Maggie Crozat is happy she no longer has to wear an antebellum gown since she's gotten a new job at Doucet Plantation restoring art, and working at her family's B&B, Crozat. She's delighted Cajun Country Live! will be featuring her friend Gaynell Bourgeois and her group. And she's positively ecstatic that she's going to be marrying Detective Bo Durand - if they can ever find time to set a date. In reality, her life is going along swimmingly...

That is, until the arrival of home-town girl Tammy Barker, who hit it big on a TV show and headed to the big city to make a name for herself. Tammy is now famous, and the festival is happy to have her back headlining, since it will bring in plenty of tourists. But it seems Gaynell isn't happy at all. She shares with Maggie the fact that during high school Tammy made her life miserable, bullying her.

When Tammy and her entourage arrives, she's surprised to learn that she and her manager and assistant, Pony Pickner and Sara Salinas, in that order, have book the entire Crozat B&B in an attempt to make sure star struck fans don't invade their privacy. And after spending time with her, she has a suspicion that Tammy isn't done with her bullying toward Gaynell; especially when Tammy unexpectedly sings a song that's obviously stolen from Gaynell, who hasn't had a chance to debut it herself.

But when one of Tammy's entourage is murdered in what seems like it should have been her instead, and Gaynell is fingered - by Tammy - for the crime, Maggie steps in to find out the truth before her friend - the only suspect - goes to jail. Unfortunately, it also means that Maggie herself will have to resort to subterfuge that she doesn't want but feels is necessary. Now Maggie is not only trying to find out who wants Tammy dead, but also might be trying to kill her to keep her quiet...

I am very glad that I've gotten the chance to visit with Maggie and her family and friends again. I enjoy this series and the fact that Maggie absolutely loves where she lives, and it shows every time I pick up one of these books. Everyone in the book is a colorful character, from Maggie herself right down to every one of her friends. There's several subplots going on at the same time that only make the story more real - her grandmother is 'purging her life' as it were; Vanessa is having a tug-of-war rivalry with Sandy, whose boyfriends were recent rivals for mayor, her parents are having to deal with guests who want special diets, and her cousin Lia is about to give birth to triplets. It's a busy life and makes for a book with plenty of action.

When Maggie starts by trying to become friends with the members of the band, she wants to learn more about them, and if any of them had a reason to kill. She also needs to figure out if Tammy was the target, are they going to try again. But with Tammy such a nasty piece of work, it's not going to be easy to do. Especially since it seems that Tammy's not done with harassing Gaynell; and Gaynell has withdrawn from any kind of life, hiding herself away.

The story is well written, and the characters are fully three-dimensional, pulling you into their world of Pelican, Louisiana. While I've never had the desire to live anywhere near this town (too much humidity for my blood) I have had thoughts of wanting to visit Cajun Louisiana and see the world through her eyes. Such is the ability of Ms. Byron to describe this place. The music, the homes, the food - all of it is appetizing (but only for a visit) and I would love to experience it at least once. (I might actually have to plan a vacation soon).

Maggie's loyalty to Gaynell is fierce indeed, and it shows in her actions how far she's willing to go to prove her friend innocent. We should all be lucky enough to have a friend as loyal as Maggie. I'm also beginning to warm up considerably to Vanessa, who started out as Maggie's own bully but since becoming engaged to Quentin has mellowed her and made her happy, so she's actually becoming Maggie's friend. It's a nice look when there's not an 'evil nemesis' out to destroy the main character and make her life miserable.

As the story progresses and we become more involved, things change. I love how the way everything eventually played out, even in the subplots hiding in the background of the main story. All the twists and turns will keep you on your toes, trying to figure out the murderer and the real reason behind it, which, of course, we learn toward the end, as it should be.

When the final moments come everything is tied up nicely, and we are given a satisfactory ending to a terrific tale, knowing that once more everything in Maggie's world is right and good...at least for this one moment of peace. Highly recommended.

The town of Pelican, Louisiana is putting on a music festival, and Maggie Crozat is helping out by operating the Crozat booth at the festival dedicated to selling mouth-watering pralines. Maggie is also helping out at the family's bed and breakfast located in their antebellum plantation house. Since some of the musical guests will be staying at the B&B, there is a lot to be done, mainly catering to all types of food preferences, trendy diets, and picky eaters.

Maggie's friend Gaynell is expected to perform for the hometown crowd at the festival, but another singer might upstage her. Tammy Barker a singing sensation who made it big in country music is returning to Pelican, her hometown, for the festival and she's had it out for Gaynell since high school. When Tammy's manager, Pony Picker is killed on stage, she isn't shy about pointing the finger at Gaynell. But Maggie knows her friend Gaynell too well to believe she's a murderer. Which means she will have to help police detective Bo Durand, who just happens to be her finance, find the real killer.

Fatal Cajun Festival is a fun, lighthearted read full of colorful characters and Louisiana style charm. With a picturesque setting, dialogue that made me laugh, and a fast pace that kept me turning pages, this southern delight was a pleasure to read. And if that weren't enough to inspire readers the author has included a few local recipes. I just hope no one will mind if I decline the sweet potato pralines.

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.


Thank you to net galley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book. I love these little mysterys

entertainer, Louisiana, law-enforcement, jealousy, cozy-mystery, recipes, family, friendship

***** Great story whether you've read the earlier ones or not! However, this is not an unbiased review because I love this series, NOLA and the Bayou country, and especially the FOOD.
Maggie Crozat is the main person along with her extended family and friends. This year the celebration is a music festival headlined by a gal raised locally but so full of herself that she alienates everyone around her. Her manager gets murdered and that sets everything off. Meanwhile, cousin Lia is on bed rest awaiting triplets, friend Gaynell gets arrested, Maggie and her local detective fiance pretend to be having issues as a diversion in the murder investigation. And besides all that, Grandmere is going through all her memorabilia and finds something disturbing.
The cast of characters is at the beginning, and a few great recipes at the end.
An excellent read and well worth the price.
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Crooked Lane Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

Fatal Cajun Festival is the fifth book in the 'Cajun Country Mystery' cozy series written by Ellen Byron. I was lucky enough to get an early copy through NetGalley and happened to be current in the series so I could begin reading it this week. It will be published in early fall but you can pre-order it now via Amazon. Byron has another success on her hands, and I truly enjoyed the latest edition in this adorable and engaging series about crimes occurring on a Louisiana plantation.

Maggie's grandmother helped organize a music festival in Pelican. A rising country singer who used to live in Pelican returns to sing for her hometown. In the days before her performance, we meet all the people in her band or running her team, then learn one of them is a former rival of Maggie's good friend, Gay. Unfortunately, someone in the band causes trouble for a few people and winds up dead. Another person is attacked, and everything points to Gay. Maggie knows it's not true, and even fakes a break-up with her fiance police detective, Bo, so she can unearth the scoop. Will she be successful, or will someone feed her to the alligators and snakes first?

Music and a southern Louisiana plantation go hand-in-hand. The drama that unfolds is clever and messy (in a good way) -- there are a variety of strong suspects with believable alibis and motives. One of them is clearly being faked, but it's not obvious at first. There are complex layers afoot in this mystery, and we only learn how everyone is connected, by accident, near the end. What an interesting way to assemble a band! Byron has created a compelling story with memorable characters, all the while dazzling us with subplots and side-stories about Maggie's friends and families who aren't involved directly in the murder mystery. For instance, Gran learns something about her late husband, and it changes her future. Maggie makes a decision about her own relationship's future. And a few other characters get some unexpected surprises. Great way to keep viewers entertained while solving an investigation.

Byron's books are easy to read. She wraps up her subplots. We see lots of characters who move the story along. And we never feel overwhelmed or confused. It's a strong balance of all the things that belong in a cozy. It's one of the series I've stayed super-current on so I can read the books when they first become available, rather than wait months or years to catch up. I look forward to the next one! Hurry up, please. :)

This is always a fun series and I’m never disappointed when I read a book by Ellen Byron.
The characters are all likable and very easy to relate to,
Filled with plenty of suspects and a well thought out whodunnit will appeal to all mystery readers ,

I'm a big fan of this series and I certainly wasn't disappointed in this newest book. This book was really well written and fun to read. I love the setting in Louisiana and the characters are quirky and fun. If you enjoy a witty, fun to solve mystery this book is definitely for you.

How does she do it? Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country Festival, the 5th book in the Cajun Country Mystery series, is absolutely fantastic! She manages to make the reader feel a part of the unique experience one can only find in parts of Louisiana. The Cajun flavor is well seasoned without being overdone and that balance is a talent in itself. With great characters to adore and a few not so great ones to revile, we are drawn into the lives of Maggie, her family and friends and her new acquaintances as she works and investigates at the new Pelican Cove Cajun Country Live festival. Something feels a bit off about the band traveling with a local singer on the rise in the country and western music scene even before the bodies start to turn up, but it is a friend of Maggie’s who looks guilty. As much as Maggie would love for the sneaky star to be the villain, she has to investigate the whole band to make sure she can prove that one of them belongs in the slammer, not Gaynell. Just as food, fun and music are a part of any Cajun scene even in the face of adversity, so that are though this festival along with hard works and a bit of romance.
#NetGalley #Fatal Cajun Festival

Fatal Cajun Festival: A Cajun Country Mystery by Ellen Byron, is the 5th of series. Maggie Crozat's grandmere has created a music festival, Cajun Country Live! The Crozat family are planning to be a cheering section of Maggie's best friend, Gaynell Borgeois, and her band The Gator Girls. The Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast has been booked to accomodate the headliner, a former resident, Tammy Baker. Tammy was the winner on a television singing competition and the diva now lives in Hollywood. The death of the Tammy Baker's manager causes suspicion on Gaynell since she had uttered angry remarks toward him because of his inappropriate actions toward her. Tammy immediately blames Gaynell but Maggie is sure her friend didn't do it. This is a fast paced book that will provide lots of laughs but also supply you with much enjoyment.

Maggie Crozat returns just in time for Cajun Country Live!, a show that promises to highlight the talents of bands and singers. Maggie’s best friend Gaynell with be performing with her band, along with former resident Tammy Barker, now a household name in the music business. Tammy is also a pain in the butt, expecting to get everything she wants when she wants it. And she’s not above sabotaging the competition, including Gaynell’s band. You would expect Gaynell to be offed, but no, it’s a member of her band of worker bees. Maggie decides to go undercover to find the killer, hoping it might be Tammy, but there are lots of suspects to wade through. I like the quirky Southern charm in this cozy series, it’s fun, light and a great distraction from the world’s woes

Maggie Crozat and her family are hosting Tammy Barker, the famous local girl who made it big in the country music industry. Tammy and her manager have booked the entire Crozat B&B just for Tammy as she is headlines Country Cajun Live, the local music festival preceding New Orleans Jazz Fest. While the locals are thrilled to have Tammy come home, Gaynell is not feeling the love. Turns out Tammy had mean grilled all over Gaynell in the past and there’s still some bad blood on Tammy’s part.

After Tammy leaves the stage the first day of the festival, her manager, Pony Pickens, is electrocuted. Was it meant for Tammy or Pony? Since Gaynell had rebuffed Pony’s sexual advances, which Tammy makes sure the police know about, Gaynell becomes the most likely suspect. While the Pelican PD and Maggie don’t believe it for one minute, the local prosecutor and Tammy are making it hard for Gaynell to be cleared. Maggie believes in Gaynell’s innocence and even calls off her engagement to Bo to make her faith in Gaynell known to all.

Will Maggie be able to find another suspect for the Pelican PD and evidence that proves Gaynell’s evidence before she’s sent up the river to the big house? And can she do it before Maggie herself is in the killer’s crosshairs?

I adore this series and haven’t missed one of the five books yet! The Louisiana accent comes through loud and clear and you can just smell the food and hear the music playing as you immerse yourself Ellen Byron’s writing. Lots of suspects, red herrings and twist and turns to keep you guess who dun it right up until the big reveal. A fantastic series you don’t want to miss!

Fatal Cajun Festival is a great cozy mystery with enjoyable characters and the well written. It is the first I have read in this series and I must read more.

I really enjoyed this book. I haven’t read any others from the series, but found the setting and characters easy to pick up and follow.
The author does a wonderful job of setting the scene and building the atmosphere. I love Cajun country as a setting for a cosy mystery series, and this book is full of fun details. The plot was satisfying and the characters were interesting, and I’m definitely planning to find the rest of the series to read!

Love this book, could not put it down.

Ellen Byron has delivered another great story, from the moment I received it from NetGalley, I could not put it down until I finished it.

The story follows Maggie and another mystery, this time when a Pop Star's Manager is killed and Maggie's friend Gaynell is blamed.

The characters are engaging and the plot moves along. I look forward to reading the next book in this great series.

Ellen Byron captures the Cajun cadences so smoothly that I felt the steamy summer on the bayou. Fatal Cajun Festival is part of a series, but can be read without knowledge of the preceding books. Maggie is on the case to clear her friend, a talented young musician, from a murder accusation, in between making batches of pralines, helping her parents run their B and B, and watching her grandmother's döstädning (Swedish for "death cleaning"). The book is humorous without devolving into farce, and the Louisiana atmosphere is evoked so well that I could hear the zydeco as I read. A must read for all lovers of cozy mysteries.

Love this series. The characters and setting is so different from others. The author writes so well you feel like you are there in the setting with the characters. Ellen Byron is a great writer and this series just gets better and better. Can't wait for the wedding or weddings.

Maggie and the family are hosting a music festival with the star attraction staying at the family B&B when things go crazy and her best friend is suspected of murder. Maggie and Bo her fiancee are off and running to find the real killer and still carry on with their lives of with the music festival pralines, new babies, a wedding or maybe two.