Tragic Magic (Kennebec Large Print Superior Collection) [Large Print] [Paperback]

Laura Childs (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kennebec Large Print Superior Collection | Publication Date: January 20, 2010

The next Scrapbooking mystery takes readers back to New Orleans, where there are spookies, foodies-and crafty killers.

Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbook shop, and her best friend, owner of Juju Voodoo, have a big project. Melody Mayfeldt is converting an old mansion in the Faubourg-Marigny district into an unforgettable haunted house for those who flock to New Orleans for a creepy fix. She needs Carmela's crafty touch to make the Medusa Manor come to life in time for the upcoming horror convention.

But Melody takes her house haunting too seriously-especially when her flaming body comes crashing through a tower window to 'welcome' them to the job. Sure there's been an increased trend in murder lately, but someone specifically wanted Carmela's client very dead. Carmela's in some deep gumbo again and needs to crop out a killer from the throngs of people flocking to New Orleans. Then maybe it won't be so hard living in the Big Easy.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The murder of jeweler Melody Mayfeldt, an enthusiast of the supernatural, at Medusa Manor, a New Orleans mansion being converted into a haunted house attraction for an upcoming horror convention, drives Childs's contrived seventh scrapbooking cozy (after 2008's Death Swatch). Scrapbooking diva Carmela Bertrand and her French Quarter sidekick, Ava Gruiex, know it wasn't a ghost who killed their friend by a blow to the head and then pushed her flaming corpse out of a third-floor window of the manor. NOPD Det. Edgar Babcock, Carmela's boyfriend, and the Crescent City Nancy Drews investigate various suspects, including Melody's husband, Garth, who co-owned Fire and Ice Jewelers with Melody, and a real estate developer who wanted to buy Medusa Manor. While Child conjures up the abiding charm of New Orleans with her usual flair, besides providing recipes and scrapbooking tips, the rushed resolution disappoints. (Oct.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Laura Childs is the bestselling author of the Tea Shop mysteries and the Scrapbooking mysteries. In her past life she was a Clio Award-winning advertising writer and the CEO of her own marketing firm. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 477 pages
• Publisher: Kennebec Large Print; Lrg edition (January 20, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1410420671
• ISBN-13: 978-1410420671
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,582,926 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Laura Childs is the New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. In her previous life she was CEO/Creative Director of her own marketing firm and authored several screenplays. She is married to a professor of Chinese art history, loves to travel, rides horses, enjoys fund raising for various non-profits, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs.

Laura specializes in cozy mysteries that have the pace of a thriller (a thrillzy!) Her three series are:

The Tea Shop Mysteries - set in the historic district of Charleston and featuring Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop. Theodosia is a savvy entrepreneur, and pet mom to service dog Earl Grey. She's also an intelligent, focused amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on coincidences or inept police work to solve crimes. This charming series is highly atmospheric and rife with the history and mystery that is Charleston.

The Scrapbooking Mysteries - a slightly edgier series that take place in New Orleans. The main character, Carmela, owns Memory Mine scrapbooking shop in the French Quarter and is forever getting into trouble with her friend, Ava, who owns the Juju Voodoo shop. New Orleans' spooky above-ground cemeteries, jazz clubs, bayous, and Mardi Gras madness make their presence known here!

The Cackleberry Club Mysteries - set in Kindred, a fictional town in the Midwest. In a rehabbed Spur station, Suzanne, Toni, and Petra, three semi-desperate, forty-plus women have launched the Cackleberry Club. Eggs are the morning specialty here and this cozy cafe even offers a book nook and yarn shop. Business is good but murder could lead to the cafe's undoing! This series offers recipes, knitting, cake decorating, and a dash of spirituality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars terrific amateur sleuth, October 10, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tragic Magic (A Scrapbooking Mystery) (Hardcover)

After three long years wrangling over a divorce, Carmela Bertrand and Seamus are near a settlement if his sister Gloria minds her business. In the meantime, four years since Katrina, Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbook shop, is finally finding her customers coming back and making money. Her friend, Melody Mayfeldt is up against a deadline to convert an old mansion Medusa Manor into a haunted house that will attract customers from all over the country. When Carmela and her friend Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo, are near Medusa Manor, they hear a loud explosion and see a fiery body flying through a window.

The victim is Melody; a shaken Carmela and Ava are accosted by Melody's silent partner Olivia Wainwright who pleads with them to get the haunted house ready in time for the horror convection DiscordaCon. Carmela's significant other Detective Edgar Babcock tells her that Melody's husband Garth, owner of the Fire and Ice high end jewelry store, is the prime suspect; as the shop is bankrupt and he recently took out insurance on his late wife. Carmela and the cops have other suspects, but as each investigates separately increasingly Garth looks guilty.

New Orleans is still trying to return to normal as the Big Easy, but there is plenty left to do. Although fans will have to accept Carmela's need to sleuth, as part of her being a strong independent person who refuses to let neither Seamus nor Edgar bully her; ironically their motives on the altruism scale are wide apart. Fast-paced with plenty of action, TRAGIC MAGIC is terrific scrapbooking amateur sleuth mystery in which the audience will enjoy stomping through the mud while trying to determine who killed Melody before the heroine can.

Harriet Klausner

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful cozy to read, October 18, 2009

By 

Sassy girl "Sassy" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tragic Magic (A Scrapbooking Mystery) (Hardcover)

I really enjoyed this mystery cozy. The heroines,
Carmela and Ava, make this book an enjoyable read for me.
Those two ladies know how to find trouble.
Visiting graveyards, designing haunted houses, finding dead bodies,
are all in a "days work" for them.
The location, New Orleans, is perfect for this mystery.
Bring out your Mari Gras beads, and sit back for an enjoyable cozy read.
The recipes and scrapbook ideas are wonderful too.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A vivid mystery perfect for any serious mystery collection, December 20, 2009

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tragic Magic (A Scrapbooking Mystery) (Hardcover)

TRAGIC MAGIC is a scrapbooking mystery set in New Orleans and revolving around Carmella, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking store, and her best friend Ava, owner of Juju Voodoo. Their joint project converting an old mansion into a haunted house backfires when the haunted house becomes too authentic and death walks among them in this vivid mystery perfect for any serious mystery collection.