Scrapbook of Murder

An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery 6

De: Lois Winston

Narrado por: Alexandra Bitton-Bailey

Crafts and murder don’t normally go hand-in-hand, but "normal" deserted craft editor Anastasia Pollack’s world nearly a year ago. Now, tripping over dead bodies seems to be the “new normal” for this reluctant amateur sleuth.

When the daughter of a murdered neighbor asks Anastasia to create a family scrapbook from old photographs and memorabilia discovered in a battered suitcase, she agrees—not only out of friendship but also from a sense of guilt over the older woman’s death. However, as Anastasia begins sorting through the contents of the suitcase, she discovers a letter revealing a 50-year-old secret, one that unearths a long-buried scandal and unleashes a killer. Suddenly, Anastasia is back in sleuthing mode as she races to prevent a suitcase full of trouble from leading to more deaths.

Scrapbooking tips included.

©2017 Lois Winston (P)2023 Lois Winston

A Cozy Mystery Cold Case

I found the sixth book in the "An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery" series intriguing. Lupe, a neighbor's daughter, asked Anastasia to arrange her family's photos and letters into a scrapbook. While going through the memorabilia, Anastasia found a 50-year-old letter which revealed a long-held family secret. Anastasia had to put her sleuthing skills to work. I missed some of the humor found in the first five books, but this story introduced some ideas which were thought provoking. Alexandra Bitton-Bailey's narration was a pleasure to hear as her performance reflected the characters well. I was given a free copy of the audiobook, and I have voluntarily posted this review.

Anastasia must dig deep into the past in this cozy

Anastasia is a suburban widow. She’s also deep in debt from her late husband’s escapades. Lucille, her “Communist mother-in-law from Hades” lives with her, and Anastasia is in love with Zack, the tenant living above her garage.

Zack is a sweetie. I liked him. The mother-in-law from Hades is hilarious (without meaning to be, of course; she has no sense of humor). I also enjoyed Anastasia’s teen sons. They are teenagery (in the not-so-good sense), but they can be polite and sweet, too. Lupe is a young friend on a mission, and her passion leapt off the page (or through my earbuds in this case because I listened to the audiobook).

Poor Lupe, her mother died. Anastasia helps Lupe go through her family’s old photos and mementos from Cuba. Fortunately, Zack is fluent in Spanish. A big secret is uncovered from the mementos, and Anastasia must dig deep into the past to unravel the mystery.

There’s a dog in the book. Every cozy is better with a dog! His name is Manifesto (the Communist mother-in-law’s dog), and he’s much sweeter than his owner.

In listening to this book, I did my typical “read a series out of order” adventure. Scrapbook of Murder works well as a standalone. You won’t know Anastasia’s histories with particular characters, but Winston hints at enough of their backstories so you don’t get lost.

More sensitive readers may struggle with the nature of crimes described in this book (rape, disturbing child psychopathy violence). But the actual acts are not detailed, and Winston handles the events with tact.

The narrator did an excellent job. Her Spanish accent (for a certain character’s voice, not for the whole book) is convincing. It was a pleasure to listen to the book.

I won an Audible audiobook through the author’s promotion, and I’m happy to share my opinion on this story.

Good Book

I love this series, but this book isn't as lighthearted as other books in this series. This story takes on some very serious issues, but it also has the antics of the supporting cast of characters. The narrator did an ok job, but her accents were way off base. Though not one of my favorite books in this series, I will definitely continue to read about Anastasia's and her family's/friends antics happening in NJ!

Anastasia Crafting Mystery

Interesting characters, humorous dialog, and non-stop action. Enjoyed story very much! Recommend following this series in chronological order, but not necessary. This audiobook was provided by the author and I am providing an honest review.

Great cozy!

I really enjoyed listening to the story. Beautifully narrated. I like the characters and storyline. This is the perfect cozy!