Paper, Scissors, Death
A
Scrapbooking Mystery with Kiki Lowenstein
Joanna Campbell Slan
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback)
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1250-7 (0738712507)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1250-5 (9780738712507)
Publication Date: September 2008
List Price: $14.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Mousy housewife Kiki Lowenstein has only been good at
two things in her life: scrapbooking and raising her eleven-year-old
daughter, Anya. Known as the "Scrapbook Queen of St. Louis," Kiki works
part-time at a scrapbook shop and shares her passion with others. But
life gets sticky when her husband, George, is found naked and dead with
a silk scarf stuffed in his mouth. And worse, George's business partner
accuses him of having embezzled company money.
Vowing to put all the pieces together, Kiki toughens up and spouts
vicious threats when George's former flame brags about their affair at
a bridal shower. But when the woman is murdered, Kiki's scissor-sharp
words make her a prime suspect. Faced with losing custody of Anya, can
Kiki track down the cunning killer, resist the distractingly dashing
Detective Detweiler, and reveal the courageous woman she is at heart?
Review: Joanna Campbell Slan introduces wife, mother, and scrapbooking expert Kiki Lowenstein in Paper, Scissors, Death, the first mystery in the Scrap-N-Craft series set in St. Louis, Missouri.
Kiki, husband George, and 11-year-old daughter Anya live in an upscale
large home in an exclusive suburb of St. Louis. Kiki finds much delight
in scrapbooking, so much so, that at times she teaches small classes in
her home. Tragedy strikes this contented family’s home when
George is found dead in a fashionable hotel in the city. He was naked,
save for a striped scarf in his mouth. His death was ruled a heart
attack by the coroner. Kiki, however, could not accept this verdict.
George recently had had a complete physical examination and was found
to be in perfect health. If she had to do it alone, with no help from
the authorities, she would somehow prove that her husband was murdered.
She's going to get no help from her mother-in-law, though.
George’s mother, Sheila, does not even try to hide the hatred she
feels for Kiki. She believes Kiki stole George’s true love from
him, his high school sweetheart Roxanne Baxter. When George died,
Sheila devotes all her love and attention to her granddaughter, Anya.
And then Kiki is informed by George’s partner shortly after his
death that he had been embezzling large sums of money from their
company, close to a half a million dollars. If she would pay it back in
full, he would not make a public revelation of that fact. Kiki sells
their home and most of their possessions to protect George’s
name, moving to a more modest section of the area. But then things get
really tough for Kiki when, in her search for the truth, she discovers
that George had been seeing Roxanne all along. In a heated exchange
with the woman, Kiki threatens her. When Roxanne is later found dead,
Kiki naturally becomes the prime suspect, giving Sheila an opportunity
to try to get custody of Anya. Kiki receives help and support not only
from friends working on their scrapbooks, but also a very attentive
detective. And could the solution to this mystery be contained within
the scrap-n-craft entries in the scrapbooks themselves?
Slan cleverly frames the mystery in Paper, Scissors, Death
around the craft of scrapbooking, something about which she clearly has
considerable knowledge yet makes it seem approachable to beginners.
Instructions, tips, and techniques are all featured. The characters, in
particular Kiki, are nicely developed and likeable, and there's an
enjoyable mix of humor, suspense, with a just a touch of romance in
this well-rounded cozy debut.
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Paper, Scissors, Death and to Midnight Ink for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2008 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
Have you read Paper, Scissors, Death? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series ...
Paper, Scissors, Death
Midnight Ink (Trade Paperback), September 2008
ISBN-10: 0-7387-1250-7 (0738712507)
ISBN-13: 978-0-7387-1250-5 (9780738712507)
Omnimystery keywords for Paper, Scissors, Death
...
Location(s) referenced: St. Louis, Missouri.
