TGIF

Last Wool and Testament (Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery #1) by Molly MacRae (Obsidian mass market paperback, 4 September 2012).

The TGIF in this case is "Thank Goodness It's Fiber", the moniker of the fiber artists who meet regularly at The Weaver's Cat, the charming shop in Blue Plum, Virginia, now owned by Kath Rutledge. 

A fiber expert in her own right, Kath inherited the shop from her grandmother Ivy McLellan, who died unexpectedly of natural causes.  But Kath soon discovers that her beloved grandmother is not universally loved in the small town.  Some people, including Deputy Cole Dunbar, believe that Ivy was responsible for the death of Emmett Cobb, the unpleasant elderly caretaker of a nearby living history homestead.

Of course, Kath is certain that Ivy was incapable of murder, and determines to prove it.  But she's hampered by not knowing Blue Plum and its residents very well.  Luckily, the members of the TGIF group, who know many of the town's secrets, step up to help her with the task.

There are many, many books being published these days.   Whether self-published or not, some of the stuff that's being released is of questionable quality.  I must admit that when I picked up this book, I wasn't expecting much.

But I was pleasantly surprised.  It's well-written, and the characters (even the "types") are believable, as is the plot.  In fact, it was so absorbing I finished it in one afternoon.  I wish more of the review books I read were as enjoyable.  I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, due in the summer of 2013.




FTC Full Disclosure: Many thanks to the publisher, who sent me a copy of the book for review purposes.