Crepe Factor by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran

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Crepe Factor by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran

A Scrapbooking Mystery #14

The Winter Market in the French Quarter is in full swing, but murder isn’t taking a holiday in the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Parchment and Old Lace…

The holidays are a busy time for scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand—but not so hectic that she doesn’t have time to enjoy browsing the booths at the Winter Market with her best friend Ava. The last thing the ladies expect to see is a lurching man stabbed by a serving fork, dying in front of them.

The victim is loathed restaurant critic Martin Lash, who posted his scathing reviews on the Glutton for Punishment website. And the prime suspect is New Orleans restauranteur Quigg Brevard—who was seen giving the critic a tongue-lashing minutes before someone stuck a fork in him. An old flame of Carmela, Quigg asks for her help, which does not please her current beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, to say the least.

Before her relationship is the next victim, Carmela needs to find a murderer who had no reservations about punishing the culinary curmudgeon…

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One of the most magnificent things about New Orleans is that it is surrounded by some of the greatest waterways nature can provide: the Mississippi River, the expansive Lake Pontchartrain and the magnificent bayous ambling down to the Gulf of Mexico. Carmela Bertrand, owner of the Memory Mine scrapbooking shop and her best friend Ava Gruiex owner of the exotic Juju Voodoo store filled with charms and baubles dedicated to the ancient spiritual art, consider themselves to be extremely lucky to live and own businesses in the dynamic French Quarter of New Orleans.

While Ava wanders from gentleman friend to gentleman friend, Carmela has been steadily dating handsome New Orleans Police detective Edgar Babcock. So when the dead body of a restaurant critic, complete with a serving folk stuck in his neck, lands directly in front of Carmela and Ava as they are enjoying the famous holiday Winter Market, it is not surprising that Babcock arrives on the scene. But irritated as Babcock is that the ladies are key witnesses, he is more than a little annoyed to find out that, just before he was murdered, the food critic was involved in a loud fracas with an old flame of Carmela’s named Quigg Brevard. And the fact that Carmela and Ava witnessed the fight adds to Babcock’s intensity when he warns Carmela to stay out of this investigation.

But on a moonlight night Quigg appears in the shadows at Carmela’s front door and pressures her to help to clear his name. Carmela doesn’t want to upset Babcock but Ava encourages her to think of it as doing a favor for an old friend and nothing more. So Carmela begins to investigate the food critic’s life, friends and business arrangements. We get to accompany Carmela and Ave to fancy balls, fine dining restaurants and some crazy boat rides on the bayou. As we’ve all come to expect with the Scrapbooking series, there are wonderful craft hints and recipes in the back of the book. Have fun!


About the Authors

Laura Childs, author of Crepe Factor

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.

Webpage – http://www.laurachilds.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/laura.childs.31

Terrie Farley Moran, author of Crepe FactorShort-listed twice for The Best American Mystery Stories, Terrie Farley Moran is delighted to introduce mystery fans to the Read ’Em and Eat café and bookstore, which debuted with Well Read, Then Dead. followed by Caught Read-Handed and Read to Death released in July of this year. The only thing Terrie enjoys more than wrangling mystery plots into submission is playing games and reading stories with any or all of her grandchildren.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terrie.moran.9

Blog: http://www.womenofmystery.net

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23186092-terrie-moran

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