A Case For the Yarn Maker
Ainsley McGregor Book 2
by Candace Havens
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Spin a yarn…at your own risk.
Everyone at Bless Your Art in Sweet River, Texas, is excited about the Yarn Goddess (yes, that’s her real name) coming to town. Ainsley McGregor has set up a special event at the local community center, but when old Mrs. Whedon doesn’t see eye-to-eye with the Goddess about using quality yarn, a fight breaks out. Who knew the octogenarian had ninja moves like that?
It’s all fun and games until George Clooney, Ainsley’s Great Dane, finds Ms. Yarn’s dead body in a booth at Bless Your Art. Now the prime suspect is Mrs. Whedon, and while she’s not the easiest woman to get along with, there’s no way she’s the killer. At least, Ainsley doesn’t think so. As this yarn unravels, Ainsley and her quirky friends learn some interesting things about the case and the Goddess’s checkered past. But there’s a killer on the loose, and George may be the only thing protecting Ainsley from certain death.
A Case For the Winemaker
Ainsley McGregor Book 1
The closer she gets to the truth, the more she finds herself drowning in trouble.
It’s an exciting time in Sweet River, Texas, and the whole town's talking. Maybe, a little too much. Former English professor Ainsley McGregor has gambled everything on her new business: Bless Your Art, an artisan market where local artists sell their wares and teach classes.
The bright, white space is filled to the brim with colorful art, yarn, jewelry, pet treats, antiques and even a few medieval weapons. Oh, and there are wine tastings. Everything's better with wine. Ainsley is surprised by how well things are going–right up until the moment her Great Dane finds a dead body. With her friend accused of the murder, it’s up to Ainsley to find the real killer.
As the suspect list grows longer, Ainsley has her work cut out for her. The task is made more difficult by the fact her brother, the sheriff, doesn’t seem to want her help. If she doesn’t wrap up the case soon, she might be the next wine, um, one to die.
Excerpts
Excerpt One
It wasn’t so much that I walked him, as he did me. I wasn’t
the best at getting exercise, but that had changed in the days since George
came into my life a few months ago. I’d already lost two pounds, and my fat
jeans weren’t cutting into my waist anymore, so I wasn’t complaining.
I’d been eating my feelings for months, so a little exercise
wasn’t such a bad thing.
Behind Main Street on the north side of our building, was a
huge park with the Sweet River running through it. There were walking and bike
paths, and it had old-fashioned gaslight-style lamps that made it almost as
bright at night as during the day. The sidewalks were bordered by gardens, each
tended by a different group. The open, green areas were where many of the town’s
festivals were held. Handy, since people visiting said events could come
through the back entrance into our building. That’s why I’d also had a sign
painted on the back.
George dragged me toward his favorite tree. But he stopped a
few feet away and whined a bit. I hadn’t heard him do that before.
“George, I need you to hurry it along, buddy. I don’t have
time for you to be super picky about the tree. Let’s get it done.” I kept a
firm tone with him when we were outside. But I never yelled. He’d pout for days
if I did, and besides, who yells at a dog?
Dumb people.
He growled. He’d never done that, either. And it wasn’t at
me, it was at whatever was on the ground under the leaves.
A shiver ran through me.
Oh, no. That was my internal scare-dar. My gut always told
me when danger was near or when something wasn’t quite right. The night I’d
been mugged in Chicago, I’d had shivers just a few minutes before. That same
sense of dread I’d experienced then slithered through me now.
Whatever was about to happen, I just wanted to run back to
the shop and reclaim my happy space.
Think logically. There are no muggers in Sweet
River.
The weather was cooler, and creepy crawlies were looking for
places to hibernate. I’d watched enough Discovery Channel to know they liked leaves
to get warm.
Could it be a snake? There were tons of leaves piled there.
The dog growled again, a deep and sort of mean sound.
“George?” I tugged gently on his leash, encouraging him to
back away. “Please,” I whispered. Nerves jangled through me. I was scared he
might get bitten. “Back away slowly. I don’t want whatever is under there to
get you.”
He grunted and sniffed the ground.
Then he sat and wouldn’t budge. He outweighed me by a good
sixty or so pounds, depending on how much chocolate I’d eaten the day before.
Stupid dog. The snake was going to strike any second. I
pulled him hard, and as I did, his tail swept across the leaves and something
popped out. He moved back then.
“Sit, George,” I said firmly, as my heart pounded against my
chest.
Not a snake.
A hand.
A very dead-looking hand lay in the leaves, and it was
attached to an equally dead-looking arm.
Excerpt Two
He told me not to say anything to anyone until he came back
for me. The cup rattled as my hands shook again. A bone-chilling cold that no
amount of heat would warm had settled in me. But I was alert and focused on
everything going on around me. No way was I going to be the victim of another
crime and leave justice and investigation to those not involved.
Plus, I’d worked too hard on the grand opening of Bless Your
Art and I refused to let everyone down. I needed to figure out exactly what was
going on.
The man Michael had been arguing with earlier in the day was
dead in the park, part of his head bashed in, and his eyes staring straight
ahead.
That image would be burned into my brain for the rest of my
life.
No one deserved to go like that. Not even this guy with his
jerky attitude and bullying tactics.
“Can I get you anything else?” Maria asked. She’d been down
the street at the grocery with her daughter Samantha when they’d seen all the
flashing lights. “Tell me what I can do.”
I shook my head. There was a dead body. I wouldn’t get in
the way of my brother’s investigation by gossiping about what I’d seen.
Besides, talking wasn’t something I could even do at the moment.
My mind whirled with questions. Who else did that guy make
so mad they wanted to kill him? Was it random? Was there some crazy in town who
could possibly endanger all the people I’d come to love over the last year? I
couldn’t stand the thought of all my friends in mortal danger.
“Girl, I can’t believe this happened. The last murder was
nearly forty years ago,” Maria said.
“Mom,” Samantha murmured, “I’m worried about Ms. McGregor.
She’s just staring straight ahead, and she hasn’t blinked in a really long
time.” Samantha was a freshman at the high school, a book nerd and as
kindhearted as her mother.
“She’s in shock,” Maria said from beside me. “Maybe we
should call a doctor or take her to the hospital.”
Ugh. Hospitals were awful places, at least for me. The last
time I’d been in one was Chicago. I’d woken up there alone and scared after the
mugger had hit me so hard with his gun, I had a concussion.
I shook my head. I needed to at least appear normal. I
forced myself to blink.
George, who had been leaning into me while I sat in the
chair, put his head in my lap and sighed—a deep, comforting sound out of his
big barrel chest.
“Good dog,” I said with a shaky voice. I cleared my throat.
“I’m fine. I—my brother asked me not to say anything until he has a chance to
talk to me.”
I knew it! (doing the happy jig)
Nothing more relaxing than a cozy who-dun-it 🤓 on a Sunday afternoon.
This is book two in the series. It's a standalone but might I suggest reading book one- it gives you a bit of backstory on our leading lady and her brother and introductions to the supporting cast.
Anywho back to the mystery at hand
The author did a spot-on job of running the reader in multiple directions. Just when I had all my Danes in a row one would suddenly take off to chat with a squirrel and I would be back to chasing my tail.
The story flows smoothly with little hitches of excitement that provided light suspense and mystery while still allowing a smaller back story to exist - like the chemistry between Mr. McHottie Fire Chief and Ainsley.
Ainsley, our heroine, is a soft blend of femininity and intelligence. Before you go getting your knickers in a twist - She is smart, driven a touch scattered at times. She is quite capable of standing on her own two feet but she also longs for the warmth and protection of a partner - possibly above mentioned fire chief?
I enjoyed the balance of her character. Too many times its all polish and strength. She had a sweet vulnerability that made her more the girl next door IMO.
Ohhhh and Jake - melt my heart.
Another big positive that I felt only enhanced the experience was the small-town feel - the close friends, the feeling of community and family.
Bestselling author Candace Havens has published more than 25 books. Her novels have received nominations for the RITA's, Holt Medallion, Write Touch Reader Awards and National Readers Choice Awards. She is a Barbara Wilson Award winner. She is the author of the biography “Joss Whedon: The Genius Behind Buffy” and a contributor to several anthologies. She is also one of the nation's leading entertainment journalists and has interviewed countless celebrities from George Clooney to Chris Pratt. Candace also runs a free online writing workshop for more than 2000 writers, and teaches comprehensive writing classes. She does film reviews with Hawkeye in the Morning on 96.3 KSCS, and is a former President of the Television Critics Association.
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