This was a highly enjoyable cozy mystery. The plot was full of diabolically written characters/red herrings that made me try to figure out whodunnit, but I was surprised in the end. The main characters are very likeable and every time I read this series, it's like I'm visiting old friends. I love reading about the state of Louisiana, it makes me want to visit there someday. I hope there's more stories to come in this series.

I think my favorite parts of this story was how the community rallied around a new business in addition to the local fare. Granted a lot of the business went to the new, more out of novelty and an interest in something new but in the end both were supported. Of course, a story like this isn't without its conflict, complete with sabotage and murder, but that is what makes a great cozy mystery.

Also, Maggie's frustration in regards to her art and the great gift her husband gave her was something I think we all can relate with... that need to find what truly inspires you. Maggie does have a tendency to take the smallest criticism or comment personally and internalize her emotions. I liked how the art teacher really got under her skin and made her breakaway from her self doubt, making her stand up for her self.

I do recommend reading the previous six books for back story and history, but I liked this one. I was surprised by the ending though, and leaves the reader with a finale that was kind of meh. I wasn't expecting it so, maybe I missed something along the way. If you're looking for a great beach read, then this is the series for you. Also, my love and desire to try authentic NOLA fare has become even stronger while reading this book.

Newlywed Maggie is an artist from the small town of Pelican, Louisiana. A fancy new restaurant is opening in town, and some people think that the chef, Philippe, is stealing some treasured local recipes. Local establishments worry that their restaurants will be put out of business. There is a murder disguised as an accident during the grand opening, and when a second death is discovered, Maggie decides to help her police officer husband by investigating. Meanwhile, she is also being pursued by someone calling themselves a secret admirer, whose intentions seem sinister. I liked the New Orleans/Louisiana ambiance of the novel, and the Cajun recipes included were intriguing. Even though I was new to the series, I had no trouble reading this as a stand-alone. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I enjoy reading this series. The characters are well-developed, they are smart, observant, strong, likable, and realistic. The mystery is well-written, entertaining, with several twists and turns, and no shortage of suspects. The ending took me by surprise. If you are a fan of this series this is a book you can't miss.

All thoughts and opinions are my own, and in no way have I been influenced by anyone.

3.5 stars

In this 7th book in the 'Cajun Country Mystery' series, amateur sleuth Maggie Crozat helps investigate the murder of a restaurateur. The book can be read as a standalone with respect to the mystery, but it's best to start at the beginning if you want to follow the characters' arcs.

*****

Maggie Crozat is a thirtysomething artist who lives in Pelican, Louisiana. There Maggie helps her parents run the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast; works as the art manager for the Doucet Plantation tourist attraction; and is newly married to Sheriff's Department Detective Bo Durand. Maggie is stepmother to Bo's eight-year-old son Xander, who's an art prodigy with Asperger's syndrome.

Pelican has had two popular eateries for years: Abel's Home Cookin', and Junie's Oyster Bar and Dance Hall. In addition, the Crozat B&B dining room, Fais Dough Dough bakery, and Bon Bon Sweets add to the town's culinary treats. The gastronomic choices are expanding, however, with the addition of the high-end Chanson Restaurant, run by celebrity chef Phillippe Chanson.

As the Chanson Restaurant is opening, some of the personnel are staying at the Crozat B&B, where Maggie can sense tension among the staff. This is especially true of Philippe's ex-wife Kate - who manages the Chanson group, and Philippe's current girlfriend Becca - who's the sous-chef. Also present is a ghostwriter named Dyer Gossmer, who's penning Philippe's autobiography, but is forbidden to put in any juicy stuff. This galls the author, who's hoping to revive his declining career.

The other restaurateurs in Pelican soon learn that Philippe is an unscrupulous man who steals recipes and uses unethical tactics. This becomes clear when Chanson Restaurant starts serving the fillet-of-catfish po'boy featured at Abel's Home Cookin'; and when Junie's Oyster Bar and Dance Hall is framed for health code violations. Even Maggie's mother Ninette - who's the chef for the Crozat B&B - is a victim when Chanson Restaurant starts offering her calas (fried rice fritters) dessert.

All three wronged chefs are angry at Philippe, and publicly voice their dismay. Thus, when Philippe is murdered the suspects include Abel, JJ (owner of Junie's), and Ninette. Maggie is determined to clear their names, and inveigles herself into Chanson's staff to investigate.

As this is going on, Maggie is taking art lessons with renowned painter Vi De Lavallade; getting ready for Valentine's Day; curating a wedding gown exhibit; dealing with an anonymous stalker; and helping plan a fundraiser for the Doucet Plantation. The fundraiser will be a gala with delicious food, a silent auction, music by Gaynell and the Gator Girls, and a senior citizen talent show organized by Maggie's grand-mère Charlotte -who's part of a Rosie the Riveter song and dance troupe.

The series' recurring characters make an appearance as well, adding to the fun of the story.

If you want to sample the taste of southern Louisiana (literally, because the books contain recipes), try this series.

Thanks to Netgalley, Ellen Byron, and Crooked Lane Books for a copy of the book.

Recipes in the book include:
Maggie's Beer Bread
Baked Catfish Po'Boy
Gooey Pineapple Pecan Cake
Calas (Rice Fritters)
Butter Beans and River Shrimp

This book series is set outside New Orleans and features Maggie and family along with a host of characters in the town of Pelican, LA. It has a definite Cajun feel to it. Maggie always manages to stumble into a mystery and helps the police solve the case. She has alot of help from friends and neighbors alike.

I am sad because I think this will be the last book in this series. There was an epilogue at the end that fast forwarded about 20 years!

This quote sums up the feel of this series perfectly, "Eat well, laugh often........And love much."

Maggie Crozat is an artist who also works at her family's B&B, Crozat. They've been preparing for the arrival of renowned chef Phillippe Chanson, who is opening a Cajun-themed restaurant nearby. But no one expects the drama that comes along with their guests -- his ex-wife is his business manager, which makes it uncomfortable when his newest girlfriend is the sous chef. Along with them is an author who is writing a biography of the chef -- but only to the 'specifications' of his ex, which frustrates him.

But worse is the fact that his new restaurant is able to secure oysters at a low price, when there's a shortage, and it's causing Junie's, the local restaurant and bar, to lose major business. Not to mention that Phillippe has apparently been pilfering copycat recipes from the locals, including Maggie's mother, Ninette, causing the woman to have a very public confrontation about it. So when Phillippe is murdered, Ninette and JJ are both suspects. To make things worse, Maggie's been receiving anonymous 'gifts' from someone and it has her worried enough to enlist Bo's help. Now she has to try and solve the murder to keep her mother and friend out of prison, and try and find out who's stalking her, so she can stay alive to do so...

This is the seventh book in the series, and I have read every one of them. The only thing that really bothered me about this book are the reference to personal politics from the author which are scattered throughout the book (not a lot of them, but enough to irritate me). Maybe I'm the only one who it bothers, but I read to escape from the world, not have it thrust back at me, regardless of whether I think the same way or not.

Anyway, the mystery was fine itself. There were plenty of people who were angry with Phillippe, and it could have been any one of them, including someone he worked with. But then something else occurs, and the stakes are rising for the police to widen their net to find a killer. Maggie, meanwhile, is just trying to find a balance in her life among all this, and it's not easy. When things come to a head the killer is discovered and the reason is as old as time itself, but it makes for a good ending. Yet things are ending for Maggie yet, and another event occurs that disturbs her. The ending to that is fairly interesting and I enjoyed it.

There is an epilogue which makes me believe that the series is ending; otherwise I can see no reason why it was added. Still, I have enjoyed this series and all the characters, and loved spending time with them and would like it to continue. Recommended.

Another excellent addition to the Cajun Country Mysteries series. There's so much going on in this book - weddings, (dangerous?) secret admirers, and murder. Maggie does her best to figure things out - with the help of friends and family. And then there's the wonderful (but maybe a little sad) epilogue.

I love and enjoy this series so much. The author does a brilliant job of doing the scene and pulling a reader in and then making them feel like a part of the mystery and part of the Crozat family.
I highly recommend this series.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor.

Ah the smell of gumbo and suspense! The 7th in this awesome series doesn't disappoint. When a celebrity chef visits the B&B and winds up dead in a fiery boat crash, J.J., Maggie's friend, is accused. Grab some gumbo and come along for a delicious read. Thanks #netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

This book was a fantastic addition to this series. This is one of my favorite series and I'm sad to see it end.

Maggie Crozat with her parents own and run Crozat Plantation B&B in Pelican, Louisiana.
Famous chef Phillippe Chanson opens a restaurant in their small, tight knit community and sparks fly. So who Murders him? There's no shortage of suspects.

Cajun Kiss of Death is a winner!

Delightful and full of twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end. Who is the real killer?

Did JJ, proprietor of Junie's Oyster Bar and Dance Hall, murder Phillippe because he feared the competition? Might Maggie's mother, Ninette, have bumped off the chef for stealing one of her cherished recipes? Or was the culprit a local seafood vendor, miffed because Phillippe was somehow able to sell oysters for a remarkably reasonable price, despite an oyster shortage?

This whodunit is a great cozy mystery and one I highly recommend.

I love this cute little series after spending a couple years in cajun country I can totally relate. Maggie and Bo are finally married and I looked forward to future crime busting stories this one did not miss at any turn when I thought I had it figured out there was a change and who I thought did it did not! I was totally floored in the end. But it was the epilogue that got me it was the next 20 years in a 10 page review wow that was a shocker is this really the end of the series and how can that be? Was not a happy camper after finishing this book I love the characters and the story and hate that it will end. I am crossing my fingers that there is a side story with the kids.

'A Cajun Kiss of Death' in Ellen Byron's A Cajun Country Mystery series is near perfection. It has a great mystery, wonderful humor and a delightful love stories. I am thoroughly enchanted by the people of Pelican, Louisiana and highly recommend the entire series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron is the 7th in the series. This is one of my all time favorite series, set in Louisiana; the town of Pelican is a scenic one--with warm and friendly characters. I feel invested in these fictional friends and enjoy spending time with them as they solve mysteries. Two marriages take place, Maggie and Bo---plus Grandmere and Les--- amid the stress of a celebrated chef opening a swanky new Cajun eatery. When a murder is discovered it is a race to discover the perpetrator and their reasons why it happened. I enjoyed following the clues and trying to solve the mystery. The epilogue is wonderful.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an ARC of this wonderful novel to read and review. I like to review books I enjoy so that others can enjoy them ,too.
#CajunKissofDeath #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks

This book was interesting and the characters were lively and entertaining. I had not read any of the previous novels in this series and I think if I had, I would have been able to better appreciate this book. I still did enjoy it and I think it will appeal to fans of multi-book mystery series like Aurora Teagarden and Coffehouse Mysteries by Cleo Coyle.

Hooray! Another visit to the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast.Maggie and Bo and Grandmere and Les are newlyweds and there is a new Cajun restaurant opening in town. The owner, a Celebrity Chef type goes to several of Crozat's popular eateries and samples their establishment s favorite Cajun dishes. Is it a crime to taste a recipe and then replicate it in yours? Whether it is or is not, it leads to murder. Maggie and Bo follow all leads..they are a great crime solving team. There is also a stalker situation in this book.

The author bestows a give -a- way of sorts at the end. It was received gratefully and with a bit of sadness by this reader. However, I can say if a series must end, this is the way.

I am appreciative to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books to have had the opportunity to read and review this wonderful book.
The book release date is 8/10/21

Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron

In the small town of Pelican, Louisiana, blood is thicker than gumbo.

The book opens on New Year's Eve as three couples (including Maggie and Bo) are about to get married just before the clock strikes midnight. The story then moves ahead a few weeks and everyone, especially
the newlyweds, are preparing for Valentine's Day. Excitement grows over the opening of a new Cajun restaurant, part of a chain by a well-known chef who turns out to be a recipe thief. When the chef dies in an explosive boating accident it's determined to be murder and among the suspects are two local restaurant owners and Maggie's own mother. As Valentines Day approaches Maggie starts receiving flowers and threatening notes, which she is smart enough to tell her policeman husband about.

Mysteries abound in this very enjoyable read. I am rating it 4 stars because my Midwestern mind had trouble wrapping itself around some of the Southern names.

I'm a big fan of this series. The author does a great job of setting the scene, giving you the feel of the humidity in the air and the ambiance of moss-draped oaks and seashells crunching in the driveway, all without bogging the pace down with a lot of boring descriptions, leaving things open for the reader's imagination. The characters are also very homey and sweet but in a way that's believable and not cartoony-feeling.

In this book a new restaurant has opened in town. Not only does the new eatery jeopardize business for the two existing local hot spots, but the newly arrived chef feigns interest in their signature dishes in order to develop his own copycat versions. Though apparently legal, this move does not win Phillipe Chanson any friends in town. When the man turns up dead, no one is either very surprised or very saddened. But who killed him? When another body turns up, the mystery deepens.

There's a lot going on in this book. Three couples share a wedding ceremony in the beginning, one being Maggie and her beau Bo, another being her grandmother and her flame, Lee. Gaynell and the Gator Girls have just finished a big tour, the Doucet museum is devastated by an embezzler, and of course the Crozat B&B finds itself in the middle of yet another murder mystery.

The only bad thing about this book is that I thought the ending hinted at this possibly being the last book in the series. I hope I'm wrong about that because this is a series I'd love to see go on and on!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I enjoyed this book. I think it's probably best that the previous books in the series be read first. I had difficulty at first with all the people being listed, it felt like I was jumping into a movie near the end. It eventually grew on me. The mystery is interesting and the bad guys were caught. #CajunKissofDeath #NetGalley