Close Knit Killer

A charming installment in the Kelly Flynn mystery series. There were plenty of possible murderers. Heaven knows, the man was not well-liked after what he pulled. My only regret is that I had a strong idea who the murderer was, long before the story drew to a close. Regardless, this is a light and entertaining read.

Initially I enjoyed this series but it really doesn't stand up to my preferred style of reading - which is to read several books of a series back to back. The first few were nice because I enjoyed the mysteries, but lately the books are becoming more about the main character and her group of friends.

Which could be tolerable except I don't find the characters very well written. I find the main character excessively self-centered, even for a main character in a cozy mystery. And her friends are so interchangeable, I can't tell them apart. They all use the same phrases and slang, and I can't tell them apart. Not that it matters really because they are just there to run on stage, deliver some news to the main character and then run back show more off. You know which friend it was by the excuse for having to leave. The waitress friend always has a customer or is off break. The yarn shop owner always has a supplier on the phone who she's been trying to get ahold of for weeks. The ranchers stop by for a minute and then have to run, presumably to make the long drive back up the mountain having come to town just to talk to main character.

It's just growing tiresome to get almost halfway through the book with no murder or mystery, just life stuff of people I don't care about because they are just constructs/plot devices. Maybe it's more tolerable when reading just one of the books a year. I just don't know if I'll care to try again even with a year break. show less

This one isn't my favorite. I felt it was too predictable, and the emphasis on getting a good lawyer to help a murderer get lessened charges was far too pronounced, even if the person was someone they knew - albeit not well.

I feel like there was less sleuthing in this one, and more extra drama. I personally like a good balance between the sleuthing and the characters' personal lives. This book just didn't live up to the rest of the series.

Life in Fort Connor, Colorado, gets dismal when Jared Rizzoli, a financial advisor whose Ponzi scheme wiped out the savings of many residents, causing the death of some of them, returned after serving a ten-year sentence to conduct a financial seminar and purchase some property. He is unrepentant and, since this is a murder mystery, is murdered. Suspicion quickly falls on two residents but other possibilities arise.
Meanwhile, Pete Wainwright’s Grandfather Ben, who lived in Denver and cared for Pete’s eleven year old niece Cassie, had a major heart problem. Pete brought Cassie back to Fort Connor.
Kelly Flynn, the main character, continued her work as an accountant, drunk a lot of coffee, had her home repaired, and tried to find the show more killer.
There is a lot of information about types of wool the way it is formed from the original shearing until it becomes threads of yarn.
I really wanted to like this book. I looked forward to reading it for more than a month before it was published. I’ve read other books by Maggie Sefton and enjoyed them. Therefore,
I stuck with it to the end, even though I was ready to quit before I got to page 50. I should have quit. The book reminded me of the game of Telephone where the same message is repeated from one person to another. The difference was that in CLOSE KNIT KILLER the end message is identical to the original one; it is just repeated numerous times as a different character arrives on the scene.
I found all the conversation to be repetitious and very boring. There should have been a limit on the number of times we read about Kelly’s love of coffee and a few other food offerings.
Except for Cassie, it was difficult to differentiate the characters because most of them sounded and acted pretty much alike. And I identified the killer very quickly.
I hope the next book is more developed and interesting. show less

Close Knit Killer is the 11th book in the A Knitting Mystery series.

First off, their is an exciting new character in the Kelly Flynn series. Her name is Cassie and she is almost 12 and is the niece of Pete, the owner of Pete Porch Cafe at the House of Lambspun. The gang at Lambspun have all joined together to help out Pete and Jennifer keep Cassie occupied and to smooth out the rough edges of her moving to a new home. She seems to have adapted to her new home. I certainly hope to read more about her.

Mimi and Burt have decided to renovate a storage building and turn in into classrooms for the spinners and weavers who frequent the House of Lambspun. When, Hal Nelson who will be doing the work, shows up with his helper, Malcolm, Kelly show more recognizes Malcolm as the homeless person who provided her with some valuable information solve a previous case. Then when Jared Rizzoli shows, things really begin to tense. Rizzoli had operated a Ponzi scheme and many of the residents of Fort Connor had lost money in the scheme, some, even had been ruined by it. Soon Jared is found dead in the drive of Lambspun. Barbara, a knitter that is frequently at Lambspun, Hal and Malcomb were all seen having an argument with Jared, in addition Hal and Malcomb were seen by his car shortly before he was found dead. All three had had their lives saddly touched by Jared Ponzi scheme.

Kelly and Bert have their hands full sorting out people's alibis and trying to find hard facts that will point to the murderer.

Sefton wonderfully ends up the story by setting up the next book. I wouldn't even be surprised if there isn't another romance blooming in the next book.

Another exciting chapter in Kelly Flynn's life. Looking forward to book 12 next year. show less

Close Knit Killer is the 11th book in the A Knitting Mystery series.

First off, their is an exciting new character in the Kelly Flynn series. Her name is Cassie and she is almost 12 and is the niece of Pete, the owner of Pete Porch Cafe at the House of Lambspun. The gang at Lambspun have all joined together to help out Pete and Jennifer keep Cassie occupied and to smooth out the rough edges of her moving to a new home. She seems to have adapted to her new home. I certainly hope to read more about her.

Mimi and Burt have decided to renovate a storage building and turn in into classrooms for the spinners and weavers who frequent the House of Lambspun. When, Hal Nelson who will be doing the work, shows up with his helper, Malcolm, Kelly show more recognizes Malcolm as the homeless person who provided her with some valuable information solve a previous case. Then when Jared Rizzoli shows, things really begin to tense. Rizzoli had operated a Ponzi scheme and many of the residents of Fort Connor had lost money in the scheme, some, even had been ruined by it. Soon Jared is found dead in the drive of Lambspun. Barbara, a knitter that is frequently at Lambspun, Hal and Malcomb were all seen having an argument with Jared, in addition Hal and Malcomb were seen by his car shortly before he was found dead. All three had had their lives saddly touched by Jared Ponzi scheme.

Kelly and Bert have their hands full sorting out people's alibis and trying to find hard facts that will point to the murderer.

Sefton wonderfully ends up the story by setting up the next book. I wouldn't even be surprised if there isn't another romance blooming in the next book.

Another exciting chapter in Kelly Flynn's life. Looking forward to book 12 next year. show less

Close Knit Killer
Maggie Sefton
Berkley Prime Crime
June 4, 2013
Maggie Sefton's Kelly Flynn series never disappoints. I've had the pleasure of reading every book in the series and the main characters have all become close friends that I enjoy visiting with each year. Ms. Sefton provides enough clues and enough twists and turns that I can't figure out whodunnit very easily. After all of my years of reading mysteries and watching them on television, that isn’t easily done.

This book was purchased by me