In this 16th installment of A Crochet Mystery, Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers plan an out-of-town getaway when their favorite bookshop closes for renovations. The plan is a few days of crochet time with no distractions. Plans don't always work out as one would expect.

Not everyone knows that Molly has been working as a private investigator for her ex-beau in addition to her regular job at the bookshop. This time he's asked her to attend a party posing as his cousin to identify a kleptomaniac. It seems like a good idea and convenient because the party is being held very near the getaway location. A good idea until there's a murder and the kleptomaniac suspect list becomes a murder suspect list.

I really enjoy this series and look forward to each installment. The recipe and crochet pattern at the end is a nice bonus

Betty Hechtman's books are the absolute best. Every cozy mystery she puts out that involves yarn or crochet, sign me up immediately. 5 stars!

Murder by the Hook

By: Betty Hechtman

Book 16 of a Crochet Mystery

Publish Date: April 8, 2025

Publisher: Beyond the Page Publishing

Crafts and Hobbies/Mystery and Thrillers

#MurderbytheHook#NetGalley

200 Book ReviewsProfessional Reader

I would like to thank both NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book. All opinions are my own.

Book Review:

I gave this book 4 stars. I have read many of her books in this series and I enjoyed them a lot. Sometimes I am able to figure who the murderer is but not always. I wasn’t able to figure it out this one. As I said before, I have read some of this series but none recently even though I own some. With that being said I found myself falling back into the series with ease and enjoyed myself. I always love how Molly is able to deal with Adele.

In this book Molly and the hookers are going on a weekend outing while the book shop is being renovated. Molly is also working for Mason as a private private investigator on a small project in the same small town. Unfortunately, the investigation doesn’t go well, and Molly feels terrible. As per normal in this kind of book there is a death, and Molly finds herself in the middle of it all. This time things don’t go well for the weekend retreat and the murder investigation. Can Molly solve the murder and save the weekend with the hookers? You will have to read the book to find out.

Molly Pink has a lot going on. The store where she is assistant manager and event coordinator is being reorganized and temporarily shut down. She has arranged for a weekend retreat with the Tarzana Hookers, her crochet group in the town of Pixie. She has also agreed to working for her ex, Mason Fields in her private, private investigator capacity to help find a thief at a wealthy couple's home. The couple is hosting a highly publicized wedding for a celebrity news reporter and his fiancé.
An actress is seeing aliens, the groom is murdered, and the Hookers are located close by with Molly at the center of the chaos.
I received an e-copy of this book from Behind the Page Publishing through NetGalley. This is my unsolicited opinion about the book in the series by Betty Hechtman.
I loved this portion of a sentence, "a lot faster to buy yarn than it was to make something." As a crocheter I agree.
There are a lot of characters to keep track of. There are several people who are involved with the wedding and on a possible suspect list for Molly to watch during her theft investigation. The Tarzana Hookers group are staying at a home close by. Molly goes back and forth between each location. It's kind of much. The murder mystery is interesting as are some of the characters. I don't really have a favorite character. Dinah Lyons is a good and patient best friend of Mollys. Adele is a pain in the neck with her know it all attitude and pushiness. It was overall an enjoyable read and chance to solve two mysteries. The 'romance' part, there was no solving that. I'm sure it will carry on into the next book.
A nice crochet pattern and a recipe are bonuses here. I give this book 4 stars.

The first book I've read in this crochet mystery series, and it won't be my last.

The main character, Molly, is a crafter with a large family and a busy life. She works in a local book/craft shop where a local group of women hang out and craft: the Hookers. On the side, she's a detective working for her ex-fiancée helping to solve mysteries. This mystery: someone from a celebrity circle of friends has been stealing small things including every crafters favorite accessory, stork scissors.

While helping to look for the stork scissor thief, someone gets murdered and it's up to Molly to help solve the murder while also entertaining the Hookers on a crochet weekend getaway that just so happens to be next DOOR to where the murder occurred.

All in all, a great book full of craft talk, mystery and a small dose of romance/love triangle. Also, I enjoyed having a main character that is slightly older with grandkids. I can't wait to see what kind of mystery Molly helps to solve next and what will happen in her love life.

Molly and the hookers are off for a girls trip. However, Molly‘s part-time job as a PI has her working on her getaway. Can you manage both a getaway and a case at the same time? As long as Molly doesn’t drop the case or a stitch, or the killer doesn’t get to her first, she mayjust survive the weekend.

I love the name of the crochet group in this book. It always makes for a good chuckle, but it’s a story that keeps me coming back. The author always has a great mystery that we’ve together full of red herrings, and kissed me guessing until the end. Each entry reads fine as a standalone so this is your first one, don’t worry you’re in for a good read.

Molly and your favorite characters are back and there is more than one mystery to solve. I loved Molly's relationship dramas. I am holding out hope for some final resolution to this aspect of her life. The cases kept me guessing. There was humor to go along with the mystery. Just when you think it can't possibly go more awry...

2 1/2 stars. A light cozy featuring a woman who is hosting a crocheting weekend for a group while doing a side job of finding a klepto who is stealing small but meaning trinkets from a couple hosting a party nearby. The mystery is solid but takes a while to get going.

Molly Pink, an interesting woman, who manages to combine side jobs investigating crimes for a lawyer but she somehow manages to keep secret from most of her friends and family, a busy schedule with a crocheting group and also working at a bookstore. I didn't quite buy that she would be able to keep her clandestine side job from her family, some who live with her. Some of the crochet group are a bit annoying but others are engaging.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

Murder by the Hook is book #16 in the Crochet Mystery series by Betty Hechtman.

It’s time for a crochet getaway for Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers. The timing works well because Molly is also a private private investigator helping out her ex with a case at the same location. What should have been simple case changes when there is a murder. I liked the characters (mostly) and the crochet references. The mystery kept my interest and kept me guessing. There is a crochet project at the end that I plan to try along with a recipe.

Thank you to the author, Beyond the Page Publishing, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Poor Molly was torn in a million directions when she agreed to work a case for Mason that happened to be where the crochet getaway was that weekend. Oh boy, Adele was in rare form and I felt sorry for those crocheters having to put up with her 24/7 instead of just their get-together at the bookstore.

Molly’s case was a crazy one and may or may not’ve included aliens and a spaceship, some definite kleptomania (her main reason for working the case) and a man’s death that appeared to be deliberate but couldn’t be proved. No worries, we know when Molly’s on the case, nothing goes unturned…and it didn’t. I’m sure everyone was glad by the time this weekend was over!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Beyond the Page via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Unfortunately, I found myself skimming over some parts of the narration, mostly the inner monologue of the protagonist. She was written as a very stereotypical older person; hates younger people's social customs, trash-talks smartphones, insults anyone who is alluded to be under 25, and many other instances that made me cringe at the characterization. The topic of the story, such as the cozy setting and the needle crafting elements were good base points for the plot, but this main character character was very flat and did not develop further.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Betty Hechtman for providing me with a complimentary digital ARC for Murder by the Hook coming out April 8, 2025. The honest opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I’ve read another book by this author, so I was excited to check this one out. I’m obsessed with cozy mysteries! I love the bookstore and getaway settings. I think Molly is a smart character. I would definitely check out more books by this author!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries!

Actually enjoyed that there is more mystery than romance for this one!
Entertaining and kept me ‘hooked’ (pun intended) all the way through!

The bookstore that Molly works at is undergoing renovations, so she and the Hookers decide to take the entire group on a crochet retreat. The timing works out perfectly since her ex boyfriend has asked her to help him find a thief in the same area. Unfortunately while attending a pre-wedding party at a friend’s home, Molly’s task to catch a thief turns into a murder investigation. When a threatening note shows up telling her to back off, she must solve the murder before she’s the next one to die.
This is a fun cozy read with two mysteries to solve and a plethora of eclectic and sometimes eccentric characters that keep the reader engaged. Adele, one of the hookers, is a particularly interesting character. She’s a bit obsessive, especially when it comes to her stance that crochet is the only needle craft worth doing. Luckily she seems to have found her community within the hookers, even if she drives them a little crazy sometimes. There is a bit of a love triangle, for lack of a better term, when another one of Molly’s ex’s shows up investigating a separate matter. As he begins to question her about what she’s doing there, we’re left to question if the cases might be related. Overall this was an entertaining read with a thief, a murder, several suspects in both cases, a bit of a love triangle, and some interesting side characters. A related recipe and crochet pattern is a nice extra added at the end of the book. If you’re looking for an enjoyable cozy read, this might just be the one for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Beyond the Page Publishing for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

"Murder by the Hook (A Crochet Mystery #16)" by Betty Hechtman has Molly Pink doing her super secret private investigation work for her ex that she's not so sure she's completely over. She's trying to be since he seems to be. He even has a new girlfriend, who is a bit overly controlling of him. He has her tag along as his "cousin" to a pre-wedding party for a local celebrity news anchor and weather girl. It's being hosted at their agent's house since the agent to try to deduce what's going on with some missing objects.

Molly is also supposed to be at a crochet retreat with her Hookers crotchet group. Luckily all this is going on in the same little town and she can try to juggle both investigation work and the crochet retreat. The two things collide when someone is found dead on the property behind where the crochet group is staying. Molly gets both her recent exs vying for her attention plus a new guy while she's just trying to prove she is a good investigator.

Molly Pink has a side hustle when she heads out on a retreat with the Tarzana Hookers crocheting group. She also is working for an ex-flame as a "private private investigator" to catch a kleptomaniac that blossoms into a search for a killer.

I’ve been following this series for over 15 years, enjoying the intricate murder mystery plots and the suspense of guessing which of her male admirers would ultimately win her heart. However, I’m now frustrated by her snobbish son, who constantly takes advantage of her while offering only criticism in return. Additionally, while there’s a man she will always feel a deep passion for, she cannot accept the demands of his career as a first responder. I believe instead she should take pride in his selfless dedication

I give the mystery 4 stars but the romance 2 stars.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cats! Crochet! Food! Mystery! Never has a book called to all my passions like this one. Now I need to read the 15 books that came before this one in the series! Consider me a fan girl of Betty Hechtman from here on out.

Love the descriptions of LA and the house full of family and love.

I submitted a review on B&N as bookish gabi, it is currently being reviewed before showing up on the site.

Murder by the Hook is the first book that I have read by Betty Hechtman. Being a crocheter myself and a lover of mystery stories I was looking forward to reading this.
This is a cosy mystery that involves Molly Pink and her group of Hookers who have gone off for a weekend of companionship, crocheting and exploring in the small town of Pixie. Molly who is a private, private investigator finds herself solving a mystery for her ex, Mason. This leads to her working at a high profile celebrity wedding while also trying to keep peace among her fellow Hookers.
Her group of friends are all interesting and are a variety of characters, but one in particular, Adele, was a little hard to handle. I do not know if she is also in other books in this series but she did get on my nerves. In this case, the author succeeded because she also got on the group's nerves.
If you are looking for some easy reading with a cup of tea that still makes you think while you enjoy the companionship and mystery than this book is for you.
I especially enjoyed the bonus of the recipe and crochet pattern that both relate to the story.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for my honest review.

When reading “Molly Pink and the Tarzana Hookers” in the synopsis for this book, I was “hooked”. I had read other books by Betty Hechtman years ago and enjoyed them, so I was very motivated to read “Murder by the Hook”.

This book was very easy to get into, as the characters were very engaging, entertaining and very funny. I was glad that the author did not go into lengthy details about crocheting since I don’t know the first thing about it.

It was also easy to continue reading the plot because there was always something going on. Sadly, the book came to an end way too quickly, which proves to me that it was most enjoyable.

I am most interested in reading more books in this series and highly recommend it to mystery lovers. I also will try to read some of her other mystery books.

Thank you, Net Galley and Beyond the Page Publishing, for making an advance copy available for me to read and post a personal review. I also want to thank Ms. Betty Hechtman for writing it.

Molly is going on a girls weekend with a little side-trip for her private private investigator gig working for former flame Mason. The gig doesn't work out so great for her... and neither does the girls weekend. Can Molly turn both around before it's time to go home?

This series has grown on me, I don't LOVE it, but it's a reliably good read. In this particular book, Molly goes on a girls weekend that coincides with a job for Mason where she's to try to figure out who is stealing trinkets from the home of a Hollywood-connected man who likes to entertain at his country home in Pixie. I had a number of problems with this. First of all, they're on a vacation in this little town and yet somehow everyone (and I do mean EVERYONE) Molly knows in Tarzana is in Pixie this weekend. How is that possible? Second, there are a gazillion characters in this book. I have no clue who any of them where. And one of them is the killer. Which one? I honestly don't know. And when you don't know who any of the characters are, it's hard to get invested in figuring out (or caring) which one of them is the killer. Or which one is the victim. My third issue is that the whole job that precipitated the entire story could have been done by one conveniently placed security camera. So the entire plot felt kind of pointless.

I also have to say that the love triangle with Molly and Mason and Barry has gotten kind of annoying. Molly gets the hots for both guys and it's kind of gross. She can't seem to control her hormones and she only seems to want what she can't have (or whatever male is in front of her at the moment, let's face it Molly is kind of a fickle slut at this point). I also always find myself annoyed by Peter, the world's most ungrateful son, and Adele, the world's most annoying coworker (although I do have a soft spot for her, I think she's really not a bad person she's just the most socially inept person on earth [Adele, I can relate]).

Overall, despite my myriad complaints about the characters, I do enjoy reading this series. It's never going to be at the top of my TBR but it's worth checking out.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.