Purls and Poison

Written by Anne Canadeo

Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

When a fellow Black Sheep Knitter is suspected of poisoning her coworker, the group puts down their needles and takes up their friend's defense . . . Suzanne Cavanaugh has just about had it with her office rival at Prestige Properties. It's bad enough that Liza Devereaux is constantly needling her at work, but when she shows up at one of Suzanne's open houses to poach potential buyers, it's the last straw. No one in the office fails to hear the two snarling at each other. When Liza is later found dead in her office cubicle-poisoned by a diet shake-Suzanne becomes the prime suspect. It's soon discovered, though, that Liza had double-crossed so many around town and stashed their dark secrets in her designer handbags that anyone could be the culprit. The Black Sheep Knitters have no doubt their friend has been framed-but they need to prove it. Stirred to action, they get together to catch a sneaky killer who's trying to pull the wool over everyone's eyes . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781980014843

Anne Canadeo

Anne Canadeo is the author of many works of fiction. She is best known for the acclaimed Black Sheep Knitting Mysteries and the New York Times bestselling Cape Light and Angel Island series. Anne lives with her husband, daughter, and a scruffy Retriever in Northport, New York—a village on the Long Island Sound very much like the towns depicted in her books. She has a Masters Degree from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Stony Brook University.

Reviews for Purls and Poison

[kris_anderson-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Purls and Poison by Anne Canadeo takes us to Plum Harbor. Suzanne Cavanaugh is a realtor at Prestige Properties and she has had a difficult day. She is happy to spend time with her knitting friends that evening, so she can rant and then relax. Suzanne had clients and a listing stolen by Liza Devereaux which ended up in a heated argument at the staff meeting. On the way home, Suzanne passes by the realty office and notices Liza’s car outside. She decides to take her friends advice and make peace with Liza. Suzanne finds Liza sprawled on the floor of her cubicle with her broken pearls scattered around her. Detective Charles Mossbacher and his partner, Detective Frank Oliver are on the case. Unfortunately, Suzanne quickly rises to the top of the suspect list and the circumstantial evidence is mounting up. The knitters know that Suzanne is being framed for the crime, but they need proof. The ladies begin digging into Liza’s life to discover who wanted her out of the way. They need to work quickly because the case is unraveling Suzanne’s family and it is affecting another one of the knitter’s relationships. Join these five ladies in their latest investigation in Purls and Poison.Purls and Poison is the second book in A Black Sheep & Company Mystery series, but it is tenth book involving the ladies of Plum Harbor (the series changed publisher & altered the series name). I do not recommend beginning the series with Purls and Poison. You will be missing the backstory on the characters. Plum Harbor is a charming seaside town that is home to a delightful knitting shop. The ladies (Maggie, Dana, Phoebe, Lucy and Suzanne) meet each week at the shop to knit, chat, and enjoy a meal while indulging in wine. Purls and Poison is told from Suzanne’s point-of-view. She is extremely angry at Liza for poaching her client and then selling them her listing (double whammy). It resulted in a heated exchange earlier in the day with all her co-workers in attendance (you can see where this is heading). Liza is then murdered, and all the evidence points to Suzanne. The book contains good writing with the regular cozy elements that readers enjoy, but the pacing was varied. The mystery has a handful of suspects, misdirection and pointed clues. Readers will have no problem identifying the guilty party before the solution is revealed. I could have done with less speculation and repetition of case details (which slowed down the pace of the story). I would have preferred if Purls and Poison was told from the third person perspective (instead of changing in each book). I am not a fan of Suzanne and her attitude in this story did not alter my opinion. We get limited information on the other knitters which is a shame (Maggie is my favorite character). One of our ladies is in for a life changing event (I do not want to spoil it for you). I did enjoy their participation in knitting items for charity. They were trying to complete a hundred items for families in need. There is a knitting pattern and recipe at the back of the book. Fans of Anne Canadeo and A Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series (the original series) will be delighted with Purls and Poison.