Book Review: Crewel World by Monica Ferris (Needlecraft Mysteries #1)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: A good mystery, interesting info on needlecrafts

Cons: Pacing of plot uneven

The Bottom Line:

A crafting cozy

With an uneven story

For needlecraft fans

Uneven Debut

Betsy Devonshire has just suffered her second divorce. Not sure what she wants out of life, she packs her belongs and sets out from California toward Minnesota and her sister. Margot Berglund is a widow who has made a name for herself in the small town of Excelsior running Crewel World, a shop devoted to needlecraft of all kinds. The two women were close as kids, but have grown apart as adults. Still, Margot is the only person Betsy felt she could turn to in her time of crisis.

Betsy doesn't intend to stay long in Excelsior. Just long enough to get her emotional feet back under her. But a job at Crewel World seems like a good idea to help pay back Margot for her kindness.

Then, one night, Margot is murdered in the back of the shop. The store was ransacked, and the police are convinced that Margot interrupted a burglar. Betsy isn't so sure. Her sister was much smarter then that. Betsy begins to poke around to figure out what really happened while dealing with her own emotional pain at the loss of her sister.

Okay, so I admit I'm completely the wrong audience for the series. I don't know anything about knitting or needlepoint or any of the other crafts that feature in the book. But I have found some great cozy series hiding under a disguise like this, so I gave the book a try.

The story is as much about Betsy as it is about the mystery. We are treated to chapters about her deciding what to do about the shop and her struggles to fit into a typical small town. It's only in the second half where she gets interested in figuring out what happened to her sister. Once the mystery really takes off, it does a good job of throwing the red herrings out there. I enjoyed the ride, just wish it had been given a little longer to develop. The ending, while logical and satisfying, seemed rushed, something that more time would have fixed.

Not that all the time spent on Betsy wasn't interesting. Her clashes with the shop's landlord and the woman who wants to run the shop were good reading. Betsy grows and by the end regains the confidence she must have had before her divorce. She is also beginning to make friends in the town. My favorite of these is Jill, the policewoman who unofficially assists Betsy in her quest for the truth. On the other hand, there are several scenes of Betsy's confusion at life in the town that got to be downright painful. It would have been nice to have some character that would explain things to her.

The book itself is well written. While most of the book is told from Betsy's point of view, a few scenes feature other characters and they add richness to the story.

Crewel World isn't a bad read, just not what I was looking for. Those looking for a mystery along with a slice of small town life will enjoy the series, as will the target audience of needle enthusiasts. Those looking for a bit more mystery will be disappointed.