Review and Giveaway: Cast On, Kill Off

Cast On, Kill Off (Knitting Mystery - Book 10) by Maggie Sefton

Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Penguin Group
Imprint: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Pages: 304
ISBN-10: 0425252175
ISBN-13: 978-0425252178

(Received for an honest review from Berkley Prime Crime)

Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound

Maggie Sefton on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, LibraryThing, FantasticFiction, Cozy-Mystery

Books in the Series:

Knit One, Kill Two (2005), Needled to Death (2005),
A Deadly Yarn (2006), A Killer Stitch (2007), Dyer Consequences (2008), Fleece Navidad (2008), Dropped Dead Stitch (2009), Skein of the Crime (2010), Unraveled (2011), Cast On, Kill Off (Hardcover) (2012)

Coverart: Click on the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.

Excerpt from Cast On, Kill Off, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside Feature

Synopsis:

Wedding bells are ringing in Fort Connor, Colorado, and the House of Lambspun knitters are abuzz with excitement. But when a murder interrupts the wedding planning, Kelly Flynn will have to solve this crime fast to ensure the killer doesn't wind up on the guest list...

Kelly Flynn's knitting pal, Megan, is about to get hitched, and all the planning is falling into place. Megan has found the perfect seamstress, Zoe Yeager, to create the dresses for Kelly and the other bridesmaids. And each bridesmaid is knitting her own loose-knit shawl to drape over the lovely dresses. But Zoe has more than bolts of fabric and seam-cutters stashed away in her shop--she's harboring a secret. Bruises on her face show a troubling side of her marriage, and just after she finds the courage to leave her husband, Zoe's found dead from a single bullet shot.

Though her husband is a key suspect, it turns out there are others who might have had designs on Zoe's death. One is fellow seamstress Leann O'Hara, who recently discovered Zoe won a bridal gown design contest with one of Leann's own designs. Now it's up to Kelly and her knitting pals to use their sleuthing savvy to solve the case, while helping Megan stay cool and collected as the big day approaches. They'll have to stitch up all the loose ends before they can don their dresses and shawls and escort Megan into the land of happily ever after...

Thoughts:

Maggie Sefton's Knitting series has been a popular cozy favorite for many years. The latest paper back in the series, Cast On, Kill Off is the 10th book in this long-lasting series. Fans of the series welcome back Kelly Flynn and her friends as they prepare for the wedding of one of Lambspun knitters, Megan. Knitters and cozy fans alike will flock to this series and the lovable characters Sefton has created. An intriguing addition to the series.

I will admit that I have mixed feelings about this novel. In the beginning the series was one of my favorites. Sefton's characters were easy to identify with, smart and witty, and the mysteries were very enjoyable to read. The last few books in the series however, have fallen a bit flat. The mysteries have been more concise and easier to predict. There is quite a bit of repetition in both the dialogue and the patterns. Sometimes I think a series outlives it's potential and I think that's is basically what has happened here. Perhaps Sefton needs to either move on to a new series or perhaps take this one in an unusual direction to bring back the interest of the readers. 

That being said, Cast On, Kill Off is not a horrible book. In fact there are parts of the book that were quite fun to read. As always, the interesting facts about knitting and knitters are always appreciated. I will be the first to admit that I have no idea what the difference between casting on and casting off is, or what knit one, purl two means. So, I always enjoy learning more about a hobbie that I find interesting. 

Another good point about the book is that Sefton continues to develop the relationships between her characters. Kelly's friends are a big part of the story in each of Sefton's books and this one is no different. We  as readers get to see into Kelly's life, especially her relationship with former boyfriend Steve. I liked the flow of their relationship in this one. It was comfortable and realistic. Sometimes we all make mistakes in judgment, I'm not sure whether Kelly has this time or not, but I'm willing to read the next book to find out. 

I am still a fan of the series, and I think there is definitely hope that it will grow and change and perhaps be even better than those books in the beginning were. Sefton is obviously a gifted writer and knitter. I loved the recipe in the back as well as the knitting pattern. One of these days I'm going to give knitting a try, largely in part due to this series and how enjoyable it has been for me to read.

Cast On, Kill Off is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.

I'm going to have to give this one 3 out of 5 apples from my book bag!

About the Author:

Maggie Sefton was born and raised in Virginia, where she received her bachelor’s degree in English literature and journalism. Maggie has worked in several careers over the years, from a CPA to a real estate broker in the Rocky Mountain West. However, none of those endeavors could compare with the satisfaction and challenge of creating worlds on paper. She is the mother of four grown daughters, currently scattered around the globe. Author of the nationally bestselling Knitting Mysteries, she resides in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with two very demanding dogs.

Giveaway Details:

The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for one copy of Cast On, Kill Off by Maggie Sefton.

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~The deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight, EST,  July 10th.

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