Fatal Cajun Festival is the fifth book in the highly entertaining Cajun country mystery series. Down on the Louisiana plantation, the town of Pelican is gearing up for their first ever music festival, Cajun Country Live, which will feature one of their very own. Tammy Baker, a former resident of Pelican who is starting to make a name for herself in the music business is set to headline the show. Things take a sinister turn however when a member of Tammy's crew turns up dead. Maggie's best friend Gaynell quickly falls under scrutiny for angry remarks she uttered at the deceased close to the time of death. Maggie however is sure of her innocence and teams up with Bo in order to clear her friend's name.
It was wonderful to be able to visit Pelican Louisiana and catch up with Maggie and the crew. Louisiana has it's own unique charm and flavor that really stands out in these stories. The author does a wonderful job of weaving in some enjoyable side stories that help move the narrative along. There was lots of country drama featuring our favorite Crozat crew, including wedding decisions that must be made between Maggie and Bo and GranMere is also facing a love crisis of her own. The mystery was very complex, with plenty of suspects to sift through and surprising revelations and connections unveiled towards the end. There was lots of love in the newest addition to the Cajun country mysteries and I look forward to further adventures in the future.

Louisiana B&B owner Maggie Crozat kicks up her heels at a country music festival--but she'll have one foot in the grave if she can't bring the killer of a diva's hanger-on to heel.

Grab your tickets for Cajun Country Live!, the pickers' and crooners' answer to the legendary New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Maggie Crozat, proprietor of the Crozat Plantation B&B, plans to be in the cheering section when her friend Gaynell Bourgeois takes the stage with her band, Gaynell and the Gator Girls.

The festival's headliner, native daughter Tammy Barker, rocketed to stardom on a TV singing competition. She has the voice of an angel...and the personality of a devilish diva. But Maggie learns that this tiny terror carries a grudge against Gaynell. She's already sabotaged the Gator Girls' JazzFest audition. When a member of Tammy's entourage is murdered at the festival, Maggie makes sure Gaynell is number one on the suspect list.

Gaynell has plenty of company on that list--including every one of Tammy's musicians. Posing as a groupie, Maggie infiltrates Tammy's band and will have to hit all the right notes to clear her friend's name.

This was a quick, easy read in the summer heat! I enjoyed following along as Maggie worked to clear Gaynell's name.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Maggie Crozat and her fiancé , Bo Durand, put their wedding planning on hold to help Maggie’s grandmother plan a music festival to attract tourists to Pelican, Louisiana. Gran’s idea will help the whole town and has brought more business to their family’s hotel. The festival’s headliner, Tammy Barker, has booked all the rooms at Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast for her return to Pelican from Los Angeles. Many people in Pelican are thrilled to see their hometown hero again. However, one of Maggie’s best friends, Gaynell Bourgeois, doesn’t have such fond memories of Tammy, who bullied her in high school. A suspicious death at the musical festival puts Gaynell in the spotlight as the prime suspect, so it’s up to Maggie to prove her friend’s innocence.

“Fatal Cajun Festival” is the fifth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series, but the “Cast of Characters” at the beginning of the book makes it easy for new readers to catch up. I have read each of the prior books and have liked the main character, Maggie, from the very beginning. She has shown how devoted she is to her family time and time again, and this time, she shows how loyal she is to her friends. She not only stands behind Gaynell no matter how bad the situation looks for her, she actively looks for evidence to clear her friend’s name.

I like that even though Maggie investigates some things on her own, she regularly fills Bo in on the direction of her sleuthing so they can compare notes and to minimize the chances of putting herself in danger. Trouble still seems to find her, but she has Bo’s support and respect for Maggie’s contributions to the investigation. Some clues are given to the identity of the killer, but things gets fairly complicated so I didn’t begin to guess the truth. When everything is revealed at the end, I was very surprised. I really enjoyed the epilogue which sets up something wonderful that I assume will be the highlight of a future book. The descriptions throughout the story really transport the reader to Louisiana’s Cajun Country. The setting and the characters have made this a series in which I eagerly anticipate reading each new installment. I would rate this book 4.5 stars.

I received this book from NetGalley through the courtesy of Crooked Lane Books. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL by Ellen Byron is the fifth in her Cajun Country series and is a welcome addition to the set. I’ve read all but one in the series, and found them all to be well plotted and entertaining. As in the other books in the series, this one is well plotted and entertaining with satisfying conclusions to both the mystery and some of the side stories that help make the secondary and tertiary characters come to life and give depth to the fictional town of Pelican, Louisiana.
This is a classic cozy book with not too much emphasis the murder and no grizzly details about dead bodies. It is rich in questions regarding who might have motive for killing and plenty of clues and red herrings to throw the reader off. The protagonist in the series, Maggie Crozat, is helping her grand-mere who has had the brainstorm of creating a Cajun Country Festival to be held in Pelican as a precursor to the New Orleans Jazz Festival. The star attraction is set to be Tammy Barker, a native of Pelican who has made it big in the industry.
From the moment Tammy steps off her tour bus she begins ordering people around like the diva she wants to be. Even before she arrived she booked Maggie’s family plantation, now a B&B in its entirety for herself and select members of her staff. Early on, a rivalry between Tammy and Maggie’s best friend, Gaynell also rears its ugly head. Tammy acts like the epitome of a “mean girl” toward Gaynell, squeezing her out of activities, belittling her and making her doubt her own musical talent, even stealing a song Gaynelle has just finished writing and turning it from a ballad into a pop tune that will probably ruin it. Tammy is written in a way that she becomes easy to dislike, almost immediately
As in all good cozies, Maggie is compelled to investigate this latest murder. She is given an assist and also more information than might typically happen by her police detective fiance, Bo. His willingness to involve her in the murder is explained by referring to a severely understaffed police department coupled with an urgency to solve the murder before Tammy and crew move on to New Orleans for Jazz Fest.
There is no shortage of possible murderers, and Maggie manages to investigate them all, even while she is busy making pralines to sell at the festival, preparing for a bridal shower for her friend who is expecting triplets, and helping her grand-mere who is busy going through her things to accomplish a “dostadning” , which is Sweedish for death-cleaning. This involves sorting through many of her belongings in an attempt to reduce them and thereby save your family from the burden once you are dead.
The book is filled with secondary characters who are delightful in their own right. Byron has an excellent ability to write enough in just a sentence or two to make them come alive in your imagination. Most of the characters are ones you would like to know and they are spread across such a wide age span there is bound to be one or two who may become more like kindred spirits to you.
I highly recommend this book and series to anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries. Each book has a mystery that is complete within the book, however if the reader likes to get to know the secondary characters as they unfold, it is best to read the series in order. My thanks to Crooked Lane Books and NetGalley for providing me an Advanced Digital Read copy in exchange for an unbiased review.

Fatal Cajun Festival is an intriguing story sat in Louisiana. A small town visited by a music star that came from there. She has issues with a local gal , then a murder occurs. Lots of plot twist that will keep you guessing. A wide range of characters that you'll enjoy getting to know.

Food, fun, murder and mystery are on the menu in the latest book to the series. When the hometown winner of a singing contest comes back to perform for the local festival it brings up old jealousy between the big singer and Gaynell. Especially since Gaynell and her Gator Girls are scheduled to perform for a spot in Jazz Fest. All of that changes when a murder happens on stage and Maggie has to find a way to clear Gaynell from being accused of the crime while she is trying to make pralines for her booth.

If you've ever been to Louisiana music and food are our major staples! This book also includes a few recipes for you to try your hand at.

Another fun adventure, New Orleans style! A great cast of characters, both old and new! With a special twist, get ready for a special mystery within a mystery, when Grandmere discovers unknown family stories within long lost letters written by a beloved. Get your vocal chords ready for for the Cajun Music Festival, competing bands and murder amongst the players. Another riveting, fast read from one of today's favorite cozy mystery authors and recent winner of the Malice Domestic recognition of Best Contemporary Novel!

This has quickly become one of my favorite cozy series. I like the characters in this book and also find the cajun culture of each book to be very interesting. I'll continue to be a major fan of this series.

Love and murder is in the air at Crozat! The latest in the Cajun Country Mystery series kept me guessing and shedding a few tears!

When Maggie's friend Gaynell, an aspiring singer/songwriter/musician is accused of killing the manager of Crozat's most famous citizen, Maggie and Bo take action! Tammy Barker, is the girl from Crozat who made it to the top of the charts and out of the small town. However,during a visit to a music festival held in Crozat, she is harboring a grudge that just may get Gaynell put away for life. All this is going on as Maggie and Bo are trying to come up with a wedding date and Gran Mere'' is facing a love crisis of her own!

I love Maggie - smart, kind hearted, a talented artist and fiercely loyal to those she loves. She is madly in love with Bo, a local police officer, but never loses her independence. That being said, she doesn't circumvent law enforcement and doesn't run headfirst into danger without a plan! I enjoy the way the author incorporates friends and family into the mystery. Ninette and Tug (Maggie's mom and dad), Gran Mere' (her grandmother) and all her other family/friends are a lovable bunch!

As a regular visitor to Crozat, I can't wait for the next book!

I received an ARC from NetGalley for a fair and honest review of this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to read and review!

This series seems like a whole lot of fun, and definitely has a distinct flavour! Even with this being the fifth book, I felt welcomed immediately and enjoyed both the mystery and the characters. The setting was a good one, and the music festival was definitely different for a cozy. The time constraint meant the mystery had to be solved quickly too, before the main players left town.

The pralines thing was a mystery for me; I've never heard of them before so I had to look them up after I finished the book. They sound yummy! In fact, loads of the food sounds amazing, and adds an almost mini theme of its own.

A good addition to the series, with more to go back and more to look forward to. Four stars

FATAL CAJUN FESTIVAL, the fifth book in the Cajun Country Mysteries by Ellen Byron, is another entertaining addition to an award-winning series! The reader is treated to a music festival, Cajun-style, in Pelican, Louisiana. Ms. Byron is effective at writing highly visual scenes that tantalized my senses as I turned the pages. The sounds of the zydeco bands, the tastes of the Cajun food served at the festival booths, the sights of the bayou and plantation homes, and the sticky feel of humidity in the hot months of summer were brought to life. The protagonist, Maggie Crozat, and her family own the Crozat Plantation turned bed and breakfast. Local girl turned famous and her backup band have taken over the Crozat’s B & B while in town to perform. The Pelican native, Tammy Barker, seems to have let fame go to her head, yet she can’t let go her grudge against a high school mate, one of Maggie’s close friends. This ramps the drama up and provides a subplot that weaves together with the mystery.

Despite the angst going on in the story, the author manages to create humorous scenes to lighten the mood involving Maggie’s family. I especially loved Maggie’s feisty grand-mère, who just so happens to be the instigator of the festival and has been known to quote, “It’s Louisiana chère. When do we not celebrate?” I appreciate that Ms. Byron has created a close-knit, supportive family for the protagonist, with both her parents and grand-mère, and captures the vernacular of the characters. And of course I can’t pass up mention of Maggie’s fiancé, Bo, Pelican’s handsome detective. It was refreshing to see that Bo respects Maggie’s intelligence and actually asks for her input, realizing she has access to information that people won’t share with him.

I’ll have to admit I thought I knew who the victim was going to be, but Ms. Byron threw in a twist that kept me on my toes the rest of the book. Not only was I uncertain if the victim was the intended target, but who were viable suspects. The twists and turns kept me glued to the pages to see how the author would fit the puzzle pieces together in a convincing mystery. And fit them together she did, with an unforeseen curveball that left me thinking about the story long after it was over.

Maggie’s mother creates quite a few delectable dishes to serve at the family’s B & B, plus Maggie herself is in charge of creating the pralines to serve at the family’s booth at the festival. So many mentions of yummy regional food had my mouth watering. Luckily for the reader, Ms. Byron includes several recipes at the back of the book.

Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron. 5 stars

The recent Agatha Award winner for Best Contemporary Mystery has a new book available for review - I pounced. This is the first book In the series that I have read, but I will go back and read the other four. This book was very enjoyable and engrossing. Sometimes when you get into the middle of a series you can get a little lost. The characters are well established and some of the banter has no meaning because you haven't read the previous books. I didn't feel that with this book. I'm sure that there were nuances that I missed, but I just loved all the characters. The town of Pelican, LA decides to put on a jazz festival before the legendary New Orleans Jazz Festival to entertain visitors on their way to New Orleans. The headliner is a local girl - Tammy Barker, that won a reality show that is paving her way to country stardom. She brings her entourage to the Maggie Crozat's parents B&B. What comes next after a murder is a lot of red herrings and multiple suspects. Maggie Crozat must investigate to get one of her best friends Gaynell Bourgeois off the suspect list. I loved the interaction between Maggie and her grandmother., it was very sweet. Maggie's relationship with her fiancé Bo was great- that respect each other skills and intelligence. i won't give any spoilers, but this is a mystery worth reading.

Thank you Netgalley and Crooked Lane for this ARC.

These are fun reads. Colorful characters and a good mystery that keeps you guessing. They are very clean with no sex or foul language. A nice change and something I have reader's ask for. (I'm a library director). I did get a good chuckle here and there thought as a bad guy would not swear in an amusing fashion when you know darn well what they'd really say.

It was so fun to be back with Maggie in Louisiana. There is a wonderful lightness to this series that is balanced by a depth in subject matter. The mystery was well done and I had no idea who was guilty until the surprising ending. I thoroughly enjoy the closeness of Bo and Maggie, and how well they work together. There was a touching side story involving Gran that had me in tears, it was that profound. I recommend the entire series and look forward to more.

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

Another fun trip to Pelican, Louisiana! Musicians, pralines, local mean girl made music star, romance, and murder.
Do we really need more? I wish Pelican was real. I'd move there in a heartbeat!

This was an amazing and fun book! Ellen Byron is such a great mystery writer. Her characters are exciting and the back stories on all of them are great. This book is a perfect addition to the series and I hope she writes more!!

E-book/Cozy Mystery: This is book five of the Cajun Country Mysteries and I have only read the first two. I want to thank NetGalley for letting me have a copy of this book.

I didn't like it as much as the first two. I loved the first book which was a lights go out murder and the second book kept the homey plot with B&B getting over the small town scandal... and another body drops. While the second one was a wedding at the B&B, this one is a music festival. I had a hard time reading it. I was more interested in the grandmother's Swedish Death Cleaning. I am giving it two stars since I didn't guess the murderer. To me, it was a lot of filler around a contrived plot.

This is the 5th book in the cajun country mystery series . Ellen likes to keep you in suspense as to who dun it. If you haven't read this series I highly recommend it. Gran plans a cajun music festival and invites a local celebrity to live at crozat for a few weeks and her entourage.

Maggie had to solve the puzzling murder before her best friend got railroaded to jail for a murder she didn’t commit. This puzzle was rife with petty jealousy, which Maggie figured out was the root cause of the murder. With things getting dicey she knew she had to give it her all before it was too late. An interesting puzzle indeed.

A fun and interesting glimpse into a small Lousiana town life. Maggie Crozat, a small town B&B owner, is thrust in the middle of a murder investigation when the manager of a famous singer Tammy, Pony Picker, is killed getting ready for the Cajun Country Live festival. All fingers point to one of her best friends, a local singer Gaynell. Maggie and her fiance Bo, a local police officer, team up to prove Gaynell's innocence and discover that every member of the band had a motive to kill Pony. Along the way secrets are uncovered and an old rivalry comes to a head.