Moon Spinners

This is a fun, light mystery series set in a coastal Massachusetts town. The people are interesting and caring. The beginning of summer provides intrigue when a businessman's wife drives her car off the road. Only the police discover that the brake line was severed. So begins the search for the killer and the unraveling of many community secrets. Goldenbaum strongly believes that money is the root of all-evil, and this third installment proves that theory. Romance begins to heat up for both Cass and Izzy; will the next book feature a wedding? I thoroughly enjoy the mention of food and the knitting. I would love to see a shop like Izzy's shop, where friends can gather for food and friendship.

Nell and her friends set out to figure out who might have wanted to send Sophia plunging over the cliff when it is discovered that the brakes had been tampered with. There are several suspects including one to whom almost all the circumstantial evidence points although Nell is not convinced the person could have committed the deed. Although I enjoy most of the characters in this series, this installment seemed to be a somewhat borrowed plot from another book I've read in the past that concerned developers wanted land. The author did, however, make it her own in the end; however, much of the narrative seemed similar.

This is the third in Seaside Knitters Mysteries (Cozy Mystery) featuring Nell Endicott with Izzy, Cass and Birdie and set in modern day Sea Harbor Massachusetts.

The small town of Sea Harbor has two powerful families (Delany and Santos) in the development/building business but they put their differences aside long enough to attend a charity event. But on the drive home Sophia Santos' car goes off a sea side cliff. The police find from the wreckage that the expensive speciality brakes were cut. Grace is a friend of the group and the victim was her aunt who raised her. So naturally the group jumps into investigating Sophia's last week to find out why she was murder and by whom. There are plenty of suspects lurking around corners since show more Sophia was powerful and opinionated - even her husband.

The main character of Nell is like slipping on a warm wool sweater, so comfortable. Her niece Izzy owns the local yarn and knitting shop. The dynamic between the two is loving and enjoyable. Throw in Cass and the the older wealthy Birdie and you have a delightful team whose friendship is their rock and their sleuthing is their next hobby after knitting. I have to admit that it took me a little bit to figure out the four cohorts and their relationships since I had not read the two prior books, but that didn't last long. It is easy to catch on.

I classified this as a cozy rather than a craft mystery because I think the emphasis really is on the community and the relationships in the group rather than the knitting. Granted there are references to the knitting they each are doing, but it is such a part of each character that it lends to the story rather than seeming contrived. I loved the sea side brought to life and could almost smell that sea brine and feel the ocean mist on my face. The sense of place is wonderfully done.

Like many cozy mysteries, the process of questioning and detecting takes its time and is not rushed, but it carried me through nicely and kept me coming back for more. The plot is not complicated but was adequate for the story and felt believable. I had suspected the killer but didn't have the motive worked out until the big reveal. I felt the ending was satisfying, but most of all, when I think back on the book I miss the characters. The true sign of a good cozy!

Read the complete review here:
http://mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/2010/07/review-moon-spinners.html show less

Nell Endicott and the group of Seaside Knitters have taken one member, Cass's friend Gracie under their wing when she returns to Sea Harbor and plans to open the Lazy Lobster and Soup Cafe. Gracie is estranged from her mother and in the process of a divorce when her aunt is murdered in a car crash. Nell leads the knitters group in tweeking out information. The family and business relationships around Gracie are very intricate with plenty of secrets and shady actions. Decent mystery

Moon spinners by Sally Goldenbaugh
This Seaside knitters book is about a mystery surrounding the local knitting shop and all those that frequent it to help solve the murder.
A special yacht club dinner and the knitters are invited. Sohpia has been seen driving off a cliff but all the knitters know she never would've done that.
They must collect the clues and ask a lot of questions to find out who did it.
Some things around town are not making sense: why the path is closed off to get to the public areas....why Sophias husband never drove the car once he brought it home...
Loved hearing of the knitting lessons-turning heels on socks. Always amazes me that I can never figure out who it is that killed the woman.
Excerpt from A Holiday Yarn, the show more next in the series is also included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device). show less

I have come to really like this series. This book had the best mystery so far, in my opinion, and I look forward to reading the rest of the books based on the Seaside Knitters.

Nell and friends investigate the murder of Sophia Santos.