Knot a Game by Betty Hechtman is the ninth A Yarn Retreat Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those who are new to the series. I like the author’s writing style. It made the book easy to read. The characters, though, are another story. I have become frustrated with Casey. Her character is at a standstill. She is still unsure about the yarn retreats (she should really have the hang of it by now) and her relationship with Dane has not moved forward. Dane is ready for them to go to the next step, but Casey has put on the brakes. If I ran a yarn retreat business, I would spend my spare time working on my skills. Casey is still at the beginner stage (she can make a scarf using the knit stitch). I would love to see her host a retreat using knitting looms (those plastic looms which can make hats, scarves, blankets, socks, and so much more). I liked that Casey was hosting a mystery weekend. I would love to attend one. Casey, though, is hesitant (of course). Thankfully, she gets help from Cloris, but I have to wonder if Casey has ever heard of the internet. Casey also needs to work on her organizational skills (the weekend was a bit disorganized). The whodunit did not begin until I was a third of a way into the book. There are a couple of suspects, a red herring, and obvious clues. There is a secondary mystery involving a woman staying at Vista Del Mar. When Casey is not baking, handling her retreat, feeding her cat the stinky fish food, talking to Dane, or searching for clues, she unravels the mystery woman’s secret. Let us not forget that the retreaters still need to solve their fake murder. There is too much repetition. Do we really need to know each time Casey feeds Julius (her cat) his stinky fish food? Or how stinky the food is, and that Casey uses multiple layers of clear wrap to keep the smell out of her fridge (did she ever hear of Ziploc bags or buy the small cans that are one serving). We are told several times about Dane offering free karate lessons to local teens and about his delectable spaghetti sauce (I will stop my rant now). These are just a couple of examples. I would like to see the characters grow and for the stories to have more substance. Knot a Game takes readers to Cadbury by the Sea where there is a mystery retreat, hand warmer woes, tasty treats, a furtive visitor, scrumptious spaghetti sauce, stinky fish food, and a messy murder. ( )

Yarn retreat planner Casey takes on an extra job in this novel, as she integrates a murder mystery game into her next retreat at Vista del Mar. When a genuine murder occurs during the event, Casey's guests become more interested in "helping" solve the murder than they are in their game and yarn projects.

Although this is part of a series, readers can enjoy this novel as a standalone. The interesting characters and subtle clues will keep readers guessing until the final "reveal" of both mysteries. For those continuing with the series, some favorite characters and settings reappear in this story.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own. ( )