by Sally Goldenbaum

For those who love a cozy mystery – no gore, no bad language, no violence – it doesn’t get much better than Sally Goldenbaum’s Seaside Knitters series. In the follow-up to her debut, Death by Cashmere, the Seaside Knitters Club members, Nell, Izzy, Cass, Birdie, and others are startled to find a body in the window of the snug Knitting Studio – a sleeping one. The stranger in town (the aptly named Willow) is known for her fibre art, and she fits well into the Sea Harbor community of like-minded artisans, but she seems reluctant to fully join the knot of friendly knitters. The women embrace her anyway, knowing that in time her reserve will thaw and she will start to feel at home. What they don’t count on is that this young woman is somehow tied to one of their friends, a friend who is poisoned during the renowned Art at Night Festival in nearby Canary Cove, and they must help the young woman prove her innocence before another tragedy occurs. With her evocative descriptions of New England ocean-views, salty-air breezes and the laid-back, hospitable folks of Sea Harbor, this series by Sally Goldenbaum may be the most tranquil set of murder mysteries you will ever read, and they are a perfect accompaniment for languid summer evenings – especially if you can’t get to a bit of seaside of your very own. Find a copy of Patterns in the Sand here in our on-line catalogue.