Audio Book Review of And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris read by Susan Boyce

And Then You Dye by Monica Ferris
Read by Susan Boyce

From Goodreads.com

 Betsy Devonshire, full-time owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth, has hooked more than a few crooks in the USA Today bestselling Needlecraft Mysteries. Now Betsy learns the hard way that a murder is still murder, any way you color it…
Betsy is a natural-born yarnsmith—so it’s only fitting that some of her favorite items to stock come from the dye-works of Hailey Brent. Hailey makes hand-dyed knitting wool, silk, soy, and corn yarns. She uses only natural vegetable dyes, creating soft and beautiful colors. Which means her yarns are expensive, but well worth it.

Unfortunately, someone thinks they’re worth killing for.

When Hailey’s body is discovered shot dead in her workshop, Betsy discovers that there was a lot about Hailey she would have never guessed. Like her penchant for stealing other’s property for her own use. Her use of dangerous additives to create her so-called all-natural fibers. And a scheming mind that had made her more than one enemy.

Now, Betsy must wring the truth from a bevy of colorful suspects. Because the truth just might mean the difference between living—and dyeing…

My Take:  This is another great addition to this series.  I truly didn't figure out the killer until it was revealed in the book.  Betsy does not join in on this investigation on her own but is invited to investigate by the number one suspect.  This mystery takes several twists and turns that truly kept me coming back for more and relucatant to turn off the audio.  Speaking of audio, Susan Boyce does a really good job of narration.  Although her voices aren't really that different from one another you can tell the difference in characters which makes it easy to follow along while listening and not get confused as to what character is speaking.  If you like needlework or mysteries in general you are sure to like this book.  You do not have to read this series in order but you will probably want to go back and read the previous books because this is a fun series. 

 

I am linking this to the Soundbytes meme over at Devourerofbooks.com.  Every Friday we link up our audio books there so go check it out and see if you can't find your next awesome audio. 

Thai Die by Monica Ferris Audio Book Review

Thai Die

• UNABRIDGED
• by Monica Ferris
• Narrated by Connie Crawford
• Series: Needlecraft Mysteries, Book 12

From Audible.com:
As owner of the Crewel World needlework shop and part-time sleuth, Betsy Devonshire has become skilled at weaving suspicious threads together. Just back from a trip to Thailand, Doris Valentine is eager to show her stitching friends her souvenirs, which include dazzling Thai silk. She also has a small stone Buddha that she agreed to deliver to an antique store in St. Paul. It's wrapped in a dirty rag, which she throws away. When she meets the dealer, he is surprised that she unwrapped it, though relieved the statue's delicate hands aren't damaged.
The next night, Doris' apartment is broken into, then the antique shop owner is found murdered, his shop ransacked, and the Buddha gone. And Betsy starts to wonder about the dingy wrapper she retrieved from the trash.

My Take:  I read the first of this series in paperback since at the time I was an avid Cross-stitcher and I liked the idea of a setting in a needlework shop.  I picked up two of these books during a sale that Audible was having.  I still like the premise and I plan on going back to the beginning as I don't remember much of the first book and I need to reaquaint myself with the characters.  This was a bit difficult to keep all the characters straight so much so that I didn't remember who the killer was when they were reveiled.  The mystery did keep you guessing to the very end and the killer was not someone I would have even thought of as the killer. 

The narration was a bit distracting in parts as the narrator read with a very clipped tone of voice at times. Also several times there were long gaps in the narration even longer than the pauses in between chapters.  The gaps were so long that I actually checked to make sure that my player hadn't turned off by accident or something. 

As I said before I plan on starting from the beginning with this series and would encourage you to pick this up if you like cozy mysteries or have an interest in needlework or both


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