If you haven't met Carmela Bertrand yet, star of Tragic Magic and the previous six Scrapbook Mysteries, you're in for a treat! She isn't your basic cozy mystery character - she's a smart, savvy entrepreneur who's been through Hurricane Katrina and lived to tell about it. Although her scrapbook shop, Memory Mine, is still recovering, Carmela proves to be an intelligent, focused, amateur sleuth who doesn't rely on "coincidences" or inept police work to solve crimes. She jumps right into New Orleans society, rubs elbows with the right (and wrong) people, and digs for information. In Tragic Magic, Carmela designs set décor for a haunted house, tours an abandoned asylum, learns about cremation jewelry, and gets stalked in a Garden District cemetery. Not your traditional cozy - in fact, more of a thrillzy, but without the sex or really tough language. If you're looking for a Halloween read, Tragic Magic is definitely your book. Plus you'll love Carmela's New Orleans recipes like sausage gumbo, Southern coffee cookies, and cocoa loco pie. And her deep fried strawberries? Well, you'll just have to read the book!