Reviews

Although I read the synopsis when choosing to read Crewel World, I didn't retain the information. So it was with some shock (view spoiler)[ when I learned that a character that I was getting to know and like was murdered. Surely the author meant the other sister! (hide spoiler)]

It is a CRIME to "waste" an artistically gifted crafter. Period!

The victim's character became even more endearing as the search was on for "who disliked her" enough to kill her. I did not however find myself very interested in the other players. Maybe in a first novel it is too soon to empathize. I'll bet the continuation of the series will develop them further.

I thought that the cause of the motive for murder was quite clever. (view spoiler)[ AND needle crafters totally understand the quest for the perfect color. (hide spoiler)]

An easy, entertaining read.

judyward's review against another edition

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2.0

Betsy moves to Excelsor, Minnesota to stay with her sister aftr her life implodes. Margot Berglund owns a needlework shop called Crewel World and she welcomes Betsy to both her home and to her business. Then Margot is found dead in her shop and Betsy works to keep the business open and to solve her sister's murder. That being said, the book is very predictable and I figured out the plot before the half way point. Very disappointing.

kellebelle21's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

0.75

I did not know for certain who was guilty until the character was trapped. I pondered all through the book. As a cross stitcher, I really enjoyed the crafting. The main character's growing confidence was inspiring.

dhilderbrand's review against another edition

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3.0

Fun book because of my love of needlepoint. I figured out the murder almost immediately and I am not usually good at that at all... not sure I would read more in the series

iffer's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars

In my opinion, this was a better-than-average knitting mystery! I like the main circle of characters, and there aren't too many annoying, chirping, gossipy women in the book that are too reminiscent of reality. The small town in which this cozy mystery takes place is appealing in a way similar to Stars Hollow in "Gilmore Girls" and Bluebell in "Hart of Dixie," except in Minnesota, which has the cold weather to justify all the knitting.

This book is has a lot of cross-stitch references, which I probably didn't "get," but it also has a decent amount of knitting allusions as well.

jenbsbooks's review against another edition

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3.0

Would this be considered a "cozy mystery"? That's not really my genre, but this was included in AudiblePlus and recommended, so I figured I'd give it a try. It didn't feel that "cozy" as the murder victim was actually a main/likeable character. So there was more of a sense of loss than with some murder mysteries.

I'm not sure what the timeline was supposed to be - contemporary, but written pre-2000. It felt dated with the "do you know how to use a computer" talk.

While I've done some cross-stitch, and a lot of sewing in previous years, knitting and embroidery were not things I got into. The hobby talk was interesting enough without being overbearing.

The sisters - Margo and Betsy ... Margo was much more likeable, Betsy was harder to connect to. I think this suffered from the usual "amazing how the average joe figures out the murder before the police do" ...

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