Ellen Byron is one of my favorite current mystery authors and I will read anything she writes! I loved visiting New Orleans again with the Vintage Cookbook crew. This time, we had the opportunity to learn more about Ricki's previous LA life and her husband as the world's hottest action star moves in next door. This is such a fun fall read and I loved how the whole Miss Vee crew got in on the mystery solving. Lots of twists and turns and while I enjoyed the mystery, I'm just in love with the characters and writing. Highly recommend for all cozy mystery fans!

Thansk to NetGalley for the copy!

It’s Halloween in New Orleans, and Ricky gets the biggest fright when she finds that her husband’s best friend, whom she holds partly responsible for his death, has come to town. Not only has he come to town, he’s brought the mansion next-door to Bon Vee.

While Blaine’s assistant has made life difficult for the folks at Bon Vee, it’s her murder that pushes them over the edge. As suspects, Ricky and the gang need to figure out who killed the young woman and why. Because all things keep making life more difficult for Ricky and the gang. Can they clear their names, or does a killer truly walk among them?

Ellen Byron seems to be the Ann Rice of cozy mysteries. She just dominates the New Orleans scene. I have enjoyed all of her series to date but I particularly enjoy the one set in Cajun country. Oooo eee this author knows her Crescent City!

This book really hooked me in:
New Orleans setting—check!
Cute, vintage, shop—check!
Endearing and fully formed side characters—check!

I could go on and on. Some cozy mystery main characters can really annoy me with their inner thoughts and poor sleuthing choices, but not Ricki. I had so much fun getting to know her, her friends and co-workers of Bon Vee. As far as I’m concerned it’s already the start of spooky season (it’s barely mid-August lol) and so I really appreciated the folks at Bon Vee creating their haunted house tours—it really set the mood.

I felt like the mystery was well-paced and not super predictable and I enjoyed following the path of clues with Ricki. This book had the classic cozy mystery charm and the mystery was fun to figure out. I feel like some cozy mysteries can leave me feeling like the mystery is barely half-baked but that’s not how I felt with this one.

One thing that bugged me and I see this so much in the cozy mystery genre is the fat phobia or comments regarding dieting/food restricting. It bums me out and I don’t feel like it’s ever necessary to move the plot or character development forward. Otherwise, I really did enjoy this book!

I hope to read more from this series!

To celebrate Halloween, the staff at the Bon Vee Museum is setting up a haunted tour for their visitors, but are soon out-staged by their new next-door neighbor, a movie star who used to be one of Ricki’s friends. When a body found in Bon Vee’s stage crypt turns out to be a real dead body and not a prop and the police are overwhelmed with the mischief and mayhem that occurs at Halloween in New Orleans, it’s up to Ricki and the Bon Vee staff to find a killer.

I really like this series and was happy to learn that it would continue with this book. I’ve never visited New Orleans, but it’s on my bucket list, and reading books like this make me want to move the visit up higher on the priority list :) I like Ricki, the MC, and most of her friends and family.

The murder victim here was not a pleasant person, and there were several suspects beyond the Bon Vee staff who topped the police’s list. The motive for each suspect was nearly the same, so that didn’t help cross names off the list. A few characters were consistently at the top of my mental list, and although I wasn’t able to narrow it down to just one person, that culprit was on my short list, and the motive was what I suspected it would be.

I hope this series continues, as I want to read more about what Ricki and her friends get up to next.

Culinary & Literary Cozy Mystery about a Louisiana culinary museum gift shop proprietor turns sleuth after a movie star's assistant is found dead in their haunted house's faux tomb.

5/5 stars: This is Byron's third entry in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series, which is a Culinary and Literary Cozy Mystery that takes place in Louisiana during Halloween and features the vintage cookbook gift shop proprietor at a Culinary House Museum housed in a historic New Orleans mansion. After a movie star's assistant's found dead in their haunted house's faux tomb, she'll exchange her witch's hat for a deer stalker to sleuth out the killer before they strike again. Byron has masterfully crafted a mystery that deftly balances the suspects, clues and red herrings and will leave you pondering the whodunit until the final reveal. There also an over-arching plot of Ricki's search for her birth family; there were some interesting reveals and I look forward to reading where it goes from here. Additionally, Byron's writing and character work are stellar; the characters are well-rounded and complex while remaining incredibly likable. It's a joy to catch up with Ricki, her friends and the quirky folks at Bon Vee Culinary House Museum. I also appreciate seeing Ricki and Virgil figuring out their relationship, they both have difficult pasts so seeing them working on it is great. And for those who love animals there's a veritable menagerie in this series: Ricki and Virgil's dogs Thor and Princess, the museum's new shop kitten, Red Beans and the museum grounds resident peacocks, Gumbo and Jambalaya. Oh and there are plenty of spooky, cozy autumnal Halloween vibes! I for one love all the vintage cookbooks, gadgets and decor mentioned and you'll so want to try the delicious recipes included. While you could read this as a stand-alone, you'll gain so much more by reading the series from the beginning; so be sure to pick up book one, Bayou Book Thief.

I received this eARC thanks to NetGalley and Severn House in exchange for an honest review. Publishing dates are subject to change.

A Feisty Plot..
The third in the Vintage Cookbook series of mysteries and Halloween in New Orleans is well underway with all manner of frights planned. Things, however, are about to get very real indeed when it becomes clear that murder is afoot. With an array of eclectic characters populating a fast moving and feisty plot, a snippy narrative and a dazzlingly atmospheric setting this is a fast, fun and frothy mystery.

Ricki James-Diaz and the rest of the staff are preparing for Halloween in New Orleans by turning the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum into a haunted house. The personal assistant of their new neighbor, Hollywood star Blaine Taggart, is making things difficult for the Bon Vee crew by filing various and superfluous complaints against them. When the Bon Vee’s shed-turned mausoleum becomes the final resting place for Miranda, Ricki gets caught up in another criminal investigation.

FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT is the first Vintage Cookbook Mystery that I’ve read, but I’m planning to go back and check out the first two novels in the series. The cast of characters is very fun, and Ricki’s search into her ancestry is compelling. Ellen Byron really brings New Orleans to life, and I’m now determined to visit the city during the Halloween season. Overall, the story moved quickly, and I was kept guessing as to the identity of the killer until the end. I highly recommend this series to cozy mystery fans.

Ricki and the others at the Bon Vee Culinary Museum are busy getting ready for the Halloween festivities and planning a haunted house. However, the new owners of the mansion nest door are causing problems. Miranda Fine, who is the assistant to the mystery owner, is barraging them with complaints.

All of the residents have various acrimonious confrontations with Miranda. When it is learned that she is the assistant for Blaine Taggart, A-list movie star and best friend of Ricki's late husband, the situation gets even more complex for Ricki. And when Miranda's body is found as a centerpiece in one of Bon Vee's Halloween displays, it is up to Ricki to help the police solve the crime since she and her friends are in the suspects' pool.

Meanwhile, Ricki is also looking into her family tree. Adopted as an infant in New Orleans, she wants to find any possible remaining relatives. Having tracked down part of her family and finding that she's related to the founder of Bon Vee, she's been trying to find out about the male line. She is quite surprised to find that the murder Victim is a distant relative, but it does give her another thread to tug to find out about her history.

This was another fun episode in the Vintage Cookbook series. I liked that some recipes from vintage cookbooks were included.

The third in a series of the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, Halloween comes to New Orleans and the staff of Bon Vee are in for a frightful time. Gift shop proprietor Ricki James-Diaz has her ghostly past invade her quaint life in the form of Blaine Taggart, movie star and former best friend of her deceased ex husband Chris. Blaine wants something and Ricki isn’t sure what that is just yet, but when Blaine’s nasty assistant Miranda Fine winds up in the Bon Vee’s haunted house crypt it becomes a who done it in this Halloween romp gone wrong. This campy mystery brings together the wholesomeness of found family with the thrilling murder mystery’s of old.

I enjoy all the books in the series. I would recommend this book as a good read. What not to love Halloween in New Orleans a haunted house and a dead body found in a fake tomb.








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"French Quarter Fright Night” the 3rd instalment in A Vintage Cookbook Mystery series by Ellen Byron. I love this series! Welcome to the Bon Veeevil Festival of Fear! Prepare for the spookiest night of your life . . .

I absolutely loved this story, full of more family secrets, Halloween and a new fluff ball named Red!

I really like Ricki, Zellah, Lyla, Eugenia and Victoria. Once again I enjoyed the interaction between Ricki and Detective Rodriguez. The author is great at building a community you become invested in and you want to be apart of it.

The mystery is interesting and well plotted, and had plenty of twists to keep engaged right to the very end.The story moves at a steady pace, and I had a hard time putting it down. I also liked how the author left the ending making us wait in anticipation for book 4.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy lover friends. I can’t wait for book three!

I requested and received an Advanced Readers Copy from Severn House and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

FRENCH QUARTER FRIGHT NIGHT is the third book in the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries by Ellen Byron. Halloween in New Orleans is as over-the-top decadent as you can imagine and with a murder thrown into the mix, protagonist Ricki James-Diaz’s investigation is frightfully fun! Ms. Byron’s trademark humor and Halloween puns are out in full force, providing lots of chuckles, while her memorable characters make the story come alive on the pages. And, of course, the tempting descriptions of New Orleans and Halloween celebrations are enough to make anyone pack their bags and head south for a visit. This third book turned out to be my favorite so far… things are coming together for Ricki and she’s finding answers about herself and moving forward after the death of her husband. I enjoyed the addition of the blast from Ricki’s past, which provided the catalyst for the discoveries and added to the mystery.

The author theatrically sets the stage for murder and while I was pretty certain I knew who would get bumped off, the spooky scene was fitting for Halloween. With a fast-paced plot and lots of action going on with Halloween shenanigans, it was nearly impossible to put the book down. I liked Ricki doesn’t try to solve the crime all on her own but instead, relies on her friends and co-workers to hunt down clues and keep each other safe. There were suspects aplenty and some red herrings to throw the reader as the clues fell into place. But truthfully, this is such a fun book I couldn’t help but sit back and enjoy the tricks and treats!

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Such a terrific spooky story for the Halloween season. This book 3 in a series will make you dash back and read the previous two. Recommended!

The characters are quirky and memorable. The setting is quite perfect for intrigue and mystery. The combination of humor and mystery make for a fast page turner. Loved it!

A cozy mystery set during Halloween in New Orleans.

I've not read the first books in this series, so I was a little worried about getting to know the characters. It turns out that the author does an excellent job at filling in the gaps, so jumping in on the third book didn't negatively impact my experience at all!

I liked the diverse cast of characters and the theming for Halloween was great! This was a fun read and I'll definitely be checking out other installments in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐

new orleans on halloween, count me in! i have read the other 2 books in this series and have thoroughly enjoyed them. i would recommend reading the others as you get a little more information about ricki, but its not totally necessary.
this is just your typical cozy mystery:)

The author has two mystery series as well as a novel in print. This book is the third installment of the Vintage Cookbook mysteries. Set in New Orleans at halloween.
The Bon Vee culinary house museum consists of Ricki Fleur De Lis James- Diaz who is the proprietor of the Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware shop. She is looking for her birth parents. Zeliah Batiste is an artist and cafe manager. Eugenia Charbonnet Felice is President of the Bon Vee Foundation. Olivia Felice is Eugenia's grandaughter and is is also Ricki's intern. Theo is Eugenia's nephew. Cookie Yanover works at Bon Vee and Virgil Morel is the ex lover of Ricki and is an accomplished chef and owner of the Bayou Backyard.
Ricki has had previous dealings with Detectives Nina Rodriguez and Sam Girard.
When movie star Blaine Taggart buys the house next door to Eugenia's house in the Garden district that problems start. Blaine is the reason that Ricki's husband Chris is deceased. When Ricki complains about annoying problems she is given no help from Miranda Fine who is Blaine's assistant.
When Miranda is found murdered and Ricki finds that she is related to the woman that Ricki's amateur detective senses are awoken again.
A new author to me but enjoyable. I love NOLA so any book based there is good. Also a few interesting recipes to try out! Very good. Recommended.

Halloween is celebration time in New Orleans and the staff at Bon Vee Culinary House Museum get in the spirit by setting up an over-the-top haunted house tour. Ricki looks forward to increased vintage cookbook shop traffic and isn't happy having to deal with new neighbor in the mansion next door who complains about multiple issues. When Rciki decides to confront the owner she finds she's dealing with Miranda Fine, Personal assitant to Blaine Taggart. Taggart was the last person Ricki expected to see. He and her deceased husband worked together in LA and Ricki holds Taggart responsible for her husband's death. When Miranda's body is found in Bon Vee's Halloween tomb Ricki can't resist putting her amateur detective hat on under her witches hat. Who would want to kill Miranda? It seems the suspects are many and it's up to Ricki to sort through motives to find the killer, especially since Bon Vee staff are among them.
This is # 3 in in the Vintage Cookbook mystery series. Once again Byron captures the ambiance of New Orleans with setting, food and interesting characters. Thanks to Netgalley and Severn House for the ARC.

I really like this series, from main character Ricki to the quirky assortment of secondary characters. In this installment, I enjoyed the L.A. underbelly come to NOLA, the way Ricki stands up to Virgil and refuses to be taken for granted, and the way Ricki stands up to other people too. I love that she's not swayed by the idea of fame.

I also like that various characters are likeable but at the same time irritating. Ricki's watchfulness for Olivia is nice, even though Olivia annoys me some.

The plotting was a little convoluted, but the whole thing was still a fun, escapist journey.

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's nearly Halloween in New Orleans, and the staff of the Bon Vee Culinary House Museum have decide to set up a haunted house, much to the disgust of their new next door neighbour who seems more interested in frightening them out of business.

But when the new owner is revealed to be someone from Ricki's past and the dead body of one of his staff stashed in the haunted house things take a spooky turn.

This is the first novel from the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries that I have read.

Having been a big fan of Byron's Cajun Country Mysteries, I was interested to see how this stacked up. Once again Byron delivered on mystery with a distinctive New Orleans flair.

A great book to get yourself this Halloween.