Customer Reviews

Motif for Murder: A Scrapbooking Mystery (Scrapbooking Mysteries)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Another installment in her Scrapbooking mystery series from Laura Childs. I had thoroughly enjoyed the first three and was a bit worried that this series wouldn't continue (it's set in New Orleans...she started up again after Hurricane Katrina, though, with proper mention to the diaster).

This book doesn't spend as much time in Memory Mine (her store) and gives us a much more indepth look at Shamus' character. I'm still not sure if I like the ending...you'll have to read it and see what you think. I'm also not sure what my opinion of Shamus is anymore, either. We'll all have to wait and see where Childs' goes with the Shamus/Carmela link.

This mystery is really all Carmela and her friend, Ava. The book begins with the kidnapping of Shamus and the murder of Shamus' uncle, Henry Meechum. Glory throws her usual little tantrum (I really hate that woman) and Carmela is off on her own. Shamus is rescued pretty quickly and he wants Carmela to help him solve Henry's murder, but while Carmela keeps at it, Shamus keeps going off on other things and getting distracted. While I wasn't able to guess the murderer, I did figure out pretty early where the clue was going to be once Carmela figured it out.

Although I liked this book, I really think this is the weakest so far. I definitely enjoyed the other books more. Childs really tantalizes us with Shamus and Carmela getting a little "happily ever after" at the beginning and then pulls it out from under us (yes, I admit, I like happy endings).

If you are just coming to this series, I would recommend starting with Keepsake Crimes, the first in the series, and not this one.

Carmela, owner of a New Orleans scrapbooking store, is trying to get her business back together as well as her relationship with her ex-husband, Shamus. Things change quickly when Shamus is kidnapped and his Uncle Henry is murdered. Of course the New Orleans police cannot be trusted to solve the mystery, so Carmela launches her own investigation. She and her friend Ava talk to several possible suspects in an attempt to find out who had a reason to resort to kidnapping and murder. The best thing about this book is the setting, and there are quite a few interesting references to different aspects of New Orleans. On the down side, there are several spelling mistakes in the book which is always a distraction. Also the plot is not very compelling and the characters are quite one-dimensional. I found myself not very interested in whether Carmela and Shamus continue their on-again-off-again relationship or not.

I really like all her books but this one was recameaded by our yahoo group. It not only has scrapbooking but alot about altered books. How to etc. That is why our altered book group thought we would like to read it. It is a very good read even for people who are not into scrapbooking or altered books. They might even get interested in doing so after reading this book. Good mystery.

I enjoyed the new installment. I too was concerned about the series continuing after Katrina and was glad that it did. This story was not as strong as the others, but I feel the original story was written before Katrina and needed "tweeking" after the hurrican. I am glad that we are seeing the "true" side of Shamus. I do not him with Carmela and hope this is over. My only problem with the book was the editing. The first sentence of the first page had a mistake, one I had to look at several times to relize it was the book and not me. This followed throughout the book. At times it was frustrating to read and I had to put it down and come back. But as far as the story, it was good. Hope the series continues and goes back to roots of Carmala and her store and friends, minus Shamus as a love interest. Carmala needs a REAL MAN!!!

I keep reading these, hoping they'll get better... after all, they are about scrapbooking! But unfortunately I keep getting disappointed. If the editing errors ("summersault??")and sentence fragments don't get you, the ridiculous plot will.

The biggest letdown? Laura Childs is a pretty good writer. Her prose flows and the descriptions are fun and colorful. I suggest she get a better editor, one who actually does his or her job.

I can't say this is the most compelling, or the funniest, or the best cozy mystery series - but if you're a scrapbooker, it's "cute". I like the characters, and I love the idea of centering the story around a scrapbook store owner. This was not my favorite in the series. Carmella's relationship with her hubby is definitely getting annoying, and for someone bright enough to solve crimes (though often accidentally), she does some really dumb things. The cops in this series might not be the most effective, but Carmella "gets lucky" way too often - it's a miracle she's still alive. I will keep reading the series, and hope that Carmella grows into a more believable heroine.

This is the 4th book in the Scrapbooking series set in New Orleans. It is the first in the series to take place post-Katrina. Carmela, recently reconciled with her husband, is having doubts about her decision. Shamus, is kidnapped out of the kitchen and after calling 911, she heads next door to her husband's Uncle Henry's house. When she finds that Henry has been murdered as well things get complicated. Carmela and her friend Ava investigate and try to find out what has happened. While they are able to rescue Shamus, he is of little help in pursuing the murder suspects. A key piece of evidence is unwittingly taken by Carmela, which places her in danger from the killer. While this was a decent cozy mystery, I find that this series is less interesting to me than the Tea Shop series, and I found this particular book to be a little weak. Hopefully, the series will pick up from here.

I'm finding that the quality of Ms. Childs' scrapbook mysteries wanes through each additional story. This is the 3rd one in the series. It's very easy to figure out from the beginning. The characters are way too simple. As another reviewer stated, it was another mystery with a protagonist making dumb decisions.

If you're looking for an easy, simple mystery read, then it's ok. If you're looking for some real deep development, skip it.

This series had been my favourite of Laura Childs'... until this book!

In the past Carmela, the plucky scrapbook store owner and amateur detective, seemed sweet as a person, talented in her craft and melancholy with regards to her self-indulgent husband. But now she has become irritating. She has NO FLAWS! She and her pal Ava eat all sorts of rich New Orleans food while never worrying about their weight (in fact, the two women mock both people who work out AND people who are overweight); she escapes from a pursuer by performing "a perfect somersault" from a ship; she has become a crack racecar driver; and she and her friends are obsessed with wearing designer clothes (which they buy second-hand, because they are frugal too!) I wish the former "everywoman" Carmela would come back!

Having said that, the setting is luscious, and the recipes do indeed look yummy. This book made me want to try scrapbooking and altered books. So there is lots to love about this series, if only Carmela were a little more modest!

Carmela and Ava are back. This time Carmela's husband Shamus has been kidnapped and Shamus' uncle Henry Meechum has been murdered. While we don't spend a lot of time in Carmel's shop Memory Mine, it is still an integral part of the story.

This time we learn a lot more about Shamus and his family. Shamus' sister Glory is once again throwing tantrums and causing problems for Carmela.

The story is set in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. I thought the author did a great job of continuing her series while shedding a lot of light on life after the hurricane.

I love this series and its setting. Carmela and Ava are such fun characters. They often find themselves in some situations that make me want to yell at them to turn back. But it's always fun reading how they get out of those sticky situations.

I am hoping that Shamus and his family won't play such a big part in future books. I love Memory Mine and the various women that frequent the shop. I also love Carmela and Ava's interaction with others within the city.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to many more.