Died in the Wool

Written by Peggy Ehrhart

Narrated by Callie Beaulieu

When a murder shocks picturesque Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela Paterson and her Knit and Nibble knitting club suddenly find themselves at the center of the investigation-as suspects . . .

Pamela is ready to kick back and relax after a busy day selling stuffed aardvarks to benefit Arborville High School's sports program at the annual town festival. But just as she's packing up, she makes a terrible discovery-someone's stashed a body under the Knit and Nibble's table. The victim is Randall Jefferson, a decidedly unpopular history teacher after his recent op-ed criticizing the school's sports program. But the primary suspect has an alibi, and the only clue is a stuffed aardvark found on the victim's chest . . . Now the Knit and Nibblers must unravel the case quickly-before a crafty killer repeats a deadly pattern.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Oct 23, 2018
• ISBN: 9781977332639

Reviews for Died in the Wool

[sheila1957 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To help the school athletics program raise funds, the Knit Club knits aardvark mascots to sell. The day of the festival the richest neighbor is found murdered under the Knit Club's booth table with an aardvark lying on his chest. Who is responsible? Who wants to blame the Knit Club? The group becomes the target of gossips and they will not let their group be denigrated. So off they go to solve the crime.I enjoyed this book. As I get to know the characters I see their different personality quirks and how the fit together to make them a good group to hang with. The men in their lives also have their quirks which is why some work together with Pamela and Bettina to find the murderer while their wives, who are members of the group, won't stoop to gossip. It is a fun to watch how they receive the insults from the town and how they counteract them. I look forward to the next segment.

[cathyskye · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I'm continuing to enjoy Peggy Ehrhart's cozy series for its marvelous sense of fellowship, its knitting, and its delicious food. I also like reading about the articles Pamela edits for the fictional Fiber Crafts magazine; there's always something to learn there. Ehrhart has created a strong cast with the members of the knitting group, and the subplots involving various characters can be every bit as interesting as the main action of the mystery-- although I couldn't quite believe Pamela could be so clueless about her cat, Catrina (and no, I'm not a cat owner). I should also probably admit that there's a yarn shop in a nearby town that Pamela frequents that makes me wish I lived there so I could go on spending sprees to add to my yarn stash.The only thing to dull my enjoyment of Died in the Wool was the identity of the killer. This person popped up so often I felt as though I was caught in a game of Whack-a-Mole. But in the entire scheme of things, this was a minor quibble because all the other elements hit just the right note to keep me smiling and reading. I'm looking forward to my next visit with the Knit & Nibblers.

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

Died in the Wool by Peggy Ehrhart is the second novel in A Knit & Nibble Mystery series. Pamela Paterson along with Bettina Fraser have been selling knitted aardvarks at Arborfest all day with the proceeds to benefit the Arborville high school athletic program. During the afternoon, Bettina noticed that two of the little knitted critters have gone missing and, as Pamela removes the canvas from around the table, she finds one of them—on top of a dead body someone stashed under the table. The victim is local high school history teacher, Randall Jefferson who managed to rub many people the wrong way and angered many people for his critical op-ed regarding school sports programs. When the knitting club members and their knitted creations become persona non grata, Pamela must work to unravel the clues. After a search of Randall’s home, they come up with two likely suspects. Someone is not happy with Pamela’s questioning and leaves her an unusual warning. Pamela will not be deterred, and she soon uncovers the second missing aardvark along with another victim. Can Pamela connect the clues and identify the wily killer?Died in the Wool can be enjoyed if you have not read Murder, She Knit. The author provided the necessary background on the main character and the knitting club. I had some trouble getting into the book because I found Died in the Wool to be a slow starter. They eat frequently in this book and the food is described in detail (the ingredients, how it is prepared, every item in the meal, sitting down to eat, etc.). There are also detailed descriptions of plants as the various members maintain their perennial beds and purchase new plants. Readers are also entertained with every outfit that Penny Patterson wears to work (she has an interesting wardrobe). The group has a new member, Holly who is very perky. I liked that she is knitting with larger needles and yarn (similar to roving). The ruby red yarn that Pamela picked up for her new sweater sounded beautiful. The mystery had Pamela and Bettina breaking into Randall’s home, questioning suspects, tailing thieves and tampering with evidence. Any forensics that could have been obtained from the evidence was lost by the time this group was done with it. There are pointed clues to aid readers in solving the crime and the killer can be pinpointed early in the book. In Died in the Wool more time is devoted to food than the mystery and the murder mystery was lacking in substance. I did get a good laugh when the cat in heat noises were described (it is very distinctive). Pamela had no clue what the caterwauling indicated. There is a knitting pattern at the end for a cozy cat and a recipe for strawberry shortcake. I am giving Died in the Wool 3 out of 5 stars. If you are looking for a light cozy mystery with charming characters, then you should check out Died in the Wool.