Customer Reviews

Fleece Navidad (Knitting Mysteries, No. 6)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I wasn't a fan of Sefton's previous offering in this series ("Dyer Consequences") and, when I read the first few pages of "Fleece Navidad," I was afraid I was going to be disappointed again. The first chapter is one of those over-stuffed potluck get-togethers that have become Sefton's standard method for re-introducing the whole cast of characters. (Did we really need to know everyone's hair color within the first 10 pages?)

But, "Fleece Navidad" is an improvement over "Dyer Consequences." Yeah, it had too many of the pass-me-some-cookies-pour-me-some-coffee scenes for me, but it's still a nice read. I liked the small side story where Kelly and Jennifer coach the local teenagers in a re-enactment of the Nativity. I liked that Curt and Jayleen are getting the "sparklies" for each other. I'm interested in finding out if Jennifer may finally settle down. I definitely liked Annie, the celebrity lamb.

One other nice touch Sefton adds at the beginning of the book is a "Cast of Characters" that lists each character's name, occupation, and significant other.

As for the bonus features--excellent. There are several knitting projects to choose from. My favorite project is the sweetheart gloves. I also like the pattern for the ribbed hat. There are also a half dozen recipes--the recipe for Aunt Helen's gingersnap cookies looks like a must!

On the downside, Sefton is becoming formulaic: a few people are introduced to the group, one is murdered and the other is the murderer. The mystery in "Fleece Navidad" is so weak that, even before the murder took place, I knew who the murderer would be.

A couple other things I noticed as far as continuity and story arcs: "Dyer Consequences" hinted at a budding relationship between Pete and Jennifer, but that thread seems to have gone no where. Also, there have been four sets of romances going on in the series for quite awhile: Kelly & Steve, Burt & Mimi, Megan & Marty, and Lisa & Greg. Sefton needs to pay one of these relationships off with a wedding. In the next book, I'd like to see Burt and Mimi get hitched with either Kelly or Megan catching the bouquet. That way, Sefton can stretch out the tension between Kelly and Steve just a bit longer.

Lisa and Greg have been really peripheral characters for the past two books. To simplify the cast of characters, I wish Sefton would dump these characters.

If you want a bit of the holiday spirit today, give "Fleece Navidad" a try. It's a decent way to spend a rainy Saturday afternoon.

The best time of the year is when publishers begin releasing their Christmas mysteries. Even though there are murders galore in the books, they are fun romps into the mayhem of killing. And the cozy amateur sleuth murder mysteries that incorporate knitting, scrapbooking, cooking, etc., are my favorites.

Maggie Sefton's Fleece Navidad is a knitting novel and is a page turner.

It's Christmas time in Fort Connor, Colorado and Kelly Flynn and her friends have a newcomer to the House of Lamb craft shop. The newcomer, Claudia Miller, arrived in Colorado from Florida with the idea that she could find her next husband (she's had three already). Claudia has set her sights on Jeremy Cunningham, a retired university professor who happens to be a widower. Unfortunately the local librarian and talented knitter, Juliet Renfrow has been seeing Jeremy also. It's not looking good in the romance department.

When Sheila Miller, the daughter of Claudia's third husband, arrives in town, she begins spreading the nasty rumor that Claudia killed her father. Sheila claims to have done her own investigation and is convinced of Claudia's guilt. The problem is the woman who gave her the damning information is now dead.

Juliet is murdered in a hit and run and the police believe Claudia is the culprit. Everyone but Kelly believes in Claudia's guilt and solving the murder is a commitment Kelly is determined to fulfill.

Fleece Navidad is a fun novel. The characters are interesting, the plot is solid and if you enjoy knitting, well you've got it all in one book.

Armchair Interviews says: A Christmas mystery that is a must-read.

Everytime I read one of Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries, I can't wait for the next one. I hope this series never ends! By the way, this book doesn't have to be read around Christmastime, so if you haven't read it yet...do yourself a favor and order it. As with the rest of the books in this series, I couldn't put it down. Maggie has a way of writing that makes you feel like you could jump right into her book and join the ladies at the knitting table. And no...you don't have to be a knitter to enjoy these stories. Honestly, you won't go wrong if you go back and order every one of the books in this series if you haven't already. The characters have been likened to a "Friends" type of cast, and it is so true. I loved how there were other stories going on in this one, outside of the murder mystery itself. I also liked that the murder victim wasn't necessarily anyone the reader would feel too "attached" to this time. Was the murderer obvious? Maybe so, but it was still interesting reading how Kelly put the pieces together to help police solve yet another murder in Fort Collins. I also love the dynamics of all the personalities, and how these friends have become a family. Love the progress in all the romantic relationships as well. Maggie Sefton's knitting mysteries page-turners? You bet!

This was my first experience with this author and It is definitely the last!! Way too many coffee breaks and cookie bakings. The mystery sounded like a great one but the author never gives the final results. I kept thinking I had pages missing in my book because the mystery(s) were never solved. I felt this book was a total waste of my time, and it was definitely not a page turner. I struggled to finish it and when I did was totally disappointed in the entire plot. The only good thing I got out of the book was Aunt Helen's Gingersnaps. They were delicious!

I wish I had counted the number of times Kelly got coffee and gave the complete description of the transaction, even to the scent of the steam. Too many.

Kelly is likeable. So is Steve and most of the peripheral characters. Although, there are too many similar characters that is it hard to keep them straight. It's nice that there is a cast of characters at the beginning.

This one wasn't much of a mystery. I knew who the killer was long before the murder.

I would prefer a few less domestic details and more concentration on the mystery.

I have read all of the Maggie Sefton knitting books and this one did not disappoint. I love Kelly and the other characters, especially Mimi, Jayleen, Steve and Curt. I like the way the characters and their relationships have developed throughout the series.

In this book a few new characters are introduced, some that live in the town and some that are new to the area. This story centers on the Lambspun Knitting Shop where the cast of characters spend most of their time and the events that take place there as well as at St. Mark's Church. Juliet Renfrow, the local librarian, is volunteering at St. Mark's to help the children knit Christmas gifts. Kelly and Megan also volunteer to help. They learn about Juliet's romance with Jeremy, a widowed university professor, and that recently it has not been going so well. We later learn that Jeremy has been romancing Claudia, a woman who recently moved to Ft. Connor from Florida. Juliet ends up dead and Claudia is suspected of murder. Kelly and Mimi believe that she is innocent and Kelly gets involved in helping to solve another murder.

This book is set during the Christmas season and has some nice winter knitting and recipe ideas at the end of the book. I would recommend this book for people who enjoy a cozy mystery!

I have enjoyed all of the Lambspun knitting mysteries, and this one was no different. I was originally drawn in because the location, though nominally and not very creatively renamed, is my hometown and the yarn store one I haunted as a fibers major at CSU, but I found that those factors quickly took a backseat to the mystery itself. I'm getting a bit better at following her clues, but she still keeps me in suspense for most of the book.I'm looking forward to the next installment!

I really enjoy the characters this author has created so I enjoyed the book as a whole. I love mysteries, even though I am not very good at figuring out who-did-it before the author reveals it. However, in this book I figured out who the real murderer was shortly after the killing. So if you like being kept in suspense you might not like this book.

The two faults I found with this book were a predictable plot and characters I never really cared about. It becomes clear fairly early "who done it" so all that is left to carry the book are the subplots and personalities of the characters. Although they are interesting, I didn't care enough to want to read about what they were eating, knitting or the preparations for the pageant. With little plot, the characters really need to carry the book and it just didn't work for me.

By the last of the book I was just finishing it to see if there would be any twists or surprises. There were none. It was an ok quick read and I did get a good cookie recipe out of it.

I've read all the books in this series so far and find I just can't take even one more. The first chapter is nothing more than a potluck dinner where they make fun of Marty once again for eating so much. Truly, that is all that happens in the whole chapter. Even that would be okay if we hadn't heard it all before. We get it, Kelly likes to touch yarn, drink coffee and has a horribly behaved dog. The author doesn't have to reiterate those things again fifteen times in each book.
Sadly, I'm having to call it quits on this series. The things listed above get on my nerves too much for me to get any enjoyment out of the books anymore.