USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron is back at it with fan-favorite plantation B&B owner Maggie Crozat in a fourth installment of the Cajun Country mysteries. Southern charm meets the dark mystery of the bayou as a hundred-year flood, a malicious murder, and a most unusual Mardi Gras converge at the Crozat Plantation B&B.It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, … season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo galore. But when a flood upends life in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana—and deposits a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B—the celebration takes a decidedly dark turn. The citizens of Pelican are ready to Laissez les bon temps rouler—but there’s beaucoup bad blood on hand this Mardi Gras.
Maggie Crozat is determined to give the stranger a name and find out why he was murdered. The post-flood recovery has delayed the opening of a controversial exhibit about the little-known Louisiana Orphan Train. And when a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie’s convinced the murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Does someone covet the pageant queen crown enough to kill for it? Could the deaths be related to the Orphan Train, which delivered its last charges to Louisiana in 1929? The leads are thin on this Fat Tuesday—and until the killer is unmasked, no one in Pelican is safe.
A simmering gumbo of a humorous whodunit, Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth piquant installment in USA Today bestselling author Ellen Byron’s award-winning Cajun Country mysteries.
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I love this series and it has great characters to go with the story. Especially Maggie’s parents and grand mother. They own Crozat Plantation B&B and her Mom is a great cook. But her Dad especially at Mardi Gras time, tries to win the prize trophy for best gumbo out there. The ending to that story line was unexpected and so funny.
This story has so many twists and turns. Having to judge a beauty pageant that she doesn’t believe in, solving a couple of murders and why they don’t want to have they mystery of the orphan train solved was a mystery in itself. But with her boyfriend by her side who is a cop and with the help of family and friends it doesn’t take long to unravel the mystery.
Start with the first book to understand they dynamics of everyone in the story. It’s New Orleans ya’ll so let the good times roll.
Okay first those pageants are rigged. Second those pageant moms are CRAZY. Not as confusing as the last book but it was still action packed. Maggie and Bo really had me worried and it didn’t end the way I thought it would. Taking a slight break from the Cajun craziness but I will be back for more.
I loved Mardi Gras Murder, which is an awesome book with wonderful characters, atmosphere, and humor. Pelican, Louisiana takes its Mardi Gras celebrations seriously, and things become tense when an unidentified body is found at the Crozat Plantation Bed & Breakfast property after a devastating flood and is determined to be a victim of foul play. Soon there is another victim — one of the judges of the Pelican Miss Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant, and Maggie Crozat, who has a special knack for solving crimes and mysteries, is determined to investigate.
This book is a fast-moving page-turner, and I enjoyed getting to know Maggie (short for Magnolia) and her family and friends. I also enjoyed the Cajun atmosphere and language as well as reading about the Orphan Train to Louisiana, a part of history that I was not aware of. Although this is the fourth book in the Cajun Country Mysteries, it is the first I have read in the series and can stand alone. However, I can’t wait to go back and start reading the first book, Plantation Shudders.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are solely my own.
I was really excited to read Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron after winning a copy via a cozy mystery review group I belong to. I was so excited that I ordered the first three books in the Cajun Country series to catch up and read them all last month. Finally… today I cracked open the fresh hard cover release of this fourth wonderful gem and finished it moments ago. Dinner doesn’t need to be cooked for another 30 minutes so it’s time to write a review! All I can say is Byron knows how to pull in her readers with a fury and passion. Loved it… 5 stars all the way!
In this caper, our wonderful heroine, Maggie, found the body in the bayou behind her plantation home three weeks before the book started. And it wasn’t someone she’d ever met before — hooray, the poor girl got a break… except she can’t keep herself from investigating it. This time I blame it entirely on Gran’ who gets sick and convinces Maggie to take her place as a judge in the Miss Pelican contest (okay, a slightly different name but I prefer this one!). After a minor confrontation with another judge, Maggie finds him dead in his car. Throw in some baby drama, a mysterious painting pointing to a hidden treasure, curious genealogical history, and a beauty contest like no other, and we’ve got a fantastic novel.
Maggie’s truly become one of my favorite amateur sleuths. She’s smart and risky but not stupid and dangerous. She’s loving but not overly sweet. She’s intellectual but makes a fool of herself. I kinda wanna meet her in real life… wait, is this Ellen Byron? Hmmm… I might have to become an amateur sleuth and investigate for myself. (Don’t worry, I’m not gonna go stalk anyone!) This series has so much potential, but I’m actually a bit upset and just realized it right now. This book isn’t officially available for purchase until 11/26/18 which means the next one likely one be available until November 2019. What? I have to wait a year to read the next caper… ugh, gonna go sulk!
Psst… Ellen B – if you happen to read this, can I be a beta reader for your next book? PLEASE!
I absolutely loved Mardi Gras Murder! Ellen Byron’s witty, clever, mysteries are a blast to read, and she doesn’t disappoint with her newest release. It’s Mardi Gras, and the citizens of Pelican, Louisiana are getting ready to laissez les bons temps rouler (and cook up some gumbo!!!) when a stranger’s body is discovered after a flood, and a judge in the Gumbo Queen pageant is murdered. Maggie’s up to her gumbo pot crown trying to discover the culprit before the big day. The usual cast of characters is back, and a delight to read about. Hands down, this book and this series are one of the best I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. Grab yourself a comfy chair, chere, and settle down and enjoy this gem!
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is the 4th in this series but you do not have to read them in order.
This is the 3rd one I have read 3 and was not disappointed.
When a body, without any ID, is found in the yard of the family plantation/Bed and Breakfast, Maggie is again on the search for answers.
The book has a great setting, a quirky cast of likeable characters, and plenty of twists and turns that have you guessing until the end. Byron definitely takes you to Louisiana. When the story ended, I found myself missing Maggie and the gang.
There are also some recipes to try.
Thanks to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the ARC for an honest review.
I didn’t believe that another book could be as good as A Cajun Christmas Killing but I was wrong. Ellen Byron has been an excellent author who bring humor, heart and mystery to each book she writes, but Mari Gras Murders shines even among her delightful cozy mysteries. The realistic depth of character, the closeness of the community, and the unique culture of the area that this author paints so beautifully, pulls the reader into a special world that is not to be found anywhere outside of Louisiana except through the eyes of a few exceptional authors. The fun of Mardi Gras flows through the novel as Maggie juggles searching for a killer with judging the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant. Our favorite tour guide, artist, and hospitality hostess would rather face a murderer than a beauty pageant but when her grandmother can’t fulfill her duties she drafts the reluctant Maggie to fulfill her Crozat obligations. The book begins with devastating flooding with which so many of us can relate in this time of frequent natural disasters. Watching the strength of this southern town as they recover brings an additional element of reality to the story and a greater respect for the characters we already love. I found it fascinating to discover that children from the orphan trains were sent to Louisiana as well as further west. I have no doubt that a reader new to the series would be as captivated as those of us who have adored the earlier books. I was thrilled to get an ARC of Mardi Gras Murders from Crooked Lane books via NetGalley! The book is amazing and I am delighted to share my love with fellow readers through reviews, on line, and in person.
Has a good puzzle to it
It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo galore. When a flood upends life in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana, and deposits a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B, the celebration takes a decidedly dark turn.
The post-flood recovery has delayed the opening of a controversial exhibit about the little-known Louisiana Orphan Train. And when a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie’s convinced the murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Does someone covet the pageant queen crown enough to kill for it? Could the deaths be related to the Orphan Train which delivered its last charges to Louisiana in 1929? The leads are thin on this Fat Tuesday, and until the killer is unmasked, no one in Pelican is safe.
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Series: A Cajun Country Mystery – Book 4
Author: Ellen Byron
Genre: Cozy/B&B Mystery
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books
Elle Byron is a fantastic writer, with the Cajun Country Mystery series a favorite of readers everywhere. The fourth book in the series, Mardi Gras Murder is a wonderful addition and will add more fans for an author that already has a large following. The characters are well rounded
and quirky. The Louisiana celebration of Mardi Gras is world famous and is written about with the flavor of the holiday in mind. Readers can sense the authors love for her characters and setting within the pages of this series.
Maggie Crozat always seems to find herself bogged down in a murder investigation. She is hoping that the death of a stranger who washed up onto their property during a flood died from something other than murder. Unfortunately, she knows almost instantly that she is wrong and is once again faced with finding a killer.
The characters in this series are warm, inviting, loving and family oriented. Maggie’s grandmother is a fan favorite, and she should be, she is feisty, intelligent and kind. Maggie’s parents are everything we would want our parents to be. They have a great sense of humor, argue about silly stuff, and yell occasionally. In the end, they love each other and their family, and it shows throughout this book as well as the others in the series.
Maggie’s boyfriend, Bo warms the reader’s heart once again. However, there is a chance that things will not work out between Maggie and Bo. The reader will wait with nervous anticipation until they find out if the couple will remain a together.
There are plenty of suspects and clues to make this book fast-paced and a page-turner. The killer is unmasked only after Maggie finds herself once again in danger of being killed. readers can empathize with one or more of the characters and feel the excitement, and at times raw emotion of Maggie. No one will be disappointed with the outcome of this book, or go away with more questions than answers.
Mardi Gras Murder can easily stand on its own. There is no need for a lengthy background on the characters or the town. Readers will relish this book and want to read the others in the series. I highly recommend this book and this series.
I love this series because it takes me to my roots on my mom’s side in southern Louisiana. I can hear the accents and picture the scenery and the older homes. This series also makes me laugh, a lot! Here is one line that started me giggling – “Some men make their wives crazy all year. I save it for Mardi Gras.”
The book starts off with a bang with this line: “But an intrepid crew of Crozat family members and volunteers let the relentless rain soak them as they hauled away the detritus of small town life. It wasn’t until they’d almost reached the bottom of the pile that they found the body. The body of a stranger to Pelican, Louisiana.”
Before you think this book is all fun and games, it isn’t. There are actually several murders but we don’t know if they are all tied together or not. We suspect that they might be, but it takes the effort of many characters to solve the mystery. There are twists and turns galore and when the killer is revealed I was quite surprised. While we have a few clues to figure things out, they don’t necessarily point to this character.
Another favorite line of mine in this book was this one: “We shouldn’t ignore the past. We should study it and use what we learn to build a better future.” How true is this statement in today’s world?
Pelican, Louisiana is recovering from a flood.
During the flood the body of an older man
washes up on the Crozat property. Who is
this man? How did he die? Why was he on
the Crozat property?
Magnolia Crozat better known as Maggie
helps her parents( Ninette and Tug) and
her Gran-mere at the Crozat Plantation
Bed & Breakfast.
Gran-mere falls ill so a Maggie takes over
as a judge for the Miss Teen Pelican Mardi
Gras Gumbo Queen Contest, A contest
Maggie of which she never approved.
The chairman of the judges has already
decided who should win because of whose
daughter she is and the position the family
holds in the community plus the family
would be apt to donate some of their
antiques to the Pelican Historical Society.
This man has a lot to do with the Society.
He also had wanted to bring an exhibition
to Pelican about the Louisiana Orphan
Train. This train brought numerous orphans
to Louisiana in the early 1900’s. These
children were provided homes and raised
in Louisiana. It was interesting learning the
historical information about this phenomenon.
Then the chairman changed his mind about
the exhibit. Why did he abort the Orphan
Train exhibit idea?
Then he is shot!!! He dies after running his
car into the back of Maggie’s car. Who killed
him? Was the killing of the older unknown man
related to the killing of the contest judge?
Is there a connection between the two men?
There is a variety of characters involved in
the Pelican Mardi Gras Festival Activities
that all add flavor not only to the gumbo
being made but to the contest and murder
mystery. There are plenty of well created
suspects to sift through to find the culprit.
Mix a taste of deceit, secrets, murders, social
issues (autism, veterans and teen pregnancy),
deft description, historical fiction, romance
and plenty of southern humor makes this
story an intriguing, suspenseful and dramatic
read with mouthwatering recipes at the end.
This is book # 4 in the Cajun Country Mysteries
series. It can be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read Mardi Gras Murder.
Thanks to Crooked Lane Books via Net Gallery
for the opportunity. My opinion is voluntary and
my own.
Maggie Crozat is back in the fourth installment of Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery Series. The book starts with a flood that hits the Bayou and an unidentified male washes up at the Crozat Plantation B&B. In the meantime, Maggie into service to be one of the judges for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen. As everyone is preparing for the pageant, one of the judges is murdered. No one knows if his murder is tied to the pageant or to the mysterious man washed up in the flood. Can Maggie solve the mystery before she becomes a Victim herself? Are the murders tied to the pageant or they tied to Pelcan’s rich and storied history?
Ellen Byron has written and wonderful story that keeps you guessing throughout. This series is one you can definitely start at any point and still understand what is happened no and who the main characters are.
I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it. I plan on going back and reading the first three books and am looking forward to the next book in the series.
Tiaras, pedigrees, murder and Mardi Gras, fun!
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is a delightful southern cozy mystery. This book is the first that I have read of Ellen Byron. I first saw this book last year when it was published, and I knew then that I had to read it. OK, the cover totally drew me in but the plot summary is what made me buy it. I am so glad that I did.
Magnolia Marie Crozat ~ Maggie
Our sleuth is Maggie, she grew up in Pelican Louisana, went to college, lived in New York for a while and came home. Now, she helps out at her family Bed and Breakfast and works at a plantation house turned into a museum which was once owned by her grandmother’s family.
Maggie has an intuition when it comes to finding clues and figuring out whodunit. She happened to be the one who finds the murdered town historian. Isn’t that the perfect sign of a good sleuth?
What I like about Maggie: she is there for her family, she knows what she wants in life, and she is easy to talk to, which is why people tell her things.
What I didn’t like was that she was always running behind and forgetting appointments. However, some of that was due to covering for her Gran and part was due to the murder but still.
Bo Durand
Bo Durand is our sleuth’s love interest and her connection to the police force. Yep, he is a detective on Pelican PD. Bo is a great guy, he has a son with Asperger’s, but Bo handles its stride. He and Maggie are close at the beginning of the book, but then things start to change.
Bo does take Maggie’s clues and follow up with them. He also doesn’t try to stop her from getting involved. I like that he trusts that Maggie knows what she is doing. I also like that Bo is a sweet guy, not just with his son and Maggie but with everyone. He is a true gentleman.
Mystery
The mystery is my favorite part. It is filled with genealogy, family secrets and lies. There is blackmailing, conniving and threating. It was so fun to read. I truly loved the parts about the local history and orphan train. I had never heard of anything like that before, but I did a couple of google searches and wow. Super cool.
The entire story is so well written, and it highlights the Mardi Gras true meanings which I didn’t know anything about before. I thought that instead of Mardi Gras in New Orleans as I now have on my bucket list I might go to one of the small towns that the author talks about at the end. I will forever have a different opinion of Fat Tuesday.
5 Stars for Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron
My rating for Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is five stars. The combination of history, pedigree, beauty pageants, gumbo all in small-town Cajun country is so perfectly balanced. I couldn’t put the book down. As soon as I have the time I plan to go back and read the first three books in the series.
Oh, and don’t forget there are some great recipes included.
And I wanted to send out an “awesome job” to Stephen Gardner who created the cover. As someone who-totally-first-judges-a-book-by-the-cover, you really caught my eye.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron.
Anyways, until next time, enjoy this review brought to you by,
Karen the Baroness
Happy Fat Tuesday and enjoy your Mardi Gras!
If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.
The story is well plotted and the mystery has several twists and turns to keep the reader in suspense. I really enjoyed how the story of the pageant was intertwined with the death of the mystery man. I also enjoyed learning more about Mardi Gras traditions and celebrations. The characters still have their same wonderful quirky personalities. I love how Maggie and her family are able to live together and still get along so well even when one of them is a little obsessed with something like Maggie’s dad and his gumbo pot. You may enjoy the backstory of some relationships better if you have read the books in order. Having said that this book can definitely be enjoyed as a stand-alone mystery.
I voluntarily agreed to read a copy of this book supplied by NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own and in no way have been influenced.
“Mardi Gras Murder” earns 5/5 Pots of Gumbo…Engaging Fun!
Laissez les bon temps roule! Let the good times roll with the fourth book in Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery series. She has once again penned a very engaging mystery and this one swept up my interest right off. The story prologues with a devastating deluge effecting the citizens of Pelican, Mississippi, and midst the pile of debris that washed up behind Crozat’s Plantation B&B, a stranger’s body, no wallet and no ID, was found. The only fatality attributed to the storm is thought to be a tragic accident, but a closer forensic examination reveals, of course, murder! And it just might not stop at one victim! Intrigued Maggie Crozart and boyfriend/detective Bo Durand with other family and friends collaborate to uncover a killer finding current events may be effected by events in the past.
Ellen’s exciting page-turner gives readers engaging twists and turns, entertaining suspects on and off the list, relationships challenged, and a satisfying, “Oh, my!” conclusion. Her third-person narrative is well-plotted with wonderful descriptions, laying out of the investigation, and sharing the history of the Louisiana Orphan Train and bayou culture. Although I am more partial to the “I” perspective which allows me to pretend “I’m” part of the story. Byron is not a novice author, so she easily creates a community of marvelous characters, some quirky, illustrated by an entertaining banter. It all makes for a great read…newbies can definitely start here. No spoilers to interfere going back and reading the other books in the series…and you’ll be very eager to do just that.
Weaving in and around the murder drama is one of the most enjoyable themes…Cajun Country! I was fascinated by the delightful bayou culture. There’re the Mardi Gras parades, pageants, contests, and revelries…did I mention the “gumbo”? Readers can channel their inner Cajun with two gumbo recipes from Ellen’s dear friend Gaynell Bourgeois Moore. Something for everyone’s taste—Chicken and Sausage Gumbo and Seafood Gumbo. It doesn’t end there, of course, you can also enjoy Lagniappe (something given as a bonus or extra gift): additional information about the Orphan Train, Mardi Gras, and pageants along with recipes for Oyster Soup, Banana Bon Temps Cocktail, Banana Pancakes with Brown Sugar Butter, Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake, and two potato salads (Ellen’s Cajun Country Potato Salad and Gaynell’s Potato Salad).
A very engaging, fun read with delicious easy-to-follow recipes…what more could you ask for!
Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth book in the Cajun Country Murder Mystery series. It’s Mardi Gras season in Pelican, Louisiana and the preparations are under way when an unidentified dead body turns up behind a popular B&B. Maggie Crozat, whose parents own the B&B, is determined to investigate on her own and find out who the dead man is and what happened. The festivities must go on despite a second person is shot and killed Maggie begins to wonder if it’s all connected. Loved reading about the Mardi Gras traditions. Great characters and a well written mystery make this a very enjoyable read. As an added bonus there are some delicious Cajun recipes at the end of the book. Definitely recommend!
I really enjoyed this book and I had a lovely history lesson to go with it. The way it was woven so beautifully into the plot line was incredible in and of itself; however, the world building and characters were equally fantastic. I didn’t have the slightest idea who the bad guy was and I was floored when it was all put together. I enjoyed the different viewpoints that were shown through the annual beauty pageant. It was well-written instead of coming across as preachy or forcing one viewpoint and limiting the others.
Recipes included: Oyster Soup, Banana Bon Temps Cocktail, Banana Pancakes with Brown Sugar Butter, Easy-Peasy King (Bundt) Cake, Gumbo Recipes ( Gaynell’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Gaynell’s Seafood Gumbo), Ellen’s Cajun Country Potato Salad, and Gaynell’s Potato Salad.
Thank you so much to Ellen Byron, NetGalley, and Crooked Lane Books for the opportunity to read this book and share my honest thoughts and opinions with others.
Being totally honest, this is the first book I’ve read in this series. That being said, it started out slow for me and was confusing with all of the characters and their nicknames. I think this is a series best read in order so you can keep up.
On to the actual story, the mystery within the mystery was really fun and got me turning pages. Beauty pagents aren’t my thing at all but even given my distaste for that I enjoyed Ellen’s ability to portray teens vs. adults so well. She really did a great job making you wonder whodunit through the whole book while also enjoying Mardi Gras with the cast.
After all of that, I have to say I’ll go back and start this series from the beginning to catch up and fill in the blanks. It’s definitely worth it!
I love this series of books. You always want more.
Laissez les bon temps rouler!!
As the flood waters recede, it is Mardi Gras time on the bayou.
While all the tourists flock to New Orleans, the real party happens around the tiny town of Pelican, LA. From the Cook-off contest to the Gumbo queen pageant, including all the wonderfully crazy “momtestants,” the residents of Pelican want to show off their love of the colorful history of the region. A special exhibit is planned around the role of the Orphan Train in Louisana, an exhibit that some are not as excited about as most.
With plenty of good, clean humor and lots of danger, secrets are uncovered almost as fast as they are covered up. Past, present and a mystery body all come together in a charmant story of friends and family.