Dropped Dead Stitch

A Knitting Mystery #7

by Maggie Sefton

The newest installment in Prime Crime's fast-growing mystery series - knitting pattern and recipe included!

Kelly's friend, Jennifer, is a top-notch knitter - and a bit of a party girl. But she's always stayed out of trouble, until one night when she's attacked by a stranger. As she recovers, she leans on Kelly and her close-knit group of friends for support.

A ranch retreat in the mountains, stitching and talking, is exactly what Jennifer needs. But they're all in for a shock - because the owner of the ranch turns out to be Jennifer's attacker. When the man is found dead a few days later, Jennifer is the most likely suspect. Now, Kelly has to pick up the stitches before things get out of hand.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Knitting, Fiction, Cozy, Crafts, Crime

320 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Aka Margaret Conlan

From author website:

"First, a little biographical information as introduction: Born in Richmond, VA, I grew up in Northern Virginia in Arlington, close to Washington, D.C. I attended university and received a Bachelor's degree in English Literature & Journalism, married, and started my family there. All four of my daughters are grown and established in careers of their own and are literally scattered around the globe. I now reside in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with two very demanding dogs."

Reviews

[Thebookmistress · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very nice but extremely boring people do some boring things nicely for 250 pages. I keep trying this series, being bored silly, and yet trying again. I don't know why. None of the characters are interesting; the "mysteries" are usually stupid, frankly, and never constitute anything but a small interruption in the boring routines of the townfolk; and even the knitting details are subpar. Ribbon and fun fur yarns, really? Really? Argh. Here's hoping I don't attempt picking up another one of these.

[Jane · Rating 1 out of 5]

Agree with many of the other reviewers. I have read the whole series and the continue to be simpler and simpler. Plot is thin and so are the goodie goodie, cutsie characters. To much narrative off the plot, house moving, food, baseball, food.

I hated that the raped victim was made wrong because she liked the bar scene and to go dance. She shouldn't have to change her life - that increased her being victimized. Are we going back to a time that if women go to bars they are asking for it? Then the women especially the "doctor" openly accusing the possible rapist- without evidence or charges- really - liable and pretty narrow plot.

[Sanya Weathers · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love mysteries.

Didn't love this.

There were pages and pages and PAGES of the main character and her friends playing party games and drinking coffee and rec league softball and all kinds of stuff that never, but never had anything to do with the mystery. And to be honest, I've known enough spinners, weavers, and knitters to know that the main character would get slapped into next Tuesday for constantly fondling the skeins with her dirty, oily hands. You don't just wander into a yarn store from your stupid softball practice and plunge your mitts into mohair.

[Lexi · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slightly conflicting for me. The writing was fine and consistent with the previous books in the series, but I had issues with the story itself.

The fact that the women would stay at the retreat with a known rapist and the doctor supporting it and the person he attacked as well and being "fine" seemed unbelievable and unethical.

Everybody was just okay with hanging out around a known rapist?

Not to mention in the beginning Mimi had no idea Jen was raped. They went to great lengths to hide it from her, but then someone (I forget who? Lisa?) Calls and just lets Mimi know about it and it's as if Mimi knew all along and deals with it well.. A matter a fact, she is more concerned with "Pacing Pete" (who btw became such a big deal through 3/4 of the book then just disappeared that last quarter).

Not the best out of the story lines I have read in this series.. but I'll keep on. Moving onto book 8

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I figured I couldn't go wrong with a knitting mystery, but it was pretty blah. The characters lacked depth and I had some nitpicky complaints, like the main character going on and on about how she shouldn't be eating pancakes and will have to run to make up for it (seriously, stereotypical diet talk in books is a pet peeve of mine) and then spends the rest of the book downing microbrews and eating pizza. I was also bugged by some proofing errors -- it's piqued my interest, not peaked. The plot itself was relatively interesting, but I won't be reading the rest of the series.

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

So bad. Just so bad.

[Regina · Rating 2 out of 5]

These books are light and fluffy and silly, which I can usually swallow, and in fact is the reason I enjoy them. However, this book dealt with the sexual assault of one of the characters, and it was difficult to see it treated so ridiculously poorly. Ugh.

[Ramona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great read. I enjoy her more and more with each new book. She also makes me get out my much neglected knitting. :)

[SS · Rating 1 out of 5]

TW: this book contains references to rape and suicide. It also contains fat-phobic references.

The rape in particular was not presented well, and the book does nothing to empower readers who have had similar life experiences to feel comfortable seeking the justice they deserve. The character who experienced the rape has consistently been presented throughout the whole series as someone who makes poor decisions, presenting an ongoing “shame on them” attitude always just under the surface. This novel continues that theme, not quite outright saying it, but implying that her behavior might have caused the rape. The suicide is brushed over as a secondary storyline and is never addressed properly. Also, so far this entire series has repeated fat-phobic references, and this particular book is no exception.

This book could have been a great vehicle to empower people to get the justice and/or healthcare and assistance they need and it fails on all fronts.

This book was nearly a DNF for me. Poorly written re the above topics, poor editing as usual for this series (many completely unnecessary scenes could have been cut), too much coffee, and some ongoing unrealistic/inaccurate references to fiber-related topics that have been present throughout this series. Most of these faults have been recurring throughout this whole series.

Yes, I am questioning why I’m continuing to read this series. As a knitter who enjoys cozy mysteries I keep hoping they’ll improve with time and experience So far that hasn’t been the case, and this book is the worst of the series as of yet.

[Laura Salas · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a novice knitter and a mystery lover, so I've really wanted to love this series. I've enjoyed the plotting of most of the books, but the horrific, wooden dialog and constant, "Hi, Kelly, what do you think?" "I don't know, Burt, but maybe..." is driving me nuts. On top of that, in this book, the idea that a therapist would keep her patients at a weekend retreat after one of the patients recognizes the retreat owner as her rapist is SO ludicrous it ruined the rest of the book for me. Then Kelly is shocked that her friend (the rape victim) is considered a suspect in the rapist's death...really? Lots of overly naive or overly enthusiastic comments just makes the whole story feel too melodramatic. I feel like she REALLY underestimates her readers' intelligence.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Probably one of my least favorite in the series. The mystery in this one focused on the rape of one of the friends in the knitting circle. Tough subject to be sure. Without spoiling anything for anyone I will say that with this book in the series in particular - I felt that you had your good people on one side and your bad people on the other. Not much gray area to be found. I also knew "who done it" pretty early in the book - so once again I was waiting for Kelly to figure it all out. I still liked the book - and I will be reading the next one to come out - but this was my least favorite in the series for sure.

[Emily Tarnow · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel like the subject of rape is difficult to write, but could have been addressed better. I had no problem with this topic, but the way the storyline went was RIDICULOUS!!! I love this series, but this one was disappointing. In what normal world would loved one make a victim stay on her rapist's ranch!?!? Kelly, Lisa, and that doctor need slapped for that!! That's my take away. Horrible friends with no compassion

[Natalie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book. It is set in Colorado and there is a knitting shop but I struggled to get through the poor writing. There are too many main characters, the jumps from clue to clue and deductions are WAY too slow and not very logical. I had it figured out mid book and waited for Kelly, the main character who was supposed to have this "intuition" to catch on. Borring.

[Nicky · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one really has me questioning my judgement to continue with this series. This group has become the most boring people on Earth. I didn’t need a whole chapter about them playing a trivia game, or drinking coffee, or even baseball. I finished in record time because I ended up skimming so much . The mystery was meh at the very most.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a cozy murder mystery. One thing I wonder-the girl in this book is always drinking a ton of coffee. Her breath must smell terrible and I bet her teeth are really stained...

[Janis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would be afraid to be a friend of the protagonist because it seems that in each of the books, a friend becomes a murder suspect...

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did not enjoy this book in the series. Trigger warning for r@pe! I’m not sure these elements on sexual assault were properly addressed. At times, it felt like it was used just as a plot device.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bad guy is murdered. Who done it? Who cares? He deserved it.

[Anna Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep trauma

Kelly’s best friend Jennifer is brutally beaten and raped, but can’t identify the man and worries no one would believe her, given her dating history. Her friends rally around her, and she sees a therapist who is helping her; encouraged to attend a retreat for victims of sexual violence, Jen is stunned to discover the owner of the ranch is the man who assaulted her. When he is found dead, apparently having fallen from his cabin porch onto a rocky hillside, it appears to be an accident - but the medical examiner has questions, and Kelly worries that the officials may think Jen had something to do with it. She puts her inquisitive mind to work, discovering a sad truth along the way.

[Castor Akers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt this one was definitely the deepest of all of the books so far. The subject matter was very heavy and focused on one of the main characters in the friend group. There was a good mix of the light happiness of the friends though too in this book with really exciting things happening. I really liked some of the softer moments between the friends in this book and felt myself getting even closer to them. I'm excited to keep reading these to hopefully hold these characters closer to my heart.

[Erika Perry · Rating 2 out of 5]

The latest Maggie Sefton novel is a lot like the rest of them: not at all intellectual, but nonetheless compelling. It's like junk food, tasty but no nutrition or substance. This author does some annoying things, like repeat the same phrases over and over and over and ooooover. The author may have read some of her critics' advice, and she has eliminated some previous annoying phrases. Unfortunately, she has simply replaced them with other annoying phrases.

I missed the characters of Hilda and Lizzie, who do not appear in this book, save for a brief mention. The other departure from tradition in this book is that it does not BEGIN with a murder. This is perhaps slightly more realistic than other books, which follow a standard formula of beginning with a murder and having another one halfway through.

That said, I was interested to see what happens with our protagonist Kelly Flynn and her boyfriend Steve. I personally would have liked to have seen more relationship development between them. Overall, I guess I liked this book less than others in the series. I resented some of the implications made in the book about the rape of one of the characters and it went downhill from there. If there's another book in the series, will I read it? Yes. Quite frankly, I think I'm in this for the duration. I want to see Kelly and Steve get married already!

[Lisa Corathers · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun (if you can call rape and murder "fun") and quick read. I like cozy murder mysteries and this one was fairly good. Kelly Flynn lives in the small town of Fort Connor, Colorado, and works as a self-employed accountant after leaving Corporate America back east. Since moving to Colorado, she also becomes a knitter and an inadvertent amateur detective. One of Kelly Flynn's close friends, Jennifer, is raped after being followed home from a bar she frequents. Jennifer doesn't tell the police, as she is afraid they won't believe her because she often dates men she meets in bars (she is, after all, known as a party girl). But Jennifer confides to Kelly and their close-knit (pun intended!) friends. Kelly and another friend are enlisted to teach knitting to women who are victims of rape at a retreat in the mountains. Jennifer comes along. And lo and behold, who owns the ranch where the retreat is being held? The cur who raped Jennifer. And after he is found murdered at his ranch during the retreat, Jennifer becomes the top suspect once the police find out her ordeal with him. I'm not a knitter, but reading this book made me want to pick cross stitching again. And be forewarned, if you love coffee, wine, and good food, this book will make you crave all three!

[Mary Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennifer is raped and beaten by a man she met at a bar and followed her home (without her knowledge). She stops going to the bars and starts hanging out with her friends more. Steve is having trouble because his homes that he built are not selling, but friends agree to rent one towards ownership. Jennifer, Lisa and Kelly go up to a retreat for women who were sexually abused. They are teaching the women how to knit or crochet. When they arrive the owner of the ranch comes out and is the man that attacked Jennifer. She refused to file charges against him when the attack occured because she felt that no one would believe her. On the last day of the retreat, the owner of the ranch is found dead. Many people are looked at...Jennifer because of what he did to her, Rancher Bill because the man owed him money and refused to pay, Kelly because she threatened the man and two others who threatened him over his bad behavior.

[Marion Hogervorst · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quicky: only 185 pages on my e-reader and I finished it within 2 hours. It was a nice read. I always feel like coming home when I pick up one of Maggie Sefton's knitting cozy's. It makes me want to pick up my long time neglected knitting.

This one however was different. I think Miss Sefton tried to make a statement or needed to write about sexual abuse and made one of Kelly's friend a victim. Too bad it did not work out very well. It was too flat, no real depths or emotions that came up. Like even such a horrible event needed to be covered up in cozy warm knitting. It all stayed on the surface, it just wasn't right.

Kelly's sleuthing however was still the same. Even after 2 years she jumps to all the wrong conclusions. But maybe it was this time because she was way on the sideline, like hardly sleuthing herself.

All in all it was not a real great read like the earlier books, but I still like to read about my favourite yarn-shop-in-a-book: House of Lambspun.

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was okay -- no surprises, and not particularly interesting. I hated the dialogue and didn't care for the young people in the book. An example of the dialogue is when people are talking with one another, such as a conversation between Kelly and Steve. Kelly says something like, "Well, Steve, you know blah, blah, blah," and he answers in kind using her name. The book doesn't really give a sense of location, even in the mountain retreat. I didn't feel as if I was there. And the yarn store and the knitters? Blech! No yarn store runs on single skeins of yarn in colorful bins, waiting to be fondled and petted. Projects just don't get sold and made that way. The book talks about a shipment coming in and the yarn is just thrown on shelves by helpful friends and customers. Really? No inventory, no price tags, no labels of gauge and description?

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

This guy met Kelly and was dead within 48 hours! She's a veritable Typhoid Kelly. Granted, he had that header coming to him, though it's implied throughout that anyone who walks less than an absolutely straight and narrow path around Kelly more or less deserves what s/he gets, and that's pretty offputting. Established: if anyone in Fort Connor is even remotely interesting to be around, death is imminent unless they enroll in a 12-step program and start knitting lessons.

Nevertheless, I'm finding these hilariously awful. I'll probably read further in the hope that the FCPD comes to its senses and arrests the real killer at some point.

[Niko · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another adventure with Kelly. I really enjoy reading this series. Kelly is always in the right place to get information that the police cannot. She has also made herself so many friends in the mountains that everyone is comfortable to confide in her now. I can't wait to see what is in store for her next.

I think I may even knit up Jennifer's blanket from the pattern in the back!

[Donna Alspach · Rating 1 out of 5]

The plot of this book was poorly handled. I read far enough to see that the author should have talked with a rape counselor about how to handle the subject of rape and not how to handle this subject. I did not get very far in this book. I have enjoyed this book series and will continue to read the series.

[Soc Page]

Diane's famous chocolate chip cookies
1 c flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp brown sugar
6 tbsp white sugar
1 stick butter
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 c chocolate chips
1 cup oatmeal

mix dry through sugar
add wet
add chips and oatmeal
bake at 375 for 7-9 minutes
3 dozen cookie scoop size cookies

[Kathy Kathy Kathy · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF
Not continuing in series. Kept trying, but now I’m done.

Ridiculous choices putting the entire cast in harm’s way. Way too much boring dialogue. Crimes solved by talking, talking, talking. Flat characters. Even in book seven I was not sure who the sleuth was until I started listening. Slow, expressionless audiobook narrator makes it more boring, even when sped up.