Purls and Poison

Canadeo’s charming 10th Black Sheep and Company mystery (after 2017’s Knit to Kill) finds the knitting ladies of Plum Harbor, Mass., defending one of their own when realtor Suzanne Cavanaugh becomes the primary suspect in the poisoning murder of Liza Devereaux, her arch competitor at Prestige Properties. The strikes against Suzanne mount quickly: her very public attack on Liza shortly before her rival’s murder, her discovery of the body in Liza’s cubicle after office hours, and incriminating evidence later unearthed by the police. The knitters—Phoebe Meyers, Dana Haeger, Lucy Binger, and Maggie Messina—suspect that their friend has been framed. Since many others had reason to wish Liza dead, the women have lots of people to interview in their quest to identify the real killer. Relatable characters and amusing commentary (at one point, Dana refers to Liza as the female Lord Voldemort, e.g. the “Dark Lord-ess”) show why Canadeo is so popular with cozy readers. [em]Agent: Nancy Yost, Nancy Yost Literary. (Nov.) [/em]