Round Up the Usual Peacocks (Meg Langslow Series #31) by Donna Andrews
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Web ID: 15058418Peacocks do not understand they are decorations
Peacocks do not understand their role as decorations objects “Round Up the Usual Peacock” is part of the “Meg Langslow Mystery” series, but new readers will easily follow along. Meg and Michael are preparing for her brother’s upcoming wedding reception, and any needed details about people, relationships, and past events are included in the current narrative. Readers meet the extended family and learn the complex interpersonal dynamics. Meg tells the story in a first person narrative driven by driven what people say to her, what she says to others, what she says to herself, and what she says directly to readers. Events occur over just a few days, and Meg has a lot to say about what should happen and what does happen. Her family has a long tradition of owning peacocks, and their role in the upcoming wedding is critical, well, at least an important tradition. The family’s peacocks are molting, and a wedding without peacocks is just unacceptable. Others must be procured. There is a lot to do to prepare for the wedding, but extended family members have various avocations, interests, and jobs in addition to wrangling the hesitant peacocks. Nephew Kevin has a true crime podcast, and he needs help with the research for an upcoming episode. This project stirs up complicated past events that some would have preferred to remain hidden forever. However, there is no statute of limitations on murder, so the investigation continues. Andrews balances the serious murder investigation with the hilarity provided by the peacocks who do not fully understand their roles as “wedding decorations.” In the process, various humans and animals were “wounded,” but no permanent damaged occurred except what resulted from laughing. It was a beautiful wedding, and sometimes making people happy is the most important work.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Will Killers Crash the Wedding of the Century?
Meg’s brother is getting married and their mother is working on turning it into the wedding of the century. However, Meg’s nephew, Kevin, comes to her with a request for help. Kevin and a friend have started a true crime podcast focusing on cold cases, and they think one of their episodes hit too close to home since someone has tried to kill Kevin’s friend. Meg begins investigating the most likely cases. But can she figure out what is going on before the wedding? Longtime fans of this series know this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Meg at weddings involving peacocks. However, this isn’t a retread in any way. And, if you are new to the series, you can jump in here and enjoy the antics. With three cases for Meg to consider, there is plenty to keep her hopping. I was hooked the entire way, even though I suspected where the stories were going. For the record, I was right on some things and wrong on others. The climax was a little weaker than I would have liked, but it was a minor issue. We have the usual large cast of characters, and it was fantastic to spend time with them. There may not be a laugh on every page here, but there are some classic moments that made me laugh. This is a delightful book that will please Meg’s fans old and new.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A Fun Cozy Read
Meg's nephew Kevin has a problem and he hopes she will be able to help him solve it. He and a friend run a true crime podcast that deals with cases that happened in the area. One of their members was almost killed making Kevin believe that one of their podcast might have been the cause. Meg agrees to talk to a few people and to see what she can come up with. So while she is dealing with an upcoming wedding she has to find time to help Kevin with his problem. Meg begins with the surviving suspects from the cases the podcast has done. Is their someone among them trying to keep people quite. Follow along and see if Meg can figure things out before something happens to her nephew.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
A laugh-out-loud mystery!
ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS, the thirty-first book in the Meg Langslow Mysteries by Donna Andrews, continued to capture my attention in the same way as previous books in this highly entertaining series. It’s been a treat following the protagonist, Meg Langslow, over the years. And while this can be read as a standalone, the character development over the course of the series is well worth making your way through each book. With a fast-paced plot centered on cold cases being highlighted by Meg’s nephew’s podcast, the reader is taken for a whirlwind of a ride. The author throws in attacking peacocks, an attempted murder on the co-podcaster, business college shenanigans, past their prime rock musicians, and Meg’s brother’s upcoming wedding nuptials. Despite the frantic pace, Meg keeps her cool and meticulously attends to every detail. With humorous dialog and situations, I found myself chuckling out loud on numerous occasions. The characters themselves are creatively developed and they’ve all taken on a life of their own, including the animals. As Meg delves into the cold cases at her nephew’s behest, it becomes apparent that someone isn’t happy about it. But which cold case is it? It was enjoyable following along with Meg as she hunts down clues and questions potential suspects. With an edge-of-your seat reveal, the clues dropped into place, and the various threads of the subplots came together in a highly satisfying conclusion. I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook version, thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and Minotaur Books. I’ve been a longtime fan of the narrator, Bernadette Dunne, and am thrilled that she’s continued to narrate this series. She effectively captures Meg’s calm demeanor while giving each character individual voice characteristics that are consistent over the course of the series. Listening to the narration really brought certain scenes to life, especially the out-of-control, laugh-out-loud scenes which made it all the more enjoyable.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Humorous mystery with great characters
This is such a great series and I love Meg and her interesting family. I listened to this one on audio and really enjoyed the narrator, Bernadette Dunne. She really captured Meg's personality and the way that she can stay calm in most situations. Each book has some humor and I laughed out loud when they were talking about the peacocks. In this book everyone is busy helping to get things together for the upcoming wedding and Meg is trying to help Kevin with a problem. There were three cold cases that she was looking into so there were many possibilities to the mystery. I enjoyed how the story unfolded and was entertained throughout. Such a great book and a wonderful series. I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
perfect cozy mystery
This is my first Meg Langslow Mystery! I LOVE a good cozy mystery, and I'm utterly shocked it's taken me this long to find this series! I think I would have liked it a lot more if I knew a lot of the sub-plots, backstories and inside jokes. But it was still a wonderful book. I love a good mystery where I don't see the ending coming. It's always a thrill. If you're in the mood for a good cozy mystery with a fantastic ending. This is the book for you!!!
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Mystery with a twist of comic relief!
This is puzzling, intriguing mystery, with a twist of comic relief! Meg and her family are preparing for a big wedding in the family, sometimes with hilarious results. At the same time, her young nephew enlists her aid to investigate three local cold cases he and his friend have used for their true crime podcast, after someone tries to hit his friend with a car. Donna Andrews always creates wonderful, quirky characters that I just love, along with some equally terrifying suspects. This is quite a complex mystery that kept me guessing until the end. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy. It is a great addition to this series.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Family mayhem
I enjoyed this latest tale from Donna Andrews immensely. Meg Langslow is an extraordinary person to put up with all the activities, chores, and living arrangements her vast family spawns. Perhaps husband Michael is even more exceptional to cheerfully live with it all. The entire family is in place to prepare for the wedding of Meg's brother Rob and his intended, Delaney. Meg has been sidetracked (much to her relief) to help out nephew Kevin and his podcast partner Casey when someone tries to run Casey down. Both believe one of their cold case podcasts hit a nerve. Meg is chasing down clues when not engaged in wedding duties and peacock wrangling. When does that woman and her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe get a chance to relax and enjoy some quiet!
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com