In the fall of 2024, I took up crochet. I quickly realized the best use of this hobby would be to write a queer crochet mystery. So, I did:
When a troubled teen named Brown and a senior citizen named Chester meet at an LGBTQ fiber arts group, they both want to crochet sweaters. But yarn, hooks and needles are set aside when the director of The Center is accused of murdering the owner of a neighboring hair salon who posted transphobic attacks on social media. Brown, Chester and the rest of the fiber arts group set out to prove their friend’s innocence. He is innocent — right?
Receiving an Editor’s Pick distinction from Booklife, the review had this to say, “Thornton underpins his cozy fiction with poignant reality, expertly alternating the first-person narration between the sharply observant Brown, who seeks safety by making herself invisible, and an overdramatic, big-hearted Chess, who realizes the value of going back to frog the mistakes of his quietly eventful life. By bringing this tough and tender duo together to seek justice, Thornton transforms Half Double Murder into a thoughtful, twisty mystery that’s built from hard-won connections.”
Kirkus Reviews had this to say, “Thornton has crafted his novel with the same care and attention to detail as the people at the NLM Pride Center crocheting a sweater. The characters are both endearing and complex, the pace is brisk and consistent, and the mystery itself manages to be both provocatively political and purely entertaining. The narrative is original, captivating, and unwavering in its heartfelt message: Community is everywhere for those who seek it.”
Half Double Murder will be available in ebook, trade paper, hardcover and audio.
Marshall Thornton 