🎧 Listened in audio | 📢 Narrated by Sarah Zimmerman
⏱ Duration: 8 hours | Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
🏷️ Publisher name: Ambleside Publishing
📅 First published: October 10, 2018
Book Blurb:
When an older gentleman keels over in his scones and tea at the Elderflower Tea Shop in Oxford, poison turns out to be the cause, and Lucy Swift and her band of undead amateur detectives take the case. The tea shop sits next door to Cardinal Woolsey’s, the yarn shop Lucy runs and the home of the late-night Vampire Knitting Club. Its owners are two octogenarian sisters and old family friends, and one of them is being romanced by an old flame the other distrusts. Between suspects, a botched spell, dropped stitches and a Wiccan potluck, Lucy wonders whether to move back to Boston.
Let’s talk … murder!!!
Stitches and Witches is a fun, low-stakes cozy that does what the genre promises: tea, yarn, magic, and a murder that never gets too dark. When a cranky colonel is poisoned at the Elderflower Tea Shop, Lucy Swift and her band of undead amateur sleuths get on the case, all while Lucy fumbles through her knitting, her spellcasting, and the question of whether to stay in Oxford. The concept is charming, and the series seems to be finding its footing, with the theme getting stronger as it goes. I liked the subplot of Mr. McDonald swindling one of the Watt sisters, which gave the older characters more to do and added some real stakes. It’s also a true standalone with no sex or gore, which makes it an easy, comforting read.
That said, I’m not fond of love triangles, and it looks like one is being set up between the sexy vampire and the living detective. I’d have preferred the romance stay in the background. The audiobook narration by Sarah Zimmerman was just okay for me and didn’t add much to the experience. As for the mystery, I was sure the colonel’s past was coming back to haunt him, but I had the culprit completely wrong, and the killer came out of nowhere for me. Depending on your taste, that’s either a satisfying twist or a sign the clues could have been laid more fairly.
Would I recommend it?
Stitches and Witches is a pleasant pick for fans of paranormal cozies and knitting-themed comfort fiction, with no sex or gore getting in the way. The narration was just okay for me, and I had the culprit completely wrong, so it didn’t dazzle. I’ll continue the Vampire Knitting Club series since it keeps improving, though I’m hoping the love triangle doesn’t take over.
⭐⭐⭐
5 book recommendations
Knit One, Kill Two by Maggie Sefton
If the yarn shop was your favourite part, this knitting mystery gives you a whole circle of crafters who solve murders between stitches.
A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake
Lucy’s shaky spellcasting pairs well with this paranormal cozy, where a witch with magical abilities ends up investigating a murder.
Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly
This one is a good next read for anyone who wants a gentle dose of the supernatural in a small-town cozy without the romance taking over.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
The Watt sisters getting more to do was a highlight for me, and this series is built around older sleuths who steal every scene.
The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
If you would rather meet Lucy and the undead knitters from the very start, book one of the series is the place to begin.
Pass the Tea and the Knitting Needles
Now it’s your turn to weigh in. Do you enjoy a love triangle in your cozies, or does it make you want to put the book down? I’d love to know if you guessed the colonel’s killer before I did (I did not, in case that wasn’t clear). If you’ve listened to the Vampire Knitting Club on audio, tell me whether Sarah Zimmerman’s narration worked better for you. And if you have a favourite craft cozy, drop it in the comments so I can add it to the stack.
Book Links
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