Keepsake Crimes
Laura Childs Book Review

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Plot Summary of Keepsake Crimes
" Berkley, May 2003, 5.99, 256 pp. ISBN 0425190746 Tucked away on the edge of the French Quarter in New Orleans is a cute little scrapbooking store called Memory Mine owned by Carmela Bertrand, an astute business person but unlucky in love. Her husband Shamus dumped her six months ago, claiming he had to find himself. Carmela moved from their fancy home to a funky apartment located on top of a voodoo store. Carmela and friends are taking in one of the Mardi Gras parades when a float stops in front of them. Powerful Jimmy Early Clayton is dead and an autopsy reveals he died from an overdose of ketamine. Shamus was seen having an argument with him and had access to the float and Jimmy Lee's stash of liquor. A vicious rumor campaign starts stating that Shamus is the killer. Although Carmela is estranged from him, she doesn't think her husband is a murderer. She sets out to prove it, but places her life in danger from the killer who doesn't want Carmela putting the pieces of the puzzle together. Laura Childs, the author of the Teashop mysteries, has written the first book in what looks to be a great new series. The descriptions of the food and sights of New Orleans make the readers feel as if they were visiting and enjoying Mardi Gras. The heroine is plucky and likable, enjoying her crafts store and her many friends instead of pining away for the husband she still loves. KEEPSAKE CRIMES is a well-written cozy with enough possible suspects to prevent the audience from guessing who the killer really is. Harriet Klausner Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. " Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar
"A woman experienced in scrapbooking uncovers the true plot behind a murder. She was present at the time it happened and questions the people who might be able to shed light on the murder. Her husband is suspect and she supports his innocense. The scrapbook shop provides a down-to-earth setting as well as a New Orleans flavor to the mystery. She is successful in solving the mystery and maintains the friendships cultivated from her scrapbooking business. Crested sapwood supportable noradrenaline runout. " Barbara, Resident Scholar

Review Analysis of Keepsake Crimes

Our unique search engine provides a wealth of detail about books by breaking them down into many different literary elements, all of which are searchable (click here).

Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
descript. of violence and chases - 10%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 60%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 20%
How society works & physical descript. (people, objects, places) - 10%

Tone of story - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
How difficult to spot villain? - Very difficult--no foreshadowing/clues
Time/era of story: - present (2000-2010)
What % of story relates directly to the mystery, not the subplot? - 70%
Kind of investigator - amateur citizen investigator
Kid or adult book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Any non-mystery subplot? - big city life
Crime Thriller Yes
Murder Mystery (killer unknown) Yes

Main Character
Gender - Female
Profession/status: - small businessman - artist
Age: - 20's-30's
How much violence does he/she use? - none
Ethnicity/Race - White/American
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Average intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Main Adversary
Identity: - Female
Age: - 20's-30's - 40's-50's
Profession/status: - homemaker
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a little/some - a moderate amount
Motive of antagonist - jealousy
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Dumb - Average intelligence
Physique - very athletic - average physique

Setting
United States Yes
The US: - Deep South
City? Yes
City: - New Orleans

Style
Person - mostly 1st - mostly 3rd
Accounts of torture and death? - no torture/death - generic/vague references to death/punishment
How many deaths? - 1
Amount of dialog - significantly more dialog than descript - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog

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Laura Childs Resident Scholar Profiles

TOP SCHOLAR:

Harriet Klausner

SCHOLARS: David Loftus Abby White

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Laura Childs Book Review