If you want to discover New Orleans or Louisiana in a cozy mystery, you can’t do any better than Ellen Byron novels. First, she won awards for her Cajun Country mysteries, and lately for her Vintage Cookbook mysteries. Byron has other series, but these two are my favorites. A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras, the fifth in the Vintage Cookbook series, celebrates the parades, parties, and food that signify carnival season. It’s not difficult to hide murder and attempted violence during this rowdy time.
Miracle “Ricki” Fleur de Lis James-Diaz was born in New Orleans, but grew up in Los Angeles. Now that she’s back in New Orleans, as the proprietor of Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop at Bon Vee estate, she’s getting to experience her first carnival season. Like other outsiders, she thought Mardi Gras was just in the week before Lent. But, carnival season is from Jan. 6, Epiphany, though Fat Tuesday, and the residents and krewes celebrate. Ricki’s boyfriend, Virgil Morel, co-owner of the Bayou Backyard restaurant, is this year’s king of the Krewe of Chew, a food-related krewe. She’s meeting all kinds of people from Chew, but her friends from Bon Vee are involved in the parades and floats as well.
Virgil is so involved in Chew that Ricki gets to know the Jax and Jessica Fortier, the krewe captain and his wife. She likes Jessica, and sneaks into the float area with her, only to witness Jax leave the float with another woman. That blows up in Jax’ face when the two women argue at a party. When Ricki and Virgil find the man dead afterward, Jessica is the primary suspect. She turns to Ricki for help, knowing the amateur sleuth has helped others.
Someone else knows Ricki is investigating, though, and carnival season isn’t the safest time to be an amateur sleuth in New Orleans. A couple physical assaults lead Ricki to wonder if all the money and time involved is worth the danger.
A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras may be my favorite in the series. Ricki’s long-time search for her birth mother is over. She’s trying to establish a relationship with her. Ricki and Virgil are on solid ground, although a krewe queen has her eye on Virgil. However, it’s all the magic surrounding the carnival season and the appetizing food that are highlights in this book. Byron’s quirky characters, including Ricki’s friends, are appealing characters who add to the fun in these stories. Add recipes and Byron’s notes about her research into krewes, and you have an engaging mystery with an inviting setting. Ellen Byron is the queen of New Orleans cozy mysteries.
Ellen Byron’s website is https://www.ellenbyron.com/
A Murderer’s Guide to Mardi Gras by Ellen Byron. Joffe Books/Severn House, 2026. 240p.
FTC Full Disclosure – I received a galley from the publisher, through NetGalley, with no expectation of a positive review.
