Reviews

• Title: Body on the Bayou - Cajun Country Mystery Book 2 Author: Ellen Byron Published: 9-13-2016 Publisher: Crooked Lane Books Pages: 320 Genre: Mystery, Thriller & Suspense Sub Genre: Women Sleuths, Cozy Mystery; Amateur Sleuths ISBN: 13: 9781629537689 ASIN: B01H082DPY Reviewer: DelAnne Reviewed For: NetGalley Rating: 4.5 I received a copy of "Body on the Bayou" from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review. Description From the Publisher: The Crozats feared that past murders at Crozat Plantation B&B might spell the death of their beloved estate, but they’ve managed to survive the scandal. Now there’s a très bigger story in Pelican, Louisiana: the upcoming nuptials between Maggie Crozat’s nemesis, Police Chief Rufus Durand, and her co-worker, Vanessa Fleer. When everyone else refuses the job of being Vanessa's Maid of Honor, Maggie reluctantly takes up the title and finds herself tasked with a long list of duties--the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou and the Pelican PD, as well as the Crozats, have another murder mystery on their hands. There’s a gumbo-potful of suspects, including an ex-Marine with PTSD, an annoying local newspaper reporter, and Vanessa’s own sparkplug of a mother. But when it looks like the investigation is zeroing in on Vanessa as the prime suspect, Maggie reluctantly adds keeping the bride-to-be out of jail to her list of Maid of Honor responsibilities in Body on the Bayou, Ellen Byron's funny and engaging follow up to her critically acclaimed novel Plantation Shudders. My Review of "Body on the Bayou": Ellen Byron has managed to bring together a diverse cast of characters that work well and are believable. She has portrayed her little corner of the bayou to depict the ageless charm and mysteries of the Bayou. Having visited the are regularly when I was younger, it brought back memories of my cousins and I exploring and the places we saw. I loved this series and started reading it with "Plantation Shudders" because of its settings. I would recommend this book to any lover of the cozy genre. It is th perfect light read filled with suspense and a touch of humor.

• It is a fiction murder mystery and it was good, it held my interest and I will probably read it again sometime. For those of you who complain about fiction books not being believable that's why they call it fiction go read true crime.

• Ellen Byron’s Body on the Bayou is a masterpiece of mystery and romance set in the South. It left me with a big fat smile on my face. Not only did I not figure out the murderer, but I was also shocked by a plot twist at the end. Byron’s characters are richly drawn, the setting, pun intended, is to die for. A gentle sense of humor permeates the story keeping the tone light, but at the same time, the characters make insightful comments. My favorite lines: • “That woman is the worst kind of Glossie,” Gran’ declared, using an acronym she’d invented that stood for ‘gracious ladies of the South.’ “She’s a … a … Flossie—a fake lady of the South.” (Chapter 4) • “Little Earlie might be as annoying as a tick on a dog, but he was still part of her community …” (Chapter 17 • “The landscape was littered with potential emotional landmines.” (Chapter 19) • “I’m trying to find the words that could tell you how much this means to me. But I don’t think they exist.” And this is my very favorite: • “Magnolia Marie died at age 101 in 1941, knowing that she’d helped Doucet and its employees survive three wars and the Great Depression. If Magnolia Marie could triumph over such great losses and traumas, Maggie could certainly power through the lesser obstacles that currently challenged her. “That,” Maggie told the teen, is the woman I was named after.” (Chapter 23) I’m going to download more of Ellen Byron’s books, and I highly recommend this book to readers who love cozy mysteries.

• Ellen Byron has done it again! After her fabulous debut with Plantation Shudders, I couldn't wait to cozy up to the next in the series and return to the B&B in Pelican. This time heroine, Maggie Crozat, is the maid of honor for the best bridezilla of all times. Only who knew solving a murder would be part of her maid of honor duties! Once again I tried to outsmart this prolific, witty and fun author and guess the whodunnit from the get-go. But I wasn't even close! Ellen keeps you going and guessing down to the last. She tells a great story, jam packed with art, romance, chocolate, Cajun food, terrific characters and details so vivid you can practically feel the Louisiana humidity on your forehead. Loved the book and happy to know there's more to come! By the way, if you salivate over some of the meals described in the book you'll get the chance to cook them yourself with the surprise recipes at the very end. Happy reading!

• Pelican, Louisiana, a town so full of southern charm and Cajun enchantment, a long term stay would be in order, especially at the Crozat Plantation B & B. We met Maggie, her family, friends, and family nemesis, in the first in this series, which was a 5+ cozy. They're all back with more mayhem and murder, and this book is even better, if possible. If you are a lover of cozy mysteries and even if you're not, these two books are as good as it gets. Southern Belle's, beautiful, historic plantations, southern families, traditions, foods, an impending wedding of hilarious proportions, and of course, murder. A little romance, a little comedy, a little history, a lot of Cajun/southern juju, and a terrific mystery, make for an absolutely wonderful read. Grab a glass of sweet tea, a cozy chair, and you'll soon be lost in this story. Can't wait for the next one!

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