Ellen ByronBesprekingen

Maggie Crozat, the Great- Great - Great Granddaughter of Magnolia Marie Doucet, works at the Doucet Plantation as a tour guide, while she lives on the Crozat Plantation grounds in shotgun styled home common to that area of the state. Both sides of her family are "Louisiana royalty". The Crozat plantation has been remodeled into a Bed and Breakfast since times have been hard, and now the family does the work that is no longer done by servants along with the hired cleaning crew. The story takes up at the exciting time of "Fete L'ete", and the town of Pelican. "Fete Lete" is a celebration that honors the ending of summer season. The Bed and Breakfast is filled with all varieties of interesting guests that all have their own agendas as we soon learn. During a dark storm...is there any other type ???, two guests "depart" rather spectacularly. When the lights come back on, the local police are almost living at the door. The Chief of Police hates the Crozat's family because of a "Curse" that was placed by them on his family 150-years or so ago, and he continues to feud with the family and carry a grudge. The plantation is now a crime scene, and it is up to Maggie...why I don't know...to solve these crimes. I've never quiet understood the reasoning behind it being okay to allow common, non-law enforcement citizens do the work of the police in these stories...but what I cared for much less than that was the "supposed to be funny" labeling of a cross dresser by the all-white guests and the paid staff as “Norman Batesy”....not once but several times. If you need romance in your mystery there is a connection and a bit of romantic tension flying between Maggie and Bo. I did wonder how the 150-year-old feud and curse between the two families was going to make a relationship between them work, but I really don't think I care enough to read the next one to find out.½

Engaging characters and a fun setting make this an enjoyable mystery

Wined and Died in New Orleans is the second book in this series and I thought ti was a fun read. It picks up soon after the first book, and Ricki continues to work hard building her new business, a vintage gift shop in one of the local museums. Repairs on part of the old house lead to a discovery of very old and valuable French wine buried by the original owner, a discovery that leads Ricki into an interesting mystery and to meeting many members of the Charbonnet family who are now coming out of the woodwork wanting a claim of the new fortune.

Ricki is a likeable character, someone who makes friends easily, but also tends to question herself quite a bit due to her history and her previous marriage that ended in disaster. Her gift shop features vintage cookbooks and I find this aspect of her job quite fascinating as I remember looking through my grandmother's old cookbooks when I was younger and laughing at some of the recipes, so I get the appeal. Both of the books made reference to her parentage and as she is adopted, there is a mystery that is developing as a secondary story line, one that I find quite interesting, but has not yet taken center stage.

The secondary characters are just as interesting as the main character. The witty dialogue and banter between them drew me into their world and I thought the author captured the cultural traditions of New Orleans very well through their interactions and their commentary. I have only been there once, but I could visualize the places and sights through their eyes and I enjoyed revisiting the city in my mind as I read. I enjoyed how the characters responded to situations as the story unfolded; yes, there was drama, but it wasn't silly and the characters had smart discussions about how the various situations would affect them, their jobs, and their businesses.

The plot itself was fun and enjoyable. The tension slowly built throughout the book, and though I had guessed who was the culprit, I amused myself by playing around with other possibilities, just in case I was wrong. The author was good at throwing some red herrings along the way, and the twists and turns were interesting. I always find it intriguing how one little comment can give away the whole plot of a story unintentionally, and that is what happened to me with this story. It didn't take away from the fun of the book though as it allowed me to reflect more on the themes being presented in the book rather than just the mystery; death, grief, friendship, family relationships, family history, secrets, greed, trust issues, and regret all played a role in this book.

Verdict
Wined and Died in New Orleans was an engaging novel with a diverse set of characters and a story line that was interesting and intriguing. It continued some of the themes from the first book, but was also contained its own mystery so could be read as a standalone, although I don't recommend it being read that way. If you like to cook, there are also some vintage recipes to try out throughout the story that look interesting. The writing style was engaging, the mystery was fun, and I definitely recommend anyone who is interested in cozy mysteries check this one out.

Wined and Died in New Orleans by Ellen Byron is the second book in her latest cozy mystery series that takes place in New Orleans, and it is another great read!

Byron once again shows why she is one of the Queens of Cozies with her well developed characters and glorious descriptions of New Orleans and the beautiful manor where much of the book takes place. Add in a few scoops of local history and local restaurants along with some dashes of information on vintage cookbooks and kitchen gadgets and it’s a tasty second book.

The characters are getting even more fleshed out, and the new characters are just as fun to read about. And instead of the typical cat or dog in a cozy mystery, we get two feisty peacocks who seem to really not like some of the people… which makes those scenes even more amusing.

The big secret that ended book one is partially revealed in this one… although there are still some major questions surrounding it that have yet to be answered. Which makes me super excited for book three in the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries to come out!

Ended up really enjoying this book! I didn't think I'd care for it, and I started it twice. Why? I don't cook, I don't care about cookbooks, and I'm never sure about youthful amateur sleuths. And although I love New Orleans as a visitor, I don't live there, and surely this was a first love letter to The Big Easy. What ultimately impressed me was the complexity of the story, the way it turned into a real tangle of murder and vintage books and sneaky villains. Add this to sexy neighbor, cool work friendships, and people with a history and I had a great time reading.

This second Vintage Cookbook mystery is every bit as entertaining as the first. I enjoyed reading about seasoned New Orleanians' reactions to hurricane season as opposed to newbie Ricki's, and I certainly enjoyed tagging along as she bought stock for her shop. As someone who's always hated cooking, you'd think that I wouldn't touch a series with a theme of vintage cookbooks and kitchenware, but I find myself a bit enchanted with it. Perhaps it's because Ricki and her stock bring back memories of my mother and grandmother. Who knows? But this series isn't solely vintage-- I also appreciated Eugenia's granddaughter's crash course in using social media to boost sales.

Speaking of Eugenia, the head of the Louisiana Charbonnets, another source of entertainment was watching all the distant relatives scuttle out of the woodwork when the cache of extremely valuable wine was uncovered. I never knew when a new branch of the family would pop up next (or where it would be from).

There are a lot of family dynamics in Wined and Died in New Orleans, and it doesn't just concern who's going to get a share of the wine profits. Byron's series is shaping up to be one of my favorites because, not only does it have a strong, interesting main character, but it also entertains and educates. Who could ask for anything more?

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)

recipes, series, NOLA, situational-humor, verbal-humor, kitchenware, cookbook, inheritance, relatives, family-drama, family-dynamics, friction, resentment, pet-peacocks, cozy-mystery, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, widow, amateur-sleuth, culinary, retro, social-media, *****

I came for the author, NOLA, cozy mystery, and the chance to read it for myself before getting one for my sister who will go ape over the cookbooks, recipes, and kitchenware. I did love the first in series (really all of author's books) but there's enough within this one to keep everyone included. The publisher's blurb covers the beginning pretty well and I'm afraid I'll get into spoiler territory if I try to follow up on that. Great characters (both ongoing and the disgusting greedy relatives), interesting side issues, fine plot with intriguing twists, amazing red herrings, and good law enforcement. Great read!
I requested and received a free temporary ebook copy from Beyond the Page via NetGalley. Thank you!
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Original, Page-turner, Unpredictable, Witty, Wonderful characters

Transplanted California girl Ricki James-Diaz is trying to calm her fear of hurricanes, run her vintage ccokbook and kitchenware shop, and overcome her fear of social media. When a cache of very valuable wines is discovered in Bon Vee, Ricki posts the find to social media which manages to unearth Charbonnets from all over who all want a piece of the prize.

When one of the most obnoxious is found killed with an antique meat mallet from Ricki's shop, Ricki is on the case to prove that none of her friends at Bon Vee had anything to do with it despite all of them having run-ins with the victim in which they threatened to kill him.

Bon Vee and the Charbonnet's restaurant have been facing hard times because of Covid and various weather disasters, the wine find would be a real lifesaver. Ricki needs to sort through quite a variety of suspects to find the guilty party.

Meanwhile, Ricki is still on the hunt for her birth parents and learns that she is a Charbonnet, great-granddaughter of the famous Miss Vee. But the generations in between are still a mystery.

This was an engaging story with interesting characters. I enjoyed the strong bonds of family and friendship growing among the cast of characters.

Digital audiobook performed by Meredith Mitchell

Book one in the Cajun Country cozy mystery series introduces the reader to Maggie Crozat and her family, who run an historic Louisiana plantation as a B&B. They’ve filled the inn with guests in town for the food festival. It’s an eclectic bunch, including elderly honeymooners, a trio of frat boys, and a group of women calling themselves the Cajun Cuties. But when two guests die of decidedly NOT natural causes, Maggie and her folks are suspects in murder.

This has all the hallmarks of a cozy mystery. A likeable amateur sleuth, romantic tension between the leading lady and the hunky cop, a gaggle of potential suspects, secrets galore, some delicious food and a loveable Basset hound named Gopher. And a few great recipes to whet the appetite.

Meredith Mitchell does a fine job of narrating the audiobook. She has a nice Southern accent and sets a good pace. I can practically smell the magnolias….

Bayou Book Thief is the first book in a new series set in New Orleans, featuring a woman who is interested in collecting vintage cookbooks and using them to develop thematic cooking parties and celebrations as well as open her own store with other vintage items on display. The setting is always a a huge draw for me, but the story was shock full of interesting tidbits about the city, had many twists and turns, and was fun, with a host of quirky characters.

Ricki James, recently moved from L.A. to escape the spotlight of her husband who died while filming himself doing a stunt, finds herself as the new owner of a vintage bookstore in one of the spectacular museum houses in New Orleans. She had always been a fan of the former owner, Genevieve Charbonnet, a legendary restauranteur, and is excited to join the staff celebrating her life and family legacy. I thought she made a great investigator because she was discrete and didn't do anything stupid. And the revelations, with Ricki being in the right spot at the right time, made sense. No silly coincidences or absurd stuff happening. The focus was more on Ricki than on some of the other characters, but being the first book in a series, that is to be expected. The secondary characters were not neglected however, it's just that there wasn't enough time to really allow their personalities and quirks to really shine, something that I expect will be done in future books.

I thought the actual mystery was quite intriguing, and it did take me a little while to figure it out as the person I thought it was didn't turn out to be the culprit so I had to re-evaluate. The red herrings were nicely laid out and there were a couple of times when I paused, simply to reflect on how easy it is to judge someone without knowing the full truth of something. I was also mesmerized by the setting and the details around the new bookshop, so perhaps I missed a couple of things while focusing on those details. I did have one quibble about the name of the place as Ricki mentioned a couple of times that Le Bon Vee was named after the French expression to have a good life and then proceeded to call it "Le bon vie", but being French, it is actually "La bonne vie". This nagged at me just a little bit.and I couldn't let it go. Other than that, I thought the twists and turns were great, loved the descriptions of the food (I would love a Po'boy right now), and enjoyed Ricki's shopping expeditions. So much fun!

Verdict
Bayou Book Thief was a great first book in a new series set in New Orleans. With some good twists and turns and lovely descriptions of New Orleans combined with a writing style that keeps you interested in the characters and the setting, it had everything you would want in a cozy mystery. Luckily, just as I was finishing this one, I was gifted an ARC of Wined and Died in New Orleans, the next book in this series which releases February 2023. If you are an avid cozy mystery reader, I highly recommend this book.

Ricki James left Lost Angeles after her husband died in a freak accident. Now moved to New Orleans, she embraces the city she where she took her first breath, and has found a position in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum running their vintage kitchenware shop, sharing her profits with the museum. She's happy enough with this, but doesn't like the bickering between the tour guides. When one of the guides is fired after stealing, the staff is grateful, since he wasn't well-liked. But the next day, an unexpected arrival of books is delivered...along with his body in a trunk.

Ricki thinks the killer might be one of the employees, but she wisely keeps this to herself as she tries to figure out who killed the man. After searching for clues, she doesn't think she's getting much closer to the killer until something unexpected occurs...and Ricki might find herself fatally bookmarked...

This is the first book in the series, and I will say that the cover is beautiful. This is part of why I wanted to read the book, the second being that I absolutely love Ms. Byron's Pelican series. I suppose I was hoping this would be more like that series, but it is as far away from it as can be while still taking place in Louisiana. There are just too many characters to keep track of, and since I read this on my Kindle, it was too difficult to go back to the page listing characters and then back to where I was, so I finally just gave up.

While I give kudos for the writing, as Ms. Byron is a talented writer with a gift for description of the characters' surroundings, it was at the same time hard to care about any of the people since you didn't get a full description of them. I would have liked to have known more about Lyla and her family, meeting both Kaitlyn and Dan; and why Theo is the way he is about everything. What is the truth about Zellah and Mordant's relationship (if any). I realize that it is hard to connect everything in a first book, but if there had been less characters, it would have been easier. Oh, well.

At any rate, Ricki at first finds herself a fish out of water until she begins to make a few friends, and maybe a surprise one of the homicide detective herself, which I found both interesting and nice. I do like Eugenia, her intelligence and grace showing; but found it hard to involve myself with Ricki.

When we get toward the ending the killer is revealed, and the reason for the murder. Understandable, if you know the saying about why the man was murdered -- but I am not going to reveal that here. After all was discovered, there are a few chapters left in which we learn a little more about Ricki's new life, and a teaser chapter of the next book in the series. Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

situational-humor, verbal-humor, NOLA, cozy-mystery, recipes, murder, murder-investigation, law-enforcement, widow, family, famous-author, adopted, amateur-sleuth, antiques, senior-citizens****

A fun start to a new series by a favorite author and set in NOLA. It doesn't get any better! New quirky characters populate this cozy set in the beautiful Garden District. The whodunit is well done, the background works well to introduce those characters who will continue, and there are plenty of laughs.
Amy Melissa Bentley is the very perky narrator

Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron is the debut of A Vintage Cookbook Mysteries. This is a cute, lighthearted Southern cozy mystery. There is a cast of unique characters. Miracle “Ricki” Fleur di Lis James has left her life in Los Angeles behind for a fresh start in New Orleans where she was born. Ricki comes up with the idea for Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop which is to be housed in the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. She is fortunate that the idea is approved. One morning, Ricki is opening donations that arrived that morning with help from other workers at Bon Vee. They open an old trunk to find disgraced former docent, Franklin inside. Ricki is worried when the staff and volunteers come under suspicion. She feels the police are not working quickly enough to solve the crime, so Ricki decides to do a little investigating on her own. Ricki uncovers what she believes could have been the motif. She needs to follow the thread and see if it leads her to the killer. Bayou Book Thief contains Ellen Byron’s fun writing style. She provides us with quirky characters and plenty of Southern charm. I enjoyed the descriptions of New Orleans, the vintage cookware, and the cookbooks. There is humor sprinkled throughout the story that will have readers chuckling. The whodunit was entertaining. No one was sad to see Franklin end up dead in a trunk. The man was not liked. The more Ricki learns about the man, the more she can see why someone murdered him (just surprised it did not happen sooner). Detective Nina Rodriguez is nice and accepts information from Ricki. She does give her a warning about sleuthing on her own. There are clues to help readers solve the mystery before the reveal. I enjoyed the takedown scene (it will have you laughing). There is a secondary mystery involving an air conditioning repairman. I do not know how Ricki put up with the heat and humidity. I would have gone out and purchased a window unit rather than a swamp cooler. Southern heat along with the humidity can be brutal. There is a large cast of characters so it can be difficult to keep them all straight. It will get easier as the series progresses. There are delectable food descriptions that will have you craving a po’ boy, beignets, and shrimp etouffee. I loved the ending. It has me eager for the next A Vintage Cookbook Mystery. There are recipes at the end of the book as well as a preview of Wined and Died in New Orleans. Bayou Book Thief is finer than a frog hair split four ways with a man who is as useless as a screen door on a submarine, a bounty of books, a vile victim, a diligent detective, an artful air conditioning repairman, warm weather, and a riled Ricki.

New Orleans, vintage cookbooks and kitchenwares, a book thief, a fabulous Garden District mansion... Ellen Byron's Bayou Book Thief was an irresistible siren call to my imagination, and reading it was a delight.

Ah, New Orleans, which dubs itself as the home of the original foodies. From streetcars to peacocks named Gumbo and Jambalaya to po'boy contests, the city is a character in this enjoyable mystery. I had to smile at a running thread throughout the book which concerns Ricki's air conditioner breaking down, her investigation of a repairman, and her purchase of a swamp cooler-- an item that I'm quite familiar with here in the Sonoran Desert (where it works much better than in soggy New Orleans).

The cast of characters is rich and varied, and I enjoyed learning about them all: Ricki herself, Cookie the "recovering children's librarian," Madame Noisette whose signature color is purple, nonagenarian German Guillory, Eugenia Charbonnet, and all the rest. Byron has peopled the first book of her series with just enough characters to keep the focus moving from mystery to mystery.

For someone who doesn't like to cook, you'd think I wouldn't enjoy books with strong ties to vintage cookbooks and kitchenware, but I do. Possibly because those things bring back memories of my mother and grandmother creating amazing things in their kitchens with tools and books similar to the ones Ricki has in her shop.

Let's see... a fantastic setting, characters who will become your fictional friends, a good mystery to solve, and plenty of (often laugh-out-loud) wit, Bayou Book Thief is a great beginning to a series that I will be returning to again and again.

(Review copy courtesy of the publisher and Net Galley)½

If you were saddened when Ellen Byron’s A Cajun Country Mystery series came to its wonderful ending, then you will be happy again when you read Bayou Book Thief, the first book in her Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, which also takes place in New Orleans.

Miracle, aka Ricki, returns to New Orleans, where she was born, to open Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware Shop inside the stately Bon Vee Mansion and quickly finds a new family filled with numerous quirky characters.

Byron once again shows why she is one of the Queens of Cozies with her well developed characters and glorious descriptions of New Orleans and the beautiful manor much of the book takes place in. Throw in lots of local history and information on vintage cookbooks and kitchen gadgets… along with some red herrings and lots of suspects, and it’s a fantastic start to a new cozy mystery series!

Oh, and the ending…. makes me want the next book, Wined and Died in New Orleans, right now so I can read what happens next. I’m thinking Miracle is really going to live up to her name!

BAYOU BOOK THIEF starts a new cozy series set in New Orleans. Ricki James-Diaz is starting over in the town where she was born and abandoned at birth. Raised in LA by loving adoptive parents, Ricki is recently widowed and has just lost her job cataloging a library for a man convicted of a ponzi scheme.

She is starting over at Bon Vie, a mansion turned into to tourist attraction, where she will be running her own vintage cookbook and cookware store. She likes most of her new co-workers, but a couple of the tour guides are not friendly. Franklin Finbloch is a major complainer and a petty thief. Winifred Shexnyder is a tour guide who is always trying to guilt her tourists into giving her large tips and is also a snitch eager to get the rest of the employees in trouble.

When Franklin's corpse is delivered to Bon Vie in a trunk with a vintage can opener used as the murder weapon, Ricki is sure that her bad luck and notoriety make her the perfect suspect. She is eager to help the police find the actual murderer, but her overactive imagination leads in to odd conclusions.

The story was filled with great characters and had an interesting plot. I liked that it included recipes for readers to try from vintage cookbooks. Some of the ones mentioned in the story sounded pretty awful though.

I'm looking forward to more books in this engaging and entertaining series.

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.

Although this is a cozy mystery, I think the humor woven in it is my favorite part. There's plenty of drama mixed in with everything, and I greatly enjoyed reading this. There were enough twists and subtle clues to keep me guessing. Everything was neatly wrapped up by the end, which I always appreciate. A wonderful cozy mystery.

Not bad; I think Crooked Lane Publishers could do better with a tighter editing process, but the plotting was excellent. The characters weren’t engaging as past entries of the series, but I’m not sure I can say why. Generally, a relatively solid entry in a better than average series.

Ellen Byron makes me want to go to Louisiana. I am not a hot weather person so this is a feat. Every time I read one of her books, I’m ready to go. She does an amazing job bringing Pelican Louisiana to life between the covers of her books. It’s not just the scenery that Ms Byron brings to life either. You can smell the Cajun cooking delights waft up from the pages. She makes me drool!
This book is set at one of my most favorite times of the year...Halloween! Louisiana is in my top five places to spend Halloween in. I loved they way Halloween was included but didn’t obscure the mystery. The mystery was intriguing. Far away family comes to visit and brings with them a few issues. Don’t you just love when you open your home to family and they have a plot against you already going? There is a lot going on with the holiday, the B&B, a play and the double wedding preparations. Which I can’t even say how much I love the grandma/granddaughter wedding plan! That just warms my heart and Grandma is a hoot, making it so fun to read about. If all this doesn’t have you turning pages how about a rougarou and death? I was delighted to see a rougarou in the mix! If you are new to the term, it is a werewolf/vampire like creature. They make my horror loving heart beat faster. There is no graphic horror in this book though. It is most definitely a cozy mystery. The mystery part kept me guessing. When you read this book you will understand why. I definitely recommend you read this book.
I am grateful to having won a copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. Reviews are not required but I chose to voluntarily review this book. I want all cozy lovers to read it! I had a good time with it. It is a book I read slowly because I didn’t want it to end but all good things do have an end. I’m looking forward to the next book!

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 writing could be a little bit tighter, but as it is, this was a good cozy mystery that kept me reading pretty much non-stop.

The start was a little slow, and the writer forced the reader to endure a romantic conflict a la tortured silence that I could have done without and she drove me crazy with all the silly euphemisms for swearing, but the ending had me reaching for the kleenex. That last page bumped my rating up to the full 4 stars both because it was touching and unexpected without being at all overplayed.

The mystery plotting was well done; I was inclined at first to criticise the author for taking the route of fingering the least involved character, but thinking about it, the clues were there and I just didn't put them together. My bad, not hers.

A fun cozy with a heart warming sweet side, a little zaniness, and a pretty good murder mystery.

Fluff. But distracting characters. Usual problem with series in claustrophobic settings- how the heck do so many murder s happen in one very small place?

Ok

The newest installment begins with a sweet opening that finds not one but three couples getting married. Maggie and Bo have made it to the altar and are now beginning a new chapter in their lives, along with their closest loved ones, Bo's cousin Rufus marrying Sandy and Maggie's grandmother marrying Lee. The triple wedding sets the tone for this grand finale that puts an end to Maggie's sleuthing adventures. The lighthearted tone sets the final mystery for Maggie while setting up new adventures she'll have in the role of wife and stepmom. The series has focused on the changes Maggie has experienced since moving back to Lousiana so seeing her settling down with her family and a new family creates a full circle moment that is satisfying. This lovely opening celebrates love and family which are two common elements that Byron has explored throughout the Cajun Country Mystery series. These elements strike a balance with the elements of murder, mystery, and suspense. The story jumps forward a few weeks later with Maggie settling into her new life and delves right into the set-up for the mystery.

Maggie's constantly surrounded by family and friends, and each one has a significant role which Byron touches upon a little more in each book, often drawing in various loved ones as suspects. The characters are relatable and create a community that's full of life with each one having a vivid personality. These characters provide allies in Maggie's investigations, a source of friendship and companionship, and provide the root of the humor throughout the series. Byron excels at witty dialogue and clever characters such as the attitude of Gran (an example being her comment about the A-G-E syndrome precluding a full night's sleep). Byron excels at bringing Lousiana to life through the vibrant, colorful, and lively details woven into every description.

The suspects move firmly into place with Maggie working to determine who is innocent and who is guilty. Her ex-boyfriend from high school is caught in the middle when his father (who accuses a celebrity chef of stealing a recipe for fried catfish fillet) is arrested for disturbing the peace. Friendship is a key element within the story as they form a support system for Maggie outside of her family and help her in every way, even with murder mysteries. Gaynell and Ione are her galentines and their presence creates a fun trio of sleuths to investigate with humorous and heartfelt friendship moments. Byron steadily increases the stakes of the mystery with Maggie's mother going to jail after she learns that the celebrity chef took a recipe for her calas and disturbing gifts from a secret admirer. The mystery has Valentine's Day themed with love running rampant throughout from the triple wedding at the beginning to a sweet surprise from her new husband and stepson. Byron has crafted a brilliant goodbye to Maggie and her friends in this satisfying conclusion.