Enjoyed this book so much.....interesting...good tips....and great recipes.....as well as mystery!! :) ( )

Carmela and Ava start working on a haunted house after the friend who was working on it is killed. Carmela is also close to ending her marriage to Shamus and is enjoying her time with Detective Babcock.

When someone seems to determined to scare the people working on the house away, Carmela decides to find out what is going on, despite warnings from Babcock to leave the investigating to the police. There are plenty of suspects, is it the widower? The real estate developer who wants the building? The strange Sidney who leads ghost walks through the historic (and supposedly haunted) graveyards of New Orleans? Someone else?

I mostly enjoy this series but didn't ever really get invested in this one. It might have been the whole haunted house/cemetery thing along with lots of reference to the vampire Lestat. Not my favorite type of book.

Oh well, I will keep reading the series because I do enjoy Ada and Carmela as well as their friends and co-workers. ( )

I definitely like her Tea Shop mysteries better. ( )

Carmela and her friend Ava have been contracted to decorate Medusa Manor for a haunted house by their friend Melody. When they arrive a the house for the first time to meet Melody, they find her in a gruesome and unexpected way. They find her murdered. Carmela finds herself investigating a crime where some of her friends seem to be suspects.

I loved the setting of New Orleans and the idea of setting up a haunted house. Childs brings the city to life in many ways, from the people to the streets to the celebrations. Carmela is avery believable character that quickly grew to like...almost a little too much. She almost seemed a little too perfect at times. The mystery kept me guessing up until the very end, which is something that really makes a mystery for me.

3.5/5 ( )

I enjoyed this book. It was set in New Orleans, post Katrina. Carmela Bertram, is the proprietor of the Memory Lane Scrapbooking shop so there are scrapbooking suggestions all through this mystery. There is also a great section on scrapbooking and delicious sounding receipes in the back of the book. Her friend, Ava Gruex, owns JuJu Voodoo and knows how to conduct seances and is knowledgeable about voodoo. The pair are very likeable and the story is satisfying but it will make you hungry! ( )

I must say that I really enjoyed this cozy mystery. I jumped on the chance to review this book because it is set in New Orleans and it's a scrapbooking mystery! If you've visited my blog before you know that I love these two things!
I liked "Tragic Magic" right off the bat. I enjoyed Laura's fast paced writing style and how she used Cajun (french) words thrown into the regular 'ol english conversations. We Cajuns do that a lot...mostly to confuse people LOL!
We follow Carmela through a series of mysterious twists and turns as she tries to find her friend's killer. I must say that Laura kept me guessing throughout the story. One minute you thought it was someone and then the next you weren't so sure. And wow! I was really shocked by the ending...I never expected that person.
Some other great highlights in the book? At the end your given scrapbooking. stamping, and craft tips from Laura Childs and she also includes some of her favorite New Orleans Recipes. Yum!
Overall this book was a winner for me and I look forward to reading more from this series and even checking out more of Ms. Childs' mystery series. ( )

Amateur sleuth Carmela Bertrand returns just in time to solve a murder mystery before the Galleries and Gourmets celebration sweeps through the French Quarter of New Orleans.

Carmela, owner of Memory Mine Scrapbooking shop, and her closest friend, Ava Gruiex, owner of Juju Voodoo, are still trying to keep their businesses afloat four years after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. They have taken on the side job of decorating Medusa Manor for their friend, Melody Mayfeldt. Melody wants to turn the manor into a spectacular haunted house in time for DiscordaCon, an upcoming horror convention.

On one of their trips to the manor, however, Carmela and Ava are greeted by a horror attraction that turns out to be murder. Melody had been pushed from a third floor window, after being set on fire, and lands dead at their feet.

Almost before the flames are extinguished, Carmela and Ava are approached by Melody’s silent partner, to continue the project at double their original fee. While considering the proposal, Carmela is besieged by Melody’s husband to find her killer.

Carmela wants to help, but she doesn’t want to upset Detective Edgar Babcock, who she’s been seeing since her separation from her womanizing, soon-to-be ex-husband, Shamus Meechum.

As if she doesn’t have enough going on, Carmela is trying to finalize an on-going divorce settlement between her and Shamus, who still acts like a fun-loving frat boy. She may have to share custody of her two beloved dogs with him. And, she also has to deal with Shamus’ overbearing sister who holds the Meechum family purse strings.

While running their businesses and following clues, Carmela and Ava are busy transforming Medusa Manor into a prime haunted house. Meanwhile, the silent partner is cozying up to the seedy real estate developer who tried to buy Medusa Manor from Melody.

Through a mix of ghost walks, tarot card readings, a séance, and cemetery visits, the reader is introduced to the mystery and mystic surrounding New Orleans and its many legends.

Even though this is a “Scrapbooking Mystery,” don’t be mislead that it’s all about page layouts, die cuts or embellishments. It’s a “keep you on the edge of your seat, lock the doors while you read” murder mystery. The story is filled with colorful characters, witty dialogue and enough plot twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end.

Author Laura Childs sprinkles Scrapbooking tips and techniques throughout the story. There are suggestions and tips to delight scrap bookers, while peaking the interest of non-scrap bookers who may find themselves browsing the scrapbook aisle after reading “Tragic Magic.”

While telling a wonderful tale, Ms. Childs gives the reader a feel for New Orleans through her descriptions of the streets and businesses to the food and culture. An extra bonus is a number of delicious New Orleans recipes included in the back of the book, along with additional craft tips.

“Tragic Magic” is the seventh installment in the Scrapbooking Mystery series. First time readers of the series don’t have to know what else Carmela has been up to in the past six books in order to enjoy “Tragic Magic.” However, the captivating charm of Carmela will have readers searching for the previous installments in the series because they won’t be able to get enough of her antics.

The sights and sounds of New Orleans comes alive through the adventures of Carmela and her friends. ( )

Scrapbook storeowner Carmela Bertrand and her best friend Ava have been hired to help finish decorating an old New Orleans mansion as a haunted house. A dead body puts a bit of a damper on some of the decorating ideas and Carmela finds herself involved once again in a murder investigation. She and Ava make quite the pair, the two always seem to fall right into the thick of things. An okay mystery ensues, nice and timely for reading in October. ( )