Hooked on Murder Novel by Betty Hechtman
First Installment of Crochet Mystery Series Weaves Suspense & Yarn
Jan 25, 2009
“Cozy” novels, or novels that are yarn-related, are plentiful. That’s good news for readers, but there's always the chance that a cozy novel's author is merely using yarn as a gimmick to encourage the purchase of the book.
Hooked on Murder: A Crochet Mystery
Crocheters who enjoy reading were looking forward to the release of the book Hooked on Murder by Betty Hechtman (Berkley Publications, 2008, ISBN: 978-0425221259). Not all will be thrilled, however, for a number of reasons; many facets of the story, specifically the characters and the storyline, are simply not believable.
**SPOILER ALERT**
The Characters
Molly Pink
- Molly Pink’s actions are implausible much of the time, and this is frustrating more than once.
- Molly herself admits that she may not be much to look at or even to be with. She doesn’t see why she’s so attractive to gorgeous bachelors who could have their pick of starlets, but instead want the somewhat older, somewhat rounder, inexplicably attractive widow. (Then again, she does make a mean pound cake.)
- By the end of the book, Molly has two men vying for her attention. One is Barry the Boyfriend; the other “perfect” man is Mason, who is wealthy, intelligent, handsome, attentive and giving.
- It's not realistic that a 48-year old bookstore employee / crocheter / mom will try numerous times to break-and-enter with her best girlfriend in the name of "solving the case." Most people don’t go prying into other peoples’ lives, let alone the ex-lives of dead people. It’s quite a stretch to go from all-around-easy-going, middle-aged Molly to interfering, crime-sleuthing, unsettled Molly. In the end, when it seems like she will definitely be arrested, her biggest worry is whether or not her crochet group will shun her.
Detective Heather
- This female detective has an obvious crush on Molly's boyfriend. She sets up enough evidence to convict Molly to get her out of the way. The man is clueless.
- Of course, Heather knits and looks down on crocheters. It’s a great setup for the Knit vs. Crochet wars.
- How ethical is any detective that would be willing to put someone away simply in order to get to her boyfriend? Frighteningly, Heather comes very, very close to succeeding, which is extremely scary since Molly truly didn’t do it! It seems like a huge insult to the town’s collective IQ.
Barry the Boyfriend
- Molly’s boyfriend, Barry, is a detective in her hometown. However, he does nothing to keep her from being arrested even though he professes his love.
- They break up because, in her very own words, she “wanted Barry, too, but on my terms.”
- Dinah, the best friend in the dating trenches, is horrible speechless on this subject; she too thinks Molly should seal the deal.
The Crochet / Knitting Wars
- Not a little off-putting are the gang-wars of the Crocheters vs. the Knitters. Hooks and needles are utilized. Be afraid.
- An example of this is something a member of the group says to a knitter who tries to crash the circle: “You know I’m tired of people like you who think knitting is the be all and end all of everything. We crocheters are tired of being the poor stepsisters of knitting. We can do things with crochet you knitters can only dream about.” Bring it on.
The Granny Squares
- The crochet in the book almost exclusively involves granny squares. It feels like the author was looking for a story "hook" to get crocheters to buy her book. While not an easy-beginner project, granny squares are not generally the first thing a crocheter will learn.
- One amusing scenario has Molly crocheting a granny square for quite a few rounds. Only when it's finished does she realize she hasn't made a square; she's made a triangle. Really, that would have been noticeable after the first or second go-around.
Fleshing Out the Victims
One of the biggest problems with this book is that the reader does not know enough about the dead people to care much about their being dead. That leaves a dry atmosphere throughout the novel.
Mystery Solved
Finally, the killer and Molly face-off in a very unpleasant scene at the end of the book. The perp is a character who dropped out of the novel at about one third of the way into the book. Again, the victims and murderer are people who are not fleshed out very well, and therefore it’s difficult to care about what they do.
The Review
While the author shows some promise with her storyline, it is trite and a bit insensitive. The personalities of her characters are forced and more than slightly unbelievable.
This all being said, this reader did finish the book and did enjoy parts of it. The mystery itself wasn't instantly solvable. Portions were funny and will probably have readers laughing out loud. The book is a very light, fluffy read, but who doesn't need that at times? The ideal reader for this book is a beginner crocheter who is naturally frustrated with her new craft at times. Take the book for what it is and it can be enjoyable. Otherwise, move on.
Perhaps Hetchman'as sequel, Dead Men Don't Crochet, will be better. In the meantime, The Friday Night Knitting Club and its sequel are a sure bet, even if they don’t involve crochet. There is already too much animosity between knitters and crocheters. The Golden Rule stands here: play nice and no hooks or needles allowed while reading.
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