Postcards from the Dead
Scrapbooking Mystery No 10
Laura Childs

Berkley
October 2, 2012 /ISBN: 0425252752
Cozy Mystery / New Orleans / Contemporary
Amazon

Reviewed by Brenda Weeaks

It’s another fantastical Mardi Gras celebration! Woo Hoo! The French Quarter, outrageous parades, gigantic floats, parties and playing dress up - and let’s not forget the MAYHEM! I live vicariously through Carmela and Ava; they have the fun and excitement I wish I had in my late twenties. Well, with the exception of the femjep (female in jeopardy) scenes. In this mystery the girls party while they investigate and experience some dangerous close calls.

New Orleans reporter (and arch enemy) Kimber Breeze is interviewing local business owners with the parade as a backdrop. Kimber and Carmela have a hate/hate relationship but Carmela is willing to overlook it to get free publicity for Memory Mine. Just Carmela’s luck she’s present when Kimber takes a dive over the Hotel Tremain balcony. Actually Carmela is the last one to see Kimber’s face (on a TV screen) when she tumbles off the balcony. Boyfriend / Detective Babcock finds he has no leads thanks to inept security guards letting a roomful of suspects flee after its announced Kimber is dead.

And if that isn’t enough Carmela and Ava give Detective Babcock a run for his badge as they play detectives on their own. Babcock warns them as usual, but do they listen? Noooo…. Now Carmela is receiving post cards from a Dead Kimber and someone is trying to scare her in other ways. Unfortunately, when Gabby and Ava tattle on Carmela (for her own safety) Babcock has had enough and drifts away from the relationship. Carmela plows on with her investigation. She promises ex-husband Shamus (yep, that guy) she would clear Sugar Joe (his only friend) as a suspect. Sugar Joe was the last person Kimber interviewed. Needless to say with promises made and favors to trade Carmela sets her sights on one suspect. The false leads had me guessing and the parties kept me entertained ‘til the end.

Postcards from the Dead challenges the armchair sleuth while it entertains inner partier. At the back of the book are some crafting ideas and tasty recipes as well as an excerpt from Stake and Eggs the next mystery in Laura Child’s Cackleberry Club series.

Highly recommended.

Reviews of other titles in this series

Bound for Murder #3  [review]
Motif for Murder #4  [review]
Death Swatch, #6 [ review]
Skeleton Letters, # 9 [review]
Postcards from the Dead, #10 [review]
Gossamer Ghost #12 [review]