In this addition to the series, Maggie Crozat is concerned with the identity of a body that washed up behind Crozat Plantation B&B after the recent heavy storms. Then her gran falls ill and Maggie is conscripted to be a judge for the Miss Pelican Mardi Gras Gumbo Pageant. When one of the judges also turns up dead, Maggie is convinced that the 2 deaths are somehow connected.
There is also the new exhibit on the Louisiana Orphan Trains to consider. There seems to be some disagreement surrounding it.
I enjoyed the cultural aspects of Mardi Gras in Pelican. I wasn't familiar with some of the customs that some smaller towns follow. And there is a touch of romance as Maggie is involved with one of the local police officers.
Maggie is much more daring than I would ever be as she investigates the goings-on surrounding the deaths and other mysteries in the book. I liked that there was more than one mystery. It has a nice layered feeling giving it some complexity. Still, it is a light read. It's humorous in parts as well. The pace of the story is good. It gets a little fast near the end.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars. It's a good, multi-layered mystery. There is humor in parts. It moves along at a good pace. It includes cultural information about Mardi Gras which has always fascinated me somewhat. And I liked the cover. There is little that has to do with the dog in this mystery, but it does talk about the masks in part. And while you can read it as a standalone, I get the feeling that you might enjoy it more if you read other books in the series. I think the other books would give the characters more depth and history and help you to know what to expect from them. Overall, it's a good read and worth your time if you enjoy cozies.
Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron was published October 9th, 2018 from Crooked Lane Books.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions herein are my own and freely expressed.
Lovvvvee this cover! Wanted to read it but was wondering whether i should start at book 1, but your review makes it sound like i’d be good diving right in!
ReplyDeleteYou could definitely read and enjoy this one as is. Starting from the beginning would just give some of the characters a little more depth perhaps.
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