This is a new to me author. I LOVED this mystery. How have I not heard of this one before?! It was unique. Even though I have read a few cozies that are set in New Orleans, I have never read one where the characters are Cajun. Maggie is smart, funny and likeable. I also like Bo, her fiance. I had to laugh when they met Tammy's band and Maggie commented that Toulouse was the normal name. Gran was funny as well. I loved the references to death cleaning was of particular interest, because we are downsizing. Her baby shower party games were hilarious. I did not guess who the murderer was. The author threw in just enough red herrings to keep me guessing. If you are looking for a new series to read, I highly recommend. I am going to read to the other books in the series. Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I enjoyed this latest installment in the Cajun Country series. The story is well written, well plotted and full of enough twists to keep you guessing and suspecting through the whole story. I have always enjoyed the main cast of characters in this story and this one was no different. I enjoy Maggie’s family as much as I do here and I feel they add a lot to the story. Although the is number 5 in the series it could be read on its own. I don’t really recommend it though. The other books provide a lot of back story that makes all of the relationships a lot easier to understand. If you are a fan of cozy mysteries than I would recommend picking up the first book in the series, Plantation Shudders.

I am so behind on reviewing books that I have read so bare with me this might be short and sweet...lol. I love this series though it's one of my favorites and this one was really good.

Maggie's grandmother came up with a great idea of having a music festival in Pelican and so everyone is getting ready for it. Maggie is helping make pralines to sell while helping her parents host the celebrity singer and her band. The singer is a hometown girl and everyone is excited, except for her friend Gaynell.

Gaynell is a great singer and Maggie is confused as to why she isn't a fan of the Tammy, but it doesn't take her long to find out. Tammy makes things seem like she never done anything bad to Gaynell and even wants to help her make it big, or so she says. She introduces her to her manager but Gaynell and the manager don't see eye to eye and I am sure Tammy knew that would happen. 

Then the manager ends up dead and Gaynell is the prime suspect so Maggie of course has to figure out what is going on. Bo her detective fiance is also on the case and trying to make sure she doesn't get into to much trouble. Bo doesn't like her idea of a fake break up so she can get in with the band as sort of a groupie to try and figure things out but he goes along with it.

I love all the characters in this series even Rufus who it took several books for me to warm up to him...lol. I love Maggie and Bo and Bo's little boy who is autistic. I also like how Bo and his ex-wife plus her new husband and now Maggie are making a unique family to accommodate the boy (whose name escapes me!). 

I thought it had a pretty decent mystery as well because it took me a while to figure it out. I had an idea but wasn't real sure till pretty close to the end.

If you love cozies you really should try this series and look at that cute doggie! I just love Gopher and he is in all the books so it's just not a cute pic trying to lure you in...lol.

Local girl does well and comes back for a country music festival in Pelican's answer to New Orleans' Jazz and Heritage Festival . In addition to a really good story there are pralines and recipes for pralines at the back of the book! Not only is this simply southern is also a delicious distraction. Your basic storyline but with a little high school drama added in. You would think that once a girl makes it to the big time she lets go of pettiness from the past. Gaynell and the Gator Girls are ready to rip it up at the Jazz Fest, and Maggie thinks she is ready to host the now famous Tammy Barker and her band at the Crozat Plantation B&B. Neither lady is ready for the mayhem that ensues when one of the band members is found dead and Gaynell becomes a suspect. Ghosts from the past threaten to harm dreams of the future, not to mention that Maggie has a lot on her plate as it is from selling pralines at the festival to planning her wedding to a certain local lawman named Bo Durand on top of helping Grand-mere with a little mystery of her own. Great characters who proves that family is not just blood. Great plot development and I LOVE trying out the recipes.

Maggie Crozat and her friend, Gaynell Bourgeois, are helping Maggie's grandmother with the Cajun Country festival and everything seems to be exciting until Gaynell finds out that Tammy Barker, her nemesis from high school, now a name country singer is coming back to town. Things just seem to be getting worse when Gaynell turns down a pass from Tammy's manager and then he turns up dead.

As usual, Maggie has to try to make things right but ends up getting herself in danger instead.

The mystery wasn't that heavy, more time was spent on the characters and their interactions but it was still fun.

This cozy series Cajun setting makes my heart happy. The characters are multi-faceted with relatable personalities. The humor and emotional parts were evenly balanced. Highly recommend.

Maggie Crozat is preparing her B and B for the Cajun Country Live! concert. The headliner is local girl made good, Tammy Barker. Meanwhile, Maggie's best friend, Gaynell, is also scheduled to appear, but she makes the mistake of performing her new song in front of Tammy, who proceeds to steal it, hook, line and sinker. And then, a member of Tammy's entourage is murdered and Gaynell is Suspect #1. Maggie has to investigate to clear her best friend's name. This is a fun series featuring many likable characters and some good down home fun. Recommended for anyone who likes cozies.

Maggie Crozat and her fiancé, Bo Durand, put their wedding planning on hold to help Maggie’s grandmother plan a music festival to attract tourists to Pelican, Louisiana. Gran’s idea will help the whole town and has brought more business to their family’s hotel. The festival’s headliner, Tammy Barker, has booked all the rooms at Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast for her return to Pelican from Los Angeles. Many people in Pelican are thrilled to see their hometown hero again. However, one of Maggie’s best friends, Gaynell Bourgeois, doesn’t have such fond memories of Tammy, who bullied her in high school. A suspicious death at the musical festival puts Gaynell in the spotlight as the prime suspect, so it’s up to Maggie to prove her friend’s innocence.

Fatal Cajun Festival is the fifth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series, but the “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book makes it easy for new readers to catch up. I have read each of the prior books and have liked the main character, Maggie, from the very beginning. She has shown how devoted she is to her family time and time again, and this time, she shows how loyal she is to her friends. She not only stands behind Gaynell no matter how bad the situation looks for her, she actively looks for evidence to clear her friend’s name.

I like that even though Maggie investigates some things on her own, she regularly fills Bo in on the direction of her sleuthing so they can compare notes and to minimize the chances of putting herself in danger. Trouble still seems to find her, but she has Bo’s support and respect for Maggie’s contributions to the investigation. Some clues are given to the identity of the killer, but things gets fairly complicated so I didn’t begin to guess the truth. When everything is revealed at the end, I was very surprised. I really enjoyed the epilogue which sets up something wonderful that I assume will be the highlight of a future book. The descriptions throughout the story really transport the reader to Louisiana’s Cajun Country. The setting and the characters have made this a series in which I eagerly anticipate reading each new installment.

~ Christine

Another lively mystery starting Maggie Crozat and her family and friends in Pelican, LA. This outing features the Cajun Live Festival, an extravaganza of good music and good eats, threatened by murder. Reality singing competition star, Tammy, returns to her home town with her posse and a very bad attitude. When her obnoxious manager is electrocuted by a non-grounded mike, she questions whether she was the target. Maggie steps in clear her friend Gaynell. Plenty of suspects and a rollicking good read before you figure out exactly who did what to whom and why. If you haven't visited the Crozats before, don't miss this book/series.

Suspenseful but cute easy read. Loved the setting and language.... fully submerges you in the Cajun culture and cuisine. Grand-mere has me laughing out loud. Looking for something easy to read that will leave you with a warm happy(ish) ending then this book is for you!

Reading one of Ellen Byron's Cajun Country mysteries is almost like taking a trip to Louisiana. Maggie would be sure to have a room for me at her B&B. Here we are with the fifth mystery for Maggie and her friends and family to investigate. Her Grand Mere has come up with the idea of putting on a music festival to be a lead in to the big Jazz Festival in New Orleans. That brings trouble to their town of Pelican in the form of a homicide. Tammy Barker left her home town and made it big as a singer. Coming back because of the festival makes more than one person very uncomfortable and it leads to the killing of her manager. Because there had been bad blood between Tammy and Maggie's friend Gaynell back in high school, poor Gaynell becomes a prime suspect. Maggie isn't about to let anything to happen to her and works to track down the killer.
Several sub stories are added - one involving her Grand Mere and something she uncovers when she does a Swedish death cleaning called dostadning that will bring change to her life and the other is the question of when, oh when will Maggie and Bo finally tie the knot.
I love spending time with these characters, the B&B and the bayou. The mystery is always a challenge and the twists, turns and red herrings get me every time. Just the way I like my mysteries.
If that's not enough, there are recipes - yummy recipes for jambalaya, pralines, shrimp etouffee and a rum raisin cake with rum frosting.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Such a great book! I think this book is my favorite of all the Cajun Country Mystery books.

A country singer, Tammy Barker, is a native from the town of Pelican. She's invited to Pelican's music festival. It seems that when she and her band show up, they bring nothing but trouble. Their manager is murdered and a bandmate gets seriously injured.

Maggie, a B&B owner, and her detective boyfriend, Bo, try to figure out what is going on. Is someone from the band causing this trouble or does someone from the town have a grudge against Tammy and want to make her not only look bad, but also fail.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Fatal Cajun Festival
(Cajun Country Mystery #5)
by Ellen Byron

Kindle Edition, 304 pages
Published September 10th 2019 by Crooked Lane Books


Goodreads synopsis:
USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Byron cranks it up to eleven in the fifth fast and funny Cajun Country mystery.

Louisiana B&B owner Maggie Crozat kicks up her heels at a country music festival--but she'll have one foot in the grave if she can't bring the killer of a diva's hanger-on to heel.

Grab your tickets for Cajun Country Live!, the pickers' and crooners' answer to the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Maggie Crozat, proprietor of the Crozat Plantation B&B, plans to be in the cheering section when her friend Gaynell Bourgeois takes the stage with her band, Gaynell and the Gator Girls.

The festival's headliner, native daughter Tammy Barker, rocketed to stardom on a TV singing competition. She has the voice of an angel...and the personality of a devilish diva. But Maggie learns that this tiny terror carries a grudge against Gaynell. She's already sabotaged the Gator Girls' JazzFest audition. When a member of Tammy's entourage is murdered at the festival, Tammy makes sure Gaynell is number one on the suspect list.

Gaynell has plenty of company on that list--including every one of Tammy's musicians. Posing as a groupie, Maggie infiltrates Tammy's band and will have to hit all the right notes to clear her friend's name

***

4.5 Stars

This is the fifth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron.

You really get the taste of the south in this delicious Cajun Country cozy mystery. One of their own had become a famous singer through a popular tv show called “Sing It” where she won. Now she is on tour and has come back to Pelican in order to shove her success in the face of her high school singing rival Gaynell. Tammy does everything she can to sabotage Gaynell’s success and even steals a song the gal had just crafted in order to one-up-her. Then when Tammy’s manager ends up dead, Gaynell is suspect number one.

The story is told through the eyes of B&B owner, Maggie Crozat. She and her police officer fiancee do a majority of the sleuthing here. They even fake break up in order for Maggie to get more into the band and see if they would open up to her. Their break up spreads like wildfire and girls galore start hitting on Bo, Maggie’s fiancee with wild abandon.

This turns out to have a lot of complex motivations of all the suspects and you really need to pay attention to the clues if you are following the whodunit aspect of the story. We don’t get to know all the true details until the end but the journey to finding the killer was a truly tasty experience.

Cozy mystery lovers will adore this new book by Byron. What a treat of a read!

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Pelican is having a music festival and Maggie and her family are heavily involved. A local band, Gaynell and the Gator Girls plan to play and hope to become successful. However, a local girl gone viral, Tammy Barker, is the headliner. Tammy bullies Gaynell as she did in high school. When an electrical issue causes a death, Gaynell is the chief suspect.

This is my first Cajun Country Mystery book to read. I loved the characters and look forward to reading about them again. Good story and great location.

COME PASS A GOOD TIME, CHÈRE!

When you open an Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Mystery, set in the beautiful and inviting Pelican, LA, you will be greeted by all the locals saying, “Come Pass A Good Time, CHÈRE!” In other words, “Come join our family and friends and have a great time!” You will always be welcome to stay at the Crozat B&B where descendants of the original owners still reside. FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL is Byron’s latest installment and it is a winner!

Grand-mère Crozat suggested at the tourism board meeting that the town host CAJUN COUNTRY LIVE! for people who were passing through on their way to Jazz Fest in New Orleans. The headliner will be a local girl who recently found fame & fortune by winning a national talent search. Sounds Simple Enough. When said singer & her entourage roll in to Pelican, it seems as if most everyone else’s brains have taken a leave of absence! Old jealousies, past hurts, hero worship and relatives who haven’t been heard from (much less SEEN) in years suddenly appear to be bosom buddies, a band made up of thrown together has-beens and an egotistical, womanizing manager all add up to one thing - Peril in Pelican that ends up with a Fatality during the Festival!

Byron is a master of this genre and this area and its people. When you’ve finished one of her books, you feel as though you’ve literally taken a trip to small town Louisiana and had a visit! Like any good Louisiana Hostess, she always shares her favorite Recipes. Don’t overstay your welcome though or cause any mayhem or mischief because there’s always something spooky going on in the Bayou ...

I was provided an ARC of this book by Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.

This was ok. I couldn't really connect with the characters, and the writing/plot felt cheesy at times. I might continue with the series because I do love cozies.

Fatal Cajun Fesitval by Ellen Byron is about Louisiana Bed and Breakfast owner Maggie Crozat who kicks up her heels at a country music festival. Her friend, Gaynell Burgeois, will be taking the stage with her band, Gaynel and the Gator Girls. Tammy Barker has a grudge against Gaynell and when someone is Tammy’s group is murdered, she accuses Gaynell. Maggie has to clear her friend’s name. The setting of this book was a town festival which included a rodeo. I enjoyed this genre for a change. There was a complex set of characters. The description of the festival was very realistic and there was lots of mystery due to the bodies piling up. I enjoyed it. Thank you to Net Galley for an advance reader’s copy

A Cajun Country Mystery - a murder at the festival gives, likeable protagonist, Maggie just cause for some amateur sleuthing. Enjoyable cosy mystery, fast paced, atmospheric and with a well drawn cast of characters. An easy going, fun read which can be read as a standalone although further enjoyment can be had in reading from the start of the series.

Fatal Cajun Festival was a fun and entertaining cosy mystery. I loved several of the characters, including Maggie's grandmother, though I can't say I liked Tammy too much because of her bullying and "mean girl"-tendencies. Another thing that I really loved, was the Louisiana setting, with a hint or two of New Orleans flair, in addition to the mix of French and Cajun patois.

Just like all my book trips to Pelican, LA, I didn't want this one to end! I love that Bo and Maggie have been planning their wedding (even though they've failed at coming up with a date). Vanessa was still able to be snarky, but now she was Maggie's friend, and she came in handy at giving advice on handling a bully seeing how she was one herself not so very long ago. I like the new and improved Rufus too. He's been a dad for a few books now and even though he's not with little Charli's mom, he is crazy about his baby girl. Maggie's friend Gaynell got a chance to shine with her Gator Girls band but she was worried about a high school bully named Tammy coming to the music festival. Tammy was a very rich and successful singer, and when she got there, she proved just how mean she could still be by suggesting that Gaynell was the one who killed her manager.

There was a really good twist in the plot which created another little mystery, and just when the killer was taken care of and the murder was solved, there were still more surprises coming. It was an enjoyable roller coaster ride to the finish and I absolutely can't wait for the next book!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.