Now, her new project, a craft shop, looks as though it might be as disastrous as her old life. Hiring a miserable clown called Cuddles on opening day was not a good move, especially when he is found dead in the stockroom, and the local police think she did it, not long after killing her own husband!

An absorbing whodunit, small town life, the joys and trials of family and friends and some useful crafting tips all combine to make this series debut a good read. Next time I would make the murderer’s identity a little harder to guess for true whodunit pleasure, but the pages flew by and I was sorry to reach the end, which is always a good sign.

Non-crafty readers will not find Jo’s lessons too arduous, and as the ladies talk about the murder more than they do about their projects, skipping pages is not an option! Certainly the tips are at a simple enough level that they might hook in a new crafter or two, which is something a good, hobby-themed book ought to be capable of doing. There are even a few loose ends left dangling to make the reader wonder what will happen next; I will be looking out for book two.