Mardi Gras Murder is the fourth installment of bestselling author Ellen Byron's Cajun Country Mystery Series. Magnolia Marie (Maggie) Crozat and her family are preparing for Mardi Gras at their Crozat Plantation B&B in the tiny town of Pelican, Louisiana. Unfortunately preparations are put on hold with the discovery of a body; the man is unknown to the residents, and they are having trouble identifying him. Maggie has been asked to judge the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen contest due to her grand-meres recent pneumonia, and she gets involved in solving the murder and helping her boyfriend, Bo Durand, who is a detective at the tiny police department, when one of the judges is murdered.

Typical small-town characters; everybody is related to everybody and everybody knows everybody. There is no shortage of characters in this novel, and even though the story flows well, it is sometimes hard to follow because it is easy to get the different characters mixed up. Also, because there are so many characters, they seem less well-developed and don't quite seem like real people.

Although this culinary mystery is light and fun, it illustrates how small-town life can be shallow and petty. Residents of this town are so wrapped up in themselves and looking good to others, and the fact that they come from old elite Cajun families, they miss the big picture. On the other hand, the book is humorous and shows another side of humanity; it serves to warn us about what is and is not important. Although the book is fiction, there is good information about Mardi Gras and the traditions surrounding the holiday.

A big upside to this novel is that there are great Cajun recipes included. It's worth reading just for Ninette's gumbo recipe which is excellent. Readers who like cozy mysteries without sex, profanity, or graphic violence will enjoy this book, and it's suitable for all ages.

Special thanks to NetGalley for supplying a review copy of this book.

Maggie Crozat is preparing for Mardi Gras in her hometown of Pelican, Louisiana. But, a flood destroys part of the town and leaves a dead body behind. Maggie’s grandmother falls ill and can’t be a judge in the local beauty pageant. So, Maggie steps in as one of the judges. Can she find the murderer, judge the beauty pageant, and make it through Mardi Gras in one piece?
This was a great cozy mystery. I learned so much about the history and society of old Louisiana, it was fascinating. I loved the character’s quirky behaviors and how the plot revolved around the relationships between Pelican’s citizens. Maggie’s relationship with Bo, a detective, was refreshing because they, meaning the police, listened to her and she was upfront with what she figured out. I can’t wait for the next Cajun Country mystery. I received an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

It’s been a while since I’ve journeyed to the Crozet Plantation B&B, located on the outskirts of the Big Easy. When I saw this cover, I immediately requested an ARC so I could party at Mardi Gras with Maggie and her fam in the land of gators and gumbo.

As expected, this was a fun, atmospheric mystery filled with eccentric Southerners, downhome Cajun cooking and deep, dark family secrets. The story begins with an unidentified dead body washing up on the B&B’s property after a major storm. Who was this stranger and what was he doing in Pelican of all places? Things get even weirder when someone knocks off one of the judges for the local teen queen pageant. It’s up to our fearless sleuth—and her two doggie sidekicks—to solve both mysteries before Pelican’s annual Mardi Gras parade.

And if that’s not stressful enough, she’s also got another vexing mystery involving an absentee boyfriend. There’s quite a few guessing games to sort out, but I had a lot of fun playing along! Like a pot full of Tug’s jambalaya, there’s a lot going on here! We’ve got a shady cast of suspects involving stage moms (aka momtestants), competitive teenage girls, Southern bluebloods and a very bitter wife. So many people had something to gain from the town historian’s murder—and it’s up to Maggie to piece together the clues before the king cake gets cut!

If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries set in the South, I highly recommend this series. Fans of Jana Deleon will enjoy the humorous banter and ridiculous subplots. Poor Tug…I hope he eventually bonds with that new gumbo pot. Read more on my blog Bubble Bubble Books and Trouble! https://bit.ly/2zkwX5j

I really liked this series and was happy when I was approved for this book.
It's always a lot of fun to read a new book in a series and meet again the characters you liked and see the evolution of their personal stories.
This is a very good mystery, well written, and an enjoyable read that kept me hooked till the last page.
I loved the cast of characters, the small town atmosphere and I loved the historical part as well as the description of the Carnival traditions.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for this ARC

Marci Gras is not a happy occasion for all. For some, the holiday involves murder, lies, and deceit. This book was educational while entertaining. I liked learning about the history of New Orleans. The book was well-written and full of drama.

Ellen Byron's Mardi Gras Murder is the 4th book in her Cajun Country series. Maggie Crozat and her family run a B&B in Pelican, Louisiana - Cajun country. A hundred year flood hits their area as preparations are beginning for the town's Mardi Gras celebration. As the flood waters recede, an unidentified body turns up near the B&B. When Maggie's grandmere becomes seriously ill, Maggie takes her place as a judge at the local beauty pageant. During the pageant, one of the judges is found murdered! The remaining judges all seem to have secrets to hide.

Are the two murders connected? Can Maggie help her detective boyfriend, Bo Durand, solve the murders before tourists arrive for the Mardi Gras celebration? Who is willing to murder to keep a secret? This Cajun cozy has interesting characters combined with an intriguing plot that keeps the reader engaged. Ellen Bryron has written another winning cozy for her readers!!

THREE P’s OF PELICAN, LA

Ellen Byron has captured the three P’s of Pelican, LA in Mardi Gras Murder (Cajun Country Mystery #4). She takes her readers on another wild adventure through and unfolds many of the traditions about Pelican’s Past, Pelican’s Pageantry and Pelican’s Pedigrees in this book. Each of these three items play a significant role in Byron’s book. Maggie Crozat is back as our heroine and I like her even more in this book! Byron has continued to grow her character into a woman of quiet strength. She is more likely to think before she says or does anything these days. Maggie’s adoring family is all still around her along with her boyfriend Bo who works in Law Enforcement. As Mardi Gras approaches, Maggie finds herself with many new responsibilities. Then a mysterious death occurs that gains everyone’s attention. Mardi Gras brings out the crazy even in the most normal people! Pelican has quite a few people who aren’t “normal” to begin with so there is plenty of chaos, murder and mayhem! There are plenty of suspects and lots of action to keep your attention from start to finish. I was provided an ARC of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence. I have preordered a copy of this book for my own personal library.

Mardis Gras Murder is book #4 in the Cajun Country Mystery series set in Pelican, Louisiana with the Crozat Plantation B&B as a backdrop. The book begins with an unidentified body washing up on the Crozat land after a flood. Shortly after, Maggie finds herself sucked into being a beauty pageant judge when her Gran falls ill.

While driving home, one of the other judges, Gerard Damboise, is involved in an accident with Maggie. But turns out he's been shot and he utters a mysterious statement just before he dies. Maggie believes the two deaths must be connected, and the remainder of the book sets out to answer that question.

I loved Maggie and her quirky family. The author does an incredible job of bringing New Orleans, Mardis Gras, and the historical aspects to life. The mystery held together, and I loved the progression of Maggie and her hunky detective boyfriend, Bo. Looking forward to the next installment.

Another great book in the Cajun Country Mystery Series. The series centers around Maggie Crozat and the Crozat Plantation B&B in Pelican, Lousiana. Maggie moved back from New York City in the first book and has been discovering dead bodies ever since. This 4th book centers around Mardi Gras and the connection of the Orphan Train to Louisiana. There are a lot of characters to keep track of so reading the other books first is a must. I really enjoy seeing the main characters evolve over the series and can't wait to see what they are up to next. Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

**I will post review on my blog in early September. Blog is at www.randeegreen.com


It’s Mardi Gras season in Pelican, Louisiana, and Maggie Crozat finds herself caught up in judging a teen beauty contest and solving two murders that may or may not be connected. The first victim is an older man from New York City who was found shot to death on the Crozat’s plantation/B&B after hurricane waters recede. The second victim is a curmudgeonly local who used his esteemed linage to get what he wanted until it cost him his life. The deeper Maggie digs into the two murders, the more she learns about the history of Pelican – and the secrets that people will go to extremes to protect.

MARDI GRAS MURDER is the first of the Cajun County Mysteries that I have read, and it does read as a standalone. Maggie Crozat and the rest of the main characters are all very realistic, as is the depiction of small-town Louisiana. The mystery is intriguing and the plot is face paced, but there is a lot going on in this novel. Aside from Maggie working to solve the two murders, she is also helping to judge a teenage beauty pageant, taking part in the local Mardi Gras celebration, delving deeper into the town’s history, working at one of the local historic plantations as a tour guide, hunting for Civil War-era treasure, and having a personal life with her boyfriend, family, and friends. Byron balanced out the various storylines, but at times all of the intersecting storylines got to be a bit overwhelming.

It’s Mardi Gras season on the bayou, which means parades, pageantry, and gumbo. 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 dark turn. The citizens of Pelican are ready to Laissez les bon temps rouler—but there’s beau-coup bad blood on hand this Mardi Gras. Maggie Crozat, owner of the Crozat Plantation B & B is determined to give the stranger a name and find out why he was murdered. When a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant is shot, Maggie is convinced the murder is connected to the body .

Small town life in Cajun country, aka Louisiana, bubbles over with good food, celebratory traditions and murder. Maggie Crozat returned from life as artist in NYC to live at their family B&B, once a plantation. Floods have washed up an elderly man who turns out to be shot, not drowned. Maggie already has her hands full organizing the Mardi Gras run. having to judge the "beauty contest" ( under duress), but there is another murder and she can't remain on the sidelines.

This is a consistently enjoyable series. Good characters and interesting setting.

After Pelican, Louisiana is hit with flooding, a body of a John Doe is found and it turns out he was murdered. Overtime Maggie Crozat becomes convinced the dead stranger’s murder is linked to murder of a local man. As Maggie digs deeper, she finds that the past can, and does, impact the present and future. But will Maggie figure out who the murderer is before her future is cut short?

I love spending time in Pelican, Louisiana, even if it’s only fictional. The people are friendly and make you want to grab a praline and several and join in the fun now and then. Can’t wait for book 5 to see what life has in store for Maggie and the town of Pelican!

Full of atmospheric details about the unique Mardi Gras customs of Louisiana's small towns, Mardi Gras Murder is a fun and fast-paced cozy that keeps me turning the pages.

I'm a huge fan of Ellen Byron and started reading this series with Plantation Shudders. The Cajun Country Mysteries is a delightful series and Mardi Gras Murder is book 4. We're back with our feisty heroine, Maggie Crozat, as she struggles to manage the plantation, solve the latest murder and keep her witty perspective on all the goings-on down in the bayou! I love humorous mysteries set in exiting locals and this is another winner from Ellen Byron!

An awesome story with lots of history. The character development was well done. Solving a murder or two during a disaster and a city wide party can be a challenge. Well done. Will keep you guessing until the end

This was an enjoyable book. Even though I was reading #4 of the series, I didn't feel lost or that I needed to read the others first {I like when a series is story independent like that}.

Some aspects were a little over-descriptive. I don't need to know, or care, about Ru's ex-wife who is now married to so-and-so. I don't need to know the EMT's names. If the author was going for the familial aspect where you know the names so the characters become real, etc. - I understand that. However, at times it was just too much to try to keep track of people where everyone knew everyone or was somehow related.

Overall, a good, quick read.

Another fantastic addition to the series. This book was a really great read, from the silly antics of the extra characters, to the hidden painting and to the history of the families in the town of Pelican. I loved this cozy mystery. Maggie’s family and friends add such character to the book and are always making me laugh. I really enjoyed the added fun of the Mardi Gras festivities and the gumbo cooking contest that Tug is determined to win. There are a ton of characters in the book to keep track but it never felt like to many. The murder was a really interesting one with a historical aspect that I really enjoyed. There was also an added mystery of a painting hidden beneath another painting that I loved. I can’t wait to read more books in this series!

While I enjoyed the first books in this series, I wasn't as into this entry. All the characters have so much to offer and the storylines are fun but this one didn't hold a big interest for me.

Delightful, fresh,, charming. . Loved every about this book!!! Can’t waut to read more from this author.