Cozy Mysteries Irish Knit Murder by Peggy Ehrhart

A member of a prominent New Jersey family has been found dead on St. Patrick’s Day—and Pamela Paterson and her knitting club have a parade of suspects . . .

The Listers have been part of Arborville society for generations—though seventy-something Isobel Lister doesn’t fit the role of upper-crust heiress. She’s always been a colorful character, and her fun-loving spirit is on display at the senior center celebration as she performs some beloved Irish songs. But just minutes later, her body is found backstage.

It’s hard to imagine who’d target such a harmless eccentric, but Pamela finds herself suspecting everyone. There’s the Wiccan who thought St. Patrick wasn’t so saintly; the woman upset about cultural appropriation who feels the commercialization of shamrocks is a sham; the two men Isobel was seeing, who could have been green with jealousy—and old friends and family who may have feared Isobel would spill their secrets. But Pamela’s on the case, and that means for the killer, the jig will soon be up.

Peggy Ehrhart recently spent some time with The Big Thrill discussing her latest thriller, IRISH KNIT MURDER.

Which took shape first: plot, character, or setting?

Plot. My publisher suggested that I give my next Knit & Nibble mystery a St. Patrick’s Day theme since the book was scheduled for a March release. My first step was to devise a mystery plot that involved a murder at a St. Patrick’s Day celebration, so I added Irish songs and a singer of Irish songs, and she became the murder victim.

Peggy Ehrhart

What attracts you to this book’s genre?

I am very domestic and I like to say that the “Martha Stewart gene” runs in my family. I love cooking, crafts, home decor, and all the things that make life cozy–so a large part of the fun of writing cozy mysteries is, for me, inviting the reader into a world that I think of as Martha Stewart with murders.

No spoilers, but what can you tell us about your book that we won’t find in the jacket copy or the PR material?

Tarot cards play a role, also Wiccan beliefs.

Peggy Ehrhart is a former English professor with a doctorate in Medieval Literature. Her Maxx Maxwell blues-singer mysteries were published by Five Star. Peggy now writes the Knit & Nibble mysteries for Kensington. Her sleuth, Pamela Paterson, is the founder of the Knit & Nibble knitting club in the charming town of Arborville, New Jersey.

To learn more about the author, please visit her website.