A Killer's Stitch: A Knitting Mystery

When womanizing Derek Cooper, a Fort Collins, Colo., rancher, is killed by a blow to the head near the start of Sefton's entertaining if flawed fourth knitting mystery (after 2006's A Deadly Yarn ), her first in hardcover, for once it looks as if knitter-cum-accountant-cum-sleuth Kelly Flynn, who doesn't know the deceased, won't get involved. But it turns out that one of Kelly's pals is close friends with a prime suspect, Cooper's ex, and Kelly offers her detecting skills in an attempt to track down the real killer. Readers will enjoy visiting with Kelly and her knitting buddies, who, in their carefree way, resemble the cast of Friends . Unfortunately, awkward dialogue, such as a conversation about whether Kelly is comfortable kissing her boyfriend, strikes a false note. Still, knitting devotees will enjoy this crafty cozy. (May)