Audiobook9 hours
Last Wool and Testament: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery
Written by Molly MacRae
Narrated by Emily Durante
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
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About this audiobook
Thank Goodness It's Fiber: That's the name of the spunky group of fiber and needlework artists founded by Ivy McClellan, Kath's beloved grandmother. Though Ivy has recently passed on, the members still meet regularly at her fiber and fabric shop, The Weaver's Cat, which Kath has now inherited. But that's only the first in a series of surprises when Kath returns to the small town of Blue Plum, Tennessee, to settle her grandmother's affairs.There's been a murder, and it turns out her grandmother was the prime suspect. Before she can begin to clear Ivy's name, Kath encounters a looming presence in the form of a gloomy ghost. It turns out the specter has just as much interest in solving the murder as Kath. So, with a little help from the members of TGIF-and a stubborn spirit from beyond-she sets out to unravel the clues and hook the real killer . . .
Author
Molly MacRae
Molly MacRae is the national bestselling author of Lawn Order, Wilder Rumors, and the Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Series, including Knot the Usual Suspects and Plagued by Quilt. Her short stories have appeared in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine for more than twenty years, and she has won the Sherwood Anderson Award for Short Fiction. Molly lives with her family in Champaign, Illinois.
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Titles in the series (6)
Last Wool and Testament: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Spinning in Her Grave Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dyeing Wishes: A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Plagued by Quilt Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Knot the Usual Suspects Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5
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Reviews for Last Wool and Testament
Rating: 3.838541708333333 out of 5 stars
4/5
96 ratings16 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Well written, funny, and very fiber-y. I enjoyed it. I'd give it 4 1/2 stars if that were possible.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I know I started this book before, but I picked it up again since I couldn't remember how it ended. And now, having finished it, I think I started it but never finished it the last time I got it out of the library. Nothing from the middle half of the book on seemed familiar.
This is a fun cozy mystery. However, don't expect the yarn content to be anything but superficial. Yes, it's the first in the "Haunted Yarn Shop" mystery series. But unlike some other fiber-oriented cozy mystery series, this book at least (I can't vouch for the rest of the series) only uses the yarn shop as a setting. It's still enjoyable, and the "haunted" part was certainly true (and fun). But don't expect much in the way of yarn in this one. - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Very slow in beginning. Very glad midway through that changed.
Though still very 'wordy', did enjoy overall. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I really enjoyed this book. It had a good plot, interesting characters, a ghost and a few surprises that keep you wanting more. I can't wait to read the next book in the series
- Rating: 1 out of 5 stars1/5I wanted to like this book. It was set in East Tennessee and featured needlework. The characters are flat. The narrative fails to engage the reader. The paranormal angle is just too strange--even for an area with a lot of ghost stories. About 30% of the way into the book, I finally gave up.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This was a fun read with likable characters and interesting mysteries. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and am lookjing forward to reading more of the series.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5AUTHOR: MacRae, MollyTITLE: The Last Wool & TestamentDATE READ: 12/24/15RATING: 3.5/C+GENRE/PUB DATE/PUBLISHER/# OF PGS Mystery/2012/ Penguin/ 316 pgs SERIES/STAND-ALONE: #1 in Haunted yarn shop series CHARACTERS AUTHOR: Kath Rutledge / granddaughter of Ivey who owned the yarn shop TIME/PLACE 2011/Blue Plum TNFIRST LINES It wasn't how I planned to spend my 39th birthday, driving like a crazed woman, from Richmond, Virginia to a cemetery in the mountains of east Tennessee. COMMENTS: My least favorite read this year… just couldn't muster any feeling for any of the characters. Kath comes down from Richmond, VA to settle her grandmother's estate and there are several murders she gets involved w/. She discovers her grandmother's yarn/fiber shop is haunted. I doubt I will read on in this series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This story takes place in Plum Creek, Tennessee where Kath Rutledge inherits her grandmother's fiber and fabric shop, The Weaver's Cat. This book is full of fun characters, it's well written, the mystery is well plotted, and has fun tidbits about fiber arts. This is the first in a series and a most enjoyable one at that. If you have some time and would like to escape for an afternoon or two then I highly recommend this most enjoyable book.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Excellent start to a new series! Fun characters and lots of mystery. The plot had a lot going for it - a few twists, a couple of red herrings and a culprit I didn't totally see coming (although I wasn't as surprised as I probably should have been).
A lot of the story line about Kath's grandmother's legacy was left unanswered, so I believe it will probably be an over arching plot line throughout the series, which will be ok if the author gives us enough during each book to make us feel like progress in character development has been made. I want more information about the journals, and about her gifts. And I sincerely hope that the author does NOT create a love triangle between Kath and two brothers!!!! Please don't do that! And while I'm making requests/wishes - I really hope Geneva lightens up, because I think she could be a highly amusing ghost. :)
I really enjoyed this mystery and look forward to the next one. Also looking forward to trying the recipes in the back! - Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This is an interesting new cozy series, with features common to other craft mysteries. This one includes the "life turned suddenly upside' heroine who's grandmother has suddenly died and left her the shop. But it also includes a ghost and an assortment of normal and off-kilter characters.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5For a first book in a series, it was great and just kept plugging right along from the first page right up to the last word. Sometimes first books in a series can just seem way to "fluffy" or to much like setting the scene for future books. This book was not like that at all, which was a very refreshing thing to see in a first book. The whole paranormal side was a great touch to the story. The mystery of all the things going on when Kath comes to town for her Grandmother's funeral is so fascinating that you can't help but want to read on and on in the book once you start. So much happens in the mystery realm in the first few chapters that it really hooks you. I really enjoyed the characters in this book. They were so well developed and easy to like. As far as the details, they were great. At times they may have seemed a bit over the top, but there was a method to that madness, so to speak, and it all worked out as great writing in the end. This book had so much to it; mystery, paranormal, family drama, action, and adventure. If you read this book for nothing else you need to read it to learn more about Kath and her Grandmother "Crazy Ivy". The characters really make this book! If you are looking for a good mystery with a paranormal twist with murder and mayhem, you need to pick up this magical book for sure.4/5 Stars!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5In MacRae’s mystery novel, Kath Rutledge’s grandmother, Ivy has just passed away. Now home in Blue Plum, Tennessee to settle the estate, Kath learns that not only has she inherited her grandmother’s fiber and fabric shop, but there’s been a murder and it seems Ivy is the prime suspect. As Kath rallies her friends for help clearing Ivy’s name, she encounters a depressed ghost who seems only to happy to hang around and play detective. With help at hand, Kath sets out to solve the case before settling into her future.A witty and entertaining mystery that keeps the reader guessing. A great introduction to the A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery series.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was an okay cozy mystery for me. It had a slow start, and I couldn't get into the story until at least the half-way point. Once I did, I thought he mystery itself was good, and the culprit was not easy to figure out.When Kath Rutledge's grandmother dies, she heads back to Blue Plum, Tennessee, for the funeral and to settle the estate. Kath is Grandma Ivy's only heir, so she expects to get the yarn shop and the home on Lavender Street in the will. But, surprise! Nothing is ever easy. Not only is there a snag in her inheritance, but Kath also finds out her grandmother was the suspect in a recent murder.Part of my issue with the book was that none of the characters really grabbed me. The protagonist Kath was so-so. I thought her reactions to certain situations were a little unrealistic, like how nonchalant she was about finding a ghost in her cottage. Still, there were plenty of fun moments between characters, in particular ones with Kath and Deputy Cole "Clod" Dunbar.This is the debut in the Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery series, and I'll probably continue with the next book. The shop isn't the only thing Kath inherits from her grandmother, and I'm interested to see where that part of the story goes.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Line: It wasn't how I'd planned to spend my thirty-ninth birthday, driving like a crazed woman from Richmond, Virginia, to a cemetery in the mountains of east Tennessee.Kath Rutledge, textile preservationist for the state of Illinois, is driving like a crazed woman because she's trying not to miss the funeral of her beloved grandmother, Ivy McClellan. She almost doesn't make it, thanks to Cole Dunbar, who unfortunately is the type of police officer anyone would dearly love to punch in the nose.After the funeral, Kath goes to her grandmother's popular fiber and fabric shop, the Weaver's Cat, where many of Ivy's friends have gathered to honor her memory. Most of those attending belong to a group of fiber and needlework artists known as TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fiber). Afterwards Kath goes to her grandmother's cottage, fully expecting to stay there while she wraps up Ivy's affairs. However, the locks have been changed. It seems that Ivy didn't own her home, and the new owner has it locked up tighter than a drum until he gets the rent he's owed. Or so he says.An acquaintance gives Kath an alternate place to stay, and it's not until the next day that she learns that the previous tenant, Emmett Cobb, was murdered-- and Kath's grandmother is the prime suspect. Even though this cake doesn't need any icing, Kath gets it anyway: the cabin where she's staying has another occupant-- a gloomy ghost who is just as motivated as Kath when it comes to finding Emmett Cobb's killer.Life in a small town in east Tennessee is lovingly described in Last Wool and Testament, as are its residents. MacRae has the perfect setting and a wonderful cast for her new series, and if you aren't exactly a fan of paranormal mysteries, feel free to give this one a try anyway. The paranormal angle is done with a very light touch, and the ghost is more of a monumental pain in the neck than she is otherworldly.I enjoyed myself becoming acquainted with the cast of characters (well... with the exception of Cole Dunbar; I really did want to punch that guy in the nose), and my candidate for whodunit changed from time to time until close to the end when one character's behavior set off my inner alarm system.I savored all the information about textiles throughout the book, and although I normally ignore patterns or recipes in the backs of cozy mysteries, I have to admit that-- although the knitting pattern for a baby/toddler's hat didn't do much for me, the recipe for Rosemary Watermelon Lemonade made my taste buds sit up and beg.Good setting, good characters, good food... and fiber and fabric, too. Last Wool and Testament is a wonderful beginning to a new series.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Kath Rutledge has come to Blue Plum, TN to attend her beloved grandmother, Ivy's funeral and to settle Ivy's business since she is the sole heir. She is in for a lot surprises during her visit including that she has lost her job, and her grandmother was being blackmailed. She also discovered that her sweet granny is a suspect in a murder. As she tries to solve the mysteries surrounding her grandmother she becomes acquainted or reacquainted with many of the residents of Blue Plum. She also meets her first ghost. Hmmm, it took me a while to get into this book. However, once it got going I enjoyed it. The only issue that I still have is that the reasons for blackmail seemed pretty lame to me. Anyway, the characters were fun and the mystery was pretty good. Loved the ghost. I will read the next in the series.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I LOVED Last Wool and Testament! Kath Rutledge returns home to Blue Plum, TN for her Grandmother Ivy McClellan's burial. She no more then gets back to town when she has a run in with a local deputy for speeding to make it to the burial on time. Everything goes down hill from there. She's in for many surprises! She receives a letter from her grandmother with news she did not expect& she finds she is locked out of her grandmother's house. A friend offer's her a house to stay in as long as she needs it. Then she finds out there was a man murdered in the house & her Grandmother is s suspect in the murder. Kath sets out to clear Ivy's name with the help of the TGIF (Thank Goodness is Fiber) Group from Weaver's Cat (the yarn shop her grandmother owned) and also with a little unexpected help from a friendly yet very depressed ghost. There are a lot of surprises in this book that kept me turning pages. I loved it. I love stories with ghost. I really admire Kath for the stregth she had to deal with the death of her Grandmother and all else she had to go through. She's an interesting charcter with a lot going on in her life. I can not wait to read the next book by Molly MacRae!