I don’t know why I waited so long to fulfill my dream of opening up a yarn shop. Oh, wait, I do. His name is Sterling and I’m not married to him anymore for that and a bunch of other reasons. So now that my shop is open, my days are filled with color and creativity. Y.A.R.N., the name of my shop, stands for “You’re Absolutely Ready Now”—and any other phrases my loyal customers can dream up. I love my hometown of Collinstown Maryland and the community I’ve created at the shop.

Most days it’s a quiet life. I’m surrounded by beautiful fibers, artful knitters and crocheters, innovative patterns and designs. My mom may be a handful, but I’ve also got customers who are more like friends. And pie—lots of pie. After all, my best friend Margo’s pie shop is right across the street. Sometimes my English Bulldog Hank stares across the street like he loves cherry pie. I know I do.

Today is more exciting than most. We’re gearing up for the shop’s first big event. Mayor Gavin Maddock—who just happens to be my old high school sweetheart, so no shortage of awkwardness there—has just declared this coming Saturday Collinstown Yarn Day. Soon I’ll host up-and-coming designer Perle Lonager for a lecture and workshop on her gorgeous Norwegian-inspired work.

Not that it’s proving easy. Perle is turning out to be a high-maintenance VIP. She’s brought her very hunky muse, Henrik, who has a big ego to match his broad Viking shoulders. And Perle’s publisher, the very ambitious Derek Martingale, isn’t helping to take down the stress level. And who is the strange young man who has bought tickets to all of her events and seems to know more than he should?

None of this makes me any kind of calm when Perle turns up missing hours before her big event. . .

On Skein of Death, A Riverbank Knitting Mystery #1
Genre: Cozy
Release: June 2021
Purchase Link

For Libby Beckett, opening her charming yarn shop, and introducing customers to the joys of knitting and crochet, is the work she was meant to do. Until the yarn she loves is used for murder. . .

Libby has come home to Collinstown, Maryland to live her dream and open her own yarn shop, aptly named Y.A.R.N., along the Chester River. To Libby, Y.A.R.N. stands for “You’re Absolutely Ready Now.” But the acronym changes whenever inspiration strikes, and customers add to the list of suggestions that fill the blackboard wall in a shop stuffed with color, fiber, and comfort.

Libby is thrilled when she lands famous Norwegian knitting celebrity Perle Langager for a series of events at Y.A.R.N. Libby’s English bulldog, Hank, has been modeling one of Perle’s doggie sweaters, and customers just can’t wait to see Perle in action. The mayor of Collinstown even decrees a Collinstown Yarn Day to celebrate. But once Perle arrives in town, she seems distracted and on edge. And when she’s found strangled with a skein of red yarn, Libby knows she has to solve a knotty mystery before her new life unravels.

Meet the author
The bestselling author of over fifty titles, Allie Pleiter’s twenty-year career has sold 1.6 million books. Allie also coaches on writing productivity and speaks nationally on time management for creatives. Allie is an avid knitter, confirmed coffee junkie and firm believer that “pie makes everything better.” She lives in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband and the world’s most adorable dog.

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