Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews

Someone is pranking the churches of Caerphilly. It starts with some skunks at the Chief of Police's church, then there are the ducks at Meg's, and more. Everyone is getting harried but Meg is managing to keep all of the schedules straight. For the most part... But then there's a murder. And, while Meg doesn't officially want to investigate, she does her best to help.

I really enjoyed the light touches of adding the churches into the story. It's a part of day-to-day life and not just sermonizing. I did not enjoy the repetition of facts and ideas. It happened more than once and was fairly annoying.

Three stars

This book came out October 22nd, 2013

Meg Langslow #16

Follows Hen of the Baskervilles

Followed by The Good, the Bad, and the Emus 

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread August 2023, November 2024 as Audible book

Martha Stewart's Organizing by Martha Stewart

This was an okay book with very pretty pictures. Is it revolutionary in the home organization world? No. Is it a little pretentious? Yes. But Stewart often is. There are definitely some good ideas but nothing you couldn't read in another book. If you love Martha Stewart, I think you will enjoy this book. Even if there are suggestions like removing your phone from it's case weekly and spraying it down. How has time for that?

Three stars

This book came out January 7th, 2020

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

An old friend of Charles' calls and asks him to come down to Sedona. They can visit and Charles can look for a horse for Anna. But the visit starts off with a bang when the Charles has to help a dying woman become a werewolf. Her husband's grandfather is the local Alpha and he is less than pleased about the decision because she is witchborn but Charles feels like it is the right decision. The woman had stabbed herself rather than kill her children when she was under some serious fae magic.

It may not be up to Charles and Anna to figure out what is going on but they take it on anyway since they are the only ones around to protect the innocent.  

Three stars

Follows Fair Game

Followed by Burn Bright

This book came out March 3rd, 2015

Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own 

Fair Game by Patricia Briggs

Anna is worried. She fears that Charles's duties to his father, the Alpha of all Alphas, are wearing on his spirit. She knows that their mate bond isn't what it could be. So she appeals to the Marrok for something else for Charles to do. Instead, Bram assigns Anna to help the FBI solve a particularly heinous group of serial killings. Charles goes with Anna as her bodyguard. And it's good because they'll need both of them before the end of the book.

An interesting book that starts off a series of explosions further down the Mercy Thompson series. A little slow in places but overall a nice read.

Three stars

Follows Hunting Ground

Followed by Dead Heat

This book came out

Borrowed as ebook from CloudLibrary

Opinions are my own 

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

Meg Langslow #2

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; As Audible book September 2024

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

Meg Langslow #1

Followed by Murder with Puffins

This book came out February 7th, 2006

Borrowed as audiobook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

Reread May 2022; as Audible book September 2024

Lord of the Wings by Donna Andrews

Meg is back and this time... it's Halloween. And Caerphilly has banded together to put together a holiday festival. Only, there's something deeper going on. First, the break-ins at the haunted house. Then the fake body parts at the zoo. And the bodies that start turning up. Once again, Meg is up to her eyebrows, trying to get her now six-year-old twins ready for Halloween, try to avoid/help the newly hired festival coordinator, and figure out what is once again going on in her small town. 
A very good addition to the Meg Langslow series. Readers definitely won't be disappointed.

Four stars

This book came out August 4, 2015

Meg Langslow #19

Follows The Nightingale Before Christmas

Followed by Die Like an Eagle

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible book October 2022, August 2023, November 2024 as Audible book