Too many repetitive descriptions throughout the book. Sounded like cut & paste or AI generated.
Do not read more by this author.

Pamela is at a fiber and craft conference sponsored by the magazine for which she edits. She organized a knitting bee, and the keynote speaker comes and, after coffee, has a seizure. Later that evening the event attendees learn he has died. A few days later it is learned he was poisoned. By then all evidence had been cleaned up. Pamela and Bettina work on discovering the murderer but with so little clues, they are coming up short. A package is left for Pamela. When she goes to thank the person, she finds the person stabbed to death. Are the murders related? Can she and Bettina figure it out before they end up in trouble?

I enjoyed this. I was lost as to who it could be. I never figured it out. Pamela and Bettina figured it out but not without Woofus' help. The last scene leading to the murderer was scary. I also was wrong about what Roland was knitting. When it was revealed, I chuckled. This does focus on Pamela and Bettina with Brian coming in a little more where we learn more of him. The Knit and Nibble group are more on the outside this time. I am liking where this is going. ( )

Another fun, cozy mystery in the Knit & Nibble series. Roland made me chuckle a couple of times in this installment, with his no nonsense attitude and his secrecy regarding his current project during their Knit & Nibble sessions. Peggy did a great job with the misdirection's, I wasn't able to guess the killer. Looking forward to reading future books in this series, really hoping that Pamela gets back together with her neighbor. ( )

When Pamela Paterson's employer couples with Wendelstaff College to give a conference, all seems to be going well. That is, until the speaker, Professor Robert Greer-Gordon Critter, is heckled by his ex-wife. Hoping everything else will run smoothly, Pamela discovers it won't...when he's visiting the local ladies who are knitting, it's to have coffee and cookies and discuss his books and knitting. But he never gets that far -- as he drops to the floor, unable to breathe, and later at the hospital is pronounced dead. When Pamela discovers that he's been poisoned, no one knows how, as everyone else had the same food and drink as the man, and they're all fine.

Now she, along with her reporter neighbor Bettina, are off and running once again to find a killer. But with so many suspects in the mix, it could be quite a problem to untangle a killer...

This is the eighth book in the series and I have read every one. First off, the bad: while I do love this series, I also get tired of hearing every single time anyone eats, the pottery (or china) that they are eating on. Who really cares? We get that Bettina has sage-green pottery, but does it matter to the food that is plated? No. Also, there is a lot of food mentioned in the book, like, every single detail of every single thing that they eat. Again, who cares? Do we really need to know each ingredient in a salad? Is is relevant to the murder? No. So I would like to see less of this in future books. And again, I believe that I have mentioned this before, but we get an awful lot of information on food, but Pamela's grooming habits are atrocious. Does she ever take a shower? She gets out of bed and dresses -- no mention of showering, and only once of brushing her teeth, and that's because her neighbor gave her a toothbrush!

Also, I don't see why she gets upset at Bettina when she wants to know about Pamela's dates. Is it a secret? They're friends. And Bettina is a reporter, so she's naturally curious. Pamela keeps it too close to her chest, and that's not normal. Getting mad at Bettina seems so off the wall to me. Ah, well...

However, the mystery itself was done really well, and there were very few clues to the murderer. I did discover the killer before Pamela, but then again, maybe we were supposed to. I did enjoy visiting her home and friends again, and, of course, the cats. I was glad to see that they also played a role in the books and weren't just relegated to the cover.

When Bettina and Pamela start questioning people at the college, they don't think it could be as hard as it is, but each person they question leads them to someone else. It seems the professor was not well-liked, and no one mourns him. Finding a murderer among them takes more thought than either knew, and in their travels we learn more about the surrounding areas and even a local outdoor market that sounds unique. All of it was intriguing, and looking for the killer was even more so.

In the end, it all came together very nicely, with the ends woven in together tightly and the finished product something you can enjoy while reading. I think the author did a very good job with this book, and I do look forward to the next in the series. This book can be read as a stand alone. Recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review. ( )

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

In this 8th book in the series, knitting enthusiast Pamela investigates the murder-by-poison of a local professor whose death no one seems to mourn. The suspects stack up, from the ex-wife whose research he stole for a book to his myriad of disgruntled lovers to students left devastated by his callus disregard.

This is a cozy book in the mode of a TV show. There's an ambling pace, and at times it feels like taking a walking tour around this small New Jersey town with many great restaurants, a farmer's market, and a college. For my personal taste, it was a bit too slow and exhaustive in its descriptions of mundane daily details, but I can also see this acting as a totally immersive escape for some readers. As it was, I absolutely had to finish the book and find out whodunit, so it had me hooked nevertheless! I had not read previous books, but I didn't have any issues getting into the story for that reason. There is a light romantic subplot--there are some dates--but the emphasis of the book is on the female lead and her female friendships, including a close neighbor whose pushiness and lack of tact irritated me at times (seriously, I'd invest in good locks if she lived near me).

I would also like to note that I adore the cover of this book and I was very happy that the cats were regularly mentioned throughout the story, too. I'm not into fiber crafts, but those who are would really appreciate the details on that, including a project at the back of the book. ( )