Just like the title suggests, Paper, Scissors, Death is a scrapbooking murder mystery. This first book in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series, featuring scrapbooker Kiki Lowenstein, is a fun read that pulls you in from the first chapter and at the end has you wondering what’s next for this fascinating character.
Paper, Scissors, Death is the story of Kiki Lowenstein, a woman who believes she’s only ever been good at two things: scrapbooking and getting pregnant. Kiki’s comfortable “soccer mom” life turns upside down when her husband, George, is found naked and dead in a hotel room. The autopsy shows George died of natural causes, but Kiki refuses to believe it. To complicate matters further, Kiki discovers George has “borrowed” a half a million dollars from his company. As she sells everything they own, she vows to uncover the truth behind George’s death. To support herself and her eleven-year-old daughter Anya, Kiki takes a job at St. Louis’ premier scrapbook store, Time in a Bottle. She figures it’s the perfect cover for snooping around. Kiki’s not worried about the killer targeting her. After all, she’s a mom—and moms are invisible, right? But Kiki learns George had a secret life, and now that shadowy world endangers her and her child’s happiness. The murder of George’s old sweetheart makes Kiki a prime suspect—she could wind up making scrapbooks behind bars! Supported by her loyal friends, along with a little help (and a lot of stomach flutters) from the dashing Detective Detweiler, Kiki sheds her mousy housewife image and emerges as a woman of great courage.
Kiki Lowenstein is the type of character that you can’t help but root for because it’s so easy to see glimpses of your life and the lives people you know in her. Much like one of my favorite series characters, Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum, Kiki’s life is a “hot mess”. But somehow she always finds a way to come out on top!
Author Joanna Campbell Slan did a superb job of developing all of the characters in this book. She managed to find an enjoyable way to intertwine suspense, romance, and humor into Paper, Scissors, Death, while also giving readers a healthy dose of scrapbooking tips.
The author knows her stuff and is serious about scrapbooking – a coupon for 50 free digital prints from Snapfish.com is included in each book (even when you purchase the Kindle edition).
Paper, Scissors, Death is an Agatha Award Finalist for Best First Novel. The second book in the series, Cut, Crop & Die, was released in June 2009.
In addition to the first two books in the Kiki Lowenstein Scrap-N-Craft Mystery Series, Joanna Campbell Slan has written seven scrapbooking technique books: Scrapbook Storytelling, One Minute Journaling, Quick & Easy Pages, Storytelling with Rubber Stamps, Adventures in Journaling, The Scrapbooker’s Journaling Companion, and The Best of British Scrapbooking. She is also the author of eleven non-fiction books and five of her personal essays have appeared in Chicken Soup for the Soul books.
I highly recommend this book to everyone. It provides a quick and cozy escape that keeps you intrigued, makes you laugh out loud, has you guessing, makes you miffed, and warms your heart – all at the same time! This book is not just for scrapbookers, it’s for anyone that enjoys a good read, and what I anticipate will be a great series.
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