Glitter Bomb

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 that Carmela's ex-husband, Shamus Meechum hitched a ride 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.