Sins and Needles

April 24, 2006
Betsy Devonshire, proprietor of a needlework shop and sometime sleuth, looks into the mysterious death of Edyth Hanraty, an eccentric, elderly multimillionaire in the engrossing 10th installment of Ferris's smalltown Minnesota needlecraft series (after 2005's Embroidered Truths
). Edyth's great niece, Jan, who stands to inherit a small fortune, comes under suspicion. Betsy is determined to clear Jan, who is one of her most loyal customers. Plenty of other suspects abound—Jan's own mother, Jan's resentful and immature uncle and Lucille Jones, a charming Texas gal who claims to be Jan's long-lost sister. The discovery of a decades-old embroidered map, possibly leading to buried treasure, adds to the intrigue. The brisk plot and well-developed characters make this complex novel one of the stronger entries in this cozy series.

This detective story is ideal for listeners interested in learning how to knit socks or value antiques. The setting is a town in Minnesota that boasts a knitting-shop owner who, reminiscent of Miss Marple, solves murders. The plot involves lost siblings, a possible buried treasure, a murdered elderly woman, and a believably insular community. Connie Crawford has mastered her Minnesota accent and does a great Texas drawl for the mysterious stranger who causes such a stir. The sheer numbers of townspeople make it difficult to create unique voices, but the listener can usually identify who's speaking. The novel moves slowly but surely to the mystery's solution. Patient listeners, especially those who might enter a shop called Crewel World, will enjoy this experience. D.L.G. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine