Glitter Bomb

At the start of bestseller Childs’s charming 15th Scrapbooking mystery (after 2016’s Crepe Factor, also with Moran), New Orleans scrapbook shopkeeper Carmela Bertrand and her best friend, Ava Gruiex, are watching the Mardi Gras festivities when the King Neptune float explodes, flinging Carmela’s ex-husband, Shamus Meechum, practically at their feet. Shamus isn’t in the worst condition. That distinction belongs to the captain of the float’s “krewe,” hedge fund CEO Hughes Wilder, who’s very dead. Next thing you know, Shamus is begging Carmela to investigate before her boyfriend, Det. Edgar Babcock, arrests him. Shamus fears he’s the prime suspect because he made a bad investment with Wilder using bank funds, a distinctly wrong thing to do. Reluctantly, Carmela agrees to search for the real Neptune Bomber, with the eager help of Ava and despite Edgar’s disapproval. Scrapbooking tips and yummy recipes round out a volume sure to please cozy fans. Agent: Sam Pinkus, Keystone Literary. (Oct.)