George is found dead in a hotel room with a silk scarf stuffed in his mouth and Kiki is convinced that he was murdered and once she convinces hunky Detective Chad Detweiler of it, he looks at Kiki as a suspect.  Not only is Kiki a widow, she learns from George’s business partner Bill Biaski that Bill suspects George of stealing millions of dollars from their firm and now she is broke. 

A job offer from Time in a Bottle, the local scrapbooking shop and the prospect of free lance scrapbooking allows Kiki to find a house she can afford, and since mother-in-law Deelia agrees to continue paying for Anya’s private school, Kiki feels things may be okay. 

A Great Dane named Gracie is added to the family (an odd addition since Kiki is concerned about her money situation and Gracie has a pretty big appetite), Kiki’s new house, in a less than desirable area of town, is broken into, a big scrapbooking account is lost, and Deelia takes custody of Anya, causing Kiki’s life to spin out of control, making her resolve to find George’s murderer even stronger.  The murder of George’s former, and possibly current, girlfriend, makes Kiki an even stronger suspect to Detweiler, but a growing attraction he has to Kiki makes him want to believe her innocence.   

There are a great deal of scrapbooking tips and hints for fans of the craft to enjoy.  Kiki grows as a character through the book and becomes more likable as the book progresses.  Her relationship with Deelia changes for the better, words of wisdom coming from eleven-year-old Anya. 

The narrative is often awkward, and the dialogue doesn’t always flow, but the plot is solid and the investigation fun to watch and many of the clues are found in the scrapbooking.  A phone call on the last page of the book guarantees that Kiki and Chad will be back for another mystery sooner than later.                                                               

--  Jennifer Monahan Winberry