Fowler was last seen having an argument with local antiques dealer Jekyl Hardy, one of Carmela’s friends, who becomes the police’s prime suspect. When word of a Ponzi scheme that Fowler had been conducting gets out, the police have a whole new list of suspects. Carmela also learns that both Fowler and his not-so-distraught widow Sissy may have been carrying on affairs, widening the suspect pool. 

Carmela knows her friend is innocent, and knows that ex-husband Shamus can provide her with insider tidbits regarding the New Orleans’s financial scene, but Babcock will do anything to have Carmela sit this one out.   

Carmela and Ava are an intrepid duo, both savvy business owners and loyal friends, with a sense of adventure. The two set off, not only to find a murderer, but on a scavenger hunt the local business organization has dreamed up. Carmela has found ways to diversify her scrapbooking store after Katrina and during the current economic downturn, offering new ideas and ways to recycle found materials. A former advertising exec, she also gets involved with a new vineyard, designing their labels and coming up with some ideas how to market the new wine. 

A busy lady who always has time for her friends, Carmela is also in the process of severing any ties she has with her ex, even if this means facing the wrath of her former sister-in-law. Laura Childs plots a good mystery and offers several different scenarios as to who and why. October and the forthcoming Halloween parade add to the spooky atmosphere offered by New Orleans and Ava’s voodoo shop.  This is another welcomed entry into one of Childs’s three series.                                                    

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry