Fourth in the lively Yarn
Retreat Mystery series, this
adventure set in Monterey caught my attention because it
involves the monarch butterflies. These gorgeous large
orange and black butterflies travel between Mexico and
various American states each year, feasting on plants like
milkweed. GONE WITH THE WOOL sees how even knitters and
crochet fans can value butterflies--at the risk of death.
Casey Feldstein has moved to the coastal town of Cadbury.
She runs retreats for keen craftsmen, a business
started by her late aunt. The town is about to host a
festival for the migrating butterflies, and Casey is
wondering whether to keep a secret involving a lost heir
and a handmade teddy-bear. But first she has to soothe
petty rivalries among her crafts ladies and organize
weaving classes. There are some remarks about illness after
eating muffins, so I was expecting a poisoning mystery, but
in a somewhat unlikely move a person in a crowded festival
event falls over with a knife sticking out of her back.
Looks like someone took those rivalries more seriously than
everyone realized.
Despite the yarn theme I found as much attention is paid to
carrot cake and warm corn muffins, with the police in time-
honored fashion advising our heroine to keep her nose out
of the investigation. This of course is impossible. If for
no other reason than twenty-five women are bound to gossip
over the weaving. There is no Wi-fi at the craft retreat,
and information is exchanged the old-fashioned way. I also
enjoyed the sense of place, with scenic vistas, the time of
year and the casual attitude to fallen trees all described.
Cadbury sounds like a gorgeous place to visit for a
festival, or a retreat of any kind. The people are all
quite normal and friendly, encouraging children to make
costumes and paper butterflies, caring for their heritage.
Who would have thought that the town harbors a vicious
killer?
At the end of the tale are a couple of patterns and a
recipe for muffins. I've previously enjoyed HOOKED ON
MURDER in Betty Hechtman's Crochet Mystery
series and
GONE WITH THE WOOL follows a similar pattern with crafts,
friendships and tangles galore. Fans of this author will
devour her latest offering and if you're a newcomer you may
be inspired to pick up needles.
The national bestselling author of Wound Up in
Murder spins a deadly yarn of knitting bees,
butterflies, and beauty queens.
Every October, thousands of monarch butterflies flock to
California’s Monterey Peninsula to spend the winter there.
To welcome their colorful guests, Cadbury by the Sea holds a
weeklong festival complete with a butterfly queen and her court.
Eager to show some town spirit, Casey Feldstein finds
herself fluttering back and forth between setting up a yarn
retreat, baking and helping out at the festival. But when a
former butterfly queen is found dead with a knife in her
back after a Bless the Butterflies service, Casey must set
her loom aside to hook a killer with a score to settle.
© 2003-2024 off-the-edge.net
all rights reserved Privacy Policy