Crescent City Christmas Chaos by Ellen Byron

Virtual Book Tour November 3 – 28, 2025

It’s Christmas. It’s cozy. It’s culinary. It’s chaos! It’s the fourth book in this fabulous mystery series with a vintage flair from USA Today bestselling and Agatha Award–winning author Ellen Byron.

Description

Have yourself a merry little . . . murder?

Ricki James-Diaz gets the best present ever when her parents arrive in New Orleans for the holidays. Not only is it a chance to catch up, it’s also an opportunity to jog her mom Josepha’s memory about Ricki’s adoption. The details have always been shrouded in mystery, and Ricki understands why when she learns her mother was blackmailed for years, simply for not wanting to lose her precious daughter.

But digging into the past soon lands the James-Diaz clan in water hotter than a big pot of gumbo! When the woman who extorted Ricki’s mom is found dead at her home, Josepha becomes the primary suspect. Now Ricki has another murder to solve, and tracking down a killer in Crescent City is going to take a miracle.

Luckily, ‘tis the season! And Ricki has all the staff at the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum on hand to help. Can she prove her mother’s innocence and have the case wrapped up in time for Christmas?

My Thoughts

I’ve read past entries in Byron’s Vintage Cookbook Mystery series so had a pretty good idea of what to expect. I found exactly that with a delightfully presented cozy mystery that includes Christmastime in New Orleans, preparations for Mardi Gras Krewes, lots of delicious food, and of course a whole raft of human shenanigans!

This is one of the cozy series I return to again and again and recommend to other readers constantly. The story is fun as well as suspenseful, with characters who pop off the page. If you have any familiarity with the New Orleans food scene, you’ll recognize some familiar characters who may or may not be based on real people.

Byron is equally skilled at narrative description and dialog, setting scenes that build tension up to the final, white-knuckle final scene. That said, there’s a lot going on here – Ricki’s adoption, Josepha’s extortion, Phyllis’ murder, Olivia’s Krewe Queen situation, Patrick’s temper and mysterious disappearances, and, finally, Mr. Bongle’s thefts. While it’s a lot to keep track of, I found that all of the varied plot lines made me feel that nerve-jangling feeling you get when the holidays are coming and you are NOT ready. If the author intended that, she 100% succeeded!

As I said earlier, this is a series I keep recommending and will continue to do so. It’s fun, clever, and very well-written. While part of a series, this can be read on its own.

Author Bio

Ellen Byron is a USA Today bestselling author and recipient of multiple Agatha (Best Contemporary Novel) and Lefty (Best Humorous Mystery) awards for her Cajun Country Mysteries (published by Crooked Lane), Vintage Cookbook Mysteries (Berkley and Severn House), Catering Hall Mysteries (Kensington, as Maria DiRico) and Golden Motel Mysteries (Kensington). She is also an Anthony Award nominee and an award-winning playwright.

Byron spent twenty-five years writing TV hits like Wings, Just Shoot Me, and Fairly OddParents, plus pilots for all the major networks, before segueing into writing humorous mysteries. She blogs with Chicks on the Case, is a lifetime member of the Writers Guild of America, and serves on the national board of Mystery Writers of America. But she’ll always consider her most impressive achievement working as a cater-waiter for the iconic Martha Stewart.

A native New Yorker, Byron is a graduate of Tulane University and lives in the Los Angeles area with her husband, daughter, and a rotating crew of rescue pups.

Book Details

Genre: Culinary Cozy Mystery
Published by: Severn House
Publication Date: November 4, 2025
Number of Pages: 240 (HC)
ISBN: 9781448313181 (ISBN10: 144831318X) (HC)
Series: A Vintage Cookbook Mystery, 4

Book Trailer

Shortlinks

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Vintage Cookbook Mystery Series

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