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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
3.0
Silent Knit, Deadly Knit by Peggy Ehrhart is the fourth A Knit & Nibble Mystery. Pamela, Wilfred, Bettina and the knitting group are back. They are gearing up for Christmas by finishing last minute gifts and enjoying Christmas cookies. Pamela is happy to have her daughter, Penny home for the winter holidays. I like the diverse group of people that make up the knitting group. They are friendly bunch who get together to create beautifully knit items while they chat and eat items that they have made. Of course, when there is a murder to solve, they brainstorm and snoop. I like that we get to learn more about Pamela as well as the knitting members in each story. We also get to catch up on the lives of the kittens who love to chase yarn and get into mischief. There are some lovely yarn descriptions that had me wanting to add to my stash (which consists of six large totes at the moment). Pamela and the knitting group get involved in the death of Millicent Farthingale. Millicent is a woman of means who is married to Pierre, a French Canadian and owns a local craft store. The mystery was not the primary focus of the book. Pamela was focused on decorating for the holidays, making cookies, and spending time with Penny. There are a couple of suspects in Millicent’s death, but the killer can be pegged in the first quarter of the book. I wish the mystery had been the focus and that it had been more complex. I am glad that the romance between Pamela and Richard is not being rushed. However, I believe it is time to move forward and for them to actually go out (they have been acting juvenile for two mature adults). Silent Knit, Deadly Knit is nicely written, and the story moved along at a nice pace. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. There are lovely cozy moments and some humor sprinkled throughout. Silent Knit, Deadly Knit is a merry cozy mystery with scrumptious cookies, yummy yarn, fun felines, Christmas carols, and a meddlesome murder.
aspygirlsmom_1995's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
sparklingreader's review
3.0
This is the fourth book in the cozy “Knit & Nibble Mystery” series. I have not read the others in the series, but had no trouble getting into this story so it’s not absolutely necessary to have read them in order—but it would probably help with knowing who’s who and where they fit into the story.
In the series, Pamela Paterson is the sleuth. She has joined the Knit and Nibble gang who enjoy crafting their projects as well as making goodies to share. She works at home for a “fiber” related magazine—which figures into her solving the murder. In this one, Pamela’s daughter Penny is home from college for the Christmas break and, while on a hike, discovers the body of one of the knitters’ friends. There are the usual suspects and an interesting twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I also love the idea Pamela came up with in order to trap the killer. That was fun (not giving away secrets!).
Things I liked: the twist at the end. The characters were also interesting. And all the references to holiday music set the stage well.
Things I didn’t like: The author tends to go on for much too long with “filler” – describing every step in great detail of how the character is baking something, the plates (and colors) being used and more. There was so much of this that had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. I found myself skipping entire pages of this filler. It really turned me off of the entire story, which was a shame because I think it could have been really enjoyable except for that.
Recommendation: If you’re already reading the series, pick this one up. The mystery part of the story is really good. It’s all the filler that drags it down into the three-sparkler level.
In the series, Pamela Paterson is the sleuth. She has joined the Knit and Nibble gang who enjoy crafting their projects as well as making goodies to share. She works at home for a “fiber” related magazine—which figures into her solving the murder. In this one, Pamela’s daughter Penny is home from college for the Christmas break and, while on a hike, discovers the body of one of the knitters’ friends. There are the usual suspects and an interesting twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. I also love the idea Pamela came up with in order to trap the killer. That was fun (not giving away secrets!).
Things I liked: the twist at the end. The characters were also interesting. And all the references to holiday music set the stage well.
Things I didn’t like: The author tends to go on for much too long with “filler” – describing every step in great detail of how the character is baking something, the plates (and colors) being used and more. There was so much of this that had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. I found myself skipping entire pages of this filler. It really turned me off of the entire story, which was a shame because I think it could have been really enjoyable except for that.
Recommendation: If you’re already reading the series, pick this one up. The mystery part of the story is really good. It’s all the filler that drags it down into the three-sparkler level.
dukefn99's review
3.0
Silent Knit, Deadly Knit wasn't a bad book. But it took me over a month to finish it, and as I did, I figured out why it took me so long. The murder happens pretty early in the story. And Pamela and the gang start investigating. Then the whole middle of the book is about the upcoming Christmas holidays and all the parties and whatnot that comes with the season. There are little mentions about the mystery during this part of the book, but very little. Then we get to the last quarter of the book, Pamela starts snooping again and BAM she figures it all out.
I get there needs to be some world building, but at the same time this is book 4 in the series, we should know the characters and the town pretty well. And I'll be honest, I didn't need all the details about the Christmas Eve party or Christmas dinner. For me, it was just overkill and didn't add anything to the actual mystery.
The mystery itself was okay. I don't feel that there were enough clues for the reader to solve it with any confidence. It was just lackluster due to the backseat it was given for a huge chunk of the book. I honestly don't think I could recommend this book on its own, but as part of the series, a reader probably wouldn't want to skip it.
I get there needs to be some world building, but at the same time this is book 4 in the series, we should know the characters and the town pretty well. And I'll be honest, I didn't need all the details about the Christmas Eve party or Christmas dinner. For me, it was just overkill and didn't add anything to the actual mystery.
The mystery itself was okay. I don't feel that there were enough clues for the reader to solve it with any confidence. It was just lackluster due to the backseat it was given for a huge chunk of the book. I honestly don't think I could recommend this book on its own, but as part of the series, a reader probably wouldn't want to skip it.
maddiekellner's review
3.0
Overall pretty entertaining and a good cozy mystery. Wish there had been slightly more on the murder mystery or on yarn related content rather than the baking.
kellyannforever's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
thisandthatwithkaren's review
3.0
Silent Knit, Deadly Knit is the 4th instalment in the “ A Knit & Nibble” Mystery by Peggy Ehrhart. I like this series and enjoyed this book.
When murder silences the Christmas cheer in charming Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela and her Knit and Nibble pals must unravel the most bone-chilling mystery this side of the North Pole . . .
Pamela has been in merry spirits since her artsy daughter Penny returned home from college for the holidays. But their mother-daughter bonding time gets cut short when a terrified Penny stumbles upon the dumped body of Millicent Farthingale, a wealthy craft shop owner who was popular for all the wrong reasons. From a scheming business partner to a seedy husband several years her junior, Millicent attracted scammers so in love with her assets, they’d toss her down a chimney to get their paws on them. Now, with only a hand-knit red scarf connecting the killer to the crime, Pamela and the Knit and Nibblers could use some extra creativity as they find out who’s really naughty or nice in Arborville—because going up against a looming culprit is DIY or die!
The cast of characters are likable and I enjoy the friendship between Pamela and her neighbours Wilfred and Bettina. The mystery seemed to not be the main focus of this book but rather on the characters. The mystery was good, lots of twists and turns and red herrings which kept me guessing till the end. I wouldn't say this is a fast read like some of the cozies I read but one I read over several days.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
When murder silences the Christmas cheer in charming Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela and her Knit and Nibble pals must unravel the most bone-chilling mystery this side of the North Pole . . .
Pamela has been in merry spirits since her artsy daughter Penny returned home from college for the holidays. But their mother-daughter bonding time gets cut short when a terrified Penny stumbles upon the dumped body of Millicent Farthingale, a wealthy craft shop owner who was popular for all the wrong reasons. From a scheming business partner to a seedy husband several years her junior, Millicent attracted scammers so in love with her assets, they’d toss her down a chimney to get their paws on them. Now, with only a hand-knit red scarf connecting the killer to the crime, Pamela and the Knit and Nibblers could use some extra creativity as they find out who’s really naughty or nice in Arborville—because going up against a looming culprit is DIY or die!
The cast of characters are likable and I enjoy the friendship between Pamela and her neighbours Wilfred and Bettina. The mystery seemed to not be the main focus of this book but rather on the characters. The mystery was good, lots of twists and turns and red herrings which kept me guessing till the end. I wouldn't say this is a fast read like some of the cozies I read but one I read over several days.
I look forward to reading the next installment.
I requested and received an Advanced Reader Copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
librarianjak's review
3.0
3.5 stars. I wish there was a little less cooking and more knitting, but I enjoyed it’s festiveness!