Book Review: Keepsake Crimes

Author: Laura Childs
Title: Keepsake Crimes
Publisher: Berekley
Publish Date: May 6, 2003
Buy: Amazon
Book Blurb: 

New Orleans scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand delights her customers with the sophisticated looks she achieves with their scrapbooks. But among her client's keepsakes she finds a tip of her own-about a murder...

Review: Keepsake Crimes is the first in the Scrapbooking Mystery series by Laura Childs. I've read several of her Tea Shop Mysteries, and I've enjoyed them, but I think I liked this book best.

Carmela Bertrand owns a scrapbook shop in New Orleans and during Marti Gras and at one parade, she sees one of the local businessmen die.  Somehow her estranged husband Shamus has his hands in it, and is considered a prime suspect.

Lisa Childs really good at bringing her settings to life and in Keepsake Crimes I felt I was in NOLA during Marti Gras and more than that, I wanted to be there.

The mystery was light. I felt like this was a bit more of a novel about friends then the typical cozy mystery,  but this is the first book in the series, so you really are reading to get to know the cast of characters that you will be spending your time with for however long the series lasts.

I enjoyed Carmella and her friends especially Jekyll and Ava that were really eclectic lot.

I would have liked a meatier mystery, but this is the first book in a series, so that's not usually what you get when you start out a series.

This was light enjoyable reading. I look forward to what happens to Carmela next, and really I look forward to finding out what happens to her husband.


Rating: 4 flowers