A Scrapbooking Mystery
17 primary works • 24 total works
Book 1
New Orleans scrapbooking shop owner Carmela Bertrand delights her customers with her stunning arrangements of their scrapbooks. But among her clients’ keepsakes she finds a tip of her own—about a murder...
Business is booming and life is cozy for Carmela at her scrapbooking shop, Memory Mine. But when one of the city’s elite dies during Mardi Gras, the police name Carmela’s estranged husband as their number one suspect. Although Carmela hasn’t forgotten how he scrapped their marriage, she doesn’t think he is cut out to be a killer. And if Shamus is being framed, Carmela might be the only one who can find the pattern and solve the case in time...
Book 2
Carmela Bertrand is hosting a late-night “Crop Till You Drop” session at her quaint French Quarter scrapbooking shop, Memory Mine. All the usual suspects have turned up to trim, decorate, color, and gossip.
But their all-night crop comes to a screeching halt when a neighboring antiques-shop owner winds up murdered in the alley behind the cozy store. And when Carmela and her customers become the focus of the police investigation, the scrapbooking expert realizes it’s her responsibility to rearrange the jumble of clues and pick out the real killer—before he strikes again…
Scrapbook tips included!
Book 3
Book 4
Carmela puts together a sentimental scrapbook of memories and keepsakes of Henry. But her project holds a clue that could identify the killer and kidnapper-and the murderer is going to try to close the book on Carmela once and for all.
Book 5
For Carmela Bertrand, a New Orleans shop owner who can turn any scrapbook into a treasure, this Halloween will feature more than the usual scares. On her way home from a ghoulish gathering, Carmela finds the dead body of a model?and is then attacked herself. Her leads are many, including animal tooth marks on the deceased?s neck. And as the witching hour draws closer, Carmela must find what?s lurking in the shadows?or get the fright of her life.
Book 6
Book 7
Book 8
Book 9
Book 9
The last thing Carmela Bertrand and her friend Ava expect to bear witness to in St. Tristan’s Church is a crime. But now a beloved member of their scrapbooking circle is lying lifeless next to a smashed statue of St. Sebastian—and a mysterious hooded figure has absconded with an antique crucifix. With so many tourists passing through the church, the police don’t have a prayer of finding the killer.
But if anyone can get to the bottom of the crime, it’s Carmela’s main squeeze, Detective Edgar Babcock—with a little assistance from some scrappy sleuths. As Carmela and Ava are drawn deeper into New Orleans’ French Quarter in search of the missing crucifix, they discover that this is one killer they don’t want to cross…
SCRAPBOOKING TIPS INCLUDED!
Book 10
Kimber Breeze of KBEZ-TV is broadcasting live from a hotel balcony in the French Quarter, interviewing locals and capturing the spectacle in the streets. But as Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking shop, waits to be interviewed next, someone sneaks onto the balcony and strangles Kimber with a cord, leaving her body dangling above the parade.
Soon after the murder, Carmela begins receiving strange postcards at her shop—signed by the late reporter. Now she and her friend Ava must risk their own necks to find out who’s posing as a ghost and expose a killer…
Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!
Book 11
Scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava, are off to a party. Prominent socialite Margo Leland is throwing an extravagant fete to welcome home her husband, Jerry Earl. There’s a zydeco band, champagne ice luge, and waiters in ties and tails. But in the midst of the revelry, Jerry Earl is murdered—then stuffed inside a clothes dryer.
When the grieving widow turns to her for help, Carmela can’t say no. But Jerry Earl took a lot of people to the cleaners with his underhanded business tactics, so Carmela’s going to be hard-pressed to identify which of his enemies was steamed enough to kill him. As she sorts through Jerry Earl’s dirty laundry, she needs to collar the killer before another victim is set to tumble dry…
Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!
Book 12
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 cabinet—and into her arms—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 kill—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 there’s another night of murderous mischief…
Scrapbooking Tips and Recipes Included!
Book 13
Enjoying dinner at Commander’s Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, Carmela finds the food and the company equally divine—with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Leaving the restaurant, the couple is interrupted once again—this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery.
Rushing to investigate, Carmela and Edgar find Isabelle lying across an aboveground tomb, strangled with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the case to Edgar, but she can’t say no to Isabelle’s sister, Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle’s past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet.
“Scrapbook aficionados rejoice! Ms. Childs creates a charming mystery series with lively, quirky characters, and plenty of how-to.”—Fresh Fiction
SCRAPBOOKING TIPS INCLUDED!
Book 14
Book 15
Book 16
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?
