…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…
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MY REVIEW
I must have been Cajun or Creole in a former life, because I love me some books set in New Orleans! And I'm sure I could spend many a happy hour inside Memory Mine, Carmela's scrapbooking shop. Classes, work space, local gossip - it's all good, with never a dull moment.
This time around Carmela is definitely tied up in present and past love interests. Quigg, a former beau, is the main suspect in the serving fork murder of Martin Lash, a restaurant critic who seems to rub everyone the wrong way; and I really don't think it matters if they have met or not! Some people just seem to revel in making other people feel bad or angry. But I digress. Also present is Det. Edgar Babcock, Carmela's current beau, who is none too pleased that she is investigating in the first place, and especially unhappy that she is investigating to help out an ex. Even her ex-husband puts in an appearance! Carmela's really stirring up the boyfriend gumbo in Crepe Factor!
One of Carmela's most important female friendships is with her bestie, Ava. Ava owns and operates a local voodoo shop, and has a definite fondness for spotty animal prints in her wardrobe. But she would have Carmela's back if the whole world was against her, and that makes her a really good friend to have! And you know that expression, 'you catch more flies with honey...'? Well it works for men, too, and Ava must bathe in the stuff because she's always catching someone's eye.
And four of those eyes (two good-old-boys) from Ava's past are in on it when Carmela and Ava figure out what is really going on behind the whole mess, and it's not what y'all might think!
Jumping outside the book for a moment, is authors working together a current trend, or has it been going on all along and I have just been...well, clueless? I'd need more fingers and toes to count on all the collaborated efforts I have read this year, and 2-3 in the last week alone! Whatever the answer, I think it can work very well - and Crepe Factor by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran is an outstanding example of this practice!
If you, too, would like to 'laissez les bon temps rouler', Crepe Factor should be on your shelf!
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MEET THE AUTHORS
, 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
. 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
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GIVEAWAY!!!
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Click on the banner above to go to the tour page, where you will find links to more reviews of Crepe Factor by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran. You can also find out how to become a blog host for future book tours while you are there!
(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the authors and publishers via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours in exchange for my honest review.)
What a fun review LuAnn - disappointed I missed the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteWanted to say hello and let you know that the October Book Nook is open at Create With Joy - come join us! :-)
Thanks so much, Ramona. And I appreciate the remind about Book Nook. I think your link-ups are some of my favorites!
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