Can't Wait Wednesday/Waiting on Wednesday #283: Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event which had been hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating. I'm now linking up with "Can't-Wait Wednesday" hosted over at Wishful Endings.

From Goodreads:

USA Today bestselling and award-winning author Ellen Byron cranks it up to eleven in the fifth fast and funny Cajun Country mystery.

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.

Fatal Cajun Festival by Ellen Byron is expected to be released September 10th, 2019 from Crooked Lane Books.

Why am I waiting on this one? I like a good mystery that blends in humor. This sounds like it will be one of  those as it's billed as "fast and funny." Ellen Byron won a couple of Left Coast Crime Lefty awards for best humorous mystery. And she has been nominated for Agatha awards as well. I've read one other book by her and I enjoyed the blend of culture, humor, interesting characters, and mystery. I look forward to more of the same.

What book are you waiting on this week? Share it or a link in the comments so we can check it out and maybe add it to our TBR lists. Thanks for coming by and Happy Reading!

Review: Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron may be #4 in the Cajun Country Mystery series, but it was the first one that I've read.

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.

Teaser Tuesday: Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by The Purplebooker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Maggie sat on the edge of the bed and leaned in to give Gran' a hug. Gran' gently pushed her back. "Oh no you don't," she said. "I get what you're doing... trolling for germs."

Maggie opened her mouth to protest and then stopped. "Busted," she admitted. "This judging gig is rough. I don't know if I can make it through without blowing up at Gerard Damboise. He's already trying to force a winner down our throats." (11% Through on my Kindle)

Gran' is in bed with pneumonia and Maggie has taken her place as a judge for a beauty contest that is part of the Mardi Gras festivities. Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron was released October 9, 2018 by Crooked Lane Books. This is book 4 in the Cajun Country mystery series.

Would you keep reading? What's your teaser this week? Share it or a link in the comments. Are you enjoying your book? Let us know! Happy Reading!