Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews is a cozy mystery set in a small town in Virginia and featured Meg Laslow. Meg is a wife and mother and works part-time for the city of Caerphilly, mostly, it seemed like, trying to calm people who were upset abut one thing or another. She tended to her hummingbird feeders and was generally available to people who needed her. One day she agreed to help try to find an old cemetery out in the sticks. It was a black cemetery so the chance of finding any markers was almost nil. She drug along her grandmother and that silly woman who was to write a profile on her grandmother for Sweet Tea and Sassafras, Britni, who was the picture of boredom most of the time, especially was she was interviewing her subject. They found the cemetery but also another body. This was a newer one, one of the NIMBYs (Not In My Back Yard), a group of folks who had built McMansions right in the middle of farm land and then complained. Well, wasn’t that interesting. It turns out this was also the place many drug deals, mostly from the neighboring county, took place, also.

It was a complicated story, mostly with the trivia of daily life amongst the characters, natives, and NIMBYs, both. Edgar, one of the farmers, was missing, too. His bee hives had all been poisoned. They had been the bane of the NIMBYs existence. Was it related? They tackled several problems at once: the murder, the bee hives, finding Edgar, and sending Britni home. She was turning out to be nothing more than a huge bore and her magazine was tripe. Meg was peripherally involved with all of it, often doing no more than observing and listening. Some of the characters where intriguing, many were not. The mystery was decent, but there might have been too may characters. This is the first of the series I have read so I probably would have gotten to know more of them if I had read earlier books. It was an entertaining enough read, but nothing spectacular. But, what a great title!

Bernadette Dunn was the performer for the audiobook and she turned me off from the beginning. She sounded too old to be Meg, for one. Also, she created odd voices for some of the characters, which always turns me off. The book was better in written form than in audio.

I was invited to listen to a free audio of Birder She Wrote by MacMillan Audio and a free e-ARC by St Martin’s Press, both through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #StMartinsPress #DonnaAndrews #BernadetteDunn #BirderSheWrote

Ever since discovering this series a few years ago my Mom always made sure to pick up the two releases immediately each year that Donna comes out with (usually a "regular" one and then a Christmas themed one) which meant I got to mooch off of it & read along too. Now it's up to me to keep it goin' & you bet I will!

Yes, this is book 33 in the series but you do not need to read the others to be able to enjoy this in my opinion (but I do rec. others just because its a good time).

What I enjoyed about not only this one, but any of the ones I've read in this series is:
- the mystery is solid (with red herrings thrown in along the way)
- there's other side stories going on to add even more to the book
- the main characters are chock full of personality and in my opinion unforgettable (my Mother always said Megs mom was "a force to be reckoned with" )- this one didnt showcase them as much as others though
- I always walk away learning something (I find that to be a fun bonus and personally its a huge draw for me) - in here it was about bees and hummingbirds
- The humor! I have yet to pick up one of the Meg Langslow mysteries and not laugh more than once and this one was no exception .

I do wish I got more of the regular cast of characters in here but thats just because I can't get enough of their quirkiness when they're around so it's really just a me thing and a testament to the attachment I have to those characters.

Birder, She Wrote was another solid installment in this long running cozy mystery series and an easy four star for me. I love how much the family and stories have grown throughout the years.

Also if you're an audio lover- Bernadette Dunn (who narrates the audio) bought the story even more to life, as she always does.

Thank you so much to netgalley, macmillon audio and minotaur books for the advanced audio copy to honestly read/listen to and honestly review.

Now to begin the countdown for the next Christmas one!

https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/293690

I reviewed an audiobook of this title from #NetGalley.
Birder, She Wrote
A Meg Langslow Mystery
by Donna Andrews
Narrated by Bernadette Dunne
I appreciate Macmillan Audio allowing me to preview the book in exchange for my honest review.

I like the Meg Langslow series, as it provides a set of amusing and often humorous characters and is a good cozy mystery series. This is a decent outing for Meg and her Grandmother Cordelia, and focuses on bees instead of the usual birds. I would not say it is one of the strongest narratives or murder plots, but certainly a way to while away a few afternoons at the beach.

I did not like the audiobook narration; the narrator tried to use different voices for each character, a format I don't care for, and in this case, extremely unsuccessful. Meg does not sound like a woman her age or a person from Virginia, for that matter. She and her father also sound exactly alike. It was confusing at worst and distracting at best, and I will read the novel in print at some point to see what I missed.

I recommend the book, especially for fans, but not the audiobook.

#CozyMystery #Macmillan #NetGalley #Bees #Mystery #MegLangslow #Virginia

3.5 Stars.

This was my first book by this author. I'll admit that with the number of characters, I had a hard time keeping up with who was who. It did seem kind of slow at times and I had kind of a hard time getting into it, but I enjoyed Meg's participation in solving the murder. Her character is very clever.

I listened to the audio version of this book narrated by Bernadette Dunne. Her voice was perfect for this type of book and she did an amazing job.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my copy of Birder, She Wrote by Donna Andrews Narrated by Bernadette Dunne in exchange for an honest review. It publishes August 1, 2023.
First off, as usual, Bernadette Dunne does an excellent narration, her voice is Meg, as far as I'm concerned!
Once again, Donna Andrews brings a fun mystery to the table! I really did not see the killer coming, I was thrown off so many times, just the way I like it. I loved learning about bees in this story, and as always, cannot wait for the next installment! Also, any cozy mystery lover would love this as a gift! I know my mom will love these books when I get them for her for Christmas!

I received an audiobook ARC of “Birder, She Wrote” from NetGalley and Macmillan Audio/Minotaur Books in exchange for my review.

First, to review the audio aspect of this book. I appreciated that the recording included a bit of opening and closing music - not required, but a nice touch. The narrator, Bernadette Dunne, did a wonderful job creating distinctive voices for the many characters, making things easy to follow. I have read most of the earlier books in the series, and I was almost confused by Ms. Dunne's slightly gravelly voice for Meg. This choice made Meg seem older than I felt she was (she is a mother of twin boys and a blacksmith, full of energy). I brought some of that energy back by listening at 1.25 times the recorded speed.

I have always enjoy Ms. Andrew's mysteries, Starting with the clever animal related puns in her book titles, she provides interesting, twisty plots full of the eccentric small town characters of Caerphilly, with its various clans and its small college. I felt this particular story lacked some of that small town energy and humor. I missed reading as much about Meg's family (those clever little boys!), though this story did include many of her adult relatives.

I admit I wasn't as invested in this story as some of her others. I wasn't as engaged by reading about a neighborhood brouhaha that could have happened right down the street from me. I have to wonder if I would have felt differently if I had read the story in print. I am an audiobook fan, but it occurred to me that in print I could have skimmed through bits that weren't as entertaining.

Having said all that, I think this is an enjoyable and slightly amusing entry in the series.

This was my first Meg Langslow mystery, yep, I jumped in on number 32! Having no familiarity with the characters was not a holdup in the least. This was a great standalone cozy mystery!

Meg and her family are back to solving a murder when a body is found while on a hunt for an African American cemetery. Meg’s grandmother, Cordelia, is being shadowed by a reporter that no one is impressed with and then Meg finds evidence that she is blackmailing other people she interviewed in previous months. Now not only does Meg have to get to the bottom of the murder, but the blackmailing plot as well. I listened to Bernadette Dunne as the narrator and enjoyed this wonderful story. Please keep them coming Donna Andrews!

Meg is relaxing when she gets a call from the Mayor. He needs her to smooth things over with the NIMBY’s again (Not In My Back Yard), a group of newcomers that have moved in and built big homes but complain about being next to working farms where there are farm smells and such, but this time they are complaining about the honey bees again. Meanwhile Meg’s grandmother is being followed around by a reporter that is doing a story on her for magazine that they don’t know much about. But when a corpse shows up Meg goes into detective mode, and her relaxation time is gone.
I have always enjoyed these Meg stories and can’t wait for more. The audios are wonderful the narrator is awesome. The suspense and action will hook you and have you reading past your bedtime. Meg and family will become your new best book friends.

3.5, just under 4 stars
I have read one other in this series, and despite this being the 33rd book in the series, it is fine to read as a standalone. I don't feel I missed anything super important not having read 31 of the other books in the series.
It was a fun murder mystery. It centered around a murder victim being found in the woods when Meg and co venture out to try to find an old cemetery. In tow are Meg's grandmother Cordelia and Brittany who is writing an article about Cordelia, a few other people and a few cadaver Pomeranians. It turns out to be the town "weirdo" (Wally the weird).
There were a lot of plausible suspects in this book which I really liked. There were a lot of motives and a lot of suspicion.
The plot was mostly fast paced, with the ending really cranking it up. I never found myself lacking intrigue or having a hard time paying attention. The ending was very exciting.
The narrator was great. She had a pleasant voice and did a good job.

I finished it in one day. Started off slow, didn't know until I finished it that it is part of a series, but was still able to follow the stories. It started to pick up as it went along. All in all it was a good read. I'm bout to put the rest of the series on my TBR list.

Eek what a perfect little cozy mystery! I never thought I'd learn so much about bees and hummingbirds in a novel 🫠

While looking for a lost African American cemetery, then happen upon the body of a man recently murdered.

The characters were delightful and the plot twist kept me captivated and guessing until the end.

My only real negative was the the fact that this is marketed as a standalone. Had I known it was so far into the series, I wouldn't have requested it. There are so many characters and we just kind of jump into them without much of a backstory. I really enjoyed getting to know them, but I think I'd have been more engaged from the very beginning had I read the previous books.

I really loved the writing though, and as soon as I finish this review, I'm going to put the first in the series on hold at my library. :)

I thought the narrator did a great job as well!

Thank you so much for the early copy!

I love this series, and especially the audiobooks! Bernadette Dunne is one of my favorite narrators!
Birder, She Wrote features Meg and her large family again solving crime, this time involving beekeeping. One of the things that I love about this series is Donna Andrews's interesting information about the natural world and the ways humans can learn from and ethically interact with it. In this case, it is bees and hummingbirds! I highly recommend this series, especially the audiobooks, to anyone who loves cozy mysteries and a fresh, funny collection of characters. I can't wait to listen to the next one!

Birder, She Wrote is installment 33 in the Meg Langslow series of cozy mysteries. Previously, I read books one through three and 14. Obviously, I've missed huge chunks of Meg's life. Still, this installment can be read as a standalone.

Several of Meg's family members play a part in the story, to varying degrees, including both her parents, two grandparents, a brother, her partner, and her twin sons. Grandmother Cordelia is a main player in this plot, as she's being interviewed by a magazine reporter who rubs Meg (and others) the wrong way throughout the story.

There are a surprising number of interlacing parts. Andrews does a good job of fleshing out and linking people and their activities. She also injects a great deal of humor, which is always welcome, in my humble opinion.

The entire adventure takes place between Friday, May 5 and Monday, May 8.

While interesting—and definitely important to the plot—there was a bit too much concentration on bees and beekeeping. There's also a fair amount of time spent on hummingbirds, though that makes more sense in relation to the title. In between those two concentrations lies the portrayal of rich interlopers to the community and other bad neighbors.

I'm not a super fan of narrator Bernadette Dunne (especially her performance of Meg's dad's voice), though I gather series devotees are. She has other high-profile narration credits. Maybe I'll appreciate her talents more in another series installment or another book altogether.

All in all, I enjoyed the book enough to both rate it above average and consider going back occasionally to read earlier installments. 3.35⭐

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review. Publication is expected August 1.

A cozy mystery with plenty of suspects. The small-town moral compass has been murdered and Meg Langslow is on the case. It turns out, a lot of the new well to do neighbors are being blackmailed and are all pointing fingers at each other.

I read this book to 50% and it is just too silly to continue. I wanted a cozy mystery but I can't connect to the characters at all. Perhaps it was the narrator!!

As always Donna provides a fun story that Meg helps to solve. In this #33 of the series Meg investigates bees, murder, humming birds and southern life style. I use her books for breaks between heavier topics and they never fail.

This is my first book by the author, and it was such a captivating cozy mystery read. It was a fun whodunit with fascinating insights into bees and hummingbirds. The characters and clever plot twists kept me engaged until the very end.

The narrator, Bernadette Dunne, did a wonderful job using a variety of tones and inflections of many of the townspeople and neighbors. It was such a delightful listen!

This book is a delightful blend of lightheartedness and suspense, making it a must-read for cozy mystery fans and anyone interested in the world of birds and bees.

Full Disclosure, this is the first Meg Langslow book I have read, so I am not sure how this book compares to the previous ones. That being said I thought this audiobook was an easy and fun listen. The narrator was nice to listen to and it was a generally fun story. It kind of reminds me of the childhood mystery books I read growing up, just with the characters being mainly adult now. I am also a bird nerd, so the talks about the hummingbirds was interesting and cute. Plus I also have bees of my own so listening to the bee talk was great.

That being said, if you are looking for something with deep dark thoughts, or edge of your seat thrills, this is not your book. But if you are looking for an interesting fun mystery you and the family can listen to on a long drive, this is a winner.

“But I knew even the best investigators sometimes came up against a criminal who was smart enough, or lucky enough, to get away with murder.”

Hummingbirds, honey bees, blackmail, and murder are all swarming around Meg Langslow and the small town of Caerphilly.
I didn’t realize that this was book #33 in the series, so I wasn’t up to date with every single character, but it was easy enough that you could read this as a stand-alone without any issue. With that being said, I am intrigued to start the series from the very beginning. I love how the author focuses on animals, the environment, and is progressive in her writing. Shaming one of the characters about having confederate flag pillows had me rooting for Meg in and of itself.
A quick, fun, interesting cozy mystery with a few red herrings.
The audiobook narrator did a great job at giving each character a unique voice, and kept it engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley who provided me with an audiobook copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All of these thoughts and opinions are my own.