Five Golden Wings

Another Meg Andrews' Christmas special. This time, two of Meg's cousins decide to be married at Caerphilly on the Saturday before Christmas. Of course, they and family members move into the home of Meg and Michael, Meg's parents house and the home of Delaney and Rob. Naturally chaos follows as the two cousins are being married at different times at the same church. They also do not like each other and are very competitive. No-one really wants, or needs, the chaos that ensues.

Not only is the family involved in getting ready for Christmas but they also have to deal with differences of opinion that occur between members of the two wedding parties and associated family members. Added to this is the photographer who, to put it mildly, is a demanding and not very pleasant, character. Meg is left with supporting family members who have been insulted and verbally abused by the temporary guests. Then there is, of course, a murder.

Five Golden Wings by Donna Andrews carries on the tradition of including birds, this time three eagles, in the story and the title. The book is another amusing, entertaining, light crime read.

For Duck's Sake

Meg had retreated to her brother's house as her home had been invaded by people and dogs preparing for the Mutt March Parade to be held in Caerphilly at the weekend. However peace was short lived. When Rob and Delaney had arranged for a duck pond to be constructed in their garden, they did not envisage a skeleton being uncovered while the hole for the pond was being dug. Meg finds herself in the middle of an investigation to discover the identity of someone who had died thirty or forty years previously.

 For Duck's Sake by Donna Andrews is number 37 in the Meg Langslow Series which takes the reader on another often amusing adventure as Meg assists the police in solving the identity of the skeleton and why it was buried in her brother's garden. The family's involvement in the organisation of the Mutt March Parade is another theme in the book as well as the hunt for an elderly neighbour who has disappeared.

Sit back and enjoy another installment in the busy life of Meg Langslow and her family and friends as she investigates yet another mystery.

Rockin' Around the Chickadee

Christmas is fast approaching so what better to relax than to read another cosy crime Christmas book by Donna Andrews. In Rockin' Around the Chickadee a legal conference regarding wrongful criminal convictions is being held in Caerphilly and, not surprising, members of Meg Langslow's family are organising the conference and involved in presentations. Meg attends to offer support.

All goes well until one of the attendees at the conference constantly verbally attacks the speakers and other attendees. After he is finally evicted from attending the conference a body is discovered near the barn on Meg's property. The investigation is then on to discover the murderer.

As usual Donna Andrews has written a light-hearted crime novel with Meg and her circle of family and friends assisting the police in attempting to solve the crime. On this occasion I worked out who the murderer was quite early in the piece but this knowledge did not distract from entertainment of reading the novel.

Rockin' Around the Chickadee is the thirty-sixth book in the Meg Langslow series and is the ninth book with a Christmas theme.

Between a Flock and a Hard Place

One of the fun aspects when reading this series of crime novels by Donna Andrews is when will the birds referred to in the title first make an appearance. In this thirty-fifth book in the series, a flock of wild turkeys make their presence felt right from the start. How and why did they all arrive in the one location in the town and who was responsible? Needless to say these questions are added to Meg's ever expanding to-do list.

In Between a Flock and a Hard Place, Meg sets out to inspect a home site which is being renovated as part of a television show. The locals are not impressed by the intrusion of the television crew in their lives but they are even less impressed when a flock of wild turkeys arrives in the middle of the night. Who brought the turkeys into their neighbourhood?

Meg and Randall Shiffley are even more concerned when they discover the state the house is in. As a number of the major supports have been removed Randall shuts down the site until repairs can be made. Meg, of course, offers to relocate those affected by the building project to rooms in her own house until it is safe for them to return home. Plans are made to capture the turkeys but as proceedings are about to begin a body is located in the house. Another project to be solved.

I look forward to these cosy crime novels published around this time each year. It is a joy to once again catch up with Meg and her family and the weird and usually amusing situations they find themselves in.

Let it crow! Let it crow! Let it crow!

Another fun Christmas themed read by Donna Andrews. In Let it Crow! Let it Crow! Let it Crow! Meg Langslow ends up competing in a reality television program, Blades of Glory, after her friend and mentor, Faulk, had been attacked and injured. The series is being filmed in a large tent at Ragnar's gothic style mansion. Meg, Michael and the twins have moved into the house along with most of the others associated with the program. Then the body of one of the contestants is found in a field. Chief Burke and his team work on the case, occasionally calling on Meg for assistance.

This is number 34 in the Meg Langslow series and much of the action is concerned with the blade making  television program. Meg has the opportunity to work at blacksmithing, (she is a blacksmith), but still has time to help with the investigation. Crows are also the stars of the book, observing the activities of the guests on the property and even helping from time to time. The novel also provides an insight into the making of reality television programs. Then just before Christmas it finally starts to snow, adding to the Christmas atmosphere in this American cosy crime story.

Birder, she wrote

When Meg and her grandmother set out to help a neighbour locate a long forgotten cemetery on his property they also find a recently dead body at the location. As the victim has managed to upset many people in the community Meg and other members of the community assist the police in discovering the murderer. 

The visit of a journalist writing a story about Meg's grandmother for a women's magazine adds further complications to Meg's life as does her father's attempts to establish a beehive in Meg's garden. Mayor Shiffley has also asked beg to investigate complaints from new residents known as the NIMBYS.

Humming birds and bees feature prominently in the thirty-third book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. Another amusing, relaxing read.

Dashing through the Snowbirds

Christmas is fast approaching so why not read a Christmas themed crime book and enjoy the company of Meg Langslow and her family and friends once again. Dashing through the Snowbirds is the 32nd book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series and the sixth book in the series with a Christmas theme.

Just before Christmas a team of Canadian forensic genealogists arrive at Caerphilly to work on a project with the Mutant Wizards, a company owned by Meg's brother. The Canadians are resident at Meg and Michael's home as well as some members of Meg's extended family. It is therefore full house. Meanwhile Meg's father is working on a surprise for the family, the construction of an an ice rink in a nearby paddock.

Unfortunately the leader of the Canadian team has a number of enemies and when he is found murdered there are many possible suspects to be investigated. Fortunately all is resolved so that all the family can enjoy a white Christmas with enough snow for sleigh rides by the end of the book. Donna Andrews has provided another fun read for the Christmas season.

Round up the usual peacocks

Meg's mother is busily organising the wedding for her son, Rob, with the assistance of the bride's mother and all the family members that she can convince to help her. Meg. of course, has a long list of things that her mother wants her to do but everything changes when her nephew, Kevin asks for Meg's assistance. 

Kevin and his friend, Casey, have started a podcast focussing on local cold cases. However when someone tries to unsuccesfully run down Casey in a car, Kevin is worried that they will try again. He asks for Meg's help to find the perpetrator. Meg's mother reluctantly agrees that Meg should help Kevin in order to avoid any drastic events at the upcoming wedding. Kevin has decided that three of the cold cases podcasts are the most likely to have caused someone to retaliate and he provides Meg with the transcripts as well as links to the actual podcasts.  

Meg's mother wants peacocks to feature in the gardens for the wedding but the family peacocks are molting so Meg is also assigned the task of borrowing some peacocks with feathers for the event. This creates a range of additional problems.

Much of the book involves Meg's investigation of three cold cases, with the assistance of friends, but events involving wedding preparations also feature in the book. Round up the usual peacocks by Donna Andrews is the thirty-first book in the Meg Langslow series and it does not disappoint. Meg's family is certainly not a conventional group of people and there are plenty of laughs for the reader.  Another enjoyable cosy mystery from Donna Andrews.

Murder Most Fowl

When Michael holds rehersals for a performance of MacBeth, Meg's life once again becomes complicated. With actors occupying spare rooms in her house or camped in the barn plus a group of re-enactors camped in the nearby wood, not to mention accademics from the English and History departments coming and going Meg has difficulty finding a little peace and quiet. Animals are stolen from nearby farms, someone has vandalised a wall inside Meg's house and then the body of a film-maker is found nearby. As Damien Goodwin has managed to upset everyone staying in the area, no-one is really surprised however the killer needs to be found.

Meg and Rose Noire assist the police chief and his team with their enquiries, discovering a number of other law breakers along the way. As with other Meg Langslow books animals feature prominently including chickens, geese, sheep, a heifer and dogs. The story is set over three eventful days and is another entertaining addition to previous Meg Langslow books. Murder Most Fowl is number 29 in this series of books byDonna Andrews.

The Twelve Jays of Christmas

Christmas is coming with the arrival of Donna Andrews' latest Christmas book, The Twelve Jays of Christmas. As you would expect it is a lot of fun. 

The story begins several days before Christmas and it is snowing. As well as visitors from Meg's extended family Meg and Michael have the 'pleasure' of having a cantankerous artist in residence in the library. His job is to paint pictures of birds for Meg's grandfather's new book and is currently camped at Meg's house having refused to work in the allocated place set up for him at the zoo. Then there are the two wombats in the basement, part of a biofluroscent project being undertaken by Meg's nephew, Kevin, for Meg's grandfather.

Michael and the boys are away for a short holiday involving snow actitities so Meg is kept busy juggling with expected and unexpected problems. Life becomes more complicated when a body is found in the library.

Meg's extended family rally around to help her solve challenges that arise, including the loss of power to the house for some time. Needless to say all problems are resolved in time for everyone to enjoy a festive Christmas.

The gift of the magpie

The gift of the magpie by Donna Andrews is the twenty-eighth book in the Meg Langslow series and the seventh of her books with a Christmas theme. The featured bird this time, as the title suggests, is the magpie. When a small flock of magpies escape from the aviary of Meg's grandfather's zoo a feud between Meg's grandfather and Rose Noire as to the future of the birds results.

Meanwhile, even though it is the week before Christmas, Meg is busy organising the volunteers of the Helping Hands group in assisting Caerphilly residents who have a project that they are unable to tackle alone. Most of the problems only take a short time to complete however Meg knows that this will not be the case when they are tasked with the job of decluttering the house belonging to Harvey the Hoarder. 

Before long it is clear that other people are also interested in the contents of the house, especially as it is believed, by some, that a treasure trove is hidden among Harvey's possessions. 

Add a murder and burgulary plus involvement in family and the town's Chrismas festivities, Meg has plenty to keep her busy. Fortunately, as well as neighbours, Meg has a large assortment of family members who are always ready to help her. Donna Andrews has added another entertaining, amusing crime story to her collection of books in the Meg Langslow series.

As I read parts of this book I was reminded of The Life of Grime, a documentary series shown on Foxtel more than ten years ago highlighting the work of environmental health inspectors in England including some of the more unusual cases encountered. The one that remained with me was Mr Trembus, and his cluttered house and garden, rather like Harvey the Hoarder in this book.

The Falcon Always Wings Twice

Like all the books in this series by Donna Andrews there is lots of humour and intrigue plus a horde of zany characters as well as a murder to keep the reader guessing.

In this novel Meg and other family members assist her grandmother, Cordelia, run a Renaissance Faire at her craft centre near Biscuit Mountain. As part of the attractions Michael has organised a troupe of actors to perform for visitors throughout each day of the faire. Meg and her former teacher, with the assistance of her two sons, provide demonstrations in blacksmithing throughout the day when she isn't finding solutions if things do not quite go to plan. When one of the actors is found murdered in the nearby woods Meg is involved in assisting the police with their enquiries as well as trying to ensure that there is as little disruption to the faire as possible.

In The Falcon Always Wings Twice the featured bird is the falcon and we learn much about these birds when Meg's grandfather decides to assist the falconer. The Falcon Always Wings Twice is the 27th book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. A good holiday read.

Owl be home for Christmas

This title is the sixth Meg Langslow book by Donna Andrews with a Christmas theme. Like all the books in this series a bird features in the title.

Meg's grandfather has organised an Owl Fest at the Caerphilly Inn a few days before Christmas. When a severe snow storm hits the area cutting off the ornithologists and other guests from the outside world it looks as if Christmas may need to be spent at the Inn. As usual Meg and her family have to create contingency plans.

Most of the conference attendees join in the spirit of the season except for Dr Frogmore so when he dies at a conference dinner there are many suspects to investigate. Another murder mystery with many twists and turns laced with the antics of a range of entertaining characters, plus a dose of Christmas (and other festivals) cheer.

Terns of endearment

This book is number 25 in the Meg Langslow series of books by Donna Andrews. Meg's grandfather has been hired to give a series of natural history talks on the Pastime cruise ship, Wanderer. As family and friends can travel at a reduced rate, a contingent of Meg's family decide to go on the cruise from Baltimore to Bermuda and return. However it does not take long for Meg and her father to realise that this cruise will not be smooth sailing.

Meg meets and becomes friends with a group of writers who each year get together to discuss their work and encourage each other in their endeavours. There is also another author, Desiree St Christophe, aboard the ship who appears to have a grudge with Meg's new friends. During the first night of the trip the ship stops and next morning it appears that Desiree has fallen / or jumped from the ship leaving behind her shoes, a shawl and a suicide note. The chief officers on the ship are reluctant to investigate.

The passengers are not told why the ship has stopped except that it should be fixed soon. In the meantime there is no power, no water, little food and no way to contact the shore for assistance. Most of the crew have disappeared. Meg and her family, with the aid of other passengers, take over the running of the ship to try to make conditions bearable until help arrives. Meanwhile Meg and her father discover a body in a cupboard. What is going on aboard this ship?

Another Donna Andrews cosy crime mystery with a cast of slightly eccentric characters who work together to relieve the discomfort of their fellow passengers and also solve the mystery of why they have been stranded at sea.

Lark! the herald angels sing

This is the fifth Christmas related title in the Meg Langslow Mystery series where Donna Andrews adds a bit more mystery and fun to the Christmas season.

When Meg is organising a practice session with a group of children for the annual Christmas pageant she discovers a baby in the manger - a baby that no one has seen before. The police are alerted and the search for the mother of the baby is added to the many issues Chief Burke is investigating several days before Christmas.

The time of the Caerphilly annual Christmas pageant is a busy one with many tourists flocking to the tour to enjoy the attractions. Then in neighbouring Clay County a man has been shot and the police in Caerphilly have been instructed to look for him, even though there is suspicion that this is a witch hunt with the accused person being innocent. Then Mrs Thistlewaite's cat has disappeared again!

As well as Meg and Michael becoming temporary foster parents of the baby in the manger, their house is filled with family members and friends coming to celebrate the festive season with them. Meg becomes involved in trying to resolve the incidents, some of which affect family members, as soon as possible so that everyone can enjoy Christmas.An enjoyable Christmas cozy crime story.

Toucan Keep a Secret

Now for a lighter crime novel. Toucan Keep a Secret is no. 23 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. Once again Donna Andrews takes us to Caerphilly where there always seems to be a crime to solve.

The story begins when Meg is locking up the local church after a meeting and hears a noise in the columbarium. Investigating, she discovers the body of one of the vestry on the floor surrounded by the ashes and broken urns of former parishioners. Meg immediately calls the police.

Meg, of course, becomes involved in the investigation and also has the role of reassuring the rector, who is on sick leave, that all is well. As part of this role she takes Nimitz, the toucan being minded by the rector, home much to the delight of her two sons.

Robyn, the rector, asks Meg to contact the next of kin on behalf of the church to establish how they want the ashes reinterred. Discussions with the next of kin soon provide background information that Meg passes on to Chief Burke. In order to solve the crime it is necessary to establish connections between the people whose ashes have been disturbed and it becomes obvious that one connecting link is a burglary committed thirty years ago.

As usual Meg's family and many of the citizens of Caerphilly become involved in this humourous crime novel. An entertaining read.

How the finch stole Christmas

This is Donna Andrew's fourth Christmas related book and it does not disappoint. Former titles are Six Geese A-Slaying, Duck the Halls and the Nightingale before Christmas.

Caerphilly, as usual, is celebrating Christmas in a big way. One of the highlights will be a performance of A Christmas Carol, directed by Meg's husband, Michael. Josh and Jamie have parts in the play while Meg is stage manager. An elderly actor has been hired to perform as Scrooge, however he does not always turn up to rehearsal in a fit state to perform his part.

But nothing is really straight forward in Caerphilly. Meg's grandfather has acquired a collection of Australian Gouldian finches that he is minding for a friend and the number will possibly increase. Robyn at the church, has received a request to hold a Weaseltide in the hall and no-one knows what this means. And then Meg finds a large collection of animals, including a tiger, in a barn. Add to this the discovery of a body in the snow and an elderley lady in a wheelchair living with a room full of cats.

Meg takes it all in her stride as she endeavours to ensure that the play will be a success and also helps solve the murder. This is number 22 in the bird related series of cosy crime novels by Donna Andrews.

Gone Gull

Once again Donna Andrews has written a crime book with a bird related theme. Meg is assisting her grandmother, Cordelia, run the Biscuit Mountain Craft Centre where a range of craft courses are offered including Meg's blacksmithing class. However, after a while, acts of vandalism occur at the centre and a rival craft centre is suspected of trying to sabotage the Biscuit Mountain venture. Then the first murder is discovered. The police, aided by members of Meg's family, work to discover the identity of the vandal and the murderer.

Meg's grandfather manages to antagonise a number of people as he endeavours to discover the existence of a variety of gull in the area that was believed to be extinct. Meg's work is cut out as she tries to protect her family, locate the gull colony and save her grandmother's craft centre as well as locate the murderer. As usual, this crime story also describes the exploits of Meg's unusual extended family.

Another entertaining read, Gone Gull is number 21 in the Meg Langslow Mystery series.

Reviews of Gone Gull in Goodreads

The Nightingale before Christmas

Each year Caerphilly seems to have a variety of festivals. This time it is the Caerphilly Designer Show House competition where a number of designers each have a room of a house to decorate before the house is open to the public during the Christmas festivities. Money raised during the Open House is designated for the Caerphilly Historical Society. Meg's mother has one room to  decorate while Meg is the on-site co-ordinator of the project. 

What could go wrong at such a busy time of the year apart from murder and attempts to destroy some of the show rooms. As well as trying to find time to attend other Christmas activities in the town Meg works overtime assisting the police with their investigations as well as trying to establish the motives for the murder and the destruction of part of the house. Another Meg Langslow Mystery, this time with a Christmas theme.

No Nest for the Wicket

No, this book is not about Cricket but is about Extreme Croquet - this game really does exist. Meg is playing extreme croquet when an opposition player hits Meg's ball off the course. When looking for the ball Meg discovers a body lying at the bottom of a slope - and so the story begins. Another entertaining encounter with Meg's extended family and the townsfolk of Caerphilly (ficticious town in Virginia) as attempts are made to first discover the identity of the victim and then solve the mystery of her murder.
Another Meg Lansgslow Mystery by Donna Andrews. This is one of the early titles in the series so it was interesting to revisit the earlier lives of the characters compared with their lives in the more recent books in the series.