Laura Childs Frill Kill

Frill Kill

Laura Childs

Berkley, Oct 2007, $22.95, 288 pp.

ISBN 9780425217306

It is days before Halloween with post-Katrina New Orleans getting into the spirit of the holiday hoping to revive lagging morale and bring in some much needed revenue. Carmela Bertrand, the owner of the scrapbook store Memory Mine in the French Quarter, is visiting her friend Ava Grieux, owner of the Jujo Voodoo Shop, and is impressed with her newest employee Giovanni, a sexy charismatic man who tells fortunes.

After she leaves the store she goes across Ava's alley on the way home; she is pushed from behind, sees a flying white dove with blood on his wings and finds the dead body of Amber Lalique, the lead fashion model of Chadron who is giving a show this week. The police find Carmela knocked out on the corpse whose throat is missing. Suspicion first falls on Giovanni and later his brother Santini who didn't hide his anger with his breakup with Amber very well. Carmella investigates at Ava's request because she wants to know if Giovanni or Santini are killers. Both women are curious about the killing and start nosing around but as usual Carmella finds herself in danger from a killer who has no mercy.

Laura Child gives readers an interesting glimpse of post Katrina New Orleans as the city tries to make a revival with many people pulling together to make their Big Easy as glorious as it once was, but more inclusive. Carmella is a delightful lead character who finds herself in unusual predicaments as she tries to track a killer while trying to keep her soon to be ex-husband from her. She leads an interesting life full of action, adventure and danger without coming across as a hero. Laura Childs keeps readers interested as they become absorbed in the fascinating storyline.

Harriet Klausner