"Library Journal" reported that this was one of the best current mystery series, so I picked up the first volume just to satisfy my curiosity. I was completely charmed. Cozies are usually light on characterization or real mystery, but Monica Ferris wonderfully combines the American small town cozy with diverse, interesting, fully-formed characters. She also crafted an actual mystery that was hard to put down.

The needlecraft angle was also surprisingly enjoyable. I knew nothing about needlecrafts and was curious about how an author could anchor a story around something like that, but it was so interesting, and I learned so much that I'd never even thought about before, that I'm tempted to pick up a pair of knitting needles myself.

With well-developed characters and a strong story, Ferris proves that cozies can be more than fluff. "Crewel World" was absolutely delightful and I can hardly wait to read the next one.

I am on my fifth book in the series. I gave this a 4 star rating not for its brilliance or as a must read, but for its fun character development and easy, pleasant read.

If you are looking for a series with a likeable, honest, straightforward main character with friends & co-workers that are relatable and a peek into small town life with a who-done-it as the mechanism for spending time with them, this is for you.

It's a lot of fun spending time in Betsy's needle craft shop and "watching" Godwin interact with the customers. And it's fun following Betsy and Jill as Betsy sniffs out perpetrators through basic character studies of them instead of traditional detective work.

Start this first book - meet some new friends at the shop and enjoy!

I love theme mystery series, and I love needlework. This seemed like a perfect match for me, so I'm collecting the entire series before starting. Just from reading the ticklers, tho, I'm sure I won't be disappointed!

I love how you learn about needlecraft along with the heroine. The heroine, Betsy, is a very believable character and I found that I could feel her pain when she thought about the loss of her sister. I look forward to reading more about Betsy and her needlecraft shop.

I was a little skeptical about this series. I'm a knitter, not a needleworker, so I wasn't sure I'd be interested in the inner workings of an embroidery shop, even with a mystery thrown in. But the cast of characters was intriguing, and the plot had enough twists and turns to keep any mystery lover enthralled. Not the deepest book I've ever read, but interesting enough to make me want to read more of the series -- and maybe even try a needlepoint project some time!