A Crafter Knits a Clue

August 27, 2018
Samantha “Sammy” Kane, the heroine of Quinn’s cute debut and series launch, returns to her hometown of Heartsford, Wis., where she takes over the Community Craft store from a late friend. Another new arrival is Ingrid Wilson. The opening of Ingrid’s Yarn Barn may be a boon to the local knitters, but her abrasive personality apparently angers one person badly enough to kill her. Sammy’s discovery of Ingrid’s body with a knitting needle in her throat in the Yarn Barn prompts Sammy to reassemble SHE, a trio consisting of herself, cousin Heidi, and sister Ellie, who prided themselves on solving mysteries during their school days. When Ingrid’s death is followed by the woman’s nephew, the town’s beloved high school basketball coach, being injured by a hit-and-run driver, Sammy is determined to find out what’s going on. Meanwhile, newly hired Det. Liam Nash does his best to keep Sammy from making herself a target by nosing into the investigation. Cozy fans will look forward to future installments. Agent: Sandy Harding, Spencerhill Assoc.

August 15, 2018
A childhood detective club reunites to solve a murder in small-town Wisconsin.Samantha Kane has returned to her hometown of Heartsford after the tragic death of her best friend, Kate Allen. She's taken over Kate's shop, the Community Craft store, which sells all types of homemade local crafts. Her part-time helper is Kate's basketball-playing younger brother, Carter. When Samantha responds to neighboring store owner Ingrid Wilson's request for help at the shop, she finds Ingrid stabbed to death with a knitting needle. Sam's cousin Heidi's boyfriend is a cop, but Detective Liam Nash, a newcomer, is put in charge of the case. Sam's immediately attracted to him, but a bad relationship in the past has given her the habit of pushing people away, in this case by wisecracking and sticking her nose into the investigation. When Ingrid's nephew, the town's beloved basketball coach, is run down and badly hurt, Sam's even more determined to snoop. Although Sam's busy getting ready for the town's Spring Fling festivities, her curiosity and deep love for the place lead her to believe that the members of the school-days detective group S.H.E.--Sam, Heidi, and Ellie, Sam's older sister--should hone their skills and return to sleuthing. Because Ingrid was far from popular and not a native to Heartsford, her past is unknown, and she's made quite a few enemies. It's up to S.H.E. to look for motives and check alibis, a painful process when most of the suspects are people they have known for years.A promising debut that relies on small-town charm, a bit of romance, and plenty of red herrings--though nothing so far that sets it above many other crafting-themed cozies.

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September 1, 2018
Samantha Sammy Kane is preparing for Heartsford, Wisconsin's, Spring Fling at Community Craft, her store selling items made by local crafters, but she needs help. Reluctantly, she decides to appeal to the disagreeable Ingrid Wilson, but when she drops in at Ingrid's yarn store, she finds her dead, stabbed with one of her own knitting needles. Next, Ingrid's nephew, the high-school basketball coach, is run down by a hit-and-run driver. Sammy believes that the two events must be connected, and she, along with sister Ellie and cousin Heidi?who in grade school had their own detective agency called S.H.E. (Sammy, Heidi, Ellie)?decide to resurrect the "firm" and investigate the crimes. Is the motive greed, revenge, or secrets? Complicating matters, Sammy can't decide whether or not Detective Liam Nash is romantically interested in her, and the two have words about her involvement in the case. S.H.E. solves the crimes in this cozy mystery framed with details of life in small-town Wisconsin and the particulars of running a craft shop.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)