Stitches and Witches

Vampire Knitting Club #2

by Nancy Warren

Dropping stitches and catching killers.

When an older gentleman keels over in his scones and tea at the Elderflower Tea Shop in Oxford—a victim of poison—Lucy Swift and her band of undead amateur detectives are on the case.

Elderflower Tea Shop is next door to Cardinal Woolsey’s, the yarn shop Lucy runs and home to the late-night Vampire Knitting Club. The tea shop owners are a pair of octogenarian spinsters and old family friends, so Lucy wants to help clear up the mystery that’s keeping their shop closed. But murder isn’t the only issue troubling the Miss Watts. A man has come between them. Miss Florence Watt is being romanced by an old flame, one Mary Watt distrusts.

In between figuring out who, among his many enemies, might have poisoned the unpleasant Colonel Montague, Lucy’s trying to brush up on her magic spells before the Wiccan potluck dinner her witchy cousin insists she attend.

However, she’s still settling into being a witch and since she botched a spell and blew up her kitchen, she’s taking the magic slowly.

Her knitting endeavors aren’t much better. Between purling when she should knit and dropping so many stitches her hand-knit scarf looks like it was attacked by giant moths, there are days Lucy thinks she’ll pack it all in and move back to Boston. She might, except she’d miss her beloved undead grandmother, her new friends, one very sexy vampire and a local detective who is very much alive.

Stitches and Witches is Book 2 in the Vampire Knitting Club series of paranormal cozy mysteries. It is a standalone novel with no sex or gore, just humor, knitting, magic and a touch of romance.

Genres: Mystery, Fantasy, Cozy Mystery, Audiobook, Paranormal, Vampires, Magic

250 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 10, 2018

About the author

Nancy 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.
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Reviews

[Angela (Angel's Book Nook) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I’d just about got used to living with a nest of vampires, I didn’t think I could take a nest of rats as well. I’m a tolerant woman but I can only go so far. - 44%"

Stitches and Witches is book two in the Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren

This was another fun cozy mystery in the Vampire Knitting Club. I had fun reading this story. Theirs vampires, knitting, murder, and more.

Lucy is easy to like and enjoy. She’s a hard worker and a little bit of a disaster with her knitting and magic. She’s one of those characters that’s easy to like and relate too. Then we have all the vampires; especially our sexy Rafe, who is one of the possible love interests, but don’t get me wrong this is a mystery and the author focuses on that. As for the vampires I adore and like them all. They are quirky, obsessed with knitting, and since they live so long, they are willing to help find out who the murder is. Ya, they want something to do. Last, we have Detective Inspector Ian, the other possible love interest. He’s a great detective. The only thing I wish is that we had more moments with him.

The mystery is well done. I didn’t catch onto who the murder was until it was reveled. I was thinking it was a total different character we meet. I like not knowing who the killer is, until the end.

This series is cute, fun, and easy to read. I’m really enjoying the mysteries, paranormal elements, and fun characters. Can’t wait to see what befalls our Lucy and her vampire friends.

Rated: 4 Stars

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free Range Reading

I borrowed the audiobook version of this title on impulse, having read this first book recently. This one was neither better nor worse than that first volume—it kept me engaged in the investigation and I wanted to know the outcome. I am somewhat surprised, though, at how little progress Lucy has made in her private life. There's an obvious set-up for a love triangle between her, Rafe the vampire, and Ian the detective. Rafe has shown a teeny bit more initiative, but Ian would seem to be Lucy's preference. I don't think I will ever know, however, as I don't believe that I'll be proceeding any further.

As cozy series go, this one isn't bad, but it's not exciting my desire to continue. The vampires seem awfully tame (I mean, knitting!) and I prefer the menacing variety. Ian seems decent, but the man has had two books now in which to make an impression and hasn't really bothered. At this glacial pace, it will take more books than I have patience for to get a romance underway. Besides, the star-crossed romance of Florence Watt, one of the elder ladies next door, doesn't bode well for other relationships.

Perhaps if I was a knitter I'd be more enthused.

[Amber J (Thereadingwitch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler free way. If you feel anything in my review is a spoiler and is not already hidden in spoiler brackets please let me know. Thank you.

After an older man shows up on Lucy's shop asking about one of the sisters that run the teashop across the street. Her curiosity gets the best of her and Lucy takes Rafe over for tea so she can spy on what she hopes to be a budding romance. But when a poisoning happens to one of the other customers in the tea shop, it is soon discovered that it was a murder. Now Lucy and the vampires work together to try and get information to find who killed him and why.

The second book of the series I think was better than the first. I like the cozy setting that the book has. The whole shop and nearby area feels like a sweet and cozy place to be. I already crochet, but reading these books makes me want to give knitting a try. I didn't guess the murderer till right around the time I was suppose to. For that alone I gave it an extra star. I love when a book surprises you and the villian isn't obvious. If not for that though I probably would have only given the book a 3 star. While its entertaining, it is pretty forgettable. I'll continue the series though as I think it has the potential to be great. I think the character just need some more developement so I can really connect with them.

How I choose my rating:
1* Did not finish, or hated it but forced myself to finish.
2** Didn't really like it. Didn't hate it but not sure why I finished it other then for some closure.
3*** I liked it. I had some issues with it, but as a whole it was good. I probably won't reread again ever, but there is a chance I might finish the series. (If part of one) But if not it's not a huge loss.
4**** I really liked this book. Maybe not a work of genius, but highly entertaining. I might reread this again, and I will finish the series. (If part of one) I would recommend to those I know hold interest in this books content.
5***** I loved this book. I found little to no issues with it at all. I will definitely be rereading this and probably more than once. I will finish the series and reread it multiple times. (If part of one) I will recommend this book to EVERYONE!!!!

[Bea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Entertaining if full of coincidences. The proofreader from the first book must have been fired as this had numerous errors: roaming punctuation, missing punctuation, missing words, jumbled up sentences that didn't make sense, etc. I enjoyed the story enough that I'll read the next book.

[Avada Kaddavra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gemütliche cosy crime ohne viel Tiefgang, perfekt zum Abschalten aber auch ein klein bisschen langweilig 😅

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy the owner of a knitting shop in Oxford investigates the murder of a man in the tea-shop next door. She enlists the vampires who live in the basement to help her solve the crime.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the cozy vibes of this cozy mysteries that at witches, vampires and a yarn shop and knitting club in its the center. You follow a murder mystery as usual in these kinds of novels but this has two sisters who have come in a bad path as the man that came between them is murdered. It was fun, cozy and just enough spooky and I'm really looking forward to the next book in the series. I'm very sure I've read at least parts of the first book in the series but when I checked I hadn't marked it or review it. Odd..

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

Book source ~ Kindle Lending Library

Lucy Swift inherited her grandmother’s wool shop in Oxford and next to the shop is the comforting there-since-forever Elderflower Tea Shop run by the spinster Watt sisters. When an elderly gentleman drops dead in their shop it’s up to Lucy and her vampire knitting group to unravel the mystery before it tears the sisters apart.

Ok, I really liked book one which is why I used my Kindle Lending Library pick for book 2. I’m glad I did! This cozy paranormal mystery is even better and had me forcing myself to put it down to do the boring adult stuff that comes with being a semi-responsible adult. I love the writing and adore the characters. The plot is twisty and turny enough to keep me guessing. Lucy has two hot guys who seem interested in her. Yum! The vampire knitting group tickles my fancy and the fact that Lucy can’t knit worth a damn and yet runs a knitting shop is hilarious in my eyes. My only complaint, and it’s a tiny one, is Lucy and her procrastination about learning magic. Seriously? Come on! I’d be all over that new ability and Lucy avoids it like the plague. In any case, I look forward to continuing on with this entertaining series.

[Gizzard · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cozy mystery that didn't take advantage of any of the interesting parts of the world. The mystery and story was mostly external to the main characters.

[Susie · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are my new go to comfort listens.. I'm on my libraries hold for the next audiobook in the series!

[Micky Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

When an older gentleman who was not so nice drops dead in the tea shop next door, Lucy goes into detective mode to protect the elderly ladies who own the shop if only from each other! An intriguing "who done it" to keep you entertained for hours. The audiobook is exceptionally well done as the narrator really brings the characters to life, although that is quite easy to do with well developed and interesting characters being written for us. The plot was quite well done and even though it's a cozy will keep you guessing for awhile!

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entertaining mystery in the series. I love the setting with the living and the undead working together to solve crimes. All the characters are well developed and loveable; and Lucy's attempts to keep the two groups apart adds to the fun of the series. I was guessing with them until the very end on who the guilty party was. My favorite aspect, though, is Lucy slowly getting into her powers and the successes and failures of her spell work (and knitting); these two projects of hers are a little bit of comic relief in the otherwise tense mysteries.

[Han_na · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, this was fun to read.
The writing style continues to be a bit childish and the main character way too naive, but compared to the first book, this one felt more like an actual detective/crime story. Needs more vampires doing vampire stuff though.

[Dani(elle) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gossipy knitting vampires may be my favorite version of vampire to date.

[JoAn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy is on the case now that she has decided to stay in Great Britain. Her grandmother is adorable and the other characters (vampires) are developing into their own distinct personalities. Lucy went a little overboard in hunting down the killer this time but it all turned out well.

[Nella ☾ of Bookland · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Light, cozy, and quick. Makes me want to get back into knitting.

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

While book 1 didn't fully hook me, when I saw that book 2 was available in audiobook I decided to give the series another try. I am happy to say I enjoyed book 2 a lot more than book 1. Not sure whether it's because of the audio version or because this book has less introduction than book 1, but I had a great time listening to this book.

Stitches and Witches is the second book in the Vampire Knitting Club Series. When Lucy is over next door in the tea shop to see how the developing romance goes between Florence and an older gentlemen who is new in town, a colonel drops dead after eating and drinking there. Soon she finds herself in the middle of another mystery.

I liked this mystery, it had a bit of a slow start and took a while before the murder took place and even then it took a while before clues became clearer. I liked following Lucy around and she with the help of her vampire friends tired to figure out what had happened. There are some interesting twists and by the end I had the motive sort of right, but was thinking in a completely different direction for the murderer.

Just like the first book the book is pretty light on the paranormal elements. I would like to see a bit more of it, but as I now expected it to not be as big of a part I found myself able to enjoy it more. I liked the scenes where Lucy used her magic or figured something out. There also are some fun scenes with the vampires and I like how they help with the mystery.

I thought Lucy made for a nice main character. There are a few instances like at the end where she doesn't make the smartest or safest choice, but I liked how she wanted to solve the murder. She's also quite loyal to her friends and really seems to care about those she considers friends. It was clear how much she struggled with the two Miss Watts being on odds as she liked them both. There also were some interesting scenes with her new shop assistant.

Picking up the audiobook versions for this series was a good idea, something about it made me more immersed in the story and the narrator did a great job with these. I liked her style and voice, although some of the male voices could sound a bit similar. She also did the different accept really well, everything from a Polish, British, Scottish and Australian accent was in this book if I remember them all correctly. I liked hearing the different accent and how the accent was well done, but I could still follow her words easily as well. I liked how she did the different voices and almost every character sounded unique. I'll be listening to the rest of the series as well.

To summarize: While book 1 didn't fully pull me in, I am glad I gave book 2 a try in audiobook as I had a great time listening to this one. Now that the introduction to the series is done it was easier to get in the story. The start is a bit slow, but still fun to read, it takes a while for the murder to take place. And even then it takes a bit for clues to start piling up. I enjoyed trying to figure the mystery out and while I was thinking in the right direction for the motive, I guessed the murderer wrong. There were some interesting twists int he mystery. I liked Lucy more in this book. She's a nice main character who really cares about her friends. I liked how the vampires helped her with the mystery. The paranormal element is quite mild so far in these books, but as long as you know that going in I don't think it's an issue. I liked how the narrator handled this book, she did the different voices well and her voice was pleasant to listen to. I also liked how she did the different accents. All in all I had fun listening to this one and will be listening to the rest of the series as well.

[Heidi Prockish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I forgot how much I enjoyed book 1 until I started this one. This is another series that I have enjoyed on audio. After an emotional weekend, a little paranormal is exactly what I needed. Lucy is still adjusting to being a witch and the fact that her deceased grandmother is now a vampire. I liked how this mystery played out and seeing more of who Lucy is and her heart for others. I did figure out the killer early on, but still enjoyed following Lucy while she figured it out.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm gonna read all of these!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5 stars*

Fun, cozy and delightful yet again! Great audiobook palette cleansers that I thoroughly enjoy.

[Emmalynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good light reading

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this cozy series! On to book 3!! 🥰

[Yvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ich fand es klasse 👍🏻 Spannend, lieb, Hexen und Vampire. Eine süße Katze 🐈‍⬛ Was will man mehr.
Mit hat die Story gut gefallen und ich freu mich auf Band 3.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy a paranormal style mystery series, and this is a great one. A murder mystery in the tea shop next door to the knitting shop has Lucy and her vampire friends trying to piece the clues together to work out who is the culprit. Enjoyable characters and an easy read make this a series that I will continue.

[ML Blair · Rating 4 out of 5]

The only issue I gave with these books is the number of characters. I like the romance question, I like the small town community aspect too. I’ll definitely read the next one!

[Sandee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good mystery in this cozy mystery. Such interesting characters and situations. Lucy is challenged with another murder mystery when it takes place at the Tea Shop next door. The plot is thoughtful and graceful building to the conclusion with humour and drama. Vampires, witches and lots of regular folks. I like them all and am enjoying this series very much.

[Leeanne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even more than the first. It was more fun, the characters were all settled into their lives and daily routines, and I’m more familiar with them all. I could appreciate the growth of each of them from the last book.

We learn more about Lucy’s next door neighbours in the Elderflower Tea Shop, the Misses Watts’. An old beau of Florence Watts comes back, delighting Florence and deeply upsetting Mary, for good reason. This man caused problems for the two sisters many years before, nearly driving the two apart. Only to add to this, a seemingly random man, Colonel Montague is poisoned in the tea shop. Reminds me of my of one of my favourite board games, Clue. No doubt, that is part of why I loved this book so much.

Luckily for Lucy (and Colonel Montague) she has her vampire friends to help her find the killer. They’re delighted for a chance to do something exciting for once, with their endless lives. And help they do. This mystery has several twists and turns, much better than in the first book, in my opinion.

I also learned a fun fact about Oxford’s Christ Church College. A few scenes of the Harry Potter movies were filmed there! The quote that pointed it out to me was from Gerald Pettigrew. “Of course, things haven’t changed in some ways, but there was no Harry Potter fifty years ago. Christ Church College was just a college. Now? The place is overrun with tourists wanting photos of the Hogwarts dining room.’” From what I found the Hogwarts dining room scenes were not filmed in Christ Church but other scenes were!

Overall, I really enjoyed this one and look forward to reading more of this mystery series!

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think these books are cute and fast to read but I got a little bored in this book. I also figured out who did the killing long before the end of the book. I hate when that happens which is why the book starts to bore me.

I really like the witchy parts and really wish there was more on that rather then a few spells she casts. I love her cat Nyx but again there isn't that much with her in it. Nyx is Lucy's familiar and there was more about Nyx in the first book. She made a couple appearances but I would like to know more about how this familiar is going to be more a part of this series.

I still love that her grandmother is a vampire and she sleepwalks and came down into the store and scared the assistant half to death, forcing Lucy to do a forgetting spell on her.

I might try one more to see if what I really crave out of this book happens in book 3.

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy mysteries, for me, are like comfort food. A little slice of mystery and intrigue that are removed enough from actual reality that they don't depress me with gruesome likenesses to the actual cases I learn about every day, and instead focus on, usually, a witty amateur sleuth happening upon case after case as they go about their usual, non-detective business, like running a bakery or being a librarian or, in this case, being a witch-in-training running a yarn shop while living together with a myriad of vampires, one of which happening to be your recently murdered yet not too worse for the wear grandmother. Why not solve a few murders with all that going on already?

I crochet primarily and knit secondarily, so I was drawn to the premise of this series pretty quickly. I read and enjoyed the first book, but I think the mystery case in this one was a lot more enjoyable so that's why I decided to take the time to review it. The mentions of yarn and knitting are light but pretty relatable, and I appreciate the mentioning of crocheters at all, though sparse. I do know the next book introduces more of a focus on the sibling craft of crochet, for which I am excited and grateful!

This series so far has been pretty much standard cozy mystery, just with the added bonus of a bit of yarn craft lingo, though not enough to throw off those who don't know acrylic from alpaca, and of course, a secret catacomb of vampires living carefreely underneath the yarn shop. I always thought immortality would be lonely at worse and boring at best, so I like how this series has vampires over the centuries perfecting crafts or researching themselves into absolute expertdom, because you've got to spend your time doing SOMETHING when you're undead, right? Lucy, the protagonist, reaches out to her immortal friends to access their advice, friendships, and interesting information networks that they've acquired over the decades and centuries to aid with her investigation. I like that a lot, because it makes more sense for her to be able to crack these cases with a team to support her. There's the obligatory swaggering love interests, eccentric characters, and, most importantly, an adorable cat who is also her witch familiar.

I do think the narrative can be a little harsh sometimes, such as how it tends to keep rehashing how unattractive a character is or how sad it is that these elderly spinsters are still unmarried because surely that must make them very, very sad, but those are really my only knocks and they're minor because they don't occur enough to really grate on my nerves. There's a character that was introduced who I really hoped would stick around, but I understood why they depart at the end and I just hope the next one will be as likable and maybe stay a while longer.

All in all, it's a good light read that satisfies my craving for a cozy mystery that isn't too heavy or gruesome and also makes me remember how much I love yarn crafting and how much I love the community around it, too.