A Finely Knit Murder by Sally Goldenbaum is the 9th book in the “Seaside Knitters” mystery series. Publisher: Obsidian, May 2015

Readers can’t help but get entangled in this USA Today bestselling series.

In the newest mystery from the national bestselling author of Murder in Merino, the sleuthing skills of Izzy Chambers Perry and the Seaside Knitters are tested as death mars the beginning of the school year. . .

Seaside Knitter Birdie Favazza is thrilled that her granddaughter Gabby will be visiting for the fall and attending the Sea Harbor Community Day School. Gabby loves the school, with its newly-adopted progressive curriculum, and she loves that the Seaside Knitters are teaching knitting as part of the enrichment program. It’s a huge success, and on crisp autumn days, girls camp out on the terraces, knitting up hats for charity.

But not everyone is happy with the direction the school is taking. Outspoken board member Blythe Westerland has sparked tempers with her determination to unravel the current administration. Then, on the evening of an elegant school event, Blythe’s body is found near the school boathouse.

With a killer on the loose, Birdie is determined to keep Gabby safe. Working together, the Seaside Knitters carefully unravel the layers of Blythe’s complicated life, bringing faculty members and town residents under scrutiny. Before the cast-off rows are made on the students’ projects, the knitters will need to stitch together the evidence to see if a murderer has been walking beside them all along.

This series continues to get better and better with each book written. I love the comfortable tone and how easily this book flows from chapter to chapter from scene to scene blending it all together to create a mystery that kept grabbed me immediately. The addition of Gabby is purely a delight and I like how she brings sunshine to these stories. What I enjoy best when reading this light and airy whodunit is the camaraderie between this ensemble cast that bridges the age gap from pre-teen to octogenarian. I’m so mesmerized by the verbiage, the interactions, the feel-good atmosphere and the sense of friendship I feel as I read about the lives of the residents of Sea Harbor. This was a great read and I was not prepared for the flood of emotions reading the last chapter in this delightfully, heartwarming and charming tale. I can’t wait to see where we go next with my Izzy, Nell, Cass, Birdie and the rest of the gang in this well-written and wonderfully crafted series.