This is the first book I’ve read by this author. I really enjoyed it and I’ve already bought two more of her books. It started off with a bang. I loved the characters and setting. I felt like I was part of the community. The only negative is I felt like it sort of slowed down in the middle of the story. Not enough to cause me to lose interest though. And it may just be my frame of mind when I was reading. I felt like it moved from the murder to drama too much. I don’t think others will have a problem with that. I think it was some of the pageant talk. I’m not into those and that’s part of what the book is about. But it’s all good. I do love how it had a lot of historical and cultural stuff. I’ve been to Louisiana one time and I would love to move there. This would be a great book to read in the winter. I kept thinking about Maggie’s cop family having to work outside I. That heat and humidity lol.

**Thanks go out to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for my copy. This is my honest review**

I have read the first three books in the series and this one did not disappoint! It is a cozy mystery that you don't necessarily have to read the books before it to understand. I would definitely recommend you give this one a chance!

I really enjoyed returning back to Pelican and revisiting with all of the characters that have become so familiar throughout this series. The Crozat family is one of my favorite fictional families, especially from a cozy mystery.

Wanting to know who the killer was kept me reading the book, but I just honestly didn't enjoy this book as much as I did the first one. It seems like a lot of time is spent talking about Maggie and Bo's relationship. It creates a lot of drama, and that isn't a feeling that I'm looking for when reading a mystery.

“Mardi Gras Murder” by Ellen Byron is book four in the Cajun Country Mystery series, but first-time readers will be able to follow along without difficulty. Byron includes any needed background information as part of the current story. A nice list of the “players” is also included to help new and old readers keep track of who is related to whom and who has which job. Small-town Louisiana is full of historic plantations inhabited by endearing and yet quirky people who seem to have a knack for danger and murder. What is bad for them is oh so entertaining for readers.
There is plenty of partying going on at the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast during Mardi Gras on the bayou, including the expected parades, pageantry, and compelling food and drink. What is not expected is a flood, oh yes, and an unidentified body.
Byron’s characters are realistic and interesting, and several of them are strong suspects. There is a bit humor thrown in along the way as well. This interesting cozy mystery intertwines solving the mystery with snippets of the area’s historical and cultural details. Bonus material at the end of the book includes additional historical and cultural information as well as recipes specific to the story.
I received a review copy of “Mardi Gras murder” from Ellen Byron, Crooked Lane Books, and NetGalley. It is a fast and enjoyable book to read. One can finish in a short time; there is no headache-inducing stress, and the ending is satisfying.

Pelican, Louisiana isn't going to let a little rain stop its Mardi Gras celebration. Or a body either! Or a murder! Maggie Crozat returns in this entertaining cozy that can be read as a standalone. There's a lot of local color, a cheerful cast of characters, and a plot that focuses not just only the murders but also on the personal relationships. Maggie and her beau Bo are going through some upheaval-and perhaps he's a bit distracted working the murders. Her family is a little kooky, her friends steadfast, and her dialogue is funny. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm waiting to see what happens next!

This is a good cozy mystery that is set in Louisiana outside New Orleans. Book 4 in the Cajun Country Mystery series and brings back Maggie, her Grandmother and all the residents of Pelican. When a torrential rainstorm floods much of town, a dead body is found behind the B&B. As it turns out the stranger has a connection to a local family and someone wanted him dead before he could visit. The Mardi Gras theme is a fun read , the parade, the gumbo cook off and the beauty pageant all add to the mystery. Maggie is finally happy with her decision to return from New York and love is definitely in the air. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Loved it! An interesting look at the history of Louisiana while exploring the facts of a cozy murder mystery. Mardi Gras traditions add to the fun and intrigue. A little romance, a lot of love, some cooking, dancing, and drinking all add to the entertainment.

Mardi Gras can be quite the party, and in the small town Pelican, Louisiana the party quickly turns from gumbo, treasure hunts, and Mardi Gras masks to murder! Even though the citizens of Pelican hope to have a great week and let the good times roll, a dead body washes up in the wake of a pre-Mardi Gras flood and brings more questions than answers. These kooky townsfolk are a blast to hang out with for a few days! I loved the way they interact and their characters, and I thought the merging of old-fashioned values with a new generation of residents was delightful!

About the Book

The whole town of Pelican, Louisiana is ready for a good ole fashioned Mardi Gras celebration in the bayou. When a flood causes a body to wash up behind the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast, there may be more on their schedules than parades, pageants, and gumbo! No one know who the body is, and what they initially write off as a tragic accident quickly becomes a murder investigation.

Maggie Crozat is determined to identify the stranger. However, her investigation is delayed when her gran gets sick and Maggie must fill in as a judge for the Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant. While Maggie tries to fairly determine which young woman deserves the glittering Gumbo Pot Crown, one of the other judges turns up murdered, and Maggie realizes that judging this pageant may be more dangerous than she thought.

Now with a murderer on the loose, it becomes clear that someone will stop at nothing to ruin Mardi Gras and prevent the controversial Orphan Train exhibit from opening. In a week filled with pageantry and glittering masks, will Maggie be able to “unmask” the killer before hers becomes the next body to be the victim of the Mardi Gras Murderer??

Reflection

When they are done well, cozy mysteries are such fun books! They are quirky, kitschy, funny, and light-hearted, which for a mystery and thriller reader can be a nice break from the darker variety of books. This series is really a top-notch cozy series. Maggie is a great detective/heroine, there are lots of clues to follow, and there aren’t really any of the side-tangents that tend to plague cozy mystery series.

This book can one hundred percent be read as a standalone. None of the previous books are spoiled (in the mystery) and so a reader can truly read them as they become available. One of the best features of this book was a handy little cast of characters list up front. If you dive in mid-series or even if you are coming back after a long break, you can easily reference it to remind yourself of who is related to who, what their job is, and any other quirky information. And if we are being honest, those zany townsfolk are part of the cozy mystery charm!

I loved the way this mystery dealt with the changing of the times. There is the deep history of the town and the people, and that can’t be overshadowed. And yet, maybe the focus on your lineage and excluding people from things because “it was always done that way” is ready for a change. Maggie is really an advocate for tradition being the celebrations themselves, but not necessarily the surface-level things that define them. I loved that! A mix of old values and new generations breathes life into this Louisiana bayou.

Byron is a top notch cozy writer. Her mystery was extremely well-plotted, with clues unfolding along the way. It was easy to feel like I was solving it right along with Maggie. Cheering her on as she had a tough conversation with a suspect, and snooping with her into the spaces and documents of the town. The pace was perfect, with clues spread along the path so that as we approached the big Mardi Gras parade, we also got closer and closer to solving the mystery.

And finally, the characters are all so well-done! They feel like people you might actually meet in this town. I loved the ribbing between the contestants in the gumbo cook-off. I also loved the pageant moms who cared more about their daughter’s winning than about making them into the best, independent women they can be. And I loved that a lot of the characters showed growth. They learned from their misplaced values.

I think cozy mystery fans will love this book! Thank you to Crooked Lane Books for my copy to review.

“…I’ll have to keep my nosing around on the down low. And I will be nosing around.
Gerard Damboise practically begged me to with his last dying breath.”
“A normal grandmother would say, ‘No nosing around, for heaven’s sake! Stay out of this.’”
Maggie smiled affectionately at Gran. “But you’re far from normal.”
“And proud of it,” Gran’ said with a wink.
Ellen Byron, Mardi Gras Murder, Kindle Loc. 852

It’s Mardi Gras 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.
Amazon.com

Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth book in Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mystery series. Even though I’ve interviewed Ellen throughout this series, I have questions. So many, I feel sorry giving her this interview. I don’t know much about Cajun Country, having never traveled there. I’m not familiar with its customs or environment. That ignorance doesn’t prevent me from enjoying this series. In fact, I’m getting an education, which I like when I read fiction. Those real elements that I know nothing about are just as intriguing as the mystery.

So, if you’re like me and are clueless about Cajun Country or Mardi Gras, I hope this interview provides insight and whets your appetite for the series.

Please welcome Ellen Byron back to WWK.
E. B. Davis

A flood revealing an unknown body preceded the book’s start. I know during notable hurricanes flooding is a problem, but how often do the bayous flood? Is Pelican located on the Mississippi? While Crozat Plantation B&B is located across the River Road from the Mississippi River and its levees, my fictional village of Pelican is about half a mile inland. In 2016, 20” of rainfall caused catastrophic flooding in a number of parishes. But it wasn’t the Mississippi that caused the flooding, it was about ten rivers in south Louisiana, eight of which reached record levels. I had several friends in the Baton Rouge area whose homes were badly flooded and almost totally destroyed. It was this flood that inspired the flood in Mardi Gras Murder.

What does Mardi Gras mean? What was the original celebration about? The literal translation of Mardi Gras is “Fat Tuesday.” It’s the last day and night before Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, so it’s kind of like a last hurrah of eating, drinking, and general merriment before the period of penance and self-sacrifice that precedes Easter. But in Louisiana – and particularly New Orleans - Mardi Gras can be the whole celebratory season that begins on January 6th with the Feast of the Epiphany and lasts through Fat Tuesday. Actually, the parties for the debutantes who make up the Krewe courts like Rex begin even earlier – prior to Christmas.

What is the Shelter at Home program? Doesn’t the area have FEMA flood insurance? (Yep, even though it does only cover $250,000 in damages.) Many homeowners didn’t have flood insurance, so FEMA helped them with recovery. Because so many people were displaced by the flood and couldn’t find alternative housing, the FEMA Shelter at Home program, administered by the state, to offer basic repairs like workable utilities and bathrooms so that people could at least inhabit part of their homes until they were fully renovated.

Does Pelican’s celebration of Mardi Gras occur during the same time as it is celebrated in New Orleans, which is when? Is there a reason for the time? Does New Orleans also have the Courir de Mardi Gras (runners in costume going door to door begging for gumbo ingredients?) New Orleans doesn’t have Courir de Mardi Gras, which is a particularly Cajun tradition. Pelican’s carnival celebrations don’t last the same number of weeks as New Orleans’ do, but there’s only one official Fat Tuesday on the calendar, and it’s the same all over the world.

I’m still trying to get my head around, “You not only go to Mardi Gras, you are a Mardi Gras.” (Kindle Loc. 136) Could you explain that in more detail, like you celebrate your birthday and you are the birthday? What? I know! This was a quirky Cajun thing I discovered during my research and just had to use.

Tug, Maggie’s dad, is competing in the gumbo contest. Does he cook anything else? Or is this a male trophy thing? Are there inherited gumbo bowls? What are the bowls made of? Are they cookware or serving ware? Do they really retain the flavor/aroma of seasonings? It’s not a bowl, it’s a big cast iron pot. You’re not supposed to wash cast iron cookware with soap and water. Ideally, you wipe it clean and even occasionally re-season it with oil. And these pots do get handed down in a family. I take it to extremes by having Tug keep his pot in the family safe, but people do get very attached to them. An interesting aspect of Cajun Country is men are proud cooks, and not just of one dish. Many guys have a repertoire of traditional Cajun dishes like gumbo, jambalaya, and etouffee. And like in my book, some of these recipes have been passed down through generations.

Grandmère, Maggie’s grandmother who Maggie rooms with, actually asks if she needs to make herself scarce so Bo, Maggie’s boyfriend, and she can have intimate time. I can’t imagine my grandmother asking this or condoning this (even though my oldest aunt was “premature”). How old is Gran, how come she’s so progressive, and how has she recognized that Maggie is an adult? Grandmère is 83, but a young 83. Her lineage may make her Louisiana aristocracy, but she’s very progressive and quite sophisticated. Her granddaughter is a thirty-two-year-old woman who lived with a boyfriend in New York for years. Now Maggie’s basically roommates with her grandmother until she and Bo marry and move into their own apartment over the spa the family is building. Gran is inspired by my own mother, who couldn’t be more progressive!

Due to a case of walking pneumonia, Gran must stand down as judge of the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Queen Contest. She elects Maggie to take her place. Why do these contests persist when they are so antiquated? Louisiana has more festivals than days in the year and I’d guess that almost all of them – except the music festivals – have some kind of queen. I’m madly in love with the crowns they get to wear. For a sampling of them, look at this article: https://www.nola.com/festivals/index.ssf/2016/06/crowning_glory_louisiana_festi.html
I think the majority of local citizens wouldn’t see the pageants as antiquated – they’d see them as a proud local tradition.

Ninette, Maggie’s mother, makes homemade pralines. Have you ever made them? Are they hard to make (boiling to the right temperature and all)? OMG, pralines are so hard to make! I had no idea and ending up cursing myself for having to include a recipe for them in the fifth book of my series, which will come out in 2019. I put in a disclaimer explaining that in one single batch, you might end up with three different consistencies, all of which will be delicious. But I gave up trying to come up with a sweet potato praline recipe. I burned through a lot of ingredients before finally admitting defeat.

I never heard of orphan trains. But, through your book, I learned there were actually several going to different parts of the country. Could you explain them and how they got started? The most famous orphan train is one that took orphaned, homeless, and abandoned babies and kids from crowded East Coast cities to families in the rural Midwest. They were a precursor to our modern foster care system, which began in the 1920s. I had no idea there was a specific orphan train to Louisiana until a friend gave me a book called, From Cradle to Grave: Journey of the Louisiana Orphan Train Riders. The book is fascinating, documenting the lives of the kids who wound up being relocated from the New York Foundling Hospital to Louisiana, often ending up in French-speaking Cajun homes where they didn’t even speak the same language as their new family. Many of the kids adapted and thrived while some didn’t. There’s a museum dedicated to the train in Opelousas, Louisiana – aptly named, the Louisiana Orphan Train Museum. I hope to go one day.

The other contest judges seem to have prechosen the Queen without giving the other contestants a chance, which Maggie dislikes. Why do they all favor the one girl? With her poise, talent, and family pedigree, she’s the safe choice – or is she?

I liked Mo, the black (or is she a Creole?) at-home cosmetics salesperson. The historical society doesn’t reference any Pelican black history at which Mo expresses dismay. Mo says to Maggie, “A little advice, my new friend. Never get in a pissing match with a skunk.” (Kindle Loc. 356) What does this say about Gerard, the object of the advice? He’s a jerk!

Jayden is a young black veteran helping with the flood cleanup. Are people prejudiced because of his color or because he is a newcomer? I think people would say it’s the latter because they wouldn’t want to admit it’s the former.

Both Cajun and Zydeco music is played. What’s the difference? Even though both genres use similar instruments, the Cajun sound leans a bit more toward traditional or country – just a bit, with the ballads. Zydeco is imbued with an African Creole/rhythm and blues sound. And it’s a little more rock ‘n roll. Honestly, sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, especially with the younger bands that have emerged.

In the Durand home, which Maggie’s cousin Lia and her husband are renovating, they find a secret room, which people used to shut away unfavorable relatives. It’s inconceivable that people were treated like this, but were conventions so rigid that “undesirables” were erased from view? This story beat was inspired by a show I watched on HGTV that explored mysteries of old houses. A couple discovered a hidden room in their turn-of-the-century home. Research showed that these secret rooms were used to house family members who suffered from mental or physical infirmities the family wished to hide from the public. The house in the TV show was either in the Midwest or New England, so it looks like this was something done throughout the country at some point in time years ago.

What is “selective mutism?” It’s an anxiety disorder where a child has the ability to speak but can’t or chooses not to for emotional reasons. Sometimes the mutism is directed toward specific people. I.e., a child won’t speak to adults but will to their peers, or vice versa. I’ve known two kids who had this condition. At least one grew out of it. I’ve lost touch with the other.

Were Mardi Gras masks used to hide people’s identities so they could misbehave without consequence? That’s one very common theory!

What is Pimm’s Cup? It’s my favorite New Orleans cocktail. One of NOLA’s oldest establishments, Napoleon House, is famous for them. A Pimm’s Cup is made with Pimm’s #1, a British liquor, lemonade, and Sprite or 7-Up. It’s a bit like a Mojito, another favorite of mine. Very refreshing.

What is brown sugar butter? It’s a recipe I invented, inspired by the butter served at one of the Houmas House Plantation restaurants. Theirs is made with cane sugar syrup, mine with brown sugar. You’ll find a recipe for it in Mardi Gras Murder.

What/who is Trombone Shorty? Trombone Shorty is the stage name of musician Troy Andrews. In addition to being an amazing and entertaining musician, he’s famous for establishing The Trombone Shorty Foundation, whose mission is to "to preserve and perpetuate the unique musical culture of New Orleans by passing down its traditions to future generations of musicians."

What is a Holiday Brandy Pain Perdu? A tasty NOLA-style French toast recipe I came up with!

What is the holy trinity of Cajun cooking? Onions, celery, and green pepper.

What is a café brulot? It’s the signature after-dinner drink at Arnaud’s, a legendary New Orleans restaurant. It’s made with coffee, lemon and orange peels, spices, brandy, different liqueurs, among other things. The liquor is set on fire and poured over coffee. I despise coffee in all forms, so I’ve never had one. But I have had more than one Pimm’s Cup, wink wink.

I won’t ask what a Banana Bon Temps cocktail is. It doesn’t sound good! But is it? This is a dessert-y cocktail I invented. It’s actually tasty – almost like egg nog. But you have to be careful not to make it too sweet.

What is a krewe? Krewes are the organizations that put on the Mardi Gras parades and balls. In New Orleans, they also choose the debutantes who will be the Queen of a particular krewe, as well as her court. Krewe dues pay for the events and can be in the thousands of dollars. Some krewes are single-gender. They used to be strictly men-only but now a few are co-ed or even all-female, like the Krewe of Muses.

Your last chapter is titled, Epilogue. Is this in homage to Sue Grafton, who always had an epilogue as her last chapter? No. I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t even know she did that, although I’ve read many of her books. I can’t really explain why I title a last chapter an epilogue. There’s just something different about it. I even write it a bit differently, although again, I can’t explain how. I guess you could say it’s a bit of a mystery!

A flood ends up leaving a body of a stranger behind the Crozat Plantation B&B. Maggie Crozat is determined to identify the stranger but she is also busy being a last-minute substitute judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant. When fellow judge Gerald Damboise is shot dead in his car, Maggie thinks his murder is connected to the body on the bayou. Is one of the pageant queen contestants desperate enough to kill for the title? Gerard's work on the historical society and the Orphan Train, which delivered its last orphans to Louisiana in 1929 may a factor in his murder.

This was another fun quick read and enjoyable entry in the Cajun Country Mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

So I am quickly becoming a big fan of this series. Book one was a little iffy for me, but the last two have been really enjoyable. Again, as with the previous books in the series, the writing was great. The mystery kept me guessing right up until the end. I love the Lousiana setting and all the history and traditions the author includes. I love the recipes. There is a fantastic array of secondary characters that keep things lively, and Maggie is a very likable leading lady.

My only issue with this one was I wasn't a huge fan of the discord between Maggie and Bo. It made the book angsty, and I don't read cozy mysteries for romantic angst. If I wanted that type of thing, I'd read a romance book. I prefer that my cozies have established couples (or are single), that remain happy. That said, it all works out in the end, and I assume (hopefully) going forward it will be all smooth sailing for them as a couple.

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron is the 4th book in the Cajun Country Mystery Series. This is the first book I have read by this author and even though it is book #4 it can very well be read as a standalone. This book has it all for a cozy mystery realistic and zany characters, mystery, humor, and a small town setting this was a light and easy read. This book even contains some historical facts. If you like Mardi Gras and cozy mysteries this book is for you.

I thought this book would be a murder mystery, even if in the cosy genre. But most of the first few chapters was taken up in over-elaborate descriptions of the characters, their relationships with each other and some minor details about food. All the colour of Mardi Gras, the meaty possibilities of a recent natural disaster - none of these show up. It just moved too slowly for my taste.

I love this series as it is placed in a charming Louisiana small town on the Bayou. The author has built such a nice cast of charcters and developed this series around Cajun culture and traditions. It is always a delight to return to this series. Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth book in Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery series.

Maggie Crozat is a artist who moved back to her hometown of (fictitious) Pelican, Louisiana after years in Manhattan. She lives and works at Crozat Plantation B&B and is a tour guide at Doucet Plantation She wears many hats participating in the betterment of her town and is getting involved in a upcoming event.

After a terrible storm with flooding its time once again for Mardi Gras and a pageant with cook off in true Cajun style. The townspeople are excited and planning the events when a body washed up after the storm and it appears to have been death by murder. After one of the pageant judges is murdered as well Maggie steps up to investigate and is determined to find out what happened to both victims. She has proven in the past to be a able sleuth and with the support of her friends and townspeople she always proves the case.
I enjoy the culture, the supporting charcters and the sleuth. I found the sleuth was very well crafted and kept me guessing whodunit. The author included a recipe for King Cake for readers which is fun and easy to make. This is a great installment to the series and I look forward to further books in the series. Its pure Cajun culture and a great cozy read.
Thank you for the ARC which did not influence my review.

Funny cozy mystery series. I read them all, not just this one. I will continue reading the series, especially when I want something fun and light.

I thought this was a pretty good book. There was a lot of different stuff throughout the book that connected and made the book much more entertaining. Thank you for allowing me to read this book.

With Mardi Gras just days away, the town of Pelican, Louisiana is gearing up for their own take on the well-known celebration. Main character Maggie Crozat, is juggling quite a lot these days between the family's Plantation B&B, the body that just washed up behind it after a recent flood, her job at the original family homestead where she takes on a new role, a relationship with her handsome beau named Bo that's facing a few challenges, keeping her father from driving the whole family crazy as he preps for the gumbo cookoff, and stepping in as a replacement pageant judge for her grandmother. To top it all off, a fellow pageant judge is mysteriously murdered. Maggie, who can't resist a good mystery, doesn't hesitate to slip sleuth mode and every pageant contestant, among others, are suspects.

There's a lot going on in Mardi Gras Murder, but Ms. Ellen Byron does an amazing job of juggling storylines and ensuring that each of the quirky characters gets their due. It was great to catch up with past characters and the new characters were well thought out. The pageant contestants and their parents were hilarious, although occasionally a little heartbreaking. I loved how some real history was woven into the fictional mystery. The Cajun Country Mystery series has won me over and is one of my absolute favorite cozy series! To be honest, I enjoyed the first three books, but the fourth, Mardi Gras Murder is by far my favorite.

I owe a big thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

MARDI GRAS MURDER, the fourth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron, contains an intriguing look at small town Mardi Gras celebrations while providing a humorous cozy mystery read! While I’ve attended the wild festivities of Mardi Gras in New Orleans (in my much younger days) Ms. Bryon paints a delightful and family-oriented picture of how the bayou celebrates the Carnival. Protagonist, Maggie Crozat, is roped into judging the town’s Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen Contest, a contest she has always despised. Making matters worse, the head judge is pretentious and wants his favorite candidate to win the crown. When the judge is murdered practically in front of her, Maggie feels pressure to get involved and help solve the case. Except her boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand, is investigating and doesn’t want her involved. There is new tension between the couple and I wanted to turn the pages faster so I could find how it turns out. The pace of the mystery is lively and pulled me deeper into the story with each passing chapter.

As Maggie digs into the judge’s life, she becomes more aware of his involvement in the area’s historical society. I was fascinated by the author’s inclusion of the history of the area, especially the Orphan Train. This train brought numerous orphans into Louisiana in the early 1900’s for families to raise when no one else would take them. Even though some history is included, the writing is vivid and descriptive, providing substance to the story instead of dragging it away from the plot. Adding to the sense of festivities is Maggie’s dad’s involvement in the town’s annual gumbo competition. His attachment to and reverence of his special gumbo pot and the lengths he goes to creating Louisiana’s official state cuisine adds lightheartedness and humor. I adore Maggie’s family. They are close-knit yet at times there are some arguments and irritation which makes them believable because of the author’s great character development.

Maggie and her family own and operate the Crozat Plantation Bed & Breakfast. Maggie’s mother, Ninette is the cook for both family and guests, serving up mouthwatering dishes and desserts every day. I really like that the author includes several recipes at the back of the book, including one for a super easy King Cake!

Laissez les bon temps rouler! It is Mardi Gras in Pelican, Lousiana, and the festivities are nearly ready to go. Maggie is roped into becoming a pageant judge for the Miss Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen Pageant, she is participating for the first time in the courir as a mardi gras, she is working through a bump in her relationship with Bo, and a body washed up in the flood debris at Crozat Plantation.
Who is the dead man? What, if anything, does he have to with the Orphan Train? How much danger are the citizens of Pelican in? Will Tug win the Gumbo contest yet again? There are so many questions and so little time for Maggie to figure out who the mystery man is and who killed him.
Mardi Gras Murder is an excellent cozy mystery. The characters are relatable and engaging, the town is charming, the action is well-paced, and the storytelling is very strong. I really enjoyed visiting Pelican, Louisiana, and look forward to my next trip.

Pelican, Louisiana is preparing for their Mardi Gras celebration when heavy rains flood the area. Once the waters recede, a body is found on the Crozat Plantation with no identification as to who it might be. Of course, Maggie feels it is her responsibility to figure out who this person is. As preparations get back under way for the celebration, not only must Maggie help at her family’s plantation, act as a guide for her mother’s old plantation, she must now help with the beauty pageant – one of her least liked responsibilities.

Ellen Byron’s Cajun Mystery Series has been a favorite of mine! I always feel like I have gone back home to visit the Crozat family and friends. The descriptions of Louisiana, the food, and the history make this mystery come to life. As Maggie investigates the dead body on the shores of her plantation as well as another murder that occurs, we learn about Orphan Train Exhibit and what it has to do with the bodies.

With humor and romance thrown in, this fourth book is a lesson in learning about the culture, Mardi Gras, and the lives of those from the past. I always enjoy the recipes Ellen throws in at the end as well as an additional little tidbit in true Louisiana style!