Knot Dead Again

Listening to *Knot Dead Again* felt like curling up with a mystery where the tea was always spiked with suspense. Margaret Strom’s narration elevates Hechtman’s script from charming to compulsive, her voice shifting seamlessly between characters while keeping the energy buoyant. Casey’s panic when the storm hits is palpable, but it’s the quieter moments—like the way Strom nails the resigned sigh of a guest who’s just realized she’s been lied to—that linger. The mystery itself is cleverly constructed, with enough red herrings to keep even seasoned mystery fans guessing, though the solution does rely on a couple of leaps that might frustrate some listeners. The production is clean, with no distracting artifacts, and the pacing is brisk enough to avoid the dreaded “cozy drag.” My only real gripe is the overreliance on knitting puns—at a certain point, they start to feel like filler rather than charm. That said, the story’s heart lies in its characters, and Hechtman does a fantastic job making each of them feel like they belong in this rustic, rain-soaked setting. If you’re a fan of mysteries where the setting is as sharp as the crime-solving, Strom’s performance alone is worth the listen—just maybe keep a skein of yarn handy to fidget with while you wait for the killer’s reveal.