After retrieving fresh lobster nets from a local Laundromat, Cass Halloran rushes to attend a last-minute gathering with her knitting circle. But Cass can’t stop worrying about the lonely boy seen hanging around the dryers, and the school uniform he left behind in a hurry. When the ladies return the lost clothing the next day, they find the child and his younger sister alone, seemingly abandoned by their mother . . .
The knitters intend to facilitate a family reunion, not investigate a crime. But the death of Dolores Cardozo, a recluse from the edge of town, throws the group for a loop. Especially when the missing mother and one of their own become tied to the victim’s hidden fortune—and her murder . . .
Before scandalous secrets break bonds and rumors tear Sea Harbor apart, the Seaside Knitters need to string together the truth about Dolores—while preventing a greedy murderer from making another move!
* Includes a knitting pattern *
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MY REVIEW
Ah, autumn in the New England...where the leaves turn a riot of colors, the tourists come out to see them and the Seaside Knitters double down in anticipation of cooler weather. This is at least my second trip to Sea Harbor, MA, having previously visited for the author's Murder in Merino (Seaside Knitters #8) in 2014. Murder Wears Mittens is #12. (Obviously, I have as hard a time keeping up with a book series as I have knitting or craft projects! *sigh*)
I enjoy getting to know the different denizens of Sea Harbor in Ms. Goldenbaum's various books in the series. Merino told some of Izzy Chambers' story, while Mittens lets us know more about Cass Halloran. It's a great way to let readers feel like they are amongst friends when they pick up the latest Seaside Knitters mystery.
Also appreciated are the thorough descriptions of the various wool materials. I don't know I'd ever get to the point where I can know what kind of wool something is just from the feel of the fiber, but any type of craft is a tactile experience, and the descriptions help engage another of our senses in our experience of the story.
Here I am going on and on about the wool and crafting and haven't touched on the mystery! (I guess I can get carried away. *lol*)
These knitters have heart. They become entangled in this story initially because Cass notices a boy at a laundromat at night by himself. In his anxiety to get out of there, he leaves behind a school uniform, something that will obviously be needed in the coming days, so Cass makes it her mission to get the uniform back to the boy.
Later an older woman for whom the boy's mother does some work is found murdered and her will gives the mom a rather good motive to have done the deed herself. The knitters, of course, feel that this is not the case and join forces to get justice for Dolores Cardozo (the victim) and clear the mom from suspicion.
The mystery is neither too obvious, nor unfathomable. Goldilocks (and I) would deem it 'just right'. Murder Wears Mittens is a great addition to the saga of the Sea Harbor knitters' group and I look forward to delving into the rest of the series (including any future installments) in the very near future.
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MEET THE AUTHOR
Sally Goldenbaum was born on the shores of Lake Michigan, in Manitowoc, WI, to a homemaker mother and a ship-building father. Although she now lives in landlocked Prairie Village, KS, her longing for lakes and the sea is satisfied in part by writing the USA Today bestselling Seaside Knitters Mystery series
<, set on Cape Ann, MA. She is a sometime philosophy teacher, a knitter, and an editor, and the author of more than thirty novels. Her fictional knitting friends are teaching her the intricacies of women’s friendship, the mysteries of small-town living, and the very best way to pick up dropped stitches on a lacy knit shawl.
<, set on Cape Ann, MA. She is a sometime philosophy teacher, a knitter, and an editor, and the author of more than thirty novels. Her fictional knitting friends are teaching her the intricacies of women’s friendship, the mysteries of small-town living, and the very best way to pick up dropped stitches on a lacy knit shawl.
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GIVEAWAY!!!
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Click on the banner above to go to the tour page where you will find links to more reviews of Murder Wears Mittens by Sally Goldenbaum , as well as guest posts by and interviews with the author. You can also find out how to become a blog host for future book tours while you are there!
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author and publishers via Great Escapes Virtual Book tours and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
I like that the reader gets to know some of the side characters throughout the series.
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