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    Needled to Death
    Needled to Death
    Needled to Death
    Audiobook10 hours

    Needled to Death

    Written by Annelise Ryan

    Narrated by Marnye Young

    3.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    As a colleague of deputy coroner Mattie Winston, social worker Clothilde "Hildy" Schneider is no stranger to unsolved murders at Sorenson General Hospital. Except this time, it's up to her to crack the case . . .

    Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin. But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son's potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to in-over-her-head amateur sleuth . . .

    Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating clues-and an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others. With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharp-witted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 30, 2019
    ISBN9781977346544
    Author

    Annelise Ryan

    Annelise Ryan is the pseudonym for the author of the Mattie Winston Mysteries and the Mac's Bar Mysteries (written as Allyson K. Abbott). She has written more than 200 published articles, worked as a book reviewer for Barnes & Noble, and is an active member of Mystery Writers of America and International Thriller Writers. Annelise currently works as a registered nurse in an ER. She can be reached at www.mattiewinston.com. Her books have garnered numerous accolades, most recently she has been honored by the Wisconsin Library Association.

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    Reviews for Needled to Death

    3.5/5

    177 ratings18 reviews

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    • 3/5
      I don't remember reading this author in the past, but I might have. While I can understand Sharon Cochran going to a grief support group after losing her son, I have no idea why she would think a grief support group could help her investigate the case and/or find something that the police didn't. (It turns out she's right, but . . .) For that reason, I struggled with the beginning of this novel--and at one point,I wondered if I'd give up on it.WARNING: POTENTIAL SPOILERS (READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION)Hildy is a social worker and the facilitator of the grief support group. (I like that she's short, like me, and could relate to many of the things related to her height--clothes that don't fit right, having to hurry to keep up with taller people, etc.) I was glad to see Bob get her started working out. I also appreciated learning about Hildy's past and why she has some of the quirks she has.Apparently, this book is a spin off of another series by this author, so maybe it is no surprise that the supporting characters are fairly well fleshed out even though this is the first book of the series. I'm not so sure about the two child characters (PJ and Sofie) though--they both seem to be "older than their years" which makes me wonder if the author isn't able to write true child characters for some reason.Hildy ends up with 2 potential love interests--Detective Bob Richmond and Forensic Expert Jonas--a bit awkward since the two men work together.Hildy seems to enjoy her job through the hospital (not that we get to see her do much of it), but she also seems to have some desire to investigate crimes/injustices. It seems she may get to do both in her new role (assuming she gets the job that's hinted at toward the end of the novel). I wonder if that job will eventually become full-time or more full-time (given that we are told the hospital is cutting back). I also am not sure I can see Hildy continuing to work for her boss when the boss tried to get the position with the police department that Hildy wanted--and that Hildy had told her about. I wonder what the police chief thought when Hildy's boss applied for a position that hadn't even been advertised?On the one hand, I can't blame her for applying. She knows the hospital is cutting back and as she said, no one's job there is secure--perhaps she was even rattled by the fact that her department was affected when she thought it would not be. It does make me wonder if the questions she asked Hildy about how she would handle working two jobs were to try to figure out how to do it herself, rather than because she was truly worried about Hildy or about Hildy's job performance if she was burning the candle at both ends.On the other hand, I thought she was disloyal to Hildy by applying for a job that Hildy told her about and obviously wanted--at least without mentioning she was going to do so to Hildy prior to putting her application in. I did guess there was some traumatic event in young Cochran's life that led to his breaking up with his girlfriend--but I didn't guess exactly what it was. I also guessed that he was planning to reveal what he knew and that someone killed him to prevent that--but again, I didn't guess correctly about who the murderer(s) was(were).
    • 4/5
      Cute. Hildy has possibilities; a troubles past but a willingness to work through the residual personal quirks. Not whiny. Seems nice. Love her dog and PJ.
    • 3/5
      Needled to Death is the first book in A Helping Hands Mystery series which is a spin-off of A Mattie Winston Mystery series. Needled to Death can be read as a standalone though. Hildy Schneider is a social worker, pleasantly plump, single, and has some quirks. Hildy’s mother was murdered when she was seven years old. She then found herself in the foster care system where Hildy was a less than an ideal child. She moved from home to home until she aged out of the system. Being in the foster care system left Hildy with an odd habit or two that she has been unable to shed. When Sharon Cochran asks for the grief support group’s assistance in proving her son was murdered, Hildy wants to help because her mother’s case is still unsolved. Hildy talks with Mattie Winston and then teams up with Detective Bob Richmond. Hildy became assertive with Bob regarding the case and also worked up the courage to ask him out on a date. Bob is a handsome and has been working out since he was shot. Hildy is surprised to learn he is fifty-two (he does not look his age). Jonas Kriedeman, an evidence technician, is attracted to Hildy and invites her to dinner. The mystery is multilayered with a twist or two. Hildy stumbles upon an interesting find that, in my opinion, was the best part of the mystery. I was happy that all the details of the case are revealed providing a satisfying conclusion. I found it fascinating when Hildy was trying to lift a print and how she was able to utilize it. I did find Needled to Death to be a slow starter and I did not like the repetitive details (that Hildy was in the foster care system, bad homes, she has no family, her mother’s history). I like that the author took the time to establish the main characters and there are descriptive details on each character. I did not like that Needled to Death is written in the first person (it was unappealing to me). P.J., the neighbor’s daughter, was a delightful addition to the book. I liked her frank nature. Roscoe, Hildy’s golden retriever, is a protective and comforting dog. He was a sweetie. Those readers who enjoy A Mattie Winston Mystery series will be delighted with A Helping Hands Mystery series. Needled to Death has a protective pooch, a dashing detective, a cold case, a perplexing puzzle and a caring counselor.
    • 3/5
      *Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

      Motivated by her own difficult past, Hildy has an unparalleled commitment to supporting troubled clients through grief and addiction in Sorenson, Wisconsin. But when a distraught group therapy member reveals disturbing details about her late son’s potential murder, Hildy goes from dedicated mental health professional to in-over-her-head amateur sleuth . . .

      Alongside her loyal therapy Golden Retriever, Hildy stumbles through incriminating clues—and an unlikely partnership with Detective Bob Richmond, the irresistibly headstrong cop who shares her passion for helping others. With signs of foul play surfacing all over town, can Hildy and Detective Richmond pinpoint the deadly traits of a sharp-witted killer before another seat gets filled at grief therapy?

      This is a great intro to what seems to be a very promising new mystery series! This has all sorts of little details I've never seen in a cozy mystery before.
    • 4/5
      Kelly and Jennifer take a knitting group out to Vickie's farm to see her alpacas. When they get there Kelly finds Vickie dead. The police seem to look at Vickie's estranged husband for the murder. Kelly is not happy with that and starts digging deeper. When Vickie's daughter ends up dead, Vickie knows the police are not looking in the right direction. She figures it out as she is doing the books for the attorneys for Vickie's estate. But how does she prove who murdered Vickie? And who murdered Vickie's daughter? Why?I enjoyed this story. I have read other stories in this series (out of order.) I like the main cast of characters. Each has their flaws and quirks. They are like old friends to me. This time I did figure it out (alright, so it was the last quarter of the book.) I also figured out the motive although it was circumstantial until the end. I liked the mystery and solution. Kelly is not afraid to ask questions but man, she came close this time. Good thing she had back-up. I look forward to more of the series.
    • 4/5
      I'm finding this series very enjoyable. It took me most of the book to really warm up to the main characters, but that's not a negative for me. I am a knitter and I understand how irresistible it is to feel all the different yarns, but it's getting a little tiresome hearing it so many times in each book. I find myself skimming through those pages. I do like how these seem to be real mysteries. Many of these types of series are pretty light on the mystery side (which is okay because that's not the only reason I'm drawn to the genre). But these books have pretty good mysteries.
    • 4/5
      Synopsis: Kelly is enjoying her friends in the knitting circle and is also doing well with her work as a CPA. She is enamored with alpaca yarn and is excited about visiting a working alpaca farm. However, on her first visit to the farm she finds that the owner has been murdered. This leads her to investigating financial affairs and learning more about what it might take to run her own ranch.Review:This was a very nice cozy mystery. The well-designed story kept me guessing through most of the book.
    • 3/5
      3.25 starsVickie, an alpaca rancher, is found murdered in her home when Kelly brings a group of fellow knitters by to see Vickie's alpacas. While Kelly is sorting out some personal inheritance business, she also decides to help Vickie's daughter sort out some of her mother's finances, while also finding out more about what happened to Vickie. I liked it, though I'm not really into knitting so those parts of the book weren't as interesting to me. There are a couple of knitting patterns and a couple of recipes at the end of the book, as well. It was unfortunate I ended up reading it at the same time as listening to a different cozy mystery on audio. It made it a bit tricky to distinguish the two as I switched between them. I am liking the audio one just a bit better than this one, so I couldn't quite give this 3.5 stars (which is likely what the audio one will get), but I thought this deserved more than 3 stars (“ok” in my rating range). For a while, I thought I wouldn't continue this series, but I think I am going to give it another chance and read book 3. We'll see after that.
    • 2/5
      I was disappointed in this the 2nd book in the series. Kelley is doing consulting work and enjoying her knitting friends and agrees to help out by driving a group to an alpaca farm in the mountains but when they get there they discover Vickie murdered. Kelley agrees to go over the books to help settle the estate and who killed their friend Vickie. The mystery was thin and there was way to much time and information on alpacas and farm life.
    • 4/5
      very good. I almost gave up sleep to finish it.
    • 2/5
      Kelly Flynn is staying in Fort Connor, Colorado until she settles the estate of her late aunt and cousin. She was left a great deal of property and it may take months to settle the estate, and Kelly is beginning to think she may never leave. She is doing accounting work from her house, making friends, and enjoying learning how to knit. Since she is learning about different types of wools, she volunteers to take a group of tourists to visit Vickie Caymore's alpaca farm. To her shock, she finds Vickie's body. As the police investigate the murder, Kelly helps Vickie's daughter Debbie settle her financial matters. Debbie is convinced that her stepfather killed her mother because she was in the process of divorcing him, but he swears to Kelly he didn't do it and she begins to believe him. When the murderer strikes again, Kelly realizes she has to do what she can to stop the killer before someone else is killed.While it had some good points, I found "Needled to Death" to be a disappointing mystery. For the most part, Kelly was a good heroine - still dealing with her aunt's death and trying to decide if she should stay in Colorado or go back to Washington, D.C. I loved her golf ball stealing dog, Carl. Her tentative romance with Steve was sweetly done. Some of the secondary characters such as Debbie, Jayleen, and Burt were well written. But much of the book was unbelievable. Kelly constantly worries about money, wondering whether she can afford to quit her D.C. job and work as a consultant in Colorado, yet she never seems to work instead spending her time knitting with her friends, drinking coffee, or playing softball. And considering the size of the estate her aunt left her, including a ranch in Wyoming with plenty of cattle, the constant fretting about money seemed overdone. The writing is sloppy - having characters named Burt and Curt confused me. As for the mystery itself, while the identity of the murderer may come as a surprise to readers, the second murder is so obviously telegraphed that readers will know which character is doomed long before the murder takes place. The book has some major editing issues - early in the book one of the suspects approaches Kelly at her cottage after she came home from Vickie's funeral, but at the end of the book she says he approached her while she was still at the funeral. That's sloppy writing and editing.With some good editing and tighter writing "Needled to Death" could have been so much better.
    • 3/5
      Kelly Flynn is still in Fort Connor, CO telecommuting to her business office in Washington while she finishes sorting out the estate of her late aunt and her subsequent inheritance. Having made friends with the ladies at the knitting shop across street, these relationships with the different ladies gets her involved in the investigation of the murder of Vickie Claymore, an alpaca rancher in the canyon. This is a light and fun cozy mystery with just the right amount of knitting and yarn inserted to handle all the tangled clues and characters. Definitely a fun read - going on to the next one!
    • 5/5
      Once again I have enjoyed Maggie Sefton's wonderful series about Kelly Flynn and her friends at the House of Lambspun. Kelly volunteers to take a group of tourists to tour Vickie Claymore's alpaca farm in the mountains above Fort Connor. When they arrive, unfortunately, they find that Vickie had been murdered in her house. Kelly begins investigating along with the police. The sections in the story about Kelly struggling through knitting a sweater in the round were not humorous, but hit close to home for me. I learned quite a bit about alpacas (which I thought were llamas). The book is a real page turner learning more about Vickie (who was quite the business woman) and hoping that she won't give up on the sweater. To make matters worse, Vickie's only daughter arrives and meets with an untimely death as well. I totally encourage anyone who loves mysteries and loves knitting to read this book!!!
    • 4/5
      Loved installment #2 in Maggie Sefton's Knitting Mysteries. I think what I enjoy so much about this series is that it feels like a grown-up version of my much beloved Nancy Drew mysteries. Yes, it is a bit ridiculous that someone manages to die in every book, but I love the characters, setting and the writing. They are certainly a "guilty pleasure" type of read, especially with the fun addition of knitting. If you are looking for a deep murder mystery novel look elsewhere, but if you are looking for a fun series to read over coffee while wrapped in your latest knitted creation, you will certainly enjoy.
    • 1/5
      Second in the Maggie Sefton knitting mysteries series, this one follows the death of someone more contemporary to Kelly, which makes it an interesting change of pace. The yarn porn is still definitely at a high!
    • 5/5
      Like this series. This is book 2. Good characters.
    • 4/5
      The second in the Series set around a group of knitting friends. The characters are developing, another good plot, another great little cozy read.
    • 5/5
      The description on the back of the book doesn't even begin to cover this story! There was so much more then just the mystery of who killed Vickie..Kelly is also inheriting a ranch and the descriptions (and fun) that took place there were written in such a way that you could just picture the cattle, sheep and alpaca roaming around.. And of course there is all that knitting fun! The way the author describes the colors and textures of the yarns still has me dying to "fall down that rabbit hole" into the yarn & knitting wonderland too!The series is really amazing and gives you a great feeling of sitting down with a group of friends every time you pick up the book.. At first I was thinking that there were way too many characters, but getting into this second book I just don't see how we'd get that feeling of being surrounded by friends without them all! Sure the story could be told with probably half the characters, but it just wouldn't be the same, and I have to say I'm pretty sorry I said that in my first review!!Can't wait to get to Deadly Yarn!