Murder in the Bayou Boneyard by Ellen Byron is the sixth book in the “Cajun Country” cozy mystery series, released September 8, 2020.
Maggie Crozat, proprietor of a historic Cajun Country B&B, prefers to let the good times roll. But hard times rock her hostelry when a new cell phone app makes it easy for locals to rent their spare rooms to tourists. With October–and Halloween–approaching, she conjures up a witch-crafty marketing scheme to draw visitors to Pelican, Louisiana.
Five local plantation B&Bs host “Pelican’s Spooky Past” packages, featuring regional crafts, unique menus, and a pet costume parade. Topping it off, the derelict Dupois cemetery is the suitably sepulchral setting for the spine-chilling play Resurrection of a Spirit. But all the witchcraft has inevitably conjured something: her B&B guests are being terrified out of town by sightings of the legendary rougarou, a cross between a werewolf and vampire.
When, in the Dupois cemetery, someone costumed as a rougarou stumbles onstage during the play–and promptly gives up the ghost, the rougarou mask having been poisoned with strychnine, Maggie is on the case. But as more murders stack up, Maggie fears that Pelican’s spooky past has nothing on its bloodcurdling present.
Dru’s Musing:
Another great book in this endearing series. Murder, an exotic creature, and wedding preparation are the tantalizing scenarios within the pages of this mystery that kept me immersed in all that was happening. A page-turner with all the bells and whistle of a well-written and fast-paced whodunit is not a book to be missed. All the characters had pivotal roles that enhanced my reading engagement. A great read and so looking forward to the wedding.