Review of Stitch, Bake, Die! by Lois Winston

From the publisher of Stitch, Bake, Die!

With massive debt, a communist mother-in-law, a Shakespeare-quoting parrot, and a photojournalist boyfriend who may or may not be a spy, crafts editor Anastasia Pollack already juggles too much in her life. So she’s not thrilled when her magazine volunteers her to present workshops and judge a needlework contest at the inaugural conference of the New Jersey chapter of the Stitch and Bake Society, a national organization of retired professional women. At least her best friend and cooking editor Cloris McWerther has also been roped into similar duties for the culinary side of the 3-day event taking place on the grounds of the exclusive Beckwith Chateau Country Club.

The sweet little old ladies Anastasia is expecting to meet are definitely old, and some of them are little, but all are anything but sweet. She’s stepped into a vipers’ den that starts with bribery and ends with murder. When an ice storm forces Anastasia and Cloris to spend the night at the Chateau, Anastasia discovers evidence of insurance scams, medical fraud, an opioid ring, long-buried family secrets, and a bevy of suspects.

Can she piece together the various clues before she becomes the killer’s next target?

My review

Anastasia Pollock is back in another crafty cozy that will keep you guessing until the end. From the crafting to the murder, there’s plenty going on in this mystery where everyone has their own agenda. The conference contest atmosphere comes to life from the start, as it becomes obvious each of the conference attendees is determined to win first place. 

Although Anastasia keeps trying to pull back from the investigation, events just keep pulling her in. This is a well-plotted mystery that takes the term ‘crafty old lady’ to new heights. 

FTC Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided by its publisher.

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