"terrific cozy"

In Excelsior, Minnesota, the elderly and wealthy Edyth Hanraty, was apparently recently murdered. Most locals, especially the police, assume the eccentric multimillionaire was killed for her money; thus suspicion points towards Edyth's great niece, Jan, who is expected to inherit much of her fortune.

Betsy Devonshire knows Jan, who frequents her store Crewel World, a needlework shop. The shopkeeper cannot believe that the kind and caring Jan would murder her relative to inherit early though she admits greed is a strong motive and Jan had the opportunities. Betsy, who enjoys solving a mystery as much as being proprietor of Crewel World, begins to investigate in an effort to prove Jan is innocent. She quickly finds a host of other family suspects with the motives of greed and envy. Betsy looks closer at Jan's mother, uncle and a newcomer from Texas claiming to be the prime suspect's long missing sibling.

This is a terrific entry in one the better cozies on the market today as the suspects are fully developed so that the audience struggles to decide who would commit murder. The story line is fast-paced with Betsy doing what she does best, solving a homicide. Fans will appreciate her efforts as she embroiders the case one stitch at a time.

Harriet Klausner

Reviewed by Harriet Klausner
Posted July 18, 2006

Summary

FREE KNITTING PATTERN INCLUDED!

When adoptee Lucille Jones comes to town researching her roots, Betsy notices that she bears a remarkable resemblance to local Jan Henderson. Betsy introduces the look-alikes, and they quickly hit it off. But then Jan's wealthy great-aunt is found dead in her bed, and Jan is the prime suspect. Lucille begs Betsy to help clear her new friend's name.

And while going through her aunt's effects, Jan finds an old embroidered pillow featuring a flag with 49 stars—an odd error for a woman so sharp at figures. Stranger still, the lining is stitched with a map of Lake Minnetonka. Betsy intends to follow the threads. Who knows—it could just possibly lead to buried treasure. Or, perhaps, to a secret that someone would kill to conceal.