In this recipe-stuffed cozy mystery, B&B owner Maggie Crozat joins forces with her longtime enemy to prevent a murderous Grinch from ruining Christmas Maggie Crozat is back home in bayou country during the most magical time of the year. In Pelican, Louisiana, Christmastime is a season of giant bonfires on the levee, zydeco carols, and pots of gumbo. Except, this year, the Grinch has come to … Grinch has come to stay at the family-run Crozat Plantation B&B. When he floods travel websites with vicious reviews, Maggie thinks she’s identified him as rival businessman Donald Baxter. That is, until he’s found stabbed to death at Maggie’s workplace. And Maggie and her loved ones become top suspects.
The Crozats quickly establish alibis, but Maggie’s boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, remains under suspicion. With Bo sidelined during the investigation, Maggie finds herself forced to work with an unlikely ally: longtime family enemy Rufus Durand. Her sleuthing uncovers more suspects than drummers drumming, and lands her in the crosshairs of the murderer.
The sleigh bells are jingling, and the clock is ticking for Maggie and Rufus, who must catch the killer or it will be the opposite of a Joyeux Noël in A Cajun Christmas Killing, the recipe-stuffed third installment of USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries.
more
This is a fun Christmas Cozy Mystery with a Cajun Twist. It is Christmas in Pelican, Louisiana and the whole town is getting ready for the Holiday and the Bonfires along the Levee. The family’s Bed and Breakfast is being flooded with bad reviews and trying to avoid a hostile takeover. When Maggie finds the body of the businessman suspicion falls on her boyfriend Bo, so she sets out to solve the murder. She even works with Rufus. The same wonderful characters are here and the Cajun background is a lot of fun. The mystery was good and there were a lot of twists and turns and suspects. There is a lot going on in this book. It was a quick fun read, perfect for the season. This series does not have to be read in order. Enjoy
A very good story but it was completely NUTS! Confusing as all get out at times with this one is so and so and they are messing with that so and so and then that so and so is also messing with him and their backstabbing everyone. Ugh. I had to read the reveal twice and I still ain’t sure I got it right. Really hoping the next book isn’t so chaotic.
Be transported to New Orleans for this fun Christmas themed mystery. It’s like taking a vacation and celebrating the holidays with great friends.
I’m thrilled to be caught up on the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron. I won the 4th book in a contest and will be reading it next month, but beforehand I had to read the first three. I just finished A Cajun Christmas Killing and absolutely loved it. Byron is top-notch when it comes to this genre, and I’ve read hundreds of books to know what I’m talking about!
Maggie’s family’s b&b is in trouble again. Luckily no one’s died on her property, but one of her guests dies on the family plantation that they sold a few years earlier. Will they ever get a break? A ruthless NYC businessman with a penchant for annoying people turns up stabbed to death. Was it his disinterested wife? A loving step-brother? An ex? A nephew? A business partner? Or someone with a different connection who wanted him gone for treachery in the past? It’s convoluted but that’s always the best kind of mystery. Throw in Christmas bonfires, Maggie’s romance with Bo, her ex-bf returning much to her chagrin, and a proposal from someone new, and she’s gonna be grilled herself.
Byron creates superb characters. They leap off the page and demand to be heard. Sometimes you love them, other times you want to strangle them. But you will always feel something for them. The pages turn themselves, it’s so easy and natural. Rarely if ever do I find a dull scene or anything transitory. Everything has a purpose whether it’s about the main mystery or the progression of the core character set. I am so excited to start the next one in the series for my review group. If you’ve never sampled this series, it’s a must read!
You know some series where you have a bit of trouble remembering the characters or what’s happened in previous books? I did not have that problem with A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron, although it’s been a good three years since I’ve read the first book in the series, Plantation Shudders.
And I really have no reason as to why I missed book two, Body on the Bayou, or haven’t read the rest of the books in A Cajun Country Mystery series…. Well maybe, so many books, so little time.
But I need to make time to read the rest. A Cajun Christmas Killing reminded me how much I enjoy Byron’s writing… and I do love books that take place in the South.
Byron’s vibrant descriptions of the plantations, living history museum, and food makes the reader feel like they are actually in Louisiana. Although I’ve always wanted to visit, I feel like she could make even those who don’t like to travel want to take a trip there.
You can feel the love and tell that family is everything to the Crozats. Gran is so much more than a Southern Belle, although she still knows how to use those connections when needed. And I really enjoyed that she knows her way around a computer. Maggie’s mom and dad work hard to keep the B&B running, and I would stay there just for her mom’s cooking.
I was also pleased that Rufus, who ends up replacing Maggie’s boyfriend, Bo, on this case, is not such an unpleasant character any more, and yet he’s still got some sass to him. In so many cozies the law ends up being confrontational to the protagonist, which is fine, but sometimes it can feel overdone.
There were lots of red herrings and great suspects, and a thrilling confrontation with the killer at the end. Byron even has a twist with the killer which I enjoyed. The Cajun Country Mysteries is a cozy series that I very, very highly recommend.
I really love this series and I know a lot of it is tied to having family in Louisiana and I can relate/understand many of the situations and traditions but there is something about Pelican that makes me feel right at home.
But that aside, I really enjoy the mystery aspect and I did sort of guess the killer but not the whole situation…so I was about half right! There are some twists at the end that surprised me (hence only guessing half of the mystery).
I enjoy the quirkiness of many of the characters and of course Maggie and Bo’s relationship. It is nice to see it slowly evolve and they are not rushing into anything with each other.
I absolutely loved this book!! I was actually surprised that I liked it that much since I really enjoyed the last one but could not go so far as loving the thing but this one I could not put down. Things started moving from the very first page and they never really stopped after that which was great. It starts with some family drama and health scares which puts them all under stress. Just when it looks like things cannot get worse the guy they all hate (myself included to be honest I was actually rooting for him to be the murder victim) turns up dead making all the main characters suspects. Maggie cannot help but get involved which of course leads to trouble though they figure it all out in the end. Since the characters are so well established by the this point I really enjoyed catching up with what is going on with them and I just loved the 180 of Rufus as it makes it so much nicer plus as an added bonus Maggie and Bo do not have to hide their relationship. The addition of the past made things heat up though the author handles it all very well while still making things fun. I just loved the mix of strong characters, silliness, action, mystery, secrets, and drama. It all combines into a wonderful cozy mystery that I was unable to put down for even a minute. I loved it so much it gets 5/5 stars.
I enjoyed reading A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Bryon, her third book in her A Cajun Country Mystery series. This story captured my interest from the first chapter. Maggie Crozat has returned home to the family B&B in Pelican, Louisiana for the holidays when she finds herself trying to determine who killed Donald Baxter, since her family and boyfriend are the main suspects. It becomes vital for them to solve this crime sooner rather than later. Maggie finds herself working with Rufus Durand, a longtime family enemy, as they uncover many suspects she needs to find the killer before she becomes the next victim.
This story is a fun read. There really is a lot that happens in the book and just when I thought I had it figured out, something else would happen. Lots of yummy recipes added too, that I plan to try.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this book and had trouble putting this book down. The story line was riveting and kept my attention to the very end. Ms. Bryon does an excellent job keeping her readers on their toes as they read her stories. I highly recommend this book to other readers and look forward to reading other books in this series.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
I have fallen in love with this series! Maggie is the perfect main character. She is warm and welcoming to the guests at the Crozat Bed & Breakfast, her family home, tender and caring to her friends, and feisty and tenacious when trying to help solve the mystery. Maggie and her family are so close and supportive of each other and their community in Pelican. In this latest book it is Christmas and there are several new characters introduced in the story including the guests at the inn and new people in town. There are several suspects in the murder and Maggie and the Pelican Police Department are hoping to solve the murder before the holiday. I love how everyone in the town bands together to help each other in the story and how the characters have grown and changed over the course of the series so far. I can’t wait to read more books in this series.
A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLING by Ellen Byron is the third book in the Cajun Country Mystery series. It’s the story of Maggie Crozat at Christmas time in Pelican, Louisiana where she has to call on her sleuthing skills once again to help solve not one but two murders.
Maggie moved back from New York after the death of her husband to help her family run the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast. She also works as a tour guide to the Doucet Plantation, the ancestral plantation of her mother, Ninette. Between her father, Tug’s health issues brought on my bad unfounded reviews for the B & B and having to deal with her new boss, Tannis Greet, at Doucet, Maggie was beginning to doubt her decision to leave New York and her art career. The highlights in her life are fulfilling her dream to own a book store and her growing affection for one Detective Bo Durand.
The town of Pelican is deep in preparation for the Christmas bonfires when Maggie finds out that one of their guest who registered as Don Baxter was actually Steve Harmon, a hedge fund manager and the man trying to take control of their B & B. Knowing where the false reviews were coming from and now able to fight fire with fire, the Crozat’s thought they had a handle of things. That is until Mr. Harmon turns up dead inside the Dorcet Plantation. Their problems turned from rectifying false reviews to proving that they each had an alibi for the time of the murder. They were successful but Bo wasn’t. Trying to hit Harman who was trying to take advantage of your son’s talents, puts you right up at the top of the suspect list. It meant he was off the case and on desk duty.
After a possible suicide was ruled as another murder, the police force is on high alert. When her father’s bonfire pile was sabotaged and members of her family, as well as herself, and friends were endangered, Maggie is determined to prove that Bo is innocent, but to also find leads for the police to nab the right suspect before anyone else gets hurt.
After Bo was sidelined, she had reservations about working with Rufus Durand, Bo’s cousin and member of a rival family. Bo convinces her to give him a chance, that he’s a changed man since settling down. Can they end up working together for a common goal? Will each of them have clues having them coming up with the same suspect? Will they find the suspect before he strikes again? Or will the suspect find them first? Will this close knit town be able to salvage the Cajun Christmas and will the bonfires go off as planned?
Ellen Byron did a fabulous job of balancing the accurate details of a Cajun Christmas as they can exist only in Louisiana, the historical details of plantations and social status of the time, and the wonderful crafted murder mysteries to roll out a cozy mystery that everyone will enjoy reading. To me A CAJUN CHRISTMAS KILLINGS is a book about a holiday that I think anyone would love reading year round. It has a lot going for it – including lots of suspects to keep you going down a path only to have to back up and go a different route and a great ending that will have you shaking your head wondering why you didn’t see that one coming. Add in a little romance to sweeten the deal and you have great book that I highly recommend. Wonderful recipes in the back of the book that are mentioned in the story. Can’t wait to try them because they sound yummy!
law-enforcement, bayou, louisiana, cajun-culture, situational-humor, cozy-mystery, family-dynamics, relationships
Maggie is a smart, observant, paint artist with old school family lineage, kooky relatives, and a whole lot of figurative brush fires to put out. The main family home is a B&B with someone sabotaging the approval rating, the other family plantation is registered as historic but is being run by a corporation with delusions. The obnoxious owner of the corporation is staying at the B&B, but ends up murdered in the plantation house. Not only Maggie, but her whole family, some friends, and even her nice new boyfriend the cop are on the short list, even her crooked former boyfriend from NYC, who is a paid consultant for the deceased. Very twisty with lots of situational humor and a lot of red herrings. All of the characters are well developed and are very interesting, as is the trip to the Garden District of NOLA. And then there’s all the mentions of the terrific local food! Thanks be that there are several of the recipes given at the end of the book!
I requested and received this book courtesy of NetGalley.
At this time, the publisher’s blurb is disturbing because of errors.
With a couple of weeks to go before Christmas, Maggie should be focusing on getting into the Christmas spirit. However, she’s just learned that a businessman is trying to take over her family’s bed and breakfast built on their family’s plantation. When he turns up dead, naturally, they are all suspects, and Maggie begins to try to figure out what really happened. With a list of suspects that only grows, can Maggie find the killer?
We are getting quite a nice community in this series, and I was glad to revisit Maggie and her friends and family. The characters only grow stronger here and some relationships take surprising turns. The mystery is strong and kept me guessing until the end, and sub-plots compliment the mystery and enhance the characters. Throw in some Louisiana recipes and Christmas traditions and you’ve got a holiday winner.
Ellen Byron has written a jolly good Christmas mystery. She creates great characters in the Crozat family. The plot is a jambalaya of murder and a myriad of suspects. She ends her tale in a merry fashion.
Another series that I love to read. There are a few characters in there that you will end up not liking at all and cheering on the good guys. Set in the present time period but revolves around life on a plantation in Louisiana. It’s Christmas time on the Bayou and anything can and will happen at this time of the year. Enjoy.
Oh my what an awesome read. Ellen Byron is a new author for me. This was an exciting and fun read, a lot of twist and turns that left me guessing. I haven’t given a 5 star review in a while, that’s how good this book is. Although this is the third book in the Cajun Country Mystery it makes for a good stand alone. I liked this book so much that I am looking forward to reading the first and second in this series.
Love the characters and the charm this book exudes, it was interesting and kept me riveted until the last page. The plot was different than most cozies, it was a puzzle, a true who dunnit.
1 like
Joyeux Noel!! We are going to visit Pelican, Louisiana
during the Christmas season. We will stay at the
Crozat Plantation B&B. We will tour the area’s historical
places, help build a bonfire on the levee plus watch
others built their bonfires. We will eat gumbo, shrimp
combos, crawfish and lots more yummy Cajun foods
as we tag along with Magnolia Crozat better known
as Maggie. Maggie has returned home to the bayou
country after living in New York. She is an artist but
helps her parents and Grand-mere at the B&B.
Murder, explosions, deceit, revenge, ill will, twisted
treatment of workers plus firecrackers, bonfires
burning bright, a trip to Christmas decorated New
Orleans plus more. The story starts off with a bang
keeping a very fast pace until the finish.
The characters are well rounded, colorful, quirky,
well developed plus three dimensional involved in
surprising interactions.
Maggie discovers one of the guest is not who he says
he is and is trying to take over the plantation by having
bad reviews posted. He is a sharp, skilled takeover
person who is also a real ladies man. That is until he
is discovered DEAD. Who killed this man or more likely
like who didn’t want this man dead?? Plenty of suspects
with plenty of motives to sift through to discover the culprit.
I absolutely loved Christmas in bayou country plus a
good plotted story. Be sure to get a copy of the book.
I volunteered to read this book. Thanks to the author via
The Cozy Mystery Review Crew for the opportunity. My
opinion is my own.
A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron is the third book in A Cajun Country Mystery series. Maggie Crozat and her family are busy with guests at the Crozat Plantation B&B and making Christmas preparations. One of their guests, Donald Baxter is playing the part of Scrooge with his constant complaints. Maggie is guiding a tour around Doucet and discovers their guest has become a ghost when she finds him stabbed to death. Bo Durand, Maggie’s boyfriend, is a person of interest and Rufus Durand, his cousin, returns to be lead investigator (he is not a fan of the Crozat family—but he swears he has changed). Maggie needs to find the real killer and clear Bo off the suspect list as well as herself and the rest of the Crozat family. Her attention is diverted by Tannis Greer’s changes at Doucet (and her hideous new costume), her father’s ill health, numerous anonymous complaints about the B&B on a travel site, Lia’s revelations, and the return of her ex-boyfriend who is determined to exploit Bo’s son, Xander. Just another typical week for Maggie in Pelican, Louisiana. Come along for some Christmas fun in A Cajun Christmas Killing!
A Cajun Christmas Killing is an entertaining cozy mystery. It has lively, unique characters and a small, quirky Southern town. Maggie has a large extended family and many friends in Pelican. It was interesting to read about the bonfires being built and how they are utilized on Christmas Eve (what a nifty tradition). I just loved the descriptions of the old homes with original details (I am one of those people who loves squeaky old wood floors). I found the story to be nicely written and to have a good pace (makes for an easy to read story). There is quite a bit going on in A Cajun Christmas Killing. I highly recommend reading the series in order. It will help familiarize you with the characters (it can be hard to keep them all straight). My rating for A Cajun Christmas Killing is 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). I do wish, though, that the mystery had been harder to solve. I like to be challenged, and I accurately predicted the outcome before Maggie stumbled upon the body. There are some delightful sounding recipes at the end of the book. The ending was very satisfying (those who dislike Tannis will be merry). I look forward to visiting Pelican, Louisiana again in the next A Cajun Country Mystery.
Only a handful of light mysteries have captivated me the way A Cajun Christmas Killing did. From the first page, the story and characters kept pulling at me until I was frustrated at each interruption. I really enjoyed the first two books, but this one felt special. In fact, for me it is one of the standout books for the year.
There is so much heart and humor in this series that in spite of murder and cheating and other issues, I felt great just from reading it. Ms. Byron pulls me into the story and characters so much that I almost cheered out loud to see several villains get their comeuppance. I am glad to see that real love has softened Vanessa and Rufus. That is not a spoiler; the event that started the shift was in Body on the Bayou but we really see it carried out here. The Maggie’s family is in for a tough time and she fights tooth and nail to keep home and family safe. All the members of Maggie’s family are darling and her friends are great and then there is Bo. Bo is…well he is Bo!!
I am a big fan of Christmas activities and I got to spend time sharing the holiday traditions with the family! I will be rereading my own copy of this book in early December.
Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Publishing for the chance to read an advanced reader copy. I knew that I would have fun with Cajun Christmas Killing but I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. The opinion stated is all mine. I always review books that I enjoy and I way more than enjoyed A Cajun Christmas Killing.
I loved getting a look at Christmas in Pelican, Louisiana. Their Christmas customs are so different than any I have experienced that it made me want to go there. Like the bonfires on Christmas Eve to guide Santa. Everything was wonderful with the large family gathering at the Crozat Plantation B & B. That is until one of the guests is murdered and the entire family are suspects, along with Maggie’s boyfriend, Bo. That left Maggie with no choice but to find the real killer.
I liked the fast pace of this mystery and that Maggie’s sleuthing didn’t go smoothly all the time. How could she focus on finding a killer when she had so many family members and friends trying to help? Then there were illnesses and other family dramas to deal with. And even more, stress to handle when the B & B got some negative reviews. But this is a very well-written book so it is easy to follow Maggie in her adventures.
I really enjoyed this book and am glad I got a copy through NetGalley. I didn’t expect a murder mystery to be funny, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at some of the characters and what they did.
This is a great book for cozy mystery fans.
When I sat down with this book, it gave me the wonderful feeling of sitting down to catch up with old friends.
The Cajun Country Mystery Series has been a favorite of mine from the beginning and this installment does not disappoint. A Cajun Christmas Killing is the third book in the series. The book follows artist Maggie Crozat through the fun and quirky Christmas season in Pelican, Louisiana. But when a rival businessman is found dead, Maggie can’t help but get involved in solving the crime.
Here are my top reasons to pick up a copy of this book today.
Characters that Develop and Grow
Even though these books can stand alone, I love the way certain characters have grown throughout the series. I won’t spoil it, but I especially enjoyed the relationship between Maggie and a new sleuthing ally in this one.
Unique Christmas Traditions
Christmas in Louisiana holds many traditions that are different than those we observe in the Midwest United States. I very much enjoyed how the Christmas tradition of New Orleans bonfires was explained and then woven through the story.
A Lagniappe in Each Book
“Lagniappe” is a Louisiana term that means a little something extra. And author Ellen Byron includes a creative lagniappe at the end of each of her books. From explaining where a character’s name came from, to how she came up with certain elements of the story. These little snippets are unique and cleaver and really add to the reading experience.
Don’t let this one pass you by!
This series has it all. Everything fun and comfortable you crave in a cozy, with enough substance to keep your mind working while you read. The series is one I always look forward to and I can’t see where Ellen Byron decides to take the characters next!
First published at:
https://cozyexperience.com/reasons-read-cajun-christmas-killing/