• The Drowning Spool

  • A Needlecraft Mystery
  • By: Monica Ferris
  • Narrated by: Betsy Bronson
  • Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.2 out of 5 stars (241 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Drowning Spool  By  cover art

The Drowning Spool

By: Monica Ferris
Narrated by: Betsy Bronson
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.03

Buy for $14.03

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Even though running Crewel World keeps Betsy plenty busy, a little extra cash on the side doesn't hurt. So when the local senior complex, Watered Silk, asks her to teach a class on the tricky punch needle technique, Betsy jumps at the opportunity to win over some new customers.

Unfortunately, the business that Betsy drums up is not of the needlework variety. A young woman is found floating in Watered Silk's therapy pool, and Betsy's sleuthing skills are immediately called upon to figure out who drowned her. But the list of suspects is more twisted than any Betsy has encountered before. The young woman had three lovers - each with a motive for the murder. It's up to Betsy to sort out the snarl of romantic entanglements and find a killer.

©2014 Mary Monica Pulver Kuhfeld (P)2014 Dreamscape Media, LLC

What listeners say about The Drowning Spool

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    120
  • 4 Stars
    68
  • 3 Stars
    38
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    89
  • 4 Stars
    39
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    19
  • 1 Stars
    55
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    132
  • 4 Stars
    61
  • 3 Stars
    22
  • 2 Stars
    5
  • 1 Stars
    2

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

narration ruins the story

What disappointed you about The Drowning Spool?

The narration was awful. Of all the Crewel World mysteries I have this was the poorest narration I have experienced. While Betsy's voice was good the other characters all had either whiney similar voices,or comical type accents whether male or female. Godwin's voice was terrible. Officer Jill Cross's voice, usually conveying calm and an authoritative air also had that strange nasal twang that almost all the female voices had. It was really distracting and I couldn't enjoy the story at all.

Would you be willing to try another one of Betsy Bronson’s performances?

NO.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

I was disappointed in the narration.

Any additional comments?

When providing the snippets to listen to the story before buying, please pick a section where more than one voice is used if at all possible. I listened to the snippet and Betsy's voice was good - but had I heard any of the others I would never have purchased this title.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Really?

What didn’t you like about Betsy Bronson’s performance?

The plot of this story is really good. I have gone through all of the narrators and Betsy Bronson's performance was horrible. I felt like I was listening to a gaggle of small children. You are an adult, speak with tones that depict adult characters. Sure the one for Wilma worked but the remainder were just terrible. Adding this name to my list of don't get the book if she is the narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Narrator not true to previous ones

I've been listening to all the Betsy Devenshire mysteries. The publisher has used several different narrators and this one is the worst. None of the characters are close to the voices used in previous books and every one is either very nasalized or forced too deep. It was very distracting to the story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This narrator must go

I'm not even half-way through the book, but I can't stand the narrator. The only voices she gets ok are Betsy's and Wilma's. On the one hand I'm disappointed there's not a whole lot for Godwin to do in this book (at least so far), but on the other hand, I'm glad because she just doesn't get Godwin't voice at all. In fact, most of the voices sound like little children speaking. That's nuts! I know there have a few narrators for these books, but none as distracting as this one. Until now, I had never been compelled to write a review to complain about the narrator. Going forward, if I see Betsy Bronson is narrating I'll get the actual book instead.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Narrator did characters that were not believable

Would you listen to The Drowning Spool again? Why?

No, I would not listen to this again.

Would you be willing to try another one of Betsy Bronson’s performances?

I think that Betsy Bronson's voice was easy to listen to until she did other characters. I usually feel like I'm connected to the story, this one I felt like I was listening to a cartoon. I would listen to her without character voices.

Any additional comments?

I listened to the whole book but had a hard time getting through it. I have listened to all of the other books and I loved them. I could not connect to this one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Love this series but...

I've loved this series and am now on book 17. But this narrator is horrible! Her different voices make me wince. I'll listen to it just because I love this series but this narrator is on my "do not listen to" list now.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Please do not use this Narrator

Is there anything you would change about this book?

Yes, keep Susan Boyce as the narrator. Betsy Bronson is awful.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Godwin for his comic relief

How could the performance have been better?

The narrator tried too hard to change voices for each character both male & female. She didn't do it well and it distracted from an interesting story

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

Maybe

Any additional comments?

I love this series. I have listened to them many times and find them an enjoyable read. This one was a good story but bad narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The Real Murderer is the Narrator

This is a new narrator for the series. Audible made all but the last three included with membership so I spent a credit on this title.
Umm her Betsy and inner narration is the most tolerable but alllllll the side characters are done poorly. Almost laughably bad.
In spite of this, the mystery is well written, but difficult to follow the beloved characters when they sound so odd. If Godwin heard himself in this version he’d refuse to listen.
((minor spoilers))
I love the Larson’s news, and wished I could’ve been happier for Jill sounding like she did.
Since when did Betsy and Connor move
in together??? What happened to “I want my own sink?”
We’re barely in the shop for this one and it has nothing whatsoever to do with a spool despite the title. Disappointing at best.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The Drowning Spool

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, but it would have been much better if narrated by Susan Boyce.
Betty Bronson's interpretation of the voices of Goddy, Betsy, Connor, etc is very poor.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Betsy Bronson did a horrible job narrating.

I'm not sure if I can finish listening to this book. The narration is horrible. I may give up the rest of the series of Betsy Bronson is the narrator.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful