Review: Crepe Factor by Laura Childs

Title:Crepe Factor

Author:Laura Childs

Series:A Scrapbooking Mystery, #14

Published:October 2016, Berkley

Format:ARC Paperback, 336 pages

Source:Author

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 thrashing 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…

My thoughts:This is the latest in Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking Mystery series and I just love it!!! It’s such a fun cozy mystery series – light, fun, easy reading with great characters and a really cool setting…New Orleans isn’t a place I’ve been to yet, but it’s somewhere I really do hope to get to one of these days! 

Set right before the holidays, everyone is in a festive mood and while poking around the Winter Market, the last thing Carmela and Ava expect to witness is a murder, yet of course that’s exactly what happens right in front of them. And because a former beau of Carmela’s is one of the prime suspects, she finds herself pulled into the investigation, much to the dismay of her current beau, Detective Babcock. 

The story moves along at a quick pace and we meet quite a cast of characters. And despite the fact that I had guessed the identity of the killer about halfway through (yay me!!!), it in no way detracted from my enjoyment of the book. This isn’t the first time I’ve figured out the murderer in this series – it might be the 2nd or 3rd time – but it was still fun to see just how the twists and turns play out and when Carmela puts it all together.

All in all, this was a good installment and the festive time of year added a fun element. Of course, the scrapbooking tips and classes that Carmela puts together are always fun to read about and make me wonder when I’m going to get back to scrapbooking myself! 

Books in this series:

1. Keepsake Crimes                          9.  Skeleton Letters
2. Photo Finished                            10.  Postcards from the Dead
3. Bound for Murder                       11.  Gilt Trip
4. Motif for Murder                         12.  Gossamer Ghost
5. Frill Kill                                         13.  Parchment and Old Lace
6. Death Swatch                               14.  Crepe Factor   
7. Tragic Magic                                
8. Fiber & Brimstone