By Hook or by Crook (A Crochet Mystery)

I am thoroughly hooked on Molly Pink and her crew of Tarzana Hookers. This book was so enjoyable that I didn't want it to end. I loved the way the clues were doled out gradually and judiciously, with a sprinkle of red herring and a smidgen of clever concealment. I'm already hanging by a thread waiting for the next one in this series. I'll be like a little kid with her nose to bookstore window, waiting for the next Molly Pink book to hit the shelves ~

And not just because so many cozy series are about knitters. It's charmingly written, and the clues are laid out so you can figure it out along with the main character, Molly Pink. The characters and relationships are believable except that Molly is occasionally too nice to be entirely believable. This is the 3rd book in the series, but they would all stand alone very well which I like a lot.I hate series mysteries where you have to know or remember all this detail to flesh it out. Molly is a strong heroine who isn't waiting to be rescued, and the crochet terminology isn't used so extensively that you feel like it's more of a crochet book then a mystery. The regular supporting characters in the Tarzana Hookers are all well realized, and remind you of people you know. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

This is the third book in a series about Molly Pink, a forty-something-year-old widow who works in a bookstore and has a passion for crocheting. She also happens to find herself at murder scenes and ends up becoming a rather good amateur detective. Each book centers around a murder mystery that Molly--with help from her friends in the bookstore's crochet group--unravels. Molly has an assortment of quirky friends and relatives who are highly entertaining. I loved this book! It's a purely entertaining read--nothing heavy. There's a lot of humor, a mystery that you can try to resolve along with Molly (I was only partially successful), a lot of unexpected and funny twists and turns, a sprinkling of romance, and crocheting. You don't need to crochet in order to enjoy the story, but if you crochet or knit, it will enhance the experience. There are also "Hollywood" references and action that takes place in the San Fernando Valley, Los Angeles, and Catalina, California. Molly feels like a good friend, and I highly enjoy her escapades. She is very giving and caring, and has a sense of justice and fairness that thankfully no one can shake. Highly recommended for a fun read. Warning: It's hard to put the book down. The action starts with the first sentence. It's not necessary to read the books in the series in order. Each one stands on its own and fills you in on any details from previous books that you need to know. I read the Kindle version, and it is formatted nicely with a functional Table of Contents. The book includes two crochet patterns and a recipe (which is high in fat and cholesterol--eek!). Happy reading!

Molly Pink can't seem to stay away from a murder investigation. While the Tarzana Hookers are selling their crochet items at a fundraiser for the state park, they find a bag left on their table. Inside they find a diary entry from 20 years ago, a note with a tone of regret, and a beautiful piece of filet crochet filled with clues in the form of symbols. Determined to return the bag to its rightful owner, Molly and the rest of the Hookers, start trying to figure out what each symbol means. But when Molly shows up at the home of the woman she believes is the owner of the bag, she finds the woman dead. Luckily, this time she isn't considered a suspect. What starts off looking like an accidental death, turns into a case of murder - by poison. Now Molly is more determined than ever to find out the story of its owner, as well as figure out who killed her, regardless of the warnings to stay away. All of the old characters from the previous books are back, along with a few new faces. Including Camille, the super rich daughter & wife of the producer of CeeCee's show, who is doing what her life coach says, and trying to act like the "little people". I love how even in this third outing of this series, Adele still holds a grudge against Molly for taking the job she wanted. To top it all off, Molly's parents have taken over her house for rehearsals for her mothers singing group reunion. And Molly continues to struggle with her feelings for both Barry and Mason. This is a well crafted mystery that gets unraveled one strand at a time, leading to the unfolding of a murderer I never even considered.

A widow in her forties following the sudden unexpected death of her husband, Molly Pink has made a new life for herself. She is the events coordinator and community relations specialist for Shedd & Royal Books. Molly is also one of the Tarzana Hookers, a group of crochet advocates who give their work to the less fortunate. Finally Molly has been an amateur sleuth who has solved homicide cases (see DEAD MEN DON'T CROCHET). Molly is unaware that when she finds a paper bag on the table used by the Tarzana Hookers to sell their products in order to raise money for charity, that she will be involved in solving another murder. Inside the bag is a letter of regret and guilt, and a ctochet panel with pictures that Molly assumes is a message from the crochet creator. The note implies the author made a terrible mistake years ago and desperately needs to set things right. After some inquiries, Molly concludes that socialite Mary Beth Wilson made the crochet panel piece. When she goes to see the woman, she finds her corpse instead lying in her bed with a box of apple maripan on the night stand. Molly believes Mary Beth was poisoned; the autopsy confirms her theory. She continues her investigation seeking to set right what Mary Beth tried to do before she was murdered. Someone is warning her to quit her investigation; that person sends her warnings and "gifts" which mean back off or she will be next. Molly is a feisty obstinate person who when shemakes up her mind to do something, no one, not even a killer, can get her to stop until she achieves her objective. There is plenty of action in this entertaining amateur sleuth due to the fully developed cast, especially the heroine and her Tarzana Hookers. Readers will understand what it is like to suffer from grief and not know what to do in terms of male relationships . Fans will admire Molly as she affirms that though you mourn your loss and miss your mate, there remains a fulfilling life if you go for it. Harriet Klausner