Lia Geiger is enjoying working at her knitting circle’s booth at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair. An assortment of crafts are readily available and Mother’s Day weekend promises to bring a lot of tourists--and a lot of potential sales--for everyone. Unfortunately, Darren, a local businessman, has offered to buy the barn and the fate of the craft fair is at stake. Worse yet, he is also the ex-husband of the craft fair manager, Belinda Peebles. Things take a nasty turn when Darren is found dead and Belinda is the primary suspect. Lia is determined to help clear Belinda’s name, but can she uncover the real murderer?

Throughout A WICKED YARN, the first book in the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series, author Emmie Caldwell does a marvelous job at introducing us to the various craftsmen at the fair, as well as some of the residents in the town. In particular, we learn a lot of background information about Lia’s history and her ties to Belinda that help make sense of her determination to assist Belinda. Lia is a relative newcomer to the town, so it’s fun to see her explore the various shops and other businesses as she investigates what happened to Darren.

Emmie Caldwell also adds in another underlying mystery, as Lia’s daughter, Hayley, unexpectedly arrives home and drops the bomb on her mom that she’s thinking about quitting her job but won’t give any reason why. I loved watching Lia navigate this sticky situation, as she seeks to balance her duties as a parent (even to an adult child) with her love and desire for Hayley to find her own path. Hayley is a bit more of an enigma than Lia, and I look forward to getting to know her better in future books.

And oh, how could I not mention the delightful wares at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair? I want to sample a bit of everything, from Zach Goodwin’s honey to Olivia Byrd’s herbal soaps. I love how Emmie Caldwell allows us to see just a portion of the various crafts available at the fair, while hinting at so many more. I can’t wait to see what other craftsmen and their crafts she has in mind for us to explore in future books.

A WICKED YARN is a fun start to A Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series! Emmie Caldwell has written a delightful cozy mystery in which the craft theme is thoroughly integrated into the storyline. I look forward to spending more time at the craft barn and with Lia’s knitting circle as the characters are just sheer fun. The warm and caring friendships shine through the pages so clearly and I’m excited about what Emmie Caldwell has in store for us in future installments of the Craft Fair Knitters Mystery series!