I read a really good book recently, y'all — Scrapped, by Mollie Cox Bryan. Let me tell you a little about it.

Scrapped is the second book in the Cumberland Creek Mystery series. It follows Scrapbook of Secrets.

Returning characters in Scrapped are Annie, Vera, Sheila, and the other ladies in the Cumberland Scrapbook Crop, along with Vera's mom Beatrice. The writing style for Scrapped (as well as Scrapbook of Secrets) is a little unusual; the narrative point of view varies from chapter to chapter, mainly between Annie, Vera, and Beatrice. This technique adds to the book, since the reader knows what several characters are thinking, not just one character.

Also returning is Detective Bryant, who helps Annie and Beatrice — I mean, whom Annie and Beatrice help — solve several murders in the Cumberland Creek area. A new character in the series is Cookie Crandall. Cookie is a new member of the Scrapbook Crop, a yoga instructor, a vegetarian, and a witch. At the weekly Crops, Cookie works on her "Scrapbook of Shadows," as she calls it.

You may be wondering, since shadows are without form and substance (except for Peter Pan's, and he isn't in this book), how can shadows be made into a scrapbook? Oooh, a teaser! You'll have to read the book to find out!

Originally, this book was to have been titled Scrapbook of Shadows. I asked Author Mollie Cox Bryan why the title was changed.

MCB: The deal with SCRAPPED is both my editor and I loved the title SCRAPBOOK OF SHADOWS, so we used it in the back of SECRETS, as you no doubt read. But when the book went through sales and marketing, they did not like it. I'll never understand it. I like the original title better, as well. But I like this title, too and the book has done okay with this title--so they might have been onto something. I think there might be a lot of other books out there with similar titles to SCRAPBOOK OF SHADOWS, which could have created some confusion.
Cheers,
Mollie

Thanks for dropping by Jane Reads to answer that question, Mollie. Inquiring minds wanted to know.


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Here are two more teasers, just to pique your interest in this great read.

Scrapped's opening sentence:
Spending Sunday afternoon watching the police drag a body
from a river was not what Annie had planned for the day.

Two sentences from a random page (page 73):
"Now, personally, I don't like either one
of you. But I don't want to see you dead."

I really enjoyed reading Scrapped! I recommend it to fellow cozy mystery readers; cozy fans who scrapbook will especially enjoy Scrapped.

Book 3 of the Cumberland Creek Mystery series, Death of an Irish Diva, will be published in February 2014. The Blog Tour begins on February 4. I am pleased to announce that Jane Reads will be on the tour on February 11. I hope to see you then! ( )

I tend to like cozy mysteries centered around a hobby. This takes place in Cumberland Creek, with a cast of characters bound together by their scrapbooking hobby. Two young girls are murdered and Annie, Vera, Beatrice and the other scrappers are drawn into figuring out the mystery. I got a bit lost a couple of times as to who was who (and I kept picturing Vera as much older than she was). I was intrigued by Cookie and really hope she makes a return appearance in a future book. The mystery was a bit lite on details - I would've liked a heavier dose of clues.

If you like cozy mysteries and/or scrapbooking, you'll likely enjoy this book. ( )