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Vampire Knitting Club #1
The Vampire Knitting Club
Vampires who knit
A troublemaking witch
Who killed Granny — and is she really dead?
At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do.
Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?
When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan.
The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?
A troublemaking witch
Who killed Granny — and is she really dead?
At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she's not exactly homeless, but it's close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran's undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey's, Gran's knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she's going to do.
Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there's a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?
When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there's no body in the grave. Between a hot 600-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan.
The only one who seems to know what's going on is her cat ... or is it ... her familiar?
262 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 3, 2018
About the author
Nancy Warren
321 books1,425 followersNancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 100 novels.
She’s known for writing funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. She’s an avid hiker, animal lover, wine drinker and chocolate fiend. Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times, being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards. She has won the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine.
Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy's newsletter at www.NancyWarrenAuthor.com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books, knitting, pets & life.
www.facebook.com/groups/NancyWarrenKn...
She’s known for writing funny, sexy and suspenseful tales. She’s an avid hiker, animal lover, wine drinker and chocolate fiend. Favorite moments in her career include being featured on the front page of the New York Times, being the answer to a crossword puzzle clue in Canada’s National Post newspaper and being a finalist three times in the Rita awards. She has won the Reviewer’s Choice Award from Romantic Times magazine.
Get a free short story when you sign up for Nancy's newsletter at www.NancyWarrenAuthor.com or join Nancy in her private Facebook group to talk about books, knitting, pets & life.
www.facebook.com/groups/NancyWarrenKn...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,036 reviews
October 12, 2018
OMG. When the first page of this book features the following line, you know things will only get better. "Todd, had stuck his salami in someone else's sandwich". I am very pleased to report that I was right. This book has everything that you could want in a cozy mystery...engaging characters, a fun storyline, and humor.
Lucy is so sweet. Instantly, I connected with her. In the wake of the death of her grandmother and an array of quirky characters, I thought she remained pretty level headed. Then, there is the man of mystery...Rafe. He really is a man of mystery and talents. This includes "knitting". Yes, he can knit. A skill that Lucy has yet to master herself.
I had such a fun time reading this book. If you aren't having fun reading a book, than, walk way from it. A nice start to this series. Which, I can't wait to read the next books in this series and find out what new mischief Lucy and Rafe find themselves in. The Vampire Knitting Club will have you in "stitches" from all the laughter you will have from reading this book!
Lucy is so sweet. Instantly, I connected with her. In the wake of the death of her grandmother and an array of quirky characters, I thought she remained pretty level headed. Then, there is the man of mystery...Rafe. He really is a man of mystery and talents. This includes "knitting". Yes, he can knit. A skill that Lucy has yet to master herself.
I had such a fun time reading this book. If you aren't having fun reading a book, than, walk way from it. A nice start to this series. Which, I can't wait to read the next books in this series and find out what new mischief Lucy and Rafe find themselves in. The Vampire Knitting Club will have you in "stitches" from all the laughter you will have from reading this book!
March 22, 2020
The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren
First book in the Vampire Knitting Club series.
Paranormal cozy mystery.
Cute mystery where the granddaughter solves her newly turned vampire grandmother’s murder.
Imagine how fast you could knit with vampire powers. A sweater overnight. By hand!
Fun and imaginative. I look forward to reading more of this series.
First book in the Vampire Knitting Club series.
Paranormal cozy mystery.
Cute mystery where the granddaughter solves her newly turned vampire grandmother’s murder.
Imagine how fast you could knit with vampire powers. A sweater overnight. By hand!
Fun and imaginative. I look forward to reading more of this series.
December 3, 2022
Ich habe mich in dieser Geschichte sehr wohlgefühlt. Sie war so warmherzig wie ein Kuscheldecke. Schöne Ideen, sympathische Charaktere und der Charme von Oxford.
Ich habe gleich mit den zweiten Band angefangen. (Sina)
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Auf Empfehlung von Sina habe ich das Buch auch gelesen und schließe mich Sinas Meinung an :) (Ilona)
Ich habe gleich mit den zweiten Band angefangen. (Sina)
-----------------
Auf Empfehlung von Sina habe ich das Buch auch gelesen und schließe mich Sinas Meinung an :) (Ilona)
May 9, 2019
The Vampire Knitting Club is book one in the Vampire Knitting Club series by Nancy Warren. This is a a nice introduction to the series and a very cute cozy mystery.
Their is no shortage of ingesting and fun things in this cozy mystery. It’s light, easy, and a fun little read. We are treated to a murder mystery, magic, vampires who knit, & more.
Lucy travels to Oxford to visit her grandma only to find out she is dead. She soon has a mysterious stranger stop by, weird things happening around her, and a kitten attaching itself to her.
Lucy was a good character. I liked her. Ya, she’s young and uncertain about her future, but we all where at one time in our life. She takes things in stride and does her best.
I liked all the people that surround her in this new life. The vampires are just too much fun. I laughed at them; because they all knit. Vampires who have a knitting club. Just to much fun! I look forward to getting to know more about them and seeing if maybe a little romance happens. Their are possibilities.
I had fun with the mystery and watching Lucy and the vampires piece it together. We find out that Lucy is a late bloomer as a witch and it was fun to see her take it all in. Theres a little drama and danger plus some magic.
The Vampire Knitting Club was a delightful read and I’m going to be reading on. We get interesting characters, great surprises and twists, and a fun cozy mystery.
Rated: 4 Stars
Their is no shortage of ingesting and fun things in this cozy mystery. It’s light, easy, and a fun little read. We are treated to a murder mystery, magic, vampires who knit, & more.
Lucy travels to Oxford to visit her grandma only to find out she is dead. She soon has a mysterious stranger stop by, weird things happening around her, and a kitten attaching itself to her.
Lucy was a good character. I liked her. Ya, she’s young and uncertain about her future, but we all where at one time in our life. She takes things in stride and does her best.
I liked all the people that surround her in this new life. The vampires are just too much fun. I laughed at them; because they all knit. Vampires who have a knitting club. Just to much fun! I look forward to getting to know more about them and seeing if maybe a little romance happens. Their are possibilities.
I had fun with the mystery and watching Lucy and the vampires piece it together. We find out that Lucy is a late bloomer as a witch and it was fun to see her take it all in. Theres a little drama and danger plus some magic.
The Vampire Knitting Club was a delightful read and I’m going to be reading on. We get interesting characters, great surprises and twists, and a fun cozy mystery.
Rated: 4 Stars
October 14, 2019
“Sherlock Holmes had his Baker Street irregulars, and I had my Harrington Street immortals.”
After hundreds of years, and with heightened speed and dexterity, imagine what a badass knitter you would be!!!
This book was exactly as advertised; a cozy murder mystery with vampires, witches, and knitting, knitting, knitting. It was all of my interests combined and I was thoroughly entertained.
I would gush more but I’ve downloaded book two. Just remember...
December 16, 2018
3.5 stars. Cute but not sickly sweet. A good mystery though it was mostly obvious. It was an interesting new take on vampires with enjoyable characters. I've already grabbed the second book.
November 4, 2018
Lucy Swift inherits her Grandmother's knit shop after finding out she has passed away. However, Lucy soon learns that her Gran was a mystery of her own and someone was behind her death. Throw in a mysterious Vampire and and Lucy's world is becoming a lot more interesting.
This was an unexpected treat. The story is quickly paced and full of interesting characters. I liked the concept of this story, I thought it was a great way to start a new series and as a crafter this was a story I could totally absorb myself into.
This was an unexpected treat. The story is quickly paced and full of interesting characters. I liked the concept of this story, I thought it was a great way to start a new series and as a crafter this was a story I could totally absorb myself into.
November 18, 2020
4.5 stitchy witchy stars.
I am not big on paranormal stories but this one was a lot of fun. I loved the knitting vampires and there was a lot going on to keep me listening. I will definitely listen to / read more in this series.
I am not big on paranormal stories but this one was a lot of fun. I loved the knitting vampires and there was a lot going on to keep me listening. I will definitely listen to / read more in this series.
December 22, 2021
The Vampire Knitting Club is exactly what you expect from the title: a paranormal cozy mystery featuring vampires, a witch and a lot of knitting. Lucy Swift is on her way to visit her grandmother in Oxford. Gran owns a knitting shop, the Cardinal Woolsey, and has a little apartment above the store where Lucy hopes to stay for a few days. Finding the store unexpectedly closed, Lucy heads to a neighboring shop where she finds out that her Gran is... dead? How is that possible? And why has she seen someone who looks a lot like her Gran walking outside the shop?
This is a fluffy and fun start to a paranormal cozy mystery series. The story pretty straight forward and goes where you expect based on the title. Lucy is likeable enough. Besides, who wouldn't want an adorable magical kitten familiar as their familiar? There is also knitting references that I did not get at all due to me not being a knitter. That aside, it made for a light and easy afternoon read. I'll likely give the second book a try before making a decision around finishing the whole series.
This is a fluffy and fun start to a paranormal cozy mystery series. The story pretty straight forward and goes where you expect based on the title. Lucy is likeable enough. Besides, who wouldn't want an adorable magical kitten familiar as their familiar? There is also knitting references that I did not get at all due to me not being a knitter. That aside, it made for a light and easy afternoon read. I'll likely give the second book a try before making a decision around finishing the whole series.
December 27, 2022
Lucy arrives at her grandmother's for a visit, only to discover that her grandmother passed away a few weeks before. Her grandmother left everything to Lucy, including her knitting shop, and requested that Lucy stay on to run it. As she tries to find her footing in her new life, she discovers that many things aren't as they appear.
This was my first paranormal cozy mystery book and it was pretty good. The mystery wasn't very surprising, and Lucy was sometimes too trusting and sometimes too suspicious. But this book does a good job of setting up the series and I'm open to reading more.
This was my first paranormal cozy mystery book and it was pretty good. The mystery wasn't very surprising, and Lucy was sometimes too trusting and sometimes too suspicious. But this book does a good job of setting up the series and I'm open to reading more.
October 14, 2018
I think this is my first cozy mystery ever! And I loved it! Lucy is funny and likable and I couldn't help but love how she handled her situation. Also, I loved the details Ms Warren included about Oxford, now I can't wait to visit it. I can't wait to see how she's learning magic and adapting to being a business owner.
May 3, 2021
Okay, so to be up-front, I really dislike all things witchy, so I was shocked to find myself so engrossed in this mystery that I couldn't put it down. I got hooked on the beautiful Oxford setting, as well as the unique concept for a cozy mystery series. The amateur sleuth was likeable, and the witchy/paranormal aspects weren't played up too much. The ending wasn't a huge twist, which is usually what I'm looking for in a mystery, but something about the quaintness of the setting and the quirkiness of the characters made me want to read more in the series. And these series covers are just gorgeous! This book kind of took me by surprise in a good way. Solid, interesting writing and plotting that moved along. I'll be reading more.
August 8, 2022
A woman inherits a knitting shop after the death of her grandmother.
She enlists the help of the knitting vampires who live in the basement to solve her grandmother's murder.
A lot of fun. Cute, quirky, entertaining.
She enlists the help of the knitting vampires who live in the basement to solve her grandmother's murder.
A lot of fun. Cute, quirky, entertaining.
February 24, 2021
This book was so much fun to read. It was perfectly on the right side of pulpy, super funny at times, engaging, and incredibly easy to binge read.
This is the closest I've ever come to wanting to knit in my life.
This is the closest I've ever come to wanting to knit in my life.
February 28, 2021
This book was pretty inoffensive, but I kind of had a small stroke at the end when
Anyway, this is my first "cozy" and it's strange to read a book about vampires, murder and sweaters and have it not be super campy. I went into it knowing it probably wasn't going to be silly, but I still wanted it to be silly. It doesn't take itself super seriously, but it still took itself a little too seriously considering knitting vampires, you know what I mean? The whole time my brain was like, "Jokes now, pls? Self-aware humor maybe?" and the book was like, "No man, purring kittens and sweet old ladies." It's not even hilariously bad! It's just cute.
I think the biggest thing that stops me from giving this 3 stars is that I feel like I just read a 1/4th of a book. There's so much story that doesn't get told.
But you know, if you're just here for purring kittens and sweet old ladies then hey. This book isn't terrible.
Anyway, this is my first "cozy" and it's strange to read a book about vampires, murder and sweaters and have it not be super campy. I went into it knowing it probably wasn't going to be silly, but I still wanted it to be silly. It doesn't take itself super seriously, but it still took itself a little too seriously considering knitting vampires, you know what I mean? The whole time my brain was like, "Jokes now, pls? Self-aware humor maybe?" and the book was like, "No man, purring kittens and sweet old ladies." It's not even hilariously bad! It's just cute.
I think the biggest thing that stops me from giving this 3 stars is that I feel like I just read a 1/4th of a book. There's so much story that doesn't get told.
But you know, if you're just here for purring kittens and sweet old ladies then hey. This book isn't terrible.
April 26, 2019
3.5 stars!
I think I'm just not really into cozy mysteries in general, but this was a very cute book. It did take a little while to get going, but it was very sweet after it did.
.
SPOILER for first third of book:
I also just don't think the first part works tbh. We readers *know* (because this is the genre) that the grandma is a vampire, not dead. But the MC doesn't. So she's sort of mourning, but she's still kinda looking at cute guys and being all light-hearted and joking because hey that's the genre. Idk, maybe I'm just sensitive because when my own grandma, who lived in another country, passed suddenly 2 years ago, it was a big mess for our family emotionally and logistically. But I really wish we got the grandma-isn't-dead reveal far quicker, cuz I found the mood for the beginning of the book kinda off-putting.
I think I'm just not really into cozy mysteries in general, but this was a very cute book. It did take a little while to get going, but it was very sweet after it did.
.
SPOILER for first third of book:
I also just don't think the first part works tbh. We readers *know* (because this is the genre) that the grandma is a vampire, not dead. But the MC doesn't. So she's sort of mourning, but she's still kinda looking at cute guys and being all light-hearted and joking because hey that's the genre. Idk, maybe I'm just sensitive because when my own grandma, who lived in another country, passed suddenly 2 years ago, it was a big mess for our family emotionally and logistically. But I really wish we got the grandma-isn't-dead reveal far quicker, cuz I found the mood for the beginning of the book kinda off-putting.
April 30, 2019
I'm giving this a 3.5 stars. While it wasn't bad, and I loved all the talked of handmade items. I found the story to be kind of blah. However I'm holding out hope that it being a series the story will get better. The character development left a lot to be desired in my opinion. I think if given the chance to know them better than the story would have been so much better. I do have plans to finish the series at a later date.
August 25, 2020
The blurb of the book tells us that Lucy’s grandmother has been murdered, and is a vampire. All well and good except… it takes us until two fifths into the book for Lucy to learn this. I appreciate that a book needs a hook but giving the game away and the protagonist not knowing for so long kind of felt a bit rubbish.
The characterisation of, well, anyone was on the poor side. At one point Lucy says “trust me to find the only vampire knitting club in the world”. But prior to this we’ve never been given any reason that she has such extraordinarily bad (?) luck. Her boyfriend cheated and she hates her job so she left, spent a month working with her archaeologist parents before deciding to spend a couple of months in Oxford – my heart bleeds.
Lucy seems to only be able to notice people and describe them via skin tone “he had the kind of skin that would freckle”, “the tan showed that he spent his winters in spain”. How does it show that? Spain is not much sunnier than the UK in the winter, that means absolutely nothing. With regards to Lucy, everyone calls her beautiful but we never have a description as to why. Of course, everyone’s value of beautiful is different, but it does seem awfully handy to be able to say “oh she’s pretty, who knows why”.
Lucy doesn’t have much of a personality, she fancies most good looking men that are around her, and she’s “beautiful”, so far so “insert self here”. Until we come to something rather egregious. Lucy didn’t realise she was a witch because she’s “a late bloomer”. I will include the entire passage so I can point out its mistakes:
[from her grandmother]:
““You’re a late bloomer. Always have been.”
She was right. I was the last one in my class who could read. I couldn’t tell time until I was eight. I still had trouble with left and right, and when all the other girls in high school were shopping at Victoria’s Secret, I was still in a training bra.”
She has taken three things that are indicative of actual issues people face, usually people with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia, lumped them together with having small boobs and called it a reason to not realise an important part of your personhood. We actually later found out that her mother didn’t hold with witchcraft much and so probably suppressed it when she could. Which is a far better, less ableist, reason. I mean, it worked on Harry Potter.
Moving on from that hot mess, we have men who seem to be worldly by quoting well known plays or misrepresenting the stages of grief. But it’s OK because they’re “creepy” or “disturbingly attractive”, girl, get a new “type”.
Poor research on the part of the author led to this: “I don’t know if it was the jet lag or the grief”. Friends, it’s one hour time difference from Egypt to Britain, it wasn’t jet lag. And on the part of Lucy: “I don’t know anything about cats”. Google exists. These and at least half a dozen other items just feel like poor storytelling, not character traits.
I will confess to have gotten the murderer wrong so points for that, though the reasoning was the same. The murderer was, however, like many murderers doing it for stupid reasons that, when you get down to it, almost certainly wind them up in jail when they are inevitably caught which is the literal opposite of their plan.
Second to last observation, this was a clever sentence: “Sherlock Holmes had his Baker Street irregulars, and I had my Harrington Street immortals.” But it’s the kind of sentence that you feel had a book built around it because the author thought themselves clever. And it is pretty clever, but it deserved a better book than this.
My last observation comes in two parts. In the final few paragraphs, Lucy is sitting down with her family, witches and vampires and observes to herself: “It felt both cozy, mysterious, and mystical sitting in that circle”. One, that is a list of 3 things, put your ‘both’ away. Two, “cozy” “mysterious” – do you think I forgot which book section I got this from? If you have to tell people your book is cozy and mysterious you must be doubtful that you got the point across. While it was far from being a good book it did definitely hit both those points (I did guess the wrong murderer, after all), but if the author is unsure I don’t hold much hope for future stories…
The characterisation of, well, anyone was on the poor side. At one point Lucy says “trust me to find the only vampire knitting club in the world”. But prior to this we’ve never been given any reason that she has such extraordinarily bad (?) luck. Her boyfriend cheated and she hates her job so she left, spent a month working with her archaeologist parents before deciding to spend a couple of months in Oxford – my heart bleeds.
Lucy seems to only be able to notice people and describe them via skin tone “he had the kind of skin that would freckle”, “the tan showed that he spent his winters in spain”. How does it show that? Spain is not much sunnier than the UK in the winter, that means absolutely nothing. With regards to Lucy, everyone calls her beautiful but we never have a description as to why. Of course, everyone’s value of beautiful is different, but it does seem awfully handy to be able to say “oh she’s pretty, who knows why”.
Lucy doesn’t have much of a personality, she fancies most good looking men that are around her, and she’s “beautiful”, so far so “insert self here”. Until we come to something rather egregious. Lucy didn’t realise she was a witch because she’s “a late bloomer”. I will include the entire passage so I can point out its mistakes:
[from her grandmother]:
““You’re a late bloomer. Always have been.”
She was right. I was the last one in my class who could read. I couldn’t tell time until I was eight. I still had trouble with left and right, and when all the other girls in high school were shopping at Victoria’s Secret, I was still in a training bra.”
She has taken three things that are indicative of actual issues people face, usually people with dyslexia and/or dyspraxia, lumped them together with having small boobs and called it a reason to not realise an important part of your personhood. We actually later found out that her mother didn’t hold with witchcraft much and so probably suppressed it when she could. Which is a far better, less ableist, reason. I mean, it worked on Harry Potter.
Moving on from that hot mess, we have men who seem to be worldly by quoting well known plays or misrepresenting the stages of grief. But it’s OK because they’re “creepy” or “disturbingly attractive”, girl, get a new “type”.
Poor research on the part of the author led to this: “I don’t know if it was the jet lag or the grief”. Friends, it’s one hour time difference from Egypt to Britain, it wasn’t jet lag. And on the part of Lucy: “I don’t know anything about cats”. Google exists. These and at least half a dozen other items just feel like poor storytelling, not character traits.
I will confess to have gotten the murderer wrong so points for that, though the reasoning was the same. The murderer was, however, like many murderers doing it for stupid reasons that, when you get down to it, almost certainly wind them up in jail when they are inevitably caught which is the literal opposite of their plan.
Second to last observation, this was a clever sentence: “Sherlock Holmes had his Baker Street irregulars, and I had my Harrington Street immortals.” But it’s the kind of sentence that you feel had a book built around it because the author thought themselves clever. And it is pretty clever, but it deserved a better book than this.
My last observation comes in two parts. In the final few paragraphs, Lucy is sitting down with her family, witches and vampires and observes to herself: “It felt both cozy, mysterious, and mystical sitting in that circle”. One, that is a list of 3 things, put your ‘both’ away. Two, “cozy” “mysterious” – do you think I forgot which book section I got this from? If you have to tell people your book is cozy and mysterious you must be doubtful that you got the point across. While it was far from being a good book it did definitely hit both those points (I did guess the wrong murderer, after all), but if the author is unsure I don’t hold much hope for future stories…
June 11, 2022
Lucy ist 27, wird von ihrem Freund Todd betrogen und möchte zu ihrer Großmutter nach England um sich zu erholen. Stattdessen findet sie heraus dass ihre Oma gestorben ist, sie den Wollshop geerbt hat und trifft natürlich auch auf die klassischen love interests. Ihr steht die Wahl zwischen dem guten Cop oder dem nicht wirklich bösen Vampir. Ihre Oma ist dann übrigens ein Vampir, weil die Vampirin, die Teil der Vampir-Strick-Gruppe ist, sie nach einem Mordversuch eines Dritten gefunden und verwandelt hat um sie zu retten. Es sterben noch 2 andere Charaktere und nebenbei findet Lucy heraus, dass sie teil einer Hexen-Familie ist.
Ich habe das Buch mit sehr niedrigen Ansprüchen gestartet. Das Cover erinnert irgendwie an ein pre-puberty buch wie so Pferdehofbücher ohne viel Inhalt und mehr habe ich auch nicht erwartet, ABER zu meiner Überraschung wird ein relativ vielschichtiger Plot aufgebaut. Der Fokus liegt durch das Setting im Wollshop immer schön bei der Handarbeit, aber trotzdem liegt hier definitiv ein Kritikpunkt: fast jeden tag nach ihrem ersten Treffen schenken die Vampire der Hauptfigur gestrickte Pullover woraufhin die Kunden jedesmal den Laden leerkaufen, da der Pullover ja so schön sei. Bei Vampiren und Hexen bin ich dabei, aber die unrealistischen Aspekte der Strick-Community haben beim Lesen ab und zu einen Nerv getroffen.
Unabhängig von diesem Kritikpunkt hat mich alles nach 58% des Buches gecatcht: in fast jeder Szene wird eine vorherige Szene mit einbezogen und scheinbar unwichtige Details werden mit aufgegriffen.
ich würde das Buch definitiv als easy read empfehlen und höchstwahrscheinlicj auch noch einennfer nächsten teile lesen, da sich die lovestory noch nicht vollends entwickeln konnte.
Ich habe das Buch mit sehr niedrigen Ansprüchen gestartet. Das Cover erinnert irgendwie an ein pre-puberty buch wie so Pferdehofbücher ohne viel Inhalt und mehr habe ich auch nicht erwartet, ABER zu meiner Überraschung wird ein relativ vielschichtiger Plot aufgebaut. Der Fokus liegt durch das Setting im Wollshop immer schön bei der Handarbeit, aber trotzdem liegt hier definitiv ein Kritikpunkt: fast jeden tag nach ihrem ersten Treffen schenken die Vampire der Hauptfigur gestrickte Pullover woraufhin die Kunden jedesmal den Laden leerkaufen, da der Pullover ja so schön sei. Bei Vampiren und Hexen bin ich dabei, aber die unrealistischen Aspekte der Strick-Community haben beim Lesen ab und zu einen Nerv getroffen.
Unabhängig von diesem Kritikpunkt hat mich alles nach 58% des Buches gecatcht: in fast jeder Szene wird eine vorherige Szene mit einbezogen und scheinbar unwichtige Details werden mit aufgegriffen.
ich würde das Buch definitiv als easy read empfehlen und höchstwahrscheinlicj auch noch einennfer nächsten teile lesen, da sich die lovestory noch nicht vollends entwickeln konnte.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2021
This was really cute and fun, way better than I'd expected. It was so enjoyable, I'll probably continue with the series.
But there were so many obvious typos, especially at the beginning of the book! Warren either needs an editor, or to hire a better one. That's my only complaint.
But there were so many obvious typos, especially at the beginning of the book! Warren either needs an editor, or to hire a better one. That's my only complaint.
June 25, 2021
3.5-4*
I came to this series by chance, hearing about it from a couple of GR friends, and good I did :O) If you’re looking for a cosy mystery with humour, this is it. In the first book, Lucy Swift finds out her grandmother died in suspect circumstances but also that she left her her knitting shop, Cardinal Woolsey, and flat in Oxford. As if this wasn’t enough, it seems she is the last descendant in a long line of witches, and oh, yes, she’s also inherited a knitting club, one whose members are vampires!
Yes, it is as bonkers as it sounds, but also fun. The plots are entertaining enough, some better than others - I’m writing this having whizzed through the first 8 titles - but the attraction is really in the character of Lucy, her inability to knit (hilarious) and the recurring cast. It literally is as fluffy as the fluffiest skein of yarn and perfect when you need something easy for those days when you can’t really concentrate on much else. I listened to them while actually knitting :O)
I came to this series by chance, hearing about it from a couple of GR friends, and good I did :O) If you’re looking for a cosy mystery with humour, this is it. In the first book, Lucy Swift finds out her grandmother died in suspect circumstances but also that she left her her knitting shop, Cardinal Woolsey, and flat in Oxford. As if this wasn’t enough, it seems she is the last descendant in a long line of witches, and oh, yes, she’s also inherited a knitting club, one whose members are vampires!
Yes, it is as bonkers as it sounds, but also fun. The plots are entertaining enough, some better than others - I’m writing this having whizzed through the first 8 titles - but the attraction is really in the character of Lucy, her inability to knit (hilarious) and the recurring cast. It literally is as fluffy as the fluffiest skein of yarn and perfect when you need something easy for those days when you can’t really concentrate on much else. I listened to them while actually knitting :O)
March 6, 2020
Fantastic cozy paranormal to spend the day with being entertained and intrigued. A great plot coupled with well developed and loveable characters draws you and keeps you invested. The audiobook was fabulous as the reader really helped breathe life into the already well developed characters. I absolutely can't wait to get started listening to the next book in the series! Audio users, I am excited to add that so far it appears that most of the series, if not all is available via audio!
October 3, 2018
I received a kindle copy from the book funnel for my honest review.
First off I love the cover!
A brand new series for Nancy Warren with a different writing aspect with the paranormal but still is a cozy mystery. A fast paced and fun loving read. Great cast of characters! Cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
First off I love the cover!
A brand new series for Nancy Warren with a different writing aspect with the paranormal but still is a cozy mystery. A fast paced and fun loving read. Great cast of characters! Cannot wait to read the next book in the series!
November 4, 2020
This was just the audio book that I needed to listen to. It was cozy and fun and knitty. I'll get on the hold list at the library for the next book in series immediately!
January 4, 2019
I liked the idea of a vampire knitting club and decided to buy a copy of this book. It sounded like a fun paranormal cozy mystery book and that's exactly what it was. It mostly was a fun read, but it failed to fully grab my attention. And it was one of those books where there were lots of little things that didn't quite work for me and they just add up.
The story follows Lucy, who is in her late twenties and isn't sure what to do with her life. When she is visiting her grandma in Oxford she discovers her grandam died weeks ago and they weren't able to reach her as she was on an archeological dig site with her parents. Then it turns out her grandma is actually undead now, but was almost murdered before a vampire saved her. And Lucy gets the knitting shop. Lucy has to decide what to do with her life, deal with multiple changes and new things she learns about herself and the world and solve a murder.
I liked the set-up of this book, it read like a typical cozy mystery and I was curious how the paranormal would play a role. There are some likable side characters and also some less likable ones. It does very much read like a first book in the series with so many elements getting introduced that it felt like the mystery got solved a bit quickly. I had some issues with little things that didn't make sense, were too convenient or weren't explained enough to get a good feel for it. I think those are mostly because this is the first book in the series. I hope the rest of the series is better, but I am not sure if I'll continue the series.
This book has all the typical elements you expect in a cozy mystery, the main character returns to a place she often visits with fond memories, has to decide whether to leave or stay, discover herself in the process and has to solve a mystery. Then it has some typical paranormal elements thrown in, involving a mysterious character who is cold to the touch, walks around at night and pops up in the shop while the door is locked. Things that don't add up and paranormal elements are the only explanation. At times it felt like all the tropes and clichés from both genres were stuffed in this book and it just felt a bit much. And then there is also a set-up for a possible love triangle.
The mystery was a bit slow to get going with Lucy first having to find out her grandma is dead, then learn her grandma is actually undead and only then finds out her grandma was almost murdered before being saved by a vampire. So the mystery only starts in earnest quite late in the book and there isn't much investigating. Most of the mystery solving sort of happens to her, not because she figures it out, but because the killer comes back. I wasn't too surprised when we find out who the murderer is, but that's mostly because there are very few suspects and only a few possible motives. There also is a plot line related to break-ins and whether that's connected or not. I liked the way things got resolved at the end.
Lucy was a nice enough main character, but somehow I never fully warmed up to her. She didn't really have any particular personality traits that stood out or called to me or made her likable. She seemed a bit bland at times. I liked how sometimes she could be very smart with how she handled things, but then other times she acted almost stupid. It felt very contradictory.
There is little we learn about vampires and witches and the rest of the supernatural world in this book. It's very limited and because the story has to move along, I felt like sometimes we didn't get enough answers and Lucy didn't ask all the questions. Sometimes she assumed things without checking, but besides that there just was very little the vampires tell her besides the few basics. It also bothered me how her grandma forgot the last few weeks of her life, which just seemed too convenient.
To summarize: while I liked the fun setup of this book and idea of a vampire knitting club, the book failed to fully pull me in. This book has all the typical elements of a cozy mystery and paranormal elements and at times it almost felt too much. Lucy was a nice enough character, but without any personality traits that made her stand out. She could be very smart at times and almost stupid at other times, which felt very contradictory. The mystery only started pretty late in the story, with very few suspects and it didn't surprise me when we discovered the murdered. The paranormal world only gets touched upon a bit and besides the basics we don't learn very much, but it works well as an introduction. While I didn't fully enjoy the book I do feel like it has a lot of potential and I think the rest of the series will be better and this one very much feels like an introductory book and I think the rest of the series will read smoother. If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries you might enjoy this one.
The story follows Lucy, who is in her late twenties and isn't sure what to do with her life. When she is visiting her grandma in Oxford she discovers her grandam died weeks ago and they weren't able to reach her as she was on an archeological dig site with her parents. Then it turns out her grandma is actually undead now, but was almost murdered before a vampire saved her. And Lucy gets the knitting shop. Lucy has to decide what to do with her life, deal with multiple changes and new things she learns about herself and the world and solve a murder.
I liked the set-up of this book, it read like a typical cozy mystery and I was curious how the paranormal would play a role. There are some likable side characters and also some less likable ones. It does very much read like a first book in the series with so many elements getting introduced that it felt like the mystery got solved a bit quickly. I had some issues with little things that didn't make sense, were too convenient or weren't explained enough to get a good feel for it. I think those are mostly because this is the first book in the series. I hope the rest of the series is better, but I am not sure if I'll continue the series.
This book has all the typical elements you expect in a cozy mystery, the main character returns to a place she often visits with fond memories, has to decide whether to leave or stay, discover herself in the process and has to solve a mystery. Then it has some typical paranormal elements thrown in, involving a mysterious character who is cold to the touch, walks around at night and pops up in the shop while the door is locked. Things that don't add up and paranormal elements are the only explanation. At times it felt like all the tropes and clichés from both genres were stuffed in this book and it just felt a bit much. And then there is also a set-up for a possible love triangle.
The mystery was a bit slow to get going with Lucy first having to find out her grandma is dead, then learn her grandma is actually undead and only then finds out her grandma was almost murdered before being saved by a vampire. So the mystery only starts in earnest quite late in the book and there isn't much investigating. Most of the mystery solving sort of happens to her, not because she figures it out, but because the killer comes back. I wasn't too surprised when we find out who the murderer is, but that's mostly because there are very few suspects and only a few possible motives. There also is a plot line related to break-ins and whether that's connected or not. I liked the way things got resolved at the end.
Lucy was a nice enough main character, but somehow I never fully warmed up to her. She didn't really have any particular personality traits that stood out or called to me or made her likable. She seemed a bit bland at times. I liked how sometimes she could be very smart with how she handled things, but then other times she acted almost stupid. It felt very contradictory.
There is little we learn about vampires and witches and the rest of the supernatural world in this book. It's very limited and because the story has to move along, I felt like sometimes we didn't get enough answers and Lucy didn't ask all the questions. Sometimes she assumed things without checking, but besides that there just was very little the vampires tell her besides the few basics. It also bothered me how her grandma forgot the last few weeks of her life, which just seemed too convenient.
To summarize: while I liked the fun setup of this book and idea of a vampire knitting club, the book failed to fully pull me in. This book has all the typical elements of a cozy mystery and paranormal elements and at times it almost felt too much. Lucy was a nice enough character, but without any personality traits that made her stand out. She could be very smart at times and almost stupid at other times, which felt very contradictory. The mystery only started pretty late in the story, with very few suspects and it didn't surprise me when we discovered the murdered. The paranormal world only gets touched upon a bit and besides the basics we don't learn very much, but it works well as an introduction. While I didn't fully enjoy the book I do feel like it has a lot of potential and I think the rest of the series will be better and this one very much feels like an introductory book and I think the rest of the series will read smoother. If you enjoy paranormal cozy mysteries you might enjoy this one.
August 23, 2021
This was a fun afternoon read with well developed and likable characters, a little humor, vampires who knit and a twisty murder mystery. On to the next one.
October 21, 2018
Lucy Swift is at a point of uncertainty in her life. She knows that spending time with her grandmother in Oxford will help her sort things out. When she arrives in Oxford, she heads to the knitting shop her grandmother owns to find it closed. Unable to find her grandmother in the shop or at home, Lucy heads to one of the other shops. Inside, she learns that her grandmother died weeks prior but no one was able to get ahold of Lucy or Lucy’s mother. Upon further investigation, Lucy also discovers that the knitting shop was bequeathed to her but there are conditions. She cannot sell the shop for at least one year.
Lucy is then brought into a world she thought only possible in stories. Her grandmother is a vampire but she wasn’t turned in violence – she was turned because of violence. Now, it’s up to Lucy to figure out what happened and bring the killer to justice without revealing the secret her grandmother and friends are keeping. Of course, all while running a knitting shop during the day, dealing with a surly employee and her lowlife son, and keeping her hormones in check when she’s around a certain vampire or a certain detective.
The Vampire Knitting Club is an unusual vampire novel. The premise is certainly unique and the plot is different. The characters are quirky and easy to like. The story is told solely from Lucy’s point of view but contains many secondary characters. I really enjoyed Lucy’s lowkey attitude and ability to be flexible in her life choices. Learning her grandmother is dead, that she inherited the knitting, shot, that her grandmother really isn’t dead, and vampires exist would have thrown many people into a tailspin. Lucy manages to stay calm all while freaking out inside.
There were a couple inconsistencies in the book that kind of gnawed at me. One, in particular, is the missing book. The fact that it’s missing is a huge deal, dismissed as an issue later, then a big deal again, especially when others come to claim the book. It didn’t detract from the story but I felt this particular thread could have used some smoothing out. Other than that, the book was well written, fun, and I had a great time reading about a nest of knitting vampires.
Lucy is then brought into a world she thought only possible in stories. Her grandmother is a vampire but she wasn’t turned in violence – she was turned because of violence. Now, it’s up to Lucy to figure out what happened and bring the killer to justice without revealing the secret her grandmother and friends are keeping. Of course, all while running a knitting shop during the day, dealing with a surly employee and her lowlife son, and keeping her hormones in check when she’s around a certain vampire or a certain detective.
The Vampire Knitting Club is an unusual vampire novel. The premise is certainly unique and the plot is different. The characters are quirky and easy to like. The story is told solely from Lucy’s point of view but contains many secondary characters. I really enjoyed Lucy’s lowkey attitude and ability to be flexible in her life choices. Learning her grandmother is dead, that she inherited the knitting, shot, that her grandmother really isn’t dead, and vampires exist would have thrown many people into a tailspin. Lucy manages to stay calm all while freaking out inside.
There were a couple inconsistencies in the book that kind of gnawed at me. One, in particular, is the missing book. The fact that it’s missing is a huge deal, dismissed as an issue later, then a big deal again, especially when others come to claim the book. It didn’t detract from the story but I felt this particular thread could have used some smoothing out. Other than that, the book was well written, fun, and I had a great time reading about a nest of knitting vampires.
March 31, 2019
Reviewed for herding cats & burning soup. (posting to blog 5/13/19)
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WzS4qO
Oh my gosh. The Vampire Knitting Club was a blast. Light and easy and just a fun little para-romp.
The Gist: Lucy's grandmom has passed away and left Lucy her knitting shop. It turns out she can't knit, her Gran's more undead than dead, now, and that quiet little knitting shop? Well, it's come with a herd of knitting vampires and a whole host of other crazy happenings to keep her busy. First order of business...figure out who tried to kill her Gran.
I liked Lucy. She's young and a little uncertain about her future but she's just one of those people you can't help but like. S takes things in stride and does her best.
I quite enjoyed the people surrounding her new life, too. Gran and the vampires are quirky, a bit of a handful and all talented knitters. I'll enjoy getting to know them more, I think. And seeing if maybe a little romance happens at some point.
The mystery was fairly easy to figure out but I didn't mind. It was fun watching Lucy and the vampires piece things together. A little drama and danger. A little magic and excitement.
I enjoyed watching Lucy figuring out her new world, magic and slowly maybe accidentally figuring out who was behind everything.
All in all, The Vampire Knitting Club was a nice easy read. Seeing Lucy figure out her new world, discovering magic exists and starting new relationships. I'm glad I picked it up and will definitely read more from the series. It also really made me want to try knitting again but, alas, I'm like Lucy and a knitting disaster. ::snort::
July 24, 2020
Alright. This one snuck up on me. I listened to it and as I started I thought Sarah Zimmerman was going to drive me absolutely batty. As I progressed, however, she really grew on me and she does a great job with all the accents. They may not be perfect, but they are adequate for my ear and I do not know any better.
Her reading style is very relaxing. She nicely and effectively conveys all sorts of emotions, yet it is still relaxing and entertaining. I've finished the series now and as I just wanted to sit and listen.
I like all the characters introduced. The aspect of the "knitting" club makes me yearn to find a tv show to watch and some knitting to do. The mystery in the first one is very solvable and not very mysterious. But, they joy comes in in the knitting, the characters, the relationships, and the pleasant reading style. I really loved this one.
Her reading style is very relaxing. She nicely and effectively conveys all sorts of emotions, yet it is still relaxing and entertaining. I've finished the series now and as I just wanted to sit and listen.
I like all the characters introduced. The aspect of the "knitting" club makes me yearn to find a tv show to watch and some knitting to do. The mystery in the first one is very solvable and not very mysterious. But, they joy comes in in the knitting, the characters, the relationships, and the pleasant reading style. I really loved this one.
October 20, 2018
I've been knitting since I was 12 years old and I'm a senior citizen now so the title of this book intrigued me. While it isn't Shakespeare or Tolstoy, it was an enjoyable quick read. The characters were fairly well written and the knitting vampires were fun to read. The book flowed along and didn't get bogged down in unnecessary characters. The author seems to know her yarns and knitting patterns but I wish she would have included a pattern in the book though I do understand why she couldn't/didn't. I'm probably going to buy the other two books in the series just because it was a fun, enjoyable read.
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