Review of "A Cajun Christmas Killing: A Cajun Country Mystery" by Ellen Byron

In this third book in the 'Cajun Country Mystery' series, amateur sleuth Maggie Crozat investigates the murder of a scheming businessman. The book can be read as a standalone. ***** After a bad breakup with her boyfriend Chris, artist Maggie Crozat moves from New York City to her home town of Pelican, Louisiana. There Maggie shares a shotgun house with her Grand-mere; helps her parents run the Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast; and is a paid docent (tour guide) at a tourist attraction that was once the Doucet Plantation. As the story opens it's almost Christmas and Pelican residents are heralding the season. Wrought iron balconies are decorated with sparkling garlands and Christmas ornaments; business owners have painted their windows with snowy scenes; and bonfires are being built along the Great River Road, to guide Papa Noel (Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve. Bonfire builders compete to build the most elaborate structures, which range from a huge pyramid to a pirate ship to a wooden replica of a plantation. At the Crozat Plantation B&B, the guests include a Japanese tour group; an Ohio family called the O'Days; and a nit-picking California businessman named Donald Baxter, who complains about everything. Baxter is bad news all around. When scathing reviews of the B&B appear on Trippee.com, Baxter is the likely suspect; and Baxter's pushy arrogance gets him into a scuffle with Maggie's boyfriend, Detective Bo Durand. Maggie has other troubles as well. Her father has a health scare, brought on by the fact that developers may get control of the Crozat Plantation B&B; Maggie is concerned about her mother, who survived non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; and Maggie has a demanding new boss at the Doucet Plantation. The new boss, Tannis Greer, fancies herself a playwright, and has written scripts for the Doucet Plantation docents. Thus Maggie now has to play a grieving Civil War widow as she hosts the guided tours....tears and all. To top it off, Maggie and her Grand-mere are perusing the internet one afternoon and discover that their querulous guest Don Baxter is really Steve Harmon, one of the developers trying to take over the Crozat B&B. The next day, Maggie - playing the distraught widow - is leading a tour group through the Doucet Plantation when she finds the body of Steve Harmon in a wingchair. Persons of interest for Harmon's murder include Maggie and her family; women who've been harassed by Harmon; Harmon's wife; Harmon's business acquaintances; and even Detective Bo Durand, because of their run-in. Bo is taken off the case and Maggie - determined to clear her family and friends - helps Sheriff Rufus Durand investigate. Rufus was once an enemy of the Crozats, but he softened when he became a daddy, and he and Maggie are almost cordial now. Before long another murder occurs, and Maggie and Rufus have TWO cases to solve. In addition to poking around the murders Maggie goes to exercise classes at DanceBod; hobnobs with her friends; eats delicious Cajun food and sweets; gets news about her cousin Lia, who owns a pastry shop and a candy store; and is surprised by her old boyfriend Chris, who's visiting Pelican as an art advisor. Maggie even gets a businesslike marriage proposal from Steve Harmon's brother-in-law - who wants to merge their 'southern royalty' bloodlines. I like the Cajun Country Mysteries but this book wasn't one of my favorites. There are too many characters, too many side-plots, too many romances, and an over-complicated solution to the crimes. The story is just too jam-packed. Still, I enjoyed visiting with favorite characters in Pelican, and would recommend the book to fans of the series. Recipes in the book include: Shrimp Remoulade Muffaletta Frittata Holiday Brandy Pain Perdu Coconut Pecan Bars Spicy Cajun Sugar Cookies

Rating: 3 stars