Crescent City Christmas Chaos: Vintage Cookbook Mystery, Book 4

It's Christmas time in New Orleans and Ricki's parents are in town courtesy of her chef boyfriend Virgil who has been contracted by a Food Network type streaming service to host is own cooking show centered around the New Orleans tradition of the Réveillon dinner. Ricki's dad Luis is the camera man for the show. Ricki is hoping that while her parent's are there she and her mom can go the Charity Hospital where Josepha worked as a nurse and adopted Ricki who was abandoned by her birth mom at the hospital but her mom is reluctant to give any information. When Ricki tracks down Phyllis Gibbs another former worker at Charity Hospital she discovers that her mom and Phyllis don't have a good history and things go from bad to worse when Phyllis is found dead in her home and her death is deemed a homicide. It goes from bad to worse when her mom and dad and her boyfriend end up on the Detective's Nina and Sam's radar as primary suspects! Ricki is determined to prove that her parents and boyfriend are not killers. This was such a great mystery and I loved the side mystery of someone dressed as a beloved New Orleans figure and committing robberies that are somehow taking precedence over a murder. As always Ellen Byron mixes humor with murder with plenty of red herrings and I enjoyed every minute!

Crescent City Christmas Chaos is the fourth book in the Vintage Cookbook Mystery series by one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, Ellen Byron. It’s a charming and engaging mystery featuring Ricki James-Diaz and a wonderful cast of supporting characters, and it highlights New Orleans’ culture, food, and history. Ricki is a California transplant who has moved back to her birth city. She’s turned her avocation of collecting vintage cookbooks into a job by establishing a gift shop in the late home turned museum of Genevieve (Vee) Charbonnet, who ran one of the city’s finest restaurants before she died. Ricki’s gift shop features vintage cookbooks and kitchenware. She has great instincts for finding clues to solve mysteries, but she sometimes acts before thinking which can put her in danger. With Christmas approaching, the staff of the museum are gearing up for the holiday. Ricki’s boyfriend, Virgil Morel, surprises her by bringing her parents to New Orleans for the holidays. Not only is it an opportunity to catch up on their lives, but it’s an opportunity to try to jog her mom’s memory about Ricki’s adoption. But digging into the past has consequences and soon Ricki’s parents are suspects in a murder. Ricki is a likeable person who makes friends easily, but she has trust issues due to her backstory. She is a softy at heart, organized, honest, and adept at telling when people are lying. There are many characters, but there is a character list at the front of the book for reference. For those who have read the prior books in the series, there are several repeat characters. As always, the world-building and characterization are great. There are a few twists and turns and there are a few sub-plots as well. I enjoyed the humor that the author intersperses throughout the novel along with visits with the various animals. Thor and Princess are the canines Ricki co-parents with Virgil, and Gumbo and Jambalaya are the peacocks at the museum. Ricki also has a cat, Red Beans. Threads of found family, friendship, connections, and murder add depth to the novel. At the end of the book are some recipes. Overall, this is an entertaining novel with some tense moments that kept me engaged throughout the story. This series is best read in order. The earlier books fill in Ricki’s background and readers can see her character grow over time. Those who enjoy cozy mysteries with an amateur sleuth will likely enjoy this series. I can’t wait to see where the author takes the next book in the series. Severn House and Ellen Byron provided a complimentary digital ARC of this novel via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own. The publication date is currently set for November 04, 2025.

I won this book from a holiday takeover on Facebook. I absolutely loved the book! I’m so glad I was introduced to this series. The characters are fun and complex, the story kept me guessing. All in all a great read. I will be going back and reading the series from the beginning.

I love this series! A page turner with interesting characters and New Orleans is clearly part of the story. I'd love to go visit.

As readers dive into Crescent City Christmas Chaos, they discover Ricki is still on the hunt for her biological mother. Meanwhile, the shop is as busy as ever with holiday shoppers. When her boyfriend, Virgil Morel, announces he is making his first solo TV cooking show special, this brings Ricki's father, Luis, back to New Orleans to be Virgil's camera operator. Thrilled to have her parents in town, this will give her the excuse to pry more details about her adoption from her mother. But when Phyllis Gibbs, the woman who helped Josepha adopt Ricki decades ago, is found dead, Ricki's parents become the primary suspects once it is discovered she had been blackmailing Josepha. This leads Ricki and a supporting cast of characters to search for the real killer. Thankfully, Byron included a cast of characters broken down by who they are and where they work, because there are a ton, and I sometimes found it challenging to keep track of them all. This is a fun, light mystery with engaging characters, a fabulous setting, and a solid plot. Though this is the fourth novel in the series, it can stand on its own, and I don't feel anything is lost--except backstory--by reading this novel by itself. It's easy to see why Byron has won awards for her mysteries. I look forward to reading more from her. I received a copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

Another good book in this series. This author continues to capture the true essence of New Orleans. The characters are interesting, the plot keeps you reading and the book is well written. Looking forward to the next book.

Dollycas’s Thoughts Christmas is a busy time at The Bon Vee Culinary House Museum and Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware Shop. Ricki James-Diaz has filled the shop with some fabulous things for the holidays, but her boyfriend, Virgil, has delivered the best presents of all: Ricki’s parents, just in time for the holidays. The current “cooking world hottie” has a new project in the works and Luis James-Diaz has the expertise he needs. Josepha is excited to be home for the holidays. Ricki thinks now would be the perfect time to learn more about the mystery of her adoption. Her parents have been open to her research, but her mother has been keeping a secret. To keep her daughter safe and with her, Josepha had paid a blackmailer for years. Now, the blackmailer has been murdered, and Luis, Josepha, Ricki, and even Virgil, find their names on the list of suspects. Local law enforcement is a little bogged down by a rash of robberies by someone dressed up as New Orleans’ Mr. Bongle, now called the Bongle Bandit, but Detective Nina Rodriguez tells Ricki to stay out of the case. Yeah, right, Ricki is totally on the case. A case that must be packaged up with a bow by Christmas. Christmas in New Orleans. What could be better? It’s the perfect time to catch up with all our friends at Bon Vee. These unique and diverse characters continue to delight me in the best ways. I loved that Ricki’s parents were in town for the holidays and were featured characters in the story. Virgil did a really good thing in bringing them to town, even with all the chaos that ensued. Ms. Byron had to plot this book out with such precision to allow the many subplots to flow so effortlessly with the main mystery. Holiday happenings at Bon Vee, the Krewe Court announcement, Virgil’s project, a spur-of-the-moment Bon Vee community cookbook, the Bongle Bandit, Ricki’s continued search for her birth parents, and just what is Theo Charbonnet being so secretive about? The twists and turns of daily life added to the twists and turns of the murder investigation, kept the pages turning at a brisk pace. Surprisingly, Nina is on board as Ricki, Zellah, Cookie, and Mordant try to pin down the killer as she tracks the Bandit. Following clues, some sneaky sleuthing, and a key piece of information set up an exciting showdown. But hold on, there is another mystery to solve, and it has an epic take-down. I love the way Ms. Byron tells a story. She always includes traditions unique to the setting, in this case, New Orleans, so there are infinite details, large and small, to choose from. She also includes interesting tidbits that really add to the story. I have seen a few recipes on headstones, so they are not unique to NOLA, but I enjoyed the small part one played in this story, and how it inspired a cookbook. There are several Southern recipes in the back of the book to inspire home chefs, too. Crescent City Christmas Chaos is a marvelous addition to this series. A Christmas theme, engaging and heartwarming characters, an entertaining, tightly woven plot, all set in a wonderful place. This being the fourth book in the series, there are continuing subplots from previous books. While it can be read on its own, I recommend reading the series from the beginning to meet these fantastic characters from the start. I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

Just in time for Christmas this cozy mystery is set in New Orleans during the holiday. Full of everything I am looking for in a cozy Christmas mystery, Christmas decorations, traditions, celebrations, food (including recipes), friends, and family it is a book and a series that I recommend. This is book 4 in the series but I read and thoroughly enjoyed it as a standalone. I found it easy to get into and enjoy. Of course now I plan to go back and read the earlier books.The chapters were short and I quickly found myself immersed in New Orleans and Ricki’s world.I collect cookbooks and found myself wanting to visit Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbook and Kitchenware Shop. The characters are interesting and quirky and having an attractive chef as a love interest just adds to the appeal. Ricki, the main character, is likable and has friends and family that provide support, assistance, and some mysteries of their own. I love that Nina, the police detective, refers to Ricki as ‘friend adjacent’. Isn’t that a wonderful term? Ricki is trying to learn more about her past and family secrets are revealed. The secrets prove dangerous and the closer she gets to the truth the more dangerous it becomes. New Orleans traditions, including Krewe courts, play a large part in the story. It was fascinating to learn more about them and watch as modernization was attempted. The Reveillon Dinner that Virgil created complete with recipes was one of my favorite parts as food is such a big part of culture and creates so many traditions. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy cozy Christmas mysteries full of traditions and family.