Blackwork By Monica Ferris

In this latest installment of what I call the Betsy Devonshire murder mystery series we find the town of Excelsior getting ready for a Halloween parade. The committee overseeing the parade  are meeting at a local eatery that is run  by a practicing wiccanwho likes to brew her own beer, her latest being called Not afraid of the dark beer. Throw in a recovering alcoholic that is very superstitious of the wiccan and you have trouble. Someone serves the alcoholic some alcohol  while at one of the meetings and he becomes very irate and causes a scene with the wiccan.  Later when he is found dead under mysterious circumstances rumours abound that the wiccan has placed a curse on him that killed him. She then asks Betsy ( owner of Crewel World Needlework Shop and amateur sleuth) to help find the real killer because the rumours are keeping her customers away. Sometimes the plot seems to drag a little but the author does a good job of throwing in little hints as to who the real killer is.. I  like the fact that there is always some sort of free pattern in the back of each of these needlecraft mystery  books. This time it is a cross  stitch pattern of a witches hat. If you like reading a mystery I think you will like this book. I look forward to reading the next in this series. I would give this book 4 stars.......