Scrapbook of the Dead by Mollie Cox Bryan (Cozy Mystery, 10E/10E, short 'n' sweet review)

I had to avoid looking too closely at the slightly gruesome cover

September 2016, Kensington Publishing, 304 pages, Paperback, Review copy 

Content: murder, suspense, humour

Summary from Kensington

Halloween means spooky scrapbooks for the Cumberland Creek Scrapbook Crop, but what's been happening around town is truly frightening. First a dead woman is found in the freezer at Pamela's Pie Palace, and the next day a second woman is found murdered by the river. Reporter Annie Chamovitz learns the victims were sisters and is certain their deaths are linked. Most bizarre of all, both women were found clutching scrapbook pages.

 

As their Saturday night crop quickly becomes an opportunity to puzzle out the murders, the ladies begin to wonder if Pamela is hiding more than her secret recipes for delicious pies--or if the crimes are related to the startling discovery that there are gangs in Cumberland Creek. As All Hallows Eve approaches, the crafty croppers must cut and paste the clues to unmask a deadly killer.

 

Nayu's thoughts

A funny, not too spooky read which made me sad when I reached the end because it was over. It's part of a series so I can meet the characters again! I was a little worried that the voodoo elements of this tale would prove too much for me as it is a topic I intensely dislike, but they really didn't. I know little about scrapbooking so I enjoyed learning how it all works while a mystery is being solved, and the additional glossary of terms helped me understand the subject even more.

 

The camaraderie between characters made me feel like I knew them forever, and it helped them solve the murder with their unique skills and life perspective. Including baking into the story made it a top class read! There's a lot of humour which balances out the grim parts, and I'm eager to read more of the series. 

 

Find out more on Mollie's website.