[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Meg’s grandmother, Cordelia, has recruited the family into helping with her weekend Renaissance Faire. Meg’s dad is in the first aid tent, her earthy cousin is selling potpourris, and Meg is doing blacksmithing demos and serves as Cordelia’s second-in-command. And Meg’s husband is creating the “story” for the Faire, and wrangling the actors. Michael’s story sets the Faire in a made up kingdom where various factions fight for who will succeed the queen when her reign ends.
Unfortunately, Terence, the actor playing their resident villain/troublemaker is a little too good at being the bad guy. He’s managed to alienate most of the actors and get someone fired from their job in the world outside the Faire. He’s on notice that if he puts one toe out of line, he’ll be fired.
So when Meg finds him dead, no one is really very surprised. The larger issue is weeding through all the people who had a reason to want Terence gone for good in order to find his killer.
Review
Meg Langslow and her family + a Renaissance Faire.
That’s all I had to hear before I decided this was a must read for me. I have loved Meg and her family since I first read Murder with Peacocks. Meg’s life, and the full cast, has changed over the course of 27 books, but these stories never disappoint. Reading a Meg Langslow book is like coming home. I’d love to go back and re-read some of the early books again some time. This is a terrific series!
The RenFaire setting for this was fantastic. We used to visit one in the summers, and I miss it. I loved the descriptions here and the way Meg’s husband developed the “story” for their Faire. It’s also an excellent setting for bringing in new characters for the mystery.
The mystery here is great. I puzzled out the killer, but for a long time it looked like my guess was going to be wrong. The final confrontation was terrific as was the wrap up of all the story threads in the end.
I don’t think you have to have read the previous 26 books to appreciate this, although it does help readers have context for the major characters. But if you haven’t read a Meg story before, and you love cozy mysteries and Renaissance Faires, you should absolutely check this one out! Of course, Meg’s fans will not want to miss another terrific story. You’ll also want to put the next book, The Gift of the Magpie, on your wish list. It releases in October. (LGBTQ+)
Rating: ♥♥♥♥*
*I have a new rating system. 4 stars= “Great! Might re-read.”