"Round Up the Usual Peacocks" is the thirty-first book in Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow Mystery series. The first time we met Meg, she was juggling murder with wedding duties in "Murder With Peacocks". In "Round Up the Usual Peacocks", She is once again juggling murders and wedding duties. This time, the wedding is that of Rob, Meg's brother to Delaney. Rob and Delaney have given Rob's mother full reign to plan the wedding. What only a few people know is that Rob and Delaney eloped months ago. His mom isn’t one of them. Kevin, Meg's tech specialist nephew who has turned her basement into his command center, gives Meg a break from wedding chores. He has started a true crime podcast called Virginia Crime Time with his friend Casey. Someone attempts to kill Casey. Kevin thinks it has something to do with one of three cold cases they featured on the podcast. While Kevin can make the internet give up its secrets, he isn't that good with people. That's where he needs Meg's help.

The Meg Langslow Mystery series has a large cast of characters. Most have been with the series since the beginning. Others, like Meg's paternal grandparents, are recent additions. One of the cold cases made me think of a murder that happened on the West Coast. I love this series. I feel like I'm revisiting old friends every time I read a book from this series.

A fun, laugh out loud mystery. Meg takes on 3 unsolved mysteries in order to escape planning for her brother's upcoming wedding. Full of family drama, energy, and a fast-moving plot, this book continues to be as enjoyable as her previous ones.

I could not finish this book but what I read was good.


I received a complimentary copy of the book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I really enjoyed this installment of the Meg Lanslow series. In this one, she is trying to help organize a wedding and her peacocks are molting so she has to get some peacocks from a neighboring peacock farmer. To add to the confusion, a murder takes place and Meg steps in to help solve it. I thought the characters were very believable and thought the writing was well done and humorous. I want to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for giving me an e-copy of this book, in return for an honest review.

Meg’s house is often mistaken for a refuge, hideaway, place to rehearse, place to crash or move in. She has to carry her planner with her just to know where she’s supposed to be and when.

Things are particularly hectic now that her brother is getting married. Mother of the groom has huge plans for the wedding; she’s been given carte blanche as long as the bride and groom don’t have to lift a finger, a rash decision on their part, and those plans just keep on growing. Meg is the recipient of many of the details that need to be done.

The resident peacocks are molting and look like giant, naked chickens. One of Meg’s many errands is to fetch fully feathered peacocks to wander thru the yard, showing their plumage at the reception. Meg is the designated driver for the birds, who, as it turns out, do not like riding in the truck.

Kevin, Meg’s cousin, has been living in the basement, surrounded by computers. He works for Meg’s brother who has a gaming company. In Kevin’s spare time, he and a friend have created a podcast about cold case crimes. Now someone has tried to run over his friend. Twice. Kevin asked for Meg’s help in finding out why and how to prevent it happening again. Meg, given the choice of being the Caretaker of All Details for the wedding or helping Kevin, opts for Kevin. There were three recent cases they’d talked about and Kevin thinks one of them prompted a killer to want the podcast shut down, permanently.

Meg’s life is chaos, but she has plenty of help on hand and would be lost without constant to-do’s but she does dream of lazy time spent in the hammock. In addition to the sheep and peacocks, Spike, the Evil One (a terrier) makes an appearance to do what he does best. Ditto the Pomeranians who are being tutored to become Sheep Dogs in Training by the neighbor’s herding dog. For another great mystery, full of humor as well, this is the series to read.

This is book thirty-one in the series. Look for Birder She Wrote in August, Dashing Through the Snowbirds in September, Let it Crow, Let it Crow, Let if Crow in October.

Round Up the Usual Peacocks by Donna Andrew’s is a quirky, sometimes silly mystery. It is a fun, light read. People and peacocks provide hilarious entertainment while a murder is being solved and a wedding prepared.

I have voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this title given to me via NetGalley. I really enjoyed this book. It was really well written and it just had you trying to solve the mystery. I look forward to seeing what’s next from this author.

t's wedding season in Caerphilly. Rob and Delany's mothers are planning an extravaganza and, as long as they're not asked to do more than show up for it, the couple is happy to let them do whatever they want. Unfortunately, that means Meg has found herself roped into handling a thousand small but annoying details. Such as finding replacement peacocks for the wedding reception given the family's flock has all decided to molt at a very inconvenient time. Meg's reminder that peacocks are not friendly, and have atrocious bathroom habits, goes unheard against the undeniable argument that they're very pretty birds.
Under normal circumstances, Meg wouldn't consider attempted murder to be a good thing, so this may be a first. Her cousin, Kevin, and his friend, Casey, have started a podcast focusing on cold cases in Virginia. Mostly they just look up whatever information is online and summarize it for their listeners. Given it's all public information, neither of them really worried about repercussions. But then someone tried to run Casey down. Perhaps someone out there prefers to keep one of the cases very cold. And while the police have been politely professional about it, Kevin and Casey can't help but think the matter is more urgent. Hence their need for Meg, who just happens to have a penchant for speaking to people, in person, and dealing with social situations, things Kevin and Casey consider nigh impossible to do themselves.

There are a lot of cases but Meg is able to narrow it to a couple of most likely suspects. The first is a convenience store robbery in neighboring Clay County where the clerk was killed. This doesn't technically fit the definition of a cold case as the suspect confessed and went to jail. But Clay County is notoriously corrupt, and if the suspect was covering for someone else, that somebody would definitely not like anyone digging into pesky details. Especially since the suspect has recently been released on parole and has made it clear he wants nothing to do with Clay County.

The second case concerned a cheating scandal at Caerphilly College. It's an old scandal, where all the cheaters were expelled and the matter declared closed, but Kevin and Casey didn't like some of the loose ends, such as one of the professors committing suicide soon after. And it's no stretch of the imagination to believe the Business School wouldn't like having a scandal brought back to life after all this time.

And lastly, there's the case of a young musician who disappeared twenty years before. There's no real proof this is even related to a crime, but it took place in Charlottesville, which is where the replacement peacocks are living, so Meg figures there's no reason not to ask around while she's there.

So using the excuse of trying to protect Kevin and Casey's lives to full advantage, Meg manages to clear a large number of wedding details off her list, only to replace them with an equal number of tasks related to three cold cases, the details of which, don't add up. The longer Meg investigates, the more she wonders if any justice was actually served.

And the more she investigates, the more somebody or somebodies takes notice. Because even if only one of them tried to run down Casey, there are a lot of people that desperately want the past to stay buried.

ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS is the thirty-first book in the “Meg Langslow” cozy mystery series by Donna Andrews. This book has some of my favorite things. I adore this series and some of the situations and supporting characters make me chuckle. I also love true crime stories, and in ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS, solving a cold case becomes crucial to figuring out a more recent crime. Meg’s nephew Kevin is involved in putting together a true crime podcast with his buddy. When that friend seems to be targeted by some shadowy villains, he asks Meg to investigate. Of course she can’t refuse.

For a mystery fan, this story is amazeballs. Not only are there several cold cases for readers to chew on, but Meg must determine if what Kevin’s friend thinks is happening, is really happening. Are there bad guys out to get him, or is it just bad luck? Do the strange occurrences have to do with any of the podcast episodes or is something else provoking somebody to action. It’s a mystery-palooza. With each case Meg looks into, I became engrossed, like the true crime junkie I am. Some of the cases are tragic and some are just compelling. As the story progresses, you can’t help but wonder if any of the cases are connected in some way. Things start out with the illusion of relative safety as Meg listens to background on each case and looks up some information online. As she digs deeper into the lives of the assorted victims and suspects, the danger inevitably ratchets up a few notches. I liked Meg taking her grumpy dog Spike on a late-night sleuthing mission. The support, big or small, Meg gets from her family acts as a nice contrast to the thrills and chills in ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS.

ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS has a multitude of puzzles for mystery fans to pore over. As a fan of this series since the first peacock-themed book, it’s nice to revisit those birds and their shenanigans. Once again, Donna Andrews somehow balances the humor with the seriousness and sense of danger to make a deeply satisfying story. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of these new supporting characters turn up in future mysteries. I can’t wait to read about Meg’s next adventure!

Thank you Donna Andrews for another book in the series. This story has a humorous mystery and enjoyable characters. Happy Reading!

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

"Round Up the Usual Peacocks" by Donna Andrews is a mystery novel that brings the reader on a fun and thrilling adventure with Meg Langslow, the blacksmith-turned-detective. The story begins with Kevin, Meg's cyber-savvy nephew, coming to her for help with a problem. He's become involved in a true-crime podcast and thinks someone is trying to kill one of the team members.

Meg is tasked with finding out who is behind the attempted murder, all while she is also busy preparing for her brother Rob's wedding. She must search for surviving suspects from local cold cases and figure out if they have a motive for targeting the podcast team. The case becomes more complex as Meg discovers a connection to a musician who disappeared two decades ago.

Andrews keeps the reader guessing with several possible culprits and the mystery builds with each chapter. The action-packed story is filled with humor, suspense, and lots of family drama, making it a delightful read. "Round Up the Usual Peacocks" is a perfect book for those who love a good mystery with a touch of humor and lots of heart.

I received a free copy from NetGalley. I always enjoy the crazy that is a house full of kids, animals, and guests but I'm always so glad it is Meg's house and not might. Another in this fun series that does not disappoint.

Date is made up. I fell behind on reviews.

Meg Langslow is usually reluctant to be dragged into a mystery, but when nephew Kevin asks her to help find out who may have tried to run down his podcast partner, she jumps at the chance in Round Up The Usual Peacocks. Helping Kevin gives her the chance to get out from under her mother's endless errands preparing for brother Rob's marriage to Delaney, which happens to be taking place at Meg's house.

Kevin and his partner have started a true crime podcast and it appears that one of their episodes may have riled up someone enough to come after them. Meg starts looking into a few of the likeliest episodes that might be responsible including a 26-year-old cheating scandal at Caerphilly College and a singer who disappeared several years ago.

Meg can't entirely escape wedding errands, but when she and Michael's peacocks molt she uses a trip to pick up some more full feathered peacocks as an excuse to do some sleuthing. Michael gives her some Caerphilly college contacts to start asking questions as well.

Andrews always manages to highlight different family members and townspeople in her stories and they are all delightful. This time we get to know Kevin a little better. The usual cast and crew turn up for their by turns helpful and exasperating assistance. Meg manages to goad a perpetrator into a mistake and put her life in danger once again before ultimately saving the day and making sure the wedding goes off without a hitch!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I love this series and this installment did not disappoint. I loved following along on Meg’s investigation for her nephew. There were many twists and turns.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Peacocks just do not understand their role as decorative 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.

I received a review copy of “Round Up the Usual Peacocks” from Donna Andrews, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books. It was a beautiful wedding, and sometimes making people happy is the most important work.

“Round Up the Usual Peacocks” is now available in print, as an e-book, and on audio from independent bookstores, online booksellers, retail stores, public libraries and anywhere you get your books.

Meg is doing everything she can to avoid helping her mother with the over-the-top wedding preps. Her nephew, Kevin, and a friend started a true crime podcast, and Kevin needs Meg's help. Meg leaps at the chance. Someone is after Kevin and Casey, but who? And which podcast is responsible? Kevin, while a computer expert, hates leaving the basement sanctuary, so he appoints Meg to be his feet on the ground. Three local cases get their attention, one being at the local college where Meg's husband teaches.

Wedding preps go on, and Mom needs some non-molting peacocks. Meg locates a flock and hauls them home. These peacocks come equipped with bad attitudes and the ability to escape from whatever enclosure that might surround them. A neighbor's herding dog helps solve the problem and the shepherd goes one step further and teaches a group of fearless Pomeranians to herd those dratted peacocks.

Will Meg and Kevin solve the crime? Will the peacocks ruin the wedding?

I am a big fan of Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series and this particular entry hints at coming full circle, back to where it began. In the first book of the series, our heroine, Meg is stuck spending her summer as head of planning for not one but three weddings. Her brother Rob's wedding ends in chaos and Rob has been a bachelor throughout 30 books of the series. But now Rob is about to brave another trip down the aisle. While Rob and Meg's mother is planning ever greater pomp and pageantry for the ceremony, Meg gets excused from wedding duty to research three cold cases that may have made her nephew a target for a killer. Meg really got to show off her talents by solving not one, but all three of the cold cases she's assigned. With a little help from her family and friends, Meg manages to survive killer peacocks, dastardly college professors, musicians without talent and her mother's lofty ambitions. I wouldn't start with this book if you are not familiar with the series, but if you are already a fan, then you don't want to miss Round up the Usual Peacocks.

Andrews deserves some kind of award for managing to keep all the different elements of three cases plus the personal shenanigans going on in Meg's life straight enough to make sense, let alone make a highly engaging and memorable plot. I got pulled into the story and could not put it down until the complex web that Andrews was creating was finished.
I was completely unfamiliar with this series before reading this volume, but are they all so full of such big characters? I mean, even the animals have giant, eccentric personalities that I would hate in person but found incredibly entertaining in book form. It made wondering what could possibly happen next a fun game that never matched up with the craziness that Andrews came up with.
I don't think being familiar with previous volumes is necessary to enjoy this one, but I do think that it might help make sense of some of the relationships or maybe just why people react so calmly to all that goes on.
Overall, it's a cozy mystery hyped up on sugar. It's the book equivalent of that that sugar high moment when everything is possible and a great idea.

Happy thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Minotaur Books for the fun mystery!

Peacocks and weddings and some not-so-cold crime…

The Meg Langslow series is one of a very few series that I have to read by myself, because I end up unexpectedly laughing out loud at least a couple of times in every book – and often more than a couple! And in Round Up the Usual Peacocks, author Donna Andrews does, as usual, a wonderful job of weaving together Meg’s offbeat family and friends, their odd assortment of jobs and hobbies, and their even odder collection of animals – including the titular peacocks (who happen to be cranky because they are molting), multiple llamas (also cranky from time to time), several chickens, some Pomeranians…well, you get the idea. And she also manages to work in a murder mystery – or actually, three murder mysteries - along the way.

Meg’s role in all this drama is, as always, as the “sane one”, and in Round Up, she’s sane enough to want to avoid getting roped into the ever-expanding preparations for her brother’s fast approaching wedding. Luckily, her nephew, Kevin, and his friend, Casey, give her an excuse when they confide their fears that the weekly podcast of unsolved cold cases they have been producing may have revived a case that’s not cold at all – and, in fact, may still be pretty hot. Or at least that’s the suspicion when someone tries to run over Casey at 2 am one morning on an otherwise deserted street. Complete with making a U-turn in the middle of the street for a second try when the first try wasn’t successful. (Minor spoiler: the second try fails too…) But the Caerphilly Chief of Police doesn’t seem to be taking the hit-and-run attempt very seriously, so Meg starts checking out the most likely of Kevin and Casey’s cases – thereby avoiding most (but not all) of her wedding related tasks.

Sometimes by the time a series hits its thirty-first title, it can be hard to keep things feeling fresh and entertaining, but Andrews pulls it off, even while she gives a nod back to the very first book in the series, Murder with Peacocks, which also had more than a few peafowl and weddings for Meg to deal with. (Note, however, that you don’t need to have read the previous books in the series to enjoy this one…) All-in-all, Round Up the Usual Peacocks is just a lot of fun, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series. And my thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, and to NetGalley for the review copy.

This is book 31 in the Meg Langslow series and it isn't getting old at all. The series has changed over the years with marriage, children and family but the writing is still crisp and the mysteries are still fun to read. This one is moving into the technology age as someone is trying to kill Kevin's podcast partner about a cold case murder. With the family all in town for the wedding it's chaos and mayhem. I enjoy this series and this one could be read as a stand alone.