fuonlyknew

.

A Hill To Dye On

A Clear Creek Mystery

by Rebecca McKinnon

.

A Hill to Dye On (Clear Creek Mysteries)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Setting – A small town in the Rocky Mountains
Independently Published (October 13, 2022)
Number of Pages: ~250
Digital ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0B6D7BXL4

Summer has made its way up the mountain to Clear Creek, and with the new season, the town is offering a slew of summer classes at the community center. Happy to participate, Jemma and her yarn shop sponsor a fiber-dying class taught by her oldest friend, Kitty.

 

When a mysterious man walks into class, something about him pulls Jemma into a tangle. Learning Kitty once knew him, Jemma has questions — but her friend is staying mum. Then Jemma goes on an early-morning walk and discovers the man dead.

 

This time, Jemma’s determined to stay out of the investigation — until she learns that because of a past she’s been hiding, Kitty is the main suspect! Unwilling to turn her back on her friend, Jemma starts looking for a dropped stitch.

 

Because somewhere, there’s a person with dye on their hands.

~~~~~

Enjoy this peek inside:

I hovered in the open door, trying not to draw attention to myself, or to the fact that I was late.

“Be gentle.” Kitty, one of my best friends, had her fingers wrapped around a woman’s arm, slowing her movements as she pressed the mini practice skein into the water. “You don’t want to felt it.”

“If that girl looked any happier, she’d drop her harp plumb through the cloud.”

I stifled a laugh as I turned to Emmilene. “You do have a way of saying things, but you’re right. Kitty’s practically glowing. She’s a great teacher.”

Emmilene nodded.

We eased into the room as Kitty led the class through the next steps.

“Add in your citric acid and stir it so it dissolves.” Kitty offered a sassy grin. “You can use vinegar as the mordant, but I didn’t think the weight lifting class down the hall would appreciate breathing the smell of it while they worked on their muscles.”

Giggles rippled through the class, and I noticed a couple of ladies eye the doorway behind me as if hoping to catch a glimpse.

Emmilene’s efforts to put up walls in the unused portion of the old equipment building that housed the community center had allowed anyone in town to host classes there. Some, like Kitty’s yarn dying class, were sponsored by the shops or restaurants, and others were taught by residents who wouldn’t otherwise have much of a chance to contribute to the community.

The weight room had become a favorite with visitors to the resort down the road as well as with the locals, and a person would have to be blind not to notice the ogling it had spawned.

“That’s my cue to head to the gym. I want to lay my eyes on Grant’s muscles.” Emmilene and her husband didn’t need an excuse to make doe eyes. They flirted like teenagers in love for the first time instead of a couple who’d been married for a decade or more. “Looks like Kitty’s class is going smoothly, but if you need anything, y’all let me know.”

I waved as Emmilene slipped out the door, then I focused on Kitty.

She walked her class through adding the dye to their pots, making teaching look easy.

She was a born leader, when she wasn’t hiding behind her worries — or her brother.

Maybe I should hire her to teach more than this one class.

Or I could steal her from Daniel’s nanobrewery completely and have her help me in the yarn store when she wasn’t teaching.

“Your skeins have been soaking long enough. Go ahead and lift them out of your tubs and set them into the dye pot. Don’t forget your gloves.” Kitty pulled on a pair of long yellow dish gloves, then lifted her own unwound skein from the soak and set it in her pot of dye. “These mini skeins don’t tangle too badly, but it’s a good idea to get in the habit of tucking the yarn around the edges of the pan so when you move to full skeins you’re less likely to have a knotted mess on your hands.”

Kitty walked along the tables as her students transferred their yarn from one container to the other. She beamed at the woman who kept trying to rush the process. “Remember to be gentle as you press the yarn to submerge it.”

Everyone watched for bubbles as their hot plates heated the dye, and I started to back out the door. Kitty didn’t need me hovering, even if I enjoyed seeing my friend so sure of herself.

I grinned and waved as she glanced my direction.

Kitty froze. Her eyes widened, and the color drained from her face.

I frowned. Was she worried I might be disappointed with how the class was going? She was doing a great job.

Another step backward and I ran into something hard. Hands landed on my shoulders, keeping me from falling over.

“Careful.” The deep voice was tense, as if he was trying to blot out any emotion.

I turned. The man was built like a mountain, all muscles and valleys. Something in his look set me on edge. “Can I help you?”

He shook his head, his eyes glued to something behind me. “I’ve found who I’m looking for.”

I followed his gaze.

Kitty.

She knew him, and from the way her hands were shaking, she didn’t want him here.

~~~~~

About Rebecca McKinnon

Rebecca McKinnon enjoys playing with her imaginary friends and introducing them to others through her writing. She dreams of living in the middle of nowhere but has been unable to find an acceptable location that wouldn’t require crossing an ocean.

Author Links:

Website    Instagram    Facebook    GoodReads

Purchase Link – Amazon 

~~~~~

a Rafflecopter giveaway

~~~~~

TOUR PARTICIPANTS

October 10 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 10 – I’m All About Books – SPOTLIGHT

October 11 – StoreyBook Reviews – REVIEW

October 11 – Reading Authors Network – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 12 – FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 13 – Ascroft, eh? – CHARACTER INTERVIEW

October 13 – Christy’s Cozy Corners – REVIEW

October 14 – Books a Plenty Book Reviews – REVIEW

October 14 – MJB Reviewers – SPOTLIGHT

October 15 – Guatemala Paula Loves to Read – SPOTLIGHT, EXCERPT

October 15 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT

October 16 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT

October 17 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW

October 18 – Baroness Book Trove – SPOTLIGHT

October 19 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW

October 19 – Literary Gold – AUTHOR INTERVIEW

October 20 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Hearts & Scribbles – SPOTLIGHT

October 20 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW

October 21 – Brooke Blogs – AUTHOR GUEST POST

October 22 – Lady Hawkeye – SPOTLIGHT  

October 23 – #BRVL Book Review Virginia Lee Blog – SPOTLIGHT

October 23 – BookishKelly2020 – SPOTLIGHT

.

.

~~~~~

Thanks so much for visiting fuonlyknew and Good Luck!

For a list of my reviews go HERE.

For a list of free eBooks updated daily go HERE .

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.