Carole J. (PianoLady357) reviewed Mardi Gras Murder (Cajun Country, Bk 4) on + 157 more book reviews
Mardi Gras Murders by Ellen Byron is simply outstanding, all that a great cozy mystery should be and more. This is the first of the four-book series that I've read, but it easily stands alone. I'm eager to read the previous books, however â it's that good â and I can't wait to see where Byron takes these characters next.
Mardi Gras Murders is extremely well written with delightful, sometimes quirky characters, great humor, and steeped in the southern charm of the New Orleans area. Pelican, Louisiana was âa community so close-knit that residents occasionally discovered they accidentally married distant cousins.â I was initially a little overwhelmed by the list of characters at the beginning, but it turned out to be very helpful and everyone was pretty easy to keep up with.
Whether working as tour guide at the family plantation, serving as beauty contestant judge, or simply taking care of her grandmother, Maggie is a likeable lead character. For a small town, Pelican sure has a lot going on, especially in preparing for Mardi Gras festivities. Maggie's dad, Tug, had a great approach to making his famous seafood gumbo ⦠âSome men make their wives crazy all year. I save it for Mardi Gras.â
A lot of the action revolves around the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen contest â try saying that real fast! Not long after an unidentifiable body washes up at the back of Maggie's property, an obnoxious fellow judge is murdered, and everything escalates from there. It was tempting to read fast to discover the solution, but slowing down to savor every page won out â it was that good!
Mardi Gras Murders is a clean read, with no profanity or explicit scenes, and I hope that trend continues. This is a thoroughly entertaining story with surprising depth, and I'm eager for more Cajun Country mysteries. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Mardi Gras Murders is extremely well written with delightful, sometimes quirky characters, great humor, and steeped in the southern charm of the New Orleans area. Pelican, Louisiana was âa community so close-knit that residents occasionally discovered they accidentally married distant cousins.â I was initially a little overwhelmed by the list of characters at the beginning, but it turned out to be very helpful and everyone was pretty easy to keep up with.
Whether working as tour guide at the family plantation, serving as beauty contestant judge, or simply taking care of her grandmother, Maggie is a likeable lead character. For a small town, Pelican sure has a lot going on, especially in preparing for Mardi Gras festivities. Maggie's dad, Tug, had a great approach to making his famous seafood gumbo ⦠âSome men make their wives crazy all year. I save it for Mardi Gras.â
A lot of the action revolves around the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen contest â try saying that real fast! Not long after an unidentifiable body washes up at the back of Maggie's property, an obnoxious fellow judge is murdered, and everything escalates from there. It was tempting to read fast to discover the solution, but slowing down to savor every page won out â it was that good!
Mardi Gras Murders is a clean read, with no profanity or explicit scenes, and I hope that trend continues. This is a thoroughly entertaining story with surprising depth, and I'm eager for more Cajun Country mysteries. Highly recommended.
I received a copy of this book through Great Escapes Tours. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.
Brenda H. (booksinvt) -
Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth installment in the Cajun Country Mystery series set in the bayou town of Pelican, Louisiana and featuring plantation docent and artist, Magnolia Marie "Maggie" Crozat. Mardi Gras is quickly approaching and Maggie finds herself thrust into the midst of the celebration which will culminate on the lawn of her family's Crozat Plantation B & B.
An unidentified body has washed ashore on the Crozat land following a major flood. Maggie's father "Tug" is determined to win the annual gumbo cookoff and is driving her mother nuts with his messy kitchen takeover. Maggie's Gran has developed walking pneumonia and appointed Maggie as her replacement on the judge's panel for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen.
Not a fan of beauty pageants, Maggie has her hands full dealing with the pageant moms and fellow judge, Gerard Damboise. Gerard has no intention of giving the most qualified teen the title and instead has already made his mind up that the daughter of the town's most prestigious family will be the winner. A fender bender results in Gerard tumbling out of his vehicle into Maggie's arms muttering a mysterious statement before taking his last breath. Convinced that the unidentified man and Gerard's death are connected, Maggie sets out with the help of family and friends to find a killer.
A fast moving plot with a a touch of Louisiana bayou history. Maggie learns about the secret lives of plantation owners that include the Orphan Train, hidden rooms for the mentally ill, and uncovers a hidden treasure map behind an old painting.
Readers will be delighted with the return of many series regulars including Detective Bo Durand and his son, Xander. I recommend starting the series from the beginning to evolve with the characters but this new addition can also be read as a stand alone.
An unidentified body has washed ashore on the Crozat land following a major flood. Maggie's father "Tug" is determined to win the annual gumbo cookoff and is driving her mother nuts with his messy kitchen takeover. Maggie's Gran has developed walking pneumonia and appointed Maggie as her replacement on the judge's panel for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen.
Not a fan of beauty pageants, Maggie has her hands full dealing with the pageant moms and fellow judge, Gerard Damboise. Gerard has no intention of giving the most qualified teen the title and instead has already made his mind up that the daughter of the town's most prestigious family will be the winner. A fender bender results in Gerard tumbling out of his vehicle into Maggie's arms muttering a mysterious statement before taking his last breath. Convinced that the unidentified man and Gerard's death are connected, Maggie sets out with the help of family and friends to find a killer.
A fast moving plot with a a touch of Louisiana bayou history. Maggie learns about the secret lives of plantation owners that include the Orphan Train, hidden rooms for the mentally ill, and uncovers a hidden treasure map behind an old painting.
Readers will be delighted with the return of many series regulars including Detective Bo Durand and his son, Xander. I recommend starting the series from the beginning to evolve with the characters but this new addition can also be read as a stand alone.
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is the fourth book in A Cajun Country Mystery series. The town of Pelican, Louisiana suffered from heavy rains and flooding. Behind the Crozat Plantation B&B, under piles of debris the family finds a dead man without identification. Three weeks later, the town is recovering from the flooding and they are ready for the Mardi Gras celebrations to beginâLaissez les bon temps rouler. The celebrations include a gumbo cook-off, a parade and the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant. Maggie's grandmother normally is one of the pageant judges, but walking pneumonia has her confined to bed which means Maggie must step up to the plate (despite her opinion of pageants). At the first meeting of the judges, Maggie learns about the controversial Louisiana Orphan Train exhibit. The highlight of the meeting is when a fight breaks out between two of the pageant contestant mothers. On the way home, Maggie is rear ended by Gerard Damboise, head judge and president of the historical society. Maggie finds him bleeding from a gunshot wound. Gerard whispers two last words before he perishes. Maggie wonders if his death is related to the pageant or the orphan train exhibit. Maggie begins scouting for clues in the hopes of resolving Gerard's murder. Can Maggie unmask the killer before Fat Tuesday?
Mardi Gras Murder can be read alone if you have not read the other novels in A Cajun Country Mystery series. There is a lot going on in Mardi Gras Murder. I only covered the basics in my summary. There is the unidentified dead man, Mardi Gras, the pageant, problems with Tug's gumbo pot, Gran's illness, guests at the B&B, Maggie's relationship with Bo, a mystery at Doucet, a secret room at Grove Hall, the flooding, and the orphan train exhibit controversy. The book is well-written with a steady pace and humor scattered throughout. There are numerous characters, but the author does provide a handy cheat sheet at the beginning of the book (I wish I could have printed it out). Pelican is a small town where everyone knows your business and is happy to pass it along to others. The town goes all out for Mardi Gras. I learned some interesting facts about the holiday along with interesting traditions. The murder mystery has some intriguing points (I do not want to spoil it for you). There is misdirection along with direct clues. Avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving the whodunit. All the storylines are wrapped up at the end. There is a sweet ending that will have the romantics smiling, and I love who won the gumbo cook-off. Ellen Byron combines Southern charm, Mardi Gras, humor, a cast of quirky characters and a beguiling mystery into one rousing cozy mystery.
Mardi Gras Murder can be read alone if you have not read the other novels in A Cajun Country Mystery series. There is a lot going on in Mardi Gras Murder. I only covered the basics in my summary. There is the unidentified dead man, Mardi Gras, the pageant, problems with Tug's gumbo pot, Gran's illness, guests at the B&B, Maggie's relationship with Bo, a mystery at Doucet, a secret room at Grove Hall, the flooding, and the orphan train exhibit controversy. The book is well-written with a steady pace and humor scattered throughout. There are numerous characters, but the author does provide a handy cheat sheet at the beginning of the book (I wish I could have printed it out). Pelican is a small town where everyone knows your business and is happy to pass it along to others. The town goes all out for Mardi Gras. I learned some interesting facts about the holiday along with interesting traditions. The murder mystery has some intriguing points (I do not want to spoil it for you). There is misdirection along with direct clues. Avid cozy mystery readers will have no problem solving the whodunit. All the storylines are wrapped up at the end. There is a sweet ending that will have the romantics smiling, and I love who won the gumbo cook-off. Ellen Byron combines Southern charm, Mardi Gras, humor, a cast of quirky characters and a beguiling mystery into one rousing cozy mystery.
