Murder with Peacocks – Donna Andrews

Meg Langstow’s in for a dire summer – somehow shanghaied into being not only her best friend’s chief bridesmaid but also her mother’s and her brother’s fiancée’s, the last few months have been a dizzying whirl of demands, and the wedding’s haven’t even started yet. When she returns home to the small Virginian town where she grew up, the only bright spot terminally single Meg can see is the son of the dressmaker. Michael’s tall, dark, handsome… and gay. He’s also the only voice of sanity in Yorktown.
When freak accidents start occurring, Michael’s the first person to accept Meg’s idea that it’s more than coincidence – someone’s trying to knock off members of the bridal parties, and it’s up to Meg (and Michael) to stop them before all of Meg’s careful planning’s ruined.
I so enjoyed Andrews’s first AI mystery (You’ve Got Murder) that I set out to see what else she’d written, and I was not disappointed. I also thoroughly enjoyed this first in an avian-themed murder series. The plot was believable enough, but what sets this apart is the characters - funny and beautifully drawn, it’s Meg’s wacky extended family that are dragging me to the next in the series.
Well, that and the romance, which was sweet and tender. The oddly coincidental interruptions every time Michael tries to tell Meg that he’s… were a little contrived but I was prepared to overlook that, and the payoff when he finally does have an uninterrupted conversation was worth it.
I was reminded of the film 27 Dresses, not only because of the wedding theme but also because of Meg’s ready self-sacrifice, dependability, organization and gumption. If Andrews can keep Meg as interesting throughout the series I’m in for a fun few weeks. – Alex

Cockatiels at Seven – Donna Andrews

The ninth in Andrews' Meg Langley series, Cockatiels at Seven sees our heroine unexpectedly landed with the two-year-old son of an old friend. Karen and Meg used to be close but have drifted, and when Karen fails to return Meg begins to investigate, propelled in perhaps equal parts by concern for her friend and terror that she'll be responsible for Timmy for the rest of her days.
Andrews is adept at weaving mystery and humour together, and this contribution is no exception. Although probably fine as a stand alone, familiarity with Meg, new husband Michael, and her eccentric family add a layer of hilarity and resonance to the novel. I only wish I'd reviewed Cockatiels at Seven closer to the time of reading so I could add more detail. - Alex

Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos – Donna Andrews

Blacksmith Meg Langstow’s allowed herself to participate in Yorktown’s annual civil war reenactment, running a booth with her wares. Usually a fun and light-hearted occasion, the involvement of boyfriend Michael’s overbearing mother has forced an unnaturally rigid constraint on the event – Time Police patrol the ground, handing out fines for anyone possessing or interacting with anachronisms (even when the items, like Meg’s iron nails, aren’t anachronistic at all). While Michael enjoys himself enormously as a Frech soldier, Meg has to hide her stunningly anachronistic, hot pink flamingos (commissioned specially and at a high mark up to compensate for the psychic pain involved in their creation) from Mrs Waterston and the Time Police, derail annoying would-be journalist cousin Wesley, and discover if Roger Benson, the man her brother’s entrusted his carefully-honed computer game concept to, is indeed a crook. When Roger’s found murdered, in Meg’s tent, apparently stabbed with one of her flamingos, and the deputy running the case proves beyond doubt to be an idiot apt to pop suspects in prison for no reason, Meg knows whe has to intervene. Her family, unsurprisingly, are keen to take it in turns to be increasingly likely suspects.
In Flamingos I found the quirkiness and joy that I found in Murder with Peacocks but found missing in its sequel. Series with amateur detectives can stretch the limits of probablility but so far Andrews has managed to make her settings and secondary cast different and extensive enough that she's avoided this pitfall. Not every detail of the central character's romance needs to be discussed, which is pleasant, and Meg's family are still delightful. Most importantly, I like Meg herself, and I think that's the key to my enjoyment of the series overall - she's smart, funny, insightful, confident, capable and talented. I'm giving up on Andrew's other series but embracing this one wholeheartedly. - Alex

You've Got Murder - Donna Andrews

When Turing Hopper first notices that her friend, programmer Zack, hasn't been at work for a few days she's mildly concerned, a worry that becomes more pronounced when Zack doesn't even remotely log in for five days. A little digging reveals a bigger worry - his existence at Universal Library is slowly being erased. Turing enlists the help of her only other friends, secretary Maude and Xeroxist Tim, to work out what's going on at UL. She needs them, because she can't go out and investigate herself - Turing's one of the first (and potentially only sentient) AIPs: an Artificial Intelligence Personality.
The novel alternates third person description with first person narrative from Turing, which not only covers the plot but also contains her musings on the Turing test (she's named for the creator, Alan Turing), and whether she really is sentient or just believes herself to be.
You've Got Murder is the first in what is, so far, a four book series. The intriguing and original protagonist would only be able to take this first installment so far, but Andrews has not only created a great character in Turing but also a vibrant supporting cast and a thrilling storyline. Although I promised myself I'd get straight out of bed this morning, I kept having to read just one more chapter, until I'd finished the book. I won't be reading the next soon, if only because I already have a significant backlog of library books (and the more of these I read the fewer inroads I'm making into my own unread library), but maybe in a month or so I'll look into the sequel, Click Here for Murder. - Alex

Owls Well That Ends Well - Donna Andrews

Meg and Michael have finally found a house they can afford, close to the university where he works, and with space for her iron mongery work. The only hitch is that it belonged to Edwina Sprocket, the hoardiest of hoarders, and a condition of the sale was that they'd sell all the junk, giving a percentage of the profits to her family. The Sprockets are numerous (collectively: a surfeit of Sprockets), and convinced Meg and Michael will rip them off, so they're keeping a close eye on the proceedings.
Enter the biggest rummage sale in Caerphilly history - and Meg's family have decided this is a brilliant opportunity to offload their old junk, so there are any number of Langslowian relations underfoot, with an additional seventeen families setting up stalls. And when Meg's dad, retired physician and polymath, discovers owls in the barn, he becomes president of the newly-formed organisation SPOOR (Stop Poisoning Our Owls and Raptors).
Once again Andrews delights with her extended cast of believably eccentric characters, warm good humour, sardonic asides and involving plot. I can't think of anything I haven't said before about this series, except that it's really very good! Alex

We'll Always Have Parrots - Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow and her now-fiancé Michael are comfortably ensconced in a hotel - if you don't count the fans on the balcony outside their room, that is. Drama professor Michael has a popular role on the schock series Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle and they're attending a con. When Meg finds a parrot in their room and her call to the desk about removal is rebuffed she's not pleased, but then she discovers there really are parrots everywhere. The bigger problem, though, is the aging and temperamental leading lady, Miss Wynncliffe-Jones. When she's found dead, Meg's detecting skills are required once more.
Andrews clearly has a fondness for cons (conventions of like-minded, usually FSF, folk) - the loving attention to detail and amusing bits sprinkled through the book speak of familiarity and affection. And the book in general is light-hearted and amusing. Meg's family make their by now expected appearance, and it's a tribute to her writing that this feels less like a plot device than a welcome addition to the narrative. Part of the charm of this series is the return appearances of favourite characters, and We'll Always Have Parrots doesn't disappoint. I also like the gaps between books, which often include significant off-screen action, rather than continuing each new book from where the last one left off. That's a detail I've been meaning to mention in the series but kept forgetting. - Alex

The Penguin Who Knew Too Much - Donna Andrews

When Caerphilly's small but exotic zoo is forced into bankruptcy, the inhabitants are farmed out to local households. Meg's father being the animal lover he is, somehow the penguins end up in the farmhouse she shares with fiancé Michael - along with an increasing parade of other former zoo residents, brought to her home at her father's suggestion. As the llamas are joined by camels, deer and three hyenas, famed naturalist Montgomery Blake also appears. He's far more irritating in person than on National Geographic specials, but surprisingly it's not his body Meg's father finds while digging a penguin pool in the basement. Meg's only hope is to identify his killer, and him.
This is the most recent Meg Langslow mystery, and you'll be relieved to learn that any more reviews are at least a year away! I have glutted on the series, and hope that in itself is tribute to how much I've enjoyed it. The writing is warm and funny, the characters involving and true, the plots genuine and outrageous, and the whole thing has been a welcome change of pace from the fairly full on reading I've had to do for uni. However, the pace of required reading has now eased up, and I'm ready to tackle some more heavy writing. If you, too, are in need of light distraction, don't go past this series. - Alex

Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon – Donna Andrews

Meg Langslow’s working part-time at her brother’s new business, Mutant Wizards. His board game, Lawyers from Hell, created when he was supposed to be studying for the Bar, has taken off, and the electronic version’s the biggest thing to hit gaming in forever. But it’s not all smooth sailing – fans and spies are trying to uncover the secrets of the latest edition of Lawyers from Hell, the therapists who share Mutant Wizards’ offices aren’t happy, and one of the most annoying employees has just been found dead on an automated mail cart. Even more pressing, Meg and boyfriend Michael can’t find anywhere to live.
This fourth in the Meg Langstow series is as enjoyable as the first and third, and I’m glad I’ve decided to stick with it. The characters are fun, Meg’s strong, determined and funny, and the extended cast are dynamic. The mystery’s original, but it’s the little touches, like pirate variations on the game, that set this apart from other, lesser amateur detective mystery series. I’, a bit behind in my reviewing or I’d come up with more specific example – insert your own superlatives and give the series a try. – Alex

No Nest for the Wicket - Donna Andrews

Caerphilly's been hit by the eXtreme croquet rage, and the grounds near Meg and Michael's rambling farm house are perfect - steep hills, tweisty trees, and freely roaming sheep. It barely surprises Meg when, falling down a small and crumbling cliff edge, she almost lands on a body. The identity of the body, however, does come as a surprise, and in the process of identifying her and discovering why she was murdered, Meg uncovers a Caerphilly secret that lies at the core of the town's identity.
Of course, intertwined with this is more happenings from Meg's convoluted and lovable family, her father's latest obsession (ducks), which leads to the discovery of another body, the return of the Sprockets, the ongoing menace of Spike (the world's nasties small dog), and insights into the realities of small town life. Plus, of course, the sheer ludicrous hilarity of eXtreme croquet (not quite as rugged as Lynn's favourite extreme sport, extreme ironing, but a little more fun). I think I need to read this series spaced further apart, so I can savour each one and thereby write reviews that do it justice, but I know that's just not going to happen - Alex

In Cold Pursuit - Sarah Andrews

Valena Walker has wanted for as long as she can remember to go to Antarctica. Her lifelong devotion is finally paying off – after much hard work, and more than a little wheedling, Valena is doing her geology master’s fieldwork under glaciologist Dr Emmett Vanderzee. But on her arrival at McMurdo base she discovers that Dr Vanderzee has been arrested for murder – the year-old death, formerly believed to be due to altitude sickness, of a journalist and Vanderzee critic. The only way Valena can avoid being returned to the US on the next ship is to turn her talents to investigation, and clear the name of her esteemed supervisor.

I came across Andrews by chance walking along the library shelves, and was interested in the number of hardback volumes in a series I’d not heard of. Apparently *In Cold Pursuit is something of a spinoff from her well known (though not to me) Em Hansen series, about a forensic geologist. Always up for a new twist on forensic science, and interested in learning more about disciplies I know little about, I found the idea intriguing. Sadly the first Hansen novel wasn’t available, so I picked up the first Walker one instead.

Which I sadly found drier than the continent on which it’s set. I didn’t care about Valena, Emmett, the random folk at McMurdo, the project, the journalist or the murderer. In fact, I didn’t even make it past page 50, which, considering the book goes for another three hundred odd pages, is something of a record. Perhaps I just wasn’t in the right head space, or perhaps I got off on the wrong foot with In Cold Pursuit, but whatever the reason I suspect the next Andrews mystery I pick up will be by Donna rather than Sarah. – Alex

Click Here for Murder – Donna Andrews

Turing Hopper, possibly the world’s first sentient Artificial Intelligence Personality, has another murder to solve – that of systems engineer Ray Santiago, found dead in an alley. Ray was hard-working and quiet – his only real interest was in an online role playing game, which surely couldn’t have anything to do with his murder. His laptop’s missing, and if Ray was at all careless with his data, Turing’s consciousness could be in danger.
This second AIP mystery was less satisfying for me that the first – perhaps because the uniqueness of Turing was no longer as fresh. It just all seemed a little to contrived, and the mystery served as a smoke screen for the real plot twist, which was left dangling at the end of the book, a clear hook for the third instalment. I have a particular dislike of this technique, most often seen in SF series, and it did not endear the series to me.
Perhaps I also found Click Here less rewarding because the philosophical and practical issues of silicon sentience were much less present – though there’s some reflection by Turing on the potential growing sentience of a fellow AIP, and a significant component of the underlying plot deals (to some degree) with this aspect of the issue, there’s no substantive recognition this time around. I appreciate that the point of the book is a mystery rather than an ethical exploration of what constitutes personhood, but I found that aspect clearly present last time and was disappointed by its absence. All in all not terrible but far from exceptional. - Alex

Murder With Puffins – Donna Andrews

Some months after the awful events of her mother’s wedding, Meg Langstow and her boyfriend Michael are ready for a short break from her rather excentric extended family. A weekend in her aunt’s well-appointed holiday home on a picturesque, isolated island sound like just the thing, but Meg and Michael didn’t count on a hurricane marooning them on Monhegan, let alone the flock of avid bird watchers keen to see the annual puffin migration. They didn’t anticipate on Meg’s parents having the same idea, or her aunt. And they couldn’t possibly have foreseen the island’s most hated man, semi-talented painter Victor Resnick, being killed. Almost everyone, including Meg’s parents, have a motive, and it once again falls to Meg to save her parents from themselves, even if it takes unmasking a killer to do so.
Although I didn’t enjoy Puffins quite as much as I did the prequel, Murder with Peacocks, this is still a fast-paced, entertaining and enjoyable read. Meg’s complicated, extended family come to the fore once more, quirky and endearing as only eccentrics unrelated to you can be.
Inspired by my enjoyment of the first Meg Langstow mystery I reserved what my library has of the series, and will therefore continue on to the next one before deciding if this, like the *Turing series, would have been better as a stand-alone. – Alex