Finished - Riptide

[Nyssa]

I finished "Riptide" #2 in the Florida Panhandle Mystery
series by Michaela Thompson.

It wasn't a solve-along murder mystery laden with clues to
follow to the murderer, but it did have another mystery
in there that the main character was uncovering that was
satisfying. The murder mystery was running parallel with
the family mystery but wasn't the main character's focus
of interest.

I wouldn't classify it as a cozy, but there is very little
strong language and only suggestions of the very few sex
scenes rather than a play-by-play narrative of the action
for those readers who like to avoid that.

I'd rate it as a solid four-star.

I was disappointed though that this book wasn't set in
the 1950s as was the first in the series. It's more or
less set in the 1990s from what I could gather from
the few contextual clues and in the same location, St.
Elmo, Florida, as the first book. I really had enjoyed
the nostalgia factor in the first book and missed it
in this one. I could almost taste the grape NiHi from
the big cooler in front of the general store in "Hurricane
Season."

No returning characters either unless you count the local
canals, swamps, and lighthouses.

Since a pile of the Knitting Mystery series I'd ordered
came in this week, I've started on #4, "Killer Stitch"
and have gotten about one-third into it. I've mentioned
that I like the characters in the series and the mysteries
so far have been pretty tame, but I do wish the author
would cut back on the number of times she gushes about
the yarn shop's selection of yarns and have the characters
feeling and squishing the yarn for sale, sometimes twice
in a chapter. I don't know if I'd like to purchase yarn
that dozens of people have "fondled" quite so much either.
Otherwise, so far, so good.

Bad weather coming in the next few days, but with the
refrigerator stocked and the tall TBR pile, I'm ready.

Nyssa, who probably can't read more than two of these
knitting books in a row and will need a high-octane
mystery or thriller as a fill-in between them

[Carol Dickinson]

Post by Nyssa
Since a pile of the Knitting Mystery series I'd ordered
came in this week, I've started on #4, "Killer Stitch"
and have gotten about one-third into it. I've mentioned
that I like the characters in the series and the mysteries
so far have been pretty tame, but I do wish the author
would cut back on the number of times she gushes about
the yarn shop's selection of yarns and have the characters
feeling and squishing the yarn for sale, sometimes twice
in a chapter. I don't know if I'd like to purchase yarn
that dozens of people have "fondled" quite so much either.
Otherwise, so far, so good.

I think all that gushing about yarn is why I gave up knitting
(and needlework in general) mysteries. Although a strong second
reason is that the plots were pretty thin. The one that killed
it for me, and I don't remember either the name of the author
or the book was the one where the entire mystery had to do with
some sheep the shop owner was interested in. And the solution
was the use of a certain type of yarn for something. And that
one came just after the one I read about the combination diner and
yarn shop, with all sorts of sticky foods right next to really
expensive yarns like quviut. Just too over the top odd.

Carol

Post by Nyssa
Bad weather coming in the next few days, but with the
refrigerator stocked and the tall TBR pile, I'm ready.
Nyssa, who probably can't read more than two of these
knitting books in a row and will need a high-octane
mystery or thriller as a fill-in between them