Kelly has also discovered the art of knitting and has thrown herself into her new hobby, spending much of her free time at House of Lambspun. Kelly is uncertain how she wants to proceed with her life, but is able to buy some more time with her firm in Washington.

Kelly volunteers to take a group of knitting tourists on a visit to weaver Vickie Claymore’s alpaca farm for a demonstration. When the group arrives, Kelly finds Vickie bludgeoned in her living room. No one can imagine who would want to harm Vickie, but Kelly soon meets Vickie’s daughter who tells Kelly that things were not as good with Vickie’s helper and neighboring rancher Geri nor with Vickie’s ex-husband.

What’s more, Kelly quickly learns what a cutthroat business alpaca farming is. Kelly uses her logical mind to sift through the clues and uses her local connections to learn more about the relationships that may have set someone off that cost Vickie her life.

Needled to Death is a solid addition to a fledgling series. Kelly has been in a whirlwind since solving her aunt’s murder and hasn’t spent much time thinking about herself and her new situation. She has made some great new friends, and even has a young man interested in her, something she has not taken the time to pursue yet. Kelly is easy to like and easy to know, but needs to spend some time putting her life back in order. While there are several suspects, one does stand out, though the motives are not as clear in the beginning.

As Kelly’s new life begins to take shape, she becomes more interesting and more enjoyable to be around. Knitting tips are scattered throughout the book, worked easily into the text. Needles to Death is a fun, quick read, especially for those caught up in the current knitting craze.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry