Murder In Merino-Sally Goldenbaum

Murder In Merino Sally Goldenbaum Obsidian, May 6 2014, $24.95 ISBN: 9780451415363 In Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, the Seaside Knitters agree to knit something special for member Nell Endicott and her husband Ben as they celebrate their fortieth anniversary. Besides the gala and afghan for the Ruby Anniversary of her aunt and uncle, owner of the Seaside Knitting Studio, Izzy Chambers Perry places on the market the cottage she lived in until she married Sam. Stranger Jules Ainsley offers to buy the somewhat rundown cottage with a jungle foliage backyard sight unseen to the shock of its owner, her friends and family. The outsider’s persistent questions about Sea Harbor and her jogging in all types of weather also add to the belief that Jules is a harmless lunatic. However, when Ocean’s End co-owner Jeffrey Meara’s corpse is found murdered in the yard of Izzy’s cottage, Police Chief Jerry Thompson suspects Jules. The knitters look for a motive until they conclude the reason for the homicide ties back to something that happened several decades ago. The latest Seaside Knitters mystery (see Angora Alibi) is a delightful leisurely-paced cozy that enables series fans to catch up with what is happening to the members, their spouses and the rest of the townsfolk. The freshness comes from the enigmatic Jules, whose eccentric behavior even before the homicide has the locals and readers wondering what is rattling inside her head; while she turns Murder In Merino into an enjoyable whodunit. Harriet Klausner