Witty Little Knitter

Beware! Mild spoilers for the relationship-development between Christopher and J.X. I wouldn't have been bothered if I had read that in advance but if you're ultra-allergic to spoilers skip this review.I did like the mystery part in this book more than in All She Wrote. It felt less like the solution was just thanks to some lucky coincidences (and apart from that: it was a We are all closed off from the outside world and thereis a murderer among us-mystery...including the All suspects meet in the library at the end and the sleuth explains who has which bodies in the closet and who is actually responsible for the bodies in this book. You can always sign me up for those). I am somewhat bored by the 'amateur sleuth only does sleuthing because he's a suspect'-plots but it didn't get too drawn out here (and it does at least make sense as Christopher doesn't seem like the guy who would stick his nose in a murder-investigation for no reason).But – and this should teach me not to read book-series in the wrong order - I wasn't quite as happy with the characters and I think that was partly because I had already seent hem in the next bok where they (and their relationship) had developed further. Not that it was all bad. Christopher is still (was already?) a hillarious and likeable narrator and I loved all the allusions to traditional cozy-mysteries, but he is also whining A LOT in this book. Admittedly, if your partner of ten years left you for your PA, your editor is dropping your book-series and you're a murder-suspect you do have the right to whine but I still would have wished that he had occasionally takesn a step back, took a deep breath and thought rational about his situation.Then there is J.X. (who does not have a full first name). He calls Christopher a dramaqueen (not that he doesn't have a point) but he is very much Mr Moodswing himself (Let's have Hot Sex. That was a mistake. You're a murder-suspect Kit, I need to lock you up. You broke my heart all those years ago. I don't really believe that you're a killer but I'm worried that the killer might come for you. Let's hug. Hot Sex. This means nothing to me you cheating bastard!) Jesus...there are chick-lit heroines who act more rational when their ex is around.So overall I'm torn, if I had actually read this book first I guess I would have rated it 4 stars without hesitation...but now I'm somewhat tempted to give only 3 as I know the characters from the 2nd book where they act a lot more rational and -honestly- grown up but then it's not the books fault when I'm reading in the wrong order, so yeah, another 4 stars.