Rating: 
Summary: A Murderous Yarn
Review: A MURDEROUS YARN by Monica Ferris, is the new Needlecraft Mystery featuring amateur sleuth Betsy Devonshire. At this year's antique car race, one of the drivers makes it to the finish line. Betsy and her friends must find a suspect. Cross-stitch pattern included.
Rating: 
Summary: Not up to par
Review: As a cross-stitch AND antique car enthusiast, I was really looking forward to reading this book. This is my first Monica Ferris, and it is my last. Her character exposition is so poor that throughout the early pages of the book, I couldn't remember which character was supposed to be the amateur detective.The writing style is downright boring, and I am unimpressesd with the plot, as well. If you are looking for mysteries with "women's" themes, I recommend the culinary mystery series by Diane Mott Davidson, and the quilting mysteries by Earlene Fowler. Earlene Fowler in particular is an awesome novelist.
Rating:
Summary: Not up to par
Review: As a cross-stitch AND antique car enthusiast, I was really looking forward to reading this book. This is my first Monica Ferris, and it is my last. Her character exposition is so poor that throughout the early pages of the book, I couldn't remember which character was supposed to be the amateur detective. The writing style is downright boring, and I am unimpressesd with the plot, as well. If you are looking for mysteries with "women's" themes, I recommend the culinary mystery series by Diane Mott Davidson, and the quilting mysteries by Earlene Fowler. Earlene Fowler in particular is an awesome novelist.
Rating: 
Summary: delightful cozy
Review: Betsy Devonshire moved away from California after her divorce seeking solace with her sister who owned a needlepoint shop in Excelsior, Minnesota. When her sister was murdered, Betsy discovered the identity of the perpetrator. She stayed on in Excelsior, owning and operating the Crewel World shop established by her deceased sibling. Betsy has made a place for herself in the community while solving several other homicides.
Lars, a local police officer, buys a Stanley Steamer antique automobile, which Betsy agrees to sponsor in the Antique for Run from New London to New Brighton. In an exhibition run that stops at Excelsior, Betsy becomes friendly with Charlotte Harrison. When Charlee's husband Bill is found murdered along the road, she asks Betsy to find the killer. Considering that Betsy never said a word to Bill, she manages to acquit herself quite nicely.
A MURDEROUS YARN is a delightful cozy that entertains as well as educates the audience. The heroine is a believable character whose investigations seem totally in character and very authentic though why the widow chooses an amateur sleuth rather than a pro to investigate always lingers in the back of the reader's mind. Monica Ferris is a talented writer who knows how to keep the attention of her fans throughout her latest novel. There is a secondary character that readers will want starring as a delightful private detective in his own series. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: A Mystery That Doesn't Run Out Of Steam
Review: Betsy Devonshire, owner of Crewel World a needlecraft shop in Excelsior, Minnesota, had made a mistake.
Once again, she leaped before looking and was now the sponsor of an antique car, owned by Lars - local deputy and boyfriend of Betsy's close friend Deputy Jill Cross.
Lars had sold his hobby farm. (After a long day of work he liked to relax by working on his farm). And was now into antique cars. His first is a beautiful Stanley Steamer, which needed a little work. Betsy hadn't realized that when she agreed to sponsor the car, that the costs to restore would be so expensive. After all, 100 year old parts were hard to find.
But with hard work, Lars got it going, although he did have a few scalds on his hands and was now missing an eyebrow, his car was a piece of art and Betsy was thrilled with her first ride in it.
Volunteering to check in the drivers at a local antique car run, Betsy meets several other owners, including Adam Smith, president of the local club and Charlotte Birmingham, who arrived dressed in an antique dress to go with her and her husband Bill's wonderful Maxwell. But it was very warm and Charlotte took Betsy up on her offer to ride in her air conditioned car to meet the antique cars when they got to their destination.
Charlotte was lucky she accepted the ride, for her husband Bill ends up dead, under his burning car along the way.
Why would anyone want to kill Bill Birmingham? Was it the feud between him and Adam Smith for the Presidency of the club? What about the problems he had been having with his son Bro, who had left a good job to take over his father's company, but Bill just wouldn't let go of the reigns. Or was it someone else in the car club who didn't like Bill. Or maybe Marvin Pierce who was rumored to be in love with the widow.
Charlotte asks Betsy to look into the crime and she hesitates until Bro Birmingham shows up and demands that she not look into the crime.
Then Detective Morrie Steffans shows up and questions Betsy about what she knew and what she saw. Betsy decides that it wouldn't hurt to look into the crime, especially when Charlotte and Bill's three other children, Lisa, David & Tim also want her to find out who killed their father.
Highlights:
I loved the descriptions of all the old antique cars. Wish I could afford to own one.
Godwin, who is the best character after Betsy. His lover John has thrown him out and Godwin's hysteria over, not that he was thrown out, but that John had thrown all his clothes to the curb, where they had gotten wrinkled and dirty.
Not As Much Needlework. In some of the books, the needlework has almost overwhelmed the storyline. I can do simple things, like embroidery & crochet, but counted cross stitch made me cry, the only time I tried it and some of the stuff these ladies do, I don't have a clue and find it hard to follow. This one didn't have as much of the needle crafting, but I don't think the story suffers from it at all. You still get the flavor of the hobby, but it's nice to know that Betsy, Jill and the other ladies, plus Phil & Godwin do have a life other than needle crafts.
Detective Morrie Steffans. Possible romance? Betsy deserves one. Although balding and big-eared is not exactly how I would have pictured a possible boyfriend for her.
The car chase at the end between Lar's Stanley Steamer and an SUV.
Lowlights:
Once again, I figured out the killer. These books are so well written that even though I know who the killer is, it doesn't detract from my enjoying the story. The characters are wonderfully written.
Rating:
Summary: Steaming along
Review: I always like to learn something while reading for pleasure, which is why cozies appeal to me so much. The addition of antique cars to the neeedlework in this series was a bonus. I find Betsy a thoroughly likeable, believable amateur sleuth. I am still reading through this series and hate to get caught up. Waiting for another to come out is agonizing.
Rating:
Summary: This series is getting worse, not better
Review: I enjoy needlework, and stumbled upon the first book in this series by accident.I enjoyed the way needlework was weaved into the story, and the interactions in the shop. But the series has never lived up to it's potential. I eagerly awaited the second book in the series, but by the time A Murderous Yarn came out, I planned on reading it when I saw it in the library, but didn't run out to buy it. After reading this book, I don't think I'll bother with the next in the series. The needlework connection was merely a subplot, with much more time devoted to antique cars. I think it is a valid generalization that the audience for needle arts and antique cars are quite separate. I wouldn't go out and buy a book based on an antique car theme, but that is what I found this book to be. Even ignoring this aspect of the story, I found I really didn't care who committed the crime - I didn't care about any of the characters. Perhaps if characters from previous books were developed more in it, it would have been better. I did enoy the parts about Godard and his partner's relationship, but that's about all. A disappointing addition (and for me, an end) to a promising series.
Rating: 
Summary: it was ok
Review: I had heard a lot of good things about this series, and being a fan of cross-stich and needlepoint, was looking forward to reading one of them. I was surprised to see that needlecraft seemed to take a back seat (pardon the pun) to the antique cars featured prominently in the plot of this entry into the series. Perhaps earlier books in the series were more focused in needlework, and this one did include a pattern at the back. And it did contain some interesting information on antique cars.
Rating:
Summary: More than cross-stitch
Review: I had heard a lot of good things about this series, and being a fan of cross-stich and needlepoint, was looking forward to reading one of them. I was surprised to see that needlecraft seemed to take a back seat (pardon the pun) to the antique cars featured prominently in the plot of this entry into the series. Perhaps earlier books in the series were more focused in needlework, and this one did include a pattern at the back. And it did contain some interesting information on antique cars.
Rating:
Summary: Monica Ferris Tops in My Book
Review: I have just discovered--and just finished reading--all 5 books in this series and I have to say it is the best mystery series I have read since the Murder She Wrote books! Monica Ferris' style has me drawn right into the story with her. Once I pick up a book, I can't put it down until I've finished reading it... and I can't wait for the next one! She does a wonderful job setting the stories in the Crewel World shop, always leaving me itching to pick up my latest needlework project again! Please, Monica, keep on writing!!!! I'll be eagerly watching to see what you're going to have Betsy, Jill, Godwin, and the rest of the bunch doing next! Keep up the good work!!!
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