Crewel Yule (A Needlecraft Mystery)

I love the Needlecraft Mystery series. This is my favorite in the series so far. The setting of suspects and investigators trapped in a snowbound hotel along with a cast of others reminds me of an Agatha Christie novel. While this mystery is not as good as an Agatha Christie, it is still very entertaining.

Ferris' latest is as enjoyable as always. I do recommend that the reader try to read the books in order, as the characters develop, although it isn't absolutely necessary. The needlework lore is, as usual, fascinating, and I think that story is interesting even for someone who doesn't do needlework. Ferris made a lot of good decisions in setting up this series that add to both the storytelling and the plausibility. Betsy is not an expert craftswoman (she inherited the store) and so it is reasonable to have people explaining things to her. Her best friend is a capable policewoman. She knows when to call the police: no going down alone into dark cellars to look for axe murderers. Ferris strands Betsy, Godwin and Jill in a snowbound hotel in Nashville for a needlework trade show. Jill and Betsy attempt to solve the death (murder, suicide, accident?) of a store-owner who had abused a lot of people. Godwin spends most of his time being his usual charming self. The characters are as likeable as always, the dialogue is well done. I was amused by the setting of a hotel besieged by snow - eventually, that sort of thing of thing is funny. My chief regret is the Mavreen Harrison, the overworked night manager/acting day manager in this crisis, will presumably be staying in Nashville. What a delightful character! The reader does need to check the dates that head some of the paragraphs. The book begins with a series of flashbacks explaining the background of the character and the suspects intermingled with the beginning of the mystery. Considerable setup is required for the story, so it keeps the action going while telling the reader the important facts. I also enjoyed Ferris' theme relating to the character of the deceased. Ferris dwells on the contradictions and frustration created by a person who swings between kindness and cruelty and supposes, as one of the characters notes, that cuteness is a license to behave however one likes, and an apology means that it never happened and the victim has to forgive and forget. Too often, there is an epiphany at the end of the book (movie, TV episode) in which one good deed wipes out years of pain. While Ferris isn't recommending murder, she does deal meaningfully with anger. If this interests the reader, I'd recommend Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd, which turns on the difference between being kind or well-meaning and thoughtful. I have one very serious complaint: this is probably the worst copy editting that I have ever seen. Whole phrases are left out of sentences, character names are confused. There are electronic grammer check programs that would have caught a lot of these mistakes. Inexcusable! First book in the series: Crewel World (Needlecraft Mystery)

i've enjoyed at least one other of the author's series, and, although i was initially leery of the obvious marketing ploy involved, i have been enjoying this series from the first book. this book is as good as the best of the previous mysteries. you don't have to be an avid needlework to enjoy this mystery. ferris has always been phenomenally good at plotting, and at misdirecting the reader, and _crewel yule_ ranks with her best. however, if you haven't read at least one other in the series, this isn't the place to start, as some familiarity with the characters is assumed. the characters, even the minor ones, seem real, the dialogue is wonderful, the atmosphere--well, i'd commit at least gross bodily injury to get into that market, wouldn't you? if ferris isn't a stitcher herself, she has a thorough knowledge and understanding of needleworkers. and of motivations. and, finally and least importantly, although i won't be stitching it, the free pattern in this book is at least not contemptible, even it if isn't a crewel design.

Instead of working at her stitchery store, Crewel World in a small Minnesota town, Betsy Devonshire and her employee Godwin are in Nashville attending the annual cash and carry market hosted by the International Needlework Retailer's Guild. Their friend Sergeant Jill Larson is also in town attending a police conference. The three friends meet for dinner at the Grand Ole Opry Hotel. However a freak snowstorm strands Jill at Betsy's hotel. Belle Hammermill, co- owner of Belle's Samples and More in Milwaukee, falls off the balcony to her death in the atrium below. Betsy saw the incident and feels a misfortunate accident occurred as no one was in the vicinity of the victim. Jill has doubts and accompanied by Betsy questions people quickly learning that at least three women wanted Belle dead, but which one and how did that person escape eye witnesses accounts of not seeing the culprit perform the deed. There is a sad irony to this entertaining sleuth tale as the victim was an amoral nasty piece of work who some will say deserved what she got while the killer is a beleaguered troubled person who performed the homicide on impulse and regrets her actions. Thus readers will empathize with the killer. Jurisdiction aside, Monica Ferris stitches together a delightfully clever yarn that will get the audience into the holiday spirit. Harriet Klausner

What a page-turner! Monica Ferris really knows how to write a mystery! I finished the book in one day. It was fun seeing the names of real-life people in this story. The usual gang is involved--Betsy, Goddard, and Jill--but this time they are visiting a real-time needlework show in Nashville. It was really clever how Monica Ferris found a way to keep all of the suspects from leaving the scene of the crime,and how she involved Jill, a policewoman way out of her jurisdiction, in helping to solve this whodunit. I would have given this story five stars, were it not for the little "hiccups" in continuity and spelling. There were times when whole sentences were left out, names were misspelled, and even a time when the name of a suspect changed to the name of the dead woman! I should hope that, before they make a second printing, they go through and re-edit the story. Books cost too much these days to have to deal with that sort of thing.