I wish I could say I enjoyed this book but I could not finish it. I'm not sure what I was expecting but this wasn't it. The plot was predictable and slow.

The seventh Cajun Country Mystery, "Cajun Kiss of Death" is the perfect conclusion to this beloved series. This mystery will keep you fully engaged, through the feisty cast of characters, mouth-watering food, and need to know whodunnit. Maggie returns as an amateur sleuth not long after her wedding in order to clear the names of her best friend and her own mother after the murder of a celebrity chef. While you can read each book as a standalone, I suggest reading the entire series in order.

I love this series of mysteries.. I highly recommend this series to readers of cozy mysteries. I recommend that the books be read in the order of publication.

I enjoy the books in the Cajun Country series by Ellen Byron. I love the characters and the relationships between them. The drama that develops as you get invested in the story will have you flipping the pages as fast as possible. Unfortunately, this is supposed to be the last book in the series. Pelican is a town full of delightful people and I will miss the adventures they find themselves experiencing.

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

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I really loved this book and series and author. I can't wait to read the next one. The characters and location really add to the plot. This book keeps you guessing until the end.

I apprecitate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found this a really interesting mystery and the characters are quite engaging. it kept me guessing until the end. I highly recommend.

Get ready for a sizzling good time with "Cajun Kiss of Death" by Ellen Byron! This book takes place in the heart of Pelican, Louisiana where Valentine's Day has a way of warming hearts and souls. But when the infamous celebrity chef Phillippe Chanson arrives at Crozat Plantation B&B, things take a sharp turn for the worse.

With murder on the menu, Maggie Crozat is on a mission to clear the name of her dear friend JJ, who has been accused of killing Phillippe. The mystery thickens with a cast of possible suspects, including Maggie's own mother, Ninette, who might have had her own reasons for wanting the chef gone. But that's not all that's on Maggie's plate, as she begins to receive mysterious gifts that have her on edge and questioning everything.

With a love of good food, laughter, and a dash of mystery, "Cajun Kiss of Death" is the perfect recipe for a cozy night in. So grab a glass of sweet tea, settle in, and enjoy the ride as Maggie tries to clear her friend's name and discover the truth behind Phillippe's murder. Love, laughter, and gumbo - this book has it all!

What a fun read. A little romance and a little mystery with some food themes thrown in. This was a fun read with a mystery to solve. A great cozy must-read for me. I enjoyed each of the characters and how they all seemed down to earth and going through everyday realistic obstacles. I am looking forward to reading the other books in this series.

Cajun Kiss of Death

by Ellen Byron

Pelican, Louisiana, is home to some Creole/Cajun good food and party loving locals including the Crozat family who own the Crozat Plantation B&B. Cajun Kiss of Death opens with daughter Maggie’s New Year’s Eve wedding to Detective Bo Durand. The pair are saying their vows along with two other couples. Even the family basset Gopher gets some spotlight as he strolls down the aisle.

Maggie helps out at the B&B and works as a restorer and curator at a museum across the Mississippi River at Doucet Plantation. Things get tricky when the connecting bridge sustains structural damage, a celebrity chef tries to expand his restaurant empire to Pelican driving local restaurants out of business, a murder occurs, and Maggie has a stalker. There are even more threads to complicate this cozy mystery. Some focus on the close knit group of family and friends. Others are related to the murder investigation and the many employees of the dead chef who are staying at the B&B. For Maggie and Bo, it gets personal.

This cozy mystery is a page turner with new complications throughout. I particularly liked the emphasis on Maggie and her art. In this book, she has a major breakthrough as an artist, and her attention to detail plays a critical role in solving the crime. When all seems nicely tied up, there is yet another major twist which is well plotted and well written by author Ellen Byron. The Louisiana setting is replete with Cajun ambiance from the food and festivities to language unique to the area.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Mystery

Notes: 1. # 7 in the Cajun Country Mystery Series. Although this is the last book in the series, it could be read as a standalone.
2. There is a helpful list of the people in this book.
3. It ends with an Epilogue that summarizes the characters’ status 20 years later. It was a nice touch for the finale.
4. There are recipes at the end of the book. One recipe that was mentioned often that you won’t find there is “Sugar High Pie.” It was featured in another book in the series, but you can find Byron’s recipe on YouTube.
5. There are three animals in this book, but they really don’t have much of a role in the plot.

Publication: August 10, 2021—Crooked Lane Books

Memorable Lines:

She closed her eyes and scrunched her face to keep from bursting into tears. Gopher, as if sensing his human’s pain, released a sympathetic basset howl.

Vi picked up the bottle of bourbon. “Lets drink to that.” She handed Maggie a tumbler. “It’s not even noon,” Maggie said. “Honey, it’s New Orleans. We should be on our second drink by now.”

Pelican didn’t need a 5G network for news to travel fast.

This is a great series. It is one of my favorites. It is fun to get back to the characters and the descriptions make me feel I am in Louisiana. I can't wait to read the next in the series.

I’ve been a fan of this series from the beginning. When I started this book I wasn’t aware that it was going to be the end of the series. I’m sad to see the series end but if a series is going to end, it’s always good to end on a high note. As always this book was a blend of mystery, family, friendship, community and culture. There’s an epilogue that does a very good job of tying the series up and letting the reader know how life turned out for the primary characters. A satisfying conclusion!

This was the last book in the series that got me hooked on Cozy Mysteries. I really don't know what to say that I haven't already said about this series or the fabulous Ellen!!

This series is on the softer side of the crime element and focuses on family. In many Cozies, there is a disconnect with the protagonist and the law. In this series, they actually work hand in hand in more ways than one.
There is a lot about culture and history and you learn more than you think while searching for a killer.

Ellen did a fantastic job with the wrap up and epilogue which made me quite emotional.

I have read this series from the start and it was one of my favorites; however, something seemed very off about it from the beginning. Almost, like someone else wrote it. It didn't flow like the other books. Bo and Maggie's marriage was disappointing. The art instructor was irritating and Maggie's response was dumb. Didn't suit her character at all. All of the usual characters seemed blah. I couldn't even finish it was that bad.

Maggie and her family are hosting a celebrity chef and his crew as they prepare to open a restaurant in Pelican, Louisiana. Unfortunately the chef seems intent on destroying every other restaurant and cook in the area. That means that when he is found murdered, the suspect list is long and includes Maggie's own mother. She is determined to prove her mother's innocence all while evading her own stalker. The characters are charming, and the mystery kept me guessing most of the way through the book.

This is such a great series! I love all of the bayou references and descriptions of the cajun food that is being prepared. Maggie and Bo are such a cute couple and so supportive of each other. The family relationships in this series are heart warming and many of the locals feel like family too. Maggie has been going to Junie's forever and J.J. feels like family to her. When a new restaurant opens in town headed up by a famous chef, Maggie knows that support from the locals will be even more important for J.J. and his business. These characters have come to feel like friends over the course of the series and I enjoy each new book. I hope that there will be more Cajun Country Mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this ebook from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I love this series, but this is the first one I have read. The others were audiobooks and I think the narrator make the series more interesting. It took me 6 months to read the book. Perhaps this series has played itself out? I am not sure. The plot with Maggie's mom and one of the suspects had me dreading reading the book. Hopefully the next book will be a little lighter (as light as a murder can be) and funner.

This is book number seven in the Cajun Country mystery series and they just keep getting better. The book opens with a wonderful double wedding and the descriptions of people and Crozat Plantation and B&B transport you to Pelican Louisiana. The book starts out with a lot going on and it continues all the way to the end. This is a must read and if you haven't read the first six you don't know what you are missing.

Cajun Kiss of Death is the seventh book in the Cajun Country Mystery series by Ellen Byron. Maggie Crozat and her family and friends in Pelican, LA, are back in another delightful book. Maggie, a B&B owner in Cajun Country, has a new mystery to investigate.

In Cajun Kiss of Death, a new chef is in town to open a restaurant. He immediately starts making enemies, and ends up dead. Since the chef was not a likable man, there is no shortage of suspects. Maggie wants to find the killer to help clear her mother and friend from the suspect list.

I have read all of the books in this series, and have enjoyed each one. The mysteries for each book are standalone stories.

Southern charm with quirky characters in an inviting setting. An entertaining read for fans of cozy mysteries.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed the Cajun Country Mystery series, but sadly, this is the last book. It's coming up to Valentine's Day, but things are not all hearts and flowers. Celebrity Chef Phillippe Chanson has checked into the Crozat Plantation B&B, with plans to open a restaurant in Pelican, Louisiana. The problem is that once he tastes a dish, he is able to replicate it and he has managed to steal some of the favourite menu items from both JJ, proprietor of Junie's Oyster Bar and Dance Hall and Ninette, owner and cook at Crozat Plantation. When he dies in a fiery boat crash that turns out to be sabotage, both become persons of interest. Maggie had planned to spend time taking art lessons and working on her paintings, but now she needs to help solve the crime to get her friend and mother off the hook. While all this going on, Maggie has a stalker leaving her strange gifts counting down to Valentine's Day and fiancé Bo, is worried that she is in danger. Planning a wedding, solving a crime and evading a stalker all have Maggie on her toes in Cajun Kiss of Death.

Reading this book was bittersweet as I knew it was the last in the series before I began it. It starts off with three weddings, and is action packed until the end. This was a well-written and plotted story with several storylines that all come together at the end, tying up all loose ends. I will say I was worried about Maggie a couple of times as the stalker was a bit dangerous and neither Maggie or this reader, knew who it was. I definitely loved the descriptions of all the delicious food. One of these days I am going to Louisiana to sample true Cajun cooking. I loved Maggie's plan to catch the culprit and was glad the stalker was also captured. There is so much happening that I was glued to this one from start to finish. Ellen Byron includes an epilogue that flashes forward 20 years to let us catch up with our favourite characters and give great closure to the series. This is one of favourite series (I know I say that often, but it is a good one) and I do recommend you read this one from the beginning. If you are looking for a great cozy mystery series to read, pick up Plantation Shudders and start your adventure with Maggie Crozat and her friends and family. I did a read/listen with this book narrated by Amy Melissa Bentley. She does a great job with the various voices in this series and I have enjoyed her performances throughout the series.

Ellen Byron knows how to keep readers in her grip. She has given us a wonderful final installment of this series. I love the characters and hate to say farewell. This plot is very engaging and kept me turning pages.
Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.