Crewel World

Crewel World introduces us to Betsy Devonshire and her younger sister Margot Berglund. In California, Betsy's marriage to a philandering college professor has just broken up; so Margot invites her for an extended visit in Excelsior, Minnesota, where Margot owns and operates a needlework shop, the "Crewel World" of the title. The two sisters haven't seen each other for years when the story begins, and they both enjoy the reunion – in fact, Margot encourages Betsy to make Excelsior her new home and even gives her a job in the shop. The small town is friendly and Betsy is settling in comfortably when disaster strikes – Margot is found murdered, and Betsy is drawn into the search for her killer.

Having already read a couple of the later show more books, I missed out on a good deal of the mystery in this one – I knew that several of the suspects were innocent and would return as regulars in the later novels. But that certainly didn't spoil the enjoyment. And although I sussed out the culprit pretty early on, watching Betsy develop both her sleuthing and needlework skills was lots of fun (if murder can ever be considered fun).

Of course one of the main attractions of the books, for me anyway, is their emphasis on the "needle arts" – I've always been an admirer if not much of a practitioner. And they're definitely cozy mysteries – set in a small town with a lot of interesting characters and day-to-day detail, and not a lot of gore or mayhem – another reason to keep me reading.

But I think the main thing I like about the books is Betsy herself: She's someone a reader of a certain age can really identify with. Already 55 when the series begins, she's not quite sure where life is leading her. As she says, at one point: "Fifty-five is no longer young, even when considered while you were in good spirits. Fifty-five can see old age rushing toward it like a mighty tree axed at the root. All too soon it would be crash: sixty!" [Chapter 1, p. 10]

(An especially nice thing about this series is that each book includes a free needlework pattern. In this first book, the pattern is a magnificent Chinese horse, adapted from a T'ang Dynasty sculpture – a tie-in with the book's plot, and much too ambitious for the inexperienced needle-worker. I believe the patterns in most of the later books have been a bit less intricate.)

A slightly expanded version of this review is posted on my blog:
http://jlshall.blogspot.com/2008/02/crewel-world.html show less

Crewel World by Monica Ferris is yet another crafting cozy mystery, this time based around the world of needlecraft. In this series, we meet Margot, the demure fifty-some-odd woman who runs a quaint needlepoint shop in Excelsior, Minnesota called Crewel World. When her sister Betsy divorces a philandering husband, she joins Margot and begins learning the ropes (threads?) of the the finer (needle)points of running a business.

Ferris is a more than satisfactory writer, with a fluidity to her prose that makes it comfortable and a pleasure to read. Additionally, she takes a few chances with the traditional formula that pay off. Here we have a mystery that is actually possible for the reader to solve beforehand, showing at least a modicum of show more forethought and plotting, as well as an interesting take on main characters. Ordinarily these cozy mysteries feature an attractive thirty-something woman who charms her way into the hunky fireman/police officer/short order cook/etc., but Betsy and Margot are both well into middle-age - if not past it - and their flirtations are confined to age-appropriate targets. There's a staid maturity to their interactions that was refreshing.

Additionally, it was interesting to see her begin with Margot so heavily and build that interaction, only to have the focus shifted to Betsy. I did think she possibly spent a little too much time building that interaction, as it wasn't really until page 72 that things began happening. She probably could have cut quite a bit while still establishing the characters and the town, but as a risk, it paid off.

I also had the pleasure of reading this while spending a vacation in - of all places - Woodbury, Minnesota, and was tickled to find so many familiar names and areas sprinkled throughout the book. Though I am by no means an expert in Minnesota - it was only my second time up there - at least enough was correct for me to recognize, so I imagine a little more than the general research was done.

The only problem I had with the book was that Ferris hasn't quite got a grasp on realistic characterization. Some of the characters, like Mickels, was so over-the-top that I felt I was watching a Scrooge McDuck cartoon, not reading a mystery novel. Even Betsy's characterization could feel inconsistent - at one moment she would be nigh hysterical, at others dogged and persistent.

Still, the chances Ferris took and the excellent prose more than made up for any deficiencies in characterization, and I expect the future books in the series will only improve. show less

Crewel World is the first in the Needlecraft Mystery series and probably the last one I'll read. It's supposedly a cozy mystery but I found it one of the most depressing books I've read this year. Usually in a cozy the death of a character isn't the focus of the book except to provide impetus for the main character to solve the crime. Here, though, the tragedy of the death was the central focus for a large chunk of the novel.

Roughly speaking, Crewel World is divided into thirds. The first third introduces the characters, especially the sisters: Margot and Betsy and the town of Excelsior, Minnesota. The second and most depressing third focuses on Margot's death (not a spoiler as it's mentioned on the back of the book) and the harsh show more reality of the clean-up from a violent death.

In the final third, Crewel World finally falls into being a cozy mystery. While trying to figure out what to do with the store and her life, Betsy begins to realize that something isn't right with how the murder is being investigated. In learning how to run her sister's store, she sees what the police are missing.

My favorite pieces of the book were the beginning and the ending thirds. Betsy's depression after her sister's death is so well written that I was on the verge of tears while reading through the planning of the funeral. I just don't know if I want to grow that emotional roller coaster on future books in this series. show less

I adore this series. One of the main reasons is the books are consistently good and I always know what to expect, and I am never disappointed. I don't feel there's one bad book in the bunch, despite how surprisingly long the series has gone on.

I do many needle crafts, so that aspect is fun for me to read, but I think they'd be enjoyable for anyone who likes a mystery series and it certainly doesn't dominate it in a bothersome way.

I wouldn't call this series fluff, but it's definitely a light read and that's exactly what I'm looking for when I delve into one. Despite that, it has substance. including interesting characters that grow with the continuation of the adventures--I am more likely to stick with a series if I can care about who show more is in it.

Ferris is a talented--and, I think, underrated--writer. While her books under this nom de plume and various others aren't profound works of art by any means, they are well-organized (I tremble to see what her outlines must look like while she's planning them out!), are engrossing and have excellent pace, are very satisfying, just plain fun, and, as I said earlier, are consistent, which I feel is the most important thing for an author undertaking a series of any kind. She is so good at efficiently describing scenes and characters with as few words as possible, while still painting a picture that is detailed and helps create the world.

Based on all this, for what I would expect from picking up a book like this, I give them all five stars. Plus, her texts are often full of delicious one-liners that just slay me:

"She had a decided southern accent, but there was a lot more steel than magnolia about her." - Crewel Yule

"His voice was slightly rough-edged, perfectly designed to tickle in private places. - Hanging By A Thread

"As with knitting, the repetition took only a fraction of her concentration and the rest of her mind began to stroll through the furniture of this murder case." - Cutwork show less

Crewel World (A Needlecraft Mystery, #1) by Monica Ferris

The story moves at a fast pace, with well developed characters and engaging dialog. An intersetsing plot set in the Midwest. A bit too much of crafting for my taste but I feel others may like it. Not bad for a cozy murser mystery.

Recently divorced, Betsy comes to the small town of Excelsior, Minnesota to stay with her sister, get back on her feet, and decide what she wants to do with her life. Unfortunately, her sister is murdered almost immediately, and Betsy is forced to take over her sister's small business, a shop selling knitting and embroidery supplies, the titular Crewel World. She's also drawn into the investigation of her sister's death as she doesn't feel like the local law enforcement agency is doing a very good job.
Betsy is assisted in the running of the store by Godwin, an effusive young man with quite a bit of expertise in this area, and in the investigation by the very midwestern Officer Jill.
This is the first in a series of mysteries featuring show more this character. I love the blending of knitting/embroidery with mysteries, and adore the setting of Excelsior, MN as I used to live nearby. I'm so pleased by the accuracy of this author when it concerns MN geography, as that's one of my biggest pet peeves when reading books (and watching shows/movies) set in places I'm geographically familiar with. I'm excited to read through all of these! show less

Mystery lite. Betsy Devonshire needs a new beginning for her life and visits her sister in Minnesota to think things over and decide on her best course of action. Her sister, who owns a needlework shop, is killed shortly after her arrival and Betsy takes on the dual task of finding the killer and keeping the shop going. A very light read but entertaining.