Plantation Shudders

June 22, 2015
Byron’s debut brings energy and verve to the cozy formula of a woman returning home after troubles in the big city. Magnolia “Maggie” Crozat, disappointed in love and in her career as an artist in New York, returns to her childhood plantation home in Louisiana, now a family-run B&B. It’s full-up with people eager to attend the local food festival, but the unexpected deaths of a recently married older couple set the cat among the pigeons. Since the local sheriff has a long-standing grudge against the Crozat family, he would be only too happy to accuse one of them of murder. The arrival of the sheriff’s cousin Bo Durand, the new deputy, changes things for the better, and it’s clear from the get-go that he’ll provide a romantic interest for Maggie, who is described as having a lithe body. Maggie’s banning of some tourists from conducting Civil War reenactments on Crozat land injects a note of political correctness that some readers may find unnecessary. Agent: Doug Grad, Doug Grad Literary Agency.

Starred review from July 1, 2015

Having returned to Louisiana after a humiliating breakup and the derailment of her Manhattan career, Maggie Crozat now helps her parents run their plantation bed-and-breakfast. When two guests drop dead within minutes of each other, her new-found peace is shattered, along with the reputation of her family's inn. The police chief of Pelican, Rufus Durand, is an old enemy, and he does his best to implicate Maggie's family, but his cousin Paul "Bo" Durand is the new detective in town, and he's more intent on finding the real killer. Then another body turns up. Who is killing the guests at the Crozat B&B and why? VERDICT 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.

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