Great Escapes Book Tours Book Review: Crepe Factor

Crepe Factor by Laura Childs with Terry Farley Moran

Crepe Factor (A Scrapbooking Mystery) 

Cozy Mystery 14th in Series Berkley (October 3, 2017) 

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages 

ISBN-13: 978-0425266717 

E-Book ASIN: B01AHKY37I

Synopsis

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace...

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.

The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.

Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon...

Scrapbooking tips and recipes included!

Review:  Laura Childs is an author that I usually read when I find her books. I usually get them at the library, so I've seldom read any of them in order. I've read book 1 and 3 in this particular series, and I have to say, I 'm a huge fan of Carmela and Ava. Carmela is more conservative in dress, whereas I see Ava as being a southern version of Fran Drescher's Nanny.

These two women are the type of people you'd want to have as friends. They are always going out and eating at fabulous restaurants and drinking loads of wine or "refreshing beverages". I don't know how they aren't hungover most of the time!

As always, Laura brings NOLA to life. The reader really feels like they are in New Orleans, seeing the sights and smelling all the good food that seems to be everywhere in this story. I also really longed to be crafty when I read these books, because all the fabulous things that get made at Carmela's Memory Mine Scrapbook Shop seem so beautiful and fabulous.

I love the foodie aspect of this story and the characters are super quirky and fun. The murder happened at a winter carnival and the victim was a food critic/environmentalist, who was hated by one and all. The prime suspect, is an ex of Carmela's, Quigg. Even though she's dating Babcock, she gets roped into investigating the murder, and things heat up with Quigg.

Carmela's investigation gets her into trouble with the Detective and she manages to find another dead body. (As if seeing Martin Lash with a fork in his neck wasn't enough!)

There was a point in the story where I knew who was involved in the killing, but it wasn't completely obvious.

I had such fun reading this one, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments and the ending will definitely get you excited for the next book.


Rating: 5 flowers

About The Authors

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She’s also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn’t rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries – a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans’ spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe’s undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Laura’s Links: Webpage - http://www.laurachilds.com/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Short-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead. followed by Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death released in July of this year.  The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.

Terrie’s Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrie.moran.9 Blog:  www.womenofmystery.net Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23186092-terrie-moran  

Purchase Links:

      Amazon    B&N    Goggle Books    IndieBound a Rafflecopter giveaway