Book 84, 2023

[chez_jae]

Yarn to Go by Betty Hechtman

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was nearly done with my "spare" book, so I polished that one off today, too. It was Yarn to Go, which is the first book in the "Yarn Retreat" mystery series by Betty Hechtman. Narrative is in the first-person pov of main character Casey Feldstein.

Casey has bounced from one thing to another throughout her adult life, but she's currently working as a pastry chef on the Monterey Peninsula. When her beloved aunt Joan dies unexpectedly, it falls on Casey to host the final yarn retreat that Joan had planned. Casey knows nothing about knitting, but she steps up, determined to do her best. She ends up relying heavily on Kris, the woman who worked closely with Joan for the retreats. When one of their group ends up murdered in her hotel room, Casey draws on the limited skills she acquired working for a PI in one of her previous incarnations. Her efforts draw the ire of the police lieutenant in charge of the investigation and the manager of the hotel. The more Casey learns, however, the more she becomes convinced that Edie's death is connected to her aunt's. Now it's up to her to snag a killer and salvage her aunt's reputation.

The story was well-written; it simply wasn't my cup of tea. I'm not into fabric arts, but since Casey wasn't either, the reader got to learn along with her. To be honest, I grabbed the book because of the cat on the cover. He did play a role, albeit a very small one. I admired Casey's grit and tenacity, and it was lovely to see how everyone participating in the retreat bonded by the end of it. The worst part was when Casey's overbearing mother (and father) appeared on the scene, dragging her ex-boyfriend with, in an effort to get Casey to leave this retreat foolishness behind and do something mother-approved with her life. Is this a thing in real life? Do you or anyone you know have a mother who acts like this? I would hand my mother her head if she tried it. Just reading about it aggravates me.

Favorite line: Leave it to Edie; from beyond the grave she had managed to say the wrong thing.

The story was okay overall, but I'm not certain I'd read another in the series. Giving this one three stars.


1. Does the mc work at/as one of the following: baker/bakery/sweet shop/tea shop/coffee shop, library/librarian, antique/vintage shop, book store, fashion/boutique, bed & breakfast? Yes, she's a baker.
2. Does the mc live at her (or his) place of occupation? No, she does not.
3. Is the love interest involved in law enforcement? (Police officer, sheriff, detective, PI, FBI) Yes. Grr
4. Does the mc have a dog/cat as a pet? She's on the verge of acquiring a cat...
5. Is the mc's BFF either a gay guy or a ditzy/zany woman? No, Casey's "best" friend seems to be Lucinda, who's normal enough
7. Did the mc wind up in mortal danger at the end of the book? Yes
8. Is the mc's mother either: dead, absent, far removed, ditzy and dithering, or overbearing/disapproving/meddling? Yes, her mother is absent (for the most part) AND overbearing/disapproving/meddling
9. If mother is dead/absent, does the mc have another mother-figure (grandmother, aunt, mom's friend, or an older friend)? Yes, Lucinda
10. Is the mc child-free? (Either no children or else grown children--i.e. no small children to look after) Yes