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theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
4.0
Glitter Bomb by Laura Childs is the fifteenth A Scrapbooking Mystery. Carmela Bertrand and Ava Gruiex are watching the Pluvius Parade and are not surprised when they see Carmela’s ex-husband, Shamus Meechum on the head float. The head float features King Neptune with gold glitter pluming out from his head over the revelers. All the sudden the float starts acting wonky and then—BOOM! An explosion erupted from King Neptune’s head and gold glitter is everywhere as well as the riders of the float. The men start getting up, but one lays unmoving on the ground. Hughes Wilder, the Pluvius Krewe captain, is pronounced dead at the scene and Lt. Edgar Babcock, Carmela’s fiancé (sort of) is on the case (this could be awkward). The next day, Shamus stumbles into Memory Mine seeking Carmela’s help (of course). A bomb had been set in the float right under Hughes Wilder’s seat and Shamus is at the top of the suspect list thanks to an unwise investment. Carmela knows that Shamus does not have the brain power to execute this type of killing. Carmela, with Ava’s eager assistance, begins investigating the other krewe members and investors. They need to proceed carefully, or they could up as confetti on Bourbon Street.
Glitter Bomb is part of the delightful A Scrapbooking Mystery series. While Glitter Bomb can be read alone, I highly recommend reading all the books in the series. I have enjoyed watching Carmela develop over the course of the series as she went from divorcee to savvy business owner and sleuth. I still do not know what she saw in Shamus (it is baffling). Carmela is currently engaged to Lt. Edgar Bertrand. I am on the fence about this relationship. I wish he would quit discouraging her investigations. Bertrand should know by now Carmela will always help those in her circle (even Shamus) and she is just plain curious. I love the scrapbooking projects mentioned in the book. There are some creative ideas that I am looking forward to playing with in my studio. I found Glitter Bomb to be well-written with a fast pace. Carmela and Ava are a hoot. I enjoy their witty repartee. Ava and Carmela do not let grass grow under their feet on this investigation. Of course, you can always count on Ava to spice things up. This time Ava promised to house sit for her boyfriend’s parents and committed the pair to appearing in a fashion show. Laura Childs brought the French Quarter during Mardi Gras alive for me with her word imagery. The mystery had several suspects along with a red herring or two and good clues. Cozy mystery sleuths, though, will find it a cinch to identify the guilty party. The ending is exciting, suspenseful, romantic and funny. The last line is amusing which is a great way to end a book. There is a preview of Eggs on Ice at the end along with scrapbooking tips and recipes for New Orleans delicacies. I am giving Glitter Bomb 4.5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I cannot wait to read Mumbo Jumbo which is the next installment in A Scrapbooking Mystery series.
Glitter Bomb is part of the delightful A Scrapbooking Mystery series. While Glitter Bomb can be read alone, I highly recommend reading all the books in the series. I have enjoyed watching Carmela develop over the course of the series as she went from divorcee to savvy business owner and sleuth. I still do not know what she saw in Shamus (it is baffling). Carmela is currently engaged to Lt. Edgar Bertrand. I am on the fence about this relationship. I wish he would quit discouraging her investigations. Bertrand should know by now Carmela will always help those in her circle (even Shamus) and she is just plain curious. I love the scrapbooking projects mentioned in the book. There are some creative ideas that I am looking forward to playing with in my studio. I found Glitter Bomb to be well-written with a fast pace. Carmela and Ava are a hoot. I enjoy their witty repartee. Ava and Carmela do not let grass grow under their feet on this investigation. Of course, you can always count on Ava to spice things up. This time Ava promised to house sit for her boyfriend’s parents and committed the pair to appearing in a fashion show. Laura Childs brought the French Quarter during Mardi Gras alive for me with her word imagery. The mystery had several suspects along with a red herring or two and good clues. Cozy mystery sleuths, though, will find it a cinch to identify the guilty party. The ending is exciting, suspenseful, romantic and funny. The last line is amusing which is a great way to end a book. There is a preview of Eggs on Ice at the end along with scrapbooking tips and recipes for New Orleans delicacies. I am giving Glitter Bomb 4.5 out of 5 stars (I loved it). I cannot wait to read Mumbo Jumbo which is the next installment in A Scrapbooking Mystery series.
kimdavishb's review against another edition
5.0
GLITTER BOMB, the fifteenth book in the Scrapbooking Mystery series by Laura Childs and Terrie Farley Moran provides a rollicking romp through New Orleans’ French Quarter during Mardi Gras! I love how the authors capture the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of this decadent celebration, making me feel like I was right there in the midst of it all. According to the authors, New Orleans is a town “filled with music, brimming with history, and perfect for foodies.” And they are so right!
The action starts right from the beginning when protagonist, Carmela Bertrand, witnesses her ex-husband’s Mardi Gras float explode during a parade, raining gold glitter onto the crowded street. While her ex, Shamus, is not injured, one of his float-mates is killed from the explosion. When it’s discovered that the death wasn’t an accident, Shamus begs Carmela to find the murderer and clear his name since he had a huge reason to want the man dead. Unfortunately Carmela’s fiancé, Detective Edgar Babcock, is none too happy about her helping out her ex and putting herself in danger to do so. But, Carmela does what she knows is the right thing to do even if she doesn’t care for Shamus. Plus she can’t say “no” to her curiosity and the thrill of investigating on her own. Her sidekick and best friend, Ava Gruiex, provides plenty of opportunity for fun dialog and dragging the pair into escapades. The authors have created characters that exude both charm and memorable personalities which adds to the appeal of the story. The plot moves at a consistently fast pace and entertains the reader page and after page, until the last word is read.
I also like that there are scrapbooking, craft, and stamping tips at the back of the book along with recipes.
I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The action starts right from the beginning when protagonist, Carmela Bertrand, witnesses her ex-husband’s Mardi Gras float explode during a parade, raining gold glitter onto the crowded street. While her ex, Shamus, is not injured, one of his float-mates is killed from the explosion. When it’s discovered that the death wasn’t an accident, Shamus begs Carmela to find the murderer and clear his name since he had a huge reason to want the man dead. Unfortunately Carmela’s fiancé, Detective Edgar Babcock, is none too happy about her helping out her ex and putting herself in danger to do so. But, Carmela does what she knows is the right thing to do even if she doesn’t care for Shamus. Plus she can’t say “no” to her curiosity and the thrill of investigating on her own. Her sidekick and best friend, Ava Gruiex, provides plenty of opportunity for fun dialog and dragging the pair into escapades. The authors have created characters that exude both charm and memorable personalities which adds to the appeal of the story. The plot moves at a consistently fast pace and entertains the reader page and after page, until the last word is read.
I also like that there are scrapbooking, craft, and stamping tips at the back of the book along with recipes.
I was provided an advance copy via Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
katreader's review against another edition
4.0
GLITTER BOMB by Laura Childs with Terrie Farley Moran
The Fifteenth Scrapbooking Mystery
Although it's a week before Mardi Gras celebrations and parades have already hit New Orleans and Carmela Bertrand and her bestie Ava are out on the town joining in on the fun. Fun turns to horror when the float with Carmela's ex-husband starts careening wildly and ultimately explodes throwing krewe members into the throng. The lone fatality wasn't the result of an accident, however, it was murder. Carmella's ex is now begging her to investigate while her fiance is begging her to keep out of it. Carmella's too curious and has been through too many murder investigations to stop now. But will her involvement end her engagement? Or her life?
GLITTER BOMB is a rollicking roller coaster ride through Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Once again Carmela and Ava have more events to join in than there are drunks on Bourbon Street! From fancy balls and candlelight home tours, to road rallies and more, the duo showcases some of the fun ways to enjoy the city and the holiday.
I enjoyed how the relationship between Carmela and Babcock is challenged and lingering feelings between Carmela and Shamus are explored. I also appreciated the mystery and the variety of suspects, all acting suitably suspicious! I like how Memory Mine has grown from a scrapbooking store to encompass even more paper arts and now graphic design. Paper arts tips and recipes add to the charm of this fifteenth Scrapbooking mystery.
GLITTER BOMB is a fast paced, fun mystery. Grab it and bring some of the excitement of Mardi Gras and murder home!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
The Fifteenth Scrapbooking Mystery
Although it's a week before Mardi Gras celebrations and parades have already hit New Orleans and Carmela Bertrand and her bestie Ava are out on the town joining in on the fun. Fun turns to horror when the float with Carmela's ex-husband starts careening wildly and ultimately explodes throwing krewe members into the throng. The lone fatality wasn't the result of an accident, however, it was murder. Carmella's ex is now begging her to investigate while her fiance is begging her to keep out of it. Carmella's too curious and has been through too many murder investigations to stop now. But will her involvement end her engagement? Or her life?
GLITTER BOMB is a rollicking roller coaster ride through Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Once again Carmela and Ava have more events to join in than there are drunks on Bourbon Street! From fancy balls and candlelight home tours, to road rallies and more, the duo showcases some of the fun ways to enjoy the city and the holiday.
I enjoyed how the relationship between Carmela and Babcock is challenged and lingering feelings between Carmela and Shamus are explored. I also appreciated the mystery and the variety of suspects, all acting suitably suspicious! I like how Memory Mine has grown from a scrapbooking store to encompass even more paper arts and now graphic design. Paper arts tips and recipes add to the charm of this fifteenth Scrapbooking mystery.
GLITTER BOMB is a fast paced, fun mystery. Grab it and bring some of the excitement of Mardi Gras and murder home!
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
lindscodycats's review against another edition
4.0
Another fantastic scrapbooking mystery from Laura Childs. I love the New Orleans setting especially at Mardi Gras time. Started off with a band and ended with an alligator. The friendship between Carmela and Ava is always a delight.
betcei's review against another edition
4.0
Another great book in Laura Childs Scrapbooking mysteries! Set during Mardi Gras, an explosion rocks a float killing the Krewe chief! Who had it out for him? His wife? Her lover? His investors? His enemies? Carmela, Ava and Babcock work to make the arrest....even through adversity everywhere
ndgrad98's review against another edition
2.0
Edit: nope nope nope. The only reason this got two stars is because Carmela is a remotely interesting main character, and I kind of liked her spunk. I could read more of her, as long as it's not set in New Orleans. Outside of being very repetitive, the book has way too many gratuitous New Orleans things thrown in. It feels like the author Googled 'New Orleans', made a list of anything that showed up as remotely being attached, and then crammed them all into this book whether or not they added value.
For instance, they went and got beers. Great. Did we need to describe them as Abita longnecks when there was no other reference to Abita or such in the rest of the book and it had nothing to do with the scene or following conversations? No we did not. Similarly, they had king cake. Yum. Did we need to describe multiple times it came from some made up New Orleans-sounding bakery, when a description of what a king cake is was enough? No we did not. (Oh and I have NEVER, EVER seen beignets come in a box. WTF? They are ALWAYS in a paper bag so you can dump in your powdered sugar and shake. You can order 50 beignets and you will get a whole lot of little bags with 3 beignets in them!)
But two things really got my goat more than that! (Can you imagine?) I am all for poetic license, but as a native New Orleanian, there are a few sacrosanct things about our city; Mardi Gras is one of them. This book portrays the French Quarter as the focal point for all things Mardi Gras and parade-related. While yes, a lot of partying takes place there, only ONE out of the many parades that roll across the metro area is in the FQ. Parades in the city are concentrated in the Uptown and Downtown areas, which are rich with culture and history that she could have written into the story!
The thing that really put me over the edge was when she described MG fever as sweeping through the city "like a dangerous hurricane". I've lived through numerous hurricanes passing through NOLA, including the Big K, and this was written in very poor taste (apologies to the JPL for writing this sentiment in the book! In ink!).
I won't be reading any more of Ms. Childs' books, and suggest she steers clear of writing about New Orleans until she gets someone who can better advise her on how to portray the Crescent City.
Original: Ok so y’all know nobody talks like this in New Orleans right??
I thought this would be a fun, light read after tackling House of Leaves. Maybe it will be, but I am having a helluva time getting past the nauseating speech and over the top, too much detail descriptions of life in Southern Louisiana. Where one coat of New Orleans would have been sufficient in describing a scene, we get about five coats instead. 🤢
New Orleans is not southern. New Orleans is not Cajun. New Orleans is a blend of so many things that this book hasn’t captured so far. Maybe this overtop treatise ok for those who don’t know better but it’s driving this native nuts.
For instance, they went and got beers. Great. Did we need to describe them as Abita longnecks when there was no other reference to Abita or such in the rest of the book and it had nothing to do with the scene or following conversations? No we did not. Similarly, they had king cake. Yum. Did we need to describe multiple times it came from some made up New Orleans-sounding bakery, when a description of what a king cake is was enough? No we did not. (Oh and I have NEVER, EVER seen beignets come in a box. WTF? They are ALWAYS in a paper bag so you can dump in your powdered sugar and shake. You can order 50 beignets and you will get a whole lot of little bags with 3 beignets in them!)
But two things really got my goat more than that! (Can you imagine?) I am all for poetic license, but as a native New Orleanian, there are a few sacrosanct things about our city; Mardi Gras is one of them. This book portrays the French Quarter as the focal point for all things Mardi Gras and parade-related. While yes, a lot of partying takes place there, only ONE out of the many parades that roll across the metro area is in the FQ. Parades in the city are concentrated in the Uptown and Downtown areas, which are rich with culture and history that she could have written into the story!
The thing that really put me over the edge was when she described MG fever as sweeping through the city "like a dangerous hurricane". I've lived through numerous hurricanes passing through NOLA, including the Big K, and this was written in very poor taste (apologies to the JPL for writing this sentiment in the book! In ink!).
I won't be reading any more of Ms. Childs' books, and suggest she steers clear of writing about New Orleans until she gets someone who can better advise her on how to portray the Crescent City.
Original: Ok so y’all know nobody talks like this in New Orleans right??
I thought this would be a fun, light read after tackling House of Leaves. Maybe it will be, but I am having a helluva time getting past the nauseating speech and over the top, too much detail descriptions of life in Southern Louisiana. Where one coat of New Orleans would have been sufficient in describing a scene, we get about five coats instead. 🤢
New Orleans is not southern. New Orleans is not Cajun. New Orleans is a blend of so many things that this book hasn’t captured so far. Maybe this overtop treatise ok for those who don’t know better but it’s driving this native nuts.
randombookgrl's review against another edition
5.0
Loved this book! I eagerly await each new entry in this long-running series & each time, I am not disappointed!
mrsburg528's review against another edition
3.0
I was provided an ARC from First to Read and Penguin Books for my honest review.
3.5🌟
Definitely a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the character development and the movement of the plot. I was surprised by the revelation of the antagonist and definitely didn't see it coming. There were some plot points I felt were left undone and I would have liked more clarification as to who exactly left the note for her to meet them at the weird apartment. I was disappointed the engagement ring was eaten by the alligator. I would recommend this book to others and probably read more by Laura Childs.
3.5🌟
Definitely a cozy mystery. I enjoyed the character development and the movement of the plot. I was surprised by the revelation of the antagonist and definitely didn't see it coming. There were some plot points I felt were left undone and I would have liked more clarification as to who exactly left the note for her to meet them at the weird apartment. I was disappointed the engagement ring was eaten by the alligator. I would recommend this book to others and probably read more by Laura Childs.
wulfwyn's review against another edition
5.0
I had so much fun reading this book! From the beginning I was whisked off from my comfy chair and set down in New Orleans, just in time to celebrate Mardi Gras! The authors did an amazing job bringing the sights, sounds, taste, fun and excitement come alive. I was bewitched! The hours flew by and interruptions were barely tolerated. I wanted to stay immersed in the vivid party atmosphere that was going on in my mind. This was my first adventure in A New Orleans Scrapbooking Mystery Series but certainly not my last. Glitter Bomb is one of those books that invites you to delight your senses, as well as your mind, between its covers.
I love the characters and their senses of humor. They play off of each other with the warmth and knowledge that long time friends have. I felt like I was a part of the friendships even though I haven’t read the previous books. The mystery was well done, starting the book off with a bang! I was kept guessing and even included a suspect whose job normally keeps me from suspecting them. In the end, I was wrong about my list. I love it! That’s entertainment!
I love the characters and their senses of humor. They play off of each other with the warmth and knowledge that long time friends have. I felt like I was a part of the friendships even though I haven’t read the previous books. The mystery was well done, starting the book off with a bang! I was kept guessing and even included a suspect whose job normally keeps me from suspecting them. In the end, I was wrong about my list. I love it! That’s entertainment!