Childs's fourth scrapbooking mystery (after 2004's Bound for Murder
), her first in hardcover, offers plenty of action even if it doesn't take full advantage of its setting, post-Katrina New Orleans. Just when series heroine Carmela Bertrand decides that reuniting with Shamus Meechum, her bad-boy ex-husband, might be a mistake, Shamus is kidnapped. Carmela rushes across the alley to seek help from Shamus's elderly uncle Henry, only to find Henry murdered. Det. Edgar Babcock isn't thrilled to have another case involving the meddling Carmela, and his irritation increases when Carmela and her best friend, Ava, rescue Shamus from the kidnappers themselves. Once Shamus is safe, he reverts to his old ways, adding to Carmela's woes. Mix in the usual scrapbooking and craft tips, and you have another engaging read from this reliable cozy author. (Sept.)
