Donna Andrews is among the finest cozy mystery writers I have encountered. Her 33rd book of her Meg Langslow mysteries was most entertaining and a quite amusing addition to the series.

The family is off pursuing other adventures as Meg settles in for a relaxing rest in her new hammock. The phone rings and Meg quickly puts on her assistant-to-the-mayor hat. The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are on the warpath again and this time it's Edgar Bortnick and his bees in their sights. One thing leads to another, a body is found and Meg is on on the case (peripherally, of course). Meanwhile, Meg's grandmother, Cordelia, is dealing with Britni Colleton, a rather less than cordial magazine reporter who is supposed to be crafting an exposé on Cordelia. As fierce protector of her family's interests, Meg decides to do a bit of sleuthing about Britni and her publisher.

So much information is packed into this delightful book. One learns about the challenges of beekeeping, the search for 19th centiry African American graveyards and its inherent challenges, cadaver vs. search and rescue dogs (who knew there was a difference?!), drug trafficking in rural areas, the fine art of blackmail and extortion, and the challenges when the well-to-do city folks settle into their McMansions out in the farm country.

Andrews writes a most engaging story. The cast of characters is rather extensive and their banter - quite fun and amusing. The tension mounts steadily, as each suspect is grilled and evidence procured, until the entire story arrives at a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to each new book in this series and have never been disappointed. Please note: there are many characters which have been fleshed out in earlier books. Yet the reader should not be too far asea if this is their first introduction to this series. If a mystery featuring quirky family dynamics, set with warmth, love, and lots of red herrings in the Virginia countryside appeals to you, then this book is not to be missed.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1250760241
No. of pages: 304

A fun and easy read, missing the normal madcap, hijinks! This one was pretty easy to figure out, but still fun to read about everyone’s antics. Definitely a smaller cast of characters this round, mostly focusing on our MC, but not at all in a bad way.

Donna Andrews is back with another mystery in the Meg Langslow series. Caerphilly has a community of working farms and newcomers, who don't always get along. This time bee's hives seem to be upsetting the newest residents. Unfortunately, when a much disliked resident is murdered, Meg is needed to help get to the bottom of what happened. This is a complex mystery, and Meg is good at figuring things out. The story starts with lots of threads and they were all brought together in a satisfying way. Reading previous books in the series will help with knowing who all the characters are but it isn't absolutely necessary. I enjoy reconnecting with these characters and of course am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Another great book by Donna Andrews in the Meg Lanslow series! Meg and her slightly bizarre family live in Caerphilly, VA and have a small farm. Meg is the designated person to handle complaints by the NIMBY’S (Not-in-my-backyard folks!) who live in the fairly new and ritzy neighborhood of Westlake. They aren’t fans of their neighbor farmers, who were there first, and the pigs, bees, etc that they keep. This book centers around Edgar Bortnick, a beekeeper. After numerous complaints, the bee hives are discovered to have been all killed with insect spray and the hunt is on for the culprit! The Lanslow family are some of my favorite characters, including Meg’s dad and grandmother Cordelia, and as a group they really keep me entertained and laughing! I do highly recommend this series and the latest book in the series (#33 or so?). I received an ARC from Net Galley and write this review voluntarily.

I know most people love Donna Andrews books but I just couldn't get into this one,. i found the style of writing not what i like and the plot seemed not coherent. I could be all wrong but I only got half way and quit reading.

Donna Andrews has never disappointed me and Birder, She Wrote is definitely no exception. All the usual characters and twists and turns are here. A delight!

Another great cozy mystery from Donna Andrews. In this one, Meg is dealing with all kinds of annoyances -- particularly the wealthy newcomers who want to change everything in their little rural town. While on a tour of an historic African American cemetery, she finds a body, and begins the investigation -- one full of the usual surprises and twists. I look forward to recommending this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this ARC with me. This is part of a series, but I have not read the others. It worked just fine as a stand alone. It was nice that the characters were fully developed. I found all the information about bees and bee keeping, hummingbirds and scent dogs very interesting. Seems like that little town would be an interesting place to live. I would read more by this author.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me this advance copy in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

# 33 in the series. I really have enjoyed this series in the past, and this one is no exception. There's beekeeping in the forefront of this story, and the reactions of the new residents. Perhaps one of these extreme reactions to the bees (or insects as they call them) leads to murder. Murder of bees? Murder of a person? And where has the beekeeper gotten to? Meg finds herself in the middle of things. And what of thew reporter who wants to do a feature on Carlotta? Is she for real, or does she have a motive?

All of these books are well written and have an engaging story line. This one is no exception. As the stories progress, we see the aging of the twins, and the continued relationship between the characters. The series makes me laugh at times, and certainly keeps my attention. They are certainly hard to put down, and this one grabbed me from the onset. There's a bit about bees and queens and hives, which added to the overall story. A solid story with a good mystery. I think readers will enjoy this new addition to the series.

Meg is relaxing in her hammock but that relaxation is not going to last long. First there is a bully hummingbird chasing all the other hummingbirds away from the feeder, then her dad arrives with the bees for their new beehive but minus Edgar, the bee expert, who was going to help him install the new hive. After the bees are in their new hive it is off to the woods to search for a lost, historic black graveyard and, being Meg, along with the graveyard they discover a dead man. The dead man is one of the newer residents of Caerphilly who is always complaining about everything to do with living in the country especially the beehives at the missing Edgar’s farm. Add in destroyed beehives, dead bees and blackmail and it is just another day in Meg’s hectic life.
The thirty-third entry in this series is just as fresh and entertaining as the first was. Meg’s large family and circle of friends are as eccentric as ever and the herd of Pomeranians learning to be search and rescue or cadaver dogs is delightful. The mystery is not too hard to solve but not too easy either. I really enjoy this series and cannot wait for the next one. Highly recommended

Another great cozy mystery in this series!

Meg is kept busy by dealing with the NIMBYs complaints about aggressive bees, Cordelia is being interviewed by an unlikeable reporter for a questionable magazine, and two citizens are missing! It all turns out mostly well in the end, but not without twists and turns and lots of input from the town's characters.

Reading this series is like going home - I love the characters, and the mystery is good enough to keep me guessing until the end

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Meg has her day all planned. The hammock awaits and a tall, cool glass of something is already poured. Then a friend calls and wants her to go with him to explore an abandoned cemetery in a very remote location. They do find the cemetery - they also find an unwelcome surprise, a dead body. Who? What happened? It is up to the local law enforcement, and Meg of course, to suss out what really happened.

There is a fussy resident of the community, Walter, whose house abuts the neighboring farm. That farmer, Edgar, happens to be a beekeeper, and Walter and his citified neighbors all agree - NIMBY. Dissension erupts and Meg is appointed to be the peacemaker amongst all the factions. Then Walter ends up dead. Accidental death by bee sting, or deliberate murder? Incidentally, Meg and her family are new beekeepers, so they also have a learning curve. Grandma Cordelia is back in town, tailed by a reporter who wants her life story for a little-known Southern magazine.

As Meg traverses Caerphilly County and explores the sometimes painful clash between rural residents and incoming city residents, the scene is set for a murder. Why was Walter killed? Is the reporter really a reporter, or is there something nefarious going on. Read the latest installment and find out.

Birder, she wrote drew me in with a glorious pun of a title and held me captive with an entertaining story .

This adventure is apparently part of a series and fairly far into the series at that but reads well as a stand-alone so mystery lovers with a sense of humor should feel free dive on in.

I will definitely be reading more by this author .

Donna Andrews has done it again. Another excellent installment in the Meg Lanslow series. This latest book is more serious in the writing and setting than some of her previous books and I enjoyed it greatly. While technically a cozy mystery, I think this series would also be enjoyed by procedural readers (as long as they don't prefer books that are significantly gritty). I will definitely recommend this book.

Meg is busy with growing boys, family and her father setting up beehives when her grandmother agrees to be profiled by a journalist. With her a body is discovered, a beekeeper is found injured and new town residents are causing trouble. As always, a great read.

As always, Meg and the gang do not disappoint. Looking for an old graveyard Meg and others come upon a body. Of course the young magazine writer is an obvious suspect, to me if not to everyone else! I just love these characters . Although the fact that Spike is still alive stretches credibility.

I received an Advanced Reader copy from Netgalley. I have read and enjoyed other books by Donna Andrews. This is part of a series. I remembered some of the characters and was trying to piece together the relationships again. In the first chapter Meg reveals that she helps the mayor with special assignments. She is in close contact with the police. Her extended family seems to be related to many townspeople. The Westlake neighborhood is covered in security cameras. How sad that they feel the need to capture the actions of the neighborhood. Bee keeping is a key component. The detail given about hives and bees is well researched. I enjoyed Birder, She Wrote and will read more of Donna Andrews novels.

Donna Andrews is still going strong THIRTY THREE books into her Meg Langslow series. We always buy her for our library, our patrons adore her.

It's so impressive that even 33 books in, Meg's adventures are just as good as ever! Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book so I didn't have to wait any longer to read this installment.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review