One for the Hooks: A Crochet Mystery

Betty Hechtman

Aug 2021 · Crooked Lane Books

About this ebook

Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers must unwind a fiendish skein in national bestselling author Betty Hechtman's fourteenth Crochet mystery.

These are the dog days of August, but you won't catch the Tarzana Hookers crochet club napping. While Molly Pink knits together an idea for a new project, Miami Wilson busily converts a house she inherited into a rental property. But Miami is left shorthanded when Sloan Renner, the woman helping her clean out the house ends up dead under a pile of smelly seafood.

A large drone had flown over the property discarding mollusk shells all over the backyard. Was it an accident? An ill-fated prank by neighbors up in arms about a rental house in their cul-de-sac? Witnesses clam up when Molly's ex, homicide detective Barry Greenberg, tries to get information, but he thinks Molly may be able to get them to open up to her.

When Molly learns about Sloan's seafood allergy, she suspects that the woman's death was no accident. Can she bait the hook to catch the culprit, or will the killer keep raising shell?

Ratings and reviews

cozy-mystery, women-sleuths, amateur-sleuth, law-enforcement, friendship, family-dynamics, relationship issues, murder investigation**** The characters are memorable, the imagery clear, and the hooker book club (crocheting) is a gas. Nice balance between situational and verbal humor to keep both the suspense and the family issues from getting too tight. Very enjoyable read. I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

One for the Hooks by Betty Hechtman is the 14th A Crochet Mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series. I thought One for the Hooks was well-written with developed characters. I like that Molly Pink is a mature woman who is a clever and capable. I was not a fan of the way Molly dealt with her son, Peter in this book. I thought she would set down some rules for the pushy son and his cold girlfriend. Molly most do some soul searching when Mason makes her an offer. The whodunit had multiple suspects (a whole neighborhood), misdirection, and a unique method of murder. One detail early in the book is all that is needed to solve the crime (I am not telling you which one). I enjoyed following Molly and Dinah as they dug up information and got themselves into trouble in pursuit of justice. Barry, of course, wants Molly’s information, but he is reluctant to share. He also does not always appreciate her theories (you would think he would have learned to trust her by now). There are cute pets, gorgeous yarns, fun with friends, plus book and yarn events. I enjoyed the one-of-a-kind scarf project that Molly came up with using the yarns she purchased for the shop. Adele was even more over-the-top than usual thanks to her vlog. Her outfits match her ego (loud and large). I laughed often while reading One for the Hooks. I am eager for the next A Crochet Mystery after reading the ending. One for the Hooks is an entertaining cozy mystery with ritzy yarns, a significant other’s suggestion, a problematic progeny, a daring drone, a curious killing, sensational Serendipity scarves, and the plucky Molly Pink.

The means of murder certainly changes as technology advances! I loved this latest in Betty Hechtman’s Crochet Mystery series! Visiting Molly, her family, friends, and coworkers is one thing I always look forward to. We continue to learn new and interesting things about our favorite characters and enjoy how well-defined new characters are. For instance, Adele is now “The Adele”, a well-followed vlogger. She is still a source of LOL humor that fans won’t want to miss! Molly’s personal life continues to be an adventure! Her older son moved himself and his pregnant lady friend into Molly’s home when they were caught between homes and their television careers were on hold. Her “plus one”, Mason, does pro bono legal work along with his celebrity law practice for a group getting new trials for innocent prisoners new and has a plan for himself and Molly. Barry, the detective Molly used to date, also wants her help with a case that she has an interest in – a first for him! Molly was invited to look at a large stash of yarn at the home of Miami, a young woman who inherited her aunt’s property. She and a couple members of the local crochet group, Tarzana Hookers, go to see the yarn, and come up with a plan to use it if purchased for Shedd and Royal Books and More. The “More” includes a yarn and accessories department which serves as a meeting place for the Hookers to gather. When they return to pick up the boxes of yarn, Miami’s Realtor, Sloan, is killed in a freak accident with a drone. While it is assumed the neighbors protesting Miami and Sloan’s plan to rent rooms from her home were behind it, Molly thinks the drone was aimed at Sloan. At the request of Mason and her older son, Molly tries to stay out of it, even though she has been instrumental in helping identify and catch killers in the past. The plot twists and turns kept this reader on her toes! I had no idea whodunit. It was a huge surprise to me whodunit and why! The author has gifted us with a fabulous mystery with one of my favorite long-time sleuths in what sounds like the coolest bookstore in California. Molly’s personal life was exciting to see and was presented with a great balance of mystery and personal. I was very pleased with the ending and looking forward to the next in series! It includes the perfect, easy scarf pattern. I highly recommend this to fans of well-written, humorous, intriguing cozy mysteries with a cast of characters that is like a family, bookstores, and crocheting. It can be read as a standalone, as sufficient backstory is given to follow it. You might just want to go back and read the rest! From a thankful heart: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

About the author

Betty Hechtman was born in Chicago, Illinois and on a particularly eventful weekend graduated college, got married, moved to Los Angeles, California and now lives in Tarzana. She has a degree in Fine Arts and has had a variety of professions. Her love of mysteries started with Nancy Drew and blossomed when she began to read Agatha Christie's books. She has been doing handicrafts since she was a child. It is like a dream come true to be able to mix mystery and yarn craft in her books.