Sunday, October 24, 2010

Book Review: Blackwork by Monica Ferris

✰✰✰ Amateur sleuth Betsy Devonshire returns for the 13th installment of the Needlecraft Mystery series, which is appropriately a Halloween tale. The town of Excelsior is making preparations for the Halloween parade when one of the town's more unsavory characters, Ryan McMurphy, ends up dead without a mark on his body. People immediately point to Leona Cunningham, owner of a microbrewery and a practicing Wiccan, as the murderer. When Leona steadfastly proclaims her innocence and asks Betsy for help, Betsy just has to get involved. The problem is that the victim wasn't exactly well liked. Betsy must carefully sift through the long list of suspects before solving the murder. The Bottom Line: Blackwork is a quick, easy, and fun weekend read. You can pick this one up and get right into it without having read the previous books. Ferris' portrayal of the gay character Godwin is a bit too cute and stereotyped; hopefully, this will change in the future. Nonetheless, Blackwork is an enjoyable read. This book is recommended for mystery buffs and crafters who enjoy reading cozies. Details: Blackwork by Monica Ferris. Published by Berkley Prime Crime in 2009. 256 p. ISBN: 978-0-425-22990-3

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