Toucan Keep a Secret

In the latest installment of Meg Lanslow's crazy family antics, a church Vestry member is found dead in the crypt, err.. Columbarium. Was he stealing his wife's ashes or looking for treasure? And why does everyone think that a toucan is a parrot? Then Meg's father decides to recreate a decades-old jewelry theft. This series is always enjoyable, despite the almost constant chaos.

I don't know how I missed finding this series much earlier - I think I found it at 22 and now at 23. While I'm not much of a bird person, this series is fun! Lots of characters (Meg, spouse, twins, father, mother, grandfather, friends). Meg is very organized and does it all. The mysteries are always interesting .

Donna Andrews' very delightful 23rd Meg Langslow Mystery, Toucan Keep a Secret, was very quickly read by this cozy enthusiast in just a few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Our heroine, Meg, is locking up at her church one evening when she hears a loud banging and sees a light in the supposedly empty (well, except for the dead people!!!) crypt. Upon entering she discovers the body of a member of the vestry who's been bludgeoned to death with a crowbar, and also the scattered ashes and broken urns of several late members of the congregation, as well as a priceless ruby ring! Who did this and why did they choose these particular niches to desecrate? Is there a connection to a 30-year-old jewelry robbery? Can a non-speaking toucan really hold the secret to the crime? Do yourself a favor and take a trip to the town of Caerphilly to discover the answers to these, and other, burning questions! Note: You don't need to read the first 22 books in the series prior to picking this one up (unless you want to!), as this book works perfectly well as a standalone read. 5 stars!

I can always count on Donna to consistently keep me entertained and engaged in the lives of Meg and her friends and family, especially when murder and mayhem prevails.

The author does a great job in delivering a well-written mystery involving a quirky cast of characters with plenty of suspects where anything is possible. Connected to a past event, it was fun watching it all play out as one by one, the clues presented itself with some surprises that enhanced how well this story was being told. I love the interactions among the characters and how the family help with solving this case, and of course, there are several laugh-out-loud moments. The best part of the book for me was the punch line (last sentence) and how fitting for the title of this delightfully endearing series.

This cozy series, in which each book can be read as a standalone, continues to impress largely because it keeps it real. Meg, our intrepid amateur, is less a detective than someone who works closely with the police in her small town. I like that she knows the 911 dispatch, the chief, Herman the forensics guy etc and that she works with them rather than around them. She's also got a great family but those dynamics don't overwhelm the plot which in this case revolves around a 37 year old robbery/mystery and a current murder in the columbaria. Meg's got a good sense of humor, a thoughtful mind, and is nice and calm when others might not be (for example while being shot at in a parking lot.). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This was a really good read.

I have enjoyed all twenty-three books in this wonderful series and this one is my new favorite. Meg and her family have such a love of life, living it as it comes, This time Meg is locking up the church after the vestry meeting and hears banging coming from the columbarium - please don't confuse it with a crypt - and sees a light inside when it shouldn't be there. Just like the dead body shouldn't be there. Somebody has been trying to pry off the plaques from various niches with a crowbar then goes so far as to use it as a murder weapon. Amid the scattered ashes and broken glass and china Meg finds the body of one of Trinity churches least favorite members.
If that wasn't enough to deal with, now there is a toucan who needs tending to - his name is Nimitz and he is a very messy bird. That's no reason for somebody to want to snatch him. Meg is then asked to act on behalf of the church to contact all of the next of kin of the damaged niches and find out how they want to proceed with the repairs, putting the urns back where they belong. That gives Meg the perfect excuse to ask a whole lot of questions because every single one of the defiled niches and urns had a connection to a jewel robbery that happened way back in the 1970's.. The jewelry was never recovered, the crime never solved. Until, of course, Meg gets involved, with the blessing of the local police.
I'm hard pressed to say which character in this series is my favorite. Is it Meg? Is it her delightful father, a retired doctor? Is it her larger than life grandfather with his private zoo? Not to forget her young sons and her mother and her grandmother. These are people I would love to call family and friends. There would never, ever be a dull moment.