Crewel and Unusual

A Haunted Yarn Shop Mystery, Book 6

By: Molly MacRae

Narrated by: Emily Durante

Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins

Publisher's summary

Yarn shop owner Kath Rutledge is looking forward to the grand opening of the Blue Plum Vault, a co-op of small shops on Main Street. In the week before the grand opening, Kath and her needlework group, TGIF (Thank Goodness It's Fiber), hear rumors of an unpleasant rivalry developing between two of the new shopkeepers. Nervie Bales and Belinda Moyer declare each other's embroidery patterns and antique embroidered linens fakes, copies - and stolen goods. Kath is caught in the middle.

The day before the grand opening, an exquisite tablecloth that Kath has fallen in love with is found cut to shreds. Belinda accuses Nervie of the outrage, but Nervie has an airtight alibi: She was at Kath's shop, the Weaver's Cat, teaching a crewel embroidery class.

The opening is a success - until Belinda is found dead, stabbed in the back with a pair of scissors from the Weaver's Cat. Geneva, the ghost who haunts Kath's store, claims she saw the murderer leaving the scene of the crime. But the ghost is the ultimate unreliable witness - only Kath and her shop manager can see or hear her.

It's up to Kath, TGIF, and especially Geneva the ghost to solve the crime before the killer cuts another life short.

©2019 Molly MacRae (P)2019 Tantor

When a Ghost Witnesses a Murder

In Crewel and Unusual by Molly MacRae, Kath Rutledge gets involved in another case as her town opens the Blue Plum Vault, a co-op of shops operated by various artisans and booksellers. Belinda Moyer sells antique textiles, which draws the textile expert Kath to her shop. The day before the official opening, Belinda reports that her valuable antique table runner has been destroyed, and then the ruined item disappears. On the day of the opening, the Blue Plum Vault draws a big crowd, and Kath enjoys exploring the place. She goes with Artis Buchanan, the manager of her shop, Weaver's Cat, and the only other person besides Kath who can see the ghost Geneva. The pair hear sorrowful singing in a storage closet and realize that Geneva is inside. When they get the closet open, Kath discovers Geneva cradling the murdered body of Belinda. Then Kath learns that Geneva witnessed the murderer, so she faces an extra challenge in solving the case without revealing her source.

I have enjoyed the Haunted Yarnshop mystery series, so I was really happy to see that MacRae published a new book. I found that I was kept listening to Crewel and Unusual raptly, as the book has plenty of charm. I love the premise of Geneva's having been a witness to the murderer. Geneva is different than every other ghost I've encountered in other paranormal cozy mysteries, serving as a regular character in the book who just can't be seen by most others. Yet she also has her unique limitations, having lived over 100 years earlier and spent most of her time before Kath became able to see her just watching television. So we have a very moody ghost who endears herself to us and sometimes makes us laugh.

I did find myself confused several times with this book, though. It starts with a murder case that is already in progress before adding further layers to the plot, an angle that has real potential. However, I sometimes got confused about the details of that case, so I would have liked to have been given more information in a way that it made things clearer to me. Plus, I got confused about the identity of certain characters new to this book, particularly those related to the back story.

Emily Durante performs the audio edition of this book, doing a lot to add to the pleasure of reading this book. She adds flavor to the book in her portrayal of Kath as the narrator. In particular, I liked the way she plays Geneva, the real joy of the book. Making us feel Kath's confusion and love of the ghost, Durante adds a lot to MacRae's already successful job of making a ghost seem alive.

I had a very good time listening to Crewel and Unusual. It had a creative premise, unique characters, and a fun conclusion. Because I did find certain parts confusing, as discussed above, I give it four stars but have to say that I highly enjoyed the book despite those issues.

Sweet Story

I enjoyed listening to this book, very sweet story while I knit along. A definite fun story.

Love this series

Great series I hope there is more to come! Great listen for anywhere any time! Love all the interesting things about fiber makes me want to open my own yarn shop!

Fun and Entertaining

This is a fun and entertaining cozy mystery. Geneva stills the show with her insight and contributions to solving the mystery. The mystery is well developed and flows quickly, with several moments to laugh out loud. I look forward to the next book.

Well worth the wait!

I love this series so much. I read a lot of cozy mysteries and I would have to say this series is definitely in my top 5. I waited and waited for this new book to come out, and I was absolutely not disappointed. My only regret is that it’s over. I’m already looking forward to the next one. I listened to this twice, to make sure I didn’t miss any details, and I’m sure I will listen to it again (as I have done with the first 5 in the series). With each book, the characters become more and more like dear friends. I think one of the things I like about the characters is that they don’t become stale, they are always growing, but their basic personalities are always right there and familiar – like old friends you haven’t seen in a while, but once you are together again, it’s like it was yesterday.

Other reviewers will detail the plot, so I’ll concentrate on characters and basics. The mystery in this book, like the others, was very well thought out, with twists and turns that you could follow along with. If you just look at the premise, you might think that each book is the same – there is a murder, Kath and company get involved to the chagrin of the Cole, and they end up besting the law to solve the mystery. But that is so far from the truth. Each adventure is new and fresh. In this installment, there were new characters, and a new locale (The Vault) that provided a lot of possibilities. There were actually two murders in this book, and that added an additional twist.

Some of the characters introduced in prior books were strengthened and provided good plot enhancement (Angie & Aaron, Al & Inspector Bruce). Geneva has continued to grow with each book and has become very likable. The paranormal aspects are handled so well that I can totally believe the premise (and I was glad for Joe’s inclusion). And, of course, there is the usual crew (Kath, Joe, Ardis, Cole, Thea, John, Mel, Ernestine, Darla, the Spiveys, Ardis’ daddy…). They create a package that I love opening, and I really can’t wait to open the next gift from Molly.

Oh, and I don’t want to forget to mention that the voice artist, Emily Durante, who has narrated all 6 books in this series, is amazing. I am so glad that she has continue to voice the whole series. It is the perfect package deal.

Love this series

Love the ghost and the narrator makes the characters come alive. (Even the ones that aren’t alive) Delightful series.

Love this book

I am a big fan of all this author's books. I love this series. I was so glad a new installment came out. I love the characters and the locale. I look forward to more stories set in Blue Plum.

Really enjoyed!

I like the complexity of the mystery, the group conversations, and the humor. I love that there is NO foul language or sex scenes!