Purls and Poison

September 24, 2018
Canadeo’s charming 10th Black Sheep and Company mystery (after 2017’s Knit to Kill) finds the knitting ladies of Plum Harbor, Mass., defending one of their own when realtor Suzanne Cavanaugh becomes the primary suspect in the poisoning murder of Liza Devereaux, her arch competitor at Prestige Properties. The strikes against Suzanne mount quickly: her very public attack on Liza shortly before her rival’s murder, her discovery of the body in Liza’s cubicle after office hours, and incriminating evidence later unearthed by the police. The knitters—Phoebe Meyers, Dana Haeger, Lucy Binger, and Maggie Messina—suspect that their friend has been framed. Since many others had reason to wish Liza dead, the women have lots of people to interview in their quest to identify the real killer. Relatable characters and amusing commentary (at one point, Dana refers to Liza as the female Lord Voldemort, e.g. the “Dark Lord-ess”) show why Canadeo is so popular with cozy readers. Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary.

Narrator Alyssa Bresnahan delivers an engaging mystery. When Suzanne Cavanaugh's hated business rival is murdered, she finds herself the main suspect. Though this protagonist is perhaps the least likable of the five friends known as the Black Sheep Knitters, around whom this series centers, Bresnahan quickly entices listeners to empathize with her distress. Using effective pacing to draw listeners in, Bresnahan then holds back at just the right times to capture the drama. As the net closes more tightly around Suzanne, Bresnahan effectively conveys her panic and makes the tension palpable as the actual murderer is about to be revealed. V.M.G. � AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine