Review: Photo, Snap, Shot by Joanna Campbell Slan

First line: “Anya is all right now,” said my daughter’s advisor, “but you need to come pick her up please.”

From the back cover: Old money and tradition are the hallmarks of the St. Louis prep school that Kiki Lowenstein’s daughter Anya attends. But the elite academy is stamped with scandal when Anya finds the dead body of teacher Sissy Gilchrist in its elegant theatre. Even worse, Anya might have seen the killer.

Pegged as a shameless flirt and a lousy teacher, Sissy would’ve made everyone’s “least popular” scrapbook page. Especially for those who were seeing read over Sissy’s mixed-race romance with a colleague. Fearing her daughter is in danger, Kiki sifts through the school community’s many shocking secrets to pin down the murderer, while doing all she can to avoid starring in her own memorial album.

My thoughts:  Yet another fast-paced and fun read. Once again Kiki seems to be in the middle of a murder investigation, all the while trying to keep her daughter safe, deal with her mother-in-law’s pushy ways, and trying to figure out what is going on with the hot detective. The whole cast of familiar characters is there as well as some new ones. I love that Kiki’s character seems so real – watching her make mistakes as she plugs away at life, make her feel like someone you know. She is smart, resourceful, and just hangs in there despite what life throws at her. As in the previous books, the writing keeps the pages turning – it is suspenseful and keeps you at the edge of your seat while not being overly graphic.  I hope there will be more adventures for Kiki in the future!

Here’s a great tip from Photo, Snap, Shot:

Kiki’s Tips for Using Punches

Punches are one of my favorite tools because they are incredibly versatile, plus you can use them over and over again!

1. Punch through a sheet of tinfoil when your punches get dull. If they get sticky, punch through a piece of wax paper.
2. Think of your punches as shapes. Try making new art by combining various shapes. For example, three circle punches of increasing sizes could be stacked on top of each other to create a snowman. Add a rectangle for the body of a stovepipe hat. Cut a thin slice from an oval to create the brim.
3. Buy a set of punches in the same shape, but in increasing sizes, and layer them together. This is particularly effective with circle punches. Secure them through the center with a brad. Rough up and curl the edges to make a cool flower.
4. Use a punch to create a cool border of negative spaces (holes!). Start by punching a piece of waste paper. Use this as a pattern and mark lightly with a pencil where you want your holes to go along your border. Turning your punch upside down so you can see the mechanism, align up your punch with the penciled marks to create a perfect border.
5. Take a punch to your extra family photos and create a stockpile of mug shots. Carefully position the punches so you can frame the faces. Keep these extra portraits in an envelope marked with each person’s name. Use them on pages of small albums!
6. Create dimension and interest by combining punches. For example, to green holly leaves, you can add small red circles to make the holly berries. Or put a punch art bow on top of a punched out square to make a gift wrapped package!
7. Use a foam adhesive dot or square under parts of your punch art. This will raise the art off your page. It’s a cool effect.

 Copyright 2010, Joanna Campbell Slan. Cannot be reprinted without permission from Midnight Ink, the publisher.

Thank you to the author for sending me this book to review – I thoroughly enjoyed it!