The Grub-And-Stakers Spin a Yarn

Grub-And-Stakers #4

by Alisa Craig, Charlotte MacLeod

When word gets out that Dittany Monk, the sleuthing gardener of Lobelia Falls, is expecting twins, every knitter in town races to Miss Jane Fuzzywuzzy’s Yarnery to begin work on a complete wardrobe of hats, booties, and tiny sweaters. One customer, however, has even more urgent business: the man with the gunshot wounds in his back.

The victim stumbles out of a bullet-ridden car, dripping blood all over the freshly cleaned sidewalk, and dies with a peculiar phrase on his lips: “The raveled sleeve!” Before Miss Jane can offer advice on how to rescue an unraveling sweater, her unfortunate customer expires. To ensure her twins can be raised in a safe hometown, Dittany will have to get the yarn-store murder sewn up.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Humor, Fiction, Canada, Cozy, Audiobook

187 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1990

About the author

A pseudonym used by Charlotte MacLeod.

Reviews

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series might be called "daffy cozy mysteries". They contain over-the-top characters and situations, and the success of the story depends on how appealing the reader finds the characters and situations and if the humor feels amusing and not just dumb. I thought this book worked quite well. The story moved along nicely, from an artist whose medium is plastic flamingos to a family run mincemeat company.

A nice, light read for when you need a bit of fun. 3.5 stars

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the only Grub-and-Stakers book I have, and I was not impressed. It was OK, there were some really fun spots, but overall it was just TOO cutesy. The mystery/murder plot was good, but was overwhelmed by all the over-the-top characters. I'm not even going to try to include a synopsis - you'll have to read a blurb or something. To be fair, there was one line that made me laugh out loud:
(page 59 in my ancient paperback, for what that's worth)

Arethusa is speaking of the Blenkinsop Siamese twins who have appeared in town.
"But my father was a twin. And so," she added after a moment's thought, "was his brother."
"Not Siamese, though?" said Dittany.
"Oh no, Canadian to the bone."

:-) Best line in the book!

[Jenn Estepp · Rating 3 out of 5]

The library copy I read of this probably should've been weeded out of the collection a long time ago, so half the time I was reading this I was worried it was about to fall apart, which wasn't helpful. Ditany and Osbert are still probably my second favorite of MacLeod's sleuthing couples, but this one was pretty over the top and yet also somewhat predictable. Quite the feat. And yet, I still love them ever so much.

[The Mystery Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐
The Grub-and-Stakers Spin a Yarn by Alisa Craig (Charlotte MacLeod) is a quirky cozy mystery that delivers on humor and small-town charm, even if the plot gets a bit tangled along the way. Twin-toting Dittany Monk, her Western-writer husband Osbert, and the Grub and Stake Gardening and Roving Club find themselves caught up in another murder investigation. When Miss Jane Fuzzywuzzy is expecting cousins from England, the last thing she needs is to find the corpse of a local mincemeat magnate on her yarn shop sidewalk. Miss Jane's Yarnery is known as the wildest, woolliest place in Lobelia Falls, Ontario, but murder is taking things too far.

The best part of this book is the humor and the absolutely ridiculous character names. Miss Jane Fuzzywuzzy alone is worth the price of admission. Craig has a lighthearted, playful writing style that keeps things fun, and the small Canadian town setting has its own unique charm. The Grub and Stake Gardening and Roving Club members are entertaining, and Dittany and Osbert make for a likable amateur detective duo. However, the mystery itself is a bit thin and the plot meanders more than it should. Some of the zaniness feels forced, and there are moments where the humor overshadows the actual investigation.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, humorous cozy mystery and don't mind a somewhat loose plot, this will entertain you.

#TheGrubAndStakersSpinAYarn #AlisaCraig #CharlotteMacLeod #CozyMystery #MysteryBooks

[Robyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Early Bird Book Deal | Screwball murder mystery isn't a common genre, but MacLeod was probably the best at it. | Just as a sense of how off the rails this one gets, there's a part where Person A has to pretend to be Person B pretending to be Person A, so that at a funeral their mother will think they are Person A, but the kidnappers who think they abducted Person A but really got Person B will think they got the right victim and the funeral attendee is just Person B pretending to be Person A so nobody knows Person A is missing. Later that day, Person C has to disguise themselves as Person B pretending to be Person A, and take Person B's place as kidnapping victim, because Person B has to appear publicly and the kidnappers have to believe they have Person A, but Person A can't be risked.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Craig (also known as Charlotte MacLeod) has a vivid imagination, which veers toward farce when the vice president of a nearby mincemeat factory is shot on the usually quiet streets of Lobelia Falls. His wife--Mother Matilda herself!--hires western writer and part-time sheriff's deputy Osbert Monk to investigate. Meanwhile, wife Dittany is, sadly, sidelined by her advanced pregnancy. Osbert's Aunt Arethusa is kidnapped by mistake, and must be rescued. Never a dull moment in Lobelia Falls, apparently.

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

2022 bk 124. Industrial espionage rears its ugly head and results in a gangland style murder in view of Sergeant McVicar's home. Called back into service, Dittany and Osbert Monk must spring into action. Osbert's involvement as an undercover security for the Mincemeat Factory leads him to the other local towns and a slightly eccentric landlady. Dittany has her hands full keeping everyone fed and straightened out. Aunt Arethusa even gets into the act when she is .... Ah well - For this book Charlotte/Alisa like mincemeat tarts, I preferred fig cookies (you know the ones I mean.)

[Peter Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

A humorous cozy murder novel by Charlotte Macleod writing as Alisa Craig. This involves a rural Canadian town and the principals are a couple therein. He is a writer of western novels who helps out the local police chief. This involves the murder of a vice president at a nearby mincemeat plant. A fun time is had by all.

[Virginia Kessen · Rating 5 out of 5]

In many ways this is a bookish example of a screwball comedy. Plastic flamingoes, vice-president nutmeg and knitted sheep are just a few of the delights that make this an unusually fun read from a writer who never disappoints.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wild bunch of characters

The book is written in a tongue in cheek style that is perfect for the wild cast of characters assembled. The mystery is well planned and executed. I prefer the other mystery series that MacLeod has written. This was an easy read.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Silly.

[Carolyn Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Between the ridiculous names and hyperbolic prose, I could not get through the first few pages.

Since so many people liked this book, I'll try again.

[Jean Strande · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love all Charlotte Macleod books.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun book to read. Charlotte MacLeod spins a yarn with an outrageous plot and characters.

[Lisa Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lighthearted, silly, very cute.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even for zany Ms. MacLeod, this one was a bit over the top. On the whole though I enjoyed it thoroughly, especially the plays on words and the vocabulary. I can't remember the last time I heard someone use the word "titivate" in conversation. And what is cullen skink? I've heard of haggis, so I figure it may be something nasty. And I wish Ms. MacLeod hadn't gone into so much detail about what goes into mincemeat. I used to like mincemeat pies, but I'm pretty sure the ones I had didn't have shredded beef. That's something I think I would have noticed. Now I'm not sure I'll ever order another piece . . . just in case. I loved the idea of Dittany carrying twins. Having recently become the grandparent of twins, I kept laughing to myself, knowing something of what she and Osbert have in store relative to what they think they have in store.

[Kathryn McCary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte MacLeod, writing as Alisa Craig, lets her passion for character theming run riot at Mother Matilda's Mincemeat factory in this fourth grub-and-stakers book. She also has a good deal to say about the creative mind, as both Osbert Monk and his Aunt Arethusa talk about and demonstrate how the process of writing works; this time they are accompanied by Agnes Phiffer, the artist whose medium is kitsch. It's all amazingly hilarious.

One fascinating, and perhaps unintentional, glimpse of how the creative mind works is the presence in the book of a pair of Siamese twins and a completely superfluous jewelled dagger; one suspects that MacLeod had been reading Pudd'nhead Wilson not long before she wrote it.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#4 in The Grub and Stakers series.

When word gets out that Dittany Monk, the sleuthing gardener of Lobelia Falls, is expecting twins, every knitter in town races to Miss Jane Fuzzywuzzy's Yarnery to begin work on a complete wardrobe of hats, booties, and tiny sweaters. One customer, however, has even more urgent business: the man with the gunshot wounds in his back. The victim stumbles out of a bullet-ridden car, dripping blood all over the freshly cleaned sidewalk, and dies with a peculiar phrase on his lips: "The raveled sleeve!" Before Miss Jane can offer advice on how to rescue an unraveling sweater, her unfortunate customer expires.

[Kaylynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful setting and characters but only a mediocre mystery.

[Mare · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun series.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series is one of my favorites (I have them in paperback and now on my Kindle). They are so humorous. The mystery is good but it is the crazy characters that I love.