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A Needlecraft Mystery #12
Thai Die
The USA Today bestselling Needlecraft mystery series returns to pick up another deadly stitch�includes a free needlepoint pattern! As full-time owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth, Betsy Devonshire has become skilled at weaving suspicious threads. But when one of her regulars unwittingly becomes involved in a deadly delivery of exotic antiquities, Betsy fears something is seriously warped.
Audible Audio
First published December 1, 2008
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About the author
Monica Ferris
27 books491 followersHas published as
Mary Monica Pulver (real name)
Mary Kuhfeld
Margaret Frazer (with Gail Frazer)
[from the author's own website)
Mary Monica Pulver (her maiden name) is an incidental Hoosier — Terre Haute, Indiana, had the hospital closest to her parents’ home in Marshall, Illinois. She spent the later part of her childhood and early adult life in Wisconsin, graduating from high school in Milwaukee.
She was a journalist in the U.S. Navy for six and a half years (two in London), and later attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is married to a museum curator.
Mary Monica sold her first short story, “Pass the Word,” to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, in 1983, and has since sold more than two dozen short stories to anthologies and magazines, including some in Germany, England, Italy and France.
She has appeared in such anthologies as The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives, The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits, Shakespearean Mysteries, Royal Whodunnits, Unholy Orders, Murder Most Crafty, and Silence of the Loons. Her first mystery novel, Murder at the War, appeared from St. Martin’s Press in 1987 and was nominated for an Anthony as Best First Novel. The Unforgiving Minutes and Ashes to Ashes followed in 1988; but Original Sin was sold to Walker, who also presented the fifth book, Show Stopper, in May of 1992. Berkley Diamond brought these mysteries out in paperback. They feature detective Peter Brichter – a cop one reviewer said was “a hardboiled sleuth who’s somehow landed in a cozy mystery”.
Berkley published six medieval mysteries Mary Monica wrote in collaboration with Gail Frazer under the pseudonym Margaret Frazer: The Novice’s Tale, The Servant’s Tale (nominated for an Edgar as Best Original Paperback of 1993), The Outlaw’s Tale, The Bishop’s Tale, The Boy’s Tale, and The Murderer’s Tale. The detective in the mysteries is a nun, Dame Frevisse, a niece by marriage of Thomas Chaucer, the legendary Geoffrey’s son. The stories take place in England in the 1430s. Gail presently continues the series alone.
In 1998 Mary Monica began writing a new series for Berkley featuring amateur needleworking sleuth Betsy Devonshire. Set in Excelsior, Minnesota, Crewel World came out in March and was followed by Framed in Lace, A Stitch in Time, Unraveled Sleeve, A Murderous Yarn, Hanging by A Thread, Cutwork, Crewel Yule, Embroidered Truths, Sins and Needles, Knitting Bones, Thai Die, Blackwork, and Buttons and Bones. Threadbare will appear in December of 2011, and she is at work on And Then You Dye. The first six were paperback originals. Subsequent books were hardcovers followed by paperback editions. These light and traditional novels are written under the pseudonym Monica Ferris, and all have gone to multiple printings – the first one is in its eighteenth printing!
Mary Monica has taught courses on mystery writing to children at North Hennepin Community College, gifted children in District #287, and adults at one-evening seminars at Hennepin and Ramsey County libraries. She does lectures and signings, and has appeared on panels at mystery and science fiction conventions, including Bouchercon, Minicon, Diversicon, Magna Cum Murder, and Malice Domestic.
She has spoken to stitchery guilds on local, state, and national levels. She has won a place on national and local best-seller lists, including USA Today and the independent mystery bookstore compilation. She is a member of Sisters in Crime (a national organization that promotes women who write mystery fiction), remains a paid speaker on the life of a mystery author, and is a volunteer for Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, and in
Mary Monica Pulver (real name)
Mary Kuhfeld
Margaret Frazer (with Gail Frazer)
[from the author's own website)
Mary Monica Pulver (her maiden name) is an incidental Hoosier — Terre Haute, Indiana, had the hospital closest to her parents’ home in Marshall, Illinois. She spent the later part of her childhood and early adult life in Wisconsin, graduating from high school in Milwaukee.
She was a journalist in the U.S. Navy for six and a half years (two in London), and later attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She is married to a museum curator.
Mary Monica sold her first short story, “Pass the Word,” to Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, in 1983, and has since sold more than two dozen short stories to anthologies and magazines, including some in Germany, England, Italy and France.
She has appeared in such anthologies as The Mammoth Book of Historical Detectives, The Mammoth Book of Historical Whodunnits, Shakespearean Mysteries, Royal Whodunnits, Unholy Orders, Murder Most Crafty, and Silence of the Loons. Her first mystery novel, Murder at the War, appeared from St. Martin’s Press in 1987 and was nominated for an Anthony as Best First Novel. The Unforgiving Minutes and Ashes to Ashes followed in 1988; but Original Sin was sold to Walker, who also presented the fifth book, Show Stopper, in May of 1992. Berkley Diamond brought these mysteries out in paperback. They feature detective Peter Brichter – a cop one reviewer said was “a hardboiled sleuth who’s somehow landed in a cozy mystery”.
Berkley published six medieval mysteries Mary Monica wrote in collaboration with Gail Frazer under the pseudonym Margaret Frazer: The Novice’s Tale, The Servant’s Tale (nominated for an Edgar as Best Original Paperback of 1993), The Outlaw’s Tale, The Bishop’s Tale, The Boy’s Tale, and The Murderer’s Tale. The detective in the mysteries is a nun, Dame Frevisse, a niece by marriage of Thomas Chaucer, the legendary Geoffrey’s son. The stories take place in England in the 1430s. Gail presently continues the series alone.
In 1998 Mary Monica began writing a new series for Berkley featuring amateur needleworking sleuth Betsy Devonshire. Set in Excelsior, Minnesota, Crewel World came out in March and was followed by Framed in Lace, A Stitch in Time, Unraveled Sleeve, A Murderous Yarn, Hanging by A Thread, Cutwork, Crewel Yule, Embroidered Truths, Sins and Needles, Knitting Bones, Thai Die, Blackwork, and Buttons and Bones. Threadbare will appear in December of 2011, and she is at work on And Then You Dye. The first six were paperback originals. Subsequent books were hardcovers followed by paperback editions. These light and traditional novels are written under the pseudonym Monica Ferris, and all have gone to multiple printings – the first one is in its eighteenth printing!
Mary Monica has taught courses on mystery writing to children at North Hennepin Community College, gifted children in District #287, and adults at one-evening seminars at Hennepin and Ramsey County libraries. She does lectures and signings, and has appeared on panels at mystery and science fiction conventions, including Bouchercon, Minicon, Diversicon, Magna Cum Murder, and Malice Domestic.
She has spoken to stitchery guilds on local, state, and national levels. She has won a place on national and local best-seller lists, including USA Today and the independent mystery bookstore compilation. She is a member of Sisters in Crime (a national organization that promotes women who write mystery fiction), remains a paid speaker on the life of a mystery author, and is a volunteer for Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation, and in
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
August 28, 2019
This series can be very hit or miss for me. This one was a little in the middle and had it's ups and downs. I enjoyed the premise of Doris bringing back a statue for someone and possibly being caught up in an artifact smuggling rings. I enjoyed learning more about her (though her reasons for going to Thailand did make me a little sad). Betsy did a great job putting together very disjointed and confusing pieces. However, I personally felt like there were too many people and subsequently too many deaths involved. It was hard at one point to keep all the different people straight, which made it hard to really understand the whole picture. I also really miss Jill and wish she was in this novel more (she and Goddy are my favorites). I will say, I was very surprised by the ending and the identity of the culprit. Very smart of Betsy to figure that out again with very little to go on and lots of international danger.
September 15, 2012
The blurb on the book actually spoilt the plot on this one, but it's not as if anyone who is familiar with the series - or with reading cozies - isn't going to figure it out right off the bat. This one was a bit more convoluted, with people running helter and skelter like a pod of skitterish red herrings that they were.
What I liked in this episode (following right on the heels of reading #11) was the author removed Godwin (aka "Goddy) completely from the plot by sending him off to Florida creating a nice mix-up of different characters. And, another kudos to the author for not portraying the police to be inept.
I recommended this series if you like cross stitch, knitting or similar needlecrafts.
What I liked in this episode (following right on the heels of reading #11) was the author removed Godwin (aka "Goddy) completely from the plot by sending him off to Florida creating a nice mix-up of different characters. And, another kudos to the author for not portraying the police to be inept.
I recommended this series if you like cross stitch, knitting or similar needlecrafts.
December 4, 2022
Very good mystery and interesting subject matter.
August 10, 2010
Another fun mystery.
When one of the Monday Brunch (Doris Valentine) comes back from a month in Thailand, everyone can't wait to see what she brought back. At the very bottom of her suitcase is a box containing a small Buddha statue that she brought back to America for someone she met in Thailand. She has to bring to an Antique Dealer in St. Paul - but is convinced to show it to everyone at the Needlework show before she delivers it.
The next day she delivers the Buddha statue - and then the weird things start to happen. Her apartment is broken into and trashed. The police seem very interested in her activities in Thailand and wonder what she did over there. When the Antique Dealer she delivered the statue to turns up dead - Doris can't help wonder if she will be next.
I really enjoy these mysteries. They are so clean they squeek - I don't think there is a single cuss word in them. The value's are very small town MN. Maybe they hit my nostalgia button. I don't know. But there is some chemistry here that really pleases me.
When one of the Monday Brunch (Doris Valentine) comes back from a month in Thailand, everyone can't wait to see what she brought back. At the very bottom of her suitcase is a box containing a small Buddha statue that she brought back to America for someone she met in Thailand. She has to bring to an Antique Dealer in St. Paul - but is convinced to show it to everyone at the Needlework show before she delivers it.
The next day she delivers the Buddha statue - and then the weird things start to happen. Her apartment is broken into and trashed. The police seem very interested in her activities in Thailand and wonder what she did over there. When the Antique Dealer she delivered the statue to turns up dead - Doris can't help wonder if she will be next.
I really enjoy these mysteries. They are so clean they squeek - I don't think there is a single cuss word in them. The value's are very small town MN. Maybe they hit my nostalgia button. I don't know. But there is some chemistry here that really pleases me.
January 16, 2012
It was enjoyable though not riveting. Sometimes I want that--not to be anxious or on the edge. There is a little bit about Thailand and I always love the mental pictures and good feelings induced by such words as silk, yarn, needlework, fabric, thread and deep, vibrant colors. When not into a "deep" book, it's nice to hear or read a light mystery with nice people. And aren't needle crafters nice people!
October 29, 2015
Usually, I am right along with Betsy in solving the case she’s working on. In many ways, that was the case here as well. However… I had figured out almost immediately what the thief was after – and not because the blurb on the back has a huge spoiler. When the identity of the killer was revealed… I figured it out with Betsy. When she saw the clue that led to his identity, I knew who it was as well.
It was nice to see Jill in the story again. I just wish we’d see her more often. I realize that she has a small child and is pregnant at the time of the story, but… she and Betsy were close friends earlier in the series. You don’t stop being someone’s friend or seeing them – especially in a town as small as Excelsior – just because they get married and have children.
Overall, I enjoyed the book… maybe not as much as I have others in the series, but it was a fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.
It was nice to see Jill in the story again. I just wish we’d see her more often. I realize that she has a small child and is pregnant at the time of the story, but… she and Betsy were close friends earlier in the series. You don’t stop being someone’s friend or seeing them – especially in a town as small as Excelsior – just because they get married and have children.
Overall, I enjoyed the book… maybe not as much as I have others in the series, but it was a fun read and I’m looking forward to reading more in the series.
August 28, 2020
The characters were offensively stupid and beyond naive. who the hell thinks its cool to just bring stuff back from a foreign country for a stranger because well, he's american so must be a good guy, nobody has ever done osmething illegal in Thailand? and believing, oh well if I DID smuggle an artifact, it'll be okay because i was duped. No you go to JAIL
December 10, 2013
A quick read. Interesting storyline. Smuggling of ancient artifacts. It seemed like Betsy wasn't in this enough. Don't know why, because she was in the story. Not much information about needlework in this one.
December 16, 2022
I normally really enjoy this series, but this book for some reason has the characters being totally one dimensional and somewhat hateful. Each is showing themselves at their worst and somewhat bigoted. Looking forward to the next and hoping it is back to being cozy.
October 24, 2011
Very enjoyable series! One of the best yet.
July 29, 2022
There's a reason we're told not to deliver things for strangers when traveling home from another country...
November 20, 2024
The use of the word "hinky" and attributing it to law enforcement made me smile.
Borrowed on Hoopla through JCPL.
Listening length seven hr 35 min
Borrowed on Hoopla through JCPL.
Listening length seven hr 35 min
January 4, 2025
When I was a kid, and when the neighbors would go on vacation, they insisted on showing my parents their 35-mm slides when they got back. With no audio description that mattered much, I was immediately bored nearly comatose. Fortunately for the needlecrafters who meet regularly at Betsy Devonshire’s Minnesota needlecraft store, Doris Valentine didn’t bring home 35-millimeter slides of her trip to Thailand. Instead, she brought back needlecraft-related souvenirs—exotic silks and a plethora of Asiatic tchotchke. She made the acquaintance of an American importer of Asian art objects while there, and he asked her to bring back a Buddha statue to an American antiques dealer in the twin cities. She agreed. When her nosy associates at the store begged her to open the mysterious box that contained the statue, she refused at first but later agreed. The Buddha wasn’t the usual potbellied sculpture most people think of. This one was in a standing position, and he was slim. He was also heavy. Doris was terrified one of the women would inadvertently drop and break it. Someone had wrapped it in a dirty rag as part of the packing to get it into the United States. Doris flung the dirty rag into the garbage after the group decided they’d never seen embroidery like that on the rag and that it probably had little or no value.
After showing the statue to her friends, Doris delivered it to the antique dealer. He was angry that she had allowed others to handle it, and he wasn’t thrilled that a newspaper reporter had snapped pictures of it.
Betsy, thinking she’d like a closer look at the rag that once protected the statue, rescues it from the trash. She researches ways she could clean and restore it. That’s when she begins to wonder whether the rag has more value than she thinks.
Days later, things heat up when someone murders the antiques shop owner. Not long after that, a crazed woman holds a gun to Doris Valentine’s head demanding to know where the silk was that protected the statue.
The bodies pile up, and Betsy must figure out why the silk matters and who it is who will stop at nothing to get it.
I don’t much like the narrator, and I’m relieved that someone else takes up that task in future installments of the series.
After showing the statue to her friends, Doris delivered it to the antique dealer. He was angry that she had allowed others to handle it, and he wasn’t thrilled that a newspaper reporter had snapped pictures of it.
Betsy, thinking she’d like a closer look at the rag that once protected the statue, rescues it from the trash. She researches ways she could clean and restore it. That’s when she begins to wonder whether the rag has more value than she thinks.
Days later, things heat up when someone murders the antiques shop owner. Not long after that, a crazed woman holds a gun to Doris Valentine’s head demanding to know where the silk was that protected the statue.
The bodies pile up, and Betsy must figure out why the silk matters and who it is who will stop at nothing to get it.
I don’t much like the narrator, and I’m relieved that someone else takes up that task in future installments of the series.
July 12, 2020
Thai Die by Monica Ferris is the 12th book of the Needlecraft mystery series, set in contemporary Minnesota. Betsy Devonshire inherited needlework shop Crewel World in Excelsior from her sister. The Monday Bunch gather at the shop to welcome fellow stitcher Doris home from her vacation in Thailand. Doris has a suitcase full of souvenirs to show-and-tell, most notably beautiful Thai silk fabric. Doris also has a box containing a statue she was asked to hand-carry to an antiques dealer in St. Paul, by an expatriate American antiques dealer Doris befriended in Thailand. Her friends persuade her to take the statue out of its box and show it around. It's wrapped in a dirty frayed silk rag that Doris tosses in the trash. Betsy notices hand embroidery on the rag, and retrieves it, wondering if it can be cleaned without destroying the silk.
Doris delivers the statue, noticing a customer waiting across from the shop in a Hummer. Doris and her pals at Crewel World are dismayed to read of the antique dealer's murder, and wonder if the statue was contraband. Doris's apartment is ransacked, first of a series of scary incidents all related to her trip to Thailand. Each time a death seems to end the violence, it continues. Finally Doris's boyfriend takes her away to hide in a safe place, not telling their friends. Jill the former policewoman makes a brief but key cameo appearance, alerting Betsy to Doris's whereabouts just in time.
The Monday Bunch take a long drive through the Minnesota countryside to visit a woman who spins silk. Their trip is described in lavish detail, bound to trigger memories in a reader familiar with Minnesota. At Crewel World, Betsy describes several advanced needlework designs and patterns, likely to intrigue a cross-stitcher, needlepointer or knitter. The plot is satisfyingly complex, with convincing red herrings, and clues fairly presented. Betsy finally fits all the clues together, but spunky Doris saves the day!
Doris delivers the statue, noticing a customer waiting across from the shop in a Hummer. Doris and her pals at Crewel World are dismayed to read of the antique dealer's murder, and wonder if the statue was contraband. Doris's apartment is ransacked, first of a series of scary incidents all related to her trip to Thailand. Each time a death seems to end the violence, it continues. Finally Doris's boyfriend takes her away to hide in a safe place, not telling their friends. Jill the former policewoman makes a brief but key cameo appearance, alerting Betsy to Doris's whereabouts just in time.
The Monday Bunch take a long drive through the Minnesota countryside to visit a woman who spins silk. Their trip is described in lavish detail, bound to trigger memories in a reader familiar with Minnesota. At Crewel World, Betsy describes several advanced needlework designs and patterns, likely to intrigue a cross-stitcher, needlepointer or knitter. The plot is satisfyingly complex, with convincing red herrings, and clues fairly presented. Betsy finally fits all the clues together, but spunky Doris saves the day!
February 8, 2022
A good mystery and you don’t have to know anything about needlecraft to follow the story. Betsy owns a needlecaft shop and has a group of friends that meet as the “Monday Bunch” who meet, talk and work on projects. One of their members Doris, has just returned from a trip to Thailand and was showing them her souvenirs. One of th ladies spied a box in Doris’s suitcase and asked what was in it. Doris said she was delivering it for a friend, but opened it and showed them a wonderful little statue of a Buddha. This Buddha wa not sitting as most Buddhad are, but was standing with his arms outstretched. The statue was wrapped in a piece of torn, dirty silk. Doris tossed the silk in the trash and wrapped the statue in better cloth. ---- But it was that torn, dirty cloth that was the real item of value, Luckily (or unluckily as the case may be) Betsy was intrigued by the embroidery on the silk and took it from the wastebasket to see if could clean and mend the silk. --- What followed was several murders, robberies, and mayhem. Was there an international cartel at work or a group of amatures? Where was the statue and why was the woman who was killed looking for Thai silk?
May 25, 2023
3.75 Stars
No romance
LGBTQ character
Cozy Mystery/Thriller
I am happy to say that I read most of this series when the books were first published. It is a great pleasure to note that my re-read has been even better than the first read-through.
Be prepared, not every character survives this story! This is not a spoiler…just a warning.
Doris, a customer of Crewel World, returns from an island vacation with lots of lovely silk fabrics and floss. We get to see her perform a show and tell with all her drooling needlework friends enjoying the presentation. A day or two later Doris’ apartment is burgled. Her island treasures, and some personal jewelry has been stolen. The rest of the belongings were damaged and/or destroyed.
That is all I’m going to say. The action starts the very next day and weaves its way through the rest of the story. Recommend.
No romance
LGBTQ character
Cozy Mystery/Thriller
I am happy to say that I read most of this series when the books were first published. It is a great pleasure to note that my re-read has been even better than the first read-through.
Be prepared, not every character survives this story! This is not a spoiler…just a warning.
Doris, a customer of Crewel World, returns from an island vacation with lots of lovely silk fabrics and floss. We get to see her perform a show and tell with all her drooling needlework friends enjoying the presentation. A day or two later Doris’ apartment is burgled. Her island treasures, and some personal jewelry has been stolen. The rest of the belongings were damaged and/or destroyed.
That is all I’m going to say. The action starts the very next day and weaves its way through the rest of the story. Recommend.
January 15, 2025
This is book twelve as I've just found out, and it's the first one I've read in this series. I don't think its necessary to have read previous ones to be able to follow this one. There are some references to the past but few, mainly associated with the characters.
The protagonist, Betsy Devonshire has a needlework shop called Crewel World and becomes involved in a mystery surrounding a piece of embroidered silk. There's a cross stitch pattern at the end if you might have any interest in that. Betsy's customer and tenant Doris brings home souvenirs from Thailand and that is the catalyst for the start of the mystery. I thought the mystery was ok and the reveal was kept until the end which was good.
This was a fun, easy read with a likeable protagonist.
The protagonist, Betsy Devonshire has a needlework shop called Crewel World and becomes involved in a mystery surrounding a piece of embroidered silk. There's a cross stitch pattern at the end if you might have any interest in that. Betsy's customer and tenant Doris brings home souvenirs from Thailand and that is the catalyst for the start of the mystery. I thought the mystery was ok and the reveal was kept until the end which was good.
This was a fun, easy read with a likeable protagonist.
November 4, 2019
When Betsy's friend Doris arrives back from a trip to Thailand, no one would expect the horrible things to come. Doris' apartment is trashed, the antique storeowner is murdered and all because Doris brought back some budda statue? No, there's more to the story. As Betsy digs deeper into the story, the dirty rag that covered the budda statue becomes more and more popular until Betsy discovers that the dirty rag is actually an important silk artifact from the Han Dynasty and worth a lot of money. Again, with this author! I didn't figure out who did it until she exposed the murderer in the story. This lady sure knows how to write a good mystery!
June 15, 2022
The Monday Bunch at Crewel World gathered on a Wednesday to welcome member Doris Valentine back from her trip to Bangkok. Doris brought a suitcase full of souvenirs and gifts. She also brought a statue she’d been asked to deliver to an antique shop. The statue had been wrapped in a cloth that looked so worn and dirty that Doris assumed it was a rag, and threw it away. But after delivering the statue, mysterious and frightening events have Doris and the rest of the Monday Bunch worried. Doris’ apartment is ransacked, the statue is stolen, and the shop owner is killed. Is the killer after the statue? Or is it something else? I felt this was one of the better mysteries in the series.
September 14, 2023
Betsy Devonshire and the Monday bunch were crowded around the table in the shop waiting for Doris to share her finds while traveling in Thailand. The last item she show was a Buddha statue for someone else. She thought the dirty cloth that had been wrapped around the statue seemed disrespectful so she tossed in the trash can. After everyone left Betsy pulled the rag out and noticed it has been embroidered and it was silk. She wondered if she could clean it up. Doris delivered the statue to an antique dealer 30 minutes away. And this is when things got interesting.
Time for Betsy to put on her sleuth hat. Fun listen
Time for Betsy to put on her sleuth hat. Fun listen
February 20, 2020
I enjoyed this particular story in the series for several reasons--it brought out the archivist in me as this story referenced an artifact, Godwin wasn't ever present so we read about new characters and different, recurring minor characters were more involved, including Lars, an avid needlepointer, I liked the needlepoint aspect and discussions of threads with which I actually stitch, and the Epilogue. When I can't find an audiobook, this series is one I frequently visit, as much for the stitching as the mystery.
May 6, 2018
I always enjoy the Crewel World stories, being a stitcher myself. This one had an interesting premise (although I figured it out immediately) about the theft and resale of art works. It was, of necessity, a bit simplistic, i.e., really not enough detail about the theft and the massive market for looted items that exists, and a few loose ends that needed tying up, but on the whole, it was a pleasant and easy read.
August 11, 2019
I enjoy Monica Ferris' needlecraft mysteries, but I found this one a bit of an outlier. Her usual plot involves middle-American crimes and low-key sleuthing. Here, there was a constant stream of murders, assaults, international intrigue, dramatic suspense, and violence. There was almost no mention of the usual characters that populate Betsy's world. Although it was set partly in Excelsior, it seemed as if Betsy had been dropped into a John D. Macdonald mystery.
June 20, 2020
I am probably an easy reviewer and I admit that. I like warm fuzzy stories. This book had more intrigue like the previous one. Monica Ferris has made her books more interesting and they have much more substance as they go on.
This one mentions the illegal buy and sell of Antiquities. How people do not own them, the piece or collection owns them. I did not see the final part till I listened to it. Very informative. Very good, Monica Ferris, I enjoyed this very much.
This one mentions the illegal buy and sell of Antiquities. How people do not own them, the piece or collection owns them. I did not see the final part till I listened to it. Very informative. Very good, Monica Ferris, I enjoyed this very much.
May 31, 2022
I picked up this book at a library book sale. I knew it was down in the series but hey, what the heck?
I was impressed! The story was well written as it just flowed seamlessly along. You knew that there was a murder , or two, previously but it didn't impact your understanding of the story or the characters. You just picked it up and you were off. There were several suspects but it kind of kept me guessing to the end. A good summer read.
I was impressed! The story was well written as it just flowed seamlessly along. You knew that there was a murder , or two, previously but it didn't impact your understanding of the story or the characters. You just picked it up and you were off. There were several suspects but it kind of kept me guessing to the end. A good summer read.
February 16, 2023
"I saw these tiny Asian faces peering out from under these hats and thought they looked adorable." Jesus Christ.
The solution is immediately obvious. This is a bad, racist book.
I'd also like to call out the scene where there is a shootout in the B&B and the police officer thinks "Well, well, kinky" when he finds out the women are sleeping in the nude. Hey, Monica Ferris, you're disgusting and perverted and you should be ashamed of yourself.
The solution is immediately obvious. This is a bad, racist book.
I'd also like to call out the scene where there is a shootout in the B&B and the police officer thinks "Well, well, kinky" when he finds out the women are sleeping in the nude. Hey, Monica Ferris, you're disgusting and perverted and you should be ashamed of yourself.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2016
Doris Valentine, a member of The Monday Bunch, returns from a trip to Thailand bearing souvenirs and a small statue of Buddha she agreed to deliver to an antiques dealer in St. Paul. Once the exchange is made the store owner is murdered. This book is filled with events involving guns and more murders that take place in other jurisdictions. There are plenty of suspects but when it appears that an international crime ring is responsible Betsy acknowledges that she is in over her head. I liked all the action - for example when a snowstorm makes the group seek shelter at a B&B and Doris is threatened at gun point, or the final scene which includes Lars antique Stanley Steamer car. Another excellent book in this series.
March 26, 2018
A nice cozy mystery and a quick read. I enjoy this series partly because it is set in Minnesota. At one point some of the characters drive down to Amboy MN and drive down Hwy. 169, a road I often drive down as far as St. Peter. It was surprising to find that the restaurant they visit, The Amboy Cottage Café, actually exists.
December 31, 2020
A little scattered for a Crewel World mystery - I think perhaps it was because the author was trying new points of view. Instead of being in the background, her crafting group members play a much more active role in solving the mystery.
Once again, fabric plays an important role! I would add that this is probably the most violent novel so far in her series.
Once again, fabric plays an important role! I would add that this is probably the most violent novel so far in her series.
April 9, 2021
I loved the connection to Thailand and watching a couple of previously background characters grow. However, it gets demerits from me because the puzzle was SO FREAKING OBVIOUS and there were a couple of disappointing plot holes. Plus too much melodrama. I still enjoy the setting and overall premise, but on this one it seemed like Ferris phoned it in, or her editor was not on point.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews