| Title | : | Dead Men Don't Crochet (Crochet Mystery, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0425225003 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780425225004 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 278 |
| Publication | : | First published December 2, 2008 |
Then the shop owner is found dead. Molly Pink ignores the warnings from her homicide-detective boyfriend and sets out with her stitchmates to clear Sheila's name.
Dead Men Don't Crochet (Crochet Mystery, #2) Reviews
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This is the second book in the series and I like the characters and the crocheting. It's not too heavy on crochet terminology so even if you're not a crochet person you can enjoy it. The main character is Molly Pink and she is part of a crochet group that meets in the bookstore where she works. One of the group members is accused of murder and Molly sets out to solve the murder, once again running up against "Officer Heather" who is interested in Molly's boyfriend, another detective. I liked that this was a real who done it and I couldn't figure out the killer before it was revealed. I read a lot of cozy mysteries so I always enjoy when there are clues but the murderer isn't obvious. I have already downloaded the third book into my Kindle and will probably continue with this series.
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Second verse same as the first with this book, it was just ok. I had a hard time connecting with the characters overall. Molly acts more like she's 20, instead of the late 40's widow she really is. Adele is a giant witch to everyone, and there is no real reason why given in the story. CeeCee's focused on being a celebrity, her good side, and her special makeup for television appearances, and it was old in the first book! Sheila's nice, but forgettable, as she doesn't stand up for herself much and is rather meek overall. Dinah's an enabler, and not in a good way. Don't even get me started on Barry, because he seems like he's using Molly more so than anything else, and she doesn't see it! It seems like every new member of the group seems to be evil in some way! It was too predictable! Thankfully, I got this from the library, but I'm not sure I'll be continuing after the next book.
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Molly's "detecting" skills are put to the test when one of the crochet group is a person of interest in the murder of a local businessperson. Once again Detective Heather has tunnel vision when it comes to her investigation so Molly jumps in to find the real killer before her friend is hauled off to jail, but can she detect and keep herself from being offed in the process. A great plot wrapped around a group of unique and interesting characters to keep you invested in the outcome! I can't wait to hear what happens in the next audiobook in the series!
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Hits all of the tropes - craft store, cop boyfriend, lots of fun characters. See if you can figure it out before Molly Pink.
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This book was nowhere near as enjoyable as the first. I just can't connect with the characters--Molly is supposed to be a 50ish widow, but she acts more like she's twenty. Adele is a giant witch to everyone. If I have to hear about how CeeCee's a celebrity, or her good side, or her special makeup one more time, I'm going to vomit. Sheila's nice, but forgettable--probably because she's the only real character in this mess. Dinah's an enabler, and not in the "oh, go ahead and have the extra doughnut" kind of way, but in the "oh, it's cool that you're going to tamper with this crime scene because you're bored" kinda way. And don't even get me started on Barry. What a joke.
Oh, and this: "But it's knitted," Adele sputtered, touching it like it was made of worms.
So [spoiler:] was the one who'd been making the blankets all of us had admired. She was full of surprises, but not good ones..."
Because it's not enough that she made something beautiful out of a skein of yarn. That just sealed the deal for me. -
this is the 2nd book in this series and much better than the first. I love the character of Molly Pink. I understand how she feels about her dating life as well. She is a smart woman who somehow manages to figure out the 'who done it' while almost getting herself killed in the process. She has a grown son that I want to slap, but other than that, I like the books and the storylines of all the characters. Hope they continue to get better as I finish the series.
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While I love these cozies, and enjoy mysteries in general, this particular one didn't thrill me. I had not figured it out, but there was a lot of distraction in side stories in this one, and the mystery didn't seem center stage. I have enjoyed this author, though, so will continue to read more by her.
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All the characters seemed to be extremely self absorbed in this one. Molly wants a relationship, but doesn't. Barry keeps coming over and letting himself in, even though it bothers her, because he wants a more committed relationship than she does. Her son Peter treats her like an imbecilic invalid who doesn't know how to take care of herself. Adele wants to run everything because she figures she is better than anyone. Patricia is going to be a councilman's wife and figures that she is the first lady of the city already and everyone is beneath her. It was all a bit much.
Sheila is a nervous wreck because she is owed money from one of the antique store dealers where she sells her handmade scarves and after a confrontation with him, he turns up dead in a soup bowl. Molly tries to get as much info about the crime scene as she can before they are all kicked out of it. Sheila is the prime suspect and Molly is trying to prove otherwise. She sticks her nose in a lot where it really should not go. I know this is a cozy mystery, but it was her attitude towards finding out who done it that really irked me. She felt that she was a detective on the case, and she should be able to interrogate people just because she read a book. UGH -
Like I said in my initial review, this book is cheesy. Apparently it was the 2nd in a series, which I really don't think mattered. I don't plan on reading the first one & I don't plan on reading anymore either. The writing wasn't awful, but certainly more like a young adult novel, than a novel for the demographic I think the author was trying to reach. (The main character in the book was a 50 something year old widow...) All that being said, you didn't find out who the murderer was until the end of the book, and I was wrong as to who I thought it was. So the author did a good job surprising you. Even though it was a murder mystery, it served its purpose in providing me with an easy-read, "light" book to read after the intense story I read before this. As a crocheter not a knitter, I was happy for some love to the crocheters of the world! I knew the lingo & that's pretty cool.
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Entitled & oddly clueless white woman spends a lot of energy judging others, especially their appearances. Behaves erratically & sometimes stupidly while attempting to sleuth. Has creepy cop boyfriend she keeps for the sex, & because it's nice to be wanted. Fails spectacularly at setting boundaries with boyfriend and with others. Neither the protagonist, nor any of the supporting characters, appear to be developing any significant depth.
Summary: Not worth reading just because I enjoy crochet, not when there are better mysteries out there. -
The Tarzana Hookers, are not street ladies, but a crochet group.
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I listened to the audio version again, I tried reading the book but found myself skimming. I enjoyed the first book a lot more than this one. Already it seems to have a pattern and I'm only on book 2 of the series. I felt annoyed with Molly several times while listening and thought she should just be minding her business.
The crochet group didn't feel as appealing to me as it did in the first book. I didn't particularly appreciate how Barry "manipulated" his way into Molly's house. I wanted Molly to speak up more than she did. And that dang Detective Heather, goodness....she apparently is not very good at her job.
Overall it was an ok read. I do think I will try the next one, but if it follows the "pattern" of the first two I'm not sure I'll continue after that.
Rating: PG -the topic of murder, closed-door bedroom scene
Language: clean read, I don't recall any bad language
Recommend: so so -
These are solid for what they are: light, escapist reads. I would like to see Molly make better choices with her sleuthing. One quibble with this book is that while extended stitches are used to create a foundation row, you can't actual make a fountain row just using extended stitches. Instead there's a whole technique, which is why patterns refer to a first row that creates the chain as you make the stitches as a foundation row. And while it wasn't clear if they thought extended stitches can be used in other rows, they certainly can be.
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Enjoyable cozy... I like the characters in this series quite a lot!
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Quick Murder mysteries. It was enjoyable, writing is so so. Like how it ties in crochet
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This is my second time reading it, the first I wasn't as active on here so I'm trying to update missing ratings and adding reviews.
I came across this series while looking for crochet patterns and it looked interesting, I've read up to
If Hooks Could Kill which is the 7th in the series. There's a recently released 12th book,
On the Hook, and number 13,
Hooks Can Be Deceiving, is scheduled for this winter. I should probably catch up.
It's about Molly Pink, widowed with two grown sons, who works in a bookshop and is also part of the local crochet group called "The Tarzana Hookers". Each book comes with crochet patterns and cooking recipes. I like trying out the patterns but I don't think I'll be making this shawl, I'm more for small projects.
Molly almost never has a nice word for Adele. She obviously wants a promotion, one that could endanger Molly's place in the store, and she can be pushy about it but why criticize all her outfits, hairstyles and makeup choices as well? The book is in first person so this is meant to be Molly's personal opinion, and she seem to think everything looks bad on her, I wonder if her dislike for the person make them sound harsher than needed.
I don't like Barry, Molly's boyfriend, he's demanding, jealous and controlling. Molly keeps telling him she's not ready for a serious relationship, he keeps pushing and she's too naive to effectively block him. He's not even useful. Personally I'm rooting for Mason, he's likeable, understanding and also Peter (Molly's eldest son) approved. -
Dead Men Don't Crochet is the second book in the Crochet Mystery cozy mystery series. Y'all have heard of "cozy mysteries," right? Murder mysteries minus any gore? They're often lacking in sex and language, also, making these pretty safe books to hand to Grandma. I enjoy them as little breaks in more intense reading. Also, two of the first adult book series I ever read were cozy mysteries! (Pennsylvania Dutch mysteries by Tamar Myers (and my first author meet-and-greet) and the "Cat Who" series by Lillian Jackson Braun.)
This cozy mystery series follows Molly Pink, an upper-middle-aged widow who manages events for a local bookstore, including leading the crochet group that meets there. They make things to donate to local charities. In her free time, she gets herself mixed up in murder mysteries around town.
In this volume, there's been a murder in a local shop, and one of the Tarzana Hookers is suspected of the murder! Molly jumps right in with investigating. Hijinks ensue. These cozy mysteries are a little predictable... but that's ok. That's why they're cozy!
I can't resist this little teaser: while dead men do not, in fact, crochet... some very unexpected men do! You won't believe what man ends up crocheting in Dead Men Don't Crochet. ;)
I listened to the audiobook version of Dead Men Don't Crochet. I didn't really connect with the narrator... I can't put my finger on anything in particular that was wrong, but it just wasn't quite right, either. Maybe it's just me. -
January 10, 2015: So I read this book again because I actually started the series from the beginning. What a difference it made! I increased it to a 3-star rating (might have been four, but you know, these ratings are always so subjective anyway, right?). So my advice: start with book one and then read book two as it's much easier to keep track of who's who, although I still don't understand the whole anti-knit sentiment by hookers. How else would I create a provisional cast on if I didn't use crochet? Respect the craft, people.
Jan 6, 2009: All-in-all, this book was lacking something. The much-discussed animosity between crocheters and knitters caught me by surprise. Really? The two groups are at odds? The character Adele who is a rabid anti-knitter, hates them so much that people have to hide the fact that they knit. Now that is a bit over-the-top. Too many characters to remember, too many moments where the protagonist feels as if she is the only one who can solve a mystery - it got kind of old from the beginning. -
Dead Men Don't Crochet is the 2nd in the The Crochet Mystery series by Betty Hechtman.
I think this review by Judith Libby from the Amazon page says it all:
"This second-in-a-series of Molly Pink crochet murder mysteries is a delight. The characters are believable, and Molly herself is an adroit observer of life and its many layers. I especially enjoy how the characters interact and deal with the outside tugs at their lives. Crisply written for an entirely enjoyable read. Can't wait for the third installment."
I totally agree! -
This was another fun adventure following Molly Pink in her antics. The characters are absolutely ridiculous and I can't decide if Molly is likeable or annoying. I'm so entertained by the crochet group members and was actually surprised by the resolution to the murder mystery in this one. I related to Molly's first experience with thread crochet, but was dismayed to see errors in the included crochet pattern at the end of the book. Overall this is not the best book I've ever read, but will continue with the entire series for the hilarity and crochet related stories.
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Molly Pink is my kind of character. She seemed like a normal person. Her group of friends from the crochet group reminded me a bit of my friends and a couple of co-workers. The pace of the story as it developed was good. I liked that the characters had a little bit of "meat" or realism to them. This is an author who I will be looking for in the future. I was surprised at who the culprit was. No I'm not going to tell you. You'll have to read the book to find out. Yeah, I know I'm evil.
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Good read, I enjoyed the character Molly Pink, and like her I rip out as many "stitches of despair" as I complete. Book also contains a pattern for a shawl and Molly's cheesecake cupcakes, as girl after my own heart. Oh and she owns a terrier mix.
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I am feeling a bit gross reading this book. There are some weird fetish things going on. In both book one and book two, our protagonist is handcuffed and treated badly by the police. In book one, it was the opening scene and was part of the plot that she was the main suspect. In book two, she is spying on someone she suspects of the murder and they call the popo on her, hence her being ordered out of her car, patted down etc. What makes me feel a little icky inside is how the author goes to great lengths to explain how Molly submits to the police. It's like reading a clean version of an S&M porn. It's very Fifty Shades. Molly throws her hands up in the air when they command her to. She slaps her hands down on the car hood when ordered to. They pat her down and she submits to it. Not to mention, they sent seven patrol cars and a helicopter to take her down when all she was doing was sitting in her car outside the guy's house.
Her relationship with the detective Barry is also creepy. She refuses to make any kind of commitment to him, even keeping her options open with another man. Barry eventually confronts her about this other man, and she admits there is a little sumthin sumthin with guy #2, although she hasn't acted on it yet. Instead of telling her what he wants from the relationship and/or leaving until she gets her sh*t together, Barry starts kissing her. *barf*
There is nothing attractive about Barry. In book one he was portrayed as a real catch, but in book two all he does is intrude on her home and keep telling her that she is stupid/wrong/dumb for trying to investigate the murder. Why would you stay with a man who discounts your every intuition and doesn't want you to pursue your own interests. Not to mention he is a police officer and refuses to help her in any way. He won't even relay information to the actual detective on the case.
There is also way too much talk about fat/thin/eating/not eating and all of it is extremely judgemental. Molly's son has a girlfriend who is a dancer and she is very thin. Of course Molly immediately jumps to the conclusion that the girl has an eating disorder. It is not possible in this world to be thin and athletic and watch what you eat without being anorexic, right? In one scene, the girl is heading to a dance class and Molly actually tells us that the girl is overdoing exercise. Molly makes some delicious meal while the girlfriend nukes a low cal meal and Molly is convinced that if she just had a little more time she could get the girl to eat her high cal meal. Like wtf Molly. Mind your own GD business. That girl's body and fitness routine are exactly 0% your business.
I actually enjoyed book one and liked the crochet aspects of it, but I am so fully barfed-out by book 2 and its weird S&M vibe that I will not be reading any more. I know of lots of cosy characters that have the cop boyfriend trope without making the protagonist a useless rag and a tease. -
Overall Rating: 3⭐️
This might as well be my review for both the first and second installment
🗺SETTING:
Contemporary; feels like a hallmark movie set
👥CHARACTERS:
The characters felt a bit 2D to me. No one really felt real, but more like caricatures of real people.
💕RELATIONSHIPS:
The crochet ladies and their relationships together are a ton of fun.
I hate the main characters boyfriend, Barry. He is a world class jerk who gaslights and is borderline emotionally abusive. Her friend who is constantly telling her how lucky she is to have him because her bar for men is practically underground is equally awful.
🧭 PLOT:
If Nancy Drew was solving mysteries as an adult who liked to crochet this would be the story. I personally found the motives for the murders a little convoluted and far fetched, but it’s a story about a woman who crochets and solves murders soooo…..
🕰 PACING:
Something is always happening. I think the overall style of these got in the way of me paying careful attention to detail so I’m not really sure if the things happening ever mattered that much, but events are definitely constant and keep things moving along.
✍️WRITING STYLE:
Reads like a hallmark movie… if you like those you’re in luck. If not, you should probably stay far away from these.
Final Thoughts:
These were pretty much exactly what I expected them to be. I didn’t love them, but I also didn’t really expect to, I just wanted a cozy mystery to pass some time until a book I wanted became available. -
Positives: Molly's a sympathetic lead without being too much of a pushover and gives me Angela Landsbury vibes. I like that she's unapologetic about grieving her husband & wanting to explore/enjoy some of the freedom widowhood has given her. Most of the usual cozy mystery tropes are there but they're not unbearable and I'm enjoying reading a series that incorporates crochet into each murder. I'm both amused and curious to see how this will pop up in future murders. The murder for this book had a few red herrings that were believable without making the real villain seem too out of the blue.
Negatives: The cop boyfriend. I am biased as I hate this trope but's probably because I have yet to see the cop boyfriend be anything but controlling and condescending. This one is especially grating because he's constantly pushing Molly to move the relationship faster despite her repeatedly explaining she's still grieving & likes her freedom. Seriously, fuck this guy. He's the worst. I'm only two books into the series and I'm silently yelling 'Dump him!' every time the cop boyfriend shows up at her house unannounced. Usually, this trope also involves the cop boyfriend getting dumped eventually though so my fingers are crossed for the next book. -
Dead Men Don't Crochet Molly and her friend, Dinah, are still crocheting with the group and are forming relationships with them. One day, another woman asks to join, but she wants to knit and Adele is vehemently anti-knitting. Shiela is a very talented student who is struggling to make ends meet and when the new owner of the cottage refuses to pay her a fair price for her wares, she comes to the group and Molly suggests they go and back her up. That doesn't seem to help and the man ends up dead and Sheila is viewed by Detective Heather as the culprit and makes her life so bad her apartment is threatened and so is her only job (she is told that if the scrutiny results in her arrest she will lose both).
My problem with the story is that there is someone so anti-knitting that she is not welcoming to the new people. She, in fact, runs them off with her behavior. I have always found that people who knit or crochet or both are very friendly and welcoming.
I did enjoy the story and will read another. -
In Dead Men Don’t Crochet by Betty Hechtman, the Tarzana Hookers, the crochet group that makes items for charity, is finally having another meeting after a long hiatus. Sheila appears unusually upset and finally confides in her friends that money has been very tight. Until now, Sheila has been surviving by selling fancy shawls that she makes on consignment at The Cottage Shop. But Anne, the original owner, died, and her sons, led by Kevin Brooks, have been paying Sheila significantly less than her shawls are worth. The whole group of the Tarzana Hookers goes with Sheila to The Cottage Shop to give their moral support to their friend as she once again confronts Kevin. But Kevin erupts in anger, refusing to give Sheila the balance of the money owed to her.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at
Fangirl Nation -
A moderately enjoyable cozy about a group of women who crochet for charity. My biggest problem with it is that I didn’t like the characters very much. The heroine, Molly Pink, has two adult children that are very annoying. Her stated age is 50 something but she’s silly and immature and her age would have been better as a much younger character. She constantly and unthinkingly inserts herself into her boyfriends professional life- he’s a detective- stealing evidence etc., but gets angry when he shows up without calling. Her crochet buddies are underdeveloped and dull. A minor older celebrity, a mousy introvert, a shrewish coworker... none very fleshed out. This is the second in the series and the second I’ve read and not a series I would eagerly continue.
