Book 45, 2021

[chez_jae]

Hanging by a Thread by Monica Ferris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I finished my work book at lunch today. It was Hanging by a Thread by Monica Ferris. This is the 6th part of the "Needlecraft" mystery series, featuring needlecraft shop owner Betsy Devonshire.

When Betsy hires contractor Foster Johns to fix the roof of her store/apartment, she didn't realize she'd be courting scandal. Her friends and customers waste no time in telling Betsy that Foster Johns got away with murder five years ago when not enough evidence could be found to implicate him in the double murder of the woman he was seeing and her husband.

Soon after, Foster asks Betsy to look into the crime. He claims he's innocent, and the dark cloud hanging over his head has affected his business. Betsy has had some luck in solving crimes, and she delves into the investigation. What she learns is that Paul Schmitt was an abusive, controlling husband. It seems far more likely that he murdered his wife, but if that was the case, then who killed Paul? He had an alibi for the night Angie was killed, but so did Foster. The weapon in both crimes was the same, although it was never found. It's up to Betsy to unravel one man's alibi and find the murder weapon, which will solve this cold case once and for all.

I found this story to be quite bland. The premise of a cold case was at least interesting and unusual for a cozy. However, I never got much of a feel for any of the characters, including Betsy. There was far more needlework minutiae than was necessary (in my opinion), which I found distracting. The clues and information Betsy stumbled upon were unrealistically serendipitous, but at least the ending was satisfactory.

Favorite lines:
♦ "There's nothing quite as friendly as a cat with cold feet."
♦ "Down, boy. I'm heterosexual."
♦ "If I want to enjoy a cartoon, I have to wait for the Bugs and Daffy Hour."

I have one more book in this series, which I will eventually read, but I won't be seeking out any more. Average book, average score.