Parchment and Old Lace

A Scrapbooking Mystery #13

by Laura Childs, Terrie Farley Moran

In the latest from the New York Times bestselling author of Gossamer Ghost , scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand investigates a murder in New Orleans’ legendary Lafayette Cemetery…

Enjoying dinner at Commander’s Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, Carmela finds the food and the company equally divine—with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Leaving the restaurant, the couple is interrupted once again—this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery. 

Rushing to investigate, Carmela and Edgar find Isabelle lying across an aboveground tomb, strangled with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the case to Edgar, but she can’t say no to Isabelle’s sister, Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle’s past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet.

“Scrapbook aficionados rejoice! Ms. Childs creates a charming mystery series with lively, quirky characters, and plenty of how-to.”—Fresh Fiction

SCRAPBOOKING TIPS INCLUDED!

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Cozy, Adult Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Southern

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published October 6, 2015

About the author

Laura Childs is a pseudonym for Gerry Schmitt and she is the best-selling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, the Scrapbook Mysteries, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.

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.

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands-down, one of the most thrilling Cozies I've ever read! You'll be glued to the pages until you finish this one! Delightfully witty; set in the charm, mystique, and forbidden secrets of the Big Easy, with those good 'ole boy politics and under-the-table dealings going on to thicken dat gumbo in this superiorly plotted mystery.

It's November in New Orleans, and the Nancy Drew of the French Quarter---best known as Carmela Bertrand, owner of Memory Mine, a scrapbook lover's dream shop, is at a party with handsome beau, Detective Edgar Babcock. A romantic stroll afterwards ends when they respond to screams from the eerie, pitch black Lafayette Cemetary where they find the body of bride-to-be Isabelle Black, an associate district attorney, draped across a tombstone. The murder weapon? An old remnant of vintage lace was used to strangle poor Isabelle. Could her fiancé, or his hostile mother, have wanted her dead before the wedding? Well, light some candles and get out the Ouija board. Led by a mesmerizing cast of Cajun characters, this tale is not the big easy to figure out whodundat. The ending left me cheering and totally satisfied.

I received a complimentary copy from the author. My review is honest and not influenced by anyone else.

[Lisa Ks Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to start by saying, I was thrilled to see that author Terrie Farley Moran collaborated with author Laura Childs on this book. I adore both of them, so this was exciting news for me.

It looks like book thirteen in the Scrapbooking Mystery series is lucky #13 for Laura Childs! You may think an author who has written so many books in different series would run out of things to write about. But you would be Oh. So. Wrong! It seems every new book by this author is better than the one before.

PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE had main character Carmela Bertrand and her boyfriend Detective Edgar Babcock, hit the ground running by page six. The mystery and excitement only continued to grow form there. This extremely well written story was fast paced, with interesting, multi layered characters. Everything readers have come to expect of this author.

You’re going to want to pick up a copy of this crafty mystery for yourself.

Don’t scrap (see what I did there? ;-) ) this book when you’re finished with the story or you’ll missing the crafting tips, yummy recipes, and the excerpt of DEVONSHIRE SCREAM, the new book by Laura Childs in her Tea Shop Mystery series!

You're also going to want to check out author Terrie Farley Moran's Read 'Em and Eat Mystery series with WELL READ, THEN DEAD being the first. Once you've read one of her books, you'll see how her writing "voice" blended so with that of Laura Childs.

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every time I dive into a Laura Childs scrapbooking mystery I get inspired to race out to my local Michael’s craft store and stock up on papers, embellishments, ribbons, etc to finally tackle all of my old photos to turn them into works of art. Then a read a few more chapters, the buzz wears off and I can get back to doing the thing I emjoy most – reading. Seriously, the 13th book in the series doesn’t disappoint and there are always new characters, modes of death, and interesting things to learn about New Orleans.

What I loved: Craft ideas AND recipes? Really easy, simply, yummy southern recipes? Sign me up!

What I didn’t love: Just have her finally figure out her romance with Babcock already – its been going on for so many books, its almost getting boring…

What I learned: All about mourning clothes and differences between French and Belgian lace – and they said I’m too old to learn anything anymore…

Overall Grade: B

[Anastasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parchment and old lace by Laura Childs is the 13th book in A Scrapbooking Mystery series. Hearing screams while out for a walk, Carmela and Detective Babcock come across the body of Isabella Black strangled with a piece of vintage lace. Her sister Ellie works with Ava at Juju Voodoo and asks Carmela to investigate.
An enjoyable cozy mystery, although Carmela and Ava seem to be going a bit too far with there investigating and interfering, even resorting to breaking and entering and taking unnecessary risks. This spoilt the book a little for me.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful Scrapbooking Mystery. The characters are enjoyable, although sometimes they do silly things and end up getting into trouble. But, that is one of the things I like about this series. Can't wait to read the next one. :)

[Tess · Rating 5 out of 5]

The latest Scrapbooking Mystery by Laura Child, is right on par with the previous twelve. Carmela, owner of Memory Mine scrapbooking store and her man friend Babcock are strolling back to Babcock's car when a gut wrenching scream pierces the air. As they both take off running toward the cemetery, Carmela soon looses sight of Babcock. Running past tombstones and mausoleums, imagine how frightened Carmela must feel when she finds herself trapped between a heavy cemetery gate and a wall of the crypt. Soon it's discovered that the scream belonged to a now dead woman, who was found strangled with a piece of old lace. How is anyone supposed to solve a murder with only a small piece of lace and a smaller piece of parchment as the only clues? Of course Babcock, Carmela and her wacky friend Ava set out to prove who-dun-it.
We can always rely on Laura to keep us on the edge of our seats. The fact that she generally gives us great scrapbooking hints and yummy recipes don't hurt a bit. It's almost time to snuggle up with a warm blanket, grab a seat near the fireplace and read, read, read. Please give Laura's offerings a chance, with three wonderful series to choose from, I'm sure you'll find one to suit you.

FTC Full Disclosure - A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would give it an unbiased review. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

In New Orleans, Carmela owns Memory Mine, a successful scrapbooking shop. As the story begins, she is supping with boyfriend Detective Edgar Babcock in the Garden District. As they leave the restaurant, they hear screams from the cemetery. An assistant prosecutor has been strangled with ancient lace. Since Carmela knows the woman's sister, she agrees to ask questions to find out who killed her.

The storyline in this book is very original. It is very fast paced and full of action. I always like books set in New Orleans and this one is filled with scenes involving the Garden District and local attractions. I enjoyed the extensive scrapbooking lessons also.

[Sara Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This plot was better than the last one of this series I read, but it's a good thing Carmela has Gabby on board or Memory Mine would fall by the wayside for lack of attention. It also seems as though Childs was roaming the thesaurus looking for new verbs to describe the act of walking. At one point, Carmela "ankled" to her destination. In another event, Carmela and Ava pushed through a crowd to the bar in what was, to me, a rather rude fashion. The farther I read in the story, the more amusing it was to find the next odd words.

[Nancy H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another good entry in the Scrapbooking Mystery series, this story takes place in New Orleans when Carmela and her boyfriend Edgar, a police detective, find the body of a murdered young woman in a cemetery. The woman had just spoken to them while they were dining at a restaurant, and she was excited about her upcoming wedding. There are many suspects, among them her would-be-groom and her soon-to-be mother-in-law. Carmela and Edgar eventually figure it out, but not before there is more danger and more attempted murder.

[Patrizia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ho voluto iniziare l'anno con un libro appartenente alla prima serie cozy mystery che abbia mai letto e non me ne sono pentita. Lettura scorrevole e piacevole, tanti colpevoli possibili sebbene alla fine si sia dimostrata esatta la mia ipotesi che, come spesso accade, il cattivo sia poi colui che sembrava avere meno motivi, se non nessuno.

[Mason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Visions of New Orleans quickly fill your head when you begin reading PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE, the 13th installment in the Scrapbooking Mystery series by Laura Childs.

Childs, with author Terrie Farley Moran, bring New Orleans to life as they keep you in suspense in this latest cozy murder mystery. The rich descriptions of the historic Garden District and other areas places the reader among the characters as the story unfolds.

Scrapbook shop owner Carmela Bertrand and her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock, enjoy a romantic dinner, but have a brief interruption when Isabelle Black stops by their table. After bragging about her upcoming wedding, she leaves.

Minutes later on their way from the restaurant, Carmela and Edgar hear a scream coming from the Lafayette Cemetery. There they discover Isabelle, strangled with a piece of vintage lace, lying across a gravestone.

Carmela is pulled into the search for the killer by Isabelle’s sister, Ellie. A tarot card reader, Ellie works at Juju Voodoo, owned by Carmela’s best friend, Ava Gruiex. Carmela has no choice but to untangle the clues before someone else dies.

The characters are likable, colorful and well-developed. The secondary characters add depth to the story, as well as bits of humor. The bonds of friendship are well defined drawing readers farther into the feel of the story.

The blending of a murder mystery with the daily disruptions of a store owner makes for an entertaining read. Moving at a good pace, the story keeps you marveling at what could happen next mixed with the right amount of tension and suspense.

Readers don’t have to enjoy scrapbooking to be beguiled by this story. In fact, the scrapbooking tips and tasty New Orleans recipes are just an added bonus.

Like a good gumbo, PARCHMENT AND OLD LACE is a mix of all things mystery lovers will relish.

FTC Full Disclosure – A copy of this book was sent to me by the author in hopes I would review it. However, receiving the complimentary copy did not influence my review. The thoughts are completely my own and given honestly and freely.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Parchment and Old Lace" is the newest book in the Scrapbooking Mystery Series by Laura Childs. Carmella and her boyfriend, Edgar Babcock have gone out to Commander's Palace for a nice dinner. They run into Isabelle Black and her wedding party who is having a cake tasting for her upcoming nuptials. Carmela and Detective Babcock are walking to his car when they hear someone yelling for help in the Lafayette Cemetery. Detective Babcock goes to investigate. Carmela runs along after him. She stumbles across the body of Isabelle Black. she has been strangled with a piece of antique lace. isabelle's sister is Ellie Black. Ellie works for Ava giving readings at Juju Voodoo. Ellie asks Carmela to help find her sister's murderer. Edgar and Carmela both are investigating all the various suspects who could have killed Isabelle including her would be groom and mother in law to be.

[Holly Stone · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carmela can't imagine a better evening than a dinner with her boyfriend Edgar Babcock at Commanders Palace soon though Isabelle Black comes forward bragging about her upcoming wedding. Their romantic night resumes with a walk in the night air they are interrupted again this time by a scream coming from inside the cemetery where they find Isabelle strangled to death with a piece of lace. Carmela gets asked for help by Isabelle's sister Ellie but can she find the answers before someone else becomes wrapped in old lace??

[Courtney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, it was fine. I can't say that I'm attached to the characters or that I have any strong desire to continue reading the series. If one fits a challenge criteria or something of that nature, I might pick it up again.

Note: There is an element of voodoo, tarot cards, conversations with spirits, etc. Had I known this going into the book, it may have changed whether or not I picked it up.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still like the characters and the setting but I was disappointed in this book. Carmela's total disregard for safety and protocol got her into preidcaments and it seemed a little forced and unnatural. I think she should morph back into someone more like she was in the earlier books - think Theodosia from the Teashop mysteries.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The 13th book in A Scrapbooking Mystery series. Fun cozy mystery set in New Orleans. Light and charming.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I often pick up a mystery novel, begin reading, and can't figure out who committed the dastardly crime/murder. With this book, however, the minute a particular character was introduced, I said, "I bet it's them." Well, I wasn't wrong! What's also different for me is that I have only read the first book in the series. This one is number 13. I felt that I didn't want to wait many years trying to catch up to where Laura Childs is now, so I just jumped straight into this one. While there are some relationships and details I am missing because I haven't read the previous 11 novels, it wasn't that hard figuring everything out. I would be a complete idiot if I felt lost while reading this book.

I enjoyed this little scrapbooking mystery. It's not mindblowing or overly complicated reading which is fine. It's a simple story about a woman who is murdered in a graveyard one night after her cake tasting event. Carmela Bertrand, the owner of Memory Mine, a scrapbooking store, is tasked with discovering who murdered the woman. Numerous suspects are introduced with the spotlight constantly switching from suspect to suspect which includes her fiance, her future mother-in-law, the best man, and several others. Again, I immediately pegged the murderer not because the character was so over-the-top or dripping evil, but because I have read enough mysteries and seen enough crime shows to suss out the guilty person.

What I particularly liked is how much of a character New Orleans plays in the story. Each page just drips with descriptions of the city, its rhythms, and its quirks. I really like this mystery series especially since I am a scrapbooker and many pages are dedicated to that art. Fun read!

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine book. And I finally guessed the murderer before the end.....

Carmela couldn’t imagine a finer evening than dinner at Commander’s Palace with her beau, Detective Edgar Babcock. The food and the company are equally divine—with the exception of Isabelle Black stopping by to brag about her upcoming wedding. Resuming the romance with a walk in the evening air, the couple is interrupted once again—this time by a terrifying scream from inside the cemetery.

Having just seen Isabelle, Carmela and Edgar now find her lying across an aboveground tomb, strangled to death with a piece of vintage lace. Carmela would rather leave the investigating to Edgar, but she can’t say no to Isabelle’s sister Ellie, the tarot card reader at Juju Voodoo, when she asks her to help. As she untangles the enemies of Isabelle’s past, Carmela hopes she can draw out the killer before someone else gets cold feet.

[Marsha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’ll be the first to admit I’m not adept at mysteries. I rarely guess who the actual culprit is. But I figured out this one all too easily. The guilty party is charming, charismatic, quick to throw aspersions on someone else and dodges questions coming from accredited sources.t he mystery itself is clumsily set up with glaring and telltale clues conveniently dropped. Why use antique lace to strangle someone when a cheap necktie, nylon rope or your bare hands could do the trick? What kind of inept killer walks around with designer parchment paper in the pocket?

While I was entertained by Carmela’s interactions with her friends, the gay atmosphere of New Orleans and Carmela’s determination to remain unfettered to her law enforcement boyfriend after a disastrous marriage, (hmm, doesn’t that seem like a familiar scenario?), the solution to the crime arrived too early for me to care about that aspect of the novel. Like some road trips, the journey was more important than the destination.

[Linnea · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Parchment and Old Lace" is a fun mystery read for anyone who likes crafts or just mysteries in general. While Carmela is out one night, she ends up finding a murdered bride-to-be.
Carmela and her friends are devestated by the chilling murder, but are determined to find out who the killer is and bring them to justice. Between trying to figure out this confusing murder, and also investigating a sketchy new casino destined to open soon, Carmela must figure out a lot.
In all, I would recommend this book to people who enjoy mysteries, especially people who enjoy New Orleans, as it is the setting of the book. I would also recommend it to people who are fans of realistic fiction, since it also involves other aspects of Carmela's life, like managing her shop and helping her boyfriend investigate crimes.

[Sandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Carmela and her boyfriend, Detective Edgar Babcock, meet a soon-to-be-bride while out to dinner and then find her dead body on the way home. Her sister asks Carmela to help investigate her death. I enjoy the background information about scrap booking and other creative paper crafts. I also enjoy Carmela and her friend, Ava. Ava is very over the top, but a really good friend to Carmela. A major clue to the murder is a piece of old lace that Babcock gives to Carmela. It's a piece from the lace used to strangle the victim. The mystery is good - plenty of clues without giving everything away. The relationships between Carmela and Edgar, Carmela and Ava, the groom and his mother, all add to the interest. The end of the book includes craft tips and recipes.

[Tammy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun fast paced modern era mystery that takes place in New Orleans. The main character is a scrapbook shop owner that gives a peek at the crafty side of things when she isn't trying to solve a mystery. The characters are fun and colorful. You will get a view of the city while trying to figure out who done it. If I kept pace with Carmela I wouldn't need to diet. As usual I will not tell the story and spoil it for others, this is a review not a report. I liked it and will enjoy reading it again in the future.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book by the author that I have read. I have been reading the Kiki Lowenstein books by Joann Campbell Slan and couldn't help but compare them, though I see that this author was apparently first.

My problem with this book was suspending reality: anyone who eats like these characters are not going to stay slim without workout time and there are serious chain-of-custody problems. I could mention other things but I don't want to create spoilers because the mystery is actually very good.

I picked up this book to try to get my scrapbooking juices going again.

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carmela's friend, Isabelle, is getting married. That is, until she is found murdered in a cemetery late one night. WHY would should have been in this cemetery since everyone knows it is a dangerous place at night? Did her fiancé or his mother decide to prevent the marriage? Did her work in the D.A.'s office put her in harm's way? What does a piece of parchment found in the cemetery mean? What is the source of the old lace that was used to murder her? Detective Edgar Babcock is willing to let Carmela ask people about lace, but she does much more than that, as usual.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I have picked up any Laura Childs book I see at a library sale, until the plague times they have never been high in my TBR pile. Then I pulled one off the shelf about 3 weeks ago, and it was the perfect answer to my stress. Parchment and Old Lace is the 6th Laura Childs book I have read in those 3 weeks, and it was a wonderful escape from the news. The story is fun, Carmela and Ava are likeable characters, and it was just a great read. The descriptions grate on my nerves sometimes ( Ava's nose "twitched like a bunny rabbit" at one point), but that doesn't take away from the enjoyment.

[Chris Blackton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I put off reading this book for a long time because the plots have become formulaic as proved true with this book. Still enjoyed it until the second last chapter when (in my opinion) Carmela shouted from a distance or Ava to move away from the killer who of course reached out and grabbed her and took her hostage. The sheer stupidity of this really irked me. Just an okay read to my way of thinking.

[Vivian · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first official cozy mystery I have ever read. I have several friends who love them, and my curiosity was piqued when a friend had multiple series by Childs. She recommended two, this being one of them. She even said the other one was better, but she knew I enjoyed scrapbooking, so she included this one for my entertainment. Perhaps, in hindsight, it isn't a 3, but more like a 3.5 for me. It wasn't a terrible book, and it had parts and characters I liked, plus it was set in New Orleans, where I recently traveled, so I could appreciate the shops, streets, and atmosphere.

I don't like stories where the characters do things they shouldn't and continue to put themselves in possible harms way, follow leads that are not the correct path and pull the reader in different directions only to have a completely different person be the murderer. Actually, I don't mind, it if it is done well. But I remember when the character was introduced, I told myself, "They did it." And in the end, they did. But I was dragged through situations I'd rather my heroine not go and I was so tired by the end of the book that I was disappointed at the connection between the murderer and the victim that it didn't seem worthy of my time.

My friend said the other book was better, and maybe it is, but I'm wondering if it is worth my time, since I have so many other books that I'd prefer to spend my time with. Having read one cozy mystery, I'm sort of feeling "if I read one, I've read them all."

[Kim Gasparini · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you want a poorly written book about a scrapbooker who does everything she can to mess up an actual investigation under the guise of being “helpful” and a detective and district attorney who find nothing wrong with her “helpfulness”……
This might do it for you.

But it’s basically really bad fan fiction/word press/4th grade “mystery” writing assignment. It’s what someone that has no real idea of what any job - including owning a business - thinks it would be like to do said job.

[Dixie Deen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy this author so find anything she writes interesting. She brings in the local flavor of New Orleans as this is where the main character has her scrapbooking shop. I can almost taste the beignets of Café DuMond when there is mention of them surrounding a murder committed in an old cemetery in the French Quarter. As always, the murder is solved.

[Denise Tarasuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read! Really fun and interesting to get tangled up in the character’s lives solving a mystery. I read this first before the others in the series. Because the writer, Laura Child’s, is so great at building the story and the characters, I did not notice that it was #13 on the list. Enjoyable and a very fast read. Thank you Laura!