Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron

I enjoyed this Cajun cozy mystery. It got off to a bit of a slow start but when a murder finally occurred, it picked up and moved well. Maggie, owner of an historic B & B, must discover the murderer herself as a pushy detective has her in his cross hairs. As more murders happen, her situation becomes more desperate.

The setting is great and I appreciate all of the cultural information included. I learned about the background of Creoles and Cajuns, such as their mourning traditions. I was introduced to the rougarou, a ghost like monster similar to the bogey man of my childhood. There were good descriptions of mansions and plantations. Byron includes some interesting facts about the location in her notes at the end of the novel. She also includes some great recipes.

I recommend this novel to readers who enjoy a good cozy mystery set in an unusual location. You'll have an enjoyable read, learn some new things, and have some new recipes to try.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Ellen Byron is the Agatha Award-winning author of the Cajun Country Mysteries. The USA Today best-selling series has also won multiple Best Humorous Mystery Lefty awards from the Left Coast Crime conference. She also writes under the pen name Maria DiRico. She has many TV credits and has written over 200 magazine articles and award winning plays. She attended Tulane University and currently lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. You can find out more at https://www.ellenbyron.com/.

Crooked Lane Books, 304 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)