Cute story but there are too many characters to keep track of. The reader spends more time trying to remember who everyone is instead of enjoying the mystery. ( )

Cozy mysteries are perfect when life feels hard and you want to escape somewhere that feels fairly uncomplicated, even if people are being murdered. This series, set in small town Louisiana, is one of the stronger ones to come out in recent years. It's not perfect by any stretch, but it's got good bones, so to speak.

Mardi Gras Murder takes place very soon after a fairly catastrophic flood sweeps through, one that leaves behind the body of a John Doe. At first presumed to have been a victim of the flood waters, an autopsy reveals he was shot. As the town rebuilds and focuses on their Mardi Gras celebrations, a judge of the local beauty contest is also shot and killed, and in spite of any evidence, our MC Maggie has a gut feeling the two are related. Of course they are. After attempted murder is tried on another judge, Maggie starts looking for connections to the John Doe.

The beauty contest is a total red herring; that's not a spoiler either, as it's pretty obvious from the get go that it's meant to be. The real ties that kill are much more investing that a vapid beauty contest, though the ultimate motivation behind them is just as shallow and meaningless.

Still, the author writes a solid setting with strong characters - all of them, men and women, good and bad. If the plotting and murder motivations aren't as strong as they could be, they're surrounded by a lot that is. The backdrop and characters are why I probably rated this higher than I should, objectively speaking. But I got happily lost in backwater Louisiana for a day or two, and I'll happily get lost in it again, should the author write another. ( )

The mystery that kept me reading this fourth book in the series is who will win the gumbo contest!
It was a bit slow and I wasn't really into the pageant part. The "thing" between Bo and Maggie was unnecessary, we know in cozy mysteries the amateur sleuth always end up with the local cop or detective! ( )

Ellen Byron is a new author for me but I found the book to work well as a standalone mystery.
A torrential rain hits the small town of Pelican, Louisana. After the waters finally recede, a stranger's dead body is found. It is up to Maggie Crozat to find out the identity of the stranger and solve a mystery that seems to get bigger and bigger the more she investigates.
This was so much fun to read especially learning about Mardi Gras, Gumbo pageants, orphan trains, and much more. The characters and story are well fleshed out and the book is well worth a read for those who love cozy mysteries. ( )

A fun read - a murder mystery and Louisiana history combined with Mardi Gras traditions and recipes! Our likeable heroine Maggie Crozat finds herself helping the police solve two murders in her small southern town just as Mardi Gras season hits the bayou. At the same time that she is judging the Mardi Gras Gumbo Queen pageant, she discovers an old painting that may provide clues to the murders. Included in the mix is an old mansion with a secret room, a Gumbo Cook-Off, and some rough patches in her on-going relationship with boyfriend Bo, the town's police detective. Louisiana/Mardi Gras food is mentioned throughout the book, and the recipes are included. I liked the way the author added explanations of Mardi Gras traditions, as well as cleverly incorporating actual history of the Louisiana Orphan Train. The author kept me guessing whodunit while providing mouthwatering food descriptions and including an assortment of southern characters who live in Maggie's small town of Pelican, LA.

I received an advance reader's copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. ( )