Book #21 in our A to Z Mystery Tour
Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries* #1 by Anne Canadeo – 2009
Who doesn’t love a good knitting-themed mystery?
Maggie Messina is the owner of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, and she’s wanted for the murder of her competitor. Her friends rally round her to support her and clear her name.
What did I love? Well, mainly the ‘bulletin board’ at the back of the book, which tells us how to dye yarn with jello, and the physical description of Maggie’s shop. I also found the adoption of Tink, an injured golden retriever-wannabe, to be touching in spite of the heartbreaking description of Tink’s illness early on.
What didn’t I love? I didn’t love the fact that in spite of Maggie Messina being the owner of the knitting shop and the main suspect in the murder, the entire story is told through the eyes of her best friend Lucy. Maggie is a unknown quantity; she seems to have little personality, especially compared to the rest of the women in the weekly knitting group.
I also didn’t love that I guessed the killer pretty quickly. Or that the title has absolutely nothing to do with the actual plot.
I’m giving this book three stars as a nod to the knitting mystery sub-genre, but I’m not inclined to read further.
*Midway through this series the publisher changed; series is now known as the Black Sheep & Company Mysteries.