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Meg Langslow #33
Birder, She Wrote: A Meg Langslow Mystery
Meg is relaxing in the hammock, taste-testing Michael’s latest batch of Arnold Palmers and watching the hummingbirds at their feeders when her hopes for a relaxing early summer morning are dashed.
First her father recruits her to help him install a new batch of bees in the hive in her backyard. Then Mayor Shiffley recruits her to placate the NIMBYs (Not in my backyard), as she calls them – a group of newcomers to Caerphilly who have built McMansions next door to working farms and then do their best to make life miserable for the farmers. And finally Meg’s grandmother, shows up, trailed by a nosy reporter who is writing a feature on her for a genteel Southern ladies’ magazine.
Cordelia drafts Meg to accompany her and Deacon Washington of the New Life Baptist Church – and the reporter, alas – in their search for a long-lost African-American cemetery. Unfortunately what they discover is not an ancient cemetery but a fresh corpse. Can Meg protect her grandmother – and Caerphilly – from the reporter who seems to see the worst in everything . . . and help crack the case before the killer finds another victim?
First her father recruits her to help him install a new batch of bees in the hive in her backyard. Then Mayor Shiffley recruits her to placate the NIMBYs (Not in my backyard), as she calls them – a group of newcomers to Caerphilly who have built McMansions next door to working farms and then do their best to make life miserable for the farmers. And finally Meg’s grandmother, shows up, trailed by a nosy reporter who is writing a feature on her for a genteel Southern ladies’ magazine.
Cordelia drafts Meg to accompany her and Deacon Washington of the New Life Baptist Church – and the reporter, alas – in their search for a long-lost African-American cemetery. Unfortunately what they discover is not an ancient cemetery but a fresh corpse. Can Meg protect her grandmother – and Caerphilly – from the reporter who seems to see the worst in everything . . . and help crack the case before the killer finds another victim?
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
152 people are currently reading
4507 people want to read
About the author
Donna Andrews
103 books2,093 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 401 reviews
May 16, 2023
Bees, hummingbirds and murder!
Another little cozy adventure with Meg Langslow and her family. This is #33 and I have only read a handful, but this was fine as a standalone.
A quick, easy and enjoyable cozy read. We have a neighborhood crisis going on, a blackmail scandal, a very nosy reporter and the usual red herrings and mayhem.
Thanks Minotaur for my early copy (such a cute cover)!!
Recommend to cozy readers, OUT on August 1, 2023
Another little cozy adventure with Meg Langslow and her family. This is #33 and I have only read a handful, but this was fine as a standalone.
A quick, easy and enjoyable cozy read. We have a neighborhood crisis going on, a blackmail scandal, a very nosy reporter and the usual red herrings and mayhem.
Thanks Minotaur for my early copy (such a cute cover)!!
Recommend to cozy readers, OUT on August 1, 2023
July 3, 2023
I received an uncorrected audiobook ARC of “Birder, She Wrote” from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review.
With opening music reminiscent of a BritBox murder special, the author, Donna Andrews, really knows how to put a story together. Andrews is obviously knowledgeable about country life. Her references to the NIMBY’s ( Not In My Backyard!) who come from the city with a yearning for country life is spot on. I live in the country and not a year goes by when a city person shows up. But while the city folk come to “escape” from the city, they turn around and do everything in their power to turn the country into the city.
As a country girl myself, I love how the author talked about the numerous wild and domestic plants, along with the domestic and wild birds, including chickens. Like the MC, my mom also has a Welsummer hen (among many other). And the fact that Andrews included an abandoned African American cemetery in the book shot arrows of joy into my heart. My doctoral dissertation focused entirely on old African American cemeteries. In fact, I have waded through more brush than a raccoon looking for old cemeteries. The way that Andrews described the site was so visual, I felt like I was there. Even the author’s references to Ditch Lillies were fantastic (we have them planted in our garden!).
The narrator, Bernadette Dunne, is an award winning audiobook narrator. She’s narrated a ton of well-known books (e.g., The Devil Wears Prada, Memoirs of a Geisha) including autobiographies. After listening to this book, the narrator obviously has a lot of artistic range. But the narrator has a natural gravelyness to her voice that made Meg seem older than she appeared to be in the book. In fact, before I knew that the MC’s parents and grandparents were still alive, the narration for the MC’s voice made me think that she was an elderly lady, like a Great Aunt. I think the narrator should have opted for a different tone when narrating for the MC.
The author made sure to include some diversity in her book, which is greatly appreciated. The body appeared at the end of Chapter 5, approximately 14% after the book began. It would have held my interest longer if the murder had occurred either by the end of Chapter 3 or at 10%-12% after the beginning of the story.
This novel included all of the elements that one expects to find in a Cozy Mystery: tongue-in-cheek humor, no scary parts (i.e., blood, gore, etc.), no dramatic politicization, and a body. When I first requested this book, I wasn’t aware that this is the author’s 33rd novel in the series. Yes, you read that right—her **33rd novel in the series**.
Other readers may have a different opinion, but for me, I found it difficult to connect with most of the characters because I haven’t read any of the prior books in the series. And although the story line was good, it just didn’t grip my interest, so I likely won’t go back and read the series from the beginning. When I discovered that this book was the 33rd novel in a series, it reminded me of a girl that I knew in graduate school.
XX (name redacted) was nearing the completion of her MA, but refused to submit her thesis to her committee. When I asked her why, she told me that her MA was financially guaranteed, but her PhD studies were not. XX told me—and this is verbatim—that she was, “…gonna ride that pony ‘till it collapses…” In other words, XX was going to milk the MA assistantship for $$$ as long as humanly possible. When the funding finally ran out, XX did successfully defend her thesis. But even though she was accepted into the doctoral program, she dropped out. She got married, had kids, and has absolutely nothing to do with our field now.
People that read Cozy Mysteries ***love*** series. With a series, readers gets to know the MC and learn to love them. The author is a really good writer and understands the cozy readership. But 33 novels in a series is, well…let’s just say that it’s akin to animal abuse. Like the Life Alert lady, the pony has fallen and it can’t get up.
It is clear that the author understands country living. She also understands what is expected of writers in the Cozy Mystery genre. I would like to read a series written by Andrews where I can become intimate with the MC and the other characters, but hope that the author will limit that series to a number that is more easily digestible for the average reader (and more humane to that poor pony). Although I did like the character in this novel, I just wasn’t invested enough in the story to go back and read all 32 previous novels.
With opening music reminiscent of a BritBox murder special, the author, Donna Andrews, really knows how to put a story together. Andrews is obviously knowledgeable about country life. Her references to the NIMBY’s ( Not In My Backyard!) who come from the city with a yearning for country life is spot on. I live in the country and not a year goes by when a city person shows up. But while the city folk come to “escape” from the city, they turn around and do everything in their power to turn the country into the city.
As a country girl myself, I love how the author talked about the numerous wild and domestic plants, along with the domestic and wild birds, including chickens. Like the MC, my mom also has a Welsummer hen (among many other). And the fact that Andrews included an abandoned African American cemetery in the book shot arrows of joy into my heart. My doctoral dissertation focused entirely on old African American cemeteries. In fact, I have waded through more brush than a raccoon looking for old cemeteries. The way that Andrews described the site was so visual, I felt like I was there. Even the author’s references to Ditch Lillies were fantastic (we have them planted in our garden!).
The narrator, Bernadette Dunne, is an award winning audiobook narrator. She’s narrated a ton of well-known books (e.g., The Devil Wears Prada, Memoirs of a Geisha) including autobiographies. After listening to this book, the narrator obviously has a lot of artistic range. But the narrator has a natural gravelyness to her voice that made Meg seem older than she appeared to be in the book. In fact, before I knew that the MC’s parents and grandparents were still alive, the narration for the MC’s voice made me think that she was an elderly lady, like a Great Aunt. I think the narrator should have opted for a different tone when narrating for the MC.
The author made sure to include some diversity in her book, which is greatly appreciated. The body appeared at the end of Chapter 5, approximately 14% after the book began. It would have held my interest longer if the murder had occurred either by the end of Chapter 3 or at 10%-12% after the beginning of the story.
This novel included all of the elements that one expects to find in a Cozy Mystery: tongue-in-cheek humor, no scary parts (i.e., blood, gore, etc.), no dramatic politicization, and a body. When I first requested this book, I wasn’t aware that this is the author’s 33rd novel in the series. Yes, you read that right—her **33rd novel in the series**.
Other readers may have a different opinion, but for me, I found it difficult to connect with most of the characters because I haven’t read any of the prior books in the series. And although the story line was good, it just didn’t grip my interest, so I likely won’t go back and read the series from the beginning. When I discovered that this book was the 33rd novel in a series, it reminded me of a girl that I knew in graduate school.
XX (name redacted) was nearing the completion of her MA, but refused to submit her thesis to her committee. When I asked her why, she told me that her MA was financially guaranteed, but her PhD studies were not. XX told me—and this is verbatim—that she was, “…gonna ride that pony ‘till it collapses…” In other words, XX was going to milk the MA assistantship for $$$ as long as humanly possible. When the funding finally ran out, XX did successfully defend her thesis. But even though she was accepted into the doctoral program, she dropped out. She got married, had kids, and has absolutely nothing to do with our field now.
People that read Cozy Mysteries ***love*** series. With a series, readers gets to know the MC and learn to love them. The author is a really good writer and understands the cozy readership. But 33 novels in a series is, well…let’s just say that it’s akin to animal abuse. Like the Life Alert lady, the pony has fallen and it can’t get up.
It is clear that the author understands country living. She also understands what is expected of writers in the Cozy Mystery genre. I would like to read a series written by Andrews where I can become intimate with the MC and the other characters, but hope that the author will limit that series to a number that is more easily digestible for the average reader (and more humane to that poor pony). Although I did like the character in this novel, I just wasn’t invested enough in the story to go back and read all 32 previous novels.
January 2, 2024
This is a cozy mystery series with a bit of humor.
Apparently, this author likes to use bird puns when creating titles for her books.
But…
In this case, she used a pun on the wildly successful TV show, “Murder, She Wrote”…
But…
Oddly…
This novel has very little to do with birders – although there is a good deal about the bullying behavior of some male hummingbirds.
At some point, that will be meaningful to the story.
However…
If anyone, is familiar with, “Murder, She Wrote,” one of the things we often worried about in that Angela Lansbury series was, if there were any more bodies, soon there would be no more people left alive in Cabot Cove! Is that why they moved some of her stories to New York? (I digress!)
So…
Is that what we have here? In this story?
Another amateur sleuth with lots of suspects and red herrings who gets in the way of the police and their investigation?
Well…
Meg is a blacksmith by trade who is married to Michael who teaches acting and they live in a small college town in Virginia. They have teenage twin boys and lots of family and friends that add to their life. And Meg likes to get involved in cases because she has a part-time job assisting the mayor.
And…
It’s through this job, that she gets involved with everything that happens in town.
And gratefully…
Meg has a close relationship with local law enforcement, having already proved a useful asset in solving murders in the past.
You see…
They even ask her directly for assistance at times…
And…
Whatever evidence she comes across that she thinks might be important she does not hesitate to reach out and share!
Wow…
Can you imagine what difference that might have made if they listened to Jessica Fletcher?!
On a quick note…
I have read from other reviewers who follow this series, that any of her books can be read as stand-alones.
And…
The author does a good job of introducing characters (and there is a huge cast of them). She does a relatively good job of explaining who is who and how they relate to whom – whether they play a supporting role or a larger one in the story.
Although…
It is always fun to begin at the beginning…
And to be honest…
I have not read any before this one, and I didn’t feel I needed to in order to understand who was who.
June 30, 2023
Meg and Cordelia, her grandmother, join others in a search for a lost African American cemetery. They do find it, but also find the recently murdered body of one of the town’s most disliked characters. There is a lot going on in this cozy mystery - a murder, a missing neighbor, drugs, moonshine, an annoying magazine writer interviewing Cordelia, bee hive treachery, blackmail, the NIMBYs who move to a rural area and then hate that there are animals and farms.
This is the thirty third in the Meg Langslow mystery series; it is the first I have read. It was OK as a standalone, but there are many characters and as I imagine most of them have been introduced in earlier books, it was a little difficult at first to keep them and their relationships straight. The story takes place in Virginia. Meg is not a detective, but rather a decorative blacksmith who sometimes helps out the local mayor as well as enjoying becoming embroiled in local mysteries.
There is light humor throughout the book and I enjoyed the character of Meg. There was also a lot of information about raising bees as well as other flora and fauna found in rural living.
Fans of this series will welcome this addition to it.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the ARC.
This is the thirty third in the Meg Langslow mystery series; it is the first I have read. It was OK as a standalone, but there are many characters and as I imagine most of them have been introduced in earlier books, it was a little difficult at first to keep them and their relationships straight. The story takes place in Virginia. Meg is not a detective, but rather a decorative blacksmith who sometimes helps out the local mayor as well as enjoying becoming embroiled in local mysteries.
There is light humor throughout the book and I enjoyed the character of Meg. There was also a lot of information about raising bees as well as other flora and fauna found in rural living.
Fans of this series will welcome this addition to it.
Thanks to #netgalley and #stmartinspress @minotaur_books for the ARC.
August 1, 2023
**Happy Publication Day**
3-3.5 stars. This is a long-running cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Meg Langslow and her family. I've only read a few previously and usually it's been the Christmas edition but took a chance on this one which works fine as a standalone. A lot of the story is about beekeeping and the local neighbors who protest having them nearby. I have to join the latter camp from my own experience of a neighbor with a hive. That summer, I was stung 5 times and developed a serious allergic reaction. Ugh! Anyway, after an annoying neighbor is killed, Meg can't help but involve herself in the investigation but seems to miss some obvious clues. I found the story repetitive and just so-so. My favorite parts were about the local hummingbirds and their antics.
I received an arc from the author and publisher from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
3-3.5 stars. This is a long-running cozy mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Meg Langslow and her family. I've only read a few previously and usually it's been the Christmas edition but took a chance on this one which works fine as a standalone. A lot of the story is about beekeeping and the local neighbors who protest having them nearby. I have to join the latter camp from my own experience of a neighbor with a hive. That summer, I was stung 5 times and developed a serious allergic reaction. Ugh! Anyway, after an annoying neighbor is killed, Meg can't help but involve herself in the investigation but seems to miss some obvious clues. I found the story repetitive and just so-so. My favorite parts were about the local hummingbirds and their antics.
I received an arc from the author and publisher from the publisher via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.
Read
March 2, 2023I don't dip into mysteries nearly as often as I do other genres, as my tastes are so narrow. I like the victim to be someone I don't care about, the murderer to be obnoxious, and less forensic yuk and clue collecting than a mix of interesting characters.
So the last book I tried by Donna Andrews turned out not to be a stand-alone, but the latest in a very long line of mysteries. I'd enjoyed it for the most part, except for all the characters I was supposed to know and didn't. When I saw this newest one offered, I thought, let's try another!
I opened it yesterday thinking I'd read just long enough to sip my tea... and the next thing I knew it was bedtime, I hadn't gotten anything done that I'd meant to do. It thoroughly sucked me in, and did not let me go until the last satisfying page.
Victim I didn't care about? Check. And so on down the line.
Wild cast of characters, absolutely! Added to that, a ton of fascinating stuff about keeping bees, and about hummingbirds, and general farm facts, without ever being too much. Add in the slowly growing danger, with blackmail turning up as well as the occasional gunshot, and I had a very engaging mystery that exactly fits my particular likes.
And now I'm totally a fan, looking forward to reading some of the others, and whatever Donna Andrews writes next!
So the last book I tried by Donna Andrews turned out not to be a stand-alone, but the latest in a very long line of mysteries. I'd enjoyed it for the most part, except for all the characters I was supposed to know and didn't. When I saw this newest one offered, I thought, let's try another!
I opened it yesterday thinking I'd read just long enough to sip my tea... and the next thing I knew it was bedtime, I hadn't gotten anything done that I'd meant to do. It thoroughly sucked me in, and did not let me go until the last satisfying page.
Victim I didn't care about? Check. And so on down the line.
Wild cast of characters, absolutely! Added to that, a ton of fascinating stuff about keeping bees, and about hummingbirds, and general farm facts, without ever being too much. Add in the slowly growing danger, with blackmail turning up as well as the occasional gunshot, and I had a very engaging mystery that exactly fits my particular likes.
And now I'm totally a fan, looking forward to reading some of the others, and whatever Donna Andrews writes next!
September 13, 2023
An outstanding book in a great series. Donna Andrews outdid herself her. I love this series and this was definitely one of the best in the series.
I love Meg, Michael and the normal cast of characters. The mystery was interesting as well as satisfying how it wrapped up.
I would recommend this book to any mystery reader and it's a must for cozy readers.
I love Meg, Michael and the normal cast of characters. The mystery was interesting as well as satisfying how it wrapped up.
I would recommend this book to any mystery reader and it's a must for cozy readers.
August 2, 2023
I loved the Meg Lanslow series from the first book I read, and I love it more with each new one or each reread. Birder, She Wrote brings all the warmth and hilarity that we have come to expect of the series as well the twists that we can't predict. A delightful and fun addition to the series, Birder, She Wrote is another winner for author, Donna Andrews.
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Birder, She Wrote.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #BirderSheWrote #MegLangslow #DonnaAndrews
My thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books for allowing me to read and review an ARC of Birder, She Wrote.
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #MinotaurBooks #BirderSheWrote #MegLangslow #DonnaAndrews
March 8, 2023
Birder, She Wrote is a clever title for this newest addition by Donna Andrew's.
Meg has a busy life, and when the NIMBY's continue to complain about all the activity in their neighborhood, Meg is called on to calm everyone down.
Cordelia, Meg's grandmother, has asked for help locating a dear friends family cemetery, but what they discover is not quite what they were expecting.
This book was a page turner, I loved the story and the mystery really kept me guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I highly recommend this book and all the others in this quirky series.
Meg has a busy life, and when the NIMBY's continue to complain about all the activity in their neighborhood, Meg is called on to calm everyone down.
Cordelia, Meg's grandmother, has asked for help locating a dear friends family cemetery, but what they discover is not quite what they were expecting.
This book was a page turner, I loved the story and the mystery really kept me guessing.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of this book.
I highly recommend this book and all the others in this quirky series.
March 2, 2023
Donna Andrews is back again with her latest Meg Langslow cozy mystery! I was provided an ARC by the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for my honest review. If you love Donna Andrews's books as I do, you will not be disappointed - mystery involving blackmail, a historical cemetery, hummingbirds and bees! My only critique is I missed more interaction between Meg and Michael and her twins - as well as distant crazy family members. Grandfather, Cordelia, and Mother played a good supporting role.
March 23, 2023
The Langslow clan are getting into beekeeping, while Grandma Cordelia is being followed by an annoying magazine reporter writing an article about her artist colony and other accomplishments. Meanwhile, both the beekeeping expert and the town's weird complainer are missing. One of them is found dead and the other wounded. The town's mayor asks Meg to run interference with the other complainers after a bunch of beehives are exterminated. It's all very confusing for a while. I wasn't sure of the killer, but there was so much going on. It was still a fun read.
I received an ARC copy in exchange of an honest opinion.
I received an ARC copy in exchange of an honest opinion.
August 20, 2023
Loved it. Reading a new book in this series is like catching up with old friends.
March 23, 2023
I received a free copy of, Birder, She Wrote, by Donna Andrews, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Meg thought she was going to have a nice relaxing time, but that changed quickly. Someone killed off all her neighbors bees, her grandma is in town, with a nosy reporter, and then someone is murdered. Meg has to figure out who the killer is. Donna Andrew is a great mystery writer, this is a good book, it kept me guessing.
May 26, 2023
This is a complex mystery full of plot twists, and a bit of humor! In this latest book, Meg finds herself in an investigation of murder. blackmail, and the destruction of one of her friend's beehives. Her family joins her search for the culprits, and as they get closer to the truth, Meg finds herself in grave danger. The book is well researched in the aspects of beekeeping and hummingbirds, and the plot is fast paced, and kept me guessing throughout the book. Reading about Meg's family, neighbors and her community always add to the enjoyment of the books in this series. My wife did receive an advanced copy of this book, from the author, publisher and Netgalley, and I am glad she did. The opinions of this review are my own.
June 20, 2023
Oh, the things Meg gets dragged into… No matter what the situation, I know I’m in for a good story and a lot of laughs. I love everything about this series: Meg, her extremely large family, the other townspeople, the animals, and the situations Meg finds herself in. The stories are always well written with a nice flow and pace. The mysteries are complex and have just enough suspects to keep you guessing the whole way. I can’t wait to see what they get up to next.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @Macmillan.audio for an honest review.
I received a copy from #NetGalley and @Macmillan.audio for an honest review.
May 13, 2023
Donna Andrews is among the finest cozy mystery writers I have encountered. Her 33rd book of her Meg Langslow mysteries was most entertaining and a quite amusing addition to the series.
The family is off pursuing other adventures as Meg settles in for a relaxing rest in her new hammock. The phone rings and Meg quickly puts on her assistant-to-the-mayor hat. The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are on the warpath again and this time it's Edgar Bortnick and his bees in their sights. One thing leads to another, a body is found and Meg is on on the case (peripherally, of course). Meanwhile, Meg's grandmother, Cordelia, is dealing with Britni Colleton, a rather less than cordial magazine reporter who is supposed to be crafting an exposé on Cordelia. As fierce protector of her family's interests, Meg decides to do a bit of sleuthing about Britni and her publisher.
So much information is packed into this delightful book. One learns about the challenges of beekeeping, the search for 19th centiry African American graveyards and its inherent challenges, cadaver vs. search and rescue dogs (who knew there was a difference?!), drug trafficking in rural areas, the fine art of blackmail and extortion, and the challenges when the well-to-do city folks settle into their McMansions out in the farm country.
Andrews writes a most engaging story. The cast of characters is rather extensive and their banter - quite fun and amusing. The tension mounts steadily, as each suspect is grilled and evidence procured, until the entire story arrives at a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to each new book in this series and have never been disappointed. Please note: there are many characters which have been fleshed out in earlier books. Yet the reader should not be too far asea if this is their first introduction to this series. If a mystery featuring quirky family dynamics, set with warmth, love, and lots of red herrings in the Virginia countryside appeals to you, then this book is not to be missed.
I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1250760241
No. of pages: 304
The family is off pursuing other adventures as Meg settles in for a relaxing rest in her new hammock. The phone rings and Meg quickly puts on her assistant-to-the-mayor hat. The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are on the warpath again and this time it's Edgar Bortnick and his bees in their sights. One thing leads to another, a body is found and Meg is on on the case (peripherally, of course). Meanwhile, Meg's grandmother, Cordelia, is dealing with Britni Colleton, a rather less than cordial magazine reporter who is supposed to be crafting an exposé on Cordelia. As fierce protector of her family's interests, Meg decides to do a bit of sleuthing about Britni and her publisher.
So much information is packed into this delightful book. One learns about the challenges of beekeeping, the search for 19th centiry African American graveyards and its inherent challenges, cadaver vs. search and rescue dogs (who knew there was a difference?!), drug trafficking in rural areas, the fine art of blackmail and extortion, and the challenges when the well-to-do city folks settle into their McMansions out in the farm country.
Andrews writes a most engaging story. The cast of characters is rather extensive and their banter - quite fun and amusing. The tension mounts steadily, as each suspect is grilled and evidence procured, until the entire story arrives at a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to each new book in this series and have never been disappointed. Please note: there are many characters which have been fleshed out in earlier books. Yet the reader should not be too far asea if this is their first introduction to this series. If a mystery featuring quirky family dynamics, set with warmth, love, and lots of red herrings in the Virginia countryside appeals to you, then this book is not to be missed.
I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1250760241
No. of pages: 304
August 7, 2023
Always a good read
Whenever I seem to be having trouble getting into a book, I turn to the Meg Langslow Mysteries. I learn some new words and some new facts. This time about hummingbirds.
Whenever I seem to be having trouble getting into a book, I turn to the Meg Langslow Mysteries. I learn some new words and some new facts. This time about hummingbirds.
February 18, 2024
True, Meg has had to solve 33 murders so far. But in return she doesn't have to do any cooking or cleaning or childcare. Her husband and cousin and assorted others handle it all. Seems like a pretty good trade! 😂
November 8, 2023
the only one in the series so far where I felt like the mystery dragged, which considering this is number 33 in the series is pretty good lol
September 22, 2024
Thirty-third in the Meg Langslow cozy mystery series revolving around a blacksmith mom who’s also an amateur sleuth. The focus is on those danged NIMBY complaints and murder in Caerphilly, Virginia.
My Take
It’s a look into the daily life of Meg Langslow and her family. That Dad of hers is so cute with all his passions and willingness to help. His lack of commonsense does add to his character. Ya gotta laugh at the anecdote about Dad’s Weaseltide dance ( How the Finch Stole Christmas! , 22) that the high school and baseball team adopts, lol.
Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg’s perspective so we can’t help but hear and experience life through her eyes. Lol, we know all about her love for her family — especially Dad’s new passion — and how she feels about those danged NIMBYs.
Ooh, the introduction of that Colleton woman certainly brings some added spice. I gotta laugh at how frustrated Britni is with her latest choice in interviewees — Cordelia is not the person Colleton thought. Nor does Britni care for the family’s preferences whether it comes to where to eat or who to pal around with.
The hunt for the lost graveyard was filled with interesting, if somewhat horrific, facts.
Consistent fun in the series is the behavior of those llamas! Reading about them makes me wish I had a farm! There’s Grandfather’s and Cordelia’s antagonistic attitudes towards each other. There’s the primary place focus of Meg and Michael’s farm with their habit of hosting groups of people whether it’s as a residence or their many potlucks. This includes being a doggie daycare for the Pomeranians! Aida’s reasoning for naming her Pomeranian still makes me laugh. Hmph, as if!
Temporary “fun” is the remnants on the barn from Rob and Delaney’s wedding, lol. The Langslow-Waterstons are quite prepared for those frequent power failures, which are a joy for the boys. Britni? Not so much, lol.
It is reassuring to read that many of the small farmers in Caerphilly County have figured out how to thrive these days. There’s an ingenious tip on what to do about bullying hummingbirds. You may have guessed it that the whole Meg Langslow series is an environmental one, and if it encourages any readers to dive in, I’m all in favor. Metaphysically, Meg is a skeptic about Rose Noire’s beliefs although Meg makes a good argument for Rose Noire’s reading of auras.
The corruption rampant in Clay County makes a nice foil for the upstanding citizens of Caerphilly. Well, the majority of them, anyway.
Those of you who hate HOAs will enjoy Birder, She Wrote, as Meg and company dislike them too. Especially the police department, lol. That HOA sure doesn’t know much about the law. Meg is beginning to worry that her no doesn’t mean no to the NIMBYs.
On the other hand, those Shiffleys are very protective — I cracked up when Horace mentioned all the Shiffleys driving up and down a particular road.
I don’t know why Andrews has changed the name of the boys' baseball team from the Eagles ( Die Like an Eagle , 20) to the Meerkats. As the boys get older, do they change teams?
In some ways the pace is a bit slow, but it's all worth it what with the action and all their various participants — it does my heart good to see all this cooperation! Of course, Andrews' characters are an absolute hoot with their quirks.
Hmm, it seems that “organic” is not “odor-free”.
The best news? A new couple will be moving into Westlake with their multi-cultural family of a dozen kids! ROFLAMO.
The Story
It’s an “un”fortunate discovery in the long-lost slave graveyard when Deacon, Meg, Cordelia, and Horace find that new dead body. Nor is it the only dead body, or should I say . . . bodies!
It’s a find that leads to the unveiling a lot of the deceased’s irregular hobbies including drug activity at the library and that Britni's busyness.
The Characters
The very organized, snoopy Meg Langslow, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is Randall’s very efficient assistant — Mayor’s Special Assistant for Headaches and Nuisances, has a supportive husband in Dr Michael Waterston, who is the drama professor at the local college. Josh and Jamie are their twin sons. Spike is their Small Evil One. Some of the critters on their farm include five llamas and chickens. Mother and Dad, Dr James Langslow who is the local medical examiner, have the neighboring farm where Dad has decided to start raising bees. Michael’s mother loves traveling abroad.
Rob Langslow, Meg’s brother, started up and owns Mutant Wizards, a very successful computer gaming company that has branched out. Delaney is his wife who does computer programming. Tinkerbell is Rob’s Irish wolfhound. It’s darned handy that Kevin is so into tech, including surveillance. Kevin McReady, a cousin, is amazing on the computer and lives in Meg’s basement. He’s also a department head at Mutant Wizards and the official computer and data consultant to the Caerphilly PD. Widget is Kevin’s Pomeranian.
Rose Noire, another cousin, is the nature-crazy cousin-in-residence who loves gardening. Winter Solstice, a.k.a. Winnie, is her Pomeranian. Grandfather, a.k.a. Great, is Dr J Montgomery Blake, an eminent naturalist, who owns the Caerphilly Zoo. Blake’s Brigade is a group of volunteers who embrace Grandfather’s interests. Grandmother Cordelia, who lives an hour away in Riverton running the thriving Biscuit Mountain Craft Center, is Dad’s mother and the more practical birder. Cousin Festus Hollingsworth is a brilliant attorney who owns a local farm.
Caerphilly, Virginia, is . . .
. . . is where Meg and Michael’s farmhouse and the college are based. Randall Shiffley is the mayor. Shiffley Construction is a reputable builder. Mel and Janice Shiffley? are starting a mead business. Judge Jane Shiffley is good for warrants. Osgood Shiffley operates a tow truck. Jeanine Shiffley is a real estate agent.
Henry Burke is Caerphilly’s chief of police. His deputies include Meg’s cousin Horace Hollingsworth, who is their CSI tech and is training Watson to be a cadaver dog; Vern Shiffley; Aida Butler (Kayla is her daughter who’s now saying “As If”); and, Sammy. Debbie Anne is the police dispatcher. Braden Shiffley is summer interning with the police department to see if he wants to major in criminal justice. Dagmar, another Shiffley cousin, trains dogs for search-and-rescue, pest control, and cadaver-hunting.
The Burkes are raising their three orphaned grandsons: Frank, Calvin, and Adam (he’s Josh and Jamie’s best friend and has adopted Willie Mays, another Pomeranian).
Deacon Washington, one of Meg’s neighbors, wants to look for the Muddy Hollow graveyard for slaves. Isaac Washington is his helpful grandson who runs the farm. TJ, Isaac’s wife, makes a fine picnic basket. Isaac Jr is another of Josh and Jamie’s friends. Seth Early is another neighbor who owns a flock of adventurous sheep.
Flugleman's is the local garden supplier. Gertie Flugleman is the family mariarch. The Frilled Pheasant is a cutesy restaurant. Muriel’s Diner is a favorite. Luigi’s makes great pizza. The Shack is a Shiffley down-and-dirty barbecue joint that is way popular. The New Life Baptist Church does a good fish fry and has a famous choir directed by Minerva Burke, the chief’s wife. The Reverend Wilson is its rector. Ellie Drayer is the head librarian. The Caerphilly Inn is a five-star hotel managed by Ekaterina. Maudie manages the family funeral home. The Reverend Robyn Smith is the rector of Trinity Episcopal, who was the true founder of the Ladies Interfaith Council. St Clotilda’s Guild was set up to do good works. I do love how cooperative all the different religions are in Caerphilly! SPOOR, Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors, is a local bird conservation group. Fred is the editor at the Clarion . Mrs Vetrano belongs to the Garden Club and appears to be quick. The club has a weeding bee that helps out those who are laid up. Dominion Power is the electric company.
The NIMBYs of Westlake, the ritzy neighborhood in Caerphilly, are “not from around here” and paid no attention to the fact that they were buying houses in farming country. They include the recently widowed Walter “Wally the Weird” Inman, a retired businessman and yard Nazi with nothing else to do; Harry and Connie Brownlow own a Maltipoo named Wuzzums, a.k.a. Wild Thing, was something of a “slut” — seems the Brownlows gave that attitude to their dog, ahem; the Griswolds — the unexpected Shane is their frustrated teenage son; Mavis Anstruther, who is a member of the Caerphilly Garden Club who doesn’t understand why her suggestion to use a southern plantation theme for a garden show keeps being vetoed (her husband, Virgil, died a year ago); and, Kimberly is Mavis’ daughter who learns a horrible secret.
Edgar Bortnick is a native who raises bees and is a wildlife photographer. Sam Shiffley, a cousin of Randall’s, owns the organic pig farm raising Red Wattles and Gloucestershire Old Spots next to Edgar. The Sting is not just an overnight party at Edgar’s.
The whiny Britni Colleton is a content provider with Sweet Tea and Sassafras , a magazine more interested in the socially obsessed.
Riverton is . . .
. . . where Grandmother Cordelia lives. The Ghillie Dhu is a fairy-infested B&B with a landlady, Mrs MacGilleBhriìghde, who used to be Gibson.
Clay County is . . .
. . . heartily disliked by Caerphilly County. Sheriff Dingle is but one of the corrupt policemen.
Loudon County is . . .
. . . where Inman used to live.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a royal blue to pale lilac and back to royal blue gradated background. This time there’s a wooden table and chair with a green cushion set at the bottom of the cover with an old Royal typewriter facing the chair. That’s one heckuva clue there. A glass vase with a white grave lily sits on the right side of the typewriter as multi-colored hummingbirds and bees flitter about the typewriter. A pair of binoculars hang from their strap on one side of the chair’s back. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author’s name is below it in pale yellow with the last three letters in the author’s last name tipping over. In the middle between birds and typewriter is the series info in black. Just below the table edge is the title in a brighter pale yellow, with some letters askew. A fun montage and don'tcha just love it when the illustrator appears to have read the story!
The title has fun with a minor “character” in the story with Birder, She Wrote.
My Take
It’s a look into the daily life of Meg Langslow and her family. That Dad of hers is so cute with all his passions and willingness to help. His lack of commonsense does add to his character. Ya gotta laugh at the anecdote about Dad’s Weaseltide dance ( How the Finch Stole Christmas! , 22) that the high school and baseball team adopts, lol.
Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg’s perspective so we can’t help but hear and experience life through her eyes. Lol, we know all about her love for her family — especially Dad’s new passion — and how she feels about those danged NIMBYs.
Ooh, the introduction of that Colleton woman certainly brings some added spice. I gotta laugh at how frustrated Britni is with her latest choice in interviewees — Cordelia is not the person Colleton thought. Nor does Britni care for the family’s preferences whether it comes to where to eat or who to pal around with.
The hunt for the lost graveyard was filled with interesting, if somewhat horrific, facts.
Consistent fun in the series is the behavior of those llamas! Reading about them makes me wish I had a farm! There’s Grandfather’s and Cordelia’s antagonistic attitudes towards each other. There’s the primary place focus of Meg and Michael’s farm with their habit of hosting groups of people whether it’s as a residence or their many potlucks. This includes being a doggie daycare for the Pomeranians! Aida’s reasoning for naming her Pomeranian still makes me laugh. Hmph, as if!
Temporary “fun” is the remnants on the barn from Rob and Delaney’s wedding, lol. The Langslow-Waterstons are quite prepared for those frequent power failures, which are a joy for the boys. Britni? Not so much, lol.
It is reassuring to read that many of the small farmers in Caerphilly County have figured out how to thrive these days. There’s an ingenious tip on what to do about bullying hummingbirds. You may have guessed it that the whole Meg Langslow series is an environmental one, and if it encourages any readers to dive in, I’m all in favor. Metaphysically, Meg is a skeptic about Rose Noire’s beliefs although Meg makes a good argument for Rose Noire’s reading of auras.
The corruption rampant in Clay County makes a nice foil for the upstanding citizens of Caerphilly. Well, the majority of them, anyway.
Those of you who hate HOAs will enjoy Birder, She Wrote, as Meg and company dislike them too. Especially the police department, lol. That HOA sure doesn’t know much about the law. Meg is beginning to worry that her no doesn’t mean no to the NIMBYs.
On the other hand, those Shiffleys are very protective — I cracked up when Horace mentioned all the Shiffleys driving up and down a particular road.
I don’t know why Andrews has changed the name of the boys' baseball team from the Eagles ( Die Like an Eagle , 20) to the Meerkats. As the boys get older, do they change teams?
In some ways the pace is a bit slow, but it's all worth it what with the action and all their various participants — it does my heart good to see all this cooperation! Of course, Andrews' characters are an absolute hoot with their quirks.
Hmm, it seems that “organic” is not “odor-free”.
The best news? A new couple will be moving into Westlake with their multi-cultural family of a dozen kids! ROFLAMO.
The Story
It’s an “un”fortunate discovery in the long-lost slave graveyard when Deacon, Meg, Cordelia, and Horace find that new dead body. Nor is it the only dead body, or should I say . . . bodies!
It’s a find that leads to the unveiling a lot of the deceased’s irregular hobbies including drug activity at the library and that Britni's busyness.
The Characters
The very organized, snoopy Meg Langslow, with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe is Randall’s very efficient assistant — Mayor’s Special Assistant for Headaches and Nuisances, has a supportive husband in Dr Michael Waterston, who is the drama professor at the local college. Josh and Jamie are their twin sons. Spike is their Small Evil One. Some of the critters on their farm include five llamas and chickens. Mother and Dad, Dr James Langslow who is the local medical examiner, have the neighboring farm where Dad has decided to start raising bees. Michael’s mother loves traveling abroad.
Rob Langslow, Meg’s brother, started up and owns Mutant Wizards, a very successful computer gaming company that has branched out. Delaney is his wife who does computer programming. Tinkerbell is Rob’s Irish wolfhound. It’s darned handy that Kevin is so into tech, including surveillance. Kevin McReady, a cousin, is amazing on the computer and lives in Meg’s basement. He’s also a department head at Mutant Wizards and the official computer and data consultant to the Caerphilly PD. Widget is Kevin’s Pomeranian.
Rose Noire, another cousin, is the nature-crazy cousin-in-residence who loves gardening. Winter Solstice, a.k.a. Winnie, is her Pomeranian. Grandfather, a.k.a. Great, is Dr J Montgomery Blake, an eminent naturalist, who owns the Caerphilly Zoo. Blake’s Brigade is a group of volunteers who embrace Grandfather’s interests. Grandmother Cordelia, who lives an hour away in Riverton running the thriving Biscuit Mountain Craft Center, is Dad’s mother and the more practical birder. Cousin Festus Hollingsworth is a brilliant attorney who owns a local farm.
Caerphilly, Virginia, is . . .
. . . is where Meg and Michael’s farmhouse and the college are based. Randall Shiffley is the mayor. Shiffley Construction is a reputable builder. Mel and Janice Shiffley? are starting a mead business. Judge Jane Shiffley is good for warrants. Osgood Shiffley operates a tow truck. Jeanine Shiffley is a real estate agent.
Henry Burke is Caerphilly’s chief of police. His deputies include Meg’s cousin Horace Hollingsworth, who is their CSI tech and is training Watson to be a cadaver dog; Vern Shiffley; Aida Butler (Kayla is her daughter who’s now saying “As If”); and, Sammy. Debbie Anne is the police dispatcher. Braden Shiffley is summer interning with the police department to see if he wants to major in criminal justice. Dagmar, another Shiffley cousin, trains dogs for search-and-rescue, pest control, and cadaver-hunting.
The Burkes are raising their three orphaned grandsons: Frank, Calvin, and Adam (he’s Josh and Jamie’s best friend and has adopted Willie Mays, another Pomeranian).
Deacon Washington, one of Meg’s neighbors, wants to look for the Muddy Hollow graveyard for slaves. Isaac Washington is his helpful grandson who runs the farm. TJ, Isaac’s wife, makes a fine picnic basket. Isaac Jr is another of Josh and Jamie’s friends. Seth Early is another neighbor who owns a flock of adventurous sheep.
Flugleman's is the local garden supplier. Gertie Flugleman is the family mariarch. The Frilled Pheasant is a cutesy restaurant. Muriel’s Diner is a favorite. Luigi’s makes great pizza. The Shack is a Shiffley down-and-dirty barbecue joint that is way popular. The New Life Baptist Church does a good fish fry and has a famous choir directed by Minerva Burke, the chief’s wife. The Reverend Wilson is its rector. Ellie Drayer is the head librarian. The Caerphilly Inn is a five-star hotel managed by Ekaterina. Maudie manages the family funeral home. The Reverend Robyn Smith is the rector of Trinity Episcopal, who was the true founder of the Ladies Interfaith Council. St Clotilda’s Guild was set up to do good works. I do love how cooperative all the different religions are in Caerphilly! SPOOR, Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors, is a local bird conservation group. Fred is the editor at the Clarion . Mrs Vetrano belongs to the Garden Club and appears to be quick. The club has a weeding bee that helps out those who are laid up. Dominion Power is the electric company.
The NIMBYs of Westlake, the ritzy neighborhood in Caerphilly, are “not from around here” and paid no attention to the fact that they were buying houses in farming country. They include the recently widowed Walter “Wally the Weird” Inman, a retired businessman and yard Nazi with nothing else to do; Harry and Connie Brownlow own a Maltipoo named Wuzzums, a.k.a. Wild Thing, was something of a “slut” — seems the Brownlows gave that attitude to their dog, ahem; the Griswolds — the unexpected Shane is their frustrated teenage son; Mavis Anstruther, who is a member of the Caerphilly Garden Club who doesn’t understand why her suggestion to use a southern plantation theme for a garden show keeps being vetoed (her husband, Virgil, died a year ago); and, Kimberly is Mavis’ daughter who learns a horrible secret.
Edgar Bortnick is a native who raises bees and is a wildlife photographer. Sam Shiffley, a cousin of Randall’s, owns the organic pig farm raising Red Wattles and Gloucestershire Old Spots next to Edgar. The Sting is not just an overnight party at Edgar’s.
The whiny Britni Colleton is a content provider with Sweet Tea and Sassafras , a magazine more interested in the socially obsessed.
Riverton is . . .
. . . where Grandmother Cordelia lives. The Ghillie Dhu is a fairy-infested B&B with a landlady, Mrs MacGilleBhriìghde, who used to be Gibson.
Clay County is . . .
. . . heartily disliked by Caerphilly County. Sheriff Dingle is but one of the corrupt policemen.
Loudon County is . . .
. . . where Inman used to live.
The Cover and Title
The cover has a royal blue to pale lilac and back to royal blue gradated background. This time there’s a wooden table and chair with a green cushion set at the bottom of the cover with an old Royal typewriter facing the chair. That’s one heckuva clue there. A glass vase with a white grave lily sits on the right side of the typewriter as multi-colored hummingbirds and bees flitter about the typewriter. A pair of binoculars hang from their strap on one side of the chair’s back. At the very top is an info blurb in white. The author’s name is below it in pale yellow with the last three letters in the author’s last name tipping over. In the middle between birds and typewriter is the series info in black. Just below the table edge is the title in a brighter pale yellow, with some letters askew. A fun montage and don'tcha just love it when the illustrator appears to have read the story!
The title has fun with a minor “character” in the story with Birder, She Wrote.
January 5, 2024
Meg is taken by surprise when she and Michael are delivered a bee hive, including the bees, which her Dad has unloaded into the hive.
Their neighbor Edgar has had his entire bee collection killed by insecticides by one of his neighbors but doesn't know which one.
Upon checking up on Edgar, they discover he is in fact, and Meg has promised to keep on the lookout for him, while assisting another neighbor track down his native burial grounds.
Meg's grandmother, is joining them on the trek, along with a reporter who wants to do a story on her grandmother. The reporter, is far from being familiar with the forestry of the area and while they are on the hunt for the cemetary, the pomerians have found a true dead person. It turns out to be the other neighbor who has been such a thorn in Edgar's side.
Meg is now really concerned about Edgar since finding the body in the forest however all is not lost as her nephew, Kevin, the computer whiz, has set up security cameras around Edgar's property, and, has a record of the last photos that Edgar posted on his computer.
Meg and Randall, assistant deputy to the Chief, go to the general area where the photos were taken and set the poms free to assist in finding the neighbor. These Poms are not cadaver dogs however, and in no time find Edgar leaning up against a tree, with a severely broken leg with the bone protruding from the leg!!
Great read.
Their neighbor Edgar has had his entire bee collection killed by insecticides by one of his neighbors but doesn't know which one.
Upon checking up on Edgar, they discover he is in fact, and Meg has promised to keep on the lookout for him, while assisting another neighbor track down his native burial grounds.
Meg's grandmother, is joining them on the trek, along with a reporter who wants to do a story on her grandmother. The reporter, is far from being familiar with the forestry of the area and while they are on the hunt for the cemetary, the pomerians have found a true dead person. It turns out to be the other neighbor who has been such a thorn in Edgar's side.
Meg is now really concerned about Edgar since finding the body in the forest however all is not lost as her nephew, Kevin, the computer whiz, has set up security cameras around Edgar's property, and, has a record of the last photos that Edgar posted on his computer.
Meg and Randall, assistant deputy to the Chief, go to the general area where the photos were taken and set the poms free to assist in finding the neighbor. These Poms are not cadaver dogs however, and in no time find Edgar leaning up against a tree, with a severely broken leg with the bone protruding from the leg!!
Great read.
August 5, 2023
Another excellent addition to the always fun Meg Langslow series!
I am always happy when I get a new Meg book to read and this one was no different - I knew I was going to get a good book that is well-written [and doesn't beat you over the head with the same information over and over again - HALLELUJAH!!], with a good mystery and lots of humor and the realization [again] that I am really glad I don't have Meg's crazy life! LOL
While I knew who the killer was before we even got a dead body [in fairness, I think you are supposed to - it is getting to the why and how and wading through all the excellent red herrings that is the best and bulk of the story], this was still an excellent story. While I missed Michael and the Twins and even [GASP] Meg's Mom, I loved that we got more interaction between Meg and her Dad and with her grandmother Cordelia [who I absolutely ADORE and she makes me miss my grandmothers so very much], plus, Michael and Co. come into play in the end and their participation shows that the twins have very much inherited their mother's love of snooping. ;-)
Also, I 100% LOVE SPIKE in this one. IYKYK. ;-)
This was such a pleasant way to spend a few days reading and I am already looking forward to the next one!!!
I also received an audiobook ARC for this book and I am so grateful. WHILE this narrator is not one of my favorites [and I will never, ever love how she does Meg's dads voice], since I now have to listen to audiobooks almost exclusively, she has really grown on me and I really enjoyed this outing. I don't even think I rolled my eyes [which happens quite a bit when I have a narrator I am not a fan of]. I am glad that I am adjusting to her [it is always a great thing when this happens] and and really looking forward to listening to her narrate the next one.
I was asked to read/review this book by the publisher, and I thank them [St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books], Donna Andrews, Bernadette Dunne - Narrator, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I am always happy when I get a new Meg book to read and this one was no different - I knew I was going to get a good book that is well-written [and doesn't beat you over the head with the same information over and over again - HALLELUJAH!!], with a good mystery and lots of humor and the realization [again] that I am really glad I don't have Meg's crazy life! LOL
While I knew who the killer was before we even got a dead body [in fairness, I think you are supposed to - it is getting to the why and how and wading through all the excellent red herrings that is the best and bulk of the story], this was still an excellent story. While I missed Michael and the Twins and even [GASP] Meg's Mom, I loved that we got more interaction between Meg and her Dad and with her grandmother Cordelia [who I absolutely ADORE and she makes me miss my grandmothers so very much], plus, Michael and Co. come into play in the end and their participation shows that the twins have very much inherited their mother's love of snooping. ;-)
Also, I 100% LOVE SPIKE in this one. IYKYK. ;-)
This was such a pleasant way to spend a few days reading and I am already looking forward to the next one!!!
I also received an audiobook ARC for this book and I am so grateful. WHILE this narrator is not one of my favorites [and I will never, ever love how she does Meg's dads voice], since I now have to listen to audiobooks almost exclusively, she has really grown on me and I really enjoyed this outing. I don't even think I rolled my eyes [which happens quite a bit when I have a narrator I am not a fan of]. I am glad that I am adjusting to her [it is always a great thing when this happens] and and really looking forward to listening to her narrate the next one.
I was asked to read/review this book by the publisher, and I thank them [St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books], Donna Andrews, Bernadette Dunne - Narrator, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for providing the ARC and audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 24, 2024
There is always that neighbor who complains about everything. In this community, there is a whole neighborhood that finds fault in everything especially anything done by the locals. They see themselves as the top of society and don't want nature to interfere with the perfection they are trying to find…until one ends up dead. Then it becomes a matter of guessing who was angry enough about the bees or other animals to take maters into their own hand.
A cozy mystery with all the required parts: nosy neighbors, amateur sleuth, unique characters, and red herrings everywhere. Like many other cozy mysteries, this one starts off relatively slow. It takes a couple of chapters to get to the murder as the author builds up the backgrounds and the characters.
The reader is drawn into this community and becomes invested in the people and the history. It is easy to relate to any of the characters as they deal with everyday life issues and the unique issues that come with the death of a member of the community.
It's not an intense story with suspense around every corner. This is a more easy paced story that you can stop and pickup anytime you want. It's not until the actual climax occurs that the reader gets a feeling of intense action. The style tends to be more within the mind of the narrator.
An easy read that would be great for a quiet weekend or during your travels. Can you guess who did it? I did, but the author had enough red herrings to have me second-guessing myself. An enjoyable story.
A cozy mystery with all the required parts: nosy neighbors, amateur sleuth, unique characters, and red herrings everywhere. Like many other cozy mysteries, this one starts off relatively slow. It takes a couple of chapters to get to the murder as the author builds up the backgrounds and the characters.
The reader is drawn into this community and becomes invested in the people and the history. It is easy to relate to any of the characters as they deal with everyday life issues and the unique issues that come with the death of a member of the community.
It's not an intense story with suspense around every corner. This is a more easy paced story that you can stop and pickup anytime you want. It's not until the actual climax occurs that the reader gets a feeling of intense action. The style tends to be more within the mind of the narrator.
An easy read that would be great for a quiet weekend or during your travels. Can you guess who did it? I did, but the author had enough red herrings to have me second-guessing myself. An enjoyable story.
August 3, 2023
Currently available, published 08/01/23
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for accepting my request to read and review Birder, She Wrote: A Meg Langslow Mystery.
Three solid stars; however, there is an audience with solid five stars. Here I go, this is tricky but not complicated. This is the 33rd book in the series and my first. While this obviously can be read as a standalone, I felt as if I was missing the punchlines and couldn't fully appreciate relationships that have been building for years. As I read and the regular characters chatted I felt as if I was invading their personal space. This was a unique and awkward experience I'm attributing to the length of the series. In addition, the subject matter was okay, but didn't excite me. Bees, and birds are prevalent throughout the mystery. Some gardening needs are addressed as well. I have a friend who will love this as much as I love a book store mystery.
Of note, I liked Meg. She is smart and not helpless. Kudos to Andrews for writing a clean mystery. There wasn't a hint of profanity.
I look forward to seeking other works by the author. In addition, I would highly recommend this as a transitional book from teen to adult.
Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for accepting my request to read and review Birder, She Wrote: A Meg Langslow Mystery.
Three solid stars; however, there is an audience with solid five stars. Here I go, this is tricky but not complicated. This is the 33rd book in the series and my first. While this obviously can be read as a standalone, I felt as if I was missing the punchlines and couldn't fully appreciate relationships that have been building for years. As I read and the regular characters chatted I felt as if I was invading their personal space. This was a unique and awkward experience I'm attributing to the length of the series. In addition, the subject matter was okay, but didn't excite me. Bees, and birds are prevalent throughout the mystery. Some gardening needs are addressed as well. I have a friend who will love this as much as I love a book store mystery.
Of note, I liked Meg. She is smart and not helpless. Kudos to Andrews for writing a clean mystery. There wasn't a hint of profanity.
I look forward to seeking other works by the author. In addition, I would highly recommend this as a transitional book from teen to adult.
July 8, 2023
“But I knew even the best investigators sometimes came up against a criminal who was smart enough, or lucky enough, to get away with murder.”
Hummingbirds, honey bees, blackmail, and murder are all swarming around Meg Langslow and the small town of Caerphilly.
I didn’t realize that this was book #33 in the series, so I wasn’t up to date with every single character, but it was easy enough that you could read this as a stand-alone without any issue. With that being said, I am intrigued to start the series from the very beginning. I love how the author focuses on animals, the environment, and is progressive in her writing. Shaming one of the characters about having confederate flag pillows had me rooting for Meg in and of itself.
A quick, fun, interesting cozy mystery with a few red herrings.
The audiobook narrator did a great job at giving each character a unique voice, and kept it engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.
Hummingbirds, honey bees, blackmail, and murder are all swarming around Meg Langslow and the small town of Caerphilly.
I didn’t realize that this was book #33 in the series, so I wasn’t up to date with every single character, but it was easy enough that you could read this as a stand-alone without any issue. With that being said, I am intrigued to start the series from the very beginning. I love how the author focuses on animals, the environment, and is progressive in her writing. Shaming one of the characters about having confederate flag pillows had me rooting for Meg in and of itself.
A quick, fun, interesting cozy mystery with a few red herrings.
The audiobook narrator did a great job at giving each character a unique voice, and kept it engaging.
Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.
July 21, 2023
Meg is relaxing when she gets a call from the Mayor. He needs her to smooth things over with the NIMBY’s again (Not In My Back Yard), a group of newcomers that have moved in and built big homes but complain about being next to working farms where there are farm smells and such, but this time they are complaining about the honey bees again. Meanwhile Meg’s grandmother is being followed around by a reporter that is doing a story on her for magazine that they don’t know much about. But when a corpse shows up Meg goes into detective mode, and her relaxation time is gone.
I have always enjoyed these Meg stories and can’t wait for more. The audios are wonderful the narrator is awesome. The suspense and action will hook you and have you reading past your bedtime. Meg and family will become your new best book friends.
I have always enjoyed these Meg stories and can’t wait for more. The audios are wonderful the narrator is awesome. The suspense and action will hook you and have you reading past your bedtime. Meg and family will become your new best book friends.
August 3, 2023
Meg has some time to herself so she is relaxing in a hammock and enjoying a drink. Her relaxation time is soon interrupted by her father who has come to install some bees in the hive in her back yard. Soon the mayor calls her wanting her to play referee among a group of newcomers to the area who seem to complain about everything. Jer friend Cordelia has also asked her in looking for an old cemetery that hasn't been properly marked so no one is quite sure of its location. During their search they find a mans body and it looks as if he was murdered. Meg who is always willing to help the police starts her own investigation in hopes of finding a killer sooner rather than later. Will she be able to name a murderer before someone else ends up dead?
August 28, 2023
Meg accompanies her grandmother as she searches for a long-lost African American cemetery, trailed by the reluctant journalist who's supposed to do a profile of Cordelia for a southern women's magazine. They find the cemetery, and also a newly-dead body, that of one of the residents of a ritzy enclave of newcomers who don't understand the problems of rural living. Immediately suspect is a local farmer and beekeeper, who has acted as a mentor to Meg's father as he takes up beekeeping himself. Even when he turns up with a fairly good alibi, Meg finds herself involved in dealing with the enclave in her role as assistant to the mayor. When it turns out that some of the people in the enclave are being blackmailed and suspect the dead man, Meg and the police chief have more suspects on their hands than they can handle. A really good outing for the popular Meg.
August 2, 2023
BIRDER, SHE WROTE marks the thirty-third installment in the captivating Meg Langslow mystery series, penned by the talented Donna Andrews. As a newcomer to Andrews' works, I must say this cozy mystery hit all the right notes. While it took a little time to fully immerse myself in the story, the intriguing plot gradually drew me in, making it an engaging read.
The book boasts a diverse array of characters, some of whom seem to be recurring figures from previous entries in the series. Despite this, I found the novel to be easily accessible as a standalone, as the author skillfully provides ample background information, allowing readers to grasp the characters' roles in the community.
The book boasts a diverse array of characters, some of whom seem to be recurring figures from previous entries in the series. Despite this, I found the novel to be easily accessible as a standalone, as the author skillfully provides ample background information, allowing readers to grasp the characters' roles in the community.
August 2, 2023
This book is too cute, I am starting to love cozy mystery books more and more, this book is not a standalone, so I was lost in many ways, of course its part of a series. The main character has already had their character built up in other books that it was hard for me to catch up to what was going on. But some parts were so funny though, and I know I will enjoy her books, I will recommend starting from book 1, I love the plot in this book though.
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
Thank you netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.
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