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Meg Langslow #15
Hen of the Baskervilles
A dastardly murder and the kidnapping of a prize chicken threaten to ruin Caerphilly's state fair—fortunately, Meg Langslow is on the case of The Hen of the Baskervilles
The newest mystery in Donna Andrews's gut-bustingly funny, award-winning, New York Times bestselling series is anything but elementary. Meg Langslow is helping Mayor Randall Shiffley organize the Virginia Un-Fair, Caerphilly's entry in the race to replace the old state fair (which has gone bankrupt). Before a line can even form outside the ticket booth, however, a pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens are stolen from their coop in the chicken tent. Soon, a rash of vandalism crops up at the fair, showing no heritage farm animal, prize vegetable, or artisanal craft to be safe.
While patrolling the fairgrounds, determined to catch the perp, Meg runs into her friend Molly, who has been building a successful business making goat cheeses. Molly is terrified that she may lose her farm because her idle husband Brett has left her for Genette Sedgewick, a rich hobby winemaker, and is demanding his half of the land. Meg enlists Mother's help to find Molly a divorce lawyer, but later that night, Brett is found murdered and Molly is swiftly accused as his killer.
Meg is convinced that her friend wouldn't so much as harm a fly, but can she find the real killer before it's too late? Will she track down the vandal who has been terrorizing—however creatively—the fair's participants? And will Michael be able to convince her to add members of his new favorite heritage breed to their growing menagerie? Meg's most hilarious caper yet, the curious incident of the hen in the nighttime will have readers rolling on the floor with laughter.
The newest mystery in Donna Andrews's gut-bustingly funny, award-winning, New York Times bestselling series is anything but elementary. Meg Langslow is helping Mayor Randall Shiffley organize the Virginia Un-Fair, Caerphilly's entry in the race to replace the old state fair (which has gone bankrupt). Before a line can even form outside the ticket booth, however, a pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens are stolen from their coop in the chicken tent. Soon, a rash of vandalism crops up at the fair, showing no heritage farm animal, prize vegetable, or artisanal craft to be safe.
While patrolling the fairgrounds, determined to catch the perp, Meg runs into her friend Molly, who has been building a successful business making goat cheeses. Molly is terrified that she may lose her farm because her idle husband Brett has left her for Genette Sedgewick, a rich hobby winemaker, and is demanding his half of the land. Meg enlists Mother's help to find Molly a divorce lawyer, but later that night, Brett is found murdered and Molly is swiftly accused as his killer.
Meg is convinced that her friend wouldn't so much as harm a fly, but can she find the real killer before it's too late? Will she track down the vandal who has been terrorizing—however creatively—the fair's participants? And will Michael be able to convince her to add members of his new favorite heritage breed to their growing menagerie? Meg's most hilarious caper yet, the curious incident of the hen in the nighttime will have readers rolling on the floor with laughter.
319 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 16, 2013
107 people are currently reading
1923 people want to read
About the author
Donna Andrews
103 books2,097 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 427 reviews
March 25, 2022
The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews is a 2013 Minotaur publication.
This fifteenth installment in the Meg Langslow series, sees the town of Caerphilly engaging in an ‘un-fair’, which Meg is helping to organize- naturally.
The event is immediately plagued with a series of thefts, including that of a prized chicken. Things take a more serious turn when a murder occurs, and once again Meg is at the center of the investigation…
As of this writing, I am now halfway through this long running series.
This story has a little less input from the zany supporting cast. Oh sure, they make an appearance here and there, but they seemed far more subdued than usual. Mostly, though, this is all Meg, and the various law enforcement agencies involved- and the suspects, of course.
The mood is still light, though, maintaining its usual cozy atmosphere, including all manner of animals, and a bit of insight into the positives of ‘hobby farming’.
The plot was tighter in this installment, and I think some of that is due to toning down the number of characters in the book, and giving the supporting cast smaller roles, which allowed the mystery to be the primary focus.
Overall, this is one of the stronger installments in the series. As always, the story was light, fun, and fast paced, but was also a very solid whodunit!
This fifteenth installment in the Meg Langslow series, sees the town of Caerphilly engaging in an ‘un-fair’, which Meg is helping to organize- naturally.
The event is immediately plagued with a series of thefts, including that of a prized chicken. Things take a more serious turn when a murder occurs, and once again Meg is at the center of the investigation…
As of this writing, I am now halfway through this long running series.
This story has a little less input from the zany supporting cast. Oh sure, they make an appearance here and there, but they seemed far more subdued than usual. Mostly, though, this is all Meg, and the various law enforcement agencies involved- and the suspects, of course.
The mood is still light, though, maintaining its usual cozy atmosphere, including all manner of animals, and a bit of insight into the positives of ‘hobby farming’.
The plot was tighter in this installment, and I think some of that is due to toning down the number of characters in the book, and giving the supporting cast smaller roles, which allowed the mystery to be the primary focus.
Overall, this is one of the stronger installments in the series. As always, the story was light, fun, and fast paced, but was also a very solid whodunit!
July 18, 2022
In this Meg Langslow mystery, Meg is helping organize the county fair, and there is a rash of thefts and vandalism. Chickens go missing. A quilt is taken. There’s a to do in the wine maker’s tent over a couple who is separated but the husband is now openly dating someone else. The funniest thing in this book is all the unusual heirloom breeds of animals and produce, the fun of the fair, and the general small-town joy. I couldn’t stop cackling at the llama Hunger Games, where Michael had to lead the misbehaving llama through the trials. Then the llama costume contests. So hilarious. I love the way each book takes a fun new spin on things.
October 20, 2021
In this 15th book in the 'Meg Langslow' series, the multitasking blacksmith/amateur sleuth investigates vandalism and murder at the fair.
The book can be read as a standalone.
*****
The town of Caerphilly, Virginia is hosting a fair and Meg Langslow - blacksmith, wife, mother of toddler twins, and hobbyist farmer - is assistant director. Amidst preparations for opening day a vandal targets the fair and valuable chickens are stolen;
A prize-worthy pumpkin is smashed;
And a beautiful quilt is sullied. Soon afterward a straying husband is shot dead.
The Caerphilly cops reluctantly team up with neighboring Clay cops to solve the crime and, of course, Meg helps investigate as well.
I enjoyed this humorous, cozy mystery and learned something about heirloom species of animals as well. A good light read.
You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot....
June 15, 2017
I just love this crazy family.. and there wasn't too many of them in this installment. {every knows how overwhelming it can be to have EVERY family member underfoot, much less two toddlers running around.} =]
Fun little romp with Meg and boys.
Fun little romp with Meg and boys.
August 1, 2013
This is book 15 in the Meg Langslow series. What keeps this series fresh for me is that Meg lives her life. She's gotten married and had a set of twins since the first book, she is not running around doing the exact same things and dithering over the same couple of guys like another amateur sleuth I could name.
Caerphilly definitely seems like a dangerous place to be if you're not a relative of Meg's. However, if you find yourself in Meg's small Virgina community and end up dead, or accused of murder, Meg and her family and friends will solve the case. There is a great cast of characters for this series and most of them pop in for this one.
Caerphilly is hosting the Un-fair for the second year, it was started to hedge against the Virginia State Fair going bankrupt and leaving people with no where to show their prized livestock. The plot was taken from some real life events, like the trouble the State Fair was in. Luckily, I hope no fair has ever had the kind of trouble that the Un-fair did. It starts with some stolen chickens and quickly escalates to murder.
Meg is the deputy director of the Un-fair, which is how she gets dragged into investigating this time. She's very unlucky when it comes to stumbling across dead bodies, but after 14 other books, she's getting pretty good at solving their murders. With the help of the local Chief of police and her family.
I highly recommend this series. Each one stands alone pretty well, but to get the full story, and really get to know all the characters, it is best to start at the beginning.
Caerphilly definitely seems like a dangerous place to be if you're not a relative of Meg's. However, if you find yourself in Meg's small Virgina community and end up dead, or accused of murder, Meg and her family and friends will solve the case. There is a great cast of characters for this series and most of them pop in for this one.
Caerphilly is hosting the Un-fair for the second year, it was started to hedge against the Virginia State Fair going bankrupt and leaving people with no where to show their prized livestock. The plot was taken from some real life events, like the trouble the State Fair was in. Luckily, I hope no fair has ever had the kind of trouble that the Un-fair did. It starts with some stolen chickens and quickly escalates to murder.
Meg is the deputy director of the Un-fair, which is how she gets dragged into investigating this time. She's very unlucky when it comes to stumbling across dead bodies, but after 14 other books, she's getting pretty good at solving their murders. With the help of the local Chief of police and her family.
I highly recommend this series. Each one stands alone pretty well, but to get the full story, and really get to know all the characters, it is best to start at the beginning.
May 5, 2025
Fifth time listening to this cozy mystery and it's just as entertaining as the first time! Absolutely love Meg and her clan and the town of Caerphilly.
October 9, 2016
As always with this series, this was wonderful. Full of fun adventures with meg's family and a solidly written mystery. I am definitely on board for the next one!
October 6, 2018
Actually I listened to this. It's the first audio book I've ever tried, borrowed from Overdrive, and it definitely won't be my last. I was told by someone who is a big audio book fan that Donna Andrews' Meg Lanslow series is great on audio and I decided to try it out, randomly picking this one. I was really surprised and entertained with this audio book!
Even though I had never read or listened to any other book from this series, it took literally no time to get to know Meg, Michael, their twins Josh and Jamie along with the various law enforcement officials and random friends. It was really a good stand alone. It does help with the interested in the story factor that I'm somewhat familiar with the workings of a fair since my daughter was in 4-H and FFA from the time she was 8-19 years old so I attended plenty of fairs. I didn't even realize there was such a thing as heritage animals though. It was interesting to hear about them but in some places I did get a little bit uninterested in hearing about the various breeds.
Basically Meg is mostly in charge of the Un-Fair which replaced the Virginia State Fair that went bankrupt. There are some various thefts and acts of vandalism going on then eventually a murder that points to one of Meg's friends. Even before the murder though, Meg was determined to find out the person or persons involved in possibly trying to wreck their little fair. I like that at least by this book she seems to have the full support of the local police and sheriff as far as investigating goes and that for the most part, she did it along with her husband or someone else.
The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat at times. I found myself making comments and going "oh no, keep running" just like I would if I was watching a mystery show on TV. There were plenty of suspects and great twists. To me it was a very carefully constructed plot which I totally enjoyed. I didn't guess the killer until the author chose to reveal it either.
I would love to start reading this series from the beginning and catching up on the various cases Meg has probably helped with.
Even though I had never read or listened to any other book from this series, it took literally no time to get to know Meg, Michael, their twins Josh and Jamie along with the various law enforcement officials and random friends. It was really a good stand alone. It does help with the interested in the story factor that I'm somewhat familiar with the workings of a fair since my daughter was in 4-H and FFA from the time she was 8-19 years old so I attended plenty of fairs. I didn't even realize there was such a thing as heritage animals though. It was interesting to hear about them but in some places I did get a little bit uninterested in hearing about the various breeds.
Basically Meg is mostly in charge of the Un-Fair which replaced the Virginia State Fair that went bankrupt. There are some various thefts and acts of vandalism going on then eventually a murder that points to one of Meg's friends. Even before the murder though, Meg was determined to find out the person or persons involved in possibly trying to wreck their little fair. I like that at least by this book she seems to have the full support of the local police and sheriff as far as investigating goes and that for the most part, she did it along with her husband or someone else.
The mystery kept me on the edge of my seat at times. I found myself making comments and going "oh no, keep running" just like I would if I was watching a mystery show on TV. There were plenty of suspects and great twists. To me it was a very carefully constructed plot which I totally enjoyed. I didn't guess the killer until the author chose to reveal it either.
I would love to start reading this series from the beginning and catching up on the various cases Meg has probably helped with.
October 19, 2022
While I love the whole series, this book is one of my favorites of the Meg Langslow series. Donna Andrews is such a gifted author. A great mystery mixed with humor and a wonderful cast of characters makes for the perfect book and the perfect series.
May 17, 2023
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January 3, 2023
Fifteenth in the Meg Langslow funny mystery series revolving around Meg and family in their small town of Caerphilly, Virginia.
My Take
Lately the Meg Langslow stories haven't been as funny, but The Hen of the Baskervilles reminds me why I adore this series. It's cozy, homey, and downright hilarious with its small-town life and obvious villain. Add in the focused pride of individual participants in their particular plants, animals, and crafts, and its humanity in spades.
I hadn't really thought of how much work was involved in raising that pumpkin, and I love that Andrews took the opportunity to explain. This really is an excellent and too-funny story, one that's made even better with Andrews' promotion of heritage breeds and heirloom plants. The emphasis is more on the animals, but I do love how she explains the breeders' hopes and dreams for their animals. I could wish she'd done an equal opportunity for the crops and produce, but perhaps Andrews felt that organic produce and cheeses and such have received more publicity than the critters.
Oh man, anyone putting on events would love Meg's database with its matching map! Actually, they might want to read The Hen of the Baskervilles for reasons they can use to explain why a good judge is worth the price! The Cutest Dog Contest is so sweet!
Jesus, listening to Plunkett and Vern argue about who has jurisdiction over the body was just ridiculous. Sure made me laugh until the sheriff horrified me with his crime scene techniques.
I loved Meg's solution, LOL. Actually, Meg has all sorts of solutions that'll mire the Clay County deputies in deep ca-ca.
Geez, that Genette is a piece of work. Everything and everyone is supposed to revolve around her? You'll enjoy hearing how Meg plans to take her for as much as possible.
Why wouldn't Meg simply email a link to what she found to the police? Okay, besides printing out the picture?
And it looks like the Langslow-Waterston's will be adding to their animal menagerie, LOL. Can't wait to read the next in line, Duck the Halls .
The Story
It has all the security a laid-back, easygoing town will provide, so it's no surprise when acts of vandalism and theft destroy the efforts of some of the fair's participants. Then again, it is a surprise that anyone would actually do such things until Meg learns of one fair entrant everyone is willing to blame.
The Characters
Meg Langslow, blacksmith and mom, is too inquisitive for words and always getting roped in to helping with events. This turn around she's the deputy director for the Un-fair. Michael Waterston is Meg's husband, a drama professor at the local college, and llama enthusiast. Josh and Jamie are their two-year-old twin sons. Harpo, Zeppo, Gummo, Groucho, and Chico are their pet llamas; Spike is their vicious little dog with Tinkerbelle, Rob's dog, his faithful companion. Horace Hollingsworth is Meg's cousin and a veteran crime scene analyst. Rose Noire is another cousin deeply into organic anything who sells herbal products. Dr. Langslow is Meg's dad and volunteered to be the medical officer for the fair; Meg gets her inability to resist meddling from him. Mother is in charge of the winery pavilion, and it's beautiful. I suspect she'll be running a lot more next year. Rob is Meg's brother who owns a computer game company.
Fair participants
With no one knowing if the Virginia State Fair would be able to go on, Caerphilly decided to stage its own Un-fair, a statewide agricultural exposition focusing on heritage animals and heirloom crops. Bill Dauber is the not-quite-competent chicken tent volunteer. Rosalie has lost a beautiful Baltimore Album quilt. Molly Riordan is a friend of Meg's and makes the most delicious artisan cheeses. Too bad she's so miserably unhappy. Dorcas is one of the winery participants. Genette Sedgewick, another winery participant, is the Other Woman, and a right bitch who believes she is entitled to anything she covets. Jim-Bob, a American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, will play a vital role. Betsy is a Jack Mule breeder and enthusiast. The Baskerv-, oops, I mean Bonnevilles are in mourning for that first known loss. Mason Shiffley is mortified when his sheep are hit. Seth Early is Meg's neighbor and raises sheep; Lad is his Border Collie. Mr. Beamish raises Sumatrans.
Paul Morot is a wish-he'd-been. As a Genette victim, he's missing his vineyard terribly. Brett Riordan is Molly's roving husband. Doesn't sound like much of a loss.
The usual cast of characters
Vern Shiffley is a deputy with the Caerphilly PD. Debbie Ann is the police dispatcher. Poor girl seems to work 24/7 in that town! Chief Burke is the police chief as well as a sheriff's deputy. Aida is a deputy with EMT training.
Randall Shiffley is the mayor, Vern's cousin, runs a popular construction company, and he's the fair's director. Stanley Denton is a private investigator who recently moved to Caerphilly—he's infatuated with Muriel Slattery's pies, and maybe Muriel (she runs the local diner). Daphne can clean anything. Cousin Norbert Shiffley is about to have a bonanza weekend. Uncle Hiram has moved his moonshine operation over into Clay County to keep from embarrassing Randall if he gets busted.
Clay County Sheriff's Department
Deputy Billy Plunkett is a scheming, incompetent idiot and jerk. Those are the polite terms I'm choosing... Sheriff Dingle makes Plunkett look right smart. Reely is another relative.
The Cover
The cover is too typically Meg Langslow with a gradient of lilac that is dark around the edges and lightens up in the center to focus on the cartoony depiction of a midway game of Shoot-the-Chicken even as The Hen of the Baskervilles waves her wing to reveal all. A cute chick, she's wearing a green vest with collar revealing a white button-down with tie, a magnifying glass in her vest pocket, a meerschaum betwixt beaks, and a green deerstalker to match. It's definitely enough to let you know you're entering the Fun House!
My Take
Lately the Meg Langslow stories haven't been as funny, but The Hen of the Baskervilles reminds me why I adore this series. It's cozy, homey, and downright hilarious with its small-town life and obvious villain. Add in the focused pride of individual participants in their particular plants, animals, and crafts, and its humanity in spades.
I hadn't really thought of how much work was involved in raising that pumpkin, and I love that Andrews took the opportunity to explain. This really is an excellent and too-funny story, one that's made even better with Andrews' promotion of heritage breeds and heirloom plants. The emphasis is more on the animals, but I do love how she explains the breeders' hopes and dreams for their animals. I could wish she'd done an equal opportunity for the crops and produce, but perhaps Andrews felt that organic produce and cheeses and such have received more publicity than the critters.
Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hen! We are searching for the Hen of the Baskervilles.
Oh man, anyone putting on events would love Meg's database with its matching map! Actually, they might want to read The Hen of the Baskervilles for reasons they can use to explain why a good judge is worth the price! The Cutest Dog Contest is so sweet!
Jesus, listening to Plunkett and Vern argue about who has jurisdiction over the body was just ridiculous. Sure made me laugh until the sheriff horrified me with his crime scene techniques.
"Don't worry your pretty little head"? Oh, boy...
I loved Meg's solution, LOL. Actually, Meg has all sorts of solutions that'll mire the Clay County deputies in deep ca-ca.
Geez, that Genette is a piece of work. Everything and everyone is supposed to revolve around her? You'll enjoy hearing how Meg plans to take her for as much as possible.
Why wouldn't Meg simply email a link to what she found to the police? Okay, besides printing out the picture?
And it looks like the Langslow-Waterston's will be adding to their animal menagerie, LOL. Can't wait to read the next in line, Duck the Halls .
The Story
It has all the security a laid-back, easygoing town will provide, so it's no surprise when acts of vandalism and theft destroy the efforts of some of the fair's participants. Then again, it is a surprise that anyone would actually do such things until Meg learns of one fair entrant everyone is willing to blame.
The Characters
Meg Langslow, blacksmith and mom, is too inquisitive for words and always getting roped in to helping with events. This turn around she's the deputy director for the Un-fair. Michael Waterston is Meg's husband, a drama professor at the local college, and llama enthusiast. Josh and Jamie are their two-year-old twin sons. Harpo, Zeppo, Gummo, Groucho, and Chico are their pet llamas; Spike is their vicious little dog with Tinkerbelle, Rob's dog, his faithful companion. Horace Hollingsworth is Meg's cousin and a veteran crime scene analyst. Rose Noire is another cousin deeply into organic anything who sells herbal products. Dr. Langslow is Meg's dad and volunteered to be the medical officer for the fair; Meg gets her inability to resist meddling from him. Mother is in charge of the winery pavilion, and it's beautiful. I suspect she'll be running a lot more next year. Rob is Meg's brother who owns a computer game company.
Fair participants
With no one knowing if the Virginia State Fair would be able to go on, Caerphilly decided to stage its own Un-fair, a statewide agricultural exposition focusing on heritage animals and heirloom crops. Bill Dauber is the not-quite-competent chicken tent volunteer. Rosalie has lost a beautiful Baltimore Album quilt. Molly Riordan is a friend of Meg's and makes the most delicious artisan cheeses. Too bad she's so miserably unhappy. Dorcas is one of the winery participants. Genette Sedgewick, another winery participant, is the Other Woman, and a right bitch who believes she is entitled to anything she covets. Jim-Bob, a American Mammoth Jackstock donkey, will play a vital role. Betsy is a Jack Mule breeder and enthusiast. The Baskerv-, oops, I mean Bonnevilles are in mourning for that first known loss. Mason Shiffley is mortified when his sheep are hit. Seth Early is Meg's neighbor and raises sheep; Lad is his Border Collie. Mr. Beamish raises Sumatrans.
Paul Morot is a wish-he'd-been. As a Genette victim, he's missing his vineyard terribly. Brett Riordan is Molly's roving husband. Doesn't sound like much of a loss.
The usual cast of characters
Vern Shiffley is a deputy with the Caerphilly PD. Debbie Ann is the police dispatcher. Poor girl seems to work 24/7 in that town! Chief Burke is the police chief as well as a sheriff's deputy. Aida is a deputy with EMT training.
Randall Shiffley is the mayor, Vern's cousin, runs a popular construction company, and he's the fair's director. Stanley Denton is a private investigator who recently moved to Caerphilly—he's infatuated with Muriel Slattery's pies, and maybe Muriel (she runs the local diner). Daphne can clean anything. Cousin Norbert Shiffley is about to have a bonanza weekend. Uncle Hiram has moved his moonshine operation over into Clay County to keep from embarrassing Randall if he gets busted.
Clay County Sheriff's Department
Deputy Billy Plunkett is a scheming, incompetent idiot and jerk. Those are the polite terms I'm choosing... Sheriff Dingle makes Plunkett look right smart. Reely is another relative.
The Cover
The cover is too typically Meg Langslow with a gradient of lilac that is dark around the edges and lightens up in the center to focus on the cartoony depiction of a midway game of Shoot-the-Chicken even as The Hen of the Baskervilles waves her wing to reveal all. A cute chick, she's wearing a green vest with collar revealing a white button-down with tie, a magnifying glass in her vest pocket, a meerschaum betwixt beaks, and a green deerstalker to match. It's definitely enough to let you know you're entering the Fun House!
August 20, 2023
I love this series. Always well written. Lots of twists and turns. Great characters and mystery.
December 18, 2013
I saw good reviews about this book so decided to have a read.
This isn't the type of book I usually read, altho I do read the occasional Cat Cozy-mystery which I like a lot more than I did this particular book.
Unlike other reviewers and the book's own jacket notes, I didn't find this at all funny. Especially the hectic, sleepless life of Meg wasn't my idea of a soothing, good-time story.
Did my last sentence seem incomplete?
Several times I found sentences that seemed incomplete or poorly constructed & I'd have to read them over to see how I must have read them wrong, but still I couldn't get comfortable with them. Example from page 244:
"Especially as I neared the top of the wheel, where I could get a panoramic view of the whole fair, teeming with ant-sized people."
That's not only what I consider an awkward if not literal incomplete sentence, it's the beginning of a new paragraph! Huh?
I understand this isn't Dickens, but it just doesn't work for me.
I won't be reading books by this author again. They're not "bad" per se, there's just so many better things to read.
This isn't the type of book I usually read, altho I do read the occasional Cat Cozy-mystery which I like a lot more than I did this particular book.
Unlike other reviewers and the book's own jacket notes, I didn't find this at all funny. Especially the hectic, sleepless life of Meg wasn't my idea of a soothing, good-time story.
Did my last sentence seem incomplete?
Several times I found sentences that seemed incomplete or poorly constructed & I'd have to read them over to see how I must have read them wrong, but still I couldn't get comfortable with them. Example from page 244:
"Especially as I neared the top of the wheel, where I could get a panoramic view of the whole fair, teeming with ant-sized people."
That's not only what I consider an awkward if not literal incomplete sentence, it's the beginning of a new paragraph! Huh?
I understand this isn't Dickens, but it just doesn't work for me.
I won't be reading books by this author again. They're not "bad" per se, there's just so many better things to read.
July 10, 2018
In The Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews, Caerphilly is hosting its un-fair, with a special focus on rare breeds of animals and strains of grown food. As the fair gets ready to open the first day, Meg Langslow, who has acted as organizer of the un-fair, gets a call that a pair of Russian orlaf chickens has been stolen. Then, more vandalism takes place throughout the un-fair. People’s suspicions fall upon Jeanette, the rich woman who has stolen the husband of Meg’s friend, Molly and is suspected of stealing other farmers’ rare animals. With Jeanette’s driving everyone crazy in the wine tent, Meg begins to get concerned that Jeanette is at risk of being killed. But when Meg and her husband, Michael, find a body, it is Brett Riordan, Molly’s husband who is now living with Jeanette, not that of Bret’s mistress.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2018
I liked this a book lot better than the previous one. Meg is in charge of the local county "Un-Fair" - a small fair featuring heritage animals and plants. The trouble starts with stolen exotic chickens and smashed giant pumpkins but soon moves on to murder. Since the dead body straddles two counties they have to share jurisdiction with the corrupt neighboring force and that causes even more trouble.
I really enjoyed this fun mix of county fair, exotic animals and murder. Who knew there was such a thing as llama obedience trials???
I really enjoyed this fun mix of county fair, exotic animals and murder. Who knew there was such a thing as llama obedience trials???
August 7, 2018
I love chickens and heritage animals. Even if you have no interest in barnyards you may enjoy this one. I did enjoy the plot twists and getting to know the characters. It’s a good summer read. The fact that it takes place in Virginia is a nice bonus.
May 5, 2016
Hilarious as always.
October 27, 2017
Great fun! I always love Meg's adventures and now I want some fancy chickens 🐔
December 18, 2020
I didn't get quite so caught up in this one--maybe the setting had something to do with that--but it was still a good, entertaining read.
January 21, 2020
It’s time for the county Fair, um, Un-fair in Caerphilly, Virginia, and Meg Langslow Waterston finds herself in charge, again. At least she has a committee of help this time including Mayor Shiffley and Police Chief Burke. Since the fair in neighboring Clay county had been cancelled, the committee decided to hold part of the fair over the county line.
The fair had the usual contingents of farm animals, prize vegetables including record-breaking pumpkins, artisan crafts including handmade quilts, and hobby winemaking. The Un-fair featured the legacy or heritage breeds of many animals, breeds no longer popular with the big farmers and whose numbers were shrinking. Many of their owners were not letting their birds or goats or sheep out of their sight. Meg arranged for many of the owners to sleep near their animals. Meg and her husband Michael and twins Josh and Jamie, now 2 years old, slept near their llamas that they were showing.
When they awaken, they discover several acts of theft and vandalism. A pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens had been taken from the chicken coop. A beautiful handmade Boston Album quilt had been stolen from the arts and crafts tent. A pumpkin weighing over a ton was smashed. While searching the grounds, Meg runs into her friend Molly who makes cheeses, yet since she wants to divorce her husband Brett, who has taken up with a socialite active in hobby winemaking, she is worried if she will be left with any land to continue making cheeses after the divorce. Later that evening Brett is found dead on the Clay county side of the fair. Police Chief Burke has no choice but to allow the Clay county sheriff and his deputies to be involved in the investigation. However, while the two disparate forces do not join together well, they both swiftly accuse Molly of his death when evidence shows up in her trailer.
The character list is rounded out with Meg’s Mother and dad, Dr. Langslow, as well as cousin Rose Noir and Horace, the crime tech. Of course there were many laughs and giggles throughout the book. However, the mystery in this book was not as straight forward as it has been in earlier titles in this series. With such an award-winning series, one might expect Donna Andrews to continue on the same path. With this fifteenth entry in the series, I found more depth and dimension to this entire story. More thought was needed to solve the whodunit. More energy was given to the stories behind items stolen or vandalized. It was all a bit more serious. A small shift in Ms. Andrews’ focus has brought up a perceptibly better mystery while keeping the charm, quirks, and laughter of previous stories.
I think this is a step forward for Donna Andrews, and I applaud it.
The fair had the usual contingents of farm animals, prize vegetables including record-breaking pumpkins, artisan crafts including handmade quilts, and hobby winemaking. The Un-fair featured the legacy or heritage breeds of many animals, breeds no longer popular with the big farmers and whose numbers were shrinking. Many of their owners were not letting their birds or goats or sheep out of their sight. Meg arranged for many of the owners to sleep near their animals. Meg and her husband Michael and twins Josh and Jamie, now 2 years old, slept near their llamas that they were showing.
When they awaken, they discover several acts of theft and vandalism. A pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens had been taken from the chicken coop. A beautiful handmade Boston Album quilt had been stolen from the arts and crafts tent. A pumpkin weighing over a ton was smashed. While searching the grounds, Meg runs into her friend Molly who makes cheeses, yet since she wants to divorce her husband Brett, who has taken up with a socialite active in hobby winemaking, she is worried if she will be left with any land to continue making cheeses after the divorce. Later that evening Brett is found dead on the Clay county side of the fair. Police Chief Burke has no choice but to allow the Clay county sheriff and his deputies to be involved in the investigation. However, while the two disparate forces do not join together well, they both swiftly accuse Molly of his death when evidence shows up in her trailer.
The character list is rounded out with Meg’s Mother and dad, Dr. Langslow, as well as cousin Rose Noir and Horace, the crime tech. Of course there were many laughs and giggles throughout the book. However, the mystery in this book was not as straight forward as it has been in earlier titles in this series. With such an award-winning series, one might expect Donna Andrews to continue on the same path. With this fifteenth entry in the series, I found more depth and dimension to this entire story. More thought was needed to solve the whodunit. More energy was given to the stories behind items stolen or vandalized. It was all a bit more serious. A small shift in Ms. Andrews’ focus has brought up a perceptibly better mystery while keeping the charm, quirks, and laughter of previous stories.
I think this is a step forward for Donna Andrews, and I applaud it.
May 7, 2013
This book is my first foray into the world of Meg Langslow but it won't be my last. This was a fun and entertaining little mystery and even though I have not read any of her previous titles in this series (this book being # 15) I was able to follow along quite well. I found Meg to be clever and smart and incredibly organized so it was easy to see how she was able to find the clues that she did - it didn't seemed forced like some of the scenarios for cozy mystery sleuths. I did wonder how she and her husband & kids could afford to drop everything and be at the fair for the whole time, especially when I found out that her day job is a blacksmith - (really?) but maybe they are independently wealthy and I would know this if I had read the others first. I loved the quirky secondary characters and again, I'm betting I would love them even more if I had read the previous 14 books but, I'll get to them soon enough.
The twists and turns in the plot had me guessing almost to the end which is always a plus in my book - I hate being able to figure a mystery out too soon. My one major complaint has to do with the ending. I felt like this book went the way of a roller coaster. You started out slow with the chickens, going up that giant hill, then you barrel down the rails screaming with glee when the murderer strikes, then the rest of the ride is filled with bumps, twists, and turns mirroring the mystery and finally, you coast into the "depot" (for lack of a better word) with the crime's wrap up. My problem is with that final screech of the brakes that slams you home and then lets you out of the ride. The ending was very abrupt. I kept looking for a few more pages, maybe something to wrap up the wrap up - IDK - just something that didn't feel like somebody saying goodbye and then shutting the door in your face.
My feelings about the abrupt ending aside, I enjoyed this intelligent and interesting mystery and I will definitely want to visit with Meg and her family again soon.
FTC Advisory: I won a copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program. No compensation for my review was given.
The twists and turns in the plot had me guessing almost to the end which is always a plus in my book - I hate being able to figure a mystery out too soon. My one major complaint has to do with the ending. I felt like this book went the way of a roller coaster. You started out slow with the chickens, going up that giant hill, then you barrel down the rails screaming with glee when the murderer strikes, then the rest of the ride is filled with bumps, twists, and turns mirroring the mystery and finally, you coast into the "depot" (for lack of a better word) with the crime's wrap up. My problem is with that final screech of the brakes that slams you home and then lets you out of the ride. The ending was very abrupt. I kept looking for a few more pages, maybe something to wrap up the wrap up - IDK - just something that didn't feel like somebody saying goodbye and then shutting the door in your face.
My feelings about the abrupt ending aside, I enjoyed this intelligent and interesting mystery and I will definitely want to visit with Meg and her family again soon.
FTC Advisory: I won a copy of this book through the GoodReads First Reads program. No compensation for my review was given.
February 23, 2015
Another enjoyable adventure with Meg Langslow. In this episode, Meg is in charge of the logistics for the Caerphilly UnFair, which is in danger of destruction by theft and vandalism. A quilt has gone missing, a pumpkin has been smashed, and animals, including some heritage chickens, are disappearing from the fair grounds. The game is afoot--or possibly awing--and Meg is determined to get to the bottom of the shenanigans.
As always, I have issues with some of the cozy mystery tropes that Andrews employs. This is one of those series that I wish could content itself with being a mystery rather than a murder mystery. I'd eagerly read about the Curious Case of the Crushed Cucurbita, or the Question of the Disappearing Quilt, or the Chickens that Did Not Cluck in the Night-Time, or anything else that Andrews can dish out. But to me, murder always has a certain weight and tragedy that is a poor fit for Andrews' ebullient style.
Even so, these books are like candy, and the pros far outweigh the cons. I love Meg as a character. She is a ridiculously good-natured person, to the point that one of the series' ongoing jokes is how many people end up enlisting her aid, but her practicality and sense of humour make her appealing rather than saccharine.
Plus, this book involves a llama costume contest, including a dragon/Viking llama pair. Just saying.
As always, I have issues with some of the cozy mystery tropes that Andrews employs. This is one of those series that I wish could content itself with being a mystery rather than a murder mystery. I'd eagerly read about the Curious Case of the Crushed Cucurbita, or the Question of the Disappearing Quilt, or the Chickens that Did Not Cluck in the Night-Time, or anything else that Andrews can dish out. But to me, murder always has a certain weight and tragedy that is a poor fit for Andrews' ebullient style.
Even so, these books are like candy, and the pros far outweigh the cons. I love Meg as a character. She is a ridiculously good-natured person, to the point that one of the series' ongoing jokes is how many people end up enlisting her aid, but her practicality and sense of humour make her appealing rather than saccharine.
Plus, this book involves a llama costume contest, including a dragon/Viking llama pair. Just saying.
November 22, 2019
It is the second year of the UnFair and Meg is the Deputy Director and she and her volunteers are sleeping in the tents for the animals and she is woken up to the shock that someone has stolen some Heritage Chickens. As the fair is progressing many people are causing problems, Janette is hassling people to sell her their heritage animals, someone is destroying other people's entries into the different categories (pumpkin, quilt, etc) and Janette is trying to make Meg let her play her music so loud that people run from them.
The other winemakers band together to get Janette out of the tent, because of her behavior and her bad ways with others. New rules are created to deal with certain problems, others are strictly enforced, but then the next night, her married boyfriend ends up being shot in the parking lot and the Clay County Sheriff and the Caerphilly Chief come to an agreement where one of the Clay County Deputies is to help with the work, but the Caerphilly Department can take the lead, but the deputy assigned has rubbed many the wrong way. As they continue to search to find who murdered the man and who is stealing chickens and destroying property.
My kids were chuckling over some of the things that happened in the story and it was a fun story. So improbable, but fun.
The other winemakers band together to get Janette out of the tent, because of her behavior and her bad ways with others. New rules are created to deal with certain problems, others are strictly enforced, but then the next night, her married boyfriend ends up being shot in the parking lot and the Clay County Sheriff and the Caerphilly Chief come to an agreement where one of the Clay County Deputies is to help with the work, but the Caerphilly Department can take the lead, but the deputy assigned has rubbed many the wrong way. As they continue to search to find who murdered the man and who is stealing chickens and destroying property.
My kids were chuckling over some of the things that happened in the story and it was a fun story. So improbable, but fun.
August 1, 2013
Meg is the assistant direct at the Un-fair, a local alternative to the state fair. The first morning things get off to a rough start with some vandalism and theft, including two heritage chickens from the chicken tent. Throw in tension in the wine pavilion and things are hoping before the dead body shows up.
While I didn't find this one as laugh out loud funny as some of the previous entries, I did really enjoy it. The plot was good and the characters - new and old - were fun. Meg's twins stole every scene they were in, too. Fans of the series or lighter cozies in general will love it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
While I didn't find this one as laugh out loud funny as some of the previous entries, I did really enjoy it. The plot was good and the characters - new and old - were fun. Meg's twins stole every scene they were in, too. Fans of the series or lighter cozies in general will love it.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
August 18, 2018
I know what I like about these books. It is to some extent Meg and her crazy family, the Shiffleys and the chief. But mostly I love the animals. The previous entry had a little less of the animals, but this one is set in a fair and starts off with the theft of a pair of chicken. It’s fun all the way through. I also really like the way the series keeps moving forward.
Also, I usually avoid the petting zoo altogether wherever I see one, and llamas in particular, but now I’d love to watch an obedience trial.
The only thing that makes me wonder is how on earth do Michael and Meg feed their hyper kids sweet stuff when they’re already tucked in bed and not end up with two monsters bouncing off walls and llamas and sheep? I mean really? That’s unfair!
Also, I usually avoid the petting zoo altogether wherever I see one, and llamas in particular, but now I’d love to watch an obedience trial.
The only thing that makes me wonder is how on earth do Michael and Meg feed their hyper kids sweet stuff when they’re already tucked in bed and not end up with two monsters bouncing off walls and llamas and sheep? I mean really? That’s unfair!
November 30, 2016
What a fun book. I listened to this on CD, and had several laugh out loud moments. This was my introduction to the series, and I have to say that I will definitely go back and read what I have missed. I adore Meg and her family, and look forward to catching up with how they got to the point where I met them. The whole un-fair concept, the chicken thieving, the pumpkin smashing, and the cattiness of the wine tent amused me to no end. I had a decent idea about the resolution just before I got there, but it was still a very satisfying experience.
August 18, 2017
Donna Andrews Meg Langslow series is such fun, and I felt the need for a light, funny mystery that I knew would end up with justice served. And this book filled the bill admirably. Meg Langslow, her husband Micheal, and her extended family are characters that I enjoy spending time with. So now I'm playing catch-up and reading the books in the series that I had missed over the past few years. And I'm looking forward to them.
Then I'll go back to reading the latest news of the day.
Then I'll go back to reading the latest news of the day.
March 9, 2019
After trying the Halloween book by this author, which was so boring i couldn't finish it, I thought I would try one more book of hers. I did read the whole thing. It was a sort of fluffy mystery. Vey low key. I like my mysteries to pack more of a punch. The characters are very flat. I think I'll avoid this author from now on.
October 30, 2013
3.5 stars. I won this as a Goodreads First read giveaway and I enjoyed it immensely. I have read the first two books in this series and also enjoyed them so it was nice to return to Meg's world. I also really enjoyed the the fact that this one took place at a "state" fair. Very fun!
March 31, 2019
A lot of new material in this book. Few unexpected turns, and a laugh or two during the tension. An enjoyable cozy read.
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