Paper, Scissors, Death

September 1, 2008
Scrapbooker Kiki Lowenstein leads a comfortable, if unexciting, life in St. Louis with her husband, George, and 11-year-old daughter, Anya. Georges sudden death brings that comfortable life to an end. Kiki suspects murder, and equally devastating, she suddenly has no money. Managing to cope, Kiki soon has a job teaching scrapbooking skills, a new small rental home, and a new big dog. Then Georges college girlfriend also turns up dead, and Kiki finds herself a murder suspect. Slan has written a neatly plotted mystery with engaging characters. She has previously written a number of nonfiction books about scrapbooking and stories for the Chicken Soup series. This is her first published attempt at writing fiction, and the dialogue is a bit stilted, and most of the humor seems forced. However, as Kiki matures in the story, Slans writing style also becomes much more fluid and natural. Scrapbookers will love the whole idea of forensic scrapbooking and will relish the tips on the craft sprinkled throughout the story. Books combining crafts and mysteries are becoming increasingly popular. Like the scrapbooking series by Laura Childs, this should quickly become a favorite.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)