Threadbare by Monica Ferris (Needlecraft #15)

Threadbare by Monica Ferris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

 
Jacket Blurb:  When an elderly homeless woman is found dead on the shore of Lake Minnetonka, she's wearing something that holds the key to her identity but also opens up a mystery. Embroidered on her blouse is her will, in which she bequeaths everything she owns to her niece-Emily Hame, a member of the Monday Bunch at Betsy Devonshire's Crewel World needlework shop!

Emily's aunt turns out to be the second homeless woman to be found dead under mysterious circumstances. It's up to Betsy to discover the common thread between the deaths-and to determine if a murderer may strike again..

Another cozy mystery set in Excelsior, MN, on the shores of Lake Minnetonka.  Betsy Devonshire, proprietress of Crewel World needlepoint and yarn shop is pulled into the mystery of two homeless women who were found dead mere blocks apart.  Her sleuthing takes her to Minneapolis and, by train, to Fargo, where she unravels more than just an intent to murder.

These are - to me - mindless brain candy reads, where nothing more is expected of me than to enjoy the story.  Monica Ferris has been consistent in her writing I find her mysteries fairly solid and diverse. 
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I have two minor complaints - one is the rather slow character development.  Now with 15 plus books in the series, I would like to see a bit more of the main characters as people, rather than, "owner of a books store" or "former police officer" and their current state emotional state (tired, elated, exhausted, or more typically, crying).  We have been introduced to a beau of sorts, but the relationship is coming across as superficial and kinda tacked on in an unspoken promise that there "might be more".   Just write in the romance - let the reader feel what Betsy is experiencing!

I have voiced my other complaint before, and not just in this series - portraying the local police force as inept.  Now, I will give Ms Ferris credit, she at least stopped making our good Detective an utter ass and demonstrated more of a willingness to work with Betsy.  HUGE improvement right there, but I think there is still room for more of a positive give and take between the police and Betsy.

Overall, a decent weekend read, perfect for zoning out on the couch during a snowstorm, or taking on a trip. Easily picked up and put down.



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