Sins and Needles (Needlecraft Mystery Series #10) by Monica Ferris

From the Publisher

Owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth, Betsy Devonshire must help clear Jan Henderson's name when her wealthy aunt is found dead, courtesy of a double-zero knitting needle. Just like the kind Jan knits with. And an embroidered map of Lake Minnetonka, found among the aunt's effects, could lead Betsy to a buried treasure-or to a secret that someone would kill to keep buried.

Publishers Weekly

Betsy Devonshire, proprietor of a needlework shop and sometime sleuth, looks into the mysterious death of Edyth Hanraty, an eccentric, elderly multimillionaire in the engrossing 10th installment of Ferris's smalltown Minnesota needlecraft series (after 2005's Embroidered Truths). Edyth's great niece, Jan, who stands to inherit a small fortune, comes under suspicion. Betsy is determined to clear Jan, who is one of her most loyal customers. Plenty of other suspects abound-Jan's own mother, Jan's resentful and immature uncle and Lucille Jones, a charming Texas gal who claims to be Jan's long-lost sister. The discovery of a decades-old embroidered map, possibly leading to buried treasure, adds to the intrigue. The brisk plot and well-developed characters make this complex novel one of the stronger entries in this cozy series. (June) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A search for a birth mother provides the impetus for a murder in Minnesota. Betsy Devonshire, amateur sleuth and owner of the Crewel World needlework shop, sees a startling resemblance between nurse Jan Henderson and Lucille Jones, a visitor from Texas. So does Lucille, who, looking for her birth mother, admits that she'd seen Jan at a medical conference and stolen her hairbrush for DNA tests. Jan and her mother, Susan McConnell, are in line to inherit a fortune from Susan's eccentric Aunt Edyth, a man-hater who's cut Susan's brother Stewart and his family out of her will. When Edyth is found dead with the remnants of a knitting needle in her brain, Jan begs Betsy (Embroidered Truths, 2005) to help find the killer. The relatives are obvious suspects, along with Lucille and her husband, who'd hit the jackpot if she could prove she was a family member from the female side. A visit to the mansion to allow each relative to choose something shows that Stewart's been researching the contents when his daughters all choose antiques of great value. But Stewart himself, who hopes to open a fishing business if his relatives will help finance it, picks a decrepit speedboat. An innocent choice? Hardly. An old knitted cushion on the boat hides a treasure map that holds the solution to the mystery. Betsy, who's growing as a character, gets an especially interesting case this time.

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