A Cajun Christmas Killing: 09/09/21

A Cajun Christmas Killing by Ellen Byron is the third of the Cajun County mysteries. It's nearly Christmas which means it's bonfire season in Pelican. Crozat Plantation Bed and Breakfast usually has one of the largest but this year they have to cut back because the business is struggling and Maggie's Dad has to watch his heart.

To make things worse, a rival B&B businessman ends up dead and the Crozats are suspects once again. His death brings to light the shady shade of being a hotelier. Maggie has to find the right balance between working for her family and following her art career.

I'm not usually a fan of holiday themed books, especially Christmas ones. Often the regular character dynamics are set aside for a mushy sentimentality. Here Christmas is a marker of time only. Instead of it being a Dickens Day festival or similar, the town comes together for bonfires — something more of a solstice celebration than a Christmas one. It was a nice change from the usual schlock.

The fourth book in the series is Mardi Gras Murder (2018).

Four stars

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