The Vampire Knitting Club
by Nancy Warren
on Tour October 15 – November 16, 2018
Synopsis:
At a crossroads between a cringe-worthy past (Todd the Toad) and an uncertain future (she’s not exactly homeless, but it’s close), Lucy Swift travels to Oxford to visit her grandmother. With Gran’s undying love to count on and Cardinal Woolsey’s, Gran’s knitting shop, to keep her busy, Lucy can catch her breath and figure out what she’s going to do.
Except it turns out that Gran is the undying. Or at least, the undead. But there’s a death certificate. And a will, leaving the knitting shop to Lucy. And a lot of people going in and out who never use the door—including Gran, who is just as loving as ever, and prone to knitting sweaters at warp speed, late at night. What exactly is going on?
When Lucy discovers that Gran did not die peacefully in her sleep, but was murdered, she has to bring the killer to justice without tipping off the law that there’s no body in the grave. Between a hot 800-year-old vampire and a dishy detective inspector, both of whom always seem to be there for her, Lucy finds her life getting more complicated than a triple cable cardigan. The only one who seems to know what’s going on is her cat … or is it … her familiar?
First in a new series of paranormal cozy mysteries!
Book Details:
Genre: Paranormal Cozy Mystery
Published by: Ambleside Publishing
Publication Date: September 2018
Number of Pages: 250
ISBN:13 9781981498970
ASIN: B07HDBQ7BB
Series: The Vampire
Knitting Club #1
Purchase Links: Amazon Goodreads
My Review
“I didn’t believe in vampires. They were creatures of fiction, not personalities who knitted socks and crept along the dark streets of Oxford.”
The Vampire Knitting Club is such a fun cozy mystery, with all the elements that I love: England, knitting, vampires, witches, kittens, and a handy tea shop right next door.
Lucy Swift is a great main character. She is endearingly flawed and honestly confused with all the changes in her life after returning to Oxford to find out her grandmother had died weeks ago and named her as the new owner of the knitting shop, Cardinal Woolsey (which is the absolute best shop name). And being an owner of a knitting shop (when she can’t knit a stitch) is only the beginning of a long list of changes and troubles for Lucy.
The cast of characters is exciting and varied, including a group of vampires that I look forward to getting to know better as this series progresses. All of the characters are wonderful, but I fell madly in love with Nyx, a sweet yet fiercely protective stray kitten that Lucy adopts, or rather Nyx adopts her. There’s more to this part of the story, but I’ll let you discover it for yourself.
The mystery aspect is somewhat mild but no less entertaining, including unsavory characters, murder, deadly swords, a jar of holy water, and sharpened wooden knitting needles flying through the air. What else does a paranormal cozy mystery need? Oh, yes. Two handsome men (one vampire and one mortal) have taken it upon themselves to look out for Lucy. And the rivalry is real, even though any romantic element is a mere hint in this first book of the series. I actually think it’s refreshing that the author didn’t overload this first book with so much romance right out of the gate.
If you’re looking for a cozy story filled with fun characters, including vampires who knit some fabulous sweaters for Lucy, then The Vampire Knitting Club is for you. Perhaps the author will include some knitting patterns in Book 2 (hint hint).
Enter the giveaway below for a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card.
Read an excerpt:
CHAPTER ONE
Cardinal Woolsey’s knitting shop has appeared on postcards celebrating the quaint views of Oxford, of which there are many. But when a visitor has tired of writing ‘wish you were here’ on the back of pictures of the various colleges, the dreaming spires, and the dome of the Radcliffe Camera, a cozy little shop painted blue, brimming with baskets of wool and hand-knit goods, can be so much more inviting.
My grandmother Agnes Bartlett owned the knitting shop and I was on my way to visit after spending a very hot month at a dig site in Egypt visiting my archeologist parents.
Gran was always ready to wrap her warm arms around me and tell me everything was going to be all right. I needed comforting after discovering my boyfriend of two years Todd had stuck his salami in someone else’s sandwich. I referred to him now as my ex-boyfriend The Toad. I was thinking about Gran’s wisdom, her hugs and her home made gingersnaps, when I started to feel as though cold, wet fingers were walking down the back of my neck.
My wheeled suitcase clanked and rattled behind me along the cobblestones of Harrington Street as I looked around, wondering what had caused the heebie-jeebies.
The October day was chilly and crisp and, in the mid-afternoon, the street was busy with shoppers, tourists and students. Church bells chimed three o’clock. When I glanced ahead, I saw my beloved Gran. She wore a black skirt, sensible shoes and one of her hand-knit cardigans, this one in orange and blue. She was walking with a glamorous woman in her sixties whom I didn’t recognize. I thought Gran looked confused and my hackles immediately rose. The glamor puss was holding an umbrella over Gran’s head, even though the day was dry and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
I waved and called, “Gran!” moving faster so my suitcase began to bounce.
I was sure they saw me, but as I sped toward them, they veered down a side street. What on earth? I lifted my case and began to run; though my case was so heavy it was more of a grunting stagger.
“Gran!” I yelled again. I stopped at the bottom of the road where I’d last seen them. There was no one there. A dry, shriveled leaf tumbled toward me and from a window ledge a small, black cat regarded me with what looked like pity. Otherwise, the street was empty.
“Agnes Bartlett!” I yelled at the top of my lungs.
I stood, panting. The side street was lined with a mixture of half-timbered cottages and Victorian row houses, all clearly residential. Gran hadn’t popped into a shop and would soon emerge. She was visiting in one of those homes, presumably. I wondered if it belonged to her friend.
Well, there was no point standing there. I’d go to Cardinal Woolsey’s and wait for Gran there. Her assistant, Rosemary, would be running the shop and I could let myself into the upstairs flat and unpack while I waited for my grandmother to return.
I retraced my steps, but when I reached the entrance to the quaint shop and tried the door, it didn’t open. I tried again, pushing harder, before my other senses kicked in and I realized that no lights were on inside.
A printed sign hung on the windowed front door. It said, “Cardinal Woolsey’s is closed until further notice.” At the bottom was a phone number.
Closed until further notice?
Gran never closed the shop outside her regular closing days. And if she had, where was her assistant?
I stood on the sidewalk that feeling came again, like cold fingers on the nape of my neck.
***
Excerpt from The Vampire Knitting Club by Nancy Warren. Copyright © 2018 by Nancy Warren. Reproduced with permission from Nancy Warren. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
Nancy Warren is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 60 novels including the Toni Diamond cozy mystery series.
She shares her time between Victoria, British Columbia, and Bath in the UK.
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nancywarren.net, Goodreads, Twitter, & Facebook!
Tour Participants:
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Enter To Win:
This is a rafflecopter giveaway hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for Nancy Warren. There will be one (1) winner of one (1) Amazon.com Gift Card. The giveaway begins on October 15, 2018 and runs through November 17, 2018. Void where prohibited.
This sounds so good. Putting it on my list.
Oh yes! This one’s perfect for any time of the year, but especially October!
Hi Ruthie, Thank you SO MUCH for this lovely review. I had to laugh at your hint to put knitting patterns in the books. Believe me, I’ve thought of it. I need to find someone who can make knitting patterns. Putting it out here first!
best, Nancy
It was my pleasure. I think a vampire-inspired and/or witch-inspired knitting pattern would be so much fun. I love to knit, although my skill level is not up to intricate sweaters. This undead knitting circle has inspired me to pick up my knitting needles!