4.5

Oh man, Laura Childs really knows how to write a good Cozy Mystery series. I’ve been reading her other series, the Teashop Mystery series, and have really fallen in love with her writing style. So when I jumped back into this world, I realized just how much I enjoy her ability to change styles so easily.

This series is a lot more crazy and fun but still contains so much great conflict and mystery. I absolutely love the New Orleans backdrop of this series because it brings a totally fresh vibe and when you pair that with Childs’s writing, you really get something special.

I really don’t know how to express how much I enjoyed MUMBO GUMBO MURDER but it’s definitely one of my favorite books of the year! Packed with intrigue and mystery, this book has so amazing things in it. I would highly recommend this series to anyone who likes bright characters and mysterious settings because it truly is different from the other Cozy Mystery series I’ve read. In fact, out of all of Childs’s series, this one just might be my favorite.

MUMBO GUMBO MURDER is definitely a home run and I’ll be keeping this baby on my keeper shelf for the next years to come!

This book follows Carmela Bertrand and her bestie Ava as they are out one night in the glorious Crescent City and hear a glass shatter and find their friend Devon Dowling dead and his dog Mimi traumatized.

Carmela ends up taking Mimi home thinking maybe Mimi can help identify Devon's murderer. Of course they are so many suspects. Could it be his heavy drinking assistant TJ? Or could it be the owner of his building whose quick to build Condos? Or could it be Richard Drake from the vampire society?

This book had so much going on as Quigg was also involving Carmela with a new bar idea which created alot of friction with Babcock. All this while also investigating a murder and getting a wedding dress and coming up with a wedding date! I don't how these two do it but they manage to do it in style as well.

I love this series so much it has rich location of New Orleans along with alot of interesting and colorful characters! Can't wait to see what this writing teams come up with next!

Sweet and swoony. Andie J. Christopher has written a fun and entertaining romcom. We met Bridget in Miss Christopher’s previous book “Not the Girl You Marry”. She was Jack’s feisty little sister. Bridget has sworn off men after having her heart stomped on by her long-term boyfriend. So when Matt comes to intern at her law office she is not tempted at all (at least that’s what she tells herself) even though there is chemistry between them. Bridget and Matt form a friendship, so when his internship is over she decides it would be OK to use him as her plus one to her brothers wedding. The first wedding event they attend is a trip to Las Vegas that is a bit awkward because Bridgets ex is also in attendance. But Bridget and Matt seem to handle the situation OK, by the end of the trip Matt put a ring on it. So does what happens in Vegas stay in Vegas? Or will Bridget and Matt continue their relationship/marriage?

Such a fun read with so much delicious wit and banter. Bridget was such a likable strong sassy character, a girl I’d love to be friends with. Matt was a genuine good guy who occasionally needed to grow a pair. I love the chemistry and banter between them and really wanted them to get their HEA. Love the fact that Jack and Hannah made an appearance in this book. Jack was such an amazing big brother and Hannah was seriously the greatest mama bear sister-in-law ever. There were of course some frustrating moments of misunderstanding, but that always seems to happen in these books. This was absolutely another winner from this author and I am looking forward to what’s next. Bridget and Hannah have a big brother who needs a little love.

This book in emojis 💼 💍 🍹 🎰 👰🏼

*** Big thank you to Berkley for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

Traveling With T’s Thoughts:

I’ve been reading the Scrapbook series by Laura Childs for several books now- probably around book 8 through current. I always want to go to New Orleans after finishing a book and Carmela and Ava would be my best friends if I lived down there 🙂


What I liked:

The cover. SO.MUCH.FUN!

The mystery. I thought the mystery in the last book was a bit too light, but this one was good.

Carmela and Ava. I don’t want them to ever change. They are best friend goals.



Bottom line: Basically, you can jump into this series anywhere you want to. Laura Childs explains enough about backstory and characters you run across to keep you in the know- even if it’s your first book. Recommended reading for a fun read for Halloween!



*This book was sent to Traveling With T for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.*

Mumbo Gumbo Murder
(A Scrapbooking Mystery #16)
by Laura Childs, Terrie Farley Moran 

Hardcover, 320 pages
Published October 1st 2019 by Berkley Books



Goodreads synopsis:
A shocking murder strikes a sour note during Jazz Fest in the latest New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery from New York Times bestselling author Laura Childs.

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?


***

4.5 Stars

This is my first foray into the world of Laura Childs and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. This is the sixteenth book in the A Scrapbooking Mystery series.

I really enjoy the more crafty cozy mysteries like this one. I learn so much about design by just listening to the characters speak. This book has all the familiar cozy aspects you would expect.

One police officer, Edgar, who has a connection to the main character. Check.

One quirky sidekick, Ava, that gets into just about as much trouble as the POV character, Carmela. Check.

And then dabble in enough suspects to make your head spin including the enigma who is Drake. Check.

I have to say I fell in head first into this story and never got my footing until Carmella ran down the parade route in a bat costume. All the personal interactions Carmela has with so many of the periphery characters is what makes this book sing. The world building on this must have been a nightmare in the beginning. There are so many places you can go with a book like this set in such a colorful city as New Orleans.

I will definitely be checking out more of Ms. Child’s book in this series. I may not be a scrapbooker, but I appreciate the design aspects thrown into the mystery. If you love a good crafting cozy, definitely check this one out. One more name to put on my must read list, for sure!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Mumbo Gumbo Murder is classic Laura Childs. Lots of food, antics, and fun. This cozy is filled with plenty of atmosphere from New Orleans and the Jazz Festival. The descriptions are lively and the setting takes on a life of its own. The best news is the mystery part of the story remains a puzzler to the end. Fans of the Scrapbooking Mysteries will love to lose themselves in the chase as Carmela and Ava go on their quest to find the killer despite the stern cautions from Carmela’s hot detective boyfriend Edgar who, of course, warns her to steer clear of his murder investigation or face his wrath.

Carmela Bertrand and her friend, Ava, are excited to be celebrating Jazz Fest in the French Quarter of New Orleans. They are amazed at all the huge puppets in the parade. Then, the festivities are interrupted when they hear a loud crash from Carmela’s friend’s antique shop. They rush over to help, but it’s too late. Carmela’s friend Devon Dowling has been murdered.

Carmela vows to find the killer, much to her fiance’s dismay. After all, he’s the lead detective on the case and doesn’t want her to get involved. However, she’s sure the police are looking for the culprit in all the wrong places and people would be more willing to talk to her than the police.

It doesn’t take long before she discovers the victim had many enemies. This case won’t be as easy as she hoped it would be, but that doesn’t make her any less determined. Fortunately, her best friend is by her side but are they getting too close to the killer and in danger of falling to the same fate of Devon Dowling?

I’m always excited to see a new Laura Childs’ book and I especially adore this series which she writes with Terrie Farley Moran. This writing duo always puts together an exciting new adventure for Carmela Bertrand. I practically devour these books as soon as they are released.

The characters are lively, fun, and quirky. The Scrapbook Mystery series brings New Orleans to life on each page. I’m easily transported into the story and the location. The plot moves at a fast pace. I had no clue as to who the killer was until the end. There were so many possibilities.

I came into this series halfway through it. I still need to read the first few books to catch up, but I was easily able to fall right into this series. The authors do give you some tidbits from Carmela’s past, but as with most cozy mystery series, I always feel starting at the beginning is the best way to go so you can see the character’s growth along the way. The good thing is each mystery is contained within a book. There is no cliff hanger - so you do get a complete mystery with each edition of this series.

I’m anxiously awaiting the next Scrapbooking Mystery.

Mumbo Gumbo Murder is the 16th book in Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking Mystery series. The book, however, is the first one in the series I’ve had a chance to read. I may have joined the party a bit late, but I found the book to fun, interesting, and easy to follow despite not having any information about the characters from previous books.

The New Orleans setting was a wonderful change of pace from settings of other cozies. Instead of being set in a small town, Mumbo Gumbo Murder is set in the heart of Mardi Gras territory. The book is set during Jazz Fest and the town is hopping when in the middle of parade, Carmela and Ava are lead to a friend’s antique store where he’s found dead on the floor. Devon’s homicide is not only upsetting, it’s puzzling since Devon is an easy-going person without any enemies. The author does a wonderful job providing several potential suspects and when it comes right down to who was responsible, disguises the true murderer fantastically. I was shocked.

The characters were likable enough and I enjoyed learning about them. Carmela is a bit indecisive but it’s not a bad trait. She is your typical cozy mystery heroine and runs into trouble headfirst. She puts herself in very dangerous situations. The “will-she-marry – won’t-she-marry Edgar Babcock” ping-pong match going on in Carmela’s mind was a bit distracting, though. The reappearance of an old boyfriend and Carmela’s ex-husband added quite the twist to the story and I found those situations interesting. Ava and Gabby are great secondary characters and I enjoyed their interactions.

Mumbo Gumbo is a great novel. I didn’t feel like I was lacking any information since I hadn’t read the previous books. What reading book 16 in the series did, though, was increase my excitement for the series. I will be starting the series from book 1 now.

Carmela and Ava are at it again! This is the 16th edition to the Scrapbooking Mystery Series. Dont worry if you miss one because Laura Childs writes so you can jump in no matter the order. Although my personal preference is to always read in sequence :)

It's Jazz Fest in NOLA and the streets are filled with people, music, and puppets when a huge crash of breaking glass attracts everyone to Devon Dowling's antique shop. His dog Mimi is heard from the street and Carmela is worried for her friend so she crawls inside to find him bleeding on the floor. Unfortunately, Devon did not survive the attack. Carmela takes the only witness, Mimi the pug, and waits for her fiance Detective Edgar Bobcock to question her. None of the clues are adding up and Carmela needs to find out what happened. On top of the murder Edgar wants her to decide on a wedding date and her ex-boyfriend Quigg has moved in next door. Can Carmela and Ava find the murder without getting herself in a bigger mess?

I really enjoyed this cozy! It has plenty of red herrings to keep you on your toes and I was surprised in the end. Cozy mystery lovers will fall in love with the realistic approach. This book is filled with crafty goodness, wedding woes, an annoying ex-husband and ex-boyfriend, and some serious best friend goals. The NOLA setting and foodie stops constantly make me want to jump on a plane. I was intrigued by the Beastpuppets, the vampire club and Ava's matchmaker adventure. I cannot wait to read the next one. Hopefully Carmela will take that hunky Edgar Babcock down the aisle!

Mumbo Gumbo Murder by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran is the 16th A Scrapbooking Mystery. Carmela Bertrand and Ava Gruiex finished watching the kick-off parade for Jazz Fest and went to Royal Street where a street fair is taking place. They hear glass breaking along with shouting and rush to investigate. At Dulcimers Antiques owned by Devon Dowling, they find the shop is a mess with Devon dead on the Persian carpet. Carmela wants to know what happened to her friend and sets out to get answers despite the warning from her fiancé, Detective Edgar Babcock. Mumbo Gumbo Murder is a delightfully entertaining cozy mystery. It can be read as a standalone for those new to the series, but you would be missing out on some charming cozy mysteries. I thought Mumbo Gumbo Murder was well-written with developed characters and a wonderful setting (New Orleans). The descriptions brought the city alive for me. Carmela Bertrand owns Memory Mine Scrapbooking Shop in the French Quarter which she runs with the assistance of Gabby Mercer-Morris. Carmela is a creative and clever woman who has two dogs (maybe three now), divorced, and has a penchant for getting into fixes. Ava Gruiex is Carmela’s best friend who owns Juju Voodoo and likes to wear tight, revealing clothing plus she is outrageous (never met a man she wouldn’t flirt with). I enjoy the dialogue between Carmela and Ava. They are a fun duo whose antics will have you laughing. Ava decides to consult a matchmaker so she can find a good man. Carmela finds herself roped into Quigg Brevard’s new venture. She likes the idea and so does everyone else except Edgar Babcock. Edgar wants Carmela to set the wedding date and begin planning their nuptials. Carmela wants to marry Edgar, but something (like her disastrous first marriage) is holding her back. I had to laugh when Edgar mentioned getting bow ties for the two dogs (they need to be appropriately attired for the wedding). Carmela works on some creative projects at Memory Mine including a paper theater and I was drooling over the descriptions of the items in Memory Mine (hundreds of papers, stamps, Paperclay, ribbon, and so much more). There is even a mention of one of my favorite magazine companies, Somerset Studio. The murder of Devon Dowling has Carmela asking questions, digging up clues, and prying information out of Edgar. There is misdirection along with direct clues. I wish, though, that I had not been able to identify the killer so early in the story plus there were unanswered questions at the end. I hope we hear wedding bells for Carmela soon. She just needs to figure out where she wishes to get married and when. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Mumbo Gumbo Murder and I look forward to Cadmium Red Dead next year. There are New Orleans recipes at the end along with Scrapbook, Stamping and Craft Tips. Two of my favorite lines from Mumbo Gumbo Murder were “Nothing like a good exorcism to set you straight again” and “I swear, this is the last time I buy Louboutin knockoffs!”. Mumbo Gumbo Murder is a pleasing cozy mystery with paper projects, wedding woes, a bowwow bystander, a mystified matchmaker, a bothersome ex-beau, and a frustrated fiancé.

Scrapbook store owner and crafter Carmela Bertrand returns in another whodunnit set in the always spooky New Orleans. This time Carmela and her bestie are out enjoying the Jazz Fest when they hear an ominous crash coming from Devon Downing’s antique shop. They enter to find Devon dead as a doornail, murdered with an icepick. Now the two friends set out to find the killer. The formula here is comforting in the way that only a really good cozy mystery can be. Childs doesn’t go in for gore and mush of her book is spent discussing crafts and finding a home for the victim’s now homeless pug. Always a treat

Two of our favorite cozy authors once again team up for an explosive mystery in New Orleans.
Added favorite elements include food, crafts and adorable dogs.
Some stranger additions are over-sized puppets and vampires!
Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava are once again right in the middle of the excitement.
Ava is also looking for true love, while Carmela is trying to commit to a wedding date to the love of her life, Detective Edgar Babcock. When a close friend of Carmela's is murdered during a Jazz Fest, she can't keep herself from investigating, especially when it seems the best witness is the victim's pug. Babcock is busy with the investigation but always seems to be unavailable when Carmela has something important to tell him. Like that he ex boyfriend is opening a store next to hers and is adding her as a managing partner.

Nonstop action and plenty of devious twists come into play. You can still read and enjoy this as a stand alone mystery.

The characters are well portrayed. The mystery is pretty good. There are many red herrings and if the reader is used to playing detective then they are sure to go off track. The story seemed a tad dragged at places and the identity of the murderer is revealed almost at the end of the story. The suspense and the chase kept me engrossed to the story.

An interesting cozy read that keeps one entertained till the end.

MUMBO GUMBO MURDER, the sixteenth book in the popular Scrapbooking Mystery series by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran, is a fun romp through the streets of New Orleans during Jazz Fest. The author duo brings the French Quarter to life and the reader is treated to the sights, sounds, and tastes of this vibrant city. And oh the tastes… New Orleans is a foodie-lovers’ paradise and the protagonist, Carmela Bertrand, and her sidekick, Ava, eat and drink their way through the festival making me wish I could be there with them. I also enjoyed the parade scenes with the Beastmaster Puppets. The tidbits of information the authors provide on how the puppeteers manipulate them, especially the jumbo-sized puppets, was quite interesting. The reader is also treated to the creepy side of New Orleans through the vampire society and the voodoo shops. Ava, owner of one of the voodoo shops, adds zing to the antics she gets into with scrapbook shop owner Carmela. As a team their capers spice up the pages of this entertaining read and while it’s a mystery with murder, they often reminded me of a younger Lucy and Ethel.

While the settings, tastes, and zany antics contribute lighthearted fun, the authors still deliver a solid mystery for Carmela and Ava to solve. The action starts with a literal bang from the very beginning and continues with page-turning intrigue. Even though Carmela is engaged to Detective Edgar Babcock, who begs her not to get involved, she still manages to insert herself into the thick of the investigation. This time it’s her antiques dealing friend who is murdered and after rescuing the dead man’s adorable pug, she can’t help but want to find out who ended his life. Could his death be related to the rumors swirling around that he owned a piece of President Lincoln’s coat, worn on the night of his assassination? Or was there something of value hidden away in his shop that was worth killing for? As Carmela asks questions and listens to gossip, while eating her way through town, the suspect lists grows. With an action-packed conclusion, Ms. Childs and Ms. Moran provide a satisfactory end to a highly entertaining read.

Like I mentioned before, New Orleans is a food-lovers’ paradise. Fortunate for the reader, the authors include several recipes at the back of the book along with scrapbooking tips and craft ideas.

Every time Carmela gets involved in a murder in New Orleans, she promises her detective fiance Edgar Babcock this will be the last time she will meddle. In Mumbo Gumbo Murder by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran, the murder victim practically lands at Carmela's feet and it is her friend antique dealer Devon Dowling. Shocked by the brutality of the murder, Carmela and Ava cannot step aside. There are all kinds of suspects including Devon's new assistant. But Carmela raises Edgar's ire even more by "partnering" with Quigg Brevard in a Wine and Paint shop. Another exiting caper through New Orleans's French Quarter and beyond.

A review of Mumbo Gumbo Murder will be posted on MapYourMystery.com on Tuesday, September 10.