Tag: Meg Langslow

REVIEW: Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Between a Flock and a Hard Place by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Marvelous Mansions has come to Caerphilly to remodel the Smetkamp home. And few of the town’s people are happy about it. As the mayor’s “special assistant in charge of nuts and nuisances,” Meg is trying to keep the remodel crew in line so they don’t disturb the neighborhood – or the town – too much.

But disturbance has a way of happening anyway – in the form of over 200 wild turkeys on the Smetkamp property. Probably not an accident. And then the mayor discovers the reality show crew has made such a wreck of the house it’s uninhabitable. And then there’s the dead body.

Review

Another fun adventure in Caerphilly! Meg and her friends are a well-oiled machine as they deal with the home wreckers, the feral turkeys, and the other surprises that crop up in this story. As always, I enjoyed spending time with the Langslow family and the community members.

I figured out the mystery really early on this time – even telling my husband how it was all going to play out in the end. Maybe I’ve just read too many mysteries over the years! This might have sunk another book, but for me, I enjoy the characters here so much, I kept reading to see what would happen with them.

Series fans should pick this up – there are some fascinating sections about the turkeys and other critters in the book. And the townspeople – and some outsiders – got to shine in the absence of much of Meg’s extended family in this book. This brought something fresh to this story which is number 35 in this long-running series. Keep an eye out for book 36, Rockin’ Around the Chickadee, releasing later this fall. (Some language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great!

REVIEW: Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

While a May afternoon in the hammock while the boys are at school seems like a glorious idea, Meg’s friends and family have other plans for her time – installing bees in a hive, entertaining a dismissive reporter, finding a missing wild life photographer, wrangling fussy city folk who are causing trouble, and finding a lost 19th century cemetery.

Stumbling across a dead body doesn’t help either.

Soon Meg is looking for clues to a murderer’s identity while also tracking a bee killer and a blackmailer.  Never a dull moment!

Review

This was so fun! The mystery was great – involved enough to pull me through the book with no sections where Meg was spinning her wheels (something I’ve encountered in other books lately). And the bee and hummingbird side-missions were far more interesting than I expected.

It’s always nice to spend time with Meg and the folks in Caerphilly County. Meg’s large extended family doesn’t really factor into this story. While I usually get a kick out of them, I enjoyed that change of pace. The focus here was instead on community members which was a nice shift.

This is book 33 in the funny and long-running Meg Langslow Mystery series. I think newcomers could enjoy the main mystery without feeling like they were missing out on a bunch of history and backstory for the series. Series fans should absolutely check this one out – and then watch for Let It Crow, Let It Crow, book 34, due out in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host to a group out of Canada that is working with her brother’s company. And for the most part they are a lovely, yet stressed, group. But their boss, Ian, is awful and has everyone walking on eggshells. Meg and a few other Mutant Wizards board members are hoping to dissolve the contract between Ian’s company and Mutant Wizards – both to get rid of Ian, but also to protect Rob’s company from Ian’s bad business practices. But before the board can take action, Ian is dead.

There’s no shortage of suspects, from disgruntled employees to angry clients whose lives Ian nearly ruined. But Meg is on the case. If she’s lucky, she can wrap up the investigation so the Canadians can head home before the predicted snow storm arrives.

Review

Another fun Meg Langslow mystery! This one felt a little more tame compared to the last one. The cast was a manageable size while still giving series readers some of the quirky antics we have come to love.

In addition to a solid mystery, there were several laugh-out-loud moments here that made this a lovely reading experience. I can’t wait to see what Meg and her family and friends get up to next! I recently picked up the e-book of Murder, with Peacocks, the first book in the series. It’s probably been 20 years since I last read it. I am hoping for some re-reading time over the holidays so I can pick it up and revisit the series’ beginnings. The next book in the series, Birder She Wrote, is the 33rd book in the series, and it is scheduled to release in August of 2023.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Meg’s notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe says she should be busy with wedding tasks for her brother’s big day. But she’s also gotten drawn into checking into some cold cases. Her nephew and a buddy started a true crime podcast and seem to have gotten some unwanted attention.

Meg has a few cases to check out – a cheating scandal, a missing singer, and a robbery-turned-homicide. The three cases have her chasing all around the community. Each case seems so cold she’s not sure there’s anything new to discover. But there must be something she is missing because someone wants these cases to just go away. And they’ll do anything to make that happen.

Review

What a wild ride! One of the things I love about this series is the antics of Meg’s family. And they are in rare form in this book. In fact, in telling a funny part to my husband I realized, for an outsider, this family is too ridiculous to be believed. But I love them.

The mystery was fun. Meg has three different cases to dig into. And each one initially seems like it’s too old, too cold, to make any headway. But in the end it all comes together. The ending was satisfying and enjoyable.

Series fans should pick this one up. I laughed out loud MANY times while reading. And I always enjoy time with Meg and the crew. Newcomers might find the family antics to be a bit too much without the history and context that makes them endearing. The mysteries can easily stand alone for new series readers. Hopefully you’ll find the family chaos fun enough to go back and pick up the earlier books in the series – it’s one of my favorites! Book 32, Dashing through the Snowbirds, is out now, and I plan to review that one soon.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Meg and her family are playing host once again, this time to a group  of actors putting on a production of Macbeth. Thanks to an interdepartmental war at the college, Michael and his actors are using the farm and an amphitheater at Meg’s grandfather’s zoo to practice their play. There’s also a group of historical reenactors staying on Meg’s parents’ property. And the warring English and history professors are dropping in regularly.

In the midst of that chaos, trouble is stirring. A vandal is striking at the farm. The reenactors’ antics are putting them at risk for arrest. Someone seems to be concocting a potion over a risky open fire in the woods. And then there’s the murder.

Review

Another fun mystery with Meg and her friends and family! (This is book 29 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.)

I have been a fan of this series since the first few books released over 20 years ago. Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is one of my favorite protagonists. She’s such a great character, and her extended family and the community folks are characters I look forward to spending time with when each new book releases.

There’s a TON going on here with the actors and the reenactors and all of the college folks. There’s the Macbeth-related events and the criminal and mischievous behaviors. Evil spells. Vandals. Murder. Puppies. This book has it all.

I loved watching the various mysteries play out. I didn’t really even try to sort out the villain for myself. Instead, I just watched it all unfold. And it was supremely satisfying.

Like the Andy Carpenter series, which I have reviewed recently, the Meg Langslow books are probably easy enough to follow story-wise for someone to start with this book or another one of the latter books in the series. But the cast in this series is VAST and could be hard to track without the history of what – and who – has come before.  Personally, I’d love to go back to the beginning of the series – Murder with Peacocks, Murder with Puffins, Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos – sometime and experience the early days of this great series all over again. I highly recommend cozy fans dig into this meaty series. Book 30 – The Twelve Jays of Christmas – releases in October.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½*

*♥♥♥♥½ – I loved it! Would re-read.

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD: The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[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. This book will release on October 20, 2020.]

Summary

As Christmas draws near, Meg has her hands full coordinating the Helping Hands for the Holidays ministry for the Ladies Interfaith Council. Her volunteers are pitching in all over town, doing household repairs, yard work, and other projects for folks in need.

Meg’s biggest project is for Harvey Dunlop, also know as Harvey the Hoarder. The town helped Harvey with his yard a few years back. The house is in even worse shape. Harvey’s cousins and neighbors have threatened to call in Adult Protective Services. And the town building inspector is about to declare the house a danger zone. Harvey knows if any of those people come in, they’ll simply throw his things away. Meg makes him a better offer, and Harvey takes it.

But all of the work the volunteers do comes to nothing when Harvey is injured and killed. When all the evidence points to murder, Meg is determined to find out who cut Harvey’s life short, just when he was getting the help he needed.

Review

There’s a TON going on in this book, and the mystery is just one part of it. In some ways it felt like a smaller piece of the story than it should be. But at the same time, what’s there – especially at the end – is highly satisfying.

The Caerphilly community – and Meg’s family – are a delight in this Christmas novel. There are the holiday events and gift-giving pieces that are fun when you have a large cast in an ongoing series like this one. While Meg’s husband still performs his one-man A Christmas Carol, it’s only a small piece of the larger story. The magpies are a fun but small sliver in the larger picture, too.

The service projects are a significant layer of the holiday activity. Harvey’s project is a big part of that aspect of the book. Even as the chief investigates and Harvey’s relatives squabble over wills and inheritance, Meg and her team are securing and sorting Harvey’s things, hoping to find clues. The case is a steady presence in the story. Meg doesn’t do a ton of interviewing or questioning suspects. But her examination of Harvey’s things draws plenty of attention, allowing her to help the chief get to the truth.

I think series fans will enjoy spending time with Meg and her friends and family during the holidays. Other readers may come for the Christmas story and enjoy a mystery on the side. There’s lots of fascinating stuff here about the history of the town during the Depression. And the reaction of Meg’s twins to Harvey’s hoarding was one of my favorite aspects of the book. Newcomers might struggle to track all of the events and characters in this one and might start with an earlier book before tackling this one.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ – Great! Might re-read

REVIEW: The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: The Falcon Always Wings Twice by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[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.”

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

[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

Trinity Episcopal Church is an important part of the Caerphilly community and an important place for Meg Langslow and her family. So when their priest goes on maternity leave, Meg of course jumps in to help. Armed with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, Meg is ready to corral obstinate vestry members, supervise a parishioner’s toucan, and keep the church and grounds locked and secured.

Despite the best efforts of Meg and her team, however, someone breaks into the crypt (columbarium), removes some of the cremains from their niches, and bashes one of the more tiresome vestry members on the head.

It seems as though the niches that were disturbed had some connection to an unsolved jewelry heist. Mrs. Beatrice van der Lynden reportedly staged a heist with her son for the insurance money. But the college guys they planned to use ran into some real criminals trying to get in on the job. In the end, two men were dead and the jewels disappeared. Meg can’t see how the dead vestry member ties into the jewelry case, but her specialty is asking questions. She might be surprised by what she uncovers this time.

Review

This is the 23rd book in the delightful Meg Langslow mystery series. Meg is one of my favorite book characters, and she doesn’t disappoint this time.

I love this series for its quirky and eccentric characters. This book introduces some new ones who were a lot of fun. Donna Andrews does an amazing job of building a community I love while not sacrificing the core mystery in each book.

The mystery in this one is good. The contemporary crime ties into a cold case which opens up some interesting investigation options.

I loved the church setting for a lot of the book. There’s no preaching or moralizing that might put off a non-religious reader. But the characters connected to the church – Robyn the priest, Dr. Womble, and the rest – were fun. My favorite part of the whole book was the wrap up piece at the church at the end. There is even a moment there that brought tears to my eyes. It’s a lovely scene in a fantastic story in a series I love.

If you haven’t read any of the Meg Langslow books before, start with the first few (Murder with Peacocks, then Murder with Puffins and then Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos) to get the characters in mind. After that the order probably doesn’t matter. Book 24, Lark! The Herald Angels Sing releases in October, 2018.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

REVIEW: Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Meg Langslow is teaching a blacksmithing class at her grandmother’s new Craft Center on Biscuit Mountain. Unfortunately the Center’s teachers and guests have been harassed by a vandal. Class studios and student work have been destroyed. Of course, Meg is called upon to ferret out the culprit.

Before she gets very far in her investigation, Meg stumbles across a dead body. Things aren’t looking good for Biscuit Mountain Craft Center.

Meg and her family aren’t going to let Cordelia’s dream die like this, though. They call in reinforcements – almost the entire extended family – to help. And the Langslow family is a force to be reckoned with!

Review

This is one of my favorite cozy series. I’m thrilled at how solid the stories are, even on the 21st book in the series.

Meg, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, is a woman after my own heart. She’s smart. She has a crazy, humongous family, and she’s learned to leverage the personalities and strengths to her advantage.

The mysteries in this one were great. Both the vandalism situation and the murders were wrapped up with satisfying conclusions. The gull situation that spanned the whole book had a nice wrap up as well.

This was completely enjoyable from start to finish! Once readers are familiar with the various people in the series, I think these books can be read in any order. I would definitely start with book one, though – Murder with Peacocks – and read the first few in order so you can get to know the family and townspeople before you dive into the rest of the series.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥