Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron

Item: Plantation Shudders
Rating: 5
Author: BaronessMom

Posted August 9, 2023 by BaronessMom in #BookishRecipe, Mystery, Review, Series / 0 Comments

Plantation Shudders

by Ellen Byron

Series: Cajun Country Mystery #1
Series Rating:

Published by Crooked Lane Books on August 11, 2015
Setting: Louisiana
Genres: Cozy Culinary Mystery
Pages: 282
Format: Audible Audiobook, ebook, Hardcover, Paperback
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon, Nook
Also in this series: Mardi Gras Murder, Murder in the Bayou Boneyard, Cajun Kiss of Death

Secrets, suspects, and Southern hospitality abound at Maggie Crozat’s Louisiana B&B in this first installment of the Cajun Country cozy mystery series

It’s the end of the summer and Prodigal Daughter Maggie Crozat has returned home to her family’s plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast in Louisiana. The Crozats have an inn full of guests for the local food festival—elderly honeymooners, the Cajun Cuties, a mysterious stranger from Texas, a couple of hipster lovebirds, and a trio of Georgia frat boys. But when the elderly couple keels over dead within minutes of each other—one from very unnatural causes—Maggie and the others suddenly become suspects in a murder.

With the help of Bo Durand, the town’s handsome new detective, Maggie must investigate to clear her name while holding the family business together at the same time. And the deeper she digs, the more she wonders: are all the guests really there for a vacation or do they have ulterior motives? Decades-old secrets and stunning revelations abound in Ellen Byron’s charming cozy debut, Plantation Shudders.

Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron brings us to Pelican, Louisana, where we meet the Crozat family and a murderer.

Will Maggie find the culprits before the family B and B has to close down?

Magnolia Marie Crozat

Our sleuth is Magnolia Marie Crozat, or Maggie to her family. She is an artist who recently returned home after breaking up with her fiance in New York. Maggie works at her family’s B and B, along with the historical plantation of her mother’s family, doing tours in period clothing. She is a hard worker, I would call her a girlie-girl. Every once in a while, Maggie lets her temper show, which makes her so human. Although, her Gran makes sure that when it happens, Maggie apologizes properly.

I really like Maggie. If she were real, I would be one of her friends. Although, I have read the last couple of books in this series, so I know where she is headed. It is nice to see how Maggie is at the beginning.

The Mystery

The story takes place at the end of summer. The B and B is full. They have a grumpy, newlywed elderly couple that both end up dead one evening during a small storm. This would not be an issue except that the Pelican Police Chief is not a fan of the Crozat family. In fact, he may not want to solve the murder just to bring financial hardship to the Crozats. So, Maggie decides to help the new detective in town, Bo, with the case. While trying to find the culprit, Gran becomes a possible suspect. Then they find that another guest, one that has a romantic interest in Maggie’s cousin, could be to blame. When they think that things are getting better, there is another murder.

On top of the situation at the B and B, there is a festival in town, and Maggie’s mom ends up in the hospital for a couple of days. I don’t know how they all held it together. And they kept up with all the cooking, cleaning and entertaining. However, Gran is the storyteller in the family, so that took some off of Maggie.

Five Stars

My rating for Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron is five stars. I love everything about this story, from the quirky characters to the fantastic setting to the actual mystery. I didn’t figure out whodunit before the reveal. But man, it was fun to watch how Maggie got there. I highly recommend this book. Ms. Byron is a brilliant author who doesn’t disappoint.

Recipes Included: Crawfish Crozat and Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding.

Cajun Country Mystery Series

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Plantation Shudders by Ellen Byron.

Take a look at our interview with Ellen Byron HERE!

Until the next time,

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.

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