Loved New Orleans when I visited there and this is a great story set in that area. You just might learn some things about Louisiana while you are enjoying this story. Be sure to read the Lagniappe at the end of the story. I loved these characters. I enjoyed staying with the folks at the Crozat B and B. The story line is great and you may have a surprise or two. Be sure to check out the recipes that are included. These folks do like to eat! I’d be right there with them. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Some people think they are comedians. They offer sly puns, or trot out Dad jokes. People flee when they enter rooms. Not so with Ellen Byron. If you are humor starved, like many of us, reading Byron is like giving a locked down parent of two year olds twins, a cool glass of southern sweet tea.

Cajun Country Mysteries are set in the fictional town of Pelican LA. Byron's Pelican is a sweet instagram shot of the Cajun experience. Set on the river, among bayous and wetlands, the town survives through tourism. Plantations and bed and breakfasts bring outsiders to the region. Maggie Crozet is the manager of one of these plantation bed and breakfasts.

Maggie has noticed a drop off in guest reservations due to a new apt that is rivaling airbnb. To correct this, 5 local owners along with the Crozets have designed a 'Pelican's Spooky Past' package. The package includes a eeiry drama staged in a decrepit cemetery. A sure hit until a victim wearing a Louisiana werewolf mask staggers from the sidelines and dies. Once again, our Maggie feels a need to assist in putting an end to this diabolical creep show.

The B plot continues the overall arc of the series. Readers know that Gran Mere, and Maggie will have a double wedding soon. Gran Mere has begun to really focus on the ceremony; one might call her a 'granzilla'. She is up to her ears in cake samples while visiting various Bridal expos. Maggie, distracted with the current spookiness, does not focus on the wedding much. Until her wedding gown disappears. Another haunt? or something much more sinister.

Byron's artistry shows both in the plotting and in the realistic portrayal of her characters. She is a comedy writer, so some individuals are buffoons. However for me the humor arises from her skillful use of dialogue. Volume 6 would make an excellent October selection for the cozy mystery book clubs.

Recommended for readers of all ages.
Full disclosure: I received this ARC from net galley and Penguin Random House in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for this opportunity

Maggie Crozant has planned a series of “spooky specials” for guests staying at area bed and breakfasts in Pelican, Louisiana. Maggie is willing to get creative to come up with ways to compete with a businessman who is buying up local properties that visitors can rent using an app. Her family business has also just opened a spa and Maggie hires a newfound distant cousin as the massage therapist and hopes she won’t come to regret this decision. In spite of all the festivities, Maggie confesses to her fiance, police officer Bo Durand, that she actually hates Halloween! When a murder occurs and Maggie becomes the prime suspect, her opinion of the scary holiday doesn’t get any better. She and Bo do some sleuthing of their own to clear Maggie’s name and catch the real killer.

This is the sixth book in this series, but there is a list of characters at the beginning of the book to help readers meeting Maggie and her friends for the first time. Maggie is an efficient businesswoman and an artist and has solved more than her share of murders. This time, the murder hits close to home and she feels she needs to start her own investigation to stay out of prison. She follows up several possible leads, but the motives start piling up and things get more and more complicated. The bed and breakfast also experiences some thefts, some more troubling than others, and Maggie isn’t sure how that fits it with everything else currently going on in Pelican.

Both she and her beloved “Gran” are planning an upcoming double wedding. Unfortunately, business troubles and the murder investigation have to come first for Maggie. Gran is a gem and at least she is having fun making some of the decisions for the ceremony, but I wish we had been treated to more lighthearted scenes with her and Maggie planning the event. I enjoyed the nice scenes between Maggie, Bo, and Bo’s eight-year-old son Xander, who clearly doesn’t have Maggie’s aversion to Halloween. I really like how their relationship has grown and how Bo fits right in with Maggie’s close-knit family.

The mystery gets a little over-complicated, but as always, I enjoyed the main characters, the setting, and the details about life in the Bayou that are woven into the story. One of the twists at the end wasn’t even on my radar, so I was very surprised at that plot turn as well as by the solution to the murders when all was revealed. Overall, this is another solid installment in this enjoyable series, and I hope there are more of Maggie’s adventures to come.

~ Christine

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron is a Cajun Country Mystery and takes place at the Crozat B & B outside Baton Rouge. There's plenty on. It is only two months before the weddings of Maggie and Bo, and her grandmother and Leo. It is Halloween, a heady time in this part of the country. It is also the grand opening of the B & B's new spa. A long, lost cousin, Suzannah, who is also a masseuse, has come from Canada to pen the spa. Along with Susannah comes her husband, and his two adult children, twins. Life is good. In order to prop up the business of B & Bs in the area, Maggie came up with the idea of Halloween specials during October weekends. Included were special meals, attendance at a seasonal play, pet parades, costume events and much more. It is looking to be successful until Suzanne, dressed in a costume, runs across the stage at the end of the play and falls down and dies. She was dressed as a rogarou, which is a human with the head of a wolf. It all gets is complicated, but fun.

The really interesting characters in this cozy mystery are the peripheral ones: the son, Johnnie; the actor, Barrymore Tuttle; the guest parrot, Benedict, and more. Byron has a good sense of character . . . hers are always multidimensional. Maggie and her fiancé, Bo, a local police detective are the ideal couple and she knows how lucky she is to have found him. Her parents and her grandmother all work at the B & B and are entertaining every minute. Who doesn't need an eccentric grandmother? There are so many characters and so many things going on in this book that it moves at a fast clip, so fast it turns out there are multiple murderers. It is an entertaining series and this is an entertaining book. Halloween in the bayou! I recommend it.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Netgalley. All opinions and interpretations contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #murderinthebayouconeyard

PAST & PRESENT BROUGHT TOGETHER BY A ROUGAROU!

One of my favorite delights is getting settled in my recliner with a large glass of Sweet Tea, and reading the latest installment of Ellen Byron’s outstanding Cajun Country Mysteries!! This entire Series has been such a delight from beginning through the present. Byron’s Crozat Family’s characters are endearing, compelling, entertaining, warm, inviting, loving and their way of life is contagious! The villains are always exasperating, exhausting, devious, conniving, cold-blooded and still cannot manage to outsmart the Crozats no matter how hard they try! Once murder is involved, they will rally the troops and work together to solve the mystery!

In Byron’s latest release, MURDER IN THE BONEYARD, Halloween has come to Pelican, LA and no one loves an opportunity to CELEBRATE anything MORE than the Lovely People in the Great State of Louisiana! Five plantation B&Bs have decided to host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” by offering special packages featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. The highlight is the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit which takes place in the neglected Dupois cemetery. All of the guests are having a great time until there are several sightings of the rougarou (a cross between a werewolf and vampire). The Crozats’ soon find themselves in dire straights after some relatives come to town and stir up all manner of trouble. Add a little murder to the mix and you will soon find that you have almost enough different ingredients to make a good ole Jambalaya! Oddly enough, the Rougarou manages to play a very important part in bridging past and present together and solve all the Crozats problems!

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

What better place to celebrate Halloween than Pelican, Louisiana with its history and spooky atmosphere as a background. This was my first book from this series and I enjoyed it very much.

The story centres around Maggie and her family and their B&B business in the small town of Pelican. This particular Halloween they have joined up with the other local B&Bs to provide extra activities to increase the Holiday fun. Unfortunately things turn serious when the murders start.

The characters are entertaining, the mystery is intricate and the ending is way over the top but good fun. I enjoyed it all very much and will look out for the earlier books in the series.

I am always happy to visit Pelican, Louisiana. I know Maggie and company will provide an entertaining time and they did. Number six in the Cajun Country Mystery series, Murder in the Bayou is set around Halloween.

I found I could easily dislike the MacDowell family. The new to Maggie relatives from Canada become annoying pretty darn fast.

When a death occurs, Maggie becomes the prime suspect as the investigation is being conducted by Rufus of the Ville Blanc PD.

I found the Rougarou myth interesting and a good ploy in this mystery.

A side plot woven throughout the book is that Maggie and her Grand-mère are preparing for a double wedding on New Year's Eve. Gran has taken the lead and is doing most of the planning. She’s having a blast - tasting cakes at every bakery in town.

I had a wonderful time with the twists, turns, and surprises throughout the book. As always, I enjoyed the humor sprinkled throughout the story.

Recipes are included at the end of the book. This is a must read series for me and each story stands on its own.

I was given an advanced reader’s copy from Netgalley. I am not required to leave a positive review.

Time for Halloween hijinks and Maggie Corzat has figured out a way to give some local B&Bs the financial boost they really need. Maggie runs a lovely plantation B&B and is finally opening an on site spa. Putting together a package of goodies and events will do the trick. Pelican's Spooky Past is ready to roll out with good food, crafts, local lore and the Dupois cemetery acting as the venue for a very creepy play. All in good fun to entertain the tourists until somebody crashes the party decked out in a rougarou -part werewolf part vampire creature - and then drops dead. Not good for the tourist business as many turn tail and head for home. And that's just the beginning.
If that wasn't enough to stress Maggie, she and her grandmother are putting the finishing touches on their weddings, planned for New Years. One more unexpected nasty twist shows up in the form of a distant relative and her family - Maggie invited her to stay awhile in the renovated school house she and her soon to be husband plan to live in while working at the spa. Hey, they are family. Turns out to be a very bad idea when the woman lays claim to it and won't leave. Soon the local police are focusing on Maggie as their prime suspect and she goes into sleuth mode to investigate who is trying to ruin not only Halloween but Maggie's life, as well.
There are so many things to love about this series. The setting, the main characters, the yummy food and a very well developed puzzle to keep you guessing from the first page to the last. Murder in the Bayou Boneyard works fine as a stand alone but I'd wager a big bowl of gumbo that you will want to make sure you enjoy the entire series.
My thanks to the publisher Crooked Lane and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Another entertaining visit to Cajun country. The characters are interesting. The location provides the unique atmosphere and antics. Clever cozy mystery that kept me guessing.

This series is by far my favorite cozy mystery series. The books are always well written. The mysteries keep me turning the pages and guessing right until the end. The characters are extremely likable. The setting is fantastic, and you get yummy recipes as a bonus. I can't wait to see what these characters get up to next. 👍👍

Who is playing a rougaroo and scaring people in Pelican? Even bigger question-who poisoned the mask? And why was Susannah, who claims to be Maggie's cousin, wearing it? Poor Maggie- she's got so much on her plate what with the B&B she runs with her parents, the fact that her grandmother is newly engaged, and trying to get visitors to town. Oh, and she's engaged to Bo, a law enforcement officer who must surely be tired of Maggie, her family, and all the murders that they seem to be connected to - but he isn't. He's a good guy. It's a cozy so you know there's more going on with Susannah, who claims she owns land that Maggie wants to use, than just that. Don't worry if you haven't read the earlier books- this will be fine as a standalone. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a fun one, with great atmospherics and characters.

It's October and a group of Pelican plantation B&Bs is working together to host a series of "Pelican's Spooky Past" weekend packages to drum up business. But guests are being drawn away from the B&Bs by both a new cell phone Airbnb type app as well as sightings of the legendary rougarou, a werewolf/vampire beast. Maggie Crozat is hoping that her newly found distant cousin Susannah's talents as a masseuse will help draw customers to their newly opened spa. Another tourist draw is the derelict Dupois cemetery where the eerie Resurrection of a Spirit play is being held.

Then someone wearing a rougarou costume stumbles onstage during the play and collapses. Everyone is shocked when it's Susannah who has died from strychnine poisoning. Since the murder occurred on nearby Ville Blanc jurisdiction, Maggie's fiance Bo Durand and his police chief cousin Rufus are not in charge of the investigation. Their police rivals seem focused on pinning the murder on the Crozats who are fighting claims from Susannah's family (husband Doug, stepchildren Bonnie and Johnnie) that they own the land where Maggie's studio is located and are planning to sell it to the highest bidder.

Another murder occurs and it's up to Maggie and the Crozats to find the real killer to save their family's reputation and potential loss of their way of life.

This was another spooky, fun-filled read in the Cajun Country mystery series.

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

I have really enjoyed the books in the Cajun Country mystery series. And Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is a great addition. The characters are wonderful and you find yourself having strong emotions for each one. I love the people of Pelican, Louisiana. They re such a delightful group of people. It’s just the folks from a nearby town and some of the visitors that make life difficult.

Maggie; her beau, Bo; and family are wonderful individuals. They have you wishing you could visit the Crozat Plantation B & B. Great mystery. Fun holiday activities. Delicious recipes. What more could you want from a book?!

Thank you to NetGalley and crooked Lane Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

This sixth Cajun Country mystery takes place during Halloween. Maggie and her family along with other local B & Bs are hosting a "Pelican's Spooky Past" package to try to lure customers away from the new guy Gavin Grody who is buying up all sorts of affordable property and using them as rentals using his new app Rent My Digs.

Halloween is not Maggie's favorite holiday and this one looks like it will confirm her feelings about the holiday. She has asked a long-lost cousin from Canada to visit and run the new spa that they created to try to generate some more income. But the cousin, her husband, and his two grown children prove to be a disappointment. She is running a side business as a psychic and taking business from other local psychics. She also has determined that she is the owner of some land adjacent to Maggie's family land. The land she says is hers includes most of Maggie's art studio which they are using as guest housing.

Someone is also running around scaring the tourists by pretending to be a rougarou which is proving bad for business. Well, except for the paranormal aficionados who rent rooms at Maggie's parents' B&B after those more easily scared cancel their reservations.

When the cousin is found dead while wearing a rougarou costume, Maggie becomes the number one suspect in the eyes of the Ville Blanc police who have jurisdiction instead of the local Pelican Police Department where her fiance works. Maggie needs to clear her name or she'll find herself in jail instead of walking down the aisle in a double wedding with her grandmother.

But that doesn't end Maggie's problems. The widower decides to sell his newly inherited land to a chemical company who want to build a plant right next door to their B&B. But then he is found dead and even more suspicion falls on Maggie.

This was a fun mystery made even better by the recipes included in the book. After all, Maggie's mother Ninette is an excellent Cajun cook who delights in feeding her guests (and anyone else who happens to stop by the B&B).

Some previously unknown relatives descend from Canada to the Crozat's B&B, just in time for Halloween celebrations. A murder occurs and Maggie is unofficially on the case, while her fiance tries to officially find the killer. This latest installment of the Cajun Country Mystery series provides lots of twists and turns, as well as some new and interesting characters. I especially appreciate how the author instills the rural Cajun culture into her novels, making them very realistic and educational. Enjoyed this book a lot!

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron (Cajun Country Mystery #6) 5 Stars

It's time to visit Pelican, Louisiana and Maggie Crozat & Family. Pelican is being transformed by an internet entrepreneur a la AirBnB, which is causing a loss of business for the local B&B establishments. Maggie comes up with a promotional scheme involving Halloween to entice the tourists to the local B&B's. In order to promote Crozat Plantation, Maggie reaches out to a distant Canadian cousin to do massages out of their newly built spa. However, her cousin turns out to be a snake in the grass that threatens a land grab. Guess who ends up dead with Maggie as a prime suspect.

The mystery was engrossing and the finale action packed. Along the way we get scenes that involve the planning of Maggie's and Grand-mere upcoming weddings. The scenes between Maggie and Bo were romantic and showcases their evolving relationship. I can't wait for the actual wedding. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to Maggie's next mystery.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for this ARC.

I absolutely can't get enough of this series! I loved this book. I love that Maggie and Gran are planning their double wedding admist all of the Halloween shenanigans in the story. Fantastic story had me guessing till the end. Love it!

I love a cozy mystery and really enjoyed this one. I found the mystery interesting and the characters realistic and engaging.

Maggie, artist, entrepreneur and amateur sleuth is back in Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, along with her crew of family and townsfolk, trying to solve yet another murder in the small town of Pelican Bay. Only this time, Maggie and her parents are the prime suspects in the murder of her cousin, Suzanne, because they were in a property line dispute at the time of her death. Can Maggie and her fiancé, Bo, solve this crime in time or will Maggie miss their wedding because she’s locked up in jail?

This installment of the Cajun Country Mystery series is Halloween themed and just as fun and hilarious as always. The lovable characters are enjoyable and memorable, and up to some new shenanigans. My favorite character has to be Maggie’s grandma for her sass and energy! I can’t wait to see her and Maggie walk down the aisle in the next book!

“But I’ve got a bread pudding in the oven. I’m hoping the scent will finds its way outdoors and make those officers hungry. Then I’d get to tell them, ‘Too bad, you’re not getting any.’”
Ellen Byron, Murder in The Bayou Boneyard, Kindle Loc. 2115

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October--and Halloween--approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.

Five local plantation B&Bs host "Pelican's Spooky Past" packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.

When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play--and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican's spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.
Amazon.com

Ellen Byron’s Cajun Country mysteries are always fun to read. Kick back with a shot or two of whiskey and eat a Halloween sugar cookie in the Crozat Planation kitchen. The Cajun culture and cuisine bring to mind a myriad of questions, but also of comforts. Murder In the Bayou Boneyard is the sixth book in the series and was released yesterday.

Maggie Crozat, Ellen’s artist main character, has brought trouble to her family and the B&B with her marketing plan to bring in tourists to their town of Pelican, LA during October. The promotion ends at Halloween, a holiday Maggie has hated since childhood.

With the opening of the B&B’s new spa, Maggie hired a new masseuse, a distant Canadian relation. Trouble soon follows as does Maggie’s vision of the spa. If not for her friend Mo, the spa would close before it barely began. When a murder occurs on the B&B grounds, Maggie feels responsible. But when a tattletale parrot spouts off to the police, Maggie finds herself on the suspect list.

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

How did Father Prit come to Pelican? Is there an Indian contingent in Pelican? There is not. Father Prit was totally inspired by the priest who conducted my late cousin’s funeral. He had a very thick accent, which drove my relatives nuts. I felt bad for him, so I made sure the citizens of Pelican warmly embraced and appreciated him.

Please define the following:

Rougarou- a legendary creature who is the Cajun equivalent of a werewolf.

Crawtatoes- an appetizer I invented!

Sazerac- a popular New Orleans’ take on a whisky or cognac cocktail. In 2008, it was declared the official cocktail of New Orleans by the Louisiana legislature.

Immortelle- 19th century handmade arrangements, usually made from dried flowers, used to decorate graves.

Café brulot- a coffee drink flavored with a spiral of orange zest and spiked with whiskey.

Corn maque choux- a popular Cajun side dish.

Doberge cake- a traditional New Orleans cake where generally thin layers of cake (usually six) alternate with a pudding filling and then the cake is covered with a buttercream or ganache frosting. There are many variations on this.

Calas- deep-fried rice dumplings, usually served as a breakfast dish.

Pimm’s Cups- my favorite Louisiana cocktail! There are many different recipes for it, but all include Pimm’s Cup #1, a gin-based spirit.

Does Pelican’s lack of zoning laws allow rental operators like Gavin Grody to operate, which precipitated the need to the month-long B&B promotion Maggie invented? I didn’t write this into the book, but I would say most likely, yes. I think the AirBnB and VRBO movements caught a lot of local governments by surprise and left them scrambling to create laws that protect local housing. I know it’s been a real problem in New Orleans.

Were the Canadians who settled in Louisiana from Acadia? Is that how the Cajun got their name? Did some find the area unsatisfactory and went back to Canada? What was the era? The British expulsion of Acadians from Canada took place in the 1760s. Many chose to go to Louisiana, which was under Spanish rule at the time, because of the good relationship between the French and Spanish, and their shared Catholic faith. (There were already many French in New Orleans, too.) I fictionalized the return of some to Canada, which would have occurred much later. But I’m sure some Acadians preferred their homeland to the Louisiana swamps. And yes – if you say “Acadian” fast, it eventually becomes the word “Cajun!”

Maggie, a first-time bride, isn’t as into planning the wedding as Grandmere. Why? Maggie doesn’t love being the center of attention. She’s always been a bit of a rebel against her storied local genealogy as a descendant of one of the town’s founding families, so she’s not comfortable with the idea of a big, grandiose wedding. Grandmere, on the other hand, married her first husband, Maggie’s grandfather, on a train platform before he shipped out to the Korean War, so she never got a big wedding. Now, at eighty-three, she’s making up for that with her second wedding, and with no apologies to anyone!

Susannah Crozat MacDowell is a distant relation from Canada. What possessed Maggie to hire her as a masseuse? Maggie is an only child with few relatives, and none nearby. She longs for an extended family and thought hiring Susannah would be a great way of bringing more family members into the fold while helping one of them – Susannah - out financially.

I loved Mo Heedles. Please tell our readers about her. I love Mo too! She’s a warm, entertaining, successful Black businesswoman who’s taken a career that began with multi-tier marketing of a skincare line and run with it. In the future, she may even franchise her brand. BTW, the name Mo Heedles is an homage to real-life reader Maureen Heedles, who cast the winning bid at a Malice auction to have a character named after her. Little did she know Mo Heedles would become a beloved recurring character!

Walter Breem, the Dupois caretaker, isn’t what he seems. Why does Maggie like him? She senses the pain that underlies his gruff, off-putting exterior and feels great empathy for him without even knowing his personal story.

Johnnie, Susannah’s stepson, is in drug recovery. Why does he team up with stage manager Emma Fine, who assists on the promotional play being held at the Dupois cemetery every weekend? Emma also struggled with addiction, so they’re kindred spirits. They’re also both lost souls on a level, which offers them another bond.

Did you want to play a joke on author Julie Mulhern by naming a character after her? Ha! Julie used my name in a book, so of course I had to reciprocate. (At least I think she did? I read so much it’s hard to keep everything straight. Oh, well. I adore Julie’s writing and general personage, so it was a pleasure to give her a shout-out, even if it takes readers who know her out of the book for a moment.)

After Susannah dies, Maggie claims that Susannah wasn’t the prankster kind. And yet, Maggie didn’t know Suzannah for very long and learns that Susannah gave her phone number to telemarketers, inflicting spam calls on Maggie. That sounds like a nasty prank to me. What prompted Maggie to come to that conclusion? The telemarketer move wasn’t a prank, it was revenge. There’s a difference. Maggie immediately gets that Susannah doesn’t have any sense of humor, even the distorted kind it take to pull pranks on people. (I am not a fan of them.)

Since Susannah died in the cemetery, part of which is located in a different jurisdiction, the Ville Blanc police department is involved. Why do they suspect Maggie? Maggie had a falling-out with Susannah that makes her a prime suspect in the woman’s mysterious death.

Late, Lamented Pets, part of the B&B promotion, enables guests to bring their pets, who are mostly costumed in Halloween finery. Who is Lovie? Did Lovie have a costume? How did Lovie incriminate Maggie? Lovie is a parrot who does not have a costume but does have a big mouth and blabbed a piece of conversation she overheard that casts Maggie in a bad light to a Ville Blanc detective. His pet parent DruCilla is an homage to dear pal and beloved mystery blogger Dru Ann Love.

Is a parrot’s testimony admissible in court? Parrots cannot be put on the stand but what they’ve been heard to say can be allowed as evidence in some cases.

Why does Maggie think Halloween brings out the paranoia in people? This is inspired by the fact that I personally always found Halloween creepy as a kid. I felt like it gave bullies permission to give in to their worst instincts, like harassing kids and throwing eggs or TPing houses. Even as a kid, I noticed a general tension in the air around Halloween time. I have memories of trick or treating in the dark and being absolutely terrified.

Do funeral homes load the casket feet first so the mourners won’t be cursed by the spirit of the dead seeing them? Is this just an old Cajun custom? I don’t know if that’s the case now, but it was definitely true of Cajun and Creole families. I think many other 19th century cultures believed this as well.

Why is sugarcane grown in the town center? Do they harvest it? It’s actually not grown in the town center but in the surrounding plantations, where it is indeed harvested to this day.


https://www.stjosephplantation.com/

Helene Brevelle, a voodoo priestess, wants Maggie to have protection from evil. What does she give Maggie? Does Maggie believe in voodoo? Helene gives Maggie a gris gris bag, which is a small bag filled with things specific to what the wearer needs help with – in this case, protection. Helene also gives Maggie protection oil. I think Maggie is on the fence about whether or not she believes in voodoo but ascribes to the philosophy, “better safe than sorry.”

Is Abita Light beer local or Cajun? Local.

Maggie gets so upset and stressed out, she starts talking to a squirrel. Why doesn’t she talk to her dogs, Gopher and Jolie? Because I didn’t think of it at the time and now I wish I had!

I didn’t know that strychnine comes from the strychnine tree. Is in only grown in warmer climates like Pelican? Or can the tree be grown anywhere in the US? My research showed that the tree, native to India and Southeast Asia, is generally found in warmer climates.

The Dupois plantation was based on a real place. What’s it like now? Dupois was inspired by “Le Petite Versailles,” the most famous Louisiana plantation home and gardens in the 19th century. Nothing is left of it today except garden ruins, overgrown, privately owned, and closed to the public. Mary Ann Sternberg, author of several of my favorite books about the Louisiana River Road, is one of the few people allowed to access the ruins in recent years and write about them. The fascinating chapter detailing her exploration can be found in her book, River Road Rambler. I would love to be allowed to explore what’s left of the grounds myself someday.

What’s next for Maggie and her family? I don’t want to give too much away but I’ll tell you this - A celebrity chef comes to Pelican to open an outpost of his famed Cajun chain of restaurants. Skullduggery – and murder! – ensue. 😉




https://www.stjosephplantation.com/