Thank you for a copy of this book for an honest review.

I listened to this audiobook today and could not get into it at all. It was very slow moving. The narrator did an ok job. Probably not my favorite but it was good. The book itself just did nothing for me. It moved slow and did not pull me in at all. There was no connection with any of the characters.

First of all, I can't believe this is the 36th book in the series. Where, oh where, did the time go?!? It is always a pleasure to visit the fictional town of Caerphilly, Virginia - especially around the holidays where there are 2 things that can be counted on to happen: a white Christmas and a murder! Things are hopping with Delaney confined to bed/couch with her high-risk pregnancy, the inn hosting a true crime convention with a special focus on wrongly convicted citizens, and Rose Noire discovering a dead body on Michael and Meg's property! With plenty of suspects and a baby on the way, Rockin' Around the Chickadee is another fun and very cozy mystery from the incredibly talented Donna Andrews. A+++ and 5 stars!!!

While not as Christmassy as I was hoping, this was a cute little mystery. The characters are likable, and the narrator did a great job guiding the reader through the journey. Though it lacked some holiday atmosphere, the story's charm made up for it. A delightful, light-hearted read overall. However, I didn’t realize this was part of a very long series, which might have helped me connect more with the characters since many of them are recurring. For newcomers, diving into the earlier books might enhance the experience, but it’s still an enjoyable standalone!

Thank you to Macmillan audio and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of Rockin' Around the Chickadee. After listening to 30% of the book, I realized that I was not the intended audience for it.

The book is a cozy mystery and takes place around Christmas time. Meg Langslow isn't hosting her usual holiday parties this year, and relatives will be staying with other friends and family in order to maintain a calming atmosphere for her pregnant sister-in-law. That is until a dead body appears in Meg and Michael's yard and the mystery needs to be solved.

This was my first book by Donna Andrews and I know they are very popular books as they are continuously checked out at the library I work at, which is why I decided to give one a try. I was aware that this is book #36 of the Meg Langslow Mystery series, but after reading multiple reviews about Donna Andrews books, it did seem okay to read as a stand alone.

As previously stated, I only listened to 30% of the audiobook, however, I do believe it is okay to read this book as a stand alone, as Donna Andrews does a good job of filling in any gaps and introducing characters that are probably well known to previous readers of her series, a new reader just might not have a deeper connection to those characters. There is nothing necessarily wrong with the book, I just don't believe the type of humor in the book is my style. It was a bit corny for my taste, but I think plenty of people would enjoy this book and I would still recommend it to others who are looking for a cute and cozy murder mystery book with clean humor.

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee is #36 of the Meg Langslow books, a series I dip in and out of. I think that’s part of my problem with it. Andrews does a good job with the characters growing and changing, but I only catch bits of it. But it’s way too long a series for me to go back to the beginning.

Meg is a blacksmith, wife of professor/ actor Michael, mother of twin boys, assistant to the mayor, and a member of the quirky Hollingsworth family, and, of course, our amateur sleuth. She wears a lot of hats and in each book one or the other seems to be at the forefront. This time, being a member of the Hollingsworth family is at the top of the list. Her grandmother is hosting a conference highlighting the Presumed Innocent organization and several of the family members are helping by being on panels or making sure it all runs smoothly. While most attendees are either true crime buffs or hoping for help proving someone innocent, there is one man who is against the purpose of the conference and makes his opinions well-known. It’s no surprise he ends up dead, but it is unfortunate that his body is found in Meg’s backyard.

The conference gives us plenty of suspects in the murder. The mystery unfolds at a good pace even in the midst of all the family activities, with Meg gathering clues and even getting her boys to help out a bit. The identity of the killer is not a surprise, but at least one of the characters didn’t see it coming.

Overall, it was a fun book. I listened to the audio version and the narrator did a good job keeping all the characters straight and the tone, even while discussing serious topics, light.

3.5 stars

In this 36th book in the 'Meg Langslow' series, Meg - who's a blacksmith, wife, mother, assistant to the mayor, and amateur sleuth - helps investigate the murder of a despised provocateur. The book can be read as a standalone, but knowledge of the characters is a plus.

A nice feature of the Meg Langslow cozy mysteries is the evolution of the characters, who mature and change as the years go by. The main protagonists in the books are members of Meg's large extended family, all of whom live near each other in Caerphilly, Virginia.

As the story opens, it's Christmas season, and Meg's brother Rob and his wife Delaney, who's very pregnant and on bed rest, are staying with Meg while they look for a house. Meg's cousin Rose Noire - a Wiccan hippy-dippy free spirit - is happily looking after Delaney, encouraging the expectant mother's hobby of watching chickadees in the backyard. As it turns out, the yard's 'bird camera' proves very helpful later on, when a murder occurs.

To back up a little, Meg's nephew Kevin (an up-and-coming true crime podcaster), and Meg's grandmother Cordelia (a social justice activist), have organized a symposium - called the Presumed Innocence Conference - to help people who are trying to exonerate someone they believe has been wrongly convicted. Meg observes, "We have something like two million people in jail or prison across the country, and experts estimate between one and ten percent of them are innocent. That's between twenty thousand and two hundred thousand people serving time for something they didn't do." Meg's lawyer cousin Festus Hollingsworth is already deeply involved in the cause, having helped free Ezekiel Blaine, an innocent man imprisoned for fifty years. Ezekiel is scheduled to help at the conference, accompanied by his cute little dog Ruth.

The innocence symposium, which is being held at a local luxury hotel called the Inn, has a large number of registrants who'll be staying at the hostelry. The attendees will have the opportunity to hear speakers like Chief of Police Burke and attorney Festus Hollingsworth, and get advice from advocates who are knowledgeable about innocence projects.

Unfortunately, one of the conference registrants is a VERY unwelcome guest. The man, who's known as the Gadfly, is Godfrey Norton, who believes anyone convicted of a crime is guilty. Thus Norton harasses people involved in innocence projects, spewing his invective on social media and at conferences. Norton even goes a step further, stalking and harassing former convicts who've been declared innocent. Norton makes it his business to spread lies about exonerees, trying to get them fired from their jobs and evicted from their homes.

Once the Presumed Innocence Conference gets going, Norton is right there, shouting at people and calling them names. Most of Norton's tirades are directed at people who believe someone in their life was wrongly convicted, and are fighting to get them freed. However, Norton is an equal opportunity annoyer, irritating EVERYONE in his path. Norton even harasses the little pooch Ruth, which is truly unforgivable. Needless to say, Norton is murdered, and his body is found in Meg's backyard. The police investigate, and amateur sleuth (and self-proclaimed nosybody) Meg tags along to help. Meg gets the idea to use tapes from from the 'bird camera', which helps tie down Norton's time of death, so people's alibis can be tested.

It's presumed the perpetrator crept out of the Inn to kill Norton, somehow getting past the hotel's security cameras. So Meg's young teenage twins, Jamie and Josh, help with the murder inquiries by trying to sneak past the Inn's CCTV cameras. (This is pretty entertaining. 🙂)

I have to say it wasn't too hard to guess the identity of the murderer, but the mystery is only part of the fun of the book. It's a pleasure to visit with Meg, her husband Michael, and their family and friends. It's also great to observe the Christmas festivities; see Rob and Delaney consider names for their baby (like the chickadee genus name Poecile); hobnob with Rose Noire, whose Wiccan New Age rituals are always fascinating; and more.

The Meg Langslow books make great light reading, and this Christmas-themed book is an enjoyable addition to the series.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Bernadette Dunne, who does a fine job.

Thanks to Netgalley, Donna Andrews, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the book.

Meg is at her best organizing and investigating in the latest book in the series. I like the later books in that the crazy family is a bit subdued but still around to add humor. I also like the fact that there are no diet references and Meg has confidence in herself.

Another solid installment in this long-running series. I love Meg and her entire family of quirky characters. This one was set around the Christmas holiday which was fun. I also enjoyed the fact that Donna Andrews used this book to shine a light on our justice system and the efforts being made to overturn wrongful convictions. It was done in a lighthearted, cozy way; but this one gave me more food for thought than I usually get from this series. Great for cozy mystery fans whether you're a long-time reader of the series or not.

Rockin’ Around the Chickadee (Meg Langslow #36)
Donna Andrews
Meg is helping her grandmother at a Presumed Innocent convention. The premise is to assist people that have been wrongly convicted of crimes and to overturn the conviction. There is one particularly unpleasant attendee that keeps interrupting the speakers; he thinks there should not be any convictions overturned despite the new evidence. The vile man is an internet troll/podcaster. He is removed from the conference. Most of the people at the conference dislike him. The man turns up dead in Meg’s backyard. Everyone at the conference is a suspect. Meg’s boys help with the investigation by looking for how the killer could have walked out of the conference hotel without being seen.
At home Delany, Meg’s sister-in-law, Delany is supposed to have a quiet atmosphere until her baby is born; the due date is around Christmas Day. Meg and Michael will not be hosting their usual Christmas festivities. The parties have been farmed out to others. Delany spends her time watching the Chickadees.
This is the first book I’ve read in this series. Meg Langslow is the wife of a professor/TV actor Michael Waterston, she and Michael have twin boys, she is a blacksmith, an assistant to the mayor, a member of the Hollingworth family and an amateur sleuth. I loved the character of Ezekiel Blaine and his dog Ruth. The narrator Bernadette Dunne did a great job. There is a lot of humor in this book.
This book moves along at a fast pace. This is a nice clean cozy mystery.

Book Title: Rockin’ Around the Chickadee
Author: Donna Anderson
Series: Meg Langslow Book #36
Format: 🎧
Audiobook Narrator: Bernedette Dunne
Publisher: Macmillian Audio
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Pub Date: October 15, 2024
My Rating: 4.2 Fun Stars
Pages 288


Delaney, Meg Langslow’s sister in-law is expecting- Meg and Michael decide to keep Meg quiet and healthy and forgo their usual Holiday parties.

Soon Delaney is bored by the peaceful environment the family has created. When a body is found in Meg and Michael's yard, will it be possible to keep Delaney calm when she wants to get in on the investigation,

Meg’s grandmother Cornelia is hosting on a true crime convention in the local hotel. The attendees support helping wrongly convicted cases to be overturned. However, there is an unpleasant pod caster who isn’t on the same page as the others and thinks more people should be in jail and no convictions should be overturned even if there is new DNA evidence.
He turned out to be very nasty and ends up being removed from the conference.
However, he is the one who ends up dead in Meg and Michael’s backyard.

I have read others in this series and have loved them ~ which is true of this as well.
I loved that the twins Josh and Jamie got to play a role in case. While at the hotel they volunteer actually offer a challenge that they could leave as well as enter the hotel without the hotel’s many security cameras spotting them. They had three tries. They were caught on the first two tries but the third they were successful – they were NOT seen on any of the cameras.
This was valuable to the investigators as well as the innkeeper who now knew what needed to be corrected.


Story kept me curious as there were so many whodunit suspects!

Although this is #36 in this series, I have only read a few but I. quickly got to know Meg and fell in love her and her somewhat quirky friends.
Ms Anderson uses a bird theme in all her titles - such as [ book: Murder with Peacocks, Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos, Owls Well that Ends Well, Stork Raving Mad and #35 Between the Flock and a Hard Place].

I was lucky and got both the Galley as well as the audiobook. I am a big audiobook fan and have to admit that although both versions are good- I did like the audiobook better. Narrator Bernadette Dunne has performed many of the audiobooks in this series and does an excellent job with acting out the characters.

Want to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this early audiobook.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for October 15, 2024.

I have enjoyed all of the books in this series and always look forward to them. This book was no exception. In this latest book a conference is taking place that involves people that have been wrongly accused of crimes. Meg's family is involved with the conference and she and the twins are spending a lot of time there to help out and make sure that things run smoothly. The story was well written and kept me engaged and trying to figure out who was responsible for the murder. I love the characters in this series and liked many of the new characters that were introduced in this book. I hope that some will return in future installments. The narrator of the audio book, Bernadette Dunne, is wonderful and I recognized her voice from other books I have listened to in this series. This is book 36 in the series, but the author gives enough background of the characters that it can be read as a stand alone. However the series is so good that I would recommend going back to the beginning and reading them all.

I received a complimentary copy of this audio book from the Macmillan Audio through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thanks to #NETGALLEY and #DONNA-ANDREWS for the free arc of Rockin around the chickadee. I have always loved Donna Andrews cozy mystery’s but this one knocked it out of the park. I absolutely loved the plot and the plot Angel dealing with the people in jail unjustly. I am hoping Donna will include of int eh new characters in future books the ending made me cry in a good way.

Grinning madly while humming ‘Rockin’ Around the Chickadee’ with all the festive exuberance I can muster in the middle of an August heatwave. This latest Meg Langslow edition (#36…and may they keep coming forever!) is the perfect blend of murder and mayhem…and festive good cheer.

Thrilled to be back at the Caerphilly Inn (the hotel manager is one of my favourite secondary characters in this series) and there’s all the drama and hijinks you’d expect from any event organized by Meg’s family. And of course, it ends in murder and then the fun really begins!

A cast of familiar characters made this read feel like a homecoming of sorts. The twins are in their early teens now (gasp!) and seemingly immortal (yay!) Grandfather is as irascible as ever. Chief Burke has his hands full trying to solve the murder before Christmas and, naturally, Meg is on hand to do her own sleuthing.

And the piece de resistance is the way Donna Andrews weaves the warmth of the holidays and the spirit of Christmas giving into the story.

I listened to the audio edition narrated by the amazing Bernadette Dunne who will forever be the voice of these characters for me. I have the whole series in my audible library largely because of her stellar performances and I re-listen to the whole series every year. Donna Andrews and Bernadette Dunne are the best kind of cozy pairing ever!

My thanks to MacMillan Audio and Net Galley for providing me with an audio edition of this novel.

I love getting these advanced copies of Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow series. This is one of my favorite series. One thing to keep in mind - even though this is the 36th book in this long-running series, you really can pick up any one of them and enjoy it. There are some series aspects like marriages, births, or relocations, but Andrews does such a good job with her writing that you don't feel like you've missed anything.

This book focuses on a convention for people who have been wrongly accused of crimes. Meg and her family are many of the expert speakers during this meeting. But there are those that take offense and try to accuse these innocents of really being guilty of there crimes and are just pulling a fast one on the justice system. Of course, we have a murder take place during the convention that has to be solved.

And since I got the audiobook, I have to mention the narrator since book one, Bernadette Dunne. She is wonderful at bringing the characters to life and also the consistency of the established character voices.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ARC audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy of this audiobook from NetGalley for a honest review.

Another hit for Donna Andrews! I just adore the Meg Langslow series and this Christmas themed one was just what I needed. Delaney is VERY pregnant and on bed rest at Meg's surprisingly quite house. Totally going stir crazy and obsessed with chickadees. There's also the conference going on by Meg's Grandmother and nephew to keep Mag busy. Of course someone is murdered and Meg is "lucky" enough to find the culprit. All in all a great fun ride. I'm still waiting to know if Delaney had a boy or girl and what name they decided to give. Time, and the next book, will tell.

I look forward to Christmastime in Caerphilly. Meg’s mom always has a new over-the-top decoration, and of course there is a cozy murder with lots of possible suspects. The deeper theme of wrongful convictions and online trolls was well-balanced by humorous characters. Iris was a pip and I hope to see more of her! Longtime series narrator Bernadette Dunne adds to the feeling of stepping into a favorite slipper, though some of the character differentiations weren’t as distinct as usual. This title can stand alone, and will leave you smiling. Recommended.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for a review audiobook. All opinions expressed are my own.

Audio version 9h 45m Narrator Bernadette Dunne

This is one of those series that when I see it's available, I quickly click request to review. I don't even read the blurb, check the length, or even the publication date. Hey, it's worked through the rest of the series so I trust Donna Andrews to deliver another Meg Langslow story that I'll find myself unable to stop from reading. In this case, I was lucky enough to have both the ebook and audio book, so I found myself flipping back and forth between the formats. It's always fun to read ahead and then check in with the audio version to see how closely my mind interpreted the voices. As usual, narrator Bernadette Dunne did her usual excellent job. It was extra fun hearing the soft, soothing, well, attempted soothing voices being used on Delaney, whose baby is due just about any time. Cousin Rose Noire takes it seriously when told no disturbing sounds or activities, much to the usually active Delaney's frustration. Of course, when your father-in-law is a doctor, you're pretty much expected to just go along with medical decisions. Good thing she has the Chickadees to distract her attention, even if she does fret whether they have enough suet or not.

That's where the book opens. The mystery that follows centers around a Presumed Innocent Convention set up by grandmother Cordelia although, as usual, the entire family is involved in some way. Dedicated to efforts to assist those falsely imprisoned in any way possible, it's the brainchild of the lawyer of the family, Festus Hollingsworth. It's also being held just before Christmas, giving extra emphasis to everyone's hopes that nothing goes wrong. Of course, those hopes are shattered when an obnoxious detractor is found dead. In Meg and Michael's backyard at that. Chief Burke's hopes for a short suspect list are quickly shattered when it turns out Godfrey Horton, aka Gadfly, seems to have a very lengthy list of people who'd like to see him dead. I wasn't feeling too kindly toward him myself after his encounter with sweet dog Ruth,

Distracted by everyday worries, like making sure her barely teen boys don't get into mischief at the convention, worrying about Michael being on the road to pickup and deliver family members, keeping Delaney calm, or at least entertained, and helping Chief Burke in the investigation, Meg is her usual organized, seemingly never unsure self. Well, most of the time. Ask her about her son crawling through the rafters of a loading zone. Everyone is also pondering what name Delaney and Rob, who are also fretting over buying a home, will give their child-to-be. Trust me, Delaney, you really don't want to name them after the scientific name for chickadees. It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Nope, not telling.

Bottom line, there's a great deal more going on. The characters, even the minor ones or new to the series ones, are all fleshed out nicely. You'll feel like you know them all by the time you finish the book which moves along quickly and is hard to put down once you start. Needless to say, I was delighted to see sweet Ruth play an important role in the book, too, as the service dog in training by ex-inmate Ezekiel "Izzy" Blaine. Finally, for true crime fans, I must mention an important caution that Kevin issues during his presentation, that fans need to be careful not to spread false information or, in fact, even true information the police would prefer not be shared. That added an extra dose of reality to the book. Read it. You won't be sorry. My thanks to #MacmillanAudio for allowing me an early peek at life in Caerphilly for Meg and her family and friends. I'm hoping some of the new characters stick around, particularly Izzy and Ruth.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

This was such a good book. I really enjoyed it. More than I thought I would. I loved the writing style. This book had me hooked from page one. This is a first for me by this author but will not be my last!!

A new Christmas cozy by Donna Andrews read by Bernadette Dunne what a treat. I have not read all the books in this series but I have read a few. Each book can be read as an individual book but when you read them in a series you really get to know the wonderful characters. I loved that this book takes place at a conference for cases of wrongfully convicted individuals and how they might seek dismissal. Of course, there is one attendee who believes there is no person convicted who is innocent. He in the most obnoxious way makes his opinion known. Making enemies along the way.
Thank you to Netgalley, Donna Andrew, and Macmillan Audio for the ARC this is my personal opinion.

I love these mysteries and this audiobook narrator! Donna Andrews always picks a social issue to focus on, and this time it is people wrongly convicted of crimes and the problem of internet trolls. This is less Christmasy than many of her Christmas mysteries, and I missed that, but it is filled with interesting new characters and the large cast of returning characters that I have come to love. I highly recommend this series to readers of cozy mysteries!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!