Welcome to Cozy Wednesday!
I love when Sally Goldenbaum stops by for a visit.
Her new book, Murder at Lambswool Farm
My warmest thanks to our wonderful hostess, Dolly. She is a friend to so many of us, bringing readers and writers together in her cozy corner. Thank you, dear Dolly.
It all began with a Farm, a Lamb, a Beautiful Sunset Dinner . . .
Sometimes when a new mystery is about to be launched and people ask me how it all began, I have to really think hard to separate the final product from the very first idea, that first ‘ping’ that made me think of my Sea Harbor women and their mystery solving expertise.
Was it something I read? A conversation I overheard in Starbucks? Something I saw on a walk?
Sometimes that moment is easy to remember, like the time I spotted a deserted baby car seat on a beach and it was still there days later. It stayed in my head, a mystery for Nell, Izzy, Cass and Birdie to solve—a scene that launched the fifth seaside knitters mystery, Angora Alibi
Or the day I walked along the Gloucester harbor and was curious about an overgrown piece of valuable land, strewn with trash and bordered by a rusty fence. Who owned it? Why was it such a mess? It wasn’t until I explored it in A Fatal Fleece
Murder at Lambswool Farm
It wasn’t until I began writing about the farm that the mystery developed. It happened the day a stranger stopped at the gate. His car broke down, or so he said. He was a photographer … or so it seemed. A passerby…he said…but one who seemed overly curious about the seaside knitters and Sea Harbor—especially the town’s medical clinic, where strange things began happening.
And so it began . . . .a farm, a lamb, a sunset dinner . . .and the murder of a well-loved Sea Harbor resident. . . a seaside mystery to be solve
~Sally
About The Author
Sally Goldenbaum is a sometime philosophy teacher, a knitter, and an editor, and the author of more than thirty novels. Sally became more serious about knitting with the birth of her first grandchild and the creation of the Seaside Knitters Mystery
Follow Sally
Murder at Lambswool Farm (Seaside Knitters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
11th in Series
Setting – Massachusetts
An Obsidian Mystery (May 3, 2016)
New American Library
An Imprint of Penguin Random House LLC
Hardcover: 320 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451471642
E-Book – ASIN: B013Q70DCS
Late summer blooms in beautiful Sea Harbor, Massachusetts, and while a harvest thrives, Izzy Chambers Perry and the other Seaside Knitters will need to cast on their sleuthing skills to save a local farm. Unfortunately, finding a killer can be like looking for a needle in a haystack. . . .
Seaside Knitter Birdie Favazza has long loved knitting, but lately she’s taken on a new challenge—making a family farm operational again. With help from friends, Lambswool Farm is now up and running, with thriving crops and grazing sheep. In addition, the farm will host rustic, six-course prix fixe dinners plated by local chefs and served on a gorgeous restored harvest table, decorated to perfection with colorful knitted vegetables crafted by Izzy Chambers Perry, her aunt Nell, and the other Seaside Knitters.
But on the night of the first meal, everything spins out of control when one of the guests, Seaside Harbor’s family physician, becomes fatally ill. It seems that behind Dr. Alan Hamilton’s friendly bedside manner was a man with enemies and secrets.
Soon the town is gossiping and pointing fingers at all possible suspects—including the women at Lambswool Farm. Now the Seaside Knitters must join together to uncover the truth in Dr. Hamilton’s complicated past—and restore peace to town and country alike.
Dollycas’s Thoughts
When I pick up a book by Sally Goldenbaum I feel like I am going to visit dear friends. I can’t believe this is book 11 in this series, meaning this is my 11th visit to Sea Harbor. This time we travel to Lambswool Farm. Birdie with the help of several Sea Harbor residents has given new life to the Favazza Family Farm. The fields are full of crops and there are sheep in the pasture. The farm will now serve diners huge farm to table dinners outside at huge table. (Check out the cover for a great picture.) I love this idea! But on the night the first meal is served a long time Sea Harbor resident dies. No one else even got sick, so there is definitely some cause other than the fabulous food. The Seaside Knitters need to find the truth before it not only ruins Birdie’s plans but tears the community apart.
The Seaside Knitters, Izzy, Nell, Cass and Birdie, along with their spouses, significant others, kids and friends are some of the best characters right now in cozy literature. Over the years the group has grown because as a whole they are all so welcoming. Knitting may have brought them together in the beginning but it is their friendships that have stood the test of time. (Don’t worry if you are new to the series or need a little refresher the author includes a cast list as the start of the book.) They welcome someone new to the group this time who seems to be just passing through but ends up staying longer than they planned.
The dialogue between the characters is genuine and smart. They all have different ways to process clues and it is fun to see how it all comes together in the end.
Great dialogue is born from a great story. The murder plot was so well written and knit together with everything else going on is Sea Harbor flawlessly. I really enjoy the way Ms. Goldenbaum tells a story. The death doesn’t happen early in the book. She lets the reader catch up with our favorite characters and all that is happening in their lives before we really need to sink our teeth in to trying to solve the mystery. Then she throws in some twists that have us doing a backstitch or two as she keeps us guessing right to the end.
I have enjoyed every virtual vacation to Sea Harbor. It is a beautiful place to visit full of wonderful people. I am ready to book my next trip there as soon as possible.
Thank you Sally for the wonderful trip!
Thanks to the publisher I have 2 copies of Murder at Lambswool Farm to give away!
AND 1 copy of A Finely Knit Murder too!
Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.
Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.
You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.
Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.
This year I am trying to build my Twitter following so for this giveaway 4 Bonus Entries will be awarded by following me on Twitter. @dollycas
Leave a comment for Sally for 5 Bonus Entries.
Pin this giveaway to Pinterest for 3 Bonus Entries.
If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.
Contest Will End May 18, 2016 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.
Click Here For Entry Form
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
I love this series, and every time a new book releases it feels like visiting old friends. Thanks for the chance to win.
I’ve enjoyed the previous Seaside Knitters books and am eagerly looking forward to reading this one. I’m a knitter too!
I haven’t read any of the books in the series yet but after reading your blog, I’m sure it won’t be that way for long. Thanks for sharing Sally Goldenbaum’s information on her newest book.
We raise sheep so I always enjoy a book with this setting.
This would be a great book to add to my cozy challenge list. Thanks for a chance to win a copy.
I have not read any of this series but do have a couple of books waiting for me on my shelves. Thank you for the chance to win more.
This is a new series for me I’m looking forward to reading it. great blog today thank you
Penney
Love this series and can’t wait to read this new one!
Wonderful series. Thanks for this feature and giveaway.
I was intrigued by the idyllic setting, and then hooked by the description of the friendship of the women. Another cozy for me to check out.
Dear Sally: I adore this Series. Thank you.
Love a good mystery.
Sounds like a wonderful read and loved the mention of the friendship of the women. Would love to read and review!
Love to read he rbooks even though I’m not a knitter
Love Sally’s books and am looking forward to reading this latest Seaside Knitters book. Her characters and their interactions are so interesting and the plots so diverse that it always makes for great reading. Thanks so much for giving us chance to win a copy.
Sounds like a great series.
I have not read any of the books in this series yet, but would love to start. Enjoyed the post and the review!
I love finding out about something new and exciting! Thanks…
I love reading cozy mysteries! I love reading books in a series! Thanks for offering this giveaway!! lindaherold999@gmail.com
I love this series and read the new books as soon as they come out!
What a marvelous concept
I just love this series and glad to see that it is still going strong. It is amazing how fast we have gotten to book 11, but it has been a fun adventure!
I haven’t read this series yet, but I am looking forward to reading. I love to knit and I want to learn how to crochet.
I love this series , thank you for such a great giveaway !
I just finished reading A Finely Knit Murder, the first one I’ve read in this series. While I hook instead of knit, it was still a wonderful series that I want to read more of! And I absolutely love the list of characters in the front of the book. My brain doesn’t remember people as easily when I dive into a series, so it was an invaluable part of the mystery! Congrats on the new release!
It’s so interesting to find out how these stories began. You must have a great imagination. Thanks for the chance to win one of these books.
Thank you for the giveaway! This is one of my mom’s favorite series and I know she’d love to read the latest!!!
Great post and pictures. Want to read this. Thanks for the giveaway.
This sounds like a fantastic ‘New-to-me’ series… Thank you!
Kelly Braun
I have loved the Seaside Knitters since the very first book in this series.
Oh I love this series so much!
I don’t know these characters yet but, I would like to get to know them.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR NEW BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
I am unfamiliar with you as an author but I can’t wait to read your books. I love that you got some of your inspiration from random photographs you found!