By Hook or by Crook (Crochet Mysteries)

By Hook or by Crook by Betty Hechtman
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a cute, fluffy read. I've been searching for some mystery books that don't necessarily revolve around a murder, leaves out any and all gory details, and is not filled with sex . This is book really fits what I've been searching for, with a lot of absurdity thrown in as well.

This is, of course, a murder mystery, but that is not really the mystery the book focuses on. There is a crochet group that meets frequently (it seems daily) in a bookstore where Molly Pink works. The characters in the group are so varied; for example, there is even a male model that is a member. (What?) The crocheters are always huddled around a filet crochet piece (a type of delicate crochet) filled with motifs (images) that was mysteriously left for them to decipher. Molly pretty much takes it over, letting her inner sleuth run wild through the town, eventually linking the crochet piece to a murder. Molly has this overwhelming inner desire to figure out who made the filet crochet piece, and why, and she will stop at nothing, including breaking into a private home, wearing her sons clothes, and even pretending to be a janitor.

There is also a recipe for a noodle dish at the end of the book that Molly Pink made several times during the book, along with a filet crochet bookmark pattern and a small crochet blanket pattern. I do crochet, so I might give them a try one of these days!

This was a really cute read. I was surprised to find myself still choosing to read this book every night before bed, as a huge part of me really didn't care about the storyline, or if Molly ever figured out what was up with the crochet piece, but it was simply just fun to read. I am guessing that is the purpose of the author, and she did good on that. I will definitely be keeping my eye open for more of her books, or others like this. She may have just opened up the world of cozy mystery books for me!


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