When an elderly homeless woman is found dead on the shore of Lake Minnetonka, she’s wearing something that holds the key to her identity but also opens up a mystery. Embroidered on her blouse is her will, in which she bequeaths everything she owns to her niece—Emily Hame, a member of the Monday bunch at Betsy Devonshire’s Crewel World needlework shop! Emily’s aunt turns out to be the second homeless woman to be found dead under mysterious circumstances. It’s up to Betsy to discover the common thread between the deaths—and to determine if a murderer may strike again.
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"The latest in this series...I enjoyed this one more than the last. I like the main character, Betsy Devonshire, but sometimes the stories don't suck me in too quickly. It wasn't quite as simple to solve this one either. A good read for a cold winter's day."
— Lynda (4 out of 5 stars)
“A comfortable fit for mystery readers who want to spend an enjoyable time with interesting characters.”
— St. Paul Pioneer Press“Monica Ferris is a talented writer who knows how to keep the attention of her fans.”
— Midwest Book Review“Filled with great small-town characters…Fans of Jessica Fletcher will devour this [series].”
— Rendezvous" I normally enjoy the needlecraft mysteries by Monica Ferris and have read every one. This one was good but had several inconsistencies that distracted from my overall enjoyment of the story. Some were so glaringly obvious that I thought perhaps the book was written by two different people who didn't read what the other person wrote. I would still recommend this book, especially for the bits regarding the needlearts, but you might have to work at overcoming the discrepencies. "
— Ann, 1/31/2014" Not one of her better efforts. "
— Kathy, 1/23/2014" 2.5 stars (extra star for the craft and the shout out to NN and Cindy Wasner's design.) "
— Carolyn, 1/8/2014" I've read all of the books in this series, up to this one. Liked this one more than the previous one (Buttons and Bones). Quality and believability of the books vary. "
— Christine, 12/30/2013" This is the 15th in this series of needlecraft mysteries, and while it was interesting, there wasn't enough needlework stuff in it. I did like the depictions of the lives of some homeless women, it was very sympathetic. "
— Vicki, 12/19/2013" I'm done with this series. "
— Gina, 12/18/2013" Just ok. This one and the last one seem to be quite a departure from the usual. I hope the next one is better, but I will keep reading them. "
— Jessica, 12/2/2013" I find it really sad that the problem of homelessness is so prevalent that mystery authors can incorporate them as a storyline. "
— Mary, 10/29/2013" A nice light cozy mystery - another library pick that was more hit than miss. I might look up other books in this series soon. "
— Notme, 6/13/2013" Another in the series. Predictable yet a fun easy read. "
— Darleen, 4/13/2013" As always, a very clever read, a very cozy setting and characters who present very pleasant company. I recommend this series highly, even if you're not a needlework fan. "
— Suzanne, 2/25/2013" I guess I read this book as I've read all of this series. Being a needler I like the store/class atmosphere, wish this story would have stayed closer to home. And why just ending it with the woman who helped Betsy out with the crime. Some events didn't add up. "
— Judy, 2/24/2013" Quite an interesting story about an embroidery shop owner who solves crimes on the side. I liked it. "
— Ruth, 11/18/2012" not as good as previous books "
— Laura, 11/3/2012" A good read from a reliable author. "
— Joan, 8/23/2012" I like all of her little mysteries. Nice easy reads that are fun! "
— Christina, 1/17/2012Monica Ferris is the USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series under various pseudonyms. She lives in Minnesota.
Susan Boyce is the award-winning narrator of over 140 audiobooks. She performs in variety theater, is one half of the song-and-dance team of Jones & Boyce, and holds a degree in theater and biology. She can be heard in phone trees, in computer games, and as the voice of the pink “Care Bear.” She lives in St. Augustine, Florida, and summers in Greenville, Maine.