This book is another hit in the Meg Langslow series! This book was full of laughs, that was interesting and well written! I just so love Meg, and I’m always looking forward to a new book to release in this wonderful series!! I would highly recommend this book to everyone!M

Meg is as busy as she's ever been when a local neighborhood is swarmed by a flock of wild turkeys. The turkeys have been plaguing Caerphilly for months but they'd been gradually steered to the edge of town before suddenly showing up en masse in the middle of a home renovation show. As the angry homeowner barks orders, Meg, Randall Shiffley, and the chief of police are trying to figure out who got the birds there and how they did it (we never do figure out the how). When the angry homeowner turns up dead, the easier question to answer would be "who didn't want to kill her?" Narrowing down the suspects may be even more difficult than wrangling dozens of wild turkeys!

This is one of my favorite cozy series and one of few that I binge read. I love Meg and Michael and Josh and Jamie and Spike and Rose Noire and Grandfather and all the crazy characters that appear in the story. I think my favorite thing about the series is how they all find their perfect selves in this idyllic little town. Horace started out as this timid man who hid inside a mascot uniform and now he's a renowned forensic scientist (he still has his fears but they're much more relatable). Rose Noire was kind of flighty and no one really appreciated her unique skills, now she's the resident fixer of everything from breakfast to minor health issues (both physical and mental) to gardening. Even Meg started out as a young woman (literally) banging out a life for herself and by just being herself she found love and a new home and great purpose.

This book seemed a bit slow in the middle. The focus was mainly on the turkeys and their efforts to get the turkeys out of town to Grandfather's zoo. The murder was investigated and there were lots of suspects but there weren't really a lot of clues gathered and the woman had so repulsed the entire neighborhood that everyone had a motive, we didn't do a lot of narrowing-down of our suspect list. But then... the last few dozen pages have some big (HUGE) reveals that brought everything together. The ending was so great and so unexpected (for me) I could forgive a bit of drag in the middle.

Meg is a must read for any fan of cozy mysteries and a great starting place for anyone who maybe has never read a cozy and is interested in trying them out. This is not a series that can be read out of order though, there are a bazillion characters and unless the books are read in order I think they would be hard to follow. The characters are introduced gradually and very well-developed so when reading in order it's not at all difficult to keep track of who is who.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

this is a book in a series but can be read as a standalone, Meg tries to keep peace with the neighborhood, as the Smetkamps have won a house make over from Marvelous Makeovers. you will find yourself laughing out loud.

As always. another entertaining outing for Meg Langslow and family in Caerphilly. As the special assistant to the Mayor, Meg is responsible for trouble shooting a variety of citizen complaints. And with the home renovation reality show threatening a neighborhood's place, she's keeping busy. Things just set more complicated when a flock of feral turkeys descend on the neighborhood and the homeowner turns up dead! All in all, pretty standard for Caerphilly!

Meg Langslow's job as assistant for special projects should be renamed assistant for nuts and nuisances. Now she has the thankless task of keeping the crew of Marvelous Mansions and the owners of the house they are renovating in line. Her husband, Michael, invited a fellow drama professor whose house is across the street from the chaos to finish her dissertation in their library. Poor Gloria had to deal with her annoying tenants as well as the noise.
When Meg gets to Bland Street (named for a real person, not a commentary) a turkey lands on her windshield and attacks her wipers. When she can finally see out, she sees a whole FLOCK of turkeys destroying the landscape. How could the feral turkeys come from the other side of the county without anyone noticing?
The emergency allows Meg and Mayor Randall Shiffley to inspect the house under renovation. They find that the film crew has totally ignored the building inspector, the town council, and every tenet of building safety. Randall, who owns a construction company, realizes the danger and immediately declares it unfit for habitation.
The plan is in place for turkey removal, but before it is implemented, Meg finds a body. The victim had shouting matches (on the victim's part mostly) with almost everyone in the vicinity.
Could it be the spouse? Or on of the neighbors? Or Maybe Gloria's creepy tenant?
As always, Meg and friends and family find the culprit, clear out the turkeys and manage to generally save the day.
It is always a pleasure to visit Cairphilly and Meg's eccentric family and the host of fabulous friends,
Maybe we could up the rating to TWENTY stars for this book.

This is one series I truly look forward to in reading. I feel like I’m coming home every time I read one of the books. In this book, a home renovation show has came to Caerphilly. The show is ignoring the plans the town has approved and is trying to do their own thing. The body of one of the show house owners is discovered during a wild animal rescue. Meg quickly finds solves both of the book mysteries. Already looking forward to the Christmas mystery.

Meg is trying to placate the neighbors when the Smetkamps win a home makeover from Marvelous Mansions. All is not going well - even before someone unleashes a flock of wild turkeys in the neighborhood. Of course, mayhem ensures and Meg is soon busy trying to clean up the neighbors yards, soothe the feathers of an irate homeowner and solving a murder. Thankfully she has a full host of friends and relatives willing to lend a hand. Marvelous as always.

I don't know how Donna Andrews manages to come up with so many different and engaging plots but I hope she never runs out. Between a Flock and a Hard Place has the whole family and all the other characters we know and love trying to round up a multitude of feral turkeys that have been let loose in a neighborhood where a disaster of a home makeover is happening. Chaos ensues and of course a dead body is found and Meg seems to be in the middle of the chaos. Again, a delightful mystery and characters combine to entertain the reader.

Another excellent Meg Langslow book. This series just keeps getting more engaging. If you love this cozy series, this definitely a worthwhile entrant into the series. I am really enjoying the evolution of this series from strict murder-mystery into more crime driven investigations.

While Meg gets up to her usual adventures with Kevin, Dad, Grandfather, Horace, and the rest of the Caerphilly Sherrif's office, the excellence in this story is in the interconnected relationships that feel fleshed out and lived in. There is wonderful growth for a couple of recurring characters, and we are introduced to new potential cast members for future stories. All in all, a welcome and engaging addition to the Meg Langslow series.

Finally, as an side Donna Andrews brings some of her knowledge of cybercrimes into this edition and it is a welcome tangent. I think I would actually really enjoy more crimes that are not murders, being incorporated into the series. While I always enjoy the murder mysteries, I think Kevin, Rob, Delaney, and the various other tech-aware relatives could make for really interesting alternative tales into other felonies and misdemeanors that get less attention. I for one appreciate the change in the crime that starts this book and look forward to more unusual hijinks in the future.

Now I cannot wait for the audiobook this summer. In the meantime, thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

BETWEEN A FLOCK AND A HARD PLACE is the thirty-fifth book in the Meg Langslow Mysteries by Donna Andrews. It takes someone with a vivid and creative imagination to base a mystery around a hundred, or more, aggressive feral turkeys invading a neighborhood, and Ms. Andrews has it and more! This is one of those series where I’m chomping at the bit to read the next book the second it becomes available. Not only is the mystery top-notch, with twists and turns, but the characters have all become like best friends who you love to spend as much time with as possible. Protagonist Meg Langslow has her hands full helping to organize the containment of and the remove of feral turkeys who have invaded a neighborhood. Not only that, but a tv house makeover crew was already wreaking havoc on the neighborhood as they renovated the Smetkamps’ home. In the midst of all the chaos, someone kills Mrs. Smetkamp. Are the turkeys and murder somehow connected? It’s up to Meg to uncover the truth with the help of her friends and family. With suspects galore and rambunctious shenanigans, the reader is in for a wild ride, and I found it next to impossible to put the book down until I’d read the very last page.

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every time I read one of these books, I find myself laughing out loud and wishing I could be a friend of Meg's, purely for the fun of it.
Feral turkeys, a home maker show gone horribly wrong, and a love affair no one suspected are just a few things that are part of this amazing book.
Between a Flock and a Hard Place is a delightful addition to this long running series, and I hope it continues for a long time.
The Lanslow family has become special to me, they bring love and laughter to each book and its always a pleasure to read one of these books.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for selecting me to read an advanced copy of the book.

Good addition to the series, with some laugh out loud moments and a glimpse into the lives of the characters we’ve come to know and love.

Aggressive feral turkeys invade the yard and neighborhood of the Smetkamp's home which is undergoing renovations by a reality television show. When the very demanding Mrs. Smetkamp is murdered, Meg investigates to figure out whodunit. There is no shortage of suspects as Mrs. Smetkamp has had confrontations with her neighbors as well as the renovation crew. This was another fun romp with Meg and her quirky family. I always look forward to reading the books in this series to see what Meg and her family are up to next!

I love the Meg Langslow mysteries and the 35th installment is no exception. This time there is a reality show that has come to Caerphilly to “fix” a house but process stalls when someone releases dozens of turkeys in the property: While trying to round up all the turkeys Meg finds the body of the owner of the house and she must help figure out who did it. I was laughing out loud at the antics of the characters and enjoying myself immensely the whole time. This series made me fall in love with cozy mysteries and every time a new one comes out it just reminds me of why that was. If you get a chance to read the whole thing, go for it but if you can only read this one that is fine too because it holds up as a standalone. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, and Donna Andrews for letting me review an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Chaos ensues when feral turkeys are set loose at a home being renovated for a tv show. Meg and her neighbours have their work cut out trying to round up the birds and improve the quality of the renovations. When a body is discovered, murder is added to the mix. An enjoyable quick read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
Another great book in the Meg Langslow series. I absolutely love this series and have loved every book in it. They are always well written and thought out. I always love the characters as well. Great addition to the series!

A Makeover of a house next door to Meg and a flock of feral Turkey's has the neighborhood in an uproar. Meg is the assistant to Randall and when she discovers the body of the neighbor she investigates. This was so fun I recommend it.

I always love revisiting the Meg Lanslow series. Her family is a hoot and there is a always a fun mystery that incorporates birds. This can be read as a standalone.

It may be a little flawed, but I am happy to revisit Caerphilly and its denizens at all.

I love Meg Langslow. She is feisty, intelligent, doesn't do stupid, deservedly gets the monikers of sane and normal from other book characters, and is certainly always a pleasure to visit with. She is one of the very few book heroines that I'd really want to get to know in real life and hopefully be friends with. So the two new books a year are always a highlight and very much looked forward to.

The latest installment of Meg's adventures, “Between a Flock and a hard Place“ has all the right ingredients: Meg and her assorted quirky family members up to cousin Festus, the various Shiffleys, the Chief and family, Seth, Shep and the ubiquitous sheep, a strange situation that needs Meg's clever handling and of course a murder, BUT... It has the same problem I noticed with the last book. It feels a little short on development and slightly rushed. It lacks the elaborate twists and turns of former stories. The best I can describe it is that it moves along too straightforward.
It starts off promising enough. Then, I think, the story gets lost in a lot of descriptions and not enough actually happening. There is the main story thread, which is a good one. A few side twists and red herrings get introduced along the way. Unfortunately, they then fall short and get dealt with almost as an afterthought or, in two cases, simply aren't addressed any further at all, which is a pity as they could have made things more interesting, and possibly given some of the other book characters a little more story-time.
As for Meg's family and friends, everybody gets a mention, but most of them show up and disappear again without really moving the story forward, sideways or in any way at all. It is as if they get their required cameo and then can be crossed off as done. Meg's Dad doesn't even have any dialogue apart from “In there?” !
Although the culprit(s) and their motives were somewhat obvious right away, it was a decent enough mystery. I expected the eventual body to show up in a different place, so that was a nice surprise. And yet, that part of the story-line also deserved a bit more time than the quick resolution it got at the end. Still, all in all, the book is worth 4 stars for me as it took me back to Caerphilly for a little while, and that is never a bad place to be. I'll be waiting for the next one.

pet-dog, TV-film-industry, amateur-sleuth, Virginia, unpleasant-victims, unputdownable, scam, situational-humor, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, sniffer-dogs, family, relatives, small-town, elitism, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, friends, friendship, frustration*****

I couldn't wait to read this one even though I've preordered the audio! Pub Date 06 Aug 2024
If you're new to this series, don't pass it up. Each one can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone, but you'll want to find out why there are so many Pomeranians (and some of them are sniffer dogs!) Meg comes from a large family but only a few of them are highlighted in this episode. There are nasty neighbors, lots of feral turkeys causing a mess, a work crew without a clue, a film manager who isn't what he says he is, and a whole lot more. Loved it!
This cannot be an unbiased review because I reread some of them (the print copies walk away so now I have them in audio) and wait with bated breath for each new one.
I requested and received a temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MegLangslowMysteries Pub Date 06 Aug 2024