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booksuzi54's review
5.0
Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron is the 7th in the series. This is one of my all time favorite series, set in Louisiana; the town of Pelican is a scenic one--with warm and friendly characters. I feel invested in these fictional friends and enjoy spending time with them as they solve mysteries. Two marriages take place, Maggie and Bo---plus Grandmere and Les--- amid the stress of a celebrated chef opening a swanky new Cajun eatery. When a murder is discovered it is a race to discover the perpetrator and their reasons why it happened. I enjoyed following the clues and trying to solve the mystery. The epilogue is wonderful.
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an ARC of this wonderful novel to read and review. I like to review books I enjoy so that others can enjoy them ,too.
#CajunKissofDeath #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks
Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me an ARC of this wonderful novel to read and review. I like to review books I enjoy so that others can enjoy them ,too.
#CajunKissofDeath #NetGalley #CrookedLaneBooks
lesa_rd's review
3.0
The ending was clever, but overall the entire the book was not quite as engaging and captivating to me as previous books in this series.
ksrousseau's review against another edition
4.0
Cajun Kiss of Death is apparently the final entry in the Cajun Country mysteries. In this outing, a well-known chef and his volatile crew arrive in Pelican to open a fancy Cajun restaurant, causing turmoil within the group and with the locals when the chef steals some prized local recipes. Soon Maggie Crozat and her now-husband Bo Durand find themselves solving two separate murders and searching for Maggie's stalker. After the culprits are dealt with, the book ends with a fancy gala and the announcement of Maggie's pregnancy.
Like the other books in the series, the author captures the Louisiana feeling very well and her cast of characters are entertaining. An epilogue to the book follows Maggie, her family and her friends twenty years later in a rather sugar-sweet sappy ending. And as usual, the recipes mentioned in the book are added at the end. All in all, a light cozy mystery read.
Like the other books in the series, the author captures the Louisiana feeling very well and her cast of characters are entertaining. An epilogue to the book follows Maggie, her family and her friends twenty years later in a rather sugar-sweet sappy ending. And as usual, the recipes mentioned in the book are added at the end. All in all, a light cozy mystery read.
ithinktfiam's review
3.0
End of the series and definitely time. Too may deaths too close together in a small town. Also, too many stereotyped characters were getting old, such as the lawyer. This one had a major dumb section where the folks at a restaurant hire Maggie to be a waiter so she can spy. Unbelievable. Also, the pregnancy and the annoying epilogue were so trite as to make me happy the series is over.
To be honest, if this weren't the end, I'd give it 2-stars, but it gets three for wrapping it up and ending.
To be honest, if this weren't the end, I'd give it 2-stars, but it gets three for wrapping it up and ending.
dk_d1337d's review
4.0
Good end to a good series. Normally, I wouldn't bother with a review when I don't have any stronger opinions than that but one element in particular needs be remarked upon: Oyster Pirates!
Is it weird how happy this made me? There is a long history of Oyster Piracy in America and the fact that this book includes it makes me want to watch Nella Explains A Thing: Oyster Pirates on YouTube. Very good and short watch.
Is it weird how happy this made me? There is a long history of Oyster Piracy in America and the fact that this book includes it makes me want to watch Nella Explains A Thing: Oyster Pirates on YouTube. Very good and short watch.
leasummer's review
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
A lovely end to a delightful series. This starts with the TRIPLE!! wedding. Which was luckily murder free. It’s a Valentine’s Day theme, with a stalker, and a new restaurant that is stealing everyone’s recipes. Things go from bad to worse.
I loved the 20 year out epilogue, that was a fun way to do things and wrap up a seven book series.
I loved the 20 year out epilogue, that was a fun way to do things and wrap up a seven book series.
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review
5.0
A few weeks later just before Valentine’s Day, Celebrity Chef Phillippe Chanson is opening a restaurant in Pelican. The haughty chef has quite a stir in the town with his attitude, competitive drive, and recipe thievery. The chef dies with fanfare on the opening night of his restaurant leaving behind a surfeit of suspects including a beloved local restaurant owner and Maggie Crozat’s own mother. Maggie lays down her paint brush to don her sleuthing cap. Can Maggie paint the killer into a corner for the local police before Valentine’s Day? Cajun Kiss of Death by Ellen Byron is the 7th A Cajun Country Mystery. While it can be read as a standalone, I recommend reading this delightful series in order. It will allow you to get to know the characters and the town of Pelican, Louisiana. The characters are what make A Cajun Country Mysteries. I have loved watching these characters develop over the course of the series. Maggie has come a long way since Plantation Shudders. Maggie has a great family that is loving, welcoming, big hearts, and a wonderful sense of humor. Maggie’s grandmere is one feisty woman (her granddaughter is a chip off the old block). Cajun Kiss of Death has an opening that will delight fans of the series. There is food, family, fireworks, and fun. The whodunit was well plotted and a great one to solve. There is a surplus of suspects in this mystery with a plot twist or two along the way. I love how the author includes the history, culture, and cuisine of Louisiana. Ellen Byron brings Louisiana alive with her vivid descriptions. It is a place I want to visit. A Cajun Kiss of Death was over far too quickly. Based on the epilogue, Cajun Kiss of Death is the final book in this charming Southern series. I am glad the author provided the epilogue which gives those who love the series a contented conclusion. Cajun Kiss of Death is finer than a frog’s hair with purloined recipes, a jubilant New Year’s Eve gathering, flaring fireworks, stinky trash, stalker secret admirer, and a Valentine’s Day revelation.
belovedbrat's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kimdavishb's review
5.0
CAJUN KISS OF DEATH, the seventh book in the Cajun Country Mysteries by Ellen Byron, ends the series with a bang. A longtime favorite series of mine, Ms. Bryon pulls out all the stops with a topnotch mystery, characters that will linger in my memory, and the drool-worthy bayou setting of Louisiana in addition to a jaunt in New Orleans. With a strong descriptive voice, the author takes the reader on a ride where you can see, taste (oh, especially taste!), feel, smell, and hear all the things the setting has to offer. Starting the book already knowing that this will be the last one, left me with a bittersweet feeling. That said, I appreciate that Ms. Byron allows the reader to experience joy alongside protagonist, Maggie Crozat, as she settles into life with her new husband and charming stepson. She also does an admirable job of wrapping up and bringing closure to all the core characters from the series so the reader isn’t left dangling with a “whatever happened to so-and-so”.
The mystery itself is expertly woven into the fabric of the characters and the setting. When a celebrity chef ventures into the small town of Pelican to open a new restaurant, tempers fly both at his arrogance and his theft of cherished recipes from local eateries. His tragic death proves to be a murder and Maggie’s own mother becomes a suspect. Maggie’s perseverance for finding the truth gives the book a fast pace while several subplots kept the action going. With plenty of suspects around who hated the celebrity chef, by locals and out-of-towners alike, I was surprised at the Agatha Christie-style reveal – I didn’t guess the culprit in the least. And just as I thought the story was wrapping up, another heart-stopping conclusion came along. Ms. Byron has proven, once again, to be an expert storyteller!
With so many mouthwatering dishes mentioned throughout the story, I was practically drooling on the page and couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book to check out the delicious recipes the author includes.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
The mystery itself is expertly woven into the fabric of the characters and the setting. When a celebrity chef ventures into the small town of Pelican to open a new restaurant, tempers fly both at his arrogance and his theft of cherished recipes from local eateries. His tragic death proves to be a murder and Maggie’s own mother becomes a suspect. Maggie’s perseverance for finding the truth gives the book a fast pace while several subplots kept the action going. With plenty of suspects around who hated the celebrity chef, by locals and out-of-towners alike, I was surprised at the Agatha Christie-style reveal – I didn’t guess the culprit in the least. And just as I thought the story was wrapping up, another heart-stopping conclusion came along. Ms. Byron has proven, once again, to be an expert storyteller!
With so many mouthwatering dishes mentioned throughout the story, I was practically drooling on the page and couldn’t wait to get to the end of the book to check out the delicious recipes the author includes.
I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.