Disclosure / Disclaimer: I received this ebook, free of charge, from Jofee Publishing, via their arc program, for review purposes on this blog. No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it. All opinions are my own
It's cozy. It's culinary. It's Mardi Gras madness! It's the fifth book in this fabulous mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today-bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.
Synopsis:
Step 1: join a killer krewe
It’s carnival season in New Orleans, and Ricki James-Diaz and her friends from Bon Vee are dressing up for Mardi Gras. They’ve joined the notorious krewe of Chew to support Ricki’s chef boyfriend, Virgil, who is to be crowned this year’s king. It’s all fun, throws, and over-the-top outfits until the krewe’s captain is found strangled with his own medallion.
Step 2: survive the festivities
The prime suspect is Ricki’s friend, the deceased’s wife who discovered he was cheating on her. It seems a straightforward case, but Ricki isn’t so sure. The krewe’s leader had many enemies including his mistress, his krewe co-founder who he ousted, and his college friend whose girlfriend he stole. One thing’s clear, Ricki’s at the center of yet another murder investigation. And if she’s not careful, her first Mardi Gras could also be her last . . .
Review
If you've never been part of her Mardi Gras krewe then you have no idea just how much drama and chaos can occur. Ellen does a great job of showing how interpersonal Dynamics and the drama inherent in putting on a major spectacle can influence not just the run up to Mardi Gras, but the whole year. In this case there's also the personal marriage Dynamics of the deceased to take into account. Once again Ricki and and list of family member to help try to figure out the mystery at hand. She needs all the help she can get if she's going to survive her first Mardi Gras krewe, her boyfriend being King of the parade for said krewe, and the apparent intentions of his ex to be back by his side. This one also brings in other family members, and their Mardi Gras experiences and wraps up a couple of backstories. Fans of the series do not miss this one! For newbies it's a great look at the series and the chaos of Mardi Gras. And yes it really is that crazy!
About the Author
Ellen is the USA Today bestselling, award-winning author of the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Cajun Country Mysteries, and Catering Hall Mysteries (under the pen name Maria DiRico). Her mysteries have won multiple Agatha Awards for Best Contemporary Novel and Lefty Awards for Best Humorous Mystery Lefty awards from the Left Coast Crime conference. Bayou Book Thief, her first Vintage Cookbook Mystery, was also nominated for an Anthony award.
Ellen's TV credits include Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly Odd Parents; she's written over 200 magazine articles; her published plays include the award-winning Graceland and Asleep on the Wind. She is a native New Yorker who lives in Los Angeles and attributes her fascination with Louisiana to her college years at New Orleans' Tulane University. She also worked as a cater-waiter for Martha Stewart, a credit she never tires of sharing
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