Meg Langslow is caught up in politics. When her husband Michael decided to direct Macbeth, he incurred the wrath of English professor Philpotts, who has decided that the version of the play that got printed with Shakespeare’s First Folio was a corrupted version. Because of that, he wrote the definitive version of the Scottish play, but Michael insists on using the version that has been staged for centuries. And it shouldn’t be a problem—the drama department, where Michael works, is separate from the English department. But Philpotts has a lot of pull at the college.

So Michael teamed up with the history department to be able to use college resources for his Macbeth. They agreed, as long as a group of Scottish reenactors could camp out on their land for several weeks and they host a series of lectures for graduate students. But Professor Philpotts decided that the English department should put on their own play, so he reserved the campus theater and dorm rooms for his cast and crew before Michael could get his paperwork in.

And that’s why Meg and Michael’s house and barn are filled with the cast and crew of Macbeth, with a small tent city out in the fields for the Scottish reenactors. And if that’s not enough chaos, there is a documentarian, Damien Goodwin, following all the action, trying to make a film of it. Meg has told him in no uncertain terms that he cannot film their teenaged twin boys, and he respects that, but he is quick to film everything else that is happening, including the discovery of the dead man’s fingers.

Coming up from an old felled log, the dead man’s fingers at first looked like a body had been buried on the Langslow farm. But when her father came to investigate, he discovered that they were actually a type of mushroom. They could breathe easier about there being a dead body there, but there has still been plenty of mischief. One nearby farmer called the police to complain that some of his sheep were missing, Meg and Michael have found vandalism in their home, and apparently someone was using an open flame when the county is under lockdown for the drought.

Michael and the cast spend most of their days in rehearsal, and Meg’s mother has organized a cadre of cousins to help with the meals for entire gang, so Meg can spend her time on all the other organizational details and on forging the perfect creepy dagger for them to use in the play. So she helps return all the kidnapped farm animals, cleans up the vandalism, and when the documentarian wants to screen some of the footage he’s taken, she helps set that up, even has her father bring the town’s popcorn machine for her twins to work.

But as she stands at the back of the room watching the footage Damian has filmed, a collection of embarrassing moments, slips, falls, flubbed lines, and some misdemeanors, Meg knows that this will not end well. When the actress playing Lady Macbeth finally loses her temper and smashes his laptop, they all realize that the show is over. But it’s not until the next morning, when Meg and her cousin Rose Noire find Damian’s body, that she knows his documentary has been cancelled completely.

As Meg helps the police try to figure out who the vandal is, who is setting fires in the woods, who was hiding things in a hollow book in their library, and who killed Damian, she also has to figure out why the lead actress is having such gastrointestinal distress, who left two young geese in their chicken coop, where her latest dagger creation has disappeared to, and how to get rid of the seven adorable Pomeranian puppies before her twins find them and get too attached. And with a host of smart, strong, and talented family members, she will do her best to find all the answers. But will she get there fast enough to avoid getting killed with one of her own creations?

Murder Most Fowl is book 29 in the Meg Langslow series, and it seems like these cozies just get crazier and more chaotic each time. And it’s always up to Meg, with her special set of skills, to bring everyone together and find all the information that ends up cracking the case. And the more mayhem that shows up in these books, frankly, the happier I get. Not everyone can juggle the crazy extended Langslow family with grace and patience, but Meg does it. She can’t do it alone, but she has a wonderful support system, and I just love spending with these people.

I also really appreciate Donna Andrews’ heart for animals. While there are always birds in the title and in the story, there is also a great deal of respect and warmth for all the creatures that fill the pages, except maybe for the rats that showed up in one of Meg’s dreams. But the Langslow family is very friendly toward animals and open towards people of all creed, culture, or characteristic. Andrews specifically writes in a subplot about racism here, but in all her books, there is a feeling of acceptance for all individuals, no matter their quirks or challenges. She doesn’t hit you over the head with her inclusivity. It’s just a quiet affability that makes me feel welcome every time I sit down with one of Andrews’s books. I feel like I could show up there in Caerphilly, VA, and be invited over for dinner and that someone in the Langslow family would be willing and able to help me out, whether I needed a place to stay, a new job, updated décor for my living room, a good book recommendation, or a place to accommodate and feed 200 people with less than four hours’ notice. It’s just that kind of family, and I feel so at home there. It’s why I’m always so happy to come back.

Oh, and they solve crimes.

Egalleys for Murder Most Fowl were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Having read the entire Agatha Raisin series as well as being an ardent viewer of the tv series, I always look forward to a new title. Down the Hatch is representative of the series, except that Agatha seems to be a kinder, gentler version of herself--more reflective and likable than recent iterations. Her relationship with James seems to be rekindled and she is less abrupt in her dealings with her co-workers.

The murder mystery is well done and a nice escape for the reader.

A visit with Agatha is always as welcome as a cup of tea.

Full Disclosure--NetGalley and the publisher provided me with a digital ARC of this book. This is my honest review.

Thank you to Minotaur Books for a gifted copy of Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews. All opinions are my own.

This is a cozy mystery series I have wanted to read for a quite a while. It is book 29 in the Meg Lanslow Mystery series.

Meg is having a busy summer. Her husband is directing a play of Macbeth and many of the actors are staying with them. There are lots of extended family members who are helping to feed the crew. The annoying filmmaker seems to be always under foot until he ends up a corpse.

Meg's family is HUGE. This is one subject that I feel reading the earlier might help with keeping up on who's who in her family. Rose Noire was my favorite character. She is a quirky and fun character who loves animals.

Murder Most Fowl is a fun read. I have not read the earlier books. This one could work as a stand alone but it makes me want to read more in the series. It's full if family, friends, and farm animals.

For anyone who is an Agatha Christie fan...it does have a major spoiler for Murder on the Orient Express. It was honestly a funny comment if you've already read the famous book.

Mystery & Thrillers
Release Date: August 3, 2021

Mystery with a Bard-ian flavour…

And that combination was a hit! I had to double-check the instalment number for this book. Is it really the twenty-ninth story? I read many of the early stories but this is the first I’ve picked up in a while and I’m seriously wondering how it took so long… Witty, characters of all flavours and a story that was murderous and entertaining at the same time…

Meg was back with her family and the many quirky people who make up the town of Caerphilly. These were down to earth people who weren’t sure what to make of the Shakespearean hordes in their midst. Well, other than they didn’t care for them much. When annoying turned deadly, that meant a whole different set of problems and a deadly vibe. This whodunit was so much fun. Other than the dead person of course but from the creepy first scenes to the satisfying ending, it was a treat!

Now to catch up on all I’ve missed!

This is a great entry into the Meg Lanslow series. As always there is lots going on. Oh my gosh Michael and Meg lead a busy life! But I had so much fun checking in with them again and joining in on the crazy production of "The Scottish Play" that Michael is directing. Lots of mayhem ensues. Lots of cute dogs. 5 paws up!!

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Thanks to Netgalley & Minotaur for providing a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Donna Andrews does it again - this is why she's my favorite cozy author (and I really don't even like cozies much, I just like DA). The Caerphilly crew is back, this time amidst a group of Macbeth reenactors. One of the things I like best about Donna Andrews that sets her apart from most cozy authors: the characters change and grow. They do new stuff. They remain essentially the same at their essence (Mother will never NOT be the perfect Martha Stewart-esque tastemaker, and there will always be a lot of Shiffleys doing various work in the town), but they embark on new interests in a way that many characters in long-standing mystery series do not. There's also a thread of kindness that weaves through this series without being cloying or irksome.

Anyway, it's a fun romp, as usual. Andrews' fans will always want to read these, and I handsell the series to plenty of my patrons. The story fades from memory quickly, but so what? There's always another Meg Langslow book on the horizon (thank God!), so there's always more to look forward to (or reread!).

This book is quite cute and fun. I always love reading this series. It is very entertaining and the characters always feel larger than life. It is quite light hearted and does not carry much of a deep foreboding atmosphere. I definitely recommend this book.

Murder Most Fowl is the 29th book in this series! I have not read any of the others, but I think fans of the series or fans of cozy mysteries in general would like it. I did like the quirky characters, but for me the book was a little slow. I feel like there was too much introduction type setup for a book set in a world that there are already 28 other books. I do think I might try to go back and read the first book in the series and see what I think about the pacing and story line, maybe this is the norm for this series. Five stars for the absolutely adorable cover, 3.5 stars for the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Donna Andrews, and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I forgot how much I loved this series until I picked this one up and I wasn't even halfway through before I decided that even though this series is MASSIVE it has to be rolled into my series project because I absolutely love it. Meg Langslow regularly lives in a loosely controlled chaos as it is with her rather eccentric family and her ability to overcommit herself. But when her husband ends up directing a play that results in a whole cast of actors and crew moving into their house AND the history department at the local college throws in a group of Medieval Scottish reenactors camping out on nearby land life pretty much descends into madness.

There are bunch of mysteries rolled into one here. Why is the actress playing Lady MacBeth constantly ill? What is going on in the clearing at night that seems malevolent and who is behind it? Who is responsible for the vandalism around the house? Just what was the filmmaker that no one liked up to? And most importantly, who killed him? Getting all the answers was lots of fun and made for a delightful cozy read. I really enjoy Meg as a main character as she is incredibly capable and smart and she regularly makes me laugh. I really like the side characters and I liked that we saw a bit more of Rose Noire in this one though I would have loved to see more of her grandfather and mother.

This is a series that is easy to jump into essentially where ever you want but I do think the series improves the more books you read as you do get to know the characters a bit more.

There’s no relaxing summer for Meg. Michael is directing Macbeth and the cast has moved into the house, barn, and yard. In addition, the history department has a Scottish reenactment group living next door in her parents’ woods. Days are filled with practices and then teams of relatives making dinner for all interspersed with lectures from the history, English, and drama departments. What Meg doesn’t need is the random acts of vandalism, a sick actress, and 3 mystery witches. Murder is just the icing on the cake.

This is another enjoyable mystery from Donna Andrews. I love this series and can’t wait for the next.

This is one of those very special mystery series that the reader can always depend upon to be a great read. It's always a book I can preorder without knowing a thing about the mystery. To think, 29 books and another one to follow this October.
Meg always has her arms open to welcome any and all - from family, friends, actors, animals, she has room for all of them. This time her house welcomes the cast of Macbeth (curse and all?) and elsewhere there is an encampment full of medieval re-enactors. Of course a killer is part of the package and the list of suspects is not short. The victim is a film maker who stuck his camera into places best left unseen. Lots of people were going to see their closely guarded secrets out there for all to see and judge. When he gets the hook and his film destroyed, Meg and the rest of the gang have to piece things together to unmask the killer.
Every mystery in this series is full of laughter, family, and a well crafted puzzle. Personally I would advise a reader new to the series to start at the beginning but that isn't a problem. Just enjoy your visit to Caerphilly and to hang out with Meg. We will have our next visit with Meg on October 12, 2021 with The Twelve Jays of Christmas. I'm counting the days.
My thanks to the publisher Minotaur and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Langslow family home is once again bursting at the seems, this time with actors who are vying for any available bedroom or open space. Due to ongoing academic politics, the actors participating in the production of Macbeth being organized by Meg's husband Michael, have been forced to find alternate accommodations. When has a Shakespeare production ever gone smoothly, especially with the Langslow clan in charge? In addition to a full house, Meg and the rest of the clan are also contending with vandalism, stolen livestock, trouble making medieval re-enactors who have set up came nearby, an obnoxious filmmaker, and murder. The documentary filmmaker seems to excel at being in the way and rising already high tensions between members of the cast and crew as well as members of the reenactor troupe. After hosting a showing of a rough cut of his film, a film that showed the very worst side of those involved Meg discovers the filmmaker's damaged equipment and footage the next morning. With the help of some vultures, Meg also uncovers the body of the filmmaker and it looks like foul play. The authorities are alerted however Meg can't help but jump in and lend a hand. Suspects abound as many individuals staying in or near the Langslow home had reason to wish the director harm.

Murder Most Fowl is the 29th book in the long standing and beloved Meg Langslow series. While many mystery series can start to feel stale or formulaic after this many additions, that is certainly not the case here. Donna Andrews is the queen of cleverly crafted, entertaining mysteries that are simultaneously light yet satisfying
Each new story in the series is fun and exciting, with a fresh infusion of quirky characters. The real stars of the show however will always be the charmingly neurotic Langslow family who always manage to prove that those you love the most will also be the first to drive you crazy. I highly recommend Murder Most Fowl for those looking for a satisfyingly humorous who dunnit perfect for the summer months. While readers will get the most enjoyment out of the story if they take time to read previous books in the series, Murder Most Fowl also serves as a wonderful introduction to the series.

Damian Goodwin, a documentary filmmaker has been a real pain but murder? Whose secret is so important to them that they don't want it on film? Meg Lanslow, the star of this long running and wonderful series, must want to throw up her hands sometimes but here, as always, she buckles down and sorts through the chaos to figure out who dunnit. Her husband is directing MacBeth, the cast of which is staying at their home. Of course there's drama with the actors (and an actress). There's a troupe of re-enactors who have set up a camp nearby. Is one of them stealing sheep? There's academic politics. AND, best of all, there's Meg's family- her parents, her twins, her cousin Rose, and so on. I'm a fan of this long running series and I'd like to say that this latest is fine a a standalone but I do think it's best enjoyed by those who have read at least one or two of the earlier books. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. I'm eagerly awaiting the next one.

Meg Langslow’s husband Michael is directing a production of Macbeth, so most of the cast and crew are occupying spare bedrooms in their Caerphilly farmhouse. A group of medieval reenactors have also setup a supposedly authentic medieval Scottish military camp nearby. Trouble comes in the form of filmmaker Damien Goodwin who has been filming both groups. Goodwin hosts a showing of some of the footage he’s taken and there's an uproar. The next morning, Meg finds Damien's trailer trashed and all of his electronic devices destroyed. Then some hovering vultures lead Meg into a field where she finds Damian's body.

Although most people were offended by the film footage, who was angry enough to kill Damian? It's a close call for Meg when she finds a salvaged flash drive with Damian's video.

This was another funny entry in the long-running Meg Langslow mystery series. The mixup between Pomeranian geese and dogs was hilarious.

I received a digital ARC from Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided thi

Always love a good adventure with Meg.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book so I didn't have to wait to read it :)

3.5 stars. An enjoyable cozy mystery with plenty of potential suspects.

Meg has a house full of cast and crew for the latest play her husband is staging and a field full of Scottish military camp reenacters. Then there's the drama with the English department, keeping the History department happy (and allies against the English department), and trying to protect her house from vandalism and her sons from the videographer recording everything. When that videographer is killed, there are tons of people around who could have been the murderer.

Overall, I liked this book and I thought that the mystery was fun to solve (can you say that murder is fun?). There was a crazy cast of characters who added extra excitement to the various plots/crimes occurring around the house and property. My biggest frustration with the book was the pacing; the murder didn't occur until about 40% into the story. That introductory part felt a bit long, especially when you consider that this is the 29th book in the series so most of the characters are already established. The final 20% or so was very fast paced and engaging, though.

If you've been a fan of Donna Andrews/the Meg Lanslow series in the past, definitely keep going with this book! If you haven't read any of the books in this series, I think you can still enjoy it as a quick cozy mystery.

Donna Andrews books are always fun, but this one gets 2 thumbs and 10 toes up! The University is putting on "The Play that must not be named" (Macbeth) but not everyone in the department is happy. Neither are the folks that came to live in the Scottish past (in Virginia!) during the run of the show. Murder is the final straw.
"Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble." Will the show go on? Or will the curtain come down before it goes up?

Meg's family rallies to help Michael with his protection of Macbeth that is in rehearsal in Caerphilly. The facilities at Caerphilly College Michael planned to use are not available due to the English department blocking their use. One of the professors is wanting Michael to use what he believes is the most authentic version of Shakespeare's Macbeth - one that the professor wrote. Meg's grandfather allows Michael to use the amphitheater to rehearse the play when Michael can't use the college's theater. Meg's mother organized other family members to help with the care and feeding of the cast and crew staying at Meg and Michael's home. Someone takes the opportunity to vandalize the house since there are people constantly coming in and out of it. Things take a dark turn when a videographer who is filming the behind the scenes of the production is found dead.

The Meg Langslow series has been one of my favorites since I first bought two books in the series at a used bookstore about 2 decades ago. I like how the characters have aged over the course of the series with the exception of Spike. The evil one hasn't seemed to have aged or mellowed at all.

I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher and/or author via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Donna Andrews's newest entry in the Meg Langslow series is a hoot! It's fun to be back around my favorite family of chaos and murder, this time as we get a lesson in Shakespeare. A film maker doing a film on the rehearsal of Michael's new play and all the activities going on at their house films a bit too much, leading to his eventual murder! Never fear though because Chief Burke and Meg will have the crime solved in no time! Andrews allows some other characters to shine in this story with some of the more outspoken characters out of town. The mystery was fantastic and I was pleasantly surprised with the murderer reveal. I cannot wait for her next Christmas mystery due out later this year. For those new to the series, I recommend jumping in whichever book appeals to you and be ready for a wild and humorous ride of murder.

Meg Langslow has a full house this summer. Her husband, Michael, is directing Macbeth, and the majority of the cast and crew are either staying in their large farmhouse or camping on their land. A group of troublemaking medieval reenactors have set up an “authentic” Scottish military camp next door on Meg’s parents farm. And there is also an obnoxious filmmaker staying down the road. The filmmaker, Damien Goodwin, is mainly getting in the way and causing animosity between the theater group, the reenactors, and the members of the drama and history department who are holding lectures in Meg’s massive library. Following a preview of Damien’s film—a film in which he cast everyone in a bad light and proved that a few people had committed some minor crimes—he is found dead in a nearby pasture. His video and computer equipment have also been destroyed along with his footage. The list of suspects is long, and there are a number of other smaller crimes and concerning events taking place in the vicinity—including witchcraft, stolen livestock, vandalism, poisoning, and the ongoing war between the local collages English and Drama departments. After finding Damien’s body, Meg calls in the professionals. She then sets to work helping the local law enforcement catch the murderer.

If you’ve read the rest of the Meg Langslow series, you know what to expect—a humorous mystery in which Meg manages to catch the killer before the police do. There are countless family members popping in and playing roles. Meg’s teenage sons are getting more involved in her crime solving. There is a lot going on in this novel. Multiple smaller crimes take place and are tied in with the murder. There is also a long list of suspects—all of whom have good motive. The identity of the killer kept me guessing until the end. Overall, another funny novel from Donna Andrews and a great addition to the series.