Taken In is the ninth book in the Southern Sewing Circle Mystery series.

The ladies of the Southern Sewing Circle are looking forward to trip to the "Big Apple" and being on the Taped With Melly and Kenneth show. Dixie Dunn is really looking forward to the trip, as she will be meeting a gentleman that she met on the internet, for the first time. As the ladies are watching Dixie's breakfast with Dreyer, Leona recognizes Dreyer as a con man who preys on older single women. The group soon learns where he lives and they head over to where he lives and as they are approaching they notice a crowd has gathered and learn that someone has pushed Dreyer off his balcony. When the police come to question Dixie, she is soon taken away in handcuffs, arrested for the murder of Dreyer. The police found a torn scarf in her purse that matched a similar piece found in Dreyer's apartment. So, now it is up to the sewing circle ladies to find the murderer so they can ALL return to Sweet Briar. Luckily the ladies have met a bookstore manager with Dreyer and offers to help them.

This was a very fun and funny book, with a great cast of characters. Tori is somewhat the leader of the group and the librarian back in Sweet Briar. Then there is Rose, who is 80 something, and a kind lady, but one that won't take any guff from anyone. The twins, Leona and Margaret Louise are like night and day. Margaret Louise is kind hearted and get all with everyone, Leona likes to act like she perfect and everyone should do as she does.

I will be watching for the next book in the series. ( )

The Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries are one of my favorite series and a new book in the series always tops my “must read” stack of books. TAKEN IN only solidified my love of this series.

I’ll admit, I was a bit worried to see Tori and the ladies taken out of Sweet Briar and put onto the mean streets of New York City. My worry was for nothing. Turning that group of ladies loose in the big city was brilliant!

I knew it was going to be a wild ride from page one, and I laughed my way through the first chapter. Who am I kidding? I laughed my way through the entire book! The only thing that could have been better than reading about these fun ladies and the mystery they find themselves embroiled in, would have been to get to go on the trip with them myself!

Besides the fun, it was a wonderful mystery that kept me guessing the whole way through and into the wee hours of the morning, because I simply could not put in down until I was finished!

If you are a fan of the Southern Sewing Circle Mysteries, make sure to add TAKEN IN to your collection. If you haven’t read the series, get to ordering! You are missing out on a wonderfully written series, by a talented author who always delivers on mystery, fun, and characters that you will want to call friends. ( )

Taken In might be the ninth book in the Southern Sewing Circle mysteries, but it's my first. That's not necessarily a bad thing: my first Scumble River mystery was number 16, and my first Decker/Lazarus mystery was number 22. Both of those made me want to read their respective series from the beginning. As for being spoiled in the romance department, it just made the ups and downs of the budding relationships more enjoyable.

The interaction style among the members of the Sweet Briar Ladies Society Sewing Circle as a whole and between certain members in particular was obviously well established. I did enjoy the barbs traded by elderly Rose and man-chasing Leona.

Unfortunately, we don't get to see much of Sweet Briar in this entry because our sewing circle ladies have won a trip to New York City, where they'll appear on a morning talk show.

That appearance takes place pretty early. The words about their friendship were sweet. Most of the book is taken up by the circle's efforts to free a member falsely arrested for murder. Along the way they meet the fabulous Charles, a bookstore employee who helps them out. I liked him.

Bottom line? I'm willing, but not eager, to read the earlier books.

Notes:

There's a warning about why pretending to be a friend to help that friend's online dating chances is a very bad idea in chapter one.

Chapter three includes a bit about the founding of the sewing circle.

Do be sure to catch Leona Elkin's explanation for why she stays in Sweet Briar in chapter six (be prepared to roll your eyes).

The best (in my opinion) of daddy's sayings that Margaret-Louise quotes may be found in chapter nine.

Margaret-Louise reveals a secret about her twin, Leona, in chapter 25.

Cat lovers, you'll have to content yourself with Leona's pet bunny, Paris.

Dog lovers, there's a cameo by a Corgi named Ruffs.

The fabulous Charles, bookstore employee, was fun. ( )