Rating: 
Summary: Take these annoying characters, please!
Review: I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer of May 7. What sane person would put herself through the aggravation of 3 weddings in one summer? A fictional one, of course. I'm sure the author wanted humor and wackiness, but I only wanted to strangle the "heroine" every time she let someone order her around (and she never complained out loud, only inwardly to amuse the reader)(I guess). The mystery wasn't very captivating, and neither was the "hero". I'm going back to the mysteries with fiesty slueths who don't let others push them around.
Rating: 
Summary: rather dull
Review: I know everyone seems to like this book. Perhaps it is good for what it is. However, the 'zany' and 'whacky' characters and situations felt forced and came off more annoying than amusing. And I found that I did not like the character of Meg very much. Her martyred doormat approach to dealing with the brides and her family irritated me. I did like Meg's mother - her genteelly blase' attitude was very entertaining. I doubt I'll read the sequels.
Rating: 
Summary: Where's the mystery?
Review: Yes, there is a murder and a slueth but this really isn't what one normally expects a "Murder Mystery" to be. It was lacking in a coherant plot and was more about the trials of being a bridesmaid. And it has a predictable ending. I probably won't bother reading it a second time.
Rating: 
Summary: Light on the Mystery, Heavy on the Fun
Review: Meg Langslow has agreed to be the maid of honor at three separate weddings. All three of the brides place the planning in her capable hands, leaving her running around trying to make sure all three weddings go smoothly. Which isn't easy when one wants a theme wedding but won't decide on dresses, and another wants peacocks. Then, an out-of-town visitor turns up dead under mysterious circumstances. Meg's father is convinced it's murder and drags her into his investigation. Soon, mysterious accidents convince Meg that her dad is right. But can she find the murderer before anyone else dies and still make sure the weddings go as planned?This is a fun book. It's filled with eccentric characters that make it a pleasure to read. I often found myself chuckling or laughing at their behavior. However, as a mystery it leaves a little to be desired since solving the murder often takes a back seat to the antics of the brides and Meg trying to deal with them. Still, I found the book a pleasure to read. The characters come off as believable and not caricatures. The romantic sub-plot with Michael is amusing because we as the reader know what's going on, even if Meg has no clue. By the end of the book, the mystery has been solved and all the plots tied up, leaving me anxious for more. An interesting note is that instead of chapters, the author breaks the action down by day. It makes for rather uneven breaks in the narrative, but it's also easier to keep track of the passing time since the plot takes place over two months. In lesser hands, this book would have fallen flat, but in her debut, Donna Andrews proves what a superb writer she is. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the Meg Langslow series.
Rating:
Summary: Too many weddings can drive a gal to murder
Review: Meg Langslow, in a moment of temporary insanity, has agreed to
plan not one but three weddings. Throw in the murder of one of her soon-to-be in-laws and several mysterious accidents and Meg is soon working on a case of permanent insanity. Saddled
with a clan of eccentric kinfolk, the only real help Meg gets is from Michael, the dishy, but alas, gay (or so it is rumored),
theater professor, currently running his mother's dress shop for
the summer. I started this series with the 2nd book, Murder with
Puffins, and enjoyed it so much I had to come back and read the first. Meg's oddball family is amusing and yet believable. The mystery is also quite good.
Rating:
Summary: An entertaining read!
Review: Donna Andrews' first outing is an auspicious beginning. Her characters, especially her immediate family, are a hoot. The only problem here is that she all but announces "who-done-it" in the first chapters. The fun is in when will everyone else catch on.
Rating:
Summary: PLEASANT FIRST BOOK
Review: This first book was a great read. The author effectively blended a murder mystery along with great moments of comedy ranging from Duck the duck, the old lady playing croquet on the table, to the loud and raucous peacocks. The author placed in the book several red herrings throwing the reader off side but surprising them at the end. The only thing I didn't really care for was the cavalier attitude of everyone after the murder--someone got murder but ON with the weddings. But all in all, I am looking forward to her other books.
Rating:
Summary: Would make a wonderful movie
Review: This is a very visual book. Much of its humor comes from the visual, physical, descriptions of the characters & what's happening. The mystery plot isn't too complicated -- who done it is fairly obvious, how it was done is trickier. All of the main characters could stand some developing and deepening. The book is very funny, though. I laughed out loud throughout much of the book. I kept thinking this book would make a wonderful movie -- so little would have to be done to the book to turn it into a script.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous Mystery
Review: Murder with Peacocks was a delightful book. Donna Andrews writes using a wonderful humorous tone, which is most refreshing after reading so many novels that focus mainly on slash and gore descriptions. The character's family is very colorful and quirky, and she brings the small-town people to life. This was a pleasure from beginning to end, and one needn't worry about reading it all alone at night. It's obviously designed for reading enjoyment, rather than to terrify. This reminded me of another author whose books I enjoy immensely; Janet Evanovich. Both authors write with such a vivid descriptiveness, that you feel like you personally know the characters.
Rating: 
Summary: A laugh-out-loud enjoyable read
Review: This is the first book by Donna Andrews that I've read, and I put the rest of my day on hold to finish the book. I found myself laughing out loud at times--the crazy situations and the wacky family members call to mind Charlotte Macleod and some of her more unusual characters. The protagonist, Meg Lanslow, is resourceful and tolerant of the immensely demanding people with whom she seems to be surrounded, and the most unlikable are the ones despatched. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series.
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