WINNER OF THE LEFT COAST CRIME AWARD FOR BEST HUMOROUS MYSTERY!
PUBLISHED/Crooked Lane Books mystery
Body on the Bayou
Ellen Byron
Body on the Bayou is the second book of Ellen Byron's charming, witty and award-winning Cajun Country Mystery Series featuring amateur sleuth Magnolia "Maggie" Crozat, a young artist who has returned to Louisiana to help her family run their B&B on their historical plantation.
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.
Maggie, inexplicably tasked with being Vanessa's Maid of Honor, quickly discovers why everyone else refused the assignment when the Bridezilla hands her a long list of duties--the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke, a mysterious woman with dangerous secrets. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou behind Crozat Plantation 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.
Praise for the Cajun Country Mystery Series
"Recipes and fascinating tidbits about plantation history add a tasty lagniappe to this entertaining and well-done cozy debut. A twisty plot and engaging colorful characters complete this mystery’s many pleasures."
--Library Journal Starred Review, Debut of the Month
“Byron’s debut brings energy and verve to the cozy.”
--Publishers Weekly
"Enthusiastically recommended...a deftly crafted and terrifically entertaining novel."
--Midwest Book Review
"Brilliant... Ellen Byron has written a delectable Cajun cozy mystery that is one of the best books I have read in a long time!"
--Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick
"An engaging mystery with a touch of romance and a twist of Southern charm."
--Nancy Atherton, New York Times bestselling author of the Aunt Dimity series
"Plantation Shudders is a delight -- a fast, fun read. Ellen Byron is a new cozy voice with a charming Southern accent. You'll love this novel and its colorful Louisiana characters."
--Elaine Viets, author of Checked Out, a Dead-End Job mystery
"I love a mystery that's a gumbo of wit, charm, and plenty of heart. Laissez les bons temps rouler!"
--Nancy Martin, author of The Blackbird Sisters nationally bestselling mystery series
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.
Maggie, inexplicably tasked with being Vanessa's Maid of Honor, quickly discovers why everyone else refused the assignment when the Bridezilla hands her a long list of duties--the most important of which is entertaining Vanessa’s cousin, Ginger Fleer-Starke, a mysterious woman with dangerous secrets. But just days before the wedding, Ginger’s lifeless body is found on the bayou behind Crozat Plantation 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.
Praise for the Cajun Country Mystery Series
"Recipes and fascinating tidbits about plantation history add a tasty lagniappe to this entertaining and well-done cozy debut. A twisty plot and engaging colorful characters complete this mystery’s many pleasures."
--Library Journal Starred Review, Debut of the Month
“Byron’s debut brings energy and verve to the cozy.”
--Publishers Weekly
"Enthusiastically recommended...a deftly crafted and terrifically entertaining novel."
--Midwest Book Review
"Brilliant... Ellen Byron has written a delectable Cajun cozy mystery that is one of the best books I have read in a long time!"
--Night Owl Reviews, Top Pick
"An engaging mystery with a touch of romance and a twist of Southern charm."
--Nancy Atherton, New York Times bestselling author of the Aunt Dimity series
"Plantation Shudders is a delight -- a fast, fun read. Ellen Byron is a new cozy voice with a charming Southern accent. You'll love this novel and its colorful Louisiana characters."
--Elaine Viets, author of Checked Out, a Dead-End Job mystery
"I love a mystery that's a gumbo of wit, charm, and plenty of heart. Laissez les bons temps rouler!"
--Nancy Martin, author of The Blackbird Sisters nationally bestselling mystery series
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ellen Byron has worked as a television writer-producer on hit series such as WINGS, JUST SHOOT ME, and STILL STANDING, and has written pilots for NBC, CBS, and 20th Century Fox. Her plays, published by Dramatists Play Service, include the award-winning Graceland. As a journalist, she's written over 200 articles for national magazines, including Los Angeles, Ladies Home Journal, Seventeen, and Prevention. Byron is the recipient of the William F. Deeck-Malice Domestic Grant for unpublished mystery writers for her novel entitled Reality Checked. She lives in Los Angeles. Please check out her website at http://www.ellenbyron.com/. |
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