Hooks Can Be Deceiving by Betty Hechtman

Molly Pink’s excitement level is off the hook: The Craftee Channel’s new cable talk show “Creating with Crochet” has scheduled an upcoming taping at the bookstore. While she’s there, TV host Rory Graham is to work with the Tarzana Hookers on a Make and Take bracelet project to draw bookstore customers to the yarn section. It’s a win-win…or so it “seams.”

The situation gets a bit knotted when channel producer Michael Kostner confides to Molly his concern that Rory may have oversold her ability as a crocheter. When the producer’s worst fears are realized, it’s up to Molly to make sure Rory comes through.

Guiding Rory through crocheting-for-beginners will have to wait, though, as Molly suddenly has to untangle the mysterious death of a new Tarzana Hookers member. Marianne Freeman and her live-in companion, Connie Richards, haven’t exactly been gabby since they joined the Hookers, but Connie’s voice is silenced permanently when she is electrocuted while walking on a wet lawn—electrified by an old radio plugged into a faulty extension cord. The fingers point at Marianne, but Molly is fast on the case to protect one of her own. Was Marianne the killer…or the intended target? Why does her younger brother want to keep her from talking to the cops? And why is this whole case starting to remind Molly Pink of an old TV movie?

 

Series: Crochet Mystery #13 | Publisher: Crooked Lane Books | Release Date: December 11, 2018 | Genre: Cozy Mystery  | Source: Publisher | Rating: 3.5 Cups Challenges Read For:  - Cruisin' Thru The Cozies  Craft Themed- 2019 Try Something New New-to-me author

 

I’ve been having so much fun discovering new cozies lately.

 

Molly’s thrilled when she learns a craft show will be taping in the bookstore she works at although her excitement diminishes slightly when she discovers she’ll be more or less babysitting Rory, an actress who will be the host of the show who has no clue how to crochet. As the shows taping date grows closer, Molly’s starting to get things under control until one of their craft club members dies in a mysterious accident. Now Molly and her craft club mates need to figure out who the killer is before they become their next victim.

 

This one was interesting—I always like a craft-based cozy, even if I can’t crochet to save myself—and I found the characters to be unique.

 

The mystery in this one was solid. There were a few red herrings being tossed about and I didn’t really expect the outcome, and that’s always thrilling.

 

Like most cozies, there’s a love triangle. Molly’s ex Barry, who happens to be a detective, and her new boyfriend Mason, who I believe is an attorney. While it seemed to me that she’s more comfortable around Barry, I feel like I was missing a huge chunk of what was going on.

 

Overall, I had fun with this one. The characters, the mystery, the bookshop/craft club setting but I feel like this one, being book 13, was a little too far into the series to actually pull me in since Molly’s backstory is missing.

 

I would eventually like to go back and read the previous books in this series.

Crochet Mystery

1-Hooked on Murder  

2-Dead Men Don't Crochet  

3-By Hook or by Crook  

4- A Stitch in Crime

5-You Better Knot Die

6-Behind the Seams

7-If Hooks Could Kill

8-For Better or Worsted

9-Knot Guilty

10-Seams Like Murder

11-Hooking for Trouble

12-On the Hook

13-Hooks Can Be Deceiving