Spring Greetings and Series Recommendation

 

Thank you for commiserating with me on our flooding. We are still vacuuming water out of our basement along with everyone else on the shoreline, but the water seems to have finally stopped seeping in the foundation. Our neighbors in Rhode Island have it so much worse than we do. I so love it there, I'm half-scared for my next visit, to see what may or may not have been damaged or destroyed: the used bookstore and bike trail in Kingston, and the shops and harbors at Watch Hill and Westerly most especially.

To escape from the stress of this week, I vacationed in Cape Ann, Massachusetts, or at least it seems that way. Reading Death by Cashmere and Patterns in the Sand, the first two books in the Seaside Knitters mysteries, transported me to the quaint villages of Rockport and Gloucester. A trip there this summer to visit in person is a must.

Both books are set in the fictional village of Sea Harbor, which, near as I can tell, is a morphing of Rockport and Gloucester, and the other villages on Cape Ann as well. The commercial fishing industry, the art colony, and the breakwater are central to the lives of the characters in the series as well as to residents in real-life.

Nell, a sixty-ish mother figure to her niece Isabel (Izzy) who owns the Seaside Knitting Studio, seems to be the central character and detective. I say "seems to be," because the jacket copy of the first book introduces us to Izzy as if she were the main character, but the stories unfold through Nell's eyes. I suspect this is because someone in the marketing department of the publishing house wrote the jacket copy but did not actually read the book as the editor did.

Nell, Izzy, Izzy's friend Cass (a lobsterwoman -- cool!), and Birdie, an eighty-year-old friend of Nell's, comprise the Seaside Knitters, along with Purl, the calico kitten. They meet on Thursday nights to eat Nell's delicious meals, drink Birdie's wine, knit with sumptuous yarn, and discuss the details of the latest murder. In Death by Cashmere, Izzy's upstairs tenant Angelina is pushed off of the breakwater one night after arguing with the son of a local society woman. In Patterns in the Sand, a young fiber artist named Willow comes to Izzy's shop to speak, only to be accused of the murder of a local wood sculptor. When a gallery owner is murdered a short time later, the Seaside Knitters are overwhelmed with secrets of their fellow villagers, and try to untangle the facts to keep Willow from arrest. Patterns for the items they knit at the studio are printed in the backs of the books.

Both books could have used a more careful editing to make the narrative tighter. Conversations between characters where the reader is led to believe a new clue will be revealed often go nowhere. Frequent observations about how the murder has changed the character of the town, or the summer, or that the townspeople are now suspicious of each other, are unnecessary and obvious from the plot. I wish there was more character development: we are told in the first book that Izzy began a law career only to make a 180-degree turn, leave her firm, and join her aunt and uncle in Sea Harbor to open a knitting shop. In the beginning of the first book, the narrative hints that something awful happened, but later in the story, the reason is revealed in one matter-of-fact paragraph, never to be manifest in Izzy's personality again. If it was truly that awful, wouldn't we see even hints of its effects in Izzy's conversations and behavior? Also, an old friend of Izzy's named Sam comes to town, and we are told that she is reluctant to see him, he makes her uncomfortable, etc. The reason isn't clear, yet they are soon friends again. I know nothing of Cass besides her job and voracious appetite, and little of Birdie, who is a spirited lady with what I suspect is a colorful life. I hope in future books that the author will define these characters better, show us more of their personalities and motivations and weaknesses. I also hope the publisher will not rely on spellcheck to edit the text: the missing words, incorrect verb forms, and other assorted mistakes that were left behind in these books were annoying to this former editor who otherwise truly enjoyed the books.

Despite the shortcomings listed above, I read page after page because I was captivated by the seaside village and its summer lifestyle. Characters take morning runs on the beach, meet frequently for coffee or tea on outdoor patios, spend one Sunday night a month wandering through galleries for the Art at Night festivals with fireworks. They meet at Nell and her husband Ben's house every Friday night for meals on the deck that will make any cooking afficionado melt: chowders, grilled fish, seafood salads, gourmet cheese, fresh breads. Everything is heaped with fresh herbs and vegetables, and even though I can't eat seafood, it nearly made me want to hop in the car to our nearest seafood restaurant and try it. They have a bookstore next to the knitting shop, and of course, a beach, sailboats, and whale watching. I want to move there right now. Though my town has some of the same character as Sea Harbor, it is the relationships between friends and neighbors that make these books special, and I can't wait for the next installment, Moon Spinners, due later this month. If you like mysteries, or the New England seaside, I hope you will try this series.

I hope you have a happy and peaceful Easter and Passover, and are enjoying a sunny, warm, flower-filled spring! A Happy Autumn to readers in the southern hemisphere!

Comments

[Sara]

And, a Happy Easter to you...

Are the patterns in the books cool?

I can put up with a bit when reading - so, I think I will look for there -

Took a quick ride through Gloucester and saw the statue - but, really didn't spend any time there - I'd like to go back and do a week-end...how far is Rockport?

[Bridget]

Glad the flood was not as serious at R.I. for you.

I'll have to check out these mysteries. Cape Ann - in particular Gloucester and Rockport - is one of my favorite places on earth!

[Dorothy W.]

I think if you really enjoy the setting, then dealing with the lack of editing would be bearable. And there is the chance that the series will improve. They should get you to help them out, now, shouldn't they? :)

[Kara]

Sounds like a fun read that comprises so many of your loves!

I am glad the basement is slowing coming back from the flood.

[Chris]

I'm glad that the water's stopped coming in!

[Sydney]

I hope you are still winning the war with the water! It's good to hear that the water has stopped seeping in.

[Brigitte]

Oh, what a mess! I'm glad the flooding has receded.

It's so wonderful to see the flowers blooming again; it's my favourite part of spring.

[Robin]

There is nothing that makes me want to get out my red pen more than a poorly-edited book.

and... you, YOU who lives by and loves the shore... can't eat seafood! Oh the irony!