but they all fit together in so many ways. Right now, everyone is working on a special afghan to celebrate Ben and Nell's anniversary.

With the arrival of a new person in town, the mayoral race, preparing for the sale of Izzy's house, and the upcoming anniversary, life is busy for everyone.

Julia Ainsley has embraced Sea Harbor with gusto. Her enthusiasm is endearing but some are suspicious of her desire to buy Izzy's house. It's a little rundown and her offer to buy it before it is even listed raises some eyebrows.

Julia is searching for something but no one knows what. She turns to Danny Bradley for help. Their deepening relationship is misconstrued by many in town, including Cass who breaks up with him.

When a man is found dead in the backyard of Izzy's house with Julia's name and phone number in his pocket, the police will have a lot of questions. The knitters will start their own investigation.

They will connect the death with an accidental death from years before. While they expose the killer, they will help unearth the answers Julia is seeking.

MURDER IN MERINO is a great part of the The Seaside Knitters mysteries. Ms. Goldenbaum has a way with writing characters that the reader wants to know. In this book, even the killer is a sympathetic character. When the identity is revealed, the reader just shakes their head and ponders the impact that wrong choices can have on a good person's life. This series is a favorite of mine and I hope there are many more to come.