Christmas is just a few days away and Meg finds herself hosting a dozen Canadian computer programmers who are working with her brother Rob's company. Most of the visitors are nice people, but the boss Ian Meredith is not. Besides being an unpleasant person, he also has some questionable business practices. His Canadian genealogy website is getting into DNA testing. But he's using the lowest bidder and not maintaining client privacy.

Just as Meg and the other directors are getting ready to terminate the contract with Ian's company, someone bashes him over the head with a hockey stick and kills him. Could one of his dissatisfied clients been angry enough to murder him? What about the murderer whose DNA was matched to the crime scene through a relative's DNA which was wrongly released? There are more possibilities too. Kevin and Casey's true crime podcast has attracted a stalker too.

As Meg tries to entertain her unexpected guests and make room for visiting relatives, a snowstorm is coming which is great for her father's surprise gift of a skating rink but will cause difficulties getting the Canadians home for Christmas.

This was a fun and busy cozy mystery. Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode. It is the 32nd book in the series, but it is not necessary to have read them all to enjoy this story.

Thank you to Net Galley and Minotaur Books for allowing me to review an ARC of this fun Christmas mystery. Earlier this year, I read the author's Round Up the Usual Peacocks, so despite this being 30-something in a long-running series, I was familiar with the protagonist, her large, fun family, and their cozy Virginia town of Caerphilly.
When the story opens, Meg and her family are playing host to a dozen Canadians working on a project for her brother Rob's software company, Mutant Wizards. They're all pleasant house guests with the exception of Ian Meredith, their annoying, slave-driver boss.
The first third of the book deals with family antics, getting ready for Christmas, and figuring out how to evict Ian. The family lawyers have also discovered that his company, AcerGen, has made some critical mistakes with the DNA samples they handle and are being sued by multiple high-profile litigants. The board convenes and votes to terminate the project as soon as possible.
But before they can break the news to AcerGen, Ian is murdered. And of course, Meg does some sleuthing. Luckily, she has a great relationship with local law enforcement and many friends and family members who have her back.
Even though the murder mystery didn't start until the second third of the book, the story still held my interest because of the characters and the writing. And much of the information revealed in that first third of the book was useful in solving the crime.

Dashing Through the Snowbirds by Donna Andrews (Meg Langslow Mystery # 32) 5 stars

It is Christmas in Caerphilly and Meg and her family are hoping for a White Christmas. It should be a most wonderful time of the year unless you work for a Grinch of a boss who insists that you leave Canada and spend the holiday season working on a software application in Caerphilly. Mutant Wizards, the game and software company founded by Meg’s brother Rob is collaborating with a Canadian company on a forensic genealogy/DNA analysis application. The man in charge of the Canadian project is an uncouth boor who makes Meg do a lot of deep yoga breathing. I don’t think any reader would be surprised at who the murder victim is in this book. The suspects are numerous, the motives and opportunity – off the charts. How Meg solves this mystery makes for a jolly good time to be had by all.

I adored this book and it deserves 5 barks in honor of the Pomeranians. The dogs were evident all around this book (Side note: I would be deeply disappointed if there were no dog involvement at all). The victim was unlikeable and I was not sorry he died. The signature Andrews humor/snark was evident and the food descriptions swoon worthy. I eagerly await the audiobook version featuring Bernadette Dunne. I can’t wait for the next book in this series - “Birder, She Wrote” (Aug 2023).

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press/Minotaur Books for this ARC.

The latest Christmas mystery from Donna Andrews is a pleasant read and a welcome return to familiar characters. Probably best for readers who have already read at least some of the books in the series so the relationships make sense. The mystery seemed secondary to everything else happening in the book with Meg doing very little detecting and the answer basically falling into her lap. Still, it's always a pleasure to read about Meg and Michael and all of the Caerphilly gang. I received an ARC via #netgalley.

Dashing Through the Snowbirds
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 10/11/22
Author: Donna Andrews
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pages: 304
GR: 4.41

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Minotaur Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Christmas in Caerphilly is wonderful! Unless you’re a Canadian whose inconsiderate boss is forcing you to spend the holiday there, far from family and friends. Meg already has her hands full, trying to make the season festive for the dozen programmers who are staying with her and Michael while working on a rush project with her brother’s software company. When the inconsiderate boss is found murdered, there are too many suspects. Even before their Christmas in exile, his own employees had plenty of motives, and the growing number of people suing the company for faulty DNA analysis and invasion of their genetic privacy include at least one notorious murderer. Can Meg crack the case in time to keep the Yuletide bright?

My Thoughts: I do not read many cozy mystery, mostly thriller or romance novels, but this book has opened me up to a new genre! This is part of a series, no. 32 in the Meg Langslow Mystery. You can read this as a standalone. There is a lot packed and going on in this book, but it just works. I will be going to read some, if not all, the other books in the series. Meg’s family is just fun, enjoyable, and just makes me smile. The structure and pacing of the mystery works very well. I love the small town feel and how the holidays are celebrated, it just reminds you that Christmas is always in your heart. The characters are well developed with depth, they are witty, humorous, mysterious, and just crafted so well. The author’s writing style is complex, funny, creative, and kept me engaged. For most series, when there are 3-5 books, I have no problem enjoying the whole series, but this one has over 30 books, and based on this writing style, I do believe that I would enjoy every book! This book publishes next month and I highly recommend checking out this book and other books in the series!

It's Christmas in Caerphilly! Meg's house is full of not only visiting relatives but Canadian programmers and genealogists working with Mutant Wizards to develop a new system designed to track DNA. Unfortunately the fearless leader of the Canadian contingent is, shall we say... unpopular. When he turns up dead no one is overly upset or even surprised. This list of potential suspects includes pretty much everyone the man had ever met - and a few people he hasn't met.

I absolutely love this series, it's one of my very favorites. There are few authors whose books I can read one after another without getting bored and Andrews is one of them. One thing that's always amazed me about this series is that Meg is always so busy and there are so many people milling about, family, visiting relatives, friends, locals, contractors, zookeepers, etc. and yet I never get lost and I always know exactly who's who. There's always something interesting going on and Meg is right in the thick of things. I especially love how Caerphilly rolls out the carpet for the holidays, decorating everything to the hilt and finding just the perfect place for every stray in town, whether animal or human. Even though the series is now 32 books, it never loses its appeal for me.

If you're a Meg Langslow fan you're definitely going to want to read this book. If you haven't started this series you'll definitely want to add it to your list.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

I love Christmas in Caerphilly with Meg's family. This year the holidays brings some Canadians to town and they are staying with Meg and her very extended family. They are doing some work with her brother's company. Most of the Canadians are perfectly lovely, albeit, homesick during the holidays, that is except the boss. He is the most terrible, horrible boss that has ever been. Meg is ready to kick him out of the house until you can guess what comes next. Meg along with some of her family members are able to solve all and just in time for Christmas. Oh and Meg's dad gives the family a perfect Christmas gift an outdoor skating rink in the backyard. The perfect Christmas gift. This is an enjoyable addition to the Langslow mysteries. I can't want for the next one.

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley. Interesting premise of how DNA is used for a range of items from genealogy to murder. The unethical sharing of information affects the privacy of clients. Two DNA companies are working together on a project. As things start to unravel, a stalker, a disgruntled client, a criminal, and a family that is hosting the Canadian workers are thrown together the week before Christmas. The snow and ice rink play an important role. If you enjoy holiday stories, cozy mysteries, and lots of red herrings, you will enjoy reading Dashing through the Snowbirds.

If you like winter and sleuthing and murder and a lot of suspects and a heroine, you will like this Book. Very entertaining.

I enjoyed this mystery! Time to confess first though - I have not read the series but it has been on my radar for quite some time. So here, in book 32, I jump in! I picked it for title, cover and it sounded fun. Even though new to me, I followed it just fine.

So in this story, we find Meg, family and extended family preparing for Christmas. Just to cause a thorn in the process, Meg is hosting a group of Canadian workers and their boss. It all causes stress and of course someone ends up dead. No spoiler, it's a murder mystery!

I enjoyed the location, the information DNA was very interesting as it was thrown in and played a role in it all.

If you're a fan already, you'll love it and if you're new like me, jump in! I may just have to go back and read some previous books!

DAshing Through the Snowbirds
by Donna Andrews
Pub Date: October 11, 2022
Minotaur
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Meg Lanslow #32
Cozy mystery
This is the first book I have read in this series. I chose this book for the loony cover and cozy mystery vibe.
I really liked it. Megan is not that happy spending Christmas in the US, instead of her native Canada. When murders start happening, it gets to be pretty interesting. Can Meg solve the mystery?

4 star

Donna Andrews has written another wonderfully entertaining and highly readable holiday mystery. Meg Langslow is a great character and super sleuth and between her and her quirky interesting family and inevitable guests that inhabit her stories, there is always an enjoyable mystery to be solved. This story includes a group of Canadians who are working with her brother's software company and because of limited places to stay nearby, they are housed at Meg's home with members of her always entertaining family. The Canadians' unlikable boss is murdered and everyone is either a suspect or a detective. I love the author's descriptive and clever narrative and I highly recommend this series to cozy mystery lovers and any one who loves an entertaining story.

I love a good mystery and this one was really good. Meg and her family took in some Canadians who worked for a company out of Canada but they were doing some work with her brother's company. So she felt obliged to help provide a place for these employees while they were here working.

However, she could not put up with the CEO Ian, he was just impossible to get along with. I loved all the characters except Ian. My favorite besides Meg was her Grandfather. He was always developing something and driving other people crazy with it.

I also love a great Christmas story and this one was pretty good. Check it out I think you will enjoy it.

This Christmas Meg Langslow has a house full of Canadians. Rob's company, Mutant Wizards begins to collaborate with a company that provides genealogical information. The idea is to help them expand their DNA testing services. The head of the company is rude and entitled. He demands that his people move to Caerphilly to work at the Mutant Wizard office instead collaborating online. He also failed to realize there wouldn't be any rooms available for his staff ergo the house full of Canadians.
When Ian is found bludgeoned to death, Meg begins her search for who killed him. Was it one of his employees? His father, not wanting to see him ruin the company he worked so hard for? A man who was convicted of murder thanks to the information in their fledgling DNA database?
I was kind of disappointed her previous Christmas book, but this shows she's not lost her touch. I loved the changes happening with Meg and her family. I like that the mystery is well done and that the books still have the subtle humor I've come to love.
#netgalley #DashingThroughTheSnowbirds

This is the 32nd book in Donna Andrews's Meg Langslow Mystery series. It is the first I've read. Coming in late in the series did not affect my ability to follow the story. My only confusion from being a latecomer was figuring out the location of the story. It takes place in Caerphilly. I didn't find out until the second chapter that Meg Langslow's Caerphilly is in Virginia and not Wales.

Rob Langslow, Meg's brother, runs Mutant Wizards, a computer-game company. A Canadian company, AcerGen, has requested that Rob collaborate with them to develop a genetics program that the public and law enforcement can use to trace ancestors.

The story started out a little slow for my tastes, but about one-third of the way in, things picked up. I enjoyed the use of dialog between characters to drive much of the story which is always much more interesting than the alternative of "telling". AcerGen has a number of employees working in Caerphilly on this project. Their varied personalities make for interesting interaction with the Langsglow family.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an hones review.

Christmas is coming, and Meg has a house full of disgruntled Canadians. Their thoughtless boss brought them to Caerphilly to work with the Mutant Wizards crew to put together DNA testing technology for their ancestry/genealogy website. The boss, Ian Meredith, has not only angered his employees, he has made enemies among the residents of Caerphilly. He also has irate customers who have tracked him to Caerphilly. It's no surprise when Ian is found murdered. The question is which of his many foes did him in. To ensure that the killer spends Christmas behind bars, Meg lends a helping hand to the local police to catch the killer before Christmas.

Meg Langslow and her zany family of unsubstantiated size is back for another adventure. There is also a growing menagerie of household pets and barnyard animals that play a role in the story. While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I am getting tired of every other book in the series being set around Christmas. I know that is probably going to be an unpopular opinion, but I'm just not a fan of Christmas. Aside from overabundance of holiday cheer, the story includes a solid mystery with a number of viable suspects. It's always fun to watch Meg single-handedly round up the suspects and hand them off to the police.

long with getting reading for Christmas, Meg Langslow is busy hosting her extended family and members of a Canadian company who has hired her brother’s software company, Mutant Wizards, to help them with a genealogy project. Unfortunately, Meg quickly learns that the genealogy company isn’t all that reliable but before she can do anything about it, the head of the company is murdered. Meg soon finds out that there are plenty of people that wanted Ian dead – will the police find the killer in time to make everyone’s Christmas merry?

“Dashing through the Snowbirds” is the nicely done thirty-second book in Donna Andrews Meg Langslow cozy mystery series. As with the rest of the books in the series, this book is filled with quirky characters – from Meg’s extended family, to the townspeople, to the Canadians – which makes this book a fun book to read. I love Andrews’ books set at Christmas – it is lots of fun to read about her mother’s decorations and her father has a nice surprise in this book, a surprise that also pays a part in the mystery. The mystery itself is well done – with a nice blend of suspense and humor, twists and turns, and plenty of suspects to keep the reader guessing as to who the killer is.

“Dashing through the Snowbirds” is a nicely done cozy mystery.

Meg and Michael begin another Christmas season with a houseful of guests and of course one of them happens to get murdered in their backyard skating rink. I have read all of the Donna Andrews series and this one did not disappoint. I love how characters from previous novels continue to crop up, Clarence and Lucas, and of course Meg's crazy family. The many suspects kept the mystery interesting until the very end.

I have loved all the books that I have read by this author as well as this one. One of my favorite authors.

I love they way you get just enough information on all the characters and all of them are interesting.

This is a delightful Christmas book, and an excellent complex mystery! When the Mutant Wizards contract with a Canadian forensic genealogy/DNA research company to upgrade their software, Megan ends up hosting a dozen Canadian programmers and their obnoxious, offensive boss, Ian. As Christmas preparations proceed, Meg realizes that Ian has taken his company into a dangerous direction of fraudulent activities and cut-rate laboratories. Soon, Meg and her family and the Canadian programmers are thrust into a murder investigation with too many suspects! This is a well written novel, with both complex characters and a riveting, extremely timely plot! Donna Andrews has a way of creating memorable characters that is just wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and it is a great addition to the series. Looking forward to reading more! Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the Advanced copy of the book.