The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews

Meg has her hands full, not only with her own twins but also Timmy, whose mother joined the army and is now stationed in Germany. So when she wakes up one night to the sounds of animals, she's confused. The only animal they have is her mother-in-law's (now her and Mike's) dog, Spike, and he's with her. When she goes downstairs, she discovers her father, grandfather, brother and the local vet moving animals into her living room. It seems the CORSICANs (Members of the Committee Opposed to the Ruthless Slaughter of Innocent Captive Animals) have broken into the local shelter after the news that the county manager and mayor have decided that it is too expensive to keep up the no-kill policy. This is only one of the most recent controversial decisions made by the new manager and mayor.

Then, the fifth member of the break-in crew turns up dead, some really hard questions have to be asked. Was it one of the many women that this fella was sleeping with? Or something more sinister?

Four stars

This book came out July 19th, 2011

Follows Stork Raving Mad

Followed by Some like It Hawk

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Stork Raving Mad by Donna Andrews

Caerphilly College has no heat anywhere on campus which means that all of the students have been outsourced and Meg and her professor husband's house is a likely spot since it is large and rambling. That includes one student whose final thesis project is interpreting a Spanish play into English and then performing it. The 80-something playwright is discovered to be alive and has even flown over for the event. However, the head of the English Department (which oversees the drama students as well) has shown up with her minion from the President's Office saying that the thesis is unacceptable. Since this isn't the first time she has proved herself to be thoroughly unlikable, it's no surprise that she ends up dead. In fact, the bigger surprise is exactly how many people actually tried to kill her. 

There was a lot going on in this one but I think it is the basis for at least one of the twin's names.

Three stars

This book came out July 6th, 2010

Follows Swan for the Money

Followed The Real Macaw

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Swan for the Money by Donna Andrews

Meg's parents have always been slightly eccentric and often pick up new hobbies (Meg's dad learning lockpicking has come in handy in more than one book). Now her parents are getting into the hobby of raising and showing roses. There's a lot that goes into the practice and a lot of rules around what kind of roses can be entered into competition. Putting together a show can be time consuming and Meg has been roped into being the lead on this particular flower show. She's having problems finding volunteers and it has quite a bit to do with the fact that she is dealing with Mrs. Winkelson. The woman has graciously allowed the show to be on her property. Well... "gracious" might be an exaggeration. The woman has tried to run the show according to her own rigid standards - standards that very much make it likely that she herself will be the winner. None of what she does makes life any easier for Meg. For instance, Mrs. Winkelson called up many of the competitors and told them only black and white roses (the color scheme of her entire property including all animals) will be shown. 

Because Mrs. Winkelson is so universally reviled, it should come as little surprise to the reader that she is the one targeted for murder. This time, Meg is more of an active sleuth rather than just a busybody or being pushed into it by her family. 

An okay story but not one of my favorites in the series. Mrs. Winkelson is kind of fun and I did like the flipping of some of the solution.

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 21st, 2009

Follows Six Geese A-Slaying

Followed by Stork Raving Mad

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Reread July 2023 as Audible audiobook

Six Geese A-Slaying by Donna Andrews

Chosen to lead the local holiday parade (at least, it's the "holiday" now that she's in charge), Meg Langslow is wondering why she accepted. Well, she didn't exactly know that she was going to be in charge of everything. So that's why her house is teeming with most of the town of Caerphilly. Or so it seems. And many animals including donkeys, camels, elephants and more. Everything is chaotic and only made more so by the late appearance of Ralph Doleson who is playing Santa Claus. He is someone whom no one in town actually likes but yet somehow has a coveted role in the parade. He also has the temerity to kick Spike. True, the eight-and-a-half pound dog has a tendency to bite but that doesn't mean that he should be treated that way. It's just too bad that Meg's nephew is the one to find him murdered while in costume.

Regular readers will know who the murderer is pretty quickly but this is still worth reading.

Three and a half stars

This book came out October 28th, 2008

Follows Cockatiels at Seven

Followed by Swan for the Money

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread July 2023 as Audible audiobook

Cockatiels at Seven by Donna Andrews

A woman drops off her two-year-old and then disappears.  Makes sense to me.  Okay, not really, but it's still a good story. Dealing with a child is scary but a great way to move along the character development in this series. We got to see Meg start dating Michael, get married, and now starting to consider whether or not she wants kids. This is a great practice run but a little scary since her friend Karen is no where to be found.

Added to that, Meg discovered that Dr. Blake Montgomery, well-known animal activist and TV personality, is actually her biological grandfather in the last book. Now her dad seems to be running around trying to impress his father: storing birds in the attic, helping snakes shed skins in the basement, and just generally being furtive.

Three and a half stars

This book came out July 8th, 2008

Follows The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

Followed by Six Geese A-Slaying 

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread January 2023 as Audible book

The Penguin Who Knew Too Much by Donna Andrews

Not my favorite in the series but still entertaining.

Meg and Michael have finally gotten to move into their home. Too bad Meg's father is so hell-bent on saving the animals of the Caerphilly zoo since it seems like the owner, Patrick Lanahan, is nowhere to be found. Well, until he turns up in Meg's basement. When her father starts digging a pond for the penguins, he finds the body.

If that's not bad enough, he has told everyone that Meg would be happy to take any animals that they are tired of fostering. Soon her house and barn are filled with wolves, hyenas, lemurs, and more. And Michael seems strangely endeared by the llamas. Add to all of that, Dr. Montgomery is lurking about. He is a big name animal activist who supposedly is in town to help with the zoo or maybe take it over... but it seems like his motives might be a little shadier than what it looks like at first glance.

Three stars

This book came out August 7, 2007

Follows No Nest for the Wicket

Followed by Cockatiels at Seven

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Reread January 2023 as Audible book

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews

This series continues its greatness.  I love that this book centers around extreme croquet.  I know I've played that way (putting wickets up all over and playing around whatever is in the way) but I didn't know anyone else did.

In this book, Meg has to figure out who killed a little-liked historian whose body she stumbles across as they're playing croquet. The lady's head is bashed in and, though the players all deny knowing her, she finds out that more than one is hiding the truth. Michael, Meg's fiance is not one of the people hiding the truth. He readily tells Meg that the woman, Lindsay, was someone he dated before they got together. Meg is incredibly pragmatic and not at all jealous that Michael dated before they met which I adore about her.

The how is fairly obvious but the who and the why have to be deciphered. Once Meg finds out that Lindsay once worked in the local college and was incredibly vindictive about perceived slights, she realizes that motives range from blackmail to revenge in the killing. 

Four stars

This book came out May 8, 2006

Follows Owls Well that Ends Well

Followed by The Penguin who Knew too Much

Borrowed as hard copy from the library

Opinions are my own

Reread September 2022 as audiobook, Reread January 2023 as Audible book

Owls Well That Ends Well by Donna Andrews

I learned more about owls than I think I ever wanted to know.  However, setting up a murder in the midst of a yard sale? I can see it happening.  People are crazy.

Meg and Michael are organizing all of the junk in the house they recently bought. The Sprocket family let it go for a song because the aunt was a hoarder. But the Sprockets are sticking around to make sure they get their cut of the profit (10% of anything that they sell from the house goes back to the family). Then add the family members who have moved in so they can sell their own materials, or buy anything that's available, and the scads of early birds who can't understand why they can't go in early and you've got more people than Meg is really wanting around. She's just glad that two months of cleaning out the house is about to culminate in no more junk. Dreaming of a life of minimalism, she's not excited to find the body of a particularly nasty antiques dealer in a trunk. 

A fun mystery, very typical of the Andrews series. Meg is an incredibly competent, though reluctant sleuth. She is hesitant in this book to share with the police chief the things she learns though that changes in later books.

Four stars

This book came out March 7th, 2006

Follows We'll Always Have Parrots

Followed by No Nest for the Wicket

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread December 2022 as Audible book

We'll Always Have Parrots by Donna Andrews

This is of my favorites in the Meg Langslow series. There is the right amount of crazy antics and we get out of Caerphilly for a bit. We also get to see more about Michael and especially the cult show that he is currently a character on, "Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle."

In this book, Meg is heading off to a convention based around her boyfriend's television series. During the convention, someone lets loose a bunch of parrots and monkeys ('cause the show is set in the jungle) and the QB (Queen, um, Bee) is murdered. Meg has to figure out who, in a seemingly unending list of characters, wanted to kill this aging B-list star since Michael seems like he could be one of the top suspects.

Four stars

This book came out September 6th, 2002

Follows Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Followed by Owls Well that Ends Well

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread December 2022 as Audible book

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon by Donna Andrews

In this book, Meg Langslow is involved with her brother Rob's burgeoning computer game company . He thinks there is something suspicious going on but he's not sure what. Since Meg recently hammered one of her hands, she isn't working her normal job so she's helping out while trying to figure out what is going on. If they could only keep a temp there long enough to answer the phones but they keep getting scared by the buzzard in the lobby and the pranks by the office workers. Then, one of the techies is killed and Meg has to help keep her brother out of jail.

Not my favorite book in the series but still good. The technology, of course, hasn't aged well but the rest of the story is good.

Three stars

This book came out September 6th, 2002

Follows Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Followed by We'll Always have Parrots

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread December 2022 as Audible book

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos by Donna Andrews

Meg is caught up in another murder, this time at a historical reenactment where Michael's mother is in charge. It's already a little tense and then a man no one really liked is found dead. He had stolen software from Tad, seems to be getting ready to steal Rob's new game, and is generally upsetting people. So there is no shortage of suspects.

Andrews is still finding her footing with this book but it is a fun read and we start to see Meg and Michael getting closer as well as dealing with some of the obstacles in their way.

Four stars

This book came out October 12th, 2001

Follows Murder With Puffins 

Followed by Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread May 2022

Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews

The second outing in this series takes place when Meg tries to take a vacation with her new beau... but her family decides to follow along.  When a sudden storm strands everyone on the island and a body is discovered, Meg has to take charge. But the mystery is complicated by the fact that her mother has a complicated history with the victim. And, of course, nobody liked him...

Andrews is building a lovely, cozy series with this book. Characters are starting to be really set in stone and subsequent books only build on this story.

Four stars

This book came out June 15th, 2001

Follows Murder with Peacocks

Followed by Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

Borrowed as hard copy from library

Opinions are my own

Reread May 2022

Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews

I started this series in the middle, something I don't usually do.  And it is a thoroughly wonderful series.  The protagonist, Meg, is a reluctant sleuth, her real avocation being blacksmithing.  Really, she's a blacksmith.  That alone would have kept me reading the series but it's also well-written and entertaining.  Which reminds me... I just re-read the plot for this book and I think I want to read it again.

Meg is remarkably dependable and organized which probably explains why she is the maid of honor in three weddings at the same time. It means she is moving back to her mother's house for the summer to help plan all the weddings. Unfortunately, one of the guests ends up dead. And then, someone seems to be targeting Meg's Dad as the next victim.

Four stars

Followed by Murder with Puffins

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Reread May 2022