Cozy Mystery Corner discussion

Murder With Peacocks

Meg Lanslow is a successful decorative blacksmith and an exceptional amateur sleuth. Set in Yorktown, Virginia, Donna Andrews’ mystery series has won Agatha, Anthony and Lefty Awards.

Other books in the series are listed at the following link:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/4180...

Featured Series: Meg Langslow by Donna Andrews

Other books in the series are:



Murder With Puffins
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
We'll Always Have Parrots
Owls Well That Ends Well
No Nest for the Wicket
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much
Cockatiels at Seven
Six Geese A-Slaying
Swan for the Money
Stork Raving Mad
The Real Macaw
Some Like It Hawk
Hen of the Baskervilles
Duck the Halls
The Good, the Bad, and the Emus
The Nightingale Before Christmas
Lord of the Wings
Die Like an Eagle
Gone Gull
How the Finch Stole Christmas!
Toucan Keep a Secret
Lark! the Herald Angels Sing
Terns of Endearment
Owl Be Home for Christmas
The Falcon Always Wings Twice
The Gift of the Magpie
Murder Most Fowl
The Twelve Jays of Christmas

ETA: newer releases.

This is a favorite series of mine! I'm up to #23 - Toucan Keep a Secret and was just looking for something to read. 😀


Thanks for the pick, Susan.

This is one of my absolute favorite series. I keep one in my TBR pile all the time.

Great series, but I haven't read one of her books in a while. This might be a good time.

I love this series and just read Some Like It Hawk a month or so ago. Since our entire state is shut down at least until the end of April, I can't make any library runs, so I probably won't be able to read another of Meg's adventures before the end of April :(

I've read the first three in this series and loved them! I'll try to read the fourth book Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon this month.

I love her series. Great for such times. The Real Macaw is next for me. Enjoy everyone. Be well and stay safe.

I have in my TBR pile #17 - The Good, The Bad and the Emus. This series makes me laugh out loud every time!

I finished Toucan Keep a Secret. Fun visit with Meg and crew. And the mystery has an unexpected twist.

Nell wrote: "I finished Toucan Keep a Secret. Fun visit with Meg and crew. And the mystery has an unexpected twist."

I’ve heard so many good things about Andrews’ series. I really must pick one up. Should they be read in order Nell?

I'm a stickler for RIO (reading in order) so my answer is yes. The MCs personal life develops as the series progresses and the books introduce members of her family and community. It might be confusing to figure out who is who if you read out of order. In book one, she is single and living in one town. As the series moves forward, Meg marries, has children and lives in a college town with a cast of local characters added.

On the other hand, the mystery in each book stands alone. I can't recall any entry where the plot depends on something that happened in a previous book.

What do other readers think?

I don't particularly care if I read a series in order and I haven't in this one. However, I can see the benefit is reading the series in order so that you can meet and learn about the different family members and their quirks, the local people and their jobs, hobbies and issues. The problem is I don't think the first book is very good, but the rest of the series is great. If you think the first book is so-so, don't give up on the series.

I really liked the first book, Murder With Peacocks. I discovered this series when it won the Agatha for Best First Novel and several other mystery awards.



Just goes to show you that tastes vary. 😉

Thanks Nell & Emily!
I’ll start with ‘Peacocks’ but read at least to book #3 😄!!

Just finished No Nest for the Wicket. Although funny as usual, I feel exhausted. How does Meg get enough sleep when her family is around - there is always some disruption to keep Meg distracted and tired.

Emily, I know what you mean. I just finished listening to Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, and between her father and her brother, Meg certainly had her hands full. Another humorous visit -- I really like this series!

Although I'm not caught up, this series is one of my favorites. It always makes me grateful that even my oddball family isn't as crazy as Meg's family :)

I am caught up in this series - until August, anyway. This is a fun series, and I enjoy seeing Meg's family grow.

It's nice to find someone who agrees with me - the first is one of the weaker books in the series. It's wacky and fun, by the mystery is lacking. I enjoyed it enough to keep reading, and I'm glad I did.

I'm also a read in order person, and I agree watching the characters' relationships grow is easiest if you read in order. But if you want to jump in anywhere, you can. There is one event that is spoiled if you jump in with the latest books of the series, however.

Mark, I agree with you about Book 1 being weak. It felt corny also and that is one of the reasons why I did not continue with Book 2. But having read how others here have enjoyed this author's other books, I will continue with the series.

I am also one who never jumps out of order as I believe it ruins and confuses the order of events in the series.

I hope you enjoy. I know I'm glad I continued with the series.

🧡🧡🧡 this series. Intelligent mc, supportive spouse, smart storylines. Meg's wacky family is the icing to this cake.

This is my favorite cozy series and I think you should read the books in order because Meg’s life has major event milestones with each book that would be confusing if not read in order. This is one of two series I deliberately hold back on burning thru because I don’t want it to ever end so I keep one of her books always in my TBR pile. Just love them!

Lea wrote: "This is my favorite cozy series and I think you should read the books in order because Meg’s life has major event milestones with each book that would be confusing if not read in order. This is one..."

Oh, I agree, they are really good! I love Meg's aka the author's sense of humor. I was introduced by listening to one (Hen of the Baskervilles) and I quickly decided it would be better to start in order, so I've read the first one, so funny! If anyone ever needs a smile or chuckle, Meg Langslow sure delivers! :)

I agree with those who advise to persevere through the early books. She really hits her humorous stride about 6 books in.
I read them “catch-as-catch-can” .. but someday would like to reread them in order.
I have read the majority of this funny series and recommend it.

I just finished book 5 in the series: We'll Always Have Parrots. I liked it even better than the prior books! This is fast becoming one of my favorite series.

I am so excited for the most recent book to be released. I love her books and actually got my family hooked.

I have three parrots! I'll have to read this series.

I am caught up on this series .. thanks to our public library’s interlibrary loan.
Always a good read including humor.

Nancy wrote: "I am caught up on this series .. thanks to our public library’s interlibrary loan.
Always a good read including humor."

Yay! It is always great to catch up.

I just started this series and I'm happy to see it's so popular with the rest of you. I was desperately needing a new series !

I finished and have no plans to stop. This series is popular that I always have to wait to read the next one from the library.

Hmm maybe I SHOULD add these to my ever increasing TBR list!

I have not yet read any of Donna Andrews's series. However, I have read her short stories in a few of the Cozy Case Files Samplers. I watch for new Cozy Case Files Samplers so I can get a taste of cozy authors I have yet to discover. I guess you can tell I like cozy mysteries because I now have over 10,000 Cozy Mystery eBooks!

Cheryl wrote: "I have not yet read any of Donna Andrews's series. However, I have read her short stories in a few of the Cozy Case Files Samplers. I watch for new Cozy Case Files Samplers so I can ..."

Wowzers!!

Cheryl wrote: "I have not yet read any of Donna Andrews's series. However, I have read her short stories in a few of the Cozy Case...

Wow, Cheryl, obviously I've been a lazy laggard; I'm going to have to work my budget so I can catch up. lol 😂 Seriously, I have some thousand on the Kindle but def way behind you. You go, missy! 😊

Cheryl wrote: "I have not yet read any of Donna Andrews's series. However, I have read her short stories in a few of the Cozy Case Files Samplers. I watch for new Cozy Case Files Samplers ... I now have over 10,000 Cozy Mystery eBooks!"

With too many decades of print cozy and traditional mysteries plus eBooks I don't know how many I have.

Meg wrote: "Cheryl wrote: "I have not yet read any of Donna Andrews's series. However, I have read her short stories in a few of the Cozy Case...

Wow, Cheryl, obviously I've been a lazy laggard..."

Meg, ninety-nine percent are freebies! You can catch quite a few freebies on Fridays. Just get on Amazon, go to the Kindle store with nothing in the big box. After you are in the Kindle store, the next steps are on the left side of the page. Scroll down until you see Department. Under that chose Mystery, Thriller, Suspense. Then go to Mystery and then under that you go to Cozy. Scroll further down to Language, then go to English (or whatever language you wish for the book language. All those settings are on the left. By this time, you will be able to see over to the top right is a drop-down box saying "Sort By:" and you will choose "Low to High." This will give you the list of all cozy books in your language that Kindle carries in order of $0.00 up! If you have any questions; dm me anytime as, being retired, I jump back and forth daily several times!

Okay, you enabler you, my tbr will explode after this! lol. Thanks for the info; I will try it out this Friday.

Another way to find free cozies on Amazon:
Go to a book page
Scroll down to Product details see Best Sellers Rank - click (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
on Top 100 page
Select Top 100 Free above the list of books
On left side select Kindle eBooks -> Mystery, Thriller & Suspense -> Mystery -> Cozy

L J wrote: "Another way to find free cozies on Amazon:
Go to a book page
Scroll down to Product details see Best Sellers Rank - click (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
on Top 100 page
Select Top 100 Free above the..."

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Dadblumit, Nell, I always forget this route. What I wrote was what I first learned! Great post! Thanks! 🤗💖
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I'm reading the 1st book and found myself getting bogged down with the zillon characters . So much activity that it gets confusing.
I'm finding it entertaining but I'm starting to think the book could have been a bit shorter.

I plan to continue the series (if i ever get through this 1st book) but I'm hoping the writing gets less frenetic.

One of the series I really need to start.

Jaye wrote: "I'm reading the 1st book and found myself getting bogged down with the zillon characters . So much activity that it gets confusing.
I'm finding it entertaining but I'm starting to think the book c..."

There is a large cast of characters in the series for sure. I find that the first book is a little weak with so much going on. The next few books are much stronger.

Mark wrote: "Jaye wrote: "I'm reading the 1st book and found myself getting bogged down with the zillon characters . So much activity that it gets confusing.
I'm finding it entertaining but I'm starting to thi..."

Thank you Mark. I'm glad to hear this.
I'm enjoying the book but it's somewhat head spinning with all the characters and events.
I hope , in the next ones, to get more familiar with the main people.

Trees, lights and a Meg Langslow Christmas mystery - 'tis the season! 🎄🎁

I just started Owl Be Home for Christmas - Featuring this series gave me the perfect 'reason' to buy it. 😉

Nell wrote: "Trees, lights and a Meg Lanslow Christmas mystery - 'tis the season! 🎄🎁

I just started Owl Be Home for Christmas - Featuring this series gave me the perfect 'reason' to buy it. 😉

..."

Loved "Trees, lights and a Meg Lanslow Christmas mystery - 'tis the season! 🎄🎁" !

I have #30 on my tbr this month, The Twelve Jays of Christmas. Can't wait to get to it!

Yeah...after listening to the first book, I went ahead and started the second book in the series! I am enjoying this author.

I am reading Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos , book 3 in the series. I have ready the 1st two years ago. It is a well put together series, writing is good. Meg is a strong character. Not sure I will ever catch up to all the books in the series now.

Read Duck the Halls this week and am amazed at the author's creative ways to wreak havoc in Meg's life. (view spoiler)[Skunks let loose in a church the week before Christmas? The whole family showing up at the last minute to a dinner intended for just Meg, Michael and the boys? (hide spoiler)] Just the thought makes me cringe lol Enjoyed the book as expected, and am eager to read the next book to see what happens to Meg et al next.