Murder Most Crafty: 15 All-New Stories of Criminal Handiwork and the Art of Deduction

by Maggie Bruce

There's a pattern to these crimes...
Idle hands are the devil's workshop, which is why it's best to keep them busy with everything from knitting, candlemaking, and papermaking to wreathmaking, basketry, and gourd decorating. For some, skill, patience, and creative expression is also lent to darker pursuits--like murder. In this "witty, unique anthology," writers with a knack for crafting great mysteries turn their tale ts toward the most homicidal of handiworks...


stories included:
"The Collage to Kill For" by Susan Wittig Albert
"The Gourd, the Bad, and the Ugly" by Maggie Bruce
"Call It Macaroni" by Jan Burke
"No Good Deed" by Dorothy Cannell
"If You Meet the Buddha" by Susan Dunlap
"Strung Out" by Monica Ferris and Denise Williams
"Oh, What a Tangled Lanyard We Weave" by Parnell Hall
"How to Make a Killing Online" by Victoria Houston
"The M Word" by Judith Kelman
"Bewreathed" by Margaret Maron
"The Deepest Blue" by Sujata Massey
"Waxing Moon" by Tim Myers
"Light Her Way Home" by Sharan Newman
"Ellie's Chair" by Gillian Roberts
"Motherwit and Tea Cakes" by Paula L. Woods

Genres: Mystery, Fiction, Short Stories, Anthologies, Cozy Mystery, Cozy, Crafts

352 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Maggie Bruce, the creator of the Lili Marino series, is otherwise known as Marilyn Wallace, editor of the award- winning five-volume Sisters in Crime anthologies, co-editor of Deadly Allies, and the author of several mystery and suspense novels.

Reviews

[Lbaker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Collage to Kill for by Susan Wittig Albert - A China Bayles story, quite tight and well written. Only question I have is if someone is afraid for their life would they make an obscure clue - or just tell someone? 3/5 stars

The Gourd, The Bad and The Ugly by Maggie Bruce - I love irony and really liked this story. 4/5 stars

Call it Macaroni by Jan Burke - A little irony, a little of a cut at "perfect" crafts, a little bitchy - a very good story. 4/5 stars

No Good Deed by Dorothy Cannell - It made me smile, I liked it a lot - and don't forget that you should always worry about getting what you ask for. 5/5 stars

If You Meet The Budda by Susan Dunlop - It made me a little uncomfortable being in the protagonists head - it made me realize that we are all different in our responses, beliefs, presumptions. 4/5 stars

Strung Out by Monica Ferris and Denise Williams - Teens - parents - when to believe each other, when not to.
4/5 stars

Oh What a Tangled Lanyard We Weave by Parnell Hall - A little smug and not something I would read if expanded. 3/5 stars

How To Make a Killing OnLine by Victoria Houston - I think I've read a novel length version of this story, it worked but the ending just dangled. 4/5 stars

The M Word by Judith Kelman - Mental illness is always hard to read, people who's head I don't want in. 3/5 stars

Bewreathed by Margaret Maron - I adore the Deborah Knott series and this story is a good one. 5/5 stars

The Deepest Blue by Sujata Massey - Interesting, foreign, different, likable. 4/5 stars

Waxing Moon by Tim Myers - A little smug - but in a charming way, interesting. 4/5 stars

Light Her Way Home by Sharan Newman - Historical, a little confusing - the solution did not answer all of my questions. 2/5 stars

Ellie's Chair by Gillian Robers - A little too coincidental and a little convoluted, but enjoyable and different. 4/5 stars

Motherwit and Tea Cakes by Paula L. Woods - Enjoyed the characters, everyone isn't young and goodlooking, liked it - would rather have a recipe than the instructions to make a memory collage. 5/5 stars

53/75 = 3 1/2 stars

[Sarah Hearn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would like to have given this book a higher rating but there were too many of the short stories that had no substance to them, and some were downright confusing. In my opinion, it would have been a better choice to have limited the number of contributing authors and allowed each to write a slightly longer story, which would have allowed for more depth. For example, the story by Monica Ferris, an author I really like, was a bit of fluffy nothing whereas her books have good mysteries and interesting characters. In the final story, the plot went from the main character making an appointment with a doctor to the whole “mystery” being wrapped up with nothing in between so we are left wondering what the heck just happened there. If the author was allowed more words, perhaps this need not have happened. I recognize that writing a plot-filled short story can be much more difficult that writing a full-length novel but these stories were, for the most part, bit of not much.

[Teri-K · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the nice things about a mystery anthology with an unusual focus is that it tends to give you stories that are a bit unusual, too. While the first few stories in this book were predictable and much the same they soon branched out, and it ended up having something for just about everyone. Out of 15 stories there was only one that I didn't like at all.

The settings of these stories are sometimes quite creative. We have murder among a suburban crafting group, at a soccer game, a basket weaving competition and a Japanese indigo farm, among others. There are some unusual protagonists, too, like the teenage boy who knits, the office worker studying Buddhism to help focus, a woman who ties flies for a living, and a medieval Parisian candle maker. ALl in all it's a satisfying collection.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Murder Most Crafty," edited by Maggie Bruce, was a nice diversion from my reading lists. The 15 short stories in this collection of "criminal handiwork and the Art of Deduction" (quote from the bottom of the book cover) introduced me to a couple of other writers I'll pursue (having kept up with Susan Wittig Albert's and Margaret Maron's books over the years). Overall these stories provided entertainment and made me think of the "who-dun-its" in each story!

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this book from the library to read Margaret Marin’s Judge Deborah Knott story, then decided to read the other stories, because crafting was supposed to be the theme. After I read a few, I noticed that the stories were subtly twisted, and mostly had little to do with crafting. This is one strange anthology.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with most short stories, some were great, some were OK. In this group were quite a few old friends, but I still got to add some names to my reading list. I had read at least one of the stories in another collection, but it's still a good tale.

[Susie · Rating 4 out of 5]

great selection of short mysteries.

[Tia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly DNF. Not because they weren’t good. I just don’t like these types of stories I guess.. heh

[Trina R · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Some stories terrific, others not

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collection of short stories was published in 2005. Not done yet.

The Collage to Kill For by Susan Wittig Albert -- OK, murder and blackmail
The Gourd, the Bad, and the Ugly by Maggie Bruce -- Good, a fortune
Call it Macaroni by Jean Burke -- Sisters, macaroni, and divorce
No Good Deed by Dorothy Cannell -- Funny, but disturbing -- man a big bore
If You Meet the Buddha by Susan Dunlap -- Not my style, messed up criminal records
Strung Out by Monica Ferris and Denise Williams -- very good, boys, knitting, and cannabis
Oh, What a Tangled Lanyard We Weave by Parnell Hall -- really liked it, soccer, dead coach, and a gifted special needs child
How to Make a Killing Online by Victoria Houston -- OK, but I didn't like the direction it took. Fly-fishing lures
The M Word by Judith Kelman -- No, disturbing more than funny
Bewreathed by Margaret Maron -- Very good. Borrowed book for this short story. No deaths, but a mystery about robberies
The Deepest Blue by Sujata Massey -- disturbing, gross
Waxing Moon by Tim Myers --not done yet NDY
Light Her Way Home by Sharan Newman -- NDY
Ellie's Chair by Gillian Roberts -- NDY
Motherwit and Tea Cakes by Paula L. Woods -- NDY

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I came across this while searching for Monica Ferris books. This is a compilation of mystery short stories. Some of them are better than others, as you would expect. I meant to write down a couple of the authors that I particularly enjoyed, to investigate more of their books, but alas, I had to return it (interlibrary loan) before I got around to that step. The premise of the compilation is that each one is connected to a craft somehow (e.g. the protagonist in Monica Ferris’s books owns a needle work store). However, it is rare for knowledge of the craft to be central to solving the mystery, which was kind of disappointing.

[Grey853 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy a good cozy mystery, but sometimes I don't have time to read a whole book, so a short story collection seems just the right thing.

Most of the stories are a bit too predictable, but overall, they aren't bad. By far the best one in the book for me is by Victoria Houston called "How to Make a Killing Online". It gave me chills and gave me one of those OMG moments that are rare for a short story format. While it's darker than most of the tales, it's very effectively written.

Another good story is by Margaret Maron's "Bewreathed", which had a holiday setting.

It isn't a bad collection for someone who likes a themed anthology.

[Book Beforebed_ · Rating 3 out of 5]

รวมเรื่องฆาตกรรมทั้งหมด 15 คดี แบ่งเป็นตอนสั้น ๆ ที่ล้วนแต่มีความเกี่ยวข้องกับงานศิลป์ในรูปแบบต่าง ๆ โดยในแต่ละตอนก็จะแอบสอดแทรกเกร็ดความรู้เกี่ยวกับศิลปะในตอนนั้นไว้ด้วย แต่ละคดีจะไม่ซับซ้อนมาก บางตอนก็รู้สึกธรรมดา ไม่มีจุดพีค ส่วนบางตอนมีหักมุมเล็กน้อยในตอนจบ แต่เราคิดว่าการดำเนินเรื่องยังไม่กระชับ

ผู้เขียนให้ความสำคัญกับการเล่าเรื่องชีวิตของตัวละครกับงานศิลปะ พอ ๆ กับคดีที่เกิดขึ้น อาจจะเป็นเพราะเราเองคาดหวังและสนใจกับตัวคดีมากกว่า ยิ่งบางตอนคดีก็ไม่มีอะไรเลย ก็เลยรู้สึกว่ามันน่าเบื่อเกินไป แต่ตอนที่สนุกก็ถือว่าโอเคเลยค่ะ เพียงแค่ตอนที่ไม่สนุกมันมีเยอะกว่า 5555

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not big on short mystery stories, mainly because the plot seems to be either way too thin to offer much intrigue, or way too complicated to be packed into a few thousand words. I was pleasantly surprised with Murder Most Crafty. Most of the stories were meaty enough to offer some level of speculation regarding "whodunit," while not too complicated to follow. I found some old favorites, as well as some new authors to check out - and the craft projects were an added plus.

['jean · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hoped I would find some new authors I would like. I didn't get a good enough sense from the short stories, and no story was so amazing that I feel I need to write down that author. I thought some of the stories were just dark, which is not why I read mysteries. I do like that there are instructions for various craft projects.

[Mysteryfan · Rating 2 out of 5]

There's a whole subgenre of domestic mysteries out there where the protagonists are involved in crafts. This book collected short stories by some well-known writers. Each featured a short description of a craft project at the end. Some were complicated, a few were doable at my level. The stories were pretty good. I think the shorter format meant that there was less crafty filler.

[Ruth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Most of the stories were mediocre, but not as suspenseful as a full-fledged murder mystery of Agatha Christie's caliber. The craft instructions leave much to be desired. I could find more craft information on the internet than what was described in this book. There were a few stories that peaked my interest, but most were not to my liking anyway.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not blown away by this book, but it's a unique enough concept: combing craft & mystery. I've been introduced to one new (to me) textile art or craft that I spent some time researching actually. I know there's more to come.

[Libbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

An assortment of mystery stories, some very loosely based around a craft but no less enjoyable for that. I particularly enjoyed the story by Sharon Newman which was set in Paris a few hundred years ago. Authors included Dorothy Cannell, Monica Ferris, Denise Williams and Gillian Roberts.

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not a lover of short stories and picked this up in error but I must say it wasn't bad. Not only were you getting a murder story based around a different craft but you also have the instructions for making the items mentioned in the story. A good book for the beach.

[A]

didn't like any of the stories.

[Kellie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blah! This collection of short stories is probably fun for mystery lovers but confirmed for me that Mystery is something I should just stay away from.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very nicely paced. Some are bittersweet, all easy to read and enjoy. Craft projects are included....

[Bettie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gift from Libbeth - Thank you!

This looks more like good pillow fodder. As with all themed anthologies, there are the good, bad and just plain UGLEH! haha

2.5*

[Deb Sharp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a FuN book to read, I loved all the different stories in it:)

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little stories.

[Kim Veach · Rating 3 out of 5]

A collection of short mystery stories. Very cute. Found some new authors to check out.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

I felt so meh about this collection of short stories that I'm not going to write much of a review. I'd hoped to enjoy it more.

[Shawna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this anthology. It introduced me to some great mystery authors!