Laissez les bons temps rouler!!!
Let us go to the Pelican, Louisiana
to stay at one of the five local plantations
offering the “Pelican's Spooky Past”
package. This package will include
Halloween traditions of the historical past.
We are staying at the Crozat Plantation
B& B. There we will meet Magnolia Crozat
better known as Maggie, her parents
( Ninette and Tug) and her Gran-mere.
Crozat will offer unique cajun style menu’s
made for mourners in the past. You will
make immortelles which are cemetery
arrangements from dried flowers, beads
and ceramics. These were meant as immortal
memorials to the dead.
You will attend a play, Resurrection of the
Spirit, performed in the nearby derelict
Dupois graveyard in the evening.
Murder, ghost, burglaries and my favorite
happenings: appearances of the scary
rougarou ( the Cajun version of the
werewolf make this an attention keeper
from the first word until the ending scene.
I loved that the story was filled with drama,
intrigue, tension, twists and turns and quirky,
colorful,and well casted characters.
There are recipes after the end that made
my mouth water: Crawtatoes, Ghoulish Cajun
Goulash Cajun Pecan Cookie Fingers, Holy
Trinity Chicken and Sugar High Pie.
This is book # 6 in the Cajun Country Mysteries
series. It can be read as a stand alone.
I volunteered to read Murder in the Bayou
Boneyard. Thanks to Crooked Lane Books and
the author via Net Gallery for the opportunity.
My opinion is voluntary and my own.

3 1/2 stars rounded up to 4.

I don't know what it is about this super cozy series that I enjoy so much. If I'm honest, Maggie is not my favorite. Something about her is just a miss for me, but I adore the dynamic she has with her friends and family and that's what brings me back.

This book is part of a series and while I think you can read it as a standalone, I would definitely read the other ones first if you can. There's lots of backstory that doesn't get re-explained with each subsequent book.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine and mine alone.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3464820980

Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, is conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana I enjoyed returning to Pelican and dropping in on the Crozat Clan. What wonderful and enjoyable characters!

Maggie Crozat is trying to run a B&B in Bayou Country, otherwise known as Pelican, LA, using her family's once proud plantation. Marketing Pelican's Spooky Past, she and the other local B&B owners have banded together to combat the inroads from an app buying and renting local houses. Also some long lost relatives are arriving to help staff the new spa. What could possibly go wrong? This is a fun series with wonderful characters and plenty of Bayou country action. Recommended!

What I liked:
- mystery. I really had fun figuring out who done it
- southern setting (I'm from Europe so this was even more interesting) and descriptions were very vivid but not overwhelming. Also, I loved how Halowe'en was used as a backdrop, it was fresh and different.
- "slice of life" passages, especially the whole wedding preparations. And I really appreciate the receipies

What I didn't like:
- how rushed some aspects of the story were. For example, Maggie learns of SPA problems, makes decision to sell and finds a buyer in three pages time
- Crozat family was really annoying (but this might be because I don't know previous books in the series)
- I didn't feel for the characters- I was told that Maggie and Bo love each other but I didn't see that on the page. Also action scenes felt flat, they read like list of moves, not exciting things happening.

I think this is very good cozy mystery and I plan to start reading the series.

I love anything fall or Halloween. This was a great read with a cute mystery. If you love cozies with animals, check this one out.

Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is the first book I've ever read by Ellen Byron - and now I want to read more! The story was witty and fun with plenty of murder and a lot of suspense. Byron is very good at making you feel like you are vacationing in the Louisiana bayous - from the Cajun words to the plantation house setting to historically accurate Cajun dishes. Characters are great too. You can't help but like Maggie, the protagonist in the series, and all the other quirky people of Pelican, La. My favorite tho is Maggie's Gran. Oh my - she is feisty and soooo hilarious! Bayou Boneyard is 6th in the series and I'm looking forward to catching up before the next book comes out. Thoroughly enjoyed!

I enjoyed this book and found the characters relatable and the story easy to get into without any background. I got quite the chuckle when one of the guests ran into a 'rougarou' and couldn't stop bragging to her friends, I could see myself doing the same and the ending with its who-done-it twist was exciting to unravel. I didn't realize that this was book six when I requested it, but that is okay.

Something I've noticed in reading cozy mysteries is how certain characters will constantly try and discourage the main protagonist from investigating a crime. They always cite the danger and yes, while there is danger this discouragement never works. What I liked about 'Murder in the bayou Boneyard' was the lack of discouragement and how the story never focused on this aspect, rather the story itself and the characters unfolded in such a way as to make the reveal more exciting and natural. Also, I enjoyed the Louisiana vibe regarding Halloween and the food. My mouth waters just thinking about all the food Ninette would make and laugh at how the police officers always seem to fight for who will answer the 911 calls knowing they will be fed.

I found a new cozy mystery author! I look forward to reading the other five books in this series and getting to know more about Maggie, Tug, Ninette, Bo, and the rest of the crew. #MurderintheBayouBoneyard #NetGalley

I love this series and this installment was very good. It is well written and cleverly crafted. I love the wit throughout and the holiday setting. Many thanks to Crooked Lane Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is the 6th book in Ellen Byron's Cajun Country Mystery series and it does not disappoint! This cozy mystery takes place around Halloween at the Crozat's B and B. Rougarou sightings and murder mix for another great page turner. I recommend reading these books in order to know the history of the characters.

Good, solid book. Easy to follow. Would recommend to anyone who likes a thriller or mystery book. Liked the characters and it was difficult to put down!

I really thought I’d like this one, but nope! Sadly it just felt like the characters were hollow and stereotypical. Maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I’d read the other books in the series, but this one just wasn’t it for me.

This is a fun cozy mystery that is perfect for Halloween. I like the fact that the folklore of Rougarou was included in the book. The main characters are unique and likable. However, the "new" relatives were not very likable. However, the story would not be the same if they were likable. The mystery is entertaining with several twists and turns and no shortage of suspects. I look forward to the next in the series.

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

Atmosphere, relevant to today, great character depth, spooky mystery, and environment to give you the creeps.

It was an amazing, spooky Cajun Halloween mystery. It kept me engrossed throughout and was full of suspense and nail biting scenes. I loved the characters. This was my first book in this series and also by the author, but it will definitely not be the last! The plot could've been a bit stronger but the twists and the end was totally unexpected. I definitely want to read the other books in this series. This can be read as a stand alone too. I read it in one sitting. Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane books for the advance review copy in exchange of an honest review.

There are some authors you can just count on to consistently deliver a good cozy mystery and Ellen Byron is one of them. Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is set around Halloween and the Crozat family try to drum up extra business for the local plantation B&B's in the area by planning "Pelican's Spooky Past" packages for their guests. This is one of those books that makes you want to put on your coziest sweater and settle into your favorite reading chair for the night. There is not a boring character in the book but I do have my favorites like the flamboyant Vanessa and Maggie's former nemesis, Police Chief Rufus Durand. Highly recommend starting at the beginning so you can see the development of the relationships over time. ~I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.~

I couldn't wait to read this! Murder in the Bayou Boneyard is the sixth book in the Cajun Country Mystery series and did not disappoint.

Maggie runs a B&B with her family in Pelican, Louisiana and can never seem to catch a break when it comes to crimes involving her and the B&B.

It becomes apparent that the B&B has some competition with an app that allows guests to rent a room from a local. Maggie gets creative and works with other B&Bs to come up with packages for guests to enjoy during the month of October.

Maggie finds that she has a distant cousin who lives in Canada and this cousin wants to visit the area with her family. This cousin ends up announcing that the land next to the B&B is owned by her family and is going to sell it to a chemical company, which devastates Maggie.

This cousin is found dead before the deal is reached and as always, the police look at Maggie as a suspect. Soon the cousin's husband is found dead as well and someone is stealing from the B&B's attic. Maggie is on the hunt to find out what is happening and is trying to clear her name. Who is creating havoc in Pelican?

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a cute little cozy mystery perfect for the Halloween season. I have not read the previous books in the series but I did enjoy the book without having previous knowledge of the characters. Maggie runs a B&B in the Cajun Country of Louisiana. With the help of her kooky family they have built up their place to be a nice place to stay.
When new family members reveal that the land the brand new spa is built on may not belong to Maggie's side of the family our story really kicks off. Byron does an excellent job of painting these new cousins as truly awful people, so that when one of them turns up dead Maggie's family look guilty as all heck.
The journey we take with Maggie and her detective boyfriend, as they try to clear her family's name was a fun if not a bit campy ride. I love cozy mysteries like this because it reminds me of Scooby Doo or Murder She Wrote. The who done it definitely kept me guessing.
I would definitely recommend this book to any cozy mystery fans. It was a treat to read and would make an excellent addition to your fall reading list.

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review, all opinions are my own.

I thoroughly love my visits with Crozat family in Pelican, Louisiana. The devotion of family is a strong theme with Ellen Byron in her A Cajun Country Mystery series, and 'Murder in the Bayou Boneyard' did not disappoint as Maggie and her grandmother both are preparing for their weddings. The mystery was complex and suspenseful with the assured dose of humor to balance it all. I look forward to many more happy times with Maggie and Bo.

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

Similar to other books in the series - the setting is wonderful (Louisiana, rougaroux, cemeteries!), the characters are fun, but the plot is meh. Strangers come to town; one dies, and the first people suspected are the protagonists and her family rather than next of kin? I think another review mentioned the police: the amount of bias shown by one cop would be enough for a decent defense attorney to drive a truck through the DA's case. I feel like the plot would have been much stronger if these weren't plot points.

My advice: read the book for the atmosphere and don't look too closely at the plot.