A WICKED YARN

Donning a new pseudonym, prolific Mary Ellen Hughes introduces a keen Pennsylvania puzzle-solver who enlists her crafty friends to crack a murder.

Though retired surgical nurse Lia Geiger moved after the death of her husband, she still maintains ties with old friends, especially the Ninth Street Knitters group. Lia’s been running a booth at the Crandalsburg Craft Fair barn selling the hand-knit items produced by her friends and herself. All goes well until Darren Peebles, who wants to purchase the historic barn and tear it down, is bashed to death inside with a pottery piece. Lia finds her friend Belinda, the fair manager, standing over the body. It’s lucky that Belinda has an alibi, because Darren was her awful ex-husband. Since murder’s not good for business, all the vendors are suffering, but only artist Joan Fowler gets nasty about it, publicly blaming Belinda on social media and arguing with other craftspeople. To add to the unsettling events, Lia’s daughter, Hayley, has quit her job in Philadelphia and moved back home with a better plan for her life that she promises to reveal any day now. Hayley’s high school friend Brady, now a local police officer, drops a few tidbits, and Lia and her friends use their contacts to dig up dirt on Darren, his slimy partner, and others who were no fans of either of them. Joan’s murder raises the stakes for Lia to solve the case before Belinda is arrested.

Down-to-earth characters and an interesting motive spice up this debut.