It's springtime in Fort Connor, Colorado, which is home to the House of Lambspun, a cozy yarn shop owned by Mimi Shafer. The great news is the the shop has outgrown the little shop and Mimi has decided to renovate her storage space into classroom space, which will allow what she currently uses as classroom space to be utilised for other things. This means that accountant Kelly Flynn's boyfriend, who specialises in construction contract work will be able to take on some extra work, as well.

In fact, most of the regulars at the Lambspun are doing quite well, which is why nobody should have been too surprised when everything went pear- shaped. Jared Rizzoli, who has spent time in prison for his part in a Ponzi scheme has been released, and is back in Fort Connor. He is now offering classes, telling everyone that he's paid his debt his society, and he's turning over a new leaf. However, those who lost their life's savings because of Rizzoli aren't so quick to forgive and forget. And some, like Barbara (a regular shop weaver), can't forget the family members who took their lives when they realised they'd been swindled by Rizzoli.

While Rizzoli didn't have any fans, no one expected him to be murdered -- or that the two people the police would zero in on are friends of the Lambspun crew. Soon, Kelly springs into action to prove that neither Barbara (who doesn't have an alibi and certainly has a motive) nor Malcolm (who had a physical altercation with Rizzoli then fell off the wagon and can't remember where he was that night) killed the scammer. With help from Burt (Mimi's fiance and retired police detective), who feeds Kelly inside information from the official investigation, Kelly begins to put together enough clues to form her own list of suspects and motives.

I have to admit that the last couple of books in the Knitting Mystery Series were disappointing, but this one really delivered! I was kept guessing about the killer until just before Kelly solved the mystery, and the story was full of suspense and intrigue. There was a subplot in which Kelly's friend Jennifer and Jennifer's boyfriend Peter had to deal with Peter's grandfather having a serious health issue, and all of the Lambspun knitters pitched in to help out, showing a real sense of family and camaraderie.

I also liked the character development in this book. The relationships in the book were less frustrating in this book and definitely went in a direction that made much more sense. The characters didn't speak in ways that over- explained everything and made the reader feel condescended to, and there wasn't constant cat-and-mouse action going on between people who have been dating. Overall, CLOSE KNIT KILLER is one of the best in the Knitting Mystery Series, and I'm very much looking forward to the next installment!

Book Summary

Springtime in Fort Connor, Colorado, is a breeze until a veteran con man shows up in town. Everyone—including the House of Lambspun knitters—is up in arms, and once again it’s up to Kelly Flynn to untangle the threads of a complicated crime… Kelly’s good friend, the owner of the House of Lambspun, has something exciting up her sleeve. Her knitting shop has outgrown itself and she is looking to turn an old storage building into a classroom space for her shop’s spinners and weavers. But when an old familiar face shows up in town, nerves quickly become frayed… Years ago Jared Rizzoli, a former financial advisor, operated a Ponzi scheme that defrauded countless Fort Connor residents—including Barbara, one of the shop’s knitters. Jared went to jail for his crime, but after being released for good behavior, he’s back to ruin more lives. When Jared is found dead in his car outside of Lambspun, Barbara becomes a prime suspect, much to the shock of the knitting community. To save one of their own, Kelly and her friends need to sort through a long list of fleeced suspects to pin the crime on the true killer…