Rating: Good
Source: Publisher
Description: It's Jazz Fest in New Orleans, and the giant puppets from the Beastmaster Puppet Theatre are parading through the French Quarter. Some are very spooky and veiled, others are tall and gangly, like strange aliens.
As the parade proceeds, Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava, follow behind, down Royal Street and past the food booths. Suddenly, they hear a terrible crash from Devon Dowling's antiques shop. They rush inside to find Devon collapsed with blood streaming down the side of his face. Has he been shot? Stabbed? 911 is hastily called, and the police and EMTs show up. After the police examine Devon's body, they tell Carmela and Ava that their friend was murdered with an icepick. They're shocked beyond belief--and now Mimi, Devon's little pug, is left homeless.
Carmela and Ava are determined to catch the murderer, but the list of suspects is long. How long do they have before they find themselves on the killer's list?
Genre: Mystery - Cozy
Why I Picked This Book: I've really enjoyed the last few books in this series and I love Laura Childs' books.
My Impression: One of my favorite things about Laura Childs' books is that her books are always set in great places and she uses the settings. In this book the city of New Orleans isn't just window dressing. It's basically a character in its own right. I feel a bit like I've taken a trip to New Orleans after finishing one of the books in this series.
Carmela suffers a little bit from to perfect syndrome but not to the point where I disliked her. I did want to shake her a little bit because of her actions regarding her relationship with her fiance but again not so much that it took away from the book. I love the setting of the craft store! I'm decidedly not crafty but every time I read one of these books I feel like I could make a beautiful multi layered cards or maybe a artistic picture frame. I can't but I enjoy feeling like I could.
The mystery is good and gets rolling pretty early in the book. It's always interesting to watch Carmela navigate the rocky territory between wanting to help and not getting in trouble either from a killer or her fiance who just happens to be a homicide detective. This was a fun read and a new entry in a long running series that you can jump in with whatever book that interests you.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course! I love this series and her Tea Shop series.
Would I Recommend this Book? If you enjoy cozies Laura Childs is a must read author.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
I haven't read any by this author but you did a great review! I enjoy a series and it's especially nice when you discover one with lots of books to tuck into.
ReplyDeleteI love that the setting plays such a big role in this story. I will have to give this author a try.
ReplyDeleteI love books that use the setting well, especially when it's a place like New Orleans! And I really enjoy cozy mysteries, so I guess I need to add this series to my TBR. Great review :)
ReplyDeleteHave to say it sounds good and the title certainly sets the scene for New Orleans. Craft store setting works for me!
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