This was a fun, enjoyable read. The mystery seemed a little contrived, but the characters were engaging. ( )

Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter is the second A Riverbank Knitting Mystery. It can be read as a standalone, but you would be missing out on the engaging first book, On Skein of Death. I thought Knit or Dye Trying was well-written with relatable characters. I am enjoying getting to know Libby Beckett who owns Y.A.R.N. in Collinstown, Maryland. She is a strong protagonist who is creative, friendly, and hard working. You can tell that Libby loves yarn in all its varied forms. She wants to share her craft with others. The mayor, Gavin Maddock and his daughter, Jillian are two other great characters along with Libby’s very busy mother. I like how Libby has taken Jillian under her wing. Jillian is a smart, savvy young lady who is making a name for herself in the field of knitting with her YouTube videos. The mayor has dreamed up See More than Sea Food Festival to get tourists to the town and see that they have more than crab cakes to offer. Libby is bringing in the prickly fiber artist, Julie Wilson to showcase plant fibers. Julie will conduct a dying demonstration so people can see how she gets her vibrant colors (which is hard to do with plant fibers). Unfortunately, Julie’s sister, Monica is also in town for the festival and to say the sisters do not get along is an understatement. The weekend starts out with a bang, or should I say “Baa” when local sheep farmers stage a demonstration against Julie who posted an inflammatory YouTube video. That evening, Libby is enjoying dinner with Gavin when a fire breaks out in the restaurant. The evidence points to Julie as the culprit. Libby goes with Frank Reynolds, the chief of police, to the warehouse where Julie is prepping for the demonstration. The find the warehouse filled with toxic fumes with Julie dead on the floor. Are the sheep farmers behind this deadly attack? Libby works to untangle the clues and stitch them back together so she can catch the killer. I enjoyed getting a glimpse of life in Collinstown. It is a charming Maryland tourist town with friendly residents, quaint shops, and amazing restaurants. Of course, gossip flows faster than maple syrup on hot pancakes. The whodunit was unique. I like how the murder was committed. It was different and highlights how dangerous dying chemicals can be. I wish the solution has been a surprise. There are a limited number of suspects. The author does a good job at building tension. There was also competition and contention. The reveal answers any lingering questions regarding the murder. The complete details are distressing. The chamber of commerce election is at the end of the book. I love the posters that Arlene created for Libby. They were amusing. I loved the descriptions of Julie’s hand dyed fibers. They sounded amazing (I wanted them). I wish Y.A.R.N. was in my town. I could imagine spending many delightful hours there picking out yarn, knitting, and chatting. Y.A.R.N. sounds like it is truly a feast for the eyes. I enjoyed my latest visit to Collinstown, and I cannot wait to return in the next A Riverbank Knitting Mystery. Knit or Dye Trying is a delightful cozy mystery with a food festival, a sheep protest, squabbling siblings, venomous vapors, a dead dyer, suspicious crooks, a fiber feast, and an emerging influencer. ( )

What a delight to return to Collinstown and its many memorable citizens. And while not all is on the up and up between protests, murder, and a few other crimes, Libby is determined to find answers.

Allie Pleiter has created some great characters and not-so-great situations in Knit or Dye Trying. But through it all, I couldn’t help but root for Libby. For someone who has a lot going on in her life between running her business, running for council chairwoman, her relationship with her mother, and her almost-relationship with her high school sweetheart (and town mayor), the last thing Libby needs is another of her guests murdered. But that’s what happens.

There are a lot of twists and turns in this book and even if you think you have it figured out, chances are you don’t have all of it worked out. I enjoyed the quieter pace than the normal romantic suspense and the focus on the townspeople in this book, and I look forward to more in the series.

Disclosure statement: I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions are my own. ( )

Another great Riverbank Knitting Mystery from Allie Pleiter.

I love the protest sheep, they were fantastic. I thought it was really cool what Julie was doing with the natural fibers, I hope someone is making colors as cool as the ones described in this book. I also love the knitting patterns that are included in the book. Someday I will learn how to knit and try these patterns out.

Looking forward to the next book in the series. I need to know what happens next for Libby, Gavin, Rhonda and Jillian. ( )

I fell in love with the first Riverbank Knitting cozy, On Skein of Death, but I have to admit that this second book, Knit or Dye Trying suffers from a bit of a sophomore slump. I enjoyed what I learned about plant-based knitting fibers, but the amount of knitting featured was dialed way back compared to the first book. As obnoxious as Julie Wilson was, I have to admit that I wish we could have seen her at work before she shuffled off this mortal coil.

It seems as though too much of my reading lately has involved toxic families of some size or shape, and one features prominently here. I'm afraid I've reached my saturation point with them, and that had an impact on my opinion of the book. I'm also worried about something. Two out of two books in this series have dealt with the guest of honor at one of Libby's events being murdered. Pleiter needs to have something different happen in book three, or readers will begin thinking that Y.A.R.N. is really located in Cabot Cove.

I did enjoy the character development here. I like the fact that Libby is standing firm and insisting on some boundaries between her and her mother. It's realistic-- sometimes this is something that must be done to preserve a person's sanity. And I also really enjoy teenage Jillian, the girl Libby taught to knit in On Skein of Death. Jillian represents the future of knitting, and she shows how such a venerable craft can be kept thoroughly up-to-date through social media. If Jillian were a real person, I think I'd subscribe to her Youtube channel.

I may have had concerns with Knit or Dye Trying, but I'm still looking forward to the next book to see if any of those things are addressed. I hope they are because I can still feel the glow from reading the first book in the series. This is one that I want to have last for a good long time.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley) ( )