Skye and Wally are finally married. They are very much
looking forward to their honeymoon cruise away from all
their friends and family.
Skye is very upset when she sees her mother among the
other
passengers. Wally manages to convince her that she made a
mistake until they realize that May was the one who told
Wally all about the cruise.
Next they manage to convince themselves that they can
avoid
her and they start off doing a good job with that. They
manage to keep to themselves for a couple of days until a
particularly obnoxious member of the crew is killed.
May's knitting group is on the same cruise. The same
group
includes Skye's best friend and her husband. Skye doesn't
mind seeing Trixie but she really doesn't want to deal
with
her mother on the cruise. The original leader of the
group
has been replaced with someone who manages to alienate
everyone who has to interact with her.
When Guinevere Stallings is killed shortly after a
confrontation with May, Skye and Wally find themselves
drawn into the investigation. Since they are
international
waters, the security crew of the boat is responsible for
finding the killer. With so many people on board who
hated
Guinevere and limited expertise in investigating murders,
they are willing to allow Skye and Wally access.
Skye and Wally are given only a few days before they
return
to the US to apprehend the killer.
The Scumble River Mystery series has long been a
favorite
of mine. Ms. Swanson's series set in small town is well-
plotted and each one seems to draw the reader further into
the cast of characters. Since this book doesn't take place
in Scumble River and some of the more unique characters
are
missing, MURDER OF A NEEDLED KNITTER involves the reader
in a new cast of secondary characters.
It's always a pleasure to return to the small town and
unique characters that live in Scumble River. Engrossing
and entertaining, Ms. Swanson's series is always something
to look forward to.
School psychologist Skye Denison has been waiting forever
for her happily-ever-after with police chief Wally Boyd.
But
her bliss threatens to unravel on the very first day of
their luxurious honeymoon cruise, when Skye becomes
convinced that she has glimpsed her mother on board! Surely
even momzilla May wouldn’t have manipulated Wally into
booking the same trip that her knitting group is
taking or
would she?
May’s possible presence can’t cool Skye and Wally’s ardor
on
their personal Love Boat, but discovering knitting expert
Guinevere Stallings as she lies dying from a stab wound
leaves them untangling the clues of yet another murder
investigation rather than getting tangled in the sheets.
Since Skye found the body, she’s considered a top suspect,
but she’s far from the only one. Guinevere’s imperious ways
needled nearly everyone, and she left an impressive number
of enemies. It’s up to the crafty newlyweds to figure out
which of the wronged parties was angry enough to cast
Guinevere off permanently.