On Skein of Death, a Riverbank Knitting Mystery Book*, by Allie Pleiter (Berkley Prime Crime, 2021, 295 pp, $7.99 pb) Reviewed by Skye Anderson.
Just in time for the 50th annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival,** the first three books in the Riverbank Knitting Mystery Book series - set in Maryland - arrived in the mail and I couldn't wait to wade through them once I saw the dog, Hank, on the cover of the first one, On Skein of Death. And on the second one. And on the third one!
Although written by a Chicagoan, the book gets Maryland right (though there is not much to get right, being a small town) and knitting right, too, though the latter part (knitting) is more than I know!
In the quaint little old Maryland town of Collinstown (imaginary) on the also-imaginary Chester River, our heroine Libby opens a yarn store, Y.A.R.N., when she returns to her hometown as a 38-year old divorcee. She invites customers to write sayings on her blackboard that explain the name (acronym) of the store: You're Absolutely Ready Now, You'll Always Remember Nice, Your Anger Rewards No one, etc.
Like all yarn stores, Y.A.R.N. is comfortable, cozy and colorful - as are the characters, prime among them being Mayor Gavin, Libby's highschool sweetheart and now the divorced father of a 13-year-old girl.
But I Digress - Back to Murder.
With the featured guest speaker of a yarn festival weekend, knit designer Perle Lonager arriving for the workshops and quickly disappearing only to submerge dead, strangled by red yarn, our heroine must salvage her weekend business losses and solve the who-dun-it. Of course this is little town life, where the police let civilians help with the solution.
And, with three prime suspects, the suspense mounts.
Added Bonus (or should I say, Bone-us?!)
Author Allie Pleiter (speaker, author, coach) includes the instructions for a dog sweater with a Nordic design! (Wish she had included a photo) I'd also like to see more of Hank the dog.
In addition, there is plenty of yarn-bombing!
We hope the Riverbank in The Riverbank Knitting Murder series comes into play more in future books and it just might since Collinstown is on the Chester River.
*First in the series. Book 2 is Knit or Dye Trying,
Book 3 is It Came Upon a Midnight Shear.
**Three autographed Allie Pleiter books to be given away at the 50th annual Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, 6-7 May 2023 at the Howard County Fairgrounds.
