Unraveled Sleeve (Needlecraft Mysteries, No. 4) [Paperback]

Monica Ferris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2001

Betsy Devonshire has been having some very vivid nightmares. And when she dreams of a murder before it happens, she really isn't going to get any rest until she untangles the crime.

Praise for the Needlecraft Mysteries:
Entertaining...Fans of Jessica Fletcher will devour this book. (Rendezvous)

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (July 10, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 042518045X
• ISBN-13: 978-0425180457
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #267,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Monica Ferris is the USA Today bestselling author of several mystery series under various pseudonyms.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A nifty mystery series....but don't start it with this one, August 29, 2001

By 

Corinne H. Smith (Athol, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Unraveled Sleeve (Needlecraft Mysteries, No. 4) (Paperback)

If Jessica Fletcher didn't get away from Cabot Cove every once in a while, there would be no residents left living in that small town on the coast of Maine. It's the same deal with Betsy Devonshire of Excelsior, Minnesota. After she inherits her sister's needlecraft store, Crewel World, she finds herself getting involved in the investigation of several local murders. And she ends up solving the mysteries. (see _Crewel World_, _Framed in Lace_, and _A Stitch in Time_) And even though Betsy is a newcomer to Excelsior, people are starting to turn to her in expectation of her quick work at locating criminals. The local police chief is still a bit leery of her ideas and techniques, but Betsy has conveniently befriended a female cop named Jill who can offer official help and insight. It works.
In this fourth episode, however, Betsy and Jill have ventured far afield to attend a Stitch-In in Naniboujou, Minnesota, along the Lake Superior shoreline. When the key speaker doesn't show up, both women become suspicious and start nosing around, and eventually they are the ones who find the body. Now, if you've read the other mysteries in this series, you shouldn't mind Betsy asking a lot of questions and following her conclusions. But if this is the first Monica Ferris book you pick up, I think Betsy might rub you the wrong way. You might think she's a butt-in-ski who has no business investigating a murder which shouldn't concern her. You might think it's pretentious of her to walk into an unfamiliar hotel and start asking questions. You might think it's a gutsy move to confront the victim's children and ex-husband with pointed accusations. And you'd be right, sort of. But read one of the other volumes first. You'll like Betsy a lot better, and you'll have more tolerance for her style.
I read all four of the Needlecraft Mysteries in one weekend and am ready for some more. Fans of this series would like Earlene Fowler's Benni Harper mysteries as well.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Needlework can be murder, May 14, 2002

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Unraveled Sleeve (Needlecraft Mysteries, No. 4) (Paperback)

Betsy Devonshire needs a break. Her business is busy and she has finally wound up the details of her sister's estate. She is three million dollars richer, and it seems that everyone in town has an idea of how she can spend it. Her shop assistant suggests that she take a quick vacation and her friend Jill finds a way for her to mix business and pleasure. She is going to a stitch in somewhere near the Canadian border and invites Betsy along.

On her first day, she meets a famous instructor, and later finds her dead. She leads the owners to the body only to find that it has disappeared. Betsy now has to find the body and the murderer if only to defend her own sanity.

This was a pretty good mystery. I know nothing about needlework, but the author makes it easy with very vivid descriptions of the different disciplines. This is a quick and entertaining read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great, March 7, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Unraveled Sleeve (Needlecraft Mysteries, No. 4) (Paperback)

I have enjoyed this series of books. I love needlework, reading, mysteries and being from ND, I have an appreciation for the Lutheran, Minnesotan, weather references! I have to admit this book didn't hook me as quickly and I think I missed the other characters from the store. I will give Monica Ferris high marks for her research into anaphylaxis and other topics. Maybe I just didn't care for the extras in this book. Don't get me wrong, if you liked the other books, you will like this one but is it missing some ingredient. I am looking forward to the next book!