An interesting mystery for the holiday season. Not your typical Christmas book. Very entertaining.

It’s Christmas time in Pelican, Louisiana and the protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is preparing to celebrate with her family and their Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast guests. I loved the descriptions provided about the local holiday traditions enjoyed by the residents, especially the elaborate bonfires built to light the way for Papa Noel. Maggie is a smart, likeable artist who cares deeply for her family and friends. She pitches in to help no matter what the problems are. There are many memorable characters to support the plot and Maggie’s nemesis, Rufus, is back on the scene. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from Rufus, “Chère, it’s Louisiana. We only follow the rules we like.” This premise leads to some interesting developments!

The murder victim, investor Steve Harmon, is one of their former bed and breakfast guests and was tossed out by Maggie’s mother. His interest in staying at their property was only to figure out a way to take over the business and force the family to leave their ancestral plantation. In addition, Steve wanted to exploit Maggie’s boyfriend’s young autistic son. Bo threatens Steve and demands he leave his child alone. With both of her loved ones suspects, Maggie takes it upon herself to clear their names and find the real killer. The plot is multi-faceted with threads of subplots woven throughout the story. There are many suspects each of them viable and once the bonfires are lit a suspenseful conclusion pulls the story together for an exciting ending!

Maggie’s mother, Ninette, is the cook for the family’s bed and breakfast. She serves amazing Cajun meals to her family and guests. I appreciate that the author provides recipes at the back of the book, all of which sound delicious!

This was a great book, it took me a little bit to get past the fact that I was reading Christmas in October, but Ellen Bryon makes it with it was wonderful characters and a detailed southern setting. The mystery had me scratching my head and trying to figure out who The killer was. Definitely a must read.

Always enjoy a visit to Cajun Country. Interesting traditions. Intriguing mystery. Sweet love story.

I enjoyed this one more than I did book one. It had a nice festive feel to it. As with book one I again enjoyed the Louisiana setting and the Christmas traditions. It was well written and well paced. The plot was engaging and kept me guessing until the end. There was a good selection of secondary characters. Maggie was WAY more likable in this one, and we get a little forward movement on her and Bo's relationship. Lastly, this one also includes a few recipes which I find are always a nice touch in these cozy mysteries. All in all, a very enjoyable read that gets two thumbs up from your truly.

Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by the Author and Publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an fair and honest review.

I love this cozy-mystery series! The flavor of the bayou with their historic houses and the warm holiday traditions and food (recipies included - BIG bonus) permeate this wonderful cozy. Another plus - I had no Idea who the baddie was.

Maggie Crozat is having something of an identity crises. She is back home after living in New York as an artist. Now, she barely has time to pick up a paint brush between helping at her parents family plantation B&B and being a docent at another plantation. Not to mention her knack of finding dead bodies. It is Christmas time and everyone is building traditional bonfires on the levee, including the Crozat family. But all is not calm and bright for Maggie. The B&B is under attack on the internet, her uncle is being challenged for control of his company, there is a new, nasty manager at the plantation where Maggie works, her ex shows up in town and, of course, Maggie finds a dead body.

The fun town of Pelican, Lousiana is not far from New Orleans and is filled with a variety of characters! Get ready for a fun
and lively ride with the upper crust of Lousiana and just some good 'ole folks.

A Cajun Christmas Killing is book 3 in the series. I didn't feel
like I missed anything starting with book 3 of the series.

All the characters were seamlessly woven into the plot. I enjoyed
all the characters. Well most of them. Poor Maggie and her co-workers at the Doucet Plantation had to deal with the new high strung director.

The main character Maggie short for Magnolia now that's a cool name! Maggie was liked and loved by everyone. Her family and friends were all happy to have her home. Having recently returned after a bad 'break up'.

I loved her too. She was sweet and kind and stood up for her family, friends and loved ones.

Maggie even stood up for the underdog; and a couple of the suspects as well.

A Cajun Christmas Killing takes place in a delightful town filled with fun engaging people. Like the dance studio owner Sandy who
is just working hard to make something of herself and her business and escape her past. She gets caught up in the crime and drama when her poor little dog is kidnapped. Everyone gets together to help find the pup.

But of course it's Maggie and her dog that save the day.

Did you notice the cover? I would have read this one just because of that cover!

When Maggie's detective boyfriend Bo (can you picture Bo) ends up on the suspect list he gets stuck on a desk job. It's not long
before Maggie and Bo's cousin manage to clear him and he's back to helping solve the murder(s). Yes one murder turns to two.
And even Maggie ends up in a couple of frightening situations before it's all over with!

I enjoyed my introduction to Ellen Byron and this series.
I look forward to reading many more.

If your a fun of Cozy Mysteries this is one you'll definitely want
to pick up! It's fast paced and just a good read.

I received a complimentary copy from Great Escape Tours.

I enjoyed this book. It is refreshing to have a story that is over 150 pages and each paragraph adds to the entertainment. This is the first book I have read from this author. The book standalone. I did not feel left out by not knowing what happened in the previous book.
I enjoyed the quaint town setting, the characters and the French references. There are recipes at the end of the book.
The plot follows Maggie Crozat through a fun and quirky Christmas season in Pelican, LA. Having celebrated Pere Noel myself, I could easily see the adaptation of the European custom.
I enjoyed being exposed to yule bonfires along the river, the interactions of semi-depressed economical area that still could support a luxury destination hotel and the Crozat’s B & B.
I found the characters engaging, the story well written and groaned each time I had to put the book down.

Maggie Crozat loves Christmastime in her hometown of Pelican, Louisiana. However, this year a vindictive businessman is leaving scathing, false reviews of the family's Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast on travel websites, which cast a shadow on the holiday festivities. Things get even darker when the man is murdered and Maggie, her family, and her boyfriend Detective Bo Durand become the obvious suspects. Now Maggie must work with her long-time nemesis, Rufus Durand, to find the real killer before there is another murder.

I've enjoyed this series in general and specifically enjoyed this book, which is the third in the series. Maggie is an appealing main character who is brave and outspoken and loyal to her family. The Louisiana setting is perfect for a mystery. While it's far from "hard-boiled", the book is still more complex than the typical cozy. The investigation is interesting and I like the new and improved Rufus Durand and hope he remain this fair and balanced if the series continues. There is just enough romance between Maggie and Bo to add light moments to the story and depth to the characters.

As an added bonus, there is an afterward from the author talking about the Mississippi levee bonfires that are a real Christmas tradition in this part of Louisiana. It sounds like a fun and beautiful celebration. I hope this entertaining series continues and we get to see more of Maggie and her family and friends.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

A delightful Christmas themed cozy with recipes! I'd not read the first two books so this was a standalone for me but I was quickly able to get up to speed with Maggie, Bo, and her extended group of family and friends in Pelican, Louisiana. It's nicely plotted, with twists that kept me guessing. The idea that a rival who secretly writes critical reviews ends up dead is not new but Byron has done a good job of freshening it up. The relationships between Maggie's family members resonated with me. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. You'll like this if you're looking for a Christmas book (even if it's 80 degrees) and like a Southern setting.

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.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

Christmas in Pelican sounds just fantastic! Huge bonfires on the bayou, yummy food, special carols and people coming together to celebrate. The whole town is excited and getting ready. Then Donald Baxter is found dead at Doucet and the whole Crozat family are lined up on the suspect list. Even Detective Bo Durand makes the list and is pulled off the investigation. Rufus Durand and Maggie make an unlikely team but there is too much at stake to deal with a family feud. They need to catch the killer before anyone else ends up dead and puts an end to everyone’s happy holiday.

Ellen Byron writes the kind of story that I love to escape right into. Never having been anywhere near the Louisiana bayou I depend on her words to take me there and she does it so wonderfully. I loved learning the traditions so unlike those here in Wisconsin. While we do eat a lot during the season, it is more the usual turkey and cranberry meals, not a pot of gumbo. No bonfires here either but usually way too much snow. These differences help to draw me in but it is the characters and the suspense that make me stay.

The characters are wrapped up in so much, the new manger at Doucet is really shaking things up, Tug has a health scare, someone is writing trashy reviews about the B&B, Maggie ex comes to town, and Maggie and Bo’s relationship is growing and becoming more known. All that before the murder of Donald Baxter. All these plot lines come together in this marvelous mystery.

All the characters have continue to evolve and the way they handle all the situations that arise is very believable. I really love they family feel of this story. Everyone is welcome whether truly related or just a friend. A true Christmas feeling.

I have loved each book in the series but this one is my favorite. The intrigue built as the pages kept turning but there are several bits of humor too. A perfect mystery to curl up and read this holiday season.

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.

Excellent mystery that capitalizes on Cajun ambience and holiday traditions to ground the story. Magnolia Marie Crozat has returned from an art career in NYC to Pelican, La., where bodies keep turning up, to help her parents run a B&B.

While this is the third installment, you won't need to read the first two to appreciate and enjoy the story. The mystery is solid with fair red-herrings and the evil doer not immediately apparent. Overall, it's charming and well-done.

Christmas is upon Pelican, LA and all is not merry and bright. It seems someone is trying to put the Crozat Plantation B&B out of business by leaving false bad reviews. When it is discovered that the reviewer is actually a guest, and has more to wanting them out of business, the family kicks him out. Only to discover his body the next day. Now everyone is a suspect. It doesn't stop there, bodies start turning up and mysterious accidents happen so they have to find out who is the culprit before the holiday is spent at funerals instead of at the annual holiday bonfires.

I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.

I loved the Louisiana location of this book and that it was set during the Christmas season. It truly embraces the Cajun flavor and feel. The mystery was engrossing and kept me turning the pages and had a surprising ending. I have enjoyed the first two books in this series and was eager to read this one and it did not disappoint. Byron's style of writing adds humor, and well developed interesting characters. Having read the first two I feel like I was visiting old friends at Christmas time in a lovely plantation in Cajun country. I will definitely be trying the recipes too!

A Cajun Christmas Killing is a cozy mystery set in a small town in Louisiana. Maggie Crozat is an artist who has left her life in New York to help out at her family's bed and breakfast. When one of the B&B guests is discovered murdered, Maggie works to solve the crime ... especially because her boyfriend, police detective Bo Durand, is a suspect.

This is my first read in the Cajun Country Mystery series and it was really enjoyable. It worked as a stand alone, but I now want to look for the other books in this series and catch up!

I loved the Cajun country atmosphere. I have spent time in Louisiana and loved it, and the author, Ellen Byron, really captured the area's charm so well.

I also liked the Christmas setting and the descriptions of decorations and festivities. Anyone who enjoys Christmas mysteries will like this as well.

As a bonus, there were even a few dogs in this book (which always makes a mystery better!) -- basset hound Gopher, rescued stray dog Jolie (and her puppies), and a tiny little dog named King Cake.

I liked the character of Maggie. I enjoyed "meeting" her family and friends in the book, and liked the way she worked with Bo's relative Rufus to solve the mystery. I also liked the slow-building relationship between Maggie and Bo.

I recommend A Cajun Christmas Killing to fans of cozy mysteries, Christmas mysteries, and atmospheric southern mysteries. This book is perfect for a leisurely weekend read!

Ellen Byron will be at will be at The Book Carnival, 348 S. Tustin Street, Orange, CA 92866 on November 12, 2017 at 3 PM to discuss “A Cajun Christmas Killing.”

“Cajun Christmas Killing” is part of Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery series, but it is possible to enjoy this book without having read the previous books. The author provides any needed background information within the context of the storyline without devoting endless pages summarizing the events in the previous books. Pelican, Louisiana provides the personality of the story.

“In Louisiana, we only follow the rules we like.”

Things are going well at the Crozat Plantation Bread and Breakfast as the Christmas holidays approach. Even though there have been four murders in Pelican, Louisiana in the past three months, residents and visitors alike have “collective amnesia” and are enjoying the festive atmosphere while preparing for the holiday events. Of course, in between all the fun and folly, there are heath scares, financial difficulties, and unexpected visits from out of town business partners, ex-spouses, and ex-lovers, that just muck up everything. Then, things really take a turn for the worst; a body is found during a reenactment tour at a local historical mansion.

“There’s a dead man in the manor house.”

Maggie Crozat’s point of view dominates the book. The search for the killer is interwoven with day-to-day activities in Maggie’s life. We share her agony over the financial future of the family business. We sympathize when people bother her, and we understand her anguish when everyone in her family is becomes a suspect in the murder. Clues to the murder pop up everywhere like a game of whack-a-mole. Finally everything comes together but not without mystery, secrets, fire, drama, and dance-class self-defense.

The characters are well developed and complex. We know them and their aristocratic family backgrounds. We like Pelican with its plantation houses so much that we, like the residents, are willing to set aside its murder rate, something that would otherwise send us frantically looking for somewhere else to spend our Christmas vacation. And, there are puppies, cinnamon raisin croissants, a baby to come (or two or three), and a ”Kissin’ Corner.”

I received a copy of “A Cajun Christmas Killing” from Ellen Byron, Crooked Land Books, and NetGalley in exchange for my impartial review. This is an entertaining book to read with action and mystery without any headache-producing stress. Everyone loves Crozat Plantation B and B and the people who live in Pelican, Louisiana. I am sure there will be more murders in their future.

Honestly, I was surprised to see that the author isn't a resident of Louisiana. This is not a window dressing setting. I felt like this was taking place right in the middle of small town Louisiana complete with references to the humidity and an eccentric cast. I loved catching up with the Crozat family - especially Maggie's Grandmother who is always an entertaining character. The mystery is well-plotted and thoroughly enjoyable though after reading the first two I really expect no less. It was an extra treat to have former nemesis Rufus Durand turn into a partner in crime as he and Maggie have to work together to clear Bo as well as catch the murderer. Rufus has been a little over the top nemesis-y in the last two books so I really enjoyed seeing his character fleshed out a little more in this book as well as getting some relationship growth between Maggie and Bo. If you enjoy cozy mysteries and you haven't read this series you need to fix that ASAP! This is a fun series with solid mysteries and characters I love to visit.

This delightful cozy mystery takes place in Louisiana where along with jingle bells and Christmas trees, the holiday season means building an impressive bonfire in the shape of your business of or plantation. After the one man who will take down Maggie’s family plantation tour business ends up dead, she has to sort through a long line of suspects who might have wanted to do in the dastardly fellow. I enjoyed the characters, the authentic Cajun dishes they were constantly eating, and the pacing of this mystery. Well written.