USA TODAY Bestseller Secrets, suspects, and Southern hospitality abound at Maggie Crozat’s Louisiana B&B in this first installment of the Cajun Country cozy mystery series. Includes yummy recipes like Crawfish Crozat and Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding!
It’s the end of the summer and Prodigal Daughter Maggie Crozat has returned home to her family’s plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast in Louisiana. The Crozats have an inn full of guests for the local food festival—elderly honeymooners, the Cajun Cuties, a mysterious stranger from Texas, a couple of hipster lovebirds, and a trio of Georgia frat boys. But when the elderly couple keels over dead within minutes of each other—one from very unnatural causes—Maggie and the others suddenly become suspects in a murder.
With the help of Bo Durand, the town’s handsome new detective, Maggie must investigate to clear her name while holding the family business together at the same time. And the deeper she digs, the more she wonders: are all the guests really there for a vacation or do they have ulterior motives? Decades-old secrets and stunning revelations abound in Ellen Byron’s charming cozy debut, Plantation Shudders.
AGATHA AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST MYSTERY LEFTY AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST HUMOROUS MYSTERY DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD NOMINEE
“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
“This quickly became a page-turner and when it was all said and done, I didn’t want the story to end . . . This is a delightfully charming debut that I hope is here to stay for a long, long time. I’m so happy a second book is in production.” —Dru's Book Musings
“This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, one that will make you crave a mint julep before dinner and gumbo for the meal.” —Kings River Life Magazine
“Plantation Shudders is a great read and it gets a hearty recommend from me. Ms. Byron has a winner.” —Long and Short Reviews
"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
“When love goes wrong, aspiring artist Maggie Crozat heads back to the bayou to become a modern-day belle with a mission to keep the family’s historic plantation financially afloat. A jambalaya of colorful friends and relatives, plus scrumptious Cajun cooking and a basset hound named Gopher make Pelican, Louisiana as southern as good manners and Spanish Moss. But before long, there’s murder under the magnolias, and Maggie must spring into action. 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 Mystery Series
“You will definitely want to check into Ellen Byron’s Plantation Shudders where she serves up a tasty Louisiana style gumbo of mystery, humor and good ole’ Southern charm. It goes down easy and leaves you hungry for more.” —Lee Hollis, author of Death of a Kitchen Diva
“A delightful journey through Cajun Country with a charming new heroine.” —Connie Archer, author of A Spoonful of Murder
Ellen Byron is a television writer, playwright, and freelance journalist. Her TV credits include Wings, Still Standing, and Just Shoot Me, and her written work has appeared in Glamour, REDBOOK, and Seventeen, among others. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, their daughter, and the family’s very spoiled rescue dog. A native New Yorker, Ellen still misses her hometown, and still drives like a New York Cabbie.
USA TODAY Bestseller Secrets, suspects, and Southern hospitality abound at Maggie Crozat’s Louisiana B&B in this first installment of the Cajun Country cozy mystery series. Includes yummy recipes like Crawfish Crozat and Bourbon Pecan Bread Pudding!
It’s the end of the summer and Prodigal Daughter Maggie Crozat has returned home to her family’s plantation-turned-bed-and-breakfast in Louisiana. The Crozats have an inn full of guests for the local food festival—elderly honeymooners, the Cajun Cuties, a mysterious stranger from Texas, a couple of hipster lovebirds, and a trio of Georgia frat boys. But when the elderly couple keels over dead within minutes of each other—one from very unnatural causes—Maggie and the others suddenly become suspects in a murder.
With the help of Bo Durand, the town’s handsome new detective, Maggie must investigate to clear her name while holding the family business together at the same time. And the deeper she digs, the more she wonders: are all the guests really there for a vacation or do they have ulterior motives? Decades-old secrets and stunning revelations abound in Ellen Byron’s charming cozy debut, Plantation Shudders.
Praise
AGATHA AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST FIRST MYSTERY LEFTY AWARD FINALIST FOR BEST HUMOROUS MYSTERY DAPHNE DU MAURIER AWARD NOMINEE
“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
“This quickly became a page-turner and when it was all said and done, I didn’t want the story to end . . . This is a delightfully charming debut that I hope is here to stay for a long, long time. I’m so happy a second book is in production.” —Dru's Book Musings
“This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, one that will make you crave a mint julep before dinner and gumbo for the meal.” —Kings River Life Magazine
“Plantation Shudders is a great read and it gets a hearty recommend from me. Ms. Byron has a winner.” —Long and Short Reviews
"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
“When love goes wrong, aspiring artist Maggie Crozat heads back to the bayou to become a modern-day belle with a mission to keep the family’s historic plantation financially afloat. A jambalaya of colorful friends and relatives, plus scrumptious Cajun cooking and a basset hound named Gopher make Pelican, Louisiana as southern as good manners and Spanish Moss. But before long, there’s murder under the magnolias, and Maggie must spring into action. 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 Mystery Series
“You will definitely want to check into Ellen Byron’s Plantation Shudders where she serves up a tasty Louisiana style gumbo of mystery, humor and good ole’ Southern charm. It goes down easy and leaves you hungry for more.” —Lee Hollis, author of Death of a Kitchen Diva
“A delightful journey through Cajun Country with a charming new heroine.” —Connie Archer, author of A Spoonful of Murder
Author
Ellen Byron is a television writer, playwright, and freelance journalist. Her TV credits include Wings, Still Standing, and Just Shoot Me, and her written work has appeared in Glamour, REDBOOK, and Seventeen, among others. She lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, their daughter, and the family’s very spoiled rescue dog. A native New Yorker, Ellen still misses her hometown, and still drives like a New York Cabbie.
