‘Knit, Purl, Die’ a fun mystery filled with friendship

  There is something soothing about taking a ball of luscious, soft yarn and two warm bamboo knitting needles, and crafting something beautiful and practical. The repetition of the stitches is calming and many claim to do their best thinking while knitting.
  So, it only makes sense that knitting and mystery solving would go hand in hand. Mysteries that feature amateur sleuths who also knit are gaining a huge popularity among the reading public.
  In “Knit, Purl, Die,” the second installment of her Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries, author Anne Canadeo revisits the ladies of Plum Harbor, who have a knack for solving murders as well as knitting a mean stockinette stitch.
  Maggie Messina, owner of the Black Sheep Knitting Shop, and her circle of close knitting buddies always are open to having new faces join their group. So naturally they embraced Gloria Sterling, and her new handsome young husband Jamie, when they expressed interest in the hobby. The ladies are thrilled when Gloria invites the group to her mansion for one of their weekly knitting evening.
  Gloria seems to have it all. A beautiful home, lots of money, great looks and a sexy piece of arm candy in Jamie. She has great plans for her life with the new hubby, and asks Suzanne, the real estate agent of the knitting bunch, to help her list her home and several businesses for sale. Things seem to be looking up for Gloria.
  But everyone has their dark secrets, and when Suzanne, while showing Gloria’s home to potential buyers, finds Gloria floating face down in her swimming pool just days after the party, the secrets of the beautiful socialite begin pouring out.
  The Black Sheep are distraught by their friend’s death and do what they can to support Jamie in his time of grief. But when things surrounding Gloria’s demise begin sounding a bit funny, the gals start poking around to find out exactly what lead up to what looks to be a murder. All it takes is one loose stitch to unravel a big ball of secrets, lies and intrigue.
  Canadeo has developed a great cast of characters for this ongoing series with the ladies of the Black Sheep Knitting group. The warm and easy friendships of the women are delightful, and the way they work together to solve perplexing problems is admirable. Every woman should have a group of friends such as these. Canadeo, who also writes with famed artist Thomas Kinkade on his “Cape Light” series (under the name Katherine Spencer), definitely has the knack for combining an interesting cast of characters with an intriguing mystery, resulting in an entertaining read that mystery fans will love.
  “Knit, Purl, Die” is the second book in this series, but it also can be read as a stand-alone novel with ease. Readers will want to stick around and knit a few rounds with the good ladies of Plum Harbor, and snack on a few goodies, courtesy of the delicious recipes and easy knitting patterns included with this story.
  Grab your sticks and your favorite color of soft yarn, and settle in for a captivating round of mystery, fellowship and a lot of fun with the Black Sheep girls.