Dyeing Wishes

A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery, Book 2

By: Molly MacRae

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Always up for trying something new, Kath and her friends from the fiber and needlework group TGIF - Thank Goodness It's Fiber - are visiting Cloud Hollow Farm for the day to learn the fine art of dyeing. With spring in the air, the friends head out to greet the sheep. But the sheep are more interested in something else - two bodies spread under a tall tree. And one of those bodies is someone they know.

Kath's friends nudge her to investigate, and no one is more adamant than Geneva, the ghost who loves to play assistant sleuth. But when Kath discovers another murder cut from the same cloth, she's more determined than ever to hang a roving killer out to dry.

©2013 Molly MacRae (P)2013 Tantor

Good enough, but ...

Is there anything you would change about this book?

It is too short, for one thing. And the ghostly character is taking too long to develop. I mean, we are too books in now, and we barely have enough information to even begin to speculate about who she was, how she died, and why she remained in the world. Give us more about her, so she is not just a nuisance.

What was your reaction to the ending? (No spoilers please!)

The ending was too abrupt, with not many clues sprinkled in to lead us there. It is rare for me to fail to "solve" a mystery, and when I can't, it is normally because I missed a point that I can quickly recall. This one just felt too convenient, too pat.

Have you listened to any of Emily Durante’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

I have only listened to her performance of the other Haunted Yarn Shop book, and since it is basically the same characters, I don't have a good feel for her. She did a great job with these book, though, so I would expect her to do well with other books dealing with down home country folk. I can't really imagine her doing a midwest or New England based book, but I could be wrong.

Was Dyeing Wishes worth the listening time?

I have listened to both of Molly MacRae's Haunted Yarn Shop mysteries, and I have enjoyed both. They are worth the listening time, especially since I listen quite often at work while doing some mindless, repetitive tasks that don't require a lot of attention. Some of the more intense books don't work well for this type of listening. I will listen to the next book in the series when it is available, and I expect to enjoy it.

Murder/ suicide or double murder?

In Dyeing Wishes by Molly MacRae, the TGIF (Thank Goodness It’s Fiber) club takes a field trip to Cloud Hollow Farm to learn the skills of dying wool. Debbie, the farm’s owner, goes out to show all the baby lambs to Kath, who has inherited her grandmother’s store, Weaver’s Cat, and thus is a new full-time resident of Blue Plum. But when the two women get to the sheep, they find the body of a man cradling a woman, both shot dead and with a gun lying next to the man’s body in an apparent murder/suicide. Recognizing the bodies in horror, Debbie identifies the man as Will, a local environmentalist activist who went into hiding in the mountains two years earlier after being accused of murder. But it is the woman whose death brings shock to Debbie, as Shannon is the daughter of Bonnie, one of the members of the TGIF group. Because of Kath’s experience helping to solve a previous murder, Debbie begs her to figure out this crime, certain that Will, with whom she had gone to school, would never murder this woman he loved. It doesn’t take too long before Kath brings together “The Posse,” comprised of the TGIF club and Joe, the one-time house-breaker who seems sweet on Kath. In addition, the group contains Geneva, the ghost Kath had inherited from her grandmother and whom only Kath can see.

Kath ends up leading her own and Geneva’s investigation, to the great disapproval of the police officer, Joe’s brother whom Kath privately calls “Clod” as a good descriptor of this man’s mental acuity. Geneva in particular enjoys her chance to help investigate as a secret agent who can spy on others without their knowledge. The book concludes in a creative touch.

This book was very well-written and highly enjoyable to read. The second book in the Haunted Yarn Shoppe series, after Last Wool and Testament, the book does not require a reader to have read the first book, though you will probably enjoy the book better if you read the first. The mystery itself was clean and cozy, but it is the whole experience of the book that blends together to create a clever, fun book.

Even though I don’t usually like the appearance of ghosts in my books, I not only enjoyed the book in general but loved the character of Geneva. This delightful ghost suffers from boredom because she loves television but cannot pick up anything, meaning she can’t turn on or off the TV or change the channels. She enjoys reading but can’t turn the pages so is thrilled when Kath introduces her to audio books. But Kath still has to change the CD every hour, something she can’t always do if she is helping a customer at the Weaver’s Cat. And Geneva shows a lot of impatience, often urging Kath to do something in the midst of questioning a potential witness, leading to Kath’s need to figure out creative ways to answer both the witness and Kath at the same time.

Emily Durante reads the audio version of this book, making it really enjoyable. She especially plays the part of Geneva in a creative manner. The ghost shifts from depressive to manic phases, going from babbling in a sky-high manner one minute to sobbing over her miserable life the next. Durante handles these wild phase changes aptly and performs this book especially well.

Dyeing Wishes is a book I highly recommend to anyone who likes cozy mysteries. Don’t be put off by the ghost in the book, as she serves as yet another fun character in the book. I have really come to enjoy the writing of MacRae, and this book doesn’t disappoint. I give this book five stars!

When you want a light read

What made the experience of listening to Dyeing Wishes the most enjoyable?

It's a light, entertaining read for when my mind needs a break and a light distraction. This is one of my go-to series for just that purpose. It has a little ghost paranormal, a little close-knit friendship, some humor, and a small-town community feel. If you want depth and to be pulled in, then this won't fill that mood. Know that going in and enjoy.

Who was your favorite character and why?

i like the dead grandma, even though she isn't a character in the book. She is just often referenced.

I almost asked for my money back

The first book was funny and interesting. I barely finished this book. The story dragged on in some areas and I skipped forward. Usually if I do this I find that I miss something and go back. I didn't feel that way in this book. I finished it quickly because I only read about three thirds of it. The characters were likeable and interesting but the plot was bland and uninteresting.

What a mish mash

This story is the most convoluted, disjointed, rambling, totally unfollowable mish mash I've ever had the misfortune to undertake. However, if you're reading this at bed time, it is truly a great sleeping aid!

Enjoyed as much as book one

Would you listen to Dyeing Wishes again? Why?

No need if you read the first book.

What did you like best about this story?

The new live in guest at the knit shop.

Have you listened to any of Emily Durante’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

She is just as good in book two as she was in book one, excellent.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes

Any additional comments?

Enjoying the series very much

Left me waiting for the next book in the series...

What did you love best about Dyeing Wishes?

Interesting story, fun characters, budding romance, Blue Plum is a place where I would like to live.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Dyeing Wishes?

Geneva's melt down's.

Which character – as performed by Emily Durante – was your favorite?

Geneva, the ghost!!!

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Made me laugh out loud several times.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next book to come out!

It's too slow; I wish I could talk to the author

So here's the thing. I SO want to like this author. I read her first book and liked it but also felt it was okay for a first book. I'm her target reader. I am a conservator, love textiles, yarn, you name it, like light mysteries when I am working, BUT, gads, this story dragged. For example, cats are great but they need to be important to the plot OR be a "Cat Who" book -- of which I've read them all. I can't get why this cat is important, and she takes time. She goes on a "date" and I am interested in both characters but she doesn't let us know a THING about the first date -- okay, canoe ride, then something happens pertinent to the story, BUT WHAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THEM? It is a bit like having your teenage boy tell you how his date went. "Movies, Mom." And that was kind of what it was like -- too much background, even for me, and I like deep background and so forth. I want to tell her to take James Patterson's advice and look to what is pertinent to the plot and the story. Then drop the parts that people will skim. I could have edited a LOT out.

I can't wait to visit Blue Plum again

Kath Rutledge is settling into life in Blue Plum, operating the yarn shop her grandmother left her, and dealing with a ghost-in-residence in the way of Geneva. On a visit to Cloud Hollow Farm, Kath and her friends expect to learn more about dyeing yarn but instead they discover what looks like a murder suicide. The victim is Bonnie's daughter and a man who ran off years ago. Bonnie is devastated and looks to Kath to try to uncover the truth.

Being a lifelong knitter and crocheter I really enjoyed Molly Macrae's first novel, Last Wool and Testament. It called out to love of all different types of yarns and crafts. For the second novel in this series, I chose to listen on audiobook and see if my love of this series carried over on audio. I'm glad to report it did.

The second book is even better than the first. The reason why? Well apart from a great mystery that fills the reader into a bit of history of the town, with Will Embry having run off years ago accused of a crime, it also lets us into more of the close friendship amongst the TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fiber) group. But the main reason is the funny, flighty ghost-in-residence, Geneva. I absolutely adore Geneva and her growing friendship with Kath.

In Dyeing Wishes we do get a few more details as to Geneva's past, but not enough that Kath is able to figure out why Geneva is hanging around. For my own selfish reasons I hope Geneva stays around for a long time because I find her absolutely delightful. I never know what she's going to say next and she's a hoot a minute!

Emily Durante is fast becoming one of my favorite cozy mystery narrators. I loved the voices she used for the characters of Blue Plum, especially the Spivey twins - she got those just perfect. She has a great pacing and it felt like I was right there alongside Kath trying to solve the mystery.

Dyeing Wishes was a great read and I can't wait for the third book in this series to be released next week.

Dictionary needed

Cute story, and the performance is overall perky and good, but for the second book in a row, I wish the voice actor would look up the pronunciation of words she doesn't know instead of winging it (e.g., David Niven's surname, pestle).