Rockin' Around the Chickadee

Meg Langslow #36

by Donna Andrews

Bells are ringing and alarms are sounding in Donna Andrews' latest cheery addition in the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series.Meg's sister-in-law, Delaney is pregnant. Since her due date is on or around Christmas Day, this is putting a bit of a damper on the usual holiday festivities. Meg and Michael are NOT hosting the usual house full of relatives and parties. Instead, Meg, along with her mother, her grandmother, her cousin Rose Noire, and her good friend Caroline, are militantly doing everything they can think of to keep Delaney quiet and healthy. All the relatives are farmed out to friends and neighbors; all the parties are being held somewhere else, and while Delaney is bored and mutinous, she's doing well, and they're managing to maintain a serene, peaceful environment for her . . . until a body is found in Meg and Michael's yard. Can Meg still keep Delaney calm in the middle of a murder investigation, all while trying to catch the killer?Full of her usual twists and turns, paired with relatable family holiday drama and Caerphilly’s traditional Christmas merriment, Donna Andrews brings readers another joyful classic.

Genres: Mystery, Christmas, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Audiobook, Humor, Cozy

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 15, 2024

About the author

Donna 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...

Reviews

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In this 36th book in the 'Meg Langslow' series, Meg - who's a blacksmith, wife, mother, assistant to the mayor, and amateur sleuth - helps investigate the murder of a despised provocateur. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters is a plus.



A nice feature of the Meg Langslow cozy mysteries is the evolution of the characters, who mature and change as the years go by. The main protagonists in the books are members of Meg's large extended family, all of whom live near each other in Caerphilly, Virginia.



As the story opens, it's Christmas season, and Meg's brother Rob and his wife Delaney, who's very pregnant and on bed rest, are staying with Meg while they look for a house. Meg's cousin Rose Noire - a Wiccan hippy-dippy free spirit - is happily looking after Delaney, encouraging the expectant mother's hobby of watching chickadees in the backyard. As it turns out, the yard's 'bird camera' proves very helpful later on, when a murder occurs.



To back up a little, Meg's nephew Kevin (an up-and-coming true crime podcaster), and Meg's grandmother Cordelia (a social justice activist), have organized a symposium - called the Presumed Innocence Conference - to help people who are trying to exonerate someone they believe has been wrongly convicted.





Meg observes, "We have something like two million people in jail or prison across the country, and experts estimate between one and ten percent of them are innocent. That's between twenty thousand and two hundred thousand people serving time for something they didn't do."



Meg's lawyer cousin Festus Hollingsworth is already deeply involved in the cause, having helped free Ezekiel Blaine, an innocent man imprisoned for fifty years. Ezekiel is scheduled to help at the conference, accompanied by his cute little dog Ruth.



The innocence symposium, which is being held at a local luxury hotel called the Inn, has a large number of registrants who'll be staying at the hostelry. The attendees will have the opportunity to hear speakers like Chief of Police Burke and attorney Festus Hollingsworth, and get advice from advocates who are knowledgeable about innocence projects.



Unfortunately, one of the conference registrants is a VERY unwelcome guest. The man, who's known as the Gadfly, is Godfrey Norton, who believes anyone convicted of a crime is guilty. Thus Norton harasses people involved in innocence projects, spewing his invective on social media and at conferences.



Norton even goes a step further, stalking and harassing former convicts who've been declared innocent. Norton makes it his business to spread lies about exonerees, trying to get them fired from their jobs and evicted from their homes.

Once the Presumed Innocence Conference gets going, Norton is right there, shouting at people and calling them names. Most of Norton's tirades are directed at people who believe someone in their life was wrongly convicted, and are fighting to get them freed. However, Norton is an equal opportunity annoyer, irritating EVERYONE in his path. Norton even harasses the little pooch Ruth, which is truly unforgivable.



Needless to say, Norton is murdered, and his body is found in Meg's backyard. The police investigate, and amateur sleuth (and self-proclaimed nosybody) Meg tags along to help. Meg gets the idea to use tapes from from the 'bird camera', which helps tie down Norton's time of death, so people's alibis can be tested.



It's presumed the perpetrator crept out of the Inn to kill Norton, somehow getting past the hotel's security cameras. So Meg's young teenage twins, Jamie and Josh, help with the murder inquiries by trying to sneak past the Inn's CCTV cameras. (This is pretty entertaining. 🙂)



I have to say it wasn't too hard to guess the identity of the murderer, but the mystery is only part of the fun of the book. It's a pleasure to visit with Meg, her husband Michael, and their family and friends. It's also great to observe the Christmas festivities; see Rob and Delaney consider names for their baby (like the chickadee genus name Poecile); hobnob with Rose Noire, whose Wiccan New Age rituals are always fascinating; and more.



The Meg Langslow books make great light reading, and this Christmas-themed book is an enjoyable addition to the series.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Bernadette Dunne, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Andrews, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.

You can follow my reviews at https://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com

[Melanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edit: I have listened to the audiobook and I have changed my review from 4 stars to 5 stars.

I thought this story was so so fun already but boy does the narrator make it so much better. Bernadette Dunne, the narrator that you are!!!! Bernadette Dunne makes the characters come to life and just gives such an amazing performance for Rockin' Around the Chickadees by Donna Andrews. I love companion reading with my audiobook and this one is totally worth the splurge to get it in both printed and audio format. I highly highly recommend the narration!

Original Review: I fear I might be in the holiday spirit at the end of August. During the holidays, Meg's grandma is putting on a true crime convention where the hope is to find wrongly convicted cases to help overturn. There is an unpleasant attendee who thinks more people should be in jail and no convictions should be overturned even if there is new DNA evidence. The unpleasant attendee ends up dead and since most people in the convention disliked him, it is pretty hard to figure out the culprit.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought the mystery was entertaining but not very difficult to solve which I like in a cozy mystery. The nice thing about Donna Andrews' books is that while you get a similar cast of characters on most books, they do not stagnate but continue to grow. I really enjoyed that Rob is having his own family and I liked seeing that the twins are growing up. I mean it is easy to for me to say that I like this series, after all I wouldn't have read the previous 35 books if I didn't. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys holiday cheer and cozy mysteries.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and Donna Andrews for giving me the opportunity to review this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

[Mike Finn · Rating 2 out of 5]

IN A NUTSHELL
This was my fourth year reading a Meg Langslow Christmas mystery as part of reading my way into the Christmas spirit. My expectations were high. Sadly, 'Rockin' Around The Chickadee' disappointed me. I was expecting a bit of Ho! Ho! Ho!. All I got was 'ho hum'. From about the 40% point, when the dead body was discovered, the energy in the book started to flag and never recovered. There was a lot of padding. Way too much of Meg going through every possible scenario before discounting them all. And endless, tedious explanations of technicalities of things that are mostly common knoweldge to anyone who reads crime novels. By the last hour of this nine-hour book, I was checking to see how much more I had to sit through before we were done.

Initially, I thought the plot of 'Rockin' Around The Chickadee' was a welcome departure from the normal chaotic Christmas with the Langslow's. The big family gathering has been replaced by a conference on overturning unjust convictions. The mystery seemed solid. When the body was discovered, it was hard not to give way to the idea that the person had finally gotten what they deserved. The suspect pool included almost everyone at the conference - mostly True Crime fans and convicted murderers whose verdicts had been quashed. Meg seemed to have managed to get herself involved in the investigation without pushing the sheriff to one side. I thought I was in for a fun mystery. I was wrong.

This was a much more serious book than the other Meg Langslow Christmas mysteries that I'd read, mostly because it was focused on the real-life issue of the high number of wrongful convictions in the justice system. There were flashes of humour and various family members were called upon to contribute to solving the mystery but the storytelling soon started to drag.

There were lots of overlong explanations and very little action. The occasional moments of merriment were overwhelmed by Meg constantly telling me what had occurred to her rather than showing me what was going on and letting me work out what it might mean. The stuff on wrongful convictinons dropped into lecture mode too often. Uncharacteristically, Donna Andrews devoted more time to larding in her legal research and sharing Meg's theories on what might be happening than describing what the people in the story were up to. Eventually, even Bernadette Dunne, the narrator, seemed to be struggling to with the tediousness of the material.

The bones of the plot were better than the delivery. The mechanics of committing the murder while remaining unseen were clever. I didn't guess who the murderer was (although, before the end, I no longer cared), For me, the plot was spoiled because Meg, even after all her theorising, didn't discover the murderer. Instead, the murderer, in a hard-to-credit error of judgement, disclosed themself to Meg.

If this had been my first Meg Langslow Christmas Mystery, there wouldn't have been a second.

[Bam cooks the books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute cozy mystery in the long-running series set at Christmastime. Meg Langslow's grandmother Cordelia has organized a Presumed Innocent convention at the local inn. When an attendee is found murdered behind their barn, the whole family pitches in to help Chief Burke and his team figure out whodunit. Although both the victim and the killer were easy to predict right from the start, it was still a fun holiday read. Donna Andrews leaves one detail unrevealed to look forward to in the next book in the series.

[Laura A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg and her family are hoping to have a nice quiet holiday. That changes when a man's body is found. With a growing list of suspects, it will take some time to find the guilty party. I liked this book.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

The entire Caerphilly clan feel like family and I love every visit I have with them. This particular mystery, however, was not my favorite. There wasn’t anything wrong with it; in fact, the solution to the murder was creative, but I think I was missing the rest of the characters that are usually around the house. I wasn’t really invested in the mystery as it never drew me in but I still laughed in all the right spots and enjoyed the time I got to spend with Meg and a few of her family and friends.

I received a copy from #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an honest review.

[Readaholic Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I guessed who was the culprit about halfway through but it was still an enjoyable book. I loved getting an update on Meg and her family. I love this series.

[Jenna (readinginjennaland) · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Christmas time and it's pretty quiet around Meg's house which is not the norm. Her sister-in-law Delaney is on bed rest until the baby comes. They are trying to keep things low key. Cordelia and Festus are hosting a conference for the Innocent Project. They have one attendee trying to cause a lot of ruckus and drama. When the attendee is found dead in Meg's backyard. Meg must help the police find the killer.

This is one of my favorite cozy mystery series. The writing always hooks me right away. Even though I haven't read the whole series the author does a good job of explaining who everyone is. One day I hope to read the beginning books. I love the family shenanigans and their quirkiness.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

September 11, 2024
This is not an unbiased review because I have loved nearly all of the books in this series, and this one does not disappoint. Meg Langslow is a blacksmith, wife of professor/TV actor Michael Waterston, mother of twin boys, assistant to the mayor, and a member of the far flung quirky Hollingsworth family, and a great amateur sleuth. Any book in this series gives enough info on past books that the reader is never lost.
It's Christmas season and Meg's grandmother is hosting a conference highlighting the Presumed Innocent organization at the local posh resort for those who want to learn how to exonerate a friend or family member who has been unjustly convicted and later proven innocent as well as a number of true crime devotees.
The rotten fruit here is a despicable internet troll/podcaster who appears to believe that anyone who is arrested is guilty and must serve the entire sentence imposed. Of course, this is the guy who turns up dead. And in Meg's back yard no less! There are more than enough people who hated the guy enough to do the deed, but that makes for a ton of suspects and a whole lot of due diligence. Plan to get the audio when it comes out!
I requested and received a free temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
Without much hope of winning my preferred venue, I also requested and received an audio copy from Macmillan Audio via NetGalley! Oct 1, 2024
Also got my preordered audio on Oct 15, 2024!
#MegLangslowMysteriesBk36

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually kind of disappointed with who the killer turned out to be because that was my pick from the beginning. I didn't have a single other suspect in my list and considering how obvious it was, Meg, Kevin, the kids and the Chief spend an inordinate amount of time doing Mission Impossible beat the security drills. This is totally fun, but also not necessary. I mean I love these people so I was happy I got to spend time with them. But it's an elaborate rigmarole to get to what is ultimately a simple solution.

Also, thank you Donna Andrews for hearing me gripe and finally telling us the status of both Meg's sister and Michael's mother!

[Kristah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to this audiobook today and could not get into it at all. It was very slow moving. The narrator did an ok job. Probably not my favorite but it was good. The book itself just did nothing for me. It moved slow and did not pull me in at all. There was no connection with any of the characters. I couldn't wait until it was over.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thirty-sixth in the Meg Langslow cozy mystery series revolving around an amateur sleuth who is a blacksmith and works for the mayor in Caerphilly, Virginia. The focus is on a legal conference regarding wrongful criminal convictions.

My Take
Oh my. Not only is Delaney very pregnant, but they’re actually looking for a house — they’ve put a bid on a house they don’t really want.

Rockin' Around the Chickadee is mostly character-driven and there is some action, although most of it is a combination of talk and action, all of which we learn from Andrews using first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg’s perspective.

Ya gotta appreciate a cop who acknowledges that there are some bad hats in the police force. Andrews comes up with a slew of reasons why the cops don’t do a good job, and some of them are good reasons. But, as a cop, you have to go with the facts and not preconceived ideas or prejudices.

You know, it ticks me off when people publish the addresses and contact info on people. I don’t care which side of the issue a person is on, it’s not right.

I just love the Meg Langslow series with its extended family and townsfolk who sincerely enjoy helping others. Ya can’t help but mellow out as you laugh and read. It gave me the warm fuzzies how everyone accepts Ezekiel.

Andrews makes a good point about the Internet. It is easy to get your story out there, but others can twist it around and people will believe it. Which only makes it harder.

That Gadfly is a real scum bucket, and I do enjoy the various put-downs he gets. Then there are those who jump to object to “Christmas” and try to make a big fuss. That bit where the Gadfly claims to be a pagan and Cordelia reads off a long list of pagan groups in the area provided plenty of laughter. Called that sucker on it, lol. It’s not the only place the Gadfly tries to make trouble — and it’s darned lucky that the cops know Meg so well and that Josh and Jamie are observant.

It seems that Grandfather and Gran-gran are working on their character arcs and attempting to get along. I wonder how long that'll last, lol.

I’m not sure if it’s a character arc or a family one, but I do appreciate how Meg and Michael are brining up Josh and Jamie. That assignment the boys get to suss out escape routes is too much fun. If a bit nerve wracking.

Grandfather’s talk on DNA was enlightening, although Josh and Jamie are annoyed that Mom and Dad didn’t produce them as identical twins. I will say that the story is an easy way to understand some of the legal terms used.

I do enjoy these Christmas-themed releases, if only to see how crazy Mother gets with the decorations. Grandfather has also gone all out in Rockin' Around the Chickadee. Ya know, if you are at all interested in the environment, family, or animals, you really want to read Meg Langslow.

Oh, boy. Andrews makes good use of the deterioration brought on by old age with Iris’ crazy complaints. It makes it so hard at that last event she claims she saw.

I do like Iris’ description of what Christmas decorating should be like:

”Christmas decorations . . . should be as if joy threw up all over your house.”

Go, Iris!! She may be old, but she can wield that iPhone just fine.

Yep, Dad. That guy just loves being considered a suspect, quite contrary to what most of us would prefer.

And a new romance is brewing . . .

The Story
Poor Delaney. It’s doctor’s orders so she has no choice but to stay on bed rest.

There are, however, only so many activities the family can keep Delaney from. There are the fun ones . . . and then there's that body behind the barn.

The Characters
Meg Langslow is a nosy blacksmith who spends more time organizing everyone.
Her husband, Dr Michael Waterston, is a drama professor at the local college. Josh and Jamie are their almost-teenage twins. Skulk and Lurk are their barn cats. More animals include the Welsummer hens and the llamas.

Delaney is the very pregnant wife of Rob Langslow, who owns Mutant Wizards. Tinkerbell is Rob’s Irish wolfhound. Holly McKenna is Delaney’s mom. Rose Noire is the cousin who lives with Meg and Michael and is deep into the metaphysical. Dad, Dr James Langslow, is the local medical examiner — he does love mysteries. Mother can organize people and put together dinner parties for a hundred at a moment’s notice. Just don’t ask her to clean.

Kevin McReady is one of Meg’s nephews and is a computer genius. Widget is his Pomeranian. He lives in their basement with his computers and goes crazy with security cameras. I wonder if he’d stop by my place? He’s still going strong with his true-crime podcast, Virginia Crime Time . Casey is his podcasting partner. Pam is Meg and Rob’s sister who married an Australian architect, and they live in Sydney. Cousin Julian, a cop, is only a cousin-by-marriage. Thank god. Caroline Willner is a friend of Dr Blake’s, and she runs the Willner Wildlife Sanctuary.

The Conference is . . .
. . . all about exoneration for those wrongfully convicted and is taking place at the Caerphilly Inn. Ekaterina is the manager of the inn and a friend of Meg’s. Enrique is the bell captain. Becky is the desk clerk. Jiro is a porter.

Cordelia, a.k.a. Gran-gran, is Meg’s paternal grandmother and Dad’s mom. She’s putting on the conference. Grandfather, a.k.a. Great to his great-grandchildren and Dr J Montgomery Blake to the world, is a word-famous zoologist who is passionate about animal welfare and an environmentalist who owns the Caerphilly Zoo just outside town. He’ll be giving a talk on “DNA for Non-Scientists”, a.k.a. the “ABCs of DNA” or “DNA for Dummies”. Stanley Denton is a private investigator in Caerphilly who talks about investigative tools. Aida does a talk. Kevin explains a lot of technical topics. Cousin Festus Holllingsworth is an excellent lawyer who champions exonerations and fiercely enjoys helping the helpless. Ophelia is helping at the registration desk.

Attendees include Ezekiel Blaine who is one of the exonorees and is training Ruth to be a PTSD support dog — she’s also a hero; Amber Smith, a.k.a. the Black Widow, is another exonoree who was aided by William Morgan of Mason, Morgan and Friedman; Ginny Maynard and Janet Pollard, a.k.a. the Keepers, are trying to free Jim, a high school friend; and, Madelaine Taylor and Aunt Ellen Mays are trying to help Madelaine’s mother, Mary Campbell.

Godfrey “the Gadfly” Norton, a.k.a. Gustave Niedernstatter, is a very vocal, insulting contrarian. His YouTube channel and main Facebook group are named Godfrey for Justice. The Real Scooperino is run by another contrarian but the two manage to be enemies.

Seth Early, a sheep farmer; the Washingtons — one of the Washingtons is a deacon at New Life Baptist church; Mother and Dad; and, Iris Rafferty, who lives on the family farm and is becoming increasingly absent-minded, are neighbors. Joe had been Iris’ husband. Merrilee is Iris' worried granddaughter. Ben Shiffley runs an organic farm, leasing Iris’ land. Dr Steiner is Iris’ doctor.

Henry Burke is the chief of police in Caerphilly (and the deputy sheriff of Caerphilly county). His deputies include cousin Horace Hollingsworth who does their CSI work (Watson is his Pomeranian); Vern Shiffley is his chief deputy who has memorized the Code of Virginia; Aida Butler; and, Sammy. Debbie Ann is the police dispatcher. George is the civilian desk clerk.

Minerva Burke is the chief’s wife who is also the director of the famous New Life Baptist Choir. They are raising their three orphaned grandchildren — Adam, the youngest, is Josh and Jamie’s best friend. Kayla Burke is Aida’s daughter and a popular soloist in the choir. Ezekiel does a duet with Joyce Grossman, Rabbi Grossman’s wife.

Dr Clarence Rutledge is the town veterinarian. Lucas is his assistant. Father Donnelly is the rector at St Byblig. Danny Shiffley is a FedEx driver. Jeanine Shiffley is a real estate agent. Robyn Smith is the rector of Trinity Episcopal. Judge Jane Shiffley has a very reliable weather knee. Great-uncle Jasper’s shoulder is almost as reliable. Beau and Osgood Shiffley run the snowplows in Caerphilly. Dr Waldron is Delaney’s doctor. Samantha had been Rob’s first fiancée ( Murder with Peacocks , 1).

Caerphilly Assisted Living has a good reputation. Westlake is a very snooty neighborhood in Caerphilly. Things That Go Boom is a Shiffley part-time business that manufactures fireworks.The Shack is a Shiffley barbecue joint. The Spare Attic is a converted textile factory-turned-self-storage. The Haven is the motel that Rob bought and converted into cheap apartments. Luigi’s is a great Italian restaurant. Muriel owns the diner. Caerphilly Cares is a social service organization along with the Ladies’ Interfaith Council.

A Brady violation is a failure of the prosecution to turn over evidence to the defense attorney. If you have land that you’re worried about, consider a conservation easement. Edmond Locard was the Sherlock Holmes of France who came up with the exchange principle.

The Cover and Title
The cover is filled with Christmas cheer with its slowly gradating grass green background from slightly darker at the top to lighter in the middle and much darker in the bottom quarter as the snow falls quietly. At the very top is an info blurb in white. Below that is the author’s name in a pale green with the last three letters in her last name getting tipsy. To the right of the Christmas tree with its colorful ornaments is the series info in white. The title is at the very bottom in a pale yellow faintly striped in pale green. In the middle is the comic graphic with a snow-covered red birdhouse with chimney and black fishing line “holding” it up. The roof is outlined in multi-colored Christmas lights — with one end swaying beneath the house. Three blue-winged white-bodied chickadees wearing red Santa hats and are all over the house. The left one is alight on the roof while the right one is busy pulling a red strip of garland at the top of the Christmas tree. A garland that wraps the tree and is hung about the house platform. The chickadee in the middle is in front of the lit-up round opening and tugging at the garland as well. Icicles depend from the platform, drawing your eye to the beheaded snowman.

The title refers to one of Delaney’s few joys as she’s Rockin' Around the Chickadees.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main reason I dropped one star is because so much of the book had to do with the subject of true crime. I am not a fan. But my hat’s off to the author for writing an unusual Christmas humorous mystery again .. it can’t be easy as this is like her (sixth ?).

[Lovenia Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy to read book with some mystery involved. This author’s books are always entertaining.

[Kathy Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg's sister-in-law Delaney is pregnant and due around Christmas Day. Since she's been put on bedrest, the usual holiday festivities are not happening at Meg and Michael's place. Instead, Meg is very involved in her friend Caroline's conference Presumed Innocent which is a gathering of true crime afficionados and those who are trying to help exonerate people wrongly convicted of crimes.

Meg's special task at the conference is to be a trouble shooter. Although care was taken to select the attendees, one person has gotten through who believes that all the actual or would-be exonerees are guilty of the crimes for which they were convicted and is very rude about saying so. Known as the Gadfly, Godfrey Norton is known for his podcast and his disdain for the truth. Not above creating information, he is a very powerful and irritating person.

After torturing one of the exoneree's dog Ruth, he is dismissed from the conference and conference hotel. But that isn't the last Norton is heard from. When his body is found dead out behind Meg's barn, she was to add a murder investigation to her Christmas plans. And most of the suspects are attending the Presumed Innocent convention.

This was an enjoyable story with lots of interesting information about the power of the internet for good or evil. It is not amazing that lies spread more quickly than truth, but it does make it hard for those who are fighting for the truth.

The story does end on a slight cliffhanger which makes me eager for the next book in this long-running series.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tis the season for this year's festive, slightly chilling holiday edition of the Meg Langslow mysteries! Donna Andrews has written another outstanding addition to this series filled with the love of family, friends, the preservation of nature and the nurture of everyone, while they all endeavor to solve the most recent crime! Caerphilly is fully decorated for all of the winter holidays, and Meg and her family have decided to hold an innocence symposium designed to explore the efforts and technology being used to aid in the exoneration of those wrongly convicted. Besides Meg's family and local law enforcement, there are a few of those who may have been wrongly accused in attendance, as well as an outspoken detractor of any type of innocence investigation. When things turn deadly for one of those in attendance, Meg, along with the sheriff, and her family and friends pull together to discover who is responsible and safeguard everyone else. The beauty of these books goes beyond solving the mystery in each, to Donna Andrew's splendid creation of her characters, and the growth of the regular characters from one book to the next. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and the holiday trip to Caerphilly! Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of my review are my own.

[Carmen Lang · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25. Pretty good. But, not my favorite in the series.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is amazing to me, that after 36 books [with more on the way], this series as never felt old, tired, or repetitive. The story's are well-thought out, the mysteries are good[dead bodies or not], and because one is now 36 books in, one gets seriously INVESTED in these characters. I often tell people that Meg and Co. are people I would love being friends with [in SPITE of the chaos that is their lives and their household. Also, even with the plethora of dead bodies ;-) ], and I am always genuinely glad when it is time to "go visit" with them [as I know that I will not be disappointed and I will have an enjoyable read].

It's Christmastime [it feels weird to write that in October LOL] and for once, it is not chaos personified at Meg and Michaels. Delaney is pregnant and on bed-rest and everyone [mostly Rose Noir, but even Meg's mother is pitching in] is doing all they can to both keep her quiet AND keep her entertained. Rob is house-hunting [it will be weird to not have him and Delaney at the house since they have been there for so long; they are almost always in a book, even peripherally], Meg is helping Cordelia [her grandmother] with a crime/forensic conference at the Caerphilly Inn [because NOTHING says Merry Christmas like a good crime.forensic conference amirite?], that includes people from The Innocence Project [that was a cool inclusion] as well as some nay-sayers that are, shall we say, super obnoxious. All is well [even with said nay-sayers] and the conference is going smoothly [and who doesn't want to go and stay at the Caerphilly Inn and have all that they offer available to you? I know I do], Delaney is being entertained and Meg is breathing a sigh of relief. Until...a scream awakens the whole house, a dead body is found, and the hunt is on for a [very clever] killer.

The mystery was very good as there were many possible suspects and everyone, even the twins [I have loved how these books move along at "real time" and that the twins are almost teens now, instead of still toddlers like they would be in so many other cozies] along with their friend Adam, are involved and I was surprised at the reveal [which was really well done] and that is always a plus IMO.

I've said this before, but I will say it again, Donna Andrews could be giving lessons on how to write a fun, well-paced mystery, with good/great reveals that aren't rushed, well-developed characters and often stories that tug at ones heart ALONG with the mystery [as was the case with this one]; she has it down and while this is just my opinion, there are few that do it better and that is why, after 36 books I continue to read [and will read as many as she writes] her books and why I recommend them to everyone. She is, quite simply, amazing.

When I first started listening to the audiobooks for this series [after read reading them for so long], I was not a huge fan of Ms. Dunne's narration [I had my own voices for the characters in my head and it was really tough to make the switch]. I kept with it though as I was not about to give up these books [I NEEDED to read them LOL] and now, finally, I have settled in and I look forward to Ms. Dunne reading me the newest story of Meg and Co. and bringing these stories I love to life. Well done!

Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Andrews, Bernadette Dunne - Narrator, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for providing the eBook and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a fun quick read and it appears the twins have aged up slightly. After being vaguely preteen for the past few books they are now newly minted teenagers. So much for the timeless BSC style universe. Anyway, Christmas is coming and thus time it's Cordelia who is hosting a conference, grandpa did a few years back, the slightly boring Owl book. This conference is about people falsely convicted of murder. There are people who were exonerated after years in prison or looking to get new trials or helping friends and family who have been convicted. Ezekiel is one who's training a guard dog named Ruth which is my late grandmother's name, fitting since she adored animals especially dogs so I liked that part. Ezekiel was released with a clean record after years in jail thanks to Festus. Amber is out on a technicality after her much older husband is found dead with a gunshot in his head. There are a couple of other characters namely the Keepers who remind me of a pair of Miss Marples. But then there is the Gadfly, aka Godfrey Norton aka some other long ass name I can't remember. The Gadfly is there to stir up trouble saying basically that everyone there is guilty no matter what. He gets kicked out after harming poor Ruth and that makes you happy to see him die which he does that night. After repeatedly calling and texting everyone he can think of he heads to Meg's house where poor Rose Noire discovers him in a pool of blood behind the barn. There is a a sort of b plot. Delaney, Meg's sister in law is ready to pop and ordered on bed rest which bores her to tears and brings in the chickadees in the title since she enjoys watching them. This also gives a helpful clue later on due to her forgetting to turn the sound off on the cameras. Rob is also searching for a house to move his soon to be family of three into. Overall the story is the usual fare. It wasn't the best since I think the big family gatherings at the house make the stories feel more Christmassy and also funnier. Still it was still a fun read and quick. The house thing was figured out very quick, the murder wasn't as easy but I did have suspicions. I enjoyed the the boys trying to find blindspots in the security cameras it's fun to see them get incorporated into the storylines as they get older. It wasn't my favourite in the series but a solid entry. I'm disappointed we don't get to see what Delaney has since the book ends with her being whisked away to the hospital to deliver her baby. I guess that's what makes you want to read the next which I'm eagerly awaiting.

[Elizabeth • LizziePageReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook!

3.5/5

This is the 36th (I think?) book in this series, but somehow it still works as a standalone?! I hadn’t read any of the previous books, yet I still enjoyed it. While I could tell there was history between the characters, I never felt hopelessly lost.

The murder mystery itself was solid—nothing groundbreaking, but engaging and enjoyable, with no disturbing elements in the plot. It’s the perfect kind of cozy, dependable whodunit that makes me want to read more from the series. Should I start at the beginning or just pick a random one with good reviews (lol).

Bernadette Dunne, who’s narrated popular titles including Wild by Cheryl Strayed and The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager, delivers the audiobook performance here. While her voice isn’t my favorite at higher speeds (anything above 2.0x), I do enjoy listening at a more moderate pace—around 1.3x to 1.6x. Not a dealbreaker, and definitely not enough to stop me from listening to more books in this series that she narrates, but if I had my pick, I’d probably choose someone else.

[PeggySue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews
Narrated by Bernadette Dunn
Book 36 in the Meg Langslow Series

This is the eleventh Christmas book over the course of this favorite series and I have enjoyed them all. Admittedly, some more than others but I have re-listened to all of them over the years. Happily, this one has less Dickens and no owls (that I recall) which made me happy.
The primary storyline is about Grandma Cordelia’s Presumed Innocent Conference at the Inn, with all the usual characters that we have come to love. A nasty bad guy gets murdered and you might find the culprit surprising but I found it pretty obvious. However, for me the point of these stories is the eccentric cast of characters and the family togetherness and the just plain fun.
As usual the narration was excellent and the whole experience was completely enjoyable.
Oops, I forgot to say there is a baby at the end. Since Delaney’s pregnancy is the other storyline this is not a spoiler.
Thanks to NetGalley

[Tad · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Christmas in Caerphilly and that means it's time for some merriment and murder. For once the Langslow home isn't packed to the rafters with visiting relatives. Meg's sister-in-law Delaney is staying there on forced bedrest during her pregnancy.
Meg is still plenty busy helping out her grandmother Cordelia who is putting on a Presumed Innocent conference at the Caerphilly Inn. The conference is full of true crime aficionados as well as some exonerees and the friends and family of people seeking to have their convictions overturned. This includes Ezekiel, who was freed with the help of Meg's cousin Festus, a pair of women seeking to help free a high school friend, an aunt and her niece seeking the same for a relative, and Amber Smith who is out on bail after her conviction was overturned. Also in attendance is Godfrey Norton, a thoroughly disagreeable man who manages to rub nearly everyone the wrong way with his persistent belief that nearly no one is ever wrongfully convicted. It's no surprise when Godfrey turns up dead, but it is somewhat distressing when he is murdered behind Meg's barn. A convention full of suspects is going to make this murder particularly difficult to solve. Meg's combination of nosiness and astuteness is likely going to put her in harm's way before the murderer is brought to justice.

Caerphilly during Christmas is my happy place and it's always a delight to spend it with Meg, her family, friends, and all the denizens of the town. The mystery is only half the fun. The other half is spending time with the slightly eccentric and extremely talented people in Meg's circle. She can always count on them to help her out with the myriad of tasks she is either assigned or takes upon herself. She also manages to meet a few new people who have special talents she can draw on. Whether or not you spot the killer before the end, you're going to have a good time with all the goings on in Caerphilly.

You can jump into these books at any point and enjoy them. The more books you read though, the deeper your appreciation of these wonderful characters who turn into family. Donna Andrews has written another Christmas present for her legion of fans!

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series, especially the Christmas books. Something interesting is going on every year. All the characters have become like close friends to me, and I enjoy catching up with their lives. I guessed one surprise in this book but not the murderer.
I already can’t wait for the next book.

[Cozybooklady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg Lanslow is ready to celebrate the holidays in a quiet fashion, since her sister in law is due for her baby any time.
While helping her grandmother with a true crime event, where people can try to find help for the wrongfully accused, they come upon a person who is against the whole thing. He makes his opinions known and finds himself removed from the event and the venue. What he doesn't expect is that someone is going to silence him, permanently.
Join Meg and this wonderful cast of characters in the investigation, it's sure to delight all readers.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.

[Regine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A soothing read in which lies are exposed, caring people take up the good fight, the innocent are (ultimately) exonerated, and justice is done. I needed that.

[Eileen Lynx · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun installment of a great series.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Andrews seems to have toned down the zaniness in this one after the turkeys in the last one; so I felt like something was missing. Perhaps this is because it was dealing with the more serious topic of exonerating prisoners who are innocent of the crime. Still well done. I enjoyed it and look forward to the next one in the series.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one!

[Cher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scraping a 3 stars this was boring 😴

[Djdixie]

Couldn’t tolerate the narrator beyond 2 minutes so I’m not going to rate the book.