Cut, Crop & Die: Book #2 in the Kiki Lowenstein Mystery Series (Kiki Lowenstein Cozy Mystery Series)

SWEET MEMORIES MADE OF MURDER--
PASTRY, PIZZA, AND A POISONOUS PILL…

Recovering from financial ruin and the murder of her husband—she’s not saying which was worse— Kiki Lowenstein’s getting her life back on track as a professional scrapbooker, in charge of a huge event at the Missouri Botanical Garden. But during the scrapbooking soiree, somebody has an allergic reaction, and not to the plants.

As luck would have it, it just happens to be someone Kiki’s allergic to—scrapbooking rival Yvonne Grayson, whose epi pen is mysteriously empty. As planned—by someone—the victim goes into anaphylactic shock and dies, right in front of half the hobbyists in the state of Missouri.

Bad press for Kiki’s scrapbooking cred! Fortunately, Detective Chad Detweiler’s on the case—Kiki’s crush from the late spousal unpleasantness. He’s been bringing her pizza, hold the romance, and now it's pizza, hold the intel—Kiki’s about to gain weight without even getting kissed—or solving the case herself.

But he might have let slip just enough to go on…Yvonne was allergic to aspirin and it was found in her favorite pastry. A sweet and healing tidbit?

The fun of this one, of course, is in the scrapbooking lore and fiery rivalry between Kiki and her scrapbooking frenemies. You’ll find yourself rooting for the sweet and resilient Widow Lowenstein, who’s determined as ever to protect her complicated but wholesome suburban life. Author Slan weaves pro scrapbook sleuthing tips effortlessly into the plot, making the reader feel like they’re getting a crash course in cropping and hunting down a depraved murderer. It’s a double how-to for the price of one!

Praise for this clean, funny cozy series:

"Kiki's second outing is a nicely crafted cozy full of amusing moments, real-life insecurities and scrapbooking tips." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Slan fulfills all the promise of her first novel (Paper, Scissors, Death, 2008) with this second entry in the Kiki Lowenstein scrapbooker series. Her writing is much more assured this time out, and the book is filled with characters who we care about." ―Booklist

"Slan has written another enthralling, interesting, fast-paced mystery. I look forward to the further adventures of Kiki and her crew." ―Reviewing the Evidence

"Topically relevant and chock-full of side stories." -- Library Journal

"(Slan's books are) a cut above the usual craft-themed cozy." -- Publisher's Weekly