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Meg Langslow #6
Owls Well That Ends Well
Meg Langslow was actually looking forward to renovating the old Victorian mansion she and her boyfriend Michael bought. But she wasn't thrilled by the lifetime of junk accumulated by the house's eccentric previous owner, Edwina Sprocket. The easiest hold the end-all and be-all of gigantic yard sales. But when the event attracts the late Miss Sprocket's money-hungry heirs, the over-enthusiastic supporters of some endangered barn owls, and customers willing to go to any lengths to uncover a hidden treasure, Meg suspects things have gotten a little out of hand...Then an antiques dealer is found stuffed in a trunk with his head bashed in—and the yard sale turns into a day's-long media circus. Even worse, the suspect arrested for the crime is the person Michael needs to secure academic tenure. Now, Meg is juggling an ever-growing list of suspects. And she's going to have to outthink and outwit one clever murderer who lives by "everything must go…"
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2005
316 people are currently reading
1446 people want to read
About the author
Donna Andrews
103 books2,092 followersDonna Andrews was born in Yorktown, Virginia, the setting of Murder with Peacocks and Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos, and now lives and works in Reston, Virginia. When not writing fiction, Andrews is a self-confessed nerd, rarely found away from her computer, unless she's messing in the garden
http://us.macmillan.com/author/donnaa...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/donnaa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 356 reviews
August 13, 2019
Owls Well that Ends Well by Donna Andrews is a 2006 St. Martin’s Press publication.
This sixth installment in the Meg Langslow series begins with Meg stressing out over a yard sale she’s hosting. The old, ‘as is’ home Meg and her partner, Michael, have purchased is packed with clutter from the previous owners and Meg is dying to clear out all the junk.
Their barn also houses a few endangered owls, bringing protectors around on the day her sale launches, joining a slew of relatives who have camped out, along with the previous owner's heirs, hoping to find something of value.
Not only that, for kicks and giggles, Meg's father suggested that since the sale was taking place in October, they could offer customers a discount if they arrived in costume, adding another zany element into the mix.
However, when an antique collector/ dealer is found murdered, his body stuffed in an old trunk, the yard sale also becomes a crime scene. It is in Meg’s best interest, if she wants to get rid of all the junk, to help out with the investigation. So, once again, Meg draws from her natural and always developing detecting skills to help solve the murder.
Anyone brave enough to host a garage or yard sale can sympathize with Meg here. The ‘early bird’ shoppers, the collectors and dealers, and the politics of yard sale veterans, can create a little high drama in real life.
But people showing up in costume and the discovery of a dead body really ramped up the pressure on poor Meg, who always seems to bear the brunt of the burden, especially when it comes to her lovable, but odd duck family.
As it happens, the suspects are plentiful, due to the unpopularity of the victim, complicating Meg's desire to get the crime solved ASAP!! It also prevents her from spending time with her mother who is trying to help her decorate the house, and frustrating Michael who is becoming annoyed by Meg's avoidance.
However, the closer Meg comes to discovering the truth, the more desperate the killer becomes, putting Meg directly in the line of fire.
This was another laugh out loud, mad cap installment with a well plotted mystery and a very suspenseful conclusion.
Another quirky and delightful chapter in this solid mystery series!
4 stars
This sixth installment in the Meg Langslow series begins with Meg stressing out over a yard sale she’s hosting. The old, ‘as is’ home Meg and her partner, Michael, have purchased is packed with clutter from the previous owners and Meg is dying to clear out all the junk.
Their barn also houses a few endangered owls, bringing protectors around on the day her sale launches, joining a slew of relatives who have camped out, along with the previous owner's heirs, hoping to find something of value.
Not only that, for kicks and giggles, Meg's father suggested that since the sale was taking place in October, they could offer customers a discount if they arrived in costume, adding another zany element into the mix.
However, when an antique collector/ dealer is found murdered, his body stuffed in an old trunk, the yard sale also becomes a crime scene. It is in Meg’s best interest, if she wants to get rid of all the junk, to help out with the investigation. So, once again, Meg draws from her natural and always developing detecting skills to help solve the murder.
Anyone brave enough to host a garage or yard sale can sympathize with Meg here. The ‘early bird’ shoppers, the collectors and dealers, and the politics of yard sale veterans, can create a little high drama in real life.
But people showing up in costume and the discovery of a dead body really ramped up the pressure on poor Meg, who always seems to bear the brunt of the burden, especially when it comes to her lovable, but odd duck family.
As it happens, the suspects are plentiful, due to the unpopularity of the victim, complicating Meg's desire to get the crime solved ASAP!! It also prevents her from spending time with her mother who is trying to help her decorate the house, and frustrating Michael who is becoming annoyed by Meg's avoidance.
However, the closer Meg comes to discovering the truth, the more desperate the killer becomes, putting Meg directly in the line of fire.
This was another laugh out loud, mad cap installment with a well plotted mystery and a very suspenseful conclusion.
Another quirky and delightful chapter in this solid mystery series!
4 stars
December 23, 2025
Meg Langslow and boyfriend Michael are preparing to move into the huge old house they’ve bought that is badly in need of remodeling. But first they need to sell the wall-to-wall junk that the former owner collected over a lifetime. A crazy yard sale with all the batty yard sale locals is just the ticket! When someone is murdered, Meg has to figure out who the actual killer is, or else Michael’s chances of tenure may in jeopardy. And of course, there are owls. As always, the characterizations and quirky humor steal the show in this fun addition to the series.
January 30, 2023
Sixth in the Meg Langslow series revolving around an amateur sleuth in a cozy mystery. The focus is on the last step in getting rid of Edwina Sprocket's stuff.
In 2005, Owls Well That Ends Well was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
It rotates between a love for books and a lust of greed with an underlying fear of scandal. We learn it all from first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg's perspective. And she is one busy lady!
It's a melting pot of subplots — series-wise as well as story-specific, from the tenure fear with the Drama Department being sandwiched under the so-superior English Department. English keeps trying to kill popular drama courses and refusing tenure. Nor does Mother's decorating tastes coincide with Meg and Michael's, so there's the constant tension of what Mother is up to.
A standalone subplot is clutter! Ooh, never throw away another's "collection". Although, Andrews does throw out a lot of red herrings with a slew of misdirection. As for the plagiarism, it can be a career killer for scholars, although a little friendly blackmail can be helpful.
For all that there are too many relatives who love to descend on each other, they do love to help, they're supportive, and a laugh a minute. They're not all bright, as some demonstrate with how willfully they ignore the signs.
That Michael is a well-rounded lad. Gorgeous, acting experience, and the PhD in drama. Mother's side of the family is pretty well rounded as well, which only raises the comic quotient. And, of course, there's the "intellectual" side. No, I'm actually serious about this last. I love that Dad interacts with the kids, with everyone, in learning. It's collective nouns and anatomy, as well as nature facts.
I do envy Michael and Meg their renovation of the house. It's so much fun to design and create! Especially when it's your own place! And a library. They're envisioning a library . . . cue the holy grail music
There are those negative aspects — between Meg and Michael, I mean. They're both working hard for the same purpose, just not in the same way, and that always fosters some resentments. More negatives are those Sprockets! Talk about an unthinking, greedy bunch of idiots! There are other idiots, of course. It's a yard sale! Of course there are characters who should be allowed in early . . . and the ones who claim/disclaim "purchases" with no sense of reason.
The flea market is definitely a family and town affair. Band, chamber music ensemble, the choir, the assertive sheep, funnel cakes, Sno-Cones . . . spin-offs . . .
I gotta laugh. Meg mistakes many of Michael's colleagues as family! More laughter ensues from Meg's assessment of everyone's clutter:
Poor Meg! Still, she does have her tricks for deflecting some of those who think they're being helpful. Her assessment of her brother will also make you laugh: an intelligent underachiever with no common sense, lol. It seems his staff prefers he stay away from the office. The good-hearted Cousin Rosemary has more reincarnations than I can count. Rob's given up on her multitude of name changes and just calls her Not-Rosemary. As for Cousin Ginnie and Morris' issues, it's a running theme that kept me fascinated.
Dad has convinced the family that Meg is a brilliant sleuth; Chief Burke is a holdout. Hmmm.
It's action-packed AND character-driven with a wide, wide range of characters. It's never a slow read and definitely easy with lots of laughter., lol.
Owls Well That Ends Well evolves from one mystery to another, from Gordon-you-thief's larcenous approach to Schmidt's terror of exposure. We'll see how Meg can turn this into a bonus, lol.
The Story
Surprise. "Everyone knows" that a multifamily yard sale is a bigger draw than a single-family one. And so far, seventeen families on the Hollingworth side, have jumped in to help pad out Meg and Michael's. And thirteen of Michael's friends and work colleagues.
Meg is so looking forward to getting all this Sprocket clutter out of the house . . . if only so they can move their own stuff in. Unfortunately, someone has added a body to the sale.
The Characters
Meg Langslow, a blacksmith, is engaged to Dr Michael Waterston, a drama professor at Caerphilly College in Caerphilly, Virginia, as well as a regular cast member of a syndicated TV show. At all times she carries the-notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe. Spike is the Small Evil One, the dog they've inherited from Michael's mother. Sophie is the female of the nesting pair of owls. The Cave is/had been Michael's apartment, a tiny dank basement one.
Meg's Family
Rob Langslow is Meg's younger brother has a successful computer game company, Mutant Wizards. Dad, Dr James Langslow, is a sort-of retired doctor who adores treating people and reading mysteries, along with his own hoard of other interests, including his recent election as president of SPOOR. Cousin Rosemary Keenan chants her sun salutations and evolves into Rose Noir — the e comes later. Cousin Dolores has her morning aerobics. Cousin Emma and Claude are from Wichita. Cousin Bernie is obsessed with the family's genealogy. Cousin Leo is a mad inventor. Cousin Horace Hollingworth shows up in his gorilla suit. (He's also a crime scene tech with the sheriff's department in Yorktown.) Darlene is no longer Horace's girlfriend — the traitor! Aunt Millicent and Cousin Emily cater to the shoppers' stomachs. Cousin Everett has a boom lift and is selling Playboys. Uncle Floyd is a target. Cousin Dermot is upset that his high chair is being sold. Young Eric is here. He and Frankie are running a protection racket, ROFL. Cousin Dierdre is an animal rights activist. Aunts Gladys and Josephine do not fight fair over that shawl. Aunt Minnie might be able to salvage it. Cousins Basil and Cyril are twins plotting their way onto an organizing show. The elderly Aunt Catriona makes some interesting purchases. I agree with Meg — I don't wanna know, lol. Cousin Morris "knows" his marriage is ending with what Cousin Ginnie, his wife (and a dessert chef for an upscale restaurant), is selling. Uncle Ned is always on the lookout for foreign spies. Great-aunt Hester has a limited knowledge of pornography. Cousin Sidney runs a towing service. Aunt Cleo is selling beloved paintball guns . . . and guess who's buying them, lol. Why is Aunt Verbena buying birdhouses and feeders if she lives in a high-rise condo? Mrs Fenniman is Mother's best friend.
Henry Burke is the chief of police, who is not keen on Meg's interference. Minerva is his wife and they're bringing up their three orphaned grandchildren, who include Frankie (he's the little Darth Vader). Clyde (he's on leave) and Sammy are some of the police officers. Debbie Anne is the police dispatcher.
The inconsiderate Gordon "Gordon-you-thief" McCoy runs the Antique and Junque Emporium and is hated by most everyone he encounters. He is talented and knowledgeable, if only he'd had integrity. Carol is his furious wanna-be-ex wife. Ralph Endicott is Gordon's ex-partner.
The Hummel Lady thinks she's all that. Maggie Mason is a bookseller. The 1920s Whispering Pines Cabins were converted into apartments. The Spare Attic, the former Brakenridge textile mill, is a storage facility. Seth Early is Meg and Michael's sheep farmer neighbor.
Caerphilly College
Dr Gruber is the chairman of the Music Department. Professor Giles Rathbone, who adores books, especially detective, fantasy, and science fiction, is one of Michael's closest friends, a member of Michael's tenure committee, and an English professor. Professor Hutson has a table. Dr Snyder is the department chairman. Professor Arnold Schmidt is one of the stuffier English teachers — one of the Great Stone Faces. Sorry, sorry, sorry, he's a professor of literature! He's also the world's leading scholar on Ginerva Brakenridge Pruitt's ouevre. You have so gotta read what Michael and Meg say about Mrs Pruitt's output, ROFLMAO. Ezekeil Brakenridge, Ginerva's father, had built the factory.
The late Edwina Sprocket had been a hoarder of Olympic caliber and had owned the house Meg and Michael bought. Her grand-nephews include Barrymore Sprocket, who is a total PITA. Captain Ezra Sprocket is rumored to have buried treasure.
SPOOR is a local conservation group: Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors. R Austin Freeman pops up again (also in the Lord Peter Wimsey stories). I have got to get to reading some of his work! Luigi's is their favorite pizza place.
The Cover and Title
The cover is . . . whoa . . . an electric purplish fuchsia. At the top is the author's name in white with a testimonial just below it. A golden owl is flying off with an old book (in brown tones). Right justified, starting at the bottom of the clutched book, is the title in yellow followed by the series info.
The title is borrowed from one of Shakespeare's plays as Owls Well That Ends Well, when owls show up everywhere . . . and even save the day. Well, part of it.
In 2005, Owls Well That Ends Well was nominated for the Agatha Award for Best Novel.
My Take
It rotates between a love for books and a lust of greed with an underlying fear of scandal. We learn it all from first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg's perspective. And she is one busy lady!
It's a melting pot of subplots — series-wise as well as story-specific, from the tenure fear with the Drama Department being sandwiched under the so-superior English Department. English keeps trying to kill popular drama courses and refusing tenure. Nor does Mother's decorating tastes coincide with Meg and Michael's, so there's the constant tension of what Mother is up to.
A standalone subplot is clutter! Ooh, never throw away another's "collection". Although, Andrews does throw out a lot of red herrings with a slew of misdirection. As for the plagiarism, it can be a career killer for scholars, although a little friendly blackmail can be helpful.
For all that there are too many relatives who love to descend on each other, they do love to help, they're supportive, and a laugh a minute. They're not all bright, as some demonstrate with how willfully they ignore the signs.
That Michael is a well-rounded lad. Gorgeous, acting experience, and the PhD in drama. Mother's side of the family is pretty well rounded as well, which only raises the comic quotient. And, of course, there's the "intellectual" side. No, I'm actually serious about this last. I love that Dad interacts with the kids, with everyone, in learning. It's collective nouns and anatomy, as well as nature facts.
"a chattering of cousins, an unkindness of relations . . ."Feel free to make use of these phrases during family gatherings, lol.
I do envy Michael and Meg their renovation of the house. It's so much fun to design and create! Especially when it's your own place! And a library. They're envisioning a library . . . cue the holy grail music
There are those negative aspects — between Meg and Michael, I mean. They're both working hard for the same purpose, just not in the same way, and that always fosters some resentments. More negatives are those Sprockets! Talk about an unthinking, greedy bunch of idiots! There are other idiots, of course. It's a yard sale! Of course there are characters who should be allowed in early . . . and the ones who claim/disclaim "purchases" with no sense of reason.
The flea market is definitely a family and town affair. Band, chamber music ensemble, the choir, the assertive sheep, funnel cakes, Sno-Cones . . . spin-offs . . .
I gotta laugh. Meg mistakes many of Michael's colleagues as family! More laughter ensues from Meg's assessment of everyone's clutter:
"I've evicted the Army of Clutter from the house . . . banished some of it . . . to the dump or the local antique stores, most of its forces . . . now encamped on our lawn . . . reinforcements from other households . . . even now plotting revenge."I did like the discount via costume. As for selling off those white elephants . . . don't let the giver catch you, lol.
Poor Meg! Still, she does have her tricks for deflecting some of those who think they're being helpful. Her assessment of her brother will also make you laugh: an intelligent underachiever with no common sense, lol. It seems his staff prefers he stay away from the office. The good-hearted Cousin Rosemary has more reincarnations than I can count. Rob's given up on her multitude of name changes and just calls her Not-Rosemary. As for Cousin Ginnie and Morris' issues, it's a running theme that kept me fascinated.
Dad has convinced the family that Meg is a brilliant sleuth; Chief Burke is a holdout. Hmmm.
It's action-packed AND character-driven with a wide, wide range of characters. It's never a slow read and definitely easy with lots of laughter., lol.
Owls Well That Ends Well evolves from one mystery to another, from Gordon-you-thief's larcenous approach to Schmidt's terror of exposure. We'll see how Meg can turn this into a bonus, lol.
The Story
Surprise. "Everyone knows" that a multifamily yard sale is a bigger draw than a single-family one. And so far, seventeen families on the Hollingworth side, have jumped in to help pad out Meg and Michael's. And thirteen of Michael's friends and work colleagues.
Meg is so looking forward to getting all this Sprocket clutter out of the house . . . if only so they can move their own stuff in. Unfortunately, someone has added a body to the sale.
The Characters
Meg Langslow, a blacksmith, is engaged to Dr Michael Waterston, a drama professor at Caerphilly College in Caerphilly, Virginia, as well as a regular cast member of a syndicated TV show. At all times she carries the-notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe. Spike is the Small Evil One, the dog they've inherited from Michael's mother. Sophie is the female of the nesting pair of owls. The Cave is/had been Michael's apartment, a tiny dank basement one.
Meg's Family
Rob Langslow is Meg's younger brother has a successful computer game company, Mutant Wizards. Dad, Dr James Langslow, is a sort-of retired doctor who adores treating people and reading mysteries, along with his own hoard of other interests, including his recent election as president of SPOOR. Cousin Rosemary Keenan chants her sun salutations and evolves into Rose Noir — the e comes later. Cousin Dolores has her morning aerobics. Cousin Emma and Claude are from Wichita. Cousin Bernie is obsessed with the family's genealogy. Cousin Leo is a mad inventor. Cousin Horace Hollingworth shows up in his gorilla suit. (He's also a crime scene tech with the sheriff's department in Yorktown.) Darlene is no longer Horace's girlfriend — the traitor! Aunt Millicent and Cousin Emily cater to the shoppers' stomachs. Cousin Everett has a boom lift and is selling Playboys. Uncle Floyd is a target. Cousin Dermot is upset that his high chair is being sold. Young Eric is here. He and Frankie are running a protection racket, ROFL. Cousin Dierdre is an animal rights activist. Aunts Gladys and Josephine do not fight fair over that shawl. Aunt Minnie might be able to salvage it. Cousins Basil and Cyril are twins plotting their way onto an organizing show. The elderly Aunt Catriona makes some interesting purchases. I agree with Meg — I don't wanna know, lol. Cousin Morris "knows" his marriage is ending with what Cousin Ginnie, his wife (and a dessert chef for an upscale restaurant), is selling. Uncle Ned is always on the lookout for foreign spies. Great-aunt Hester has a limited knowledge of pornography. Cousin Sidney runs a towing service. Aunt Cleo is selling beloved paintball guns . . . and guess who's buying them, lol. Why is Aunt Verbena buying birdhouses and feeders if she lives in a high-rise condo? Mrs Fenniman is Mother's best friend.
Henry Burke is the chief of police, who is not keen on Meg's interference. Minerva is his wife and they're bringing up their three orphaned grandchildren, who include Frankie (he's the little Darth Vader). Clyde (he's on leave) and Sammy are some of the police officers. Debbie Anne is the police dispatcher.
The inconsiderate Gordon "Gordon-you-thief" McCoy runs the Antique and Junque Emporium and is hated by most everyone he encounters. He is talented and knowledgeable, if only he'd had integrity. Carol is his furious wanna-be-ex wife. Ralph Endicott is Gordon's ex-partner.
The Hummel Lady thinks she's all that. Maggie Mason is a bookseller. The 1920s Whispering Pines Cabins were converted into apartments. The Spare Attic, the former Brakenridge textile mill, is a storage facility. Seth Early is Meg and Michael's sheep farmer neighbor.
Caerphilly College
Dr Gruber is the chairman of the Music Department. Professor Giles Rathbone, who adores books, especially detective, fantasy, and science fiction, is one of Michael's closest friends, a member of Michael's tenure committee, and an English professor. Professor Hutson has a table. Dr Snyder is the department chairman. Professor Arnold Schmidt is one of the stuffier English teachers — one of the Great Stone Faces. Sorry, sorry, sorry, he's a professor of literature! He's also the world's leading scholar on Ginerva Brakenridge Pruitt's ouevre. You have so gotta read what Michael and Meg say about Mrs Pruitt's output, ROFLMAO. Ezekeil Brakenridge, Ginerva's father, had built the factory.
The late Edwina Sprocket had been a hoarder of Olympic caliber and had owned the house Meg and Michael bought. Her grand-nephews include Barrymore Sprocket, who is a total PITA. Captain Ezra Sprocket is rumored to have buried treasure.
SPOOR is a local conservation group: Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors. R Austin Freeman pops up again (also in the Lord Peter Wimsey stories). I have got to get to reading some of his work! Luigi's is their favorite pizza place.
The Cover and Title
The cover is . . . whoa . . . an electric purplish fuchsia. At the top is the author's name in white with a testimonial just below it. A golden owl is flying off with an old book (in brown tones). Right justified, starting at the bottom of the clutched book, is the title in yellow followed by the series info.
The title is borrowed from one of Shakespeare's plays as Owls Well That Ends Well, when owls show up everywhere . . . and even save the day. Well, part of it.
November 21, 2015
Probably the best int he series to this point. Excellent; the killer completely blindsided me.
April 24, 2023
Another great Meg Langslow mystery. I can't get enough of this series.
May 10, 2025
Meg and Michael are busy trying to renovate the old Sprocket place but Edwina Sprocket was a hoarder and the property is jam packed with junk. Meg can't deal and Michael promised the heirs they'd take the house as is, giving the Sprokets 10% of profits of whatever they sell. The Lansglow family chip in to hold a 18-family yard sale. Meg's dad comes along to protect the barn owls nesting on the property and her mom tries to redecorate as usual. The vultures come bright and early starting with a local antiques dealer known as "Gordon-you-thief" and a lady looking for small China figurines (The Hummel Lady). Spike takes care of those who don't follow orders but during the yard sale, Gordon hoards a stash in a trunk in the barn. When someone tries to buy the trunk, it's locked but when Meg manages to open it, everyone is shocked to see Gordon dead inside. Even with no shortage of suspects, the police settle on the most obvious, a professor in Michael's department - one of the only friendly(ish) professors on his tenure committee. Meg sets out to clear his name and get Michael the tenure he desires.
This was almost my favorite entry in the series so far. I enjoyed the traditional cozy mystery and Meg's family and the animal antics weren't too over-the-top. Neither was Meg's family although they do make mine look normal. The mystery had enough suspects and plot twists that I didn't guess who until Meg finds the final clue. I was really surprised. I guessed someone else early on and thought for sure it was that person. However, I kind of enjoyed the animals more in Crouching Buzzard and I find myself missing Eric's companion, Duck. Where's Duck? I thought Duck went wherever Eric went.
Meg has a good head on her shoulders and I understand her feelings completely. I love my stuff, I love antiques but Edwina Sprocket's collection sounds like TOO much. No one actually wants to buy Hummels. The only people who like them are old ladies. I also understand Meg's feelings about her mom. Michael is always such a jerk. He's trying to be nice here and compromise so I liked him a little better but Meg knows her mom better and well enough to know what her mom usually does. However, I wish she had voiced her inner thoughts about making it "our" space by doing it ourselves even if it's not perfect. Her mom might respect that but offer a million in one opinions. I like chintz but I'm not sure I want it in my bedroom. It depends... Michael wants two things in life tenure and to be alone with Meg to fool around. Spike is adorable as always and I feel so bad for him. The behavioral therapy obviously didn't work and he has trust issues after being abandoned. Eric is the only one who is good with Spike. Eric is sweet, gentle and kind to all animals. He gets into mischief with another boy, more typical of his age than obsessing over animals. Michael would do well to take notes. Sweet young Eric will grow into a fine man. Where's Meg's sister while her children are running around? She's never there and her older children are always absent. Rob is still a clueless moron and even more of a spoiled brat now Lawyers From Hell II is doing so well. We don't find out if they ever did release Cops From Hell or Doctors from Hell. The technology is still a bit dated but now they have cell phones at least.
Gordon McCoy was a crook. He bought low, played dirty and sold high. He probably sold junk no one actually wanted but jacked the prices so high, people thought they were getting a deal. He had no respect for people, rules or anything other than money. And books. He did love books and knew his rare books. Since no real books are actually named, I can't tell if he actually did understand rare books or not but he did love them. Giles Rathbone, a stuffy British professor at Caerphilly College, also loves books. He especially likes and collects old mysteries and Gordon is well aware of what books Giles has in his collection and continually tried to upgrade and upsell. Giles is a bibliophile and professor. He's not a real book collector. He just enjoys collecting his favorites. Does he really have a motive to kill Gordon? I don't think so. Ok so the bookend that was used to brain Gordon does have his fingerprints but he was carrying it around the sale. Maybe the murderer wore a costume with gloves? Wasn't the Hummel Lady wearing gloves? And Ok the burned book was one Gordon was trying to sell Giles at an absurd price but Giles simply doesn't have motive. He has means and I suppose opportunity but no motive really. He says no to Gordon sometimes. Giles is proper and mild-mannered. Meg is trying to befriend him but I think he's afraid of her or simply doesn't like women.
Chief Burke is lazy and quick to add 2 +2=5! He may be good with small time crime but not murder. This is at least the second time Meg has to do his work for him. Chief Burke is easily frustrated and annoyed. Maybe they need a new chief in Caerphilly who can handle the Langslow murder cases with aplomb and actually solve them. Officer Sammy should be promoted. He keeps a level head, is familiar with the local people and livestock and seems to fit in with the locals.
Gordon leaves behind an estranged wife, Carol. The two were quite a pair. He was incapable of love and she deserves the divorce but she's no angel either. She would happily pick up his business where he left off. Did Carol kill Gordon to inherit his business when he wouldn't give her a divorce and let the courts divide his assets? Gordon's former business partner, Ralph Endicott, has nearly as much of a motive as Carol. Gordon cheated Ralph and then they became competitors. While Endicott is well rid of Gordon, people keep trying to sue him for things Gordon did! Professor Schmidt of Caerphilly College's English department is on Michael's tenure committee and set against it. He is snooty and looks down on theater as not "serious" literature. Um Shakespeare anyone? He's such a snob and so rude but did he have a motive to kill Gordon? Gordon supposedly found papers that Professor Schmidt would want. Papers that may have belonged to the beloved poetess patroness of the college. Granted Professor Schmidt is literally the only person who LIKES this poet so the papers would only be valuable to him. Gordon knew this and could ask for whatever price he wanted. Was the price too high? Was the price Gordon's life?
I'm surprised no one killed Barry Sprocket. He seems to have moved in and is determined to get his 10% (not a family 10%) or more. He's keeping an eye on everything and the money. He's a crook and a slimy weasel, just like Gordon. That would be great if Barry did Gordon in.
Cousin Horace is back, this time with a new girlfriend. She's not good for him. Horace is trying hard to be normal for her sake but if she doesn't love him for who he is (gorilla suit and all) then she's not the right woman for him. Horace is a good crime scene technician and trying to do his job while the family chaos and sale chaos is so distracting and annoying. I like Meg's New Age Hippie cousin Rosemary (Rose Noir is her current name). I imagine her sounding like Flower in the TV show "Ghosts." Rosemary is not a real hippie though and she'd probably be horrified by Flower's commune antics and drug use. Rose Noir makes scented bath products which Meg is desperately trying to buy. All she wants is rose and lavender scented bath products to have a long soak once the sale is over. Rose Noir won't sell Meg THAT particular scent. Meg's scent smells like... musk. EW! Meg is crafty though and tries to outwit her cousin.
I like this series but I don't love it. I have one more on my nightstand and I'll probably stop there. I might dip into the series from time to time but I don't think I want to binge read it.
This was almost my favorite entry in the series so far. I enjoyed the traditional cozy mystery and Meg's family and the animal antics weren't too over-the-top. Neither was Meg's family although they do make mine look normal. The mystery had enough suspects and plot twists that I didn't guess who until Meg finds the final clue. I was really surprised. I guessed someone else early on and thought for sure it was that person. However, I kind of enjoyed the animals more in Crouching Buzzard and I find myself missing Eric's companion, Duck. Where's Duck? I thought Duck went wherever Eric went.
Meg has a good head on her shoulders and I understand her feelings completely. I love my stuff, I love antiques but Edwina Sprocket's collection sounds like TOO much. No one actually wants to buy Hummels. The only people who like them are old ladies. I also understand Meg's feelings about her mom. Michael is always such a jerk. He's trying to be nice here and compromise so I liked him a little better but Meg knows her mom better and well enough to know what her mom usually does. However, I wish she had voiced her inner thoughts about making it "our" space by doing it ourselves even if it's not perfect. Her mom might respect that but offer a million in one opinions. I like chintz but I'm not sure I want it in my bedroom. It depends... Michael wants two things in life tenure and to be alone with Meg to fool around. Spike is adorable as always and I feel so bad for him. The behavioral therapy obviously didn't work and he has trust issues after being abandoned. Eric is the only one who is good with Spike. Eric is sweet, gentle and kind to all animals. He gets into mischief with another boy, more typical of his age than obsessing over animals. Michael would do well to take notes. Sweet young Eric will grow into a fine man. Where's Meg's sister while her children are running around? She's never there and her older children are always absent. Rob is still a clueless moron and even more of a spoiled brat now Lawyers From Hell II is doing so well. We don't find out if they ever did release Cops From Hell or Doctors from Hell. The technology is still a bit dated but now they have cell phones at least.
Gordon McCoy was a crook. He bought low, played dirty and sold high. He probably sold junk no one actually wanted but jacked the prices so high, people thought they were getting a deal. He had no respect for people, rules or anything other than money. And books. He did love books and knew his rare books. Since no real books are actually named, I can't tell if he actually did understand rare books or not but he did love them. Giles Rathbone, a stuffy British professor at Caerphilly College, also loves books. He especially likes and collects old mysteries and Gordon is well aware of what books Giles has in his collection and continually tried to upgrade and upsell. Giles is a bibliophile and professor. He's not a real book collector. He just enjoys collecting his favorites. Does he really have a motive to kill Gordon? I don't think so. Ok so the bookend that was used to brain Gordon does have his fingerprints but he was carrying it around the sale. Maybe the murderer wore a costume with gloves? Wasn't the Hummel Lady wearing gloves? And Ok the burned book was one Gordon was trying to sell Giles at an absurd price but Giles simply doesn't have motive. He has means and I suppose opportunity but no motive really. He says no to Gordon sometimes. Giles is proper and mild-mannered. Meg is trying to befriend him but I think he's afraid of her or simply doesn't like women.
Chief Burke is lazy and quick to add 2 +2=5! He may be good with small time crime but not murder. This is at least the second time Meg has to do his work for him. Chief Burke is easily frustrated and annoyed. Maybe they need a new chief in Caerphilly who can handle the Langslow murder cases with aplomb and actually solve them. Officer Sammy should be promoted. He keeps a level head, is familiar with the local people and livestock and seems to fit in with the locals.
Gordon leaves behind an estranged wife, Carol. The two were quite a pair. He was incapable of love and she deserves the divorce but she's no angel either. She would happily pick up his business where he left off. Did Carol kill Gordon to inherit his business when he wouldn't give her a divorce and let the courts divide his assets? Gordon's former business partner, Ralph Endicott, has nearly as much of a motive as Carol. Gordon cheated Ralph and then they became competitors. While Endicott is well rid of Gordon, people keep trying to sue him for things Gordon did! Professor Schmidt of Caerphilly College's English department is on Michael's tenure committee and set against it. He is snooty and looks down on theater as not "serious" literature. Um Shakespeare anyone? He's such a snob and so rude but did he have a motive to kill Gordon? Gordon supposedly found papers that Professor Schmidt would want. Papers that may have belonged to the beloved poetess patroness of the college. Granted Professor Schmidt is literally the only person who LIKES this poet so the papers would only be valuable to him. Gordon knew this and could ask for whatever price he wanted. Was the price too high? Was the price Gordon's life?
I'm surprised no one killed Barry Sprocket. He seems to have moved in and is determined to get his 10% (not a family 10%) or more. He's keeping an eye on everything and the money. He's a crook and a slimy weasel, just like Gordon. That would be great if Barry did Gordon in.
Cousin Horace is back, this time with a new girlfriend. She's not good for him. Horace is trying hard to be normal for her sake but if she doesn't love him for who he is (gorilla suit and all) then she's not the right woman for him. Horace is a good crime scene technician and trying to do his job while the family chaos and sale chaos is so distracting and annoying. I like Meg's New Age Hippie cousin Rosemary (Rose Noir is her current name). I imagine her sounding like Flower in the TV show "Ghosts." Rosemary is not a real hippie though and she'd probably be horrified by Flower's commune antics and drug use. Rose Noir makes scented bath products which Meg is desperately trying to buy. All she wants is rose and lavender scented bath products to have a long soak once the sale is over. Rose Noir won't sell Meg THAT particular scent. Meg's scent smells like... musk. EW! Meg is crafty though and tries to outwit her cousin.
I like this series but I don't love it. I have one more on my nightstand and I'll probably stop there. I might dip into the series from time to time but I don't think I want to binge read it.
August 4, 2021
I chuckled my way through the chaotic and oddly endearing behaviour of the characters in this novel. Meg Langslow who, after cleaning out the junk from the old Victorian mansion she and her boyfriend bought, hosted a huge yard (or should I say acres) sale. She is being assisted by assorted extended family, her mother and father, dogs, volunteers and folks from the local English faculty. Of course, there are the dear owls in the barn to add to the lunacy. When a particularly unlikable antique dealer ends up dead and stuffed in a trunk, the rush is on to try and solve the murder.
December 29, 2014
Meg, a smart likable amateur sleuth, and her would be fiance Michael, she has commitment issues, buy an old house far out in the country buts it's cluttered to the rafters with ugly antiques. Meg's solution is to have a giant yard sale , all her relatives are invited to sell their own junk and the Sprockets, members of the previous owner's family, show up along with local folk to sell a humorous array of items. Along with the house Meg and Michael also got a barn with an actual barn owl.
During this massive yard sale a local and much disliked antique dealer is murdered in the barn. The police arrest a suspect right away but it's Micheal's friend, a fellow professor at the university. Meg and Michael team up to solve the mystery, They have to make their way through a long list of suspects as it seems everyone in town had some problem with the victim.
This book is hilarious. It truly has the funniest garage sale/yard sale scenes I've ever read. Meg's yard sale almost turns into a county fair at one point. If you love animals there are so many funny scenes from a crazy little dog that terrifies everyone to a flock of sheep running a muck and then of course there is Sophie, the barn owl. I learned more about owl pellets in this book then I ever wanted to know.
It's a great mystery and a hilarious book. It's fresh, well written, and a fun read. I highly recommend Owls Well That Ends Well.
During this massive yard sale a local and much disliked antique dealer is murdered in the barn. The police arrest a suspect right away but it's Micheal's friend, a fellow professor at the university. Meg and Michael team up to solve the mystery, They have to make their way through a long list of suspects as it seems everyone in town had some problem with the victim.
This book is hilarious. It truly has the funniest garage sale/yard sale scenes I've ever read. Meg's yard sale almost turns into a county fair at one point. If you love animals there are so many funny scenes from a crazy little dog that terrifies everyone to a flock of sheep running a muck and then of course there is Sophie, the barn owl. I learned more about owl pellets in this book then I ever wanted to know.
It's a great mystery and a hilarious book. It's fresh, well written, and a fun read. I highly recommend Owls Well That Ends Well.
October 3, 2016
Meg Langslow: 6
Well, this book seems to clarify the timeline confusion. Apparently there was a time skip of a few years (the 'few' is not very clear) somewhere around book 3 or book 4. This book finally deals with the house Meg and Michael ended up buying at the end of book 4. The main character, Meg, is a mess of emotions. After all this time, she has resentment against her mother for being model-worthy beautiful compared to herself. She resents Michael for putting most of the responsibility for the house on her (before it was making her move, having to deal with his mother, etc.). She's always eyeing other men and entertaining the idea of what-might-have-been. She resents her family for making demands on her time. All this, and she never seems to stand up for herself and tell all these people taking advantage of her to take a hike. Instead, she pastes a smile on her face and tries to be pleasant. She needs counseling. I found this to be a frustrating read. I can't stand the main character.
Well, this book seems to clarify the timeline confusion. Apparently there was a time skip of a few years (the 'few' is not very clear) somewhere around book 3 or book 4. This book finally deals with the house Meg and Michael ended up buying at the end of book 4. The main character, Meg, is a mess of emotions. After all this time, she has resentment against her mother for being model-worthy beautiful compared to herself. She resents Michael for putting most of the responsibility for the house on her (before it was making her move, having to deal with his mother, etc.). She's always eyeing other men and entertaining the idea of what-might-have-been. She resents her family for making demands on her time. All this, and she never seems to stand up for herself and tell all these people taking advantage of her to take a hike. Instead, she pastes a smile on her face and tries to be pleasant. She needs counseling. I found this to be a frustrating read. I can't stand the main character.
July 25, 2011
I do like these things. My mom mails them to me in pairs, and I think I'll read one and then wait on the other, but then I read both in 3-4 days. This one is lots of fun, and although I kind of felt it would end up how it did, it didn't have to. This was probably the best-constructed mystery of the set so far, insomuch as the guilty party wasn't completely obvious from the beginning, neither was the guilty party only revealed at the end through previously withheld evidence.
The character of Michael is too good to be true, but that's part of why we read these things, isn't it?
The character of Michael is too good to be true, but that's part of why we read these things, isn't it?
June 30, 2020
Reread: yep, still love the yard sale & the chaos and hate the mystery.
Love the premise of this book. Love the way the yard sale totally got out of hand. Loved the family Loved the mystery.
Hated that Meg is choosing to be willfully blind to certain suspects. Ruined the whole book for me.
Love the premise of this book. Love the way the yard sale totally got out of hand. Loved the family Loved the mystery.
Hated that Meg is choosing to be willfully blind to certain suspects. Ruined the whole book for me.
February 4, 2024
Donna Andrews wins my prize again for the best Cozy mystery writer. This one has Meg and Michael trying to run a yard sale, protecting some mating owls, dealing with a houseful of relatives, both Meg's and those of the late owner of the house she and Michael purchased and Spike the evil canine. Of course there is a murder, too, of someone no one will miss.
I caught an obscure literary joke in this book, which set me giggling. The offices of the English department of Caerphilly College, where Michael teaches, are in "Dunsany Hall." If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.
I caught an obscure literary joke in this book, which set me giggling. The offices of the English department of Caerphilly College, where Michael teaches, are in "Dunsany Hall." If you get it, you get it. If you don't, you don't.
October 13, 2021
I love Meg and Michael and the crazy situations they find themselves in. Trying to imagine the scope of their yard sale was hard but in the end it evolved into a three ring circus. I also really enjoyed the mystery in this one and just when you thought it was solved, curveball! I can't wait to read about more of Meg's adventures.
October 24, 2023
3.5 stars. Not a very exciting mystery but still enjoyable. Great characters and I’m loving the funny lines thrown in here and there.
March 8, 2022
Meg is conducting the yard sale to end all yard sales - literally. Their new house, a falling-apart relic previously inhabited by a hoarder, has to be emptied before it can be renovated.
Behind Meg's back, her father and brother have put about the rumor that there may be a pirate's hoard concealed among the junk, and the town population pretty much relocates to Meg and Michael's yard. This offers plenty of suspects for the murder of a very unpopular antique dealer, so why do the police have to home in on a friend important to Michael's career? Meg has almost as much determination on the trail as their unwelcome-but-useful dog Spike.
Almost lost in the hilarious mayhem are Meg's adventures in a dumbwaiter, the non-burglary in the murdered man's shop, and the inopportune moments that various pieces of the house choose to fall off.
Read 2 times, listened 5 times
Behind Meg's back, her father and brother have put about the rumor that there may be a pirate's hoard concealed among the junk, and the town population pretty much relocates to Meg and Michael's yard. This offers plenty of suspects for the murder of a very unpopular antique dealer, so why do the police have to home in on a friend important to Michael's career? Meg has almost as much determination on the trail as their unwelcome-but-useful dog Spike.
Almost lost in the hilarious mayhem are Meg's adventures in a dumbwaiter, the non-burglary in the murdered man's shop, and the inopportune moments that various pieces of the house choose to fall off.
Read 2 times, listened 5 times
April 28, 2015
Warning if you are having a YARD SALE anytime soon you may change your mind after reading the 6th installment of the Meg Langslow mysteries. What a hoot! You'll be laughing out loud when you read the tale of the antiques dealer who is found stuffed in the trunk with his head bashed in and the media turns up on the doorstep and interrupts the frenzied shoppers. The suspect may in fact be among the customers who are dressed in costume as there is a discount offered to those who dress-up. Meg's eccentric family including her parents are at their finest when there is murder, mayhem and a mystery to solve. All in the name of renovating a house that may prove to be more of a chore than Meg and her boyfriend Michael had bargained for!
December 18, 2025
Sixth time listening to this book and I still enjoyed it immensely. Love the bedlam that reigns around poor Meg and this over-the-to, out-of-this-world, huger-than-huge yard sale that has run amok with murder and mayhem. So many laugh out loud moments and wonderful secondary characters -- some who have become favourites of mine as the series progresses but are introduced here first. I don't think I'll ever tire of this series or Bernadette Dunne's excellent narration.
January 7, 2020
What a “hoot!” 😂
Meg and Michael and all of Meg’s family are having a gigantic 2 acre yardsale to try to get rid of all of the stuff they have after buying the house of a hoarder. There were tons of laughs in each chapter and this book reminds me of book 1 in its hilarity. Can’t wait to continue on with this series.
Meg and Michael and all of Meg’s family are having a gigantic 2 acre yardsale to try to get rid of all of the stuff they have after buying the house of a hoarder. There were tons of laughs in each chapter and this book reminds me of book 1 in its hilarity. Can’t wait to continue on with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2016
Murder at a yard sale - with owls and SPOOR. This was a great book that kept me guessing til Meg and Michael figured it out!
November 18, 2020
Another winner. But with a lot of bad sheep puns.
May 28, 2024
Are these books the height of literature? No, but they are light hearted and funny. And the characters are a hoot!
See what I did there?
3.5 stars
See what I did there?
3.5 stars
February 4, 2019
Even though they're murder mysteries, this series always makes me laugh-out-loud. I swear Meg's family is getting both larger and madder.
August 21, 2019
This family just keeps getting weirder and more likable with every book I listen to!
November 6, 2020
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this visit with Meg and her madcap family! When Meg and her boyfriend Michael decide to rid themselves of unwanted clutter (junk) in the home they just purchased, they end up hosting the yard sale of all yard sales, with extended family and friends contributing tables full of items.
Customers in costume (it is October!) flock to the sale in unprecedented numbers. The zany yard sale gets even crazier when the body of an unpopular and unscrupulous antique dealer is discovered locked in a trunk. Things go from bad to worse as a professor, who may just have the final say in Michael's tenure at the college, is arrested and named the prime suspect. In order to clear the name of their friend and, perhaps, save Michael's job, Meg once again must investigate a murder.
The story itself is captivating. There are, as Meg's dad would say, a skulk of suspects, along with red herrings at every turn. Meg is so resourceful, and her sense of humor -- okay, sarcasm -- is just spot on!
Owl's Well That Ends Well may be the 6th book in this fantastic series, but it is my favorite so far. And the narration by Bernadette Dunne captures the humor perfectly! I can't wait to listen to the next book.
Customers in costume (it is October!) flock to the sale in unprecedented numbers. The zany yard sale gets even crazier when the body of an unpopular and unscrupulous antique dealer is discovered locked in a trunk. Things go from bad to worse as a professor, who may just have the final say in Michael's tenure at the college, is arrested and named the prime suspect. In order to clear the name of their friend and, perhaps, save Michael's job, Meg once again must investigate a murder.
The story itself is captivating. There are, as Meg's dad would say, a skulk of suspects, along with red herrings at every turn. Meg is so resourceful, and her sense of humor -- okay, sarcasm -- is just spot on!
Owl's Well That Ends Well may be the 6th book in this fantastic series, but it is my favorite so far. And the narration by Bernadette Dunne captures the humor perfectly! I can't wait to listen to the next book.
May 3, 2020
I know that I can count on Meg and the Caerphilly crowd for a good laugh as well as a good mystery. This was no exception. Meg’s family is an absolute riot, and there are always other zany characters to add into the craziness. The whole yard sale atmosphere was wild enough, but throw in the body of a dead jerk hidden in a trunk (which the buyer wants to claim ASAP so she can sell it on ebay), and it’s a hilarious who-dunnit with some serious twists that keep the reader guessing until the reveal. Throw in the vicious little dog and an owl or two, and you’ve got another fun visit with old friends.
June 24, 2024
Our sleuth bought an old rambling house once owned by a hoarder. Hoping to get rid of some of her junk, and maybe make some dough to help in the repairing of the house, she holds a yard sale. Members of her gigantic family, many of which she barely knows, joins in, creating a chaotic sort of commerce.
Meanwhile, her father is nuts about owls, and pesters everyone in the vicinity about them
Then an odious antiques dealer is offed, found in a trunk.
Our sleuth pokes around, and eventually solves the case. Pretty funny sometimes. The TSTL moments occur during non-life threatening times.
Meanwhile, her father is nuts about owls, and pesters everyone in the vicinity about them
Then an odious antiques dealer is offed, found in a trunk.
Our sleuth pokes around, and eventually solves the case. Pretty funny sometimes. The TSTL moments occur during non-life threatening times.
July 6, 2024
Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews is the 6th book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series. Meg and her fiance Michael are holding a yard sale to clear the collected junk from the Victorian mansion they had purchased, only to find an antique dealer killed and stuffed in a trunk in a barn. A fun and entertaining book, especially with Meg's extended family helping out. I liked reading about some of the weird things people buy and sell at these sales. The mystery was interesting with the yard sale chaos adding to the difficulty in detection. A very enjoyable and chaotic, fun cozy mystery.
September 9, 2025
I couldn’t get over that the people they bought the house from left everything inside with the stipulation that Meg and Michael would sell it all and the previous owners would get a cut of that money. Then, when Meg and Michael moved in their own belongings, the previous owners said those were their things they were stealing. What?! That doesn’t even make sense. It was so beyond ridiculous. Every book so far has been chaos, but the chaos somehow made sense. This made no sense.
May 19, 2021
The story centers around a murder that occurs during a yard sale being held on the grounds of Meg's new home. There's a lot of possible suspects and Meg has an interesting way of eaves dropping on the police interrogations to help her find the murderer.
It was an enjoyable read while I was sitting outside at our own local yard sale.
It was an enjoyable read while I was sitting outside at our own local yard sale.
December 12, 2022
This is the second time I've read Owls Well That Ends Well. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed it. It's really relatable, like how awful hosting a yard sale is. Or how insane a big family can be. And to make matters worse, the main character is dealing with a murder on her property. It's a really fun read and is a satisfying murder mystery. I definitely recommend it for everyone.
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