Lil Bootz and I are super excited to get advance review copies of these two books via the wide, wonderous world of NetGalley. Hooray for free books! The only problem, however, is that both of these mysteries are devoid of cats. With promises of catnip and extra helpings of party mix, she reluctantly decided to humor me. Here we bring you two cozies for those of us who enjoy downhome cooking, small town mystique and jigsaw puzzle mysteries.

Mardi Gras Murder by Ellen Byron

It’s been a while since I’ve journeyed to the Crozet Plantation B&B, located on the outskirts of the Big Easy. When I saw this cover, I immediately requested an ARC so I could party at Mardi Gras with Maggie and her fam in the land of gators and gumbo. As expected, this was a fun, atmospheric mystery filled with eccentric Southerners, downhome Cajun cooking and deep, dark family secrets. The story begins with an unidentified dead body washing up on the B&B’s property after a major storm. Who was this stranger and what was he doing in Pelican of all places? Things get even weirder when someone knocks off one of the judges for the local teen queen pageant. It’s up to our fearless sleuth—and her two doggie sidekicks—to solve both mysteries before Pelican’s annual Mardi Gras parade. And if that’s not stressful enough, she’s also got another vexing mystery involving an absentee boyfriend. There’s quite a few guessing games to sort out, but I had a lot of fun playing along! Like a pot full of Tug’s jambalaya, there’s a lot going on here! We’ve got a shady cast of suspects involving stage moms (aka momtestants), competitive teenage girls, Southern bluebloods and a very bitter wife. So many people had something to gain from the town historian’s murder—and it’s up to Maggie to piece together the clues before the king cake gets cut! If you enjoy atmospheric mysteries set in the South, I highly recommend this series. Fans of Jana Deleon will enjoy the humorous banter and ridiculous subplots. Poor Tug…I hope he eventually bonds with that new gumbo pot.

Killer Green Tomatoes by Lynn Cahoon 

Surprisingly I have only just now discovered this talented author who has written dozens of cozy mysteries. How’d that happen? Perhaps not enough kitties on the covers? If it wasn’t for the big, goofy St. Bernard gracing the cover, I don’t think I would’ve even noticed this new farm-to-table series. Also, I’m a big fan of comfort food, so the restaurant setting was most enjoyable. A word to the wise: You must not read this on an empty stomach. Otherwise all the sumptuous entrees in Angie’s kitchen will drive you bonkers! Come to think of it, I could go for some fried green tomatoes right about now…but I digress. This is a fun little whodunnit with an interesting cast of characters—from the womanizing tomato vendor (and No. 1 murder suspect!) to the serial-dater best friend to the gossipy townies. For the most part, Angie’s a likeable gal with a good heart. It just irks me that she’s a workaholic and clearly has no time for her incredibly sweet boyfriend. There’s zero fireworks between the two—especially on Angie’s end. And it just seems like it’s only fair for her to let the poor man go so another lucky single lady can cash in on that action. Don’t get me wrong, Angie’s a great gal. She looks after her neighbors and makes her team of restaurant workers feel like family. I just wish she could let loose a little and maybe partake in a hobby that doesn’t involve work. Perhaps a mystery cruise is in order for the next installment! Aside from those minor gripes, this is a solid mystery series that left me guessing until the final chapters.  And—spoiler alert!—there’s a yummy fried zucchini recipe included in the back pages! Now if you’ll please excuse me, I have some experimenting to do in the kitchen.