Cutwork

I really enjoyed this one. Betsy gets involved when an artist is killed at a local art show she helped organize. When Betsy breaks a confidence, her friendship with police officer Jill Cross may be dead as well.

These are all nice little cozy mysteries, set in a small town in Minnesota. Betsy Devonshire inherited a needlecraft shop when her sister was murdered and she keeps getting pulled into mysteries
In this one, a vendor at the local art fair is murdered and a nearby troubled teen is blamed. His family asks Betsy to investigate and clear the boy's name. Lots of interesting information about art in this one, as well as the title needlework technique, Cutwork, which sounds pretty interesting, but also terrifying.

I think this is one of the better books in the series. I liked that we learned some new things about needlework. That is missing from some of the books. The mystery is interesting and takes place in the art world.

Throughout the book, the point of view shifted many times. Usually this would annoy me, but this time it was ok. I liked seeing what the other characters were thinking.

There are big personal developments for both Jill and Godwin, so that was fun to read about. Overall, this was a great book.

While Besty Devonshire, owner of needlecraft shop Crewel World and part-time amateur sleuth, is doing volunteer duty at Excelsior's annual Art by the Lake art fair, she learns that Robert McFey, one of the artists, has been murdered. It seems like an open and shut case; a local teenager, already known for minor drug and burglary offences, left finger prints and bloodied footprints at the scene and has been arrested for the crime. But his family, certain he is innocent of murder, ask Besty to investigate. After meeting Mickey, she decides it is possible he didn't do it after all.

Besty soon finds herself involved in the art world - and something out of her depth. All the same, she carries on as best she can, trying to understand all the show more people involved in the case - from deliquent Mickey to the wannabe goth daughter of the murdered man, from his best friend to his ex-business partner. As always, Besty comes through with the answer in the end, coming to understand not only who killed McFey, but how and why.

This is a quick, pleasant little read. It was a perfect choice after the hard work of Kushiel's Dart. I slipped easily back into Besty's world and enjoyed the visit. I guess this could be said to be a formulaic novel. Besty solves another murder in which someone has been wrong accused and there's lots of peripheral needlework activity. But Ferris has a light, pleasant touch that saves these books and makes each one a fun romp that fills up a few afternoons and leaves the reader with an enjoyable memory of a cozy experience. They are fun rather than challenging and we all need that sometimes.

There's also lots of development of all the familiar characters we've come to know so well. Jill makes a major change in her life, Godwin takes steps up the corporate ladder and Shelly gets a man. Their stories blend neatly into the narrative without taking anything away from the mystery and add depth to the book. Betsy generally solves her cases by understanding people, and Ferris gives us a lovely balance here of interesting new characters and further background and depth for our familiar friends.

This is a stand-alone story. You don't need to have read any of the other books in the series to read this one; but why deny yourself the fun? show less

I swear this series is like trying to eat 1 potato chip...

Almost decided not to finish. At the beginning, the characters seem incredibly stupid. They get better.

art bookbox; Cozy mystery set at the art fair in Minnesota. One of the artisans in murdered at the fair. The local police arrest a teen who's fingerprints are found on the empty cash box. But he protests that the man was already dead and local craft shop owner Betsy believes him. O lot of information about the shop, various types of embroidery (some that I'd like to try) and how craft shows/artisans work before the true killer is named.