Murder With Peacocks

Rating:
Summary: Not all weddings behave like this, thank goodness!
Review: It's certainly easy to see how or why this book won the the St. Martin's Press Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Contest. The author rarely sets a foot wrong in this witty look at what can happen to one family in which there will be three weddings during one summer in Virginia. The characters are absolutely unique in their own way, but are lovingly patterned after those found in large families, complete with eccentrics and lovable elderly relatives and precocious kids.

Meg Langslow is the calm, sane one--the one everyone always turns to for help, only this time she may well have bitten off more than she can reasonably chew, as her idea of having a summer off from her welding/sculpting career lands her with the awesome task of wedding planner for the wedding of her Mom (the second time around, with suitable interference from Dad, who's still very much present); her brother Rob to Samantha (who nobody much seems to care for) and, finally her best friend Eileen, to Steven. Meg is also Eileen's maid of honor.

The village dressmaker, while on a visit to Florida, had some kind of accident, leaving her gorgeous son in charge. Of course, he's the most gorgeous unattached male in town, and Meg is instantly smitten, but rumors quickly put the cabosh on that relationship even before it can settle very firmly in her mind. Nevertheless, Michael does seem to be always somewhat nearby whenever Meg needs a helping hand. And as the first wedding day draws ever nearer, she seems to need several helping hands.

The small-town observations are dead-on, and the wry, witty voice of Meg as she describes the goings-on will have you laughing out loud when you're not just merely chuckling.

And the peacocks? You won't believe. You'll just have to read the book to find out for yourself. You won't mind it a bit. Promise.

Rating:
Summary: One of my favorite cozies
Review: I have now read this book at least 6 times and I still laugh out loud at the antics of the Langslow/Hollingsworth clan. Poor Meg Langslow has agreed to be the maid of honor for three weddings in the same month in her hometown of Yorktown, VA. we are introduced to her very extended family and whole cast of colorful extras. Meg, with the help of her bumbling but lovable Dad and "charming" friend Michael, manages to fulfill her rigorous bridal duties, keep peace within her family and solve the murder. This book is a laugh a minute and a must have for any cozy mystery reader. I just wish Ms. Andrews would write faster, I can't read her books fast enough!!

Rating:
Summary: A whimsical and fun mystery
Review: Murder with Peacocks is a whimisical and fun mystery. Never mind that these rich people have shallow lives and nothing more to bother with than the planning of three summer weddings. These characters are so likable and amusing that one hardly notices. Following the hectic summer of our heroine, Meg, is a joy to behold as she organizes the weddings despite a cast of eccentric family memebers, bizarre last minute demands by the brides to be, and, of course, attempted and actual murders. The fact that a murderer is on the loose is a mere inconvenience as the plans and the eventual weddings must go on - peacocks and all. Andrews gives us a real whodunit that's a lot of fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: A delightful "cozy," but a little too easy to put down.
Review: Donna Andrews' debut mystery is a lot of fun, a great bathtub book. Meg Langslow finds herself maid of honor to three demanding brides, and Meg takes the summer off from work to oversee the wedding plans in her small Virigina hometown. When murder taints the wedding plans, Meg adds an extra item to her too-long "to do" list--find the murderer.

Meg's family (indeed, the whole town) is a wonderful mix of obliviously eccentric folks: an uncle who wears a gorilla suit to formal parties, a cousin who thinks wearing clothes is a sin, a group of die-hard croquet players determined to "play through." In the hands of a less able writer, this group of oddballs could seem contrived, but Andrews has a light touch, and the group remains amusing and even realistic. The author's decision to keep Meg the straight man is a wise one.

The weddings provide a useful backdrop and ample opportunity to drop dozens of "red herrings." Unfortunately, a little too much time is spent on the weddings, and not enough on the mystery. Many side stories, although resolved in the end, have nothing to do with the main mystery. This is a bit of a cheat in the mystery world.

And finally, Meg's friend Michael, and the "thing" he tries to tell her all summer, is extremely obvious and very distracting. Another reviewer has described this as farcical, but I found it very cumbersome. Nonetheless, I look forward to Andrews' next entry in what promises to be a delightful series.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent satirical amateur sleuth tale
Review:

Talk about a downer of a summer. Three relatives have selected Meg Langslow to be their bridesmaid. Though she would like the honor bestowed on someone else, the good Samaritan agrees to be part of the ceremonies of her mother, brother, and best friend. With that singular (or is that tripular) honor comes arranging the various weddings, with each individual expecting her to do some near impossible feat for their wedding. Worse yet for Meg is that Michael, whom she likes, is rumored to be gay.

However, the nuptials take a back seat when one of the guests is found dead, an apparent murder victim. Meg's retired dad figures he needs to uncover the killer and starts sleuthing. Soon, accidents follow every step he takes. As others are murdered, Meg begins her own investigation before her father becomes the next victim.

MURDER WITH PEACOCKS is a very humorous satirical cozy that will leave readers feeling pleased from the amusing tale. Though the identity of the murderer is obvious early on (except to the Langslow family and the local enforcement officials), the story line remains fun to read because of the zany portrayal of the characters. Readers will quickly understand why Donna Andrews' debut novel won the 1998 St. Martin's Malice Domestic Award even as they will want more jocularity starring Meg, Michael and their kin.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: A whimsical and fun mystery
Review: Murder with Peacocks is a whimsical and fun mystery. Never mind that these rich people have shallow lives and nothing more to bother with than the planning of three summer weddings. These characters are so likable and amusing that one hardly notices. Following the hectic summer of our heroine, Meg, is a joy to behold as she organizes the weddings despite a cast of eccentric family members, bizarre last minute demands by the brides to be, and, of course, attempted and actual murders. The fact that a murderer is on the loose is a mere inconvenience as the plans and the eventual weddings must go on - peacocks and all. Andrews gives us a real whodunit that's a lot of fun to read.

Rating:
Summary: Murder mystery with screwball comedy quality
Review: Meg Langslow's summer activities in Yorktown, Virginia seem at first to be limited to three major tasks -- being maid of honor for her best friend Eileen, for her future sister-in-law Samantha, whom she strongly dislikes, and for her mother, who amiably divorced Meg's father five years earlier. Each one of the ladies has detailed ideas of the extras for her big day including a Native American herbal purification ceremony, peacocks as live ornaments on the lawn, and redoing the living room for the wedding.

While Meg tries to fulfill all these wishes and deals with a large number of neighbors and relatives most of whom must be considered at least as "odd," a body is found -- Mrs. Grover, the sister of Meg's mother's fiancé Jake, who happened to step on several toes before her sudden death. Now Meg finds herself not only organizing the weddings, but also helping her father to investigate the suspicious circumstances leading to what turns out to be only the first one of a series of incidents. If not for the handsome, but rumored gay dressmaker Michael Waterston, Meg wouldn't have one relaxing minute all summer long.

Donna Andrews' first novel is as light and fresh as a summer breeze and just as pleasant. Its screwball comedy elements like Meg's wacky relatives and Michael's numerous tries to reveal his real sexual orientation add to the highly entertaining tone of this murder mystery. Dialogues are one of Donna Andrews' strengths, and those often hilarious dialogues pull the reader into the story right on the first page. A tip -- readers enjoying the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich will most likely be also fond of Meg Langslow's adventures -- and vice versa.

Rating:
Summary: Just a short recommendation
Review: Last September I checked out MURDER WITH PEACOCKS at my local library and loved it. I ordered my own copy and decided to refresh my memory by reading it before I read CROUCHING BUZZARD, LEAPING LOON, which I got yesterday.

Good thing I have a cold and I'm not going anywhere today. Even though I'd read it barely four months ago, I couldn't bring myself to put MURDER WITH PEACOCKS down until I finished it -- a minute or two before the clock chimed three (yes, in the morning).

Rating:
Summary: Nice First Entry
Review: This is the first in the Meg Langslow series and I really enjoyed it. Someone had recommended it to me and I am glad she did. There is plenty to like about this mystery: the characters are well-formed without any of them being made too crazy or stereotypical, the main character is likeable without being a goody-goody, the mystery itself is interesting and not very easy to solve, although there are clues provided to help without being obvious. As well, there are some red herrings provided to complicate the mystery. The writing itself is competent; in fact, above average for a series of this type. I have ordered the second in the series, "Murder with Puffins" and am really looking forward to reading it.

Rating:
Summary: If Weddings were Wishes
Review: I am not a frequent reader of the 'cozy' mystery genre. Not that I haven't enjoyed them over the years, but I normally go for a suspense story, with a dash of horror and a cup or two of pure detection. So notwithstanding the large number of Lilian Braun's and Elizabeth Peter's in my library, I tend to heavier fare. Inevitably, though, one needs a bit of light relief, based on several reviews and recommendations I decided to try Donna Andrews. Equally unusual for me, I began with the first in the series, not the last.

'Murder with Peacocks' introduces a new 'investigator,' Meg Langslow. No Miss Marple is Meg, she a young craftswoman specializing in ironmongery. In short, she is a blacksmith. Meg has returned home for a short time period to play wedding coordinator for three ceremonies, her best friend Eileen's, her brother Rob's, and her mother's. These are due to take place in Yorktown, a small town in Virginia, which seems to be occupied primarily by Meg's eccentric relatives, or by those who are shortly to become her relatives. All three brides seem determined to dump the work on Meg. It speaks a great deal for her temperament that it is not she who commits murder.

The victim, when she finally arrives is the extremely unpleasant sister-in-law of Jake, Meg's future stepfather. In the short time we get to know her, she manages to offend most of the Langslow brood, browbeat Jake, and terrorize the local children. It is not really a surprise when she shows up dead. It is a surprise though when Meg's father takes an interest in the case and suddenly is narrowly escaping being blown up and poisoned. Meg's own interest is piqued when she also faces several attempts on her life. The Langslow's eccentricity keeps saving their lives, but it us a near thing, and there are innocent bystanders to consider.

Into this already heady mix come Duck, an avian with a taste for devilled eggs, a flock of peacocks who step in as the alarm system, and the incredibly handsome Michael Waterston, a university professor who is taking care of his mother's dressmaking business while she is getting a facelift. Michael is the romantic interest, for Meg any, and is one of those rare people who has both looks and smarts. And, lest we forget, there's Samantha, the potential sister-in-law from hell.

This is a true comic mystery, where even the victims are a cause for hysteric. Andrews manages the difficult task of being delightful and grim, and manages to keep this confection of a plot spinning in the air right up to the end. This kind of material is tough to write, since it is always in danger of interminable cuteness. Meg has won me over, and I will be keeping a lookout for the rest of the series.