Tragic Magic

After Jerry Earls early release, his wife, Margo—a much-married Garden District doyenne—throws an extravagant Get Out of Jail Free Party, complete with a Zydeco band, champagne ice luge, and waiters in ties and tails. The guest list includes many prominent New Orleans socialites, as well as scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava Gruiex.  But sometime during the swirl of partying and drinking, Jerry Earl is brutally murdered—then stuffed inside a clothes dryer. 

Carmela has earned a reputation around town for solving murders, and when the grieving widow turns to her for help, she cant say no. But Jerry Earl took a lot of people to the cleaners with his underhanded business tactics, so Carmelas going to be hard-pressed to identify which of his enemies was steamed enough to kill him. As she sorts through Jerry Earls dirty laundry, she needs to collar the killer before another victim is set to tumble dry…

Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!

“Brilliant…From the lively imagination of Laura Childs.”—St. Paul Pioneer Press

“Scrapbook aficionados rejoice! Ms. Childs creates a charming mystery series with lively, quirky characters and plenty of how-to...Serving up some hors doeuvres of murder and mystery, creativity and fashion, she has a winning formula to get even the laziest of us in a scrapbooking mood.”—Fresh Fiction

“A pleasure to read.”—Mysterious Reviews

“Delves deeply into the Big Easys food, culture, and fashion scene.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Cleverly designed…Getting to the climax is fun, as Laura Childs is a superb cozy storyteller with this series and her Tea Shop Mysteries.”—Gumshoe Review

“Fast-paced with plenty of action…Terrific.”—Midwest Book Review

“An entertaining whodunit...The heroine is a plucky, strong, and independent woman who takes charge when necessary, as she is the original steel magnolia.”—Books ‘n Bytes

“These books are so great that I just couldnt put them down. I just cant wait for the next one to be released.”—BellaOnline

“Sure to please cozy fans.”—Publishers Weekly

and#8220;Enjoyableand#8230;Local color is Childand#8217;s strong suit, and on this romp with Carmela, the details of the Big Easy, from absinthe to and#233;touffand#233;e, do not disappoint.and#8221;and#8212;Publishers Weekly

Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbook shop, and her best friend, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion in the Faubourg-Marigny district into an unforgettable haunted house for those who flock to New Orleans for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela's crafty touch to make the Medusa Manor come to life in time for the upcoming horror convention.

But Melody takes her house haunting too seriously-especially when her flaming body comes crashing through a tower window to 'welcome' them to the job. Sure there's been an increased trend in murder lately, but someone specifically wanted Carmela's client very dead. Carmela's in some deep gumbo again and needs to crop out a killer from the throngs of people flocking to New Orleans. Then maybe it won't be so hard living in the Big Easy.

Scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand is ready to head out and enjoy her night until she hears some strange noises coming from Oddities, the neighboring antiques shop, and decides to investigate. Her evening plans are abruptly put on hold when out of a curio cabinetand#151;and into her armsand#151;falls the bloody body of Oddities owner Marcus Joubert.

While Joubert was known for being an eccentric, Carmela never thought he could inspire the passion required to killand#151;until she learns a priceless death mask was also stolen. As the mystery grows, so does the list of suspects, leaving Carmela with the feeling that it will take every trick in the book to unmask the killer thief before thereand#8217;s another night of murderous mischiefand#133;

Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!