As the police begin their investigation, Carmela is contacted by the kidnappers with a demand for a five million dollar ransom, Carmela decides to go on the offensive and starts digging for clues herself. With the help of best friend, Ava Grieux, proprietor of a French Quarter voodoo souvenir shop, Carmela begins to look into the business dealings of the Meechum family. She finds herself in the backwoods New Orleans swamps searching for Shamus.

Readers who prefer their mysteries on the cozy side will enjoy this offering from Laura Childs. The mayhem surrounding the kidnapping and Shamus and the murder of Uncle Henry is on the soft side and the profanity is very limited, unlike some of the more hard-boiled mysteries. Even the bad guys seem to be on the light end of the menacing scale.

While Motif for Murder is the fourth installment in Laura Childs’ scrap booking mystery series, first-time readers will easily be able to follow the storyline and acquaint themselves with the regular cast of characters. Along with several red herrings, the mystery is interspersed with both scrapbooking tips and descriptions of Carmela’s culinary fare, with recipes included in the back of the book. This is a fun, enjoyable read for fans of the cozy mystery.