Virginia | Book Girl & Little Bear

Probable Caws, a Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

I always look forward to new Meg Langslow mysteries. Enjoyable, very cozy, with plenty of humor, eccentric characters and a variety of animals. The books are usually set in or near the fictional town of Caerphilly, Virginia. Meg, a blacksmith, and her husband Michael, two sons and their large extended family are at a nearby castle/manor helping with the unexpected arrival of many horses. The book cover shows a mesh scarf meant to keep flies away from a horse’s eyes. A cute subplots tests other methods of getting flies to leave horses alone.

One of the mares is pregnant and finds Meg’s company calming, so she’s often in the pastures and stables. Annoying swans and wise crows are featured as well as horses. The plot is about two brothers and what happens to the family farm when their 100-year-old father dies and no will is found. The castle is owned by a generous and wealthy musician, who played percussion in several heavy metal bands. His chef is happily serving all the volunteers lusciously described Italian dishes. A holiday mystery, Jay to the World, is due out in October. The Meg Langslow mysteries are a comfort read for me, in print or on audio. The first book is Murder With Peacocks, but you can really start anywhere.

Brenda

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee by Donna Andrews

Every fall, I look for the latest cozy holiday mystery by Andrews. They are always a delight to read, or to listen to. Meg Langslow and her husband Michael have a very large extended family. Her mother decorates Meg and Michael’s large house to the utmost every Christmas, and someone in the family is usually involved in a Christmas production. Michael often does a one-man Christmas Carol and twins Josh and Jamie, now about 13, have appeared in many Christmas pageants. Meg herself often organizes holiday events in their town of Caerphilly, Virginia, where downtown traffic slows to a crawl as visitors enjoy the holiday decorations and carolers.

This mystery is largely set at the luxurious Caerphilly Inn, where a relative is hosting the Presumed Innocent conference, with presenters giving information on how to exonerate wrongly convicted people. Meg and Michael have a very pregnant relative staying with them, tended to by herbalist cousin Rose Noire, and Meg’s dad, Dr. Langslow. Meg, with the assistance of relatives and town residents, is a skilled amateur sleuth, and is soon asked to investigate the death of someone involved with the conference. While not as funny as some of her other holiday mysteries, Josh and Jamie, along with their friend Adam, provide comic relief as they help Meg and Chief Burke by attempting to exit the Inn unseen by security cameras. Meg and Michael’s family continue to charm, as does the town of Caerphilly. More, please! Earlier holiday mysteries include Duck the Halls, The Nightingale Before Christmas, Owl be Home for Christmas, and several more. Enjoy!

Brenda