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  • The Drowning Spool

  • A Needlecraft Mystery
  • By: Monica Ferris
  • Narrated by: Betsy Bronson
  • Length: 7 hrs and 30 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (28 ratings)

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The Drowning Spool cover art

The Drowning Spool

By: Monica Ferris
Narrated by: Betsy Bronson
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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

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What listeners say about The Drowning Spool

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

awful narration

storyline amazing but prefer Susan Boyce narrating, she has a much wider ability to change her voice to suit the characters.......

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Another entertaining story

Ruined by yet another narrator who should keep away from accents. Really very poorly done

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change of narrator ruins book

Loved the rest of the series and purchased this as not in plus catalogue .However the change of narrator ruins it for me .
Grating voices really irritate .I will perservere as love the series but wish they had not used this person .

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Iffy

Good and interesting story but in my opinion a very poor narration, much preferred the previous narrator.

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Dreadful narration

Have listened to others in series, this narration is dreadful, worse I have ever heard.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Different narrator hard to get used to

After having listened to the whole series it is hard to listen to a different narrator. At this stage a new narrator distorts relationship of reader/listener to characters. Plus this narrator is more nasal and has more limited range in voices, which means that women often streak and men sound like a toddler trying to speak like an adult. I am glad to see that the last two books are read by original narrator again.

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Betsy Bronson is no Susan Boyce

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I love the Betsy Devonshire books, but the narrator on this one is sadly not good at believable character voices.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

Betsy Bronson is a good straight reader, but gives Phil, Doris and Conor ridiculously low voices, and then some female characters squeaky high ones. I personally found it very, very infuriating. The usual reader Susan Boyce is so much better.

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  • genevieve
  • 03-03-14

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.

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • BeckyT
  • 23-06-15

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.

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Ann
  • 18-04-15

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.

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Amazon Customer
  • 08-07-20

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.

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • Gail
  • 11-02-16

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.

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Missannies
  • 26-02-21

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.

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • JMM
  • 18-03-15

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.

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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  • Laura Greene
  • 24-12-21

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.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • MJG
  • 01-12-21

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.

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Jennifer Anderson
  • 22-10-18

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.

1 person found this helpful