Scan barcode
angelic712's review
3.0
Lighthearted, easy reading mystery. Just the thing when I can’t focus on anything.
mschrock8's review
4.0
Memories of one hour photo printing.
A passing glance at a character named Smoochie Peabody.
Scrapbook tips in the back; one I want to try.
And, the best, biggest, most fun part of this book! Carmela tries to remember a "famous quote" of something along the lines of "Never argue with people who buy ink by the gallon." Sounded fun to me, and I assumed it meant newspaper editors. I wondered which "famous" person said this. I found the actual quote to be "I never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel." And, the man who said this? Roger Branigin! You can't hit much closer to home than that! I also loved this twist on the quote: "Never pick a fight with anyone who buys ink by the barrel and paper by the ton." Swoon!
A passing glance at a character named Smoochie Peabody.
Scrapbook tips in the back; one I want to try.
And, the best, biggest, most fun part of this book! Carmela tries to remember a "famous quote" of something along the lines of "Never argue with people who buy ink by the gallon." Sounded fun to me, and I assumed it meant newspaper editors. I wondered which "famous" person said this. I found the actual quote to be "I never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel." And, the man who said this? Roger Branigin! You can't hit much closer to home than that! I also loved this twist on the quote: "Never pick a fight with anyone who buys ink by the barrel and paper by the ton." Swoon!
retiredlibrarylady's review
3.0
Not bad for a domestic cozy mystery. New Orleans at Mardi Gras is a nice setting; the scrapbooking s a different twist. First in a series; set up for continued friction between our detective Carmela and her estranged husband Shamus.
gkaltam's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
kairosdreaming's review against another edition
2.0
I just got back from New Orleans, so I thought to end my year a nice book set in New Orleans would be just the ticket. This was set in New Orleans, sorta, was a bit different than what I experienced. While I recognized some of the places, food, etc., I have to say the New Orleans I visited was more diverse and not just rich ladies flitting away the day making scrapbooks. Is there that in real life? Sure, probably. But I would have liked to have seen more than that in this book.
Then we have the characters. I suppose the main character, Carmela, was compelling enough. She also had one of the more recognizable names. The rest were like they came from a "make sure you know they're Southern" name generator. I get it, it makes people stand out if you don't name them Bob or Sue or whatever; but when every name is unique then they get lost in the crowd as well. The rest of the characters I also didn't get too attached to and had trouble remembering who was who (probably because my brain wouldn't tie them back to the names). They were all just kinda cotton candy, surface-level detail I guess.
It sounds like I'm really dragging on this book, and to be fair, I was, but I did like the intention of the mystery itself. I did end up guessing who it was, and the motive, but it wasn't easy and wouldn't be one of those mysteries you solve in an instant.
All in all, interesting concept and setting, but maybe just not to my taste. Maybe her tea series is better.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
Then we have the characters. I suppose the main character, Carmela, was compelling enough. She also had one of the more recognizable names. The rest were like they came from a "make sure you know they're Southern" name generator. I get it, it makes people stand out if you don't name them Bob or Sue or whatever; but when every name is unique then they get lost in the crowd as well. The rest of the characters I also didn't get too attached to and had trouble remembering who was who (probably because my brain wouldn't tie them back to the names). They were all just kinda cotton candy, surface-level detail I guess.
It sounds like I'm really dragging on this book, and to be fair, I was, but I did like the intention of the mystery itself. I did end up guessing who it was, and the motive, but it wasn't easy and wouldn't be one of those mysteries you solve in an instant.
All in all, interesting concept and setting, but maybe just not to my taste. Maybe her tea series is better.
Review by M. Reynard 2022
rants_n_reads's review
2.0
Not terrible, but not great. There are way too many characters for a first book in a series. Also, there was the classic mistake of making everyone too much of a caricature of a person, not a real character. Sure, people in the French Quarter have to have big personalities for the tourists, but not everyone is from a production of Gone with the Wind. I find that more often than not it's the Southern cities that people try to play up. You don't see as many New England novels in which the characters only order caw-fee and clam chowder and talk like they belong in a Good Will Hunting remake. It would also explain the amount of tell vs show in the novel. Carmela explains a lot of the New Orleans food and customs (sometimes too much. I think most people know what a po boy is) instead of describing them in scene. Both methods explain, but one is more patronizing, making it apparent that the author doesn't think their audience knows much while the other offers information naturally by describing the moment. Also, I didn't appreciate the line describing New Orleans outside the highway. It seemed negative just because there were more fast food restaurants and less nichy stores for the tourists. Lady, that's the real New Orleans. This isn't some small town like a normal cozy mystery. Lots of people live there, many in poor demographics where Popeyes is as good as it gets.
kjs1995's review
4.0
Really loved this book. I started with the first series by this author and just fell in love with all the books she came out and still waiting on the others.
redhickory's review
3.0
This is another series with a female heroine, only this time she owns a scrapbooking shop.
In this, the first of the series, she has to help her estranged husband beat murder charges and what better way than finding clues in her customer's photos!
I'll admit I grabbed it because of the scrapbooking theme and it is an OK read but not really well paced for a mystery, I like my pulse to speed up a bit when I am reading thrillers and that didn't happen. In fact, I could easily put it down mid-sentence and pick it up the next day.
What is here isn't terrible, but it isn't compelling either and I won't be reading any further books in the series.
In this, the first of the series, she has to help her estranged husband beat murder charges and what better way than finding clues in her customer's photos!
I'll admit I grabbed it because of the scrapbooking theme and it is an OK read but not really well paced for a mystery, I like my pulse to speed up a bit when I am reading thrillers and that didn't happen. In fact, I could easily put it down mid-sentence and pick it up the next day.
What is here isn't terrible, but it isn't compelling either and I won't be reading any further books in the series.
libraryjen's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
3.0
Entertaining enough to finish, although I never would have chosen it had it not fit a prompt for the 2022 Pick Your Poison challenge. A totally mindless and forgettable, but innocuous cozy mystery.