Tempting Fete — Kate Silvers

Just a man, a murder, and a really, really embarrassing hobby.Obadiah (Di) Goode has several problems. As the only African-American member of the Prospector's Rest, North Carolina Sheriff's Department, he's already generally overlooked and ignored. But if news of his secret gets out, he'll never hear the end of it.Still, keeping the fact that he's far faster with a knitting (or crochet or embroidery or, well, any kind of) needle than a gun is his usual concern. But when this sleepy mountain town which is home to more crafts shops than people opens its Sixth Annual Crafts Fête with its unbeloved mayor dropping dead out of nowhere, Di suddenly has much bigger concerns.Roped into secretly investigating the case by MacBeth (Mac) Welles, the beautiful woman Di's had a crush on since they were both in the playpen, Di gives in, and they and the department's resident Boston terrier mascot, Sgt. Peewee--along with occasional insights from his online Men Who Stitch friends--discover any number of viable suspects. Was it the craft store owner the mayor broke off an affair with, who's a bit too handy with her knitting needles? The local vacation home billionaire whose son may have gone too far this time? The local baker whose new recipe for hemp brownies has run afoul of the law? Or is it someone even closer to home?Despite a complete lack of experience of anything besides tempting black bears out of town and breaking up tiffs between crafters, Di needs to figure it out. Because when a second person mysteriously collapses, it becomes obvious that the killer is getting a taste for death, and only Di and Mac can stop them before it's too late.A funny, romantic, and diverse cozy mystery filled with quirky characters you'll want to make friends with and a town so warm and crazy that you'll want to move in, Tempting Fête will leave you in stitches and begging for another mystery.