Book Review Thursday - 6/23

Another good week! I finished 2 books - and almost one quilt top! lol

 Knit, Purl, Die is the second book in the Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series by Anne Canadeo. (My review of the first book is here.) In this book, the ladies of the Black Sheep Knitting group have found a new member for the group in Gloria Sterling who has recently returned from Florida with a hunky, sensitive and younger new husband, Jamie. Jamie and Gloria seem to be fitting quite nicely into the knitting group and, although the marriage has the rest of the town's tongues wagging, all of the members of the knitting group can see that the couple is really in love.

During one knitting get together, Gloria mentions to the group that she is looking to sell some real estate. This is right up Suzanne's alley since she is a realtor and leads to Suzanne finding Gloria's body floating in her pool just 2 days later. With another death in the town's knitting community and the police all too willing to write Gloria's death off as accidental, Suzanne, Lucy and the rest of the gang set out to get some answers.

This book was a nice addition to the series. Some story lines from the first book are moved forward in this book and there is still mention of the police bungling the investigation from the first book. The characters introduced are not overwhelming to the point where the reader can't keep everyone straight. And I felt like I was able to distinguish between the knitters in the group a little easier with this book as well. And I am already into the third book in the series!

In a Strange City by Laura Lippman is the next book in the Tess Monaghan series. In this book, a man tries to hire Tess to find the true identity of The Visitor - the person who has been paying homage to Edgar Allan Poe (or Ed Al Poe as I like to call him!) every year for the past 50 years by placing 3 red roses and a bottle of Cognac on his grave in the early morning hours of January 19th. Tess refuses to take the job and scolds the would be client for wanting to ruin a Baltimore tradition. When she brings up the meeting with her boyfriend, he suggests that they join in the custom of watching for the Visitor since it happens to be the next night.

Tess and Crow spend the evening with the rest of the Visitor watchers and everyone is shocked when 2 men show up in cloaks at the grave. One shot rings out and one Visitor lies dead. What follows is a mystery that is filled with Poe history, Baltimore antiques and greedy collectors.

I really enjoyed this mystery! There was a lot of information and characters from old books came into play that reiterate that Tess knows everyone in Baltimore. I was still guessing whodunit and why at the end. It has also made me want to get out my Complete Work of Edgar Allan Poe book to read a little. :)

Are you reading anything good?