I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from Great Escapes Book Tours. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Cajun Kiss of Death
by Ellen Byron
Series: Cajun Country Mystery #7
Series Rating:
Published by Crooked Lane Books on August 10, 2021
Setting: Louisiana
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 313
Format: Kindle
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, IndieBound
Also in this series: Mardi Gras Murder, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, Plantation Shudders
The next shot from Cupid's bow may be fatal in USA Today bestselling, Agatha Award-winning author Ellen Byron's hearty and delightful seventh Cajun Country mystery.
In Pelican, Louisiana, Valentine's Day has a way of warming the heart, despite the February chill. But the air at Crozat Plantation B&B turns decidedly frigid when celebrity chef Phillippe Chanson checks in. And when the arrogant Phillippe--in town to open his newest Cajun-themed restaurant--perishes in a fiery boat crash, Maggie Crozat's dear friend JJ lands in very cold water.
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?
Maggie had planned to devote her February to art lessons in New Orleans, a present from her sweetheart, Bo. But now she has to focus on helping her friend and her mother cross a murder charge off the menu. Meanwhile, Maggie receives a series of anonymous gifts that begin as charming but grow increasingly disturbing. Does Maggie have an admirer--or a stalker? And are these mysterious gifts somehow related to Phillippe's murder?
Blood may be thicker than water, but this case is thicker than gumbo. And solving it will determine whether Maggie gets hearts and roses--or hearse and lilies--this Valentine's Day.
Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron is a marvelous mystery. Ms. Byron wraps this series up wonderfully.
Will Maggie save Junie’s and figure out who killed the celebrity chef?
Maggie
We start with a triple wedding on New Year’s Eve. Maggie and Bo finally tie the knot. So, it is safe to say that some things change for Bo and Maggie. For Valentine’s Day, Bo buys Maggie art lessons from one of her favorite artists who is teaching in New Orleans. This makes Maggie really have to figure out where her heart lies with art.
The new celebrity chef that is opening a restaurant in town seems to have questionable ethics and ends up dead at his opening night event. Of course, Maggie is on the case, but she really doesn’t have much time for sleuthing, between art lessons, a new husband, helping at the B&B, her actual paying job, and all the volunteer work she has going on. Yet, that is just what she is doing.
Maggie is such a fantastic character. I enjoy her escapades and those of her family. She has this personality that makes you want to jump up and help her save the world. I will miss her and her family’s get-togethers and the recipes.
The Comings and Going
Grandmere Charlotte and her new husband Lee are staying busy. They are also keeping the other seniors busy with a talent showcase at an event to make money for the Crozat Mansion. Tug and Ninette are also doing well at the B&B, especially since most of the new restaurant’s staff are staying there. However, the new chef in town may have stolen one of Ninette’s recipes. JJ isn’t himself as Junie’s has been shut down by the health department after it was sabotaged.
Five Stars
I love it! Everything is perfect. Maggie is superb. My rating for Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron is five stars. I am going to have to go back and read the books that I missed. If you haven’t already read these books, I highly recommend Cajun Kiss of Death and the others in the series.
The recipes in this book are Maggie’s Beer Bread, Country Cajun Mysteries Cocktail, Baked Catfish Po’boy with Quick Remoulade Sauce, Gooey Pineapple Pecan Cake, Calas (Rice balls or fritters), and Butter Beans and River Shrimp.
Other Books in the Series
Giveaway
Prize: (1) PRINT COPY – The preceding book in this series – Murder in the Bayou Boneyard: A Cajun Country Mystery by Ellen Byron (U.S. Only)
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About Ellen Byron
Ellen Byron authors the Cajun Country Mystery series. A Cajun Christmas Killing and Body on the Bayou both won the Lefty Award for Best Humorous Mystery and were nominated for Agatha awards in the category of Best Contemporary Novel. Plantation Shudders was nominated for Agatha, Lefty, and Daphne awards. Her most recent Cajun Country Mystery, Mardi Gras Murder, is nominated for Agatha and Lefty awards. In 2020, she’ll debut a second series, The Catering Hall Mysteries, under the pen name Maria DiRico.
Ellen’s TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents. She’s written over 200 national magazine articles, and her published plays include the award-winning Graceland. She also worked as a cater-waiter for the legendary Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing. A native New Yorker who attended Tulane University, Ellen lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two rescue dogs. She still misses her hometown – and still drives like a New York cabbie.
Thank you so much for a wonderful review!!