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Meg Langslow #24
Lark! The Herald Angels Sing
Glory to the new-born...infant?
It's Christmastime in Caerphilly. Meg, full of holiday spirit, is directing a nativity pageant when she finds a surprise in the manger: a living, breathing baby girl. A note from the mother says it's time for the father to take care of her--and implicates Meg's brother, Rob, as the father. A DNA test can reveal the truth but Rob's afraid that suspicion itself could derail his plan to propose to the woman he loves. So Meg, always up to the task, makes it her merry business to find proof of paternity. But her investigation into the life of Lark, as the infant is named, leads to more questions than answers. Is someone using Lark as a pawn in a sinister game? And why does Meg feel that she is the one being threatened most of all?
It's Christmastime in Caerphilly. Meg, full of holiday spirit, is directing a nativity pageant when she finds a surprise in the manger: a living, breathing baby girl. A note from the mother says it's time for the father to take care of her--and implicates Meg's brother, Rob, as the father. A DNA test can reveal the truth but Rob's afraid that suspicion itself could derail his plan to propose to the woman he loves. So Meg, always up to the task, makes it her merry business to find proof of paternity. But her investigation into the life of Lark, as the infant is named, leads to more questions than answers. Is someone using Lark as a pawn in a sinister game? And why does Meg feel that she is the one being threatened most of all?
292 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 16, 2018
395 people are currently reading
1102 people want to read
About the author
Donna Andrews
103 books2,092 followersDonna Andrews was born in Yorktown, Virginia, the setting of Murder with Peacocks and Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos, and now lives and works in Reston, Virginia. When not writing fiction, Andrews is a self-confessed nerd, rarely found away from her computer, unless she's messing in the garden
http://us.macmillan.com/author/donnaa...
http://us.macmillan.com/author/donnaa...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
December 4, 2025
This was a fun Meg Langslow Christmas book. ❄🎄❄🎄
Meg is leading the children in a rehearsal for the Christmas Nativity play at the local church when she turns around to discover the baby Jesus in the manger is not in fact the pastor’s child, but an unknown baby who has been left there with a note by their mother saying the father should take care of her—and implying the father could be Meg’s brother Rob. This sends Rob’s girlfriend Delaney into a tailspin. Meg and Michael have baby care duty, and as always there is lots of fun Christmas delight as the Langslow family gets up to their craziness. Five stars for a great story and five candy canes for lots of Christmas! 🎅🍭 5/5 stars.
Meg is leading the children in a rehearsal for the Christmas Nativity play at the local church when she turns around to discover the baby Jesus in the manger is not in fact the pastor’s child, but an unknown baby who has been left there with a note by their mother saying the father should take care of her—and implying the father could be Meg’s brother Rob. This sends Rob’s girlfriend Delaney into a tailspin. Meg and Michael have baby care duty, and as always there is lots of fun Christmas delight as the Langslow family gets up to their craziness. Five stars for a great story and five candy canes for lots of Christmas! 🎅🍭 5/5 stars.
September 19, 2025
This has to be my favourite Meg Langslow book! Just as beguiling the fifth time round.
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Nothing says festive quite like a cozy mystery that's equal parts zany and heartwarming. Andrews delivers all the feel-good Christmasy vibes along with a stellar mystery. And tons of gut-jiggling, snort-guffawing laughter besides.
Yes, this is #24 in this decades plus series but I think it reads fine as a standalone and would be a great introduction to the author's quirky charm. Plus, she knows how to pack her Christmas novels full of yuletide spirit. I read a number of them in a row before settling down to do the series justice by reading them all, more or less in order. :-)
Just be prepared for never-ending bedlam and lots of slap-happy, laugh-out-loud moments courtesy of Meg's wildly interesting extended family and the town of Caerphilly in general. The mystery is gentler -- it's more about finding an abandoned baby's mother and dealing with the neighbouring county's notoriously crooked sheriff's department and culminates in a rousing 'Ode to Christmas' that saves the day in a spectacular way! Still grinning over that particular finale.
In fact, I think Lark! The Herald Angels Sing is such a season-pleaser, I've listened to it three times now. Bernadette Dunne does an amazing job with this cast of eccentric characters and she has a droll way of delivering the comedic parts which keeps me smiling all the way through.
---
Nothing says festive quite like a cozy mystery that's equal parts zany and heartwarming. Andrews delivers all the feel-good Christmasy vibes along with a stellar mystery. And tons of gut-jiggling, snort-guffawing laughter besides.
Yes, this is #24 in this decades plus series but I think it reads fine as a standalone and would be a great introduction to the author's quirky charm. Plus, she knows how to pack her Christmas novels full of yuletide spirit. I read a number of them in a row before settling down to do the series justice by reading them all, more or less in order. :-)
Just be prepared for never-ending bedlam and lots of slap-happy, laugh-out-loud moments courtesy of Meg's wildly interesting extended family and the town of Caerphilly in general. The mystery is gentler -- it's more about finding an abandoned baby's mother and dealing with the neighbouring county's notoriously crooked sheriff's department and culminates in a rousing 'Ode to Christmas' that saves the day in a spectacular way! Still grinning over that particular finale.
In fact, I think Lark! The Herald Angels Sing is such a season-pleaser, I've listened to it three times now. Bernadette Dunne does an amazing job with this cast of eccentric characters and she has a droll way of delivering the comedic parts which keeps me smiling all the way through.
March 12, 2019
I love this series so much! This is, hand down, in the top 3 of my most favorite series ever. I cannot even write a decent review without spoilers, so just know this. Meg and her family are knee=deep in again and this time, it may take the whole town to help get them out of trouble and on their way to a Merry Christmas. All the usual characters are in this one with a few new faces and it all is just so much fun!!
December 24, 2018
During rehearsal for the children's Christmas pageant at Trinity Episcopal, Meg is surprised to find a baby in the manger. Since it is just rehearsal, they weren't using an actual baby yet. Things get even more intriguing when Meg finds the note attached to the baby strongly implying that the Meg's brother Rob is the father. This couldn't have come at a worse time since Rob is about to propose to his girlfriend of two years. Who is the mother? Why did she leave the baby in the church? And can Meg figure out who the father really is?
I'm not going to say more than this since the plot spins out in several fun and surprising directions from here. I was intrigued the entire way through. And yes, there is a crime and even murder, but the plot isn't a strict murder and five suspects. Then again, that's often the case with this series, and I love that creativity in the plotting. The usual characters are all here, although some get more page time than others, which is again a staple of the series. I did find some editing glitches in a couple of random chapters, and I thought a couple of plot points early on came out of nowhere even though Meg didn't seem that surprised by them. Then again, I could have missed something with those plot points. Honestly, I didn't care, however, because I was laughing so hard at the antics in the book. Yes, I always find this series amusing, but this is the most I've laughed out loud at a book in the series in quite a while.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
I'm not going to say more than this since the plot spins out in several fun and surprising directions from here. I was intrigued the entire way through. And yes, there is a crime and even murder, but the plot isn't a strict murder and five suspects. Then again, that's often the case with this series, and I love that creativity in the plotting. The usual characters are all here, although some get more page time than others, which is again a staple of the series. I did find some editing glitches in a couple of random chapters, and I thought a couple of plot points early on came out of nowhere even though Meg didn't seem that surprised by them. Then again, I could have missed something with those plot points. Honestly, I didn't care, however, because I was laughing so hard at the antics in the book. Yes, I always find this series amusing, but this is the most I've laughed out loud at a book in the series in quite a while.
Read my full review at Carstairs Considers.
November 12, 2023
I totally enjoyed this book. Lots of laughs.
October 26, 2018
Excellent! This was a perfect Meg Langslow story! All the things I love about Meg, her family and friends, and the community of Caerphilly are on display in this delightful Christmas mystery. This one feels fresh with the murder taking place "off screen," and the aftermath as the focus of the story. I loved the women's shelter pieces of the story - they were woven in throughout the book and gave the town something to rally around. Highly recommend the whole series!
December 19, 2025
4.25 🌟
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Christmas
Another hit!
I’m trying to (for once) relax and enjoy the days leading up to Christmas. So I’ve downloaded and nice fun easy game on my phone and borrowed a ton of the Christmas books in this series from my library. So far, it’s been a great decision!
I’ve become very invested in this series again and the Christmas cheer from these books is intoxicating. The plots, while wild and unrealistic, are too much fun to care! I’m really enjoying how easy these are to read and enjoy.
This one felt less like a mystery and more like an adventure but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I really loved the concept of the rival towns as well.
While there were one or two strings left hanging I would’ve liked conclusions to, I guess I’ll just have to read more.
Mood/Seasonal Reading: Christmas
Another hit!
I’m trying to (for once) relax and enjoy the days leading up to Christmas. So I’ve downloaded and nice fun easy game on my phone and borrowed a ton of the Christmas books in this series from my library. So far, it’s been a great decision!
I’ve become very invested in this series again and the Christmas cheer from these books is intoxicating. The plots, while wild and unrealistic, are too much fun to care! I’m really enjoying how easy these are to read and enjoy.
This one felt less like a mystery and more like an adventure but that didn’t make it any less enjoyable. I really loved the concept of the rival towns as well.
While there were one or two strings left hanging I would’ve liked conclusions to, I guess I’ll just have to read more.
January 3, 2019
What a charming and delightful Christmas mystery with all the banter and wit we Meg Langslow fans have come to enjoy.
They're coming down to the wire. There's just 3 more rehearsals to go before Christmas Pageant showtime at Caerphilly's Trinity Episcopal Church. Our beloved protagonist and friendly blacksmith, Meg Langslow, is the director of this year's production and cannot wait until it's all over. But what's this? There's a live baby in the manger which isn't supposed to be there for this rehearsal. What? There are two babies? Who belongs to this one? The scathing note attached to the child points a finger at Meg's brother as the child's father just as he was about to propose to his long-standing girlfriend. Things go from bad to worse and the girlfriend storms out of the church and the brother is suddenly looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
With foster parents in short supply, Meg and Michael are tapped for the job just as 30+ relatives descend upon their home for the holidays. As the DNA tests attempt to disprove Rob's paternity, Meg is working every connection she's got to try and find the child's parent(s).
Meanwhile, there's a murder (off scene), hooch running and weed growing in a nearby county where the local sheriff has pinned the murder on an unsuspecting patsy just to silence him. There's so much corruption that the good guys are just up against it. The local women's shelter even gets a fair amount of exposure in this story (where you would as soon keep the place anonymous).
Leave it Meg to come up with a plan.
I so enjoyed this 24th book in the Meg Langslow series and cannot wait for the next adventure of Meg and her quirky, yet wonderful family.
They're coming down to the wire. There's just 3 more rehearsals to go before Christmas Pageant showtime at Caerphilly's Trinity Episcopal Church. Our beloved protagonist and friendly blacksmith, Meg Langslow, is the director of this year's production and cannot wait until it's all over. But what's this? There's a live baby in the manger which isn't supposed to be there for this rehearsal. What? There are two babies? Who belongs to this one? The scathing note attached to the child points a finger at Meg's brother as the child's father just as he was about to propose to his long-standing girlfriend. Things go from bad to worse and the girlfriend storms out of the church and the brother is suddenly looking like a deer caught in the headlights.
With foster parents in short supply, Meg and Michael are tapped for the job just as 30+ relatives descend upon their home for the holidays. As the DNA tests attempt to disprove Rob's paternity, Meg is working every connection she's got to try and find the child's parent(s).
Meanwhile, there's a murder (off scene), hooch running and weed growing in a nearby county where the local sheriff has pinned the murder on an unsuspecting patsy just to silence him. There's so much corruption that the good guys are just up against it. The local women's shelter even gets a fair amount of exposure in this story (where you would as soon keep the place anonymous).
Leave it Meg to come up with a plan.
I so enjoyed this 24th book in the Meg Langslow series and cannot wait for the next adventure of Meg and her quirky, yet wonderful family.
December 7, 2018
Grasped for straws to have a Christmas themed book for our book club. May have to rethink this idea for next year as we haven't had much luck...unless anyone has suggestions? Short read with too many characters. Felt thrown together to get number 24 published quickly.
December 10, 2022
Lark! The Herald Angels Sing: A Meg Langslow Mystery #24
By Donna Andrews
• ASIN : B079DVPYQR
• Publisher : Minotaur Books (October 16, 2018)
• Publication date : October 16, 2018
Our main character, Meg Langslow is finally learning to appreciate each member of her extended family, and she’ll need each and every one of them if she’s to survive a houseful of relatives for the holidays. In this holiday novel we meet old friends from previous Meg Langslow editions and discover a few new ones. This book isn’t the usual “cozy” I’m used to reading, while there is certainly a good deal of humor throughout this volume there are a lot of intense events that take place in Caerphilly, VA during the week before Christmas.
A corrupt police force, an abandoned baby, false accusations, stray sheep, marijuana farming, attempted kidnapping, drug addiction, domestic violence, a Christmas pageant, car theft, false arrests, murder, busloads of caroling women, humming llamas, and the stock piling of moonshine are just some of the events that Meg will have to deal with before the women of Caerphilly can have their wrongfully imprisoned men folk home for the holidays.
It’s a fast paced, clean, and overall delightful addition to Donna Andrew’s bird named cozy mysteries.
By Donna Andrews
• ASIN : B079DVPYQR
• Publisher : Minotaur Books (October 16, 2018)
• Publication date : October 16, 2018
Our main character, Meg Langslow is finally learning to appreciate each member of her extended family, and she’ll need each and every one of them if she’s to survive a houseful of relatives for the holidays. In this holiday novel we meet old friends from previous Meg Langslow editions and discover a few new ones. This book isn’t the usual “cozy” I’m used to reading, while there is certainly a good deal of humor throughout this volume there are a lot of intense events that take place in Caerphilly, VA during the week before Christmas.
A corrupt police force, an abandoned baby, false accusations, stray sheep, marijuana farming, attempted kidnapping, drug addiction, domestic violence, a Christmas pageant, car theft, false arrests, murder, busloads of caroling women, humming llamas, and the stock piling of moonshine are just some of the events that Meg will have to deal with before the women of Caerphilly can have their wrongfully imprisoned men folk home for the holidays.
It’s a fast paced, clean, and overall delightful addition to Donna Andrew’s bird named cozy mysteries.
December 5, 2018
While Meg is organizing a Christmas concert, she discovers a strange baby in the manger.
Another madcap adventure while Meg tries to find, first the baby's mother, then the father who is fleeing from the nasty people of Clayville who have framed him for a murder he did not commit.
When they learn that the sheriff of Clayville has Mark (the father), a number of Caerphilly people set off to rescue him, themselves ending up in a Clayville jail cell.
Of course it is up to Meg to come up with a plan to free the men. She does this with her usual calm intelligence and creativity. The result is a scene of joyous chaos (complete with about 300 carollers and sheep) with the expected happy ending.
A most delightful Christmas story!
On a more personal note, I especially appreciate this series because Meg does not go around confronting potential killers with questions that she has no right to ask and no one in their right mind would feel obligated to answer. She does not put herself in danger, then congratulate herself for solving the mystery when the police or some big, strong, and always stunningly handsome male has to rescue her.
Another madcap adventure while Meg tries to find, first the baby's mother, then the father who is fleeing from the nasty people of Clayville who have framed him for a murder he did not commit.
When they learn that the sheriff of Clayville has Mark (the father), a number of Caerphilly people set off to rescue him, themselves ending up in a Clayville jail cell.
Of course it is up to Meg to come up with a plan to free the men. She does this with her usual calm intelligence and creativity. The result is a scene of joyous chaos (complete with about 300 carollers and sheep) with the expected happy ending.
A most delightful Christmas story!
On a more personal note, I especially appreciate this series because Meg does not go around confronting potential killers with questions that she has no right to ask and no one in their right mind would feel obligated to answer. She does not put herself in danger, then congratulate herself for solving the mystery when the police or some big, strong, and always stunningly handsome male has to rescue her.
June 20, 2023
You know when you sometimes just want a soft, cozy chair and friends around the fire? (And yes, I read this in June! However...) That's what this book was for me. The mystery was fine. It's just all the community and regular family issues we all have to some degree that really made this a fun read. Ms. Andrews really makes these people come alive and fill the pages with love, and that was what I needed at the moment. I didn't realize it till I got to the end of the book. So thank you, Ms. Amdrews, and thank Meg and her family and friends for all the madcap-ness you put them through. I, for one, appreciate it.
October 27, 2018
Always enjoyable, but there wasn't much of a mystery to this one. The murder in this case happened off screen and in a different county, so it's dealing with the corrupt Clay County that is the main plot (Lark's parentage was quickly sorted out). I have to say that Ekaterina is hilarious, and I loved how the Shiffley woman just casually took out the power lines for Clay County.
It's nice to see the twins getting older, though that made me realize just how long I've been reading this series...Also, Spike must now be something near 25 years old...
It's nice to see the twins getting older, though that made me realize just how long I've been reading this series...Also, Spike must now be something near 25 years old...
February 16, 2019
I slipped this in between my other current reads as I was able to borrow the audiobook, but for a limited time.
It was another great series read. I did read it out-of-order, though, but will be going back to #23 before too long!
It was another great series read. I did read it out-of-order, though, but will be going back to #23 before too long!
January 24, 2019
Super funny, zany caper mystery. Eccentric but lovable (mostly) characters, charming amateur sleuth Meg Langslow, sweet small-town ambience. This is a great Christmas read!
November 20, 2023
Donna Andrews is a new-to-me author, and I thoroughly enjoyed this Christmas book. When a tiny baby is left in the manger at Meg Langslow's church, thus begins a cozy mystery that is filled with chaos, humor, and a small town coming together to fight the corruption going on in the small town next door.
The premise was great, and the author wove in enough Christmas to make this cozy feel like a Christmas read. The characters were interesting and there were enough problems within the main theme that it made the plot line satisfying. And, of course, the HEA ending at Christmas made this a wonderful combination of Christmay and cozy mystery.
The premise was great, and the author wove in enough Christmas to make this cozy feel like a Christmas read. The characters were interesting and there were enough problems within the main theme that it made the plot line satisfying. And, of course, the HEA ending at Christmas made this a wonderful combination of Christmay and cozy mystery.
October 25, 2023
I’ve been listening to audio books of this series … this may be my favorite one yet of the entire bunch.
So many layers, twist and turns
So many layers, twist and turns
December 3, 2018
In Lark! The Herald Angels Sing, book 24 of the Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews, Meg gets involved in one of her wildest cases yet. While directing the practice for the children’s Christmas pageant at Trinity Episcopal Church, Meg discovers a real baby lying in the manger. Then she sees the note. It says that Meg’s brother, Rob, is the baby’s father. And this happens just as Rob is about to propose to Delany, his girlfriend of two years. Then when Rob shows up at the church upon Meg’s demand that he do so, he brings Delany with him, which causes a massive rift in their relationship when she discovers the claim of Rob’s paternity.
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
Read the rest of this review and other fun, geeky articles at Fangirl Nation
November 8, 2018
Light, fast-paced, funny Christmas centered mystery involving the Langslow family and most of Caerphilly.
Someone has left a baby in the manger during rehearsals for the Christmas program, Meg's brother might be the father (which throws a wet blanket over his proposal plans),there's an accountant being framed for murder, Grandfather Langslow is delivering lectures on the egg laying habits of cuckoo birds, and somehow Meg is up to her eyeballs in all this stuff. Actually the part I found most unbelievable is that Meg wrapped presents for the boys and Michael in one evening, by herself.
It doesn't have to make sense, it's just fun, and just what I needed right now.
Someone has left a baby in the manger during rehearsals for the Christmas program, Meg's brother might be the father (which throws a wet blanket over his proposal plans),there's an accountant being framed for murder, Grandfather Langslow is delivering lectures on the egg laying habits of cuckoo birds, and somehow Meg is up to her eyeballs in all this stuff. Actually the part I found most unbelievable is that Meg wrapped presents for the boys and Michael in one evening, by herself.
It doesn't have to make sense, it's just fun, and just what I needed right now.
January 2, 2021
So much fun!
If this were a movie, it would be on par with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! It was so much fun to read, with interesting and quirky characters and a story with enough plot twists to keep the reader intrigued. Now I need to read the first 23 in the series!
If this were a movie, it would be on par with The Best Christmas Pageant Ever! It was so much fun to read, with interesting and quirky characters and a story with enough plot twists to keep the reader intrigued. Now I need to read the first 23 in the series!
July 17, 2019
I really enjoyed this story, so much so that I am going to check out this series. Seems like it might keep me busy a while since I think this was book 23? :)
October 10, 2019
really good book....part of the Meg Langslow mystery series
November 21, 2018
Twenty-fourth in the Meg Langslow cozy (and funny) amateur sleuth mystery series set in Caerphilly, Virginia, a.k.a., Yorktown, and revolving around Meg and her family and friends.
My Take
I want to visit Caerphilly at Christmas! It sounds as though they go all out to create a gorgeous setting for the townsfolk AND the tourists. I also like Michael's idea of hiring his drama students to provide the "street theater". As for the Waterstons' house. I want that too. I mean, two-story high bookcases in a former ballroom-turned-library? Hullo...!
As for the story, it's all goodwill and peace on earth, Meg-style. Aiding and abetting a criminal, planning a prison escape, singing Christmas carols to the enemy. It's always a cozy tale in Caerphilly with family staying and helping out, townspeople stepping up and being supportive. It's the kind of town anyone would want to live in.
Fortunately, Meg is always at the center of things, so it makes sense that Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view, so we know everything Meg does. It appears that everyone in Caerphilly also knows Meg, and you will. Crack. Up. As "everyone" in town shows up at Meg's place.
It's an army Meg's assembling that includes the Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, and Presbyterian women, the ladies participating in the retreat, and what seems to be every other woman in Caerphilly!
And, Andrews, thanks for reducing the number of times "my notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breath" is mentioned.
The Story
A suspected murderer has escaped from Clay County, and Sheriff Dingle is demanding constant updates from Chief Burke...who's more concerned with finding the alleged fugitive and getting him into the hands of any county but Clay.
As for the mysterious baby taking the place of Baby Jesus? It's a miracle, and Meg is hoping she'll take Baby Noah's place.
Nor do the menfolk want to be left out of the rescuing, as tracking/rescue teams invade the county. Thank goodness their women know what to do!
The Characters
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith married to Professor Michael Waterston who teaches drama at Caerphilly College. They have eleven-year-old twins, Josh and Jamie, who are protected by the Small Evil One, Spike, the dog who hates everyone.
Rob is Meg's brother who started up a successful computer company, Mutant Wizards, with a focus on gaming and security. Tinkerbell is Rob's Irish wolfhound. He and Rose Noir, a cousin and the town's natural food and wellness expert, live with Meg and family in their sprawling farmhouse. Delaney McKenna is Rob's jealous girlfriend. Dad, Dr James Langslow, loves all things crime and is the local medical examiner, who donates his time to the shelter, and is the town Santa. Mother has high standards and is excellent at organizing and decorating anything. Wait'll you read what she did for the shelter's decorations, lol! Thurston and Bruce-Partington are Mother and Dad's cats.
Dr Monty Blake is the Langslows' grandfather who owns the Caerphilly Zoo and is passionate about all things animal — a zoologist and environmentalist with his J Montgomery Blake Foundation. Blake's Brigade are volunteers Grandfather calls on when he needs help with an animal welfare project. Great-grandma Cordelia (Dr Langslow's mother) had played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and is now the batting coach for the Caerphilly Eagles Little League team. Caroline Willner runs the Willner Wildlife Sanctuary and seems to be dating Dr Blake.
The Nativity play
Baby Jesus will, hopefully, not be played by the Reverend Robyn Smith's four-month-old Noah. The reverend is the rector for Trinity Episcopal. Matt is Robyn's husband. Kirstie will play the Virgin Mary. Josh and Elijah are shepherds, but Elijah may be replaced by Kyle. Colin is one of the three kings. Jamie plays the Angel Gabriel.
The note says her name is Lark.
Meg and Amber (a very skilled Jill-of-all-trades) and Brianna Shiffley (she's a licensed electrician) are the only ones in town allowed to do repairs at the women's shelter. (Brady Shiffley is Brianna's brother who works at Dominion Energy and said to be careless with his keys, ahem.) Josephina Diaz arrived as a resident and has stayed on as cook, housekeeper, and den mother at the shelter. Dr Clarence Rutledge, the local vet, provides board for any of the residents' pets. Mo Heedles, the police chief in Riverton, will hold down the fort at the emergency shelter. Young Lilly is very suspicious of Santa Claus.
Caerphilly PD
Chief Henry Burke and his wife, Minerva, are raising their three grandchildren: Frank Jr, Calvin, and Adam, the youngest and Josh and Jamie's best friend. Debbie Ann is the emergency dispatcher. Horace Hollingsworth is Meg's cousin and the crime scene specialist. Burke's deputies include Vern Shiffley, Caleb Shiffley, Wayne Shiffley, Aida Butler (her daughter, Kayla, fills in at the station on school holidays), and Crowder.
Randall Shiffley is the mayor, county manager, and unofficial head of the Shiffley clan. Fred Shiffley is the cousin who has taken over running the Shiffley construction company. Aunt Jane, er, I mean Judge Jane Shiffley helps out with those warrants. Meredith Flugleman is with Child Protective Services and dislikes children. Bertha Shiffley and Rabbi and Joyce Grossman are some of the fostercare volunteers. And then there's Meg and Michael Waterston. Viola Wilson is the wife of New Life Baptist's minister. Ginnie Shiffley drives for the Caerphilly school system.
Pemberly, Mrs Thistlewaite's ginger tom, is missing. Again. Seth Early pastures his escapist sheep across from the Waterstons' farm; Lad is his Border collie. Ekaterina Vorobyaninova is the assistant manager at the Caerphilly Inn and a friend of Meg's. She has two Russian blues, Alexei and Tatiana. Oksana is her sister. She claims that their dad was a spy. Luigi owns the pizza place, and Muriel runs the diner. Osgood Shiffley runs the local service station and car repair shop. Taylor Shiffley joins the tracking team. Maudie Morton runs the funeral home.
Clay County is...
...a hateful place made up mostly of Dingles, Whickers, Plunkets, and Peebleses and wars with Caerphilly. A Dingle is the mayor, another is the sheriff, yet another is the judge, and another one is a reverend. The deputies include Brad Peebles and D Plunket. Ben Dingle has been spying in Caerphilly. Anse Dingle and Bo work for Cyrus "Cy" Whicker at Clay County Towing (and chop shop).
Mark Caverly is an accountant hired to straighten out the county's books; he's on the run from the law for the murder of Lucius Plunket. Mark's wife, Janet, is also on the run with their baby, Andrea, and Sammy the Siamese cat. Rachel Driver Plunket is Lucius' sister who works at Rocky's Burger Barn. Grendel Plunket is a greedy pig and a cousin. Tyler Whicker and Urisha Peebles have a really stupid idea. And compound things by claiming Ellie Peebles is in there. The Clay Pigeon is a sleazy bar whose owner also operates the Clayville Shooting Range.
Richmond, Virginia, is...
...where Inman works in a federal office. Special Agent Durham doesn't like vigilante tactics. Well, okay, maybe this one time...
Samantha is one of Rob's ex-girlfriends, as is the cake-popper-outer, Relentless Stalker Desiree. Mrs Valerie Peters claims to have lost a baby. Paton is a guard at Mutant Wizards. Mona is part of Rose Noire's retreat group, and she has a lot of experience with conflict de-escalation and resolution. Devon and Annika are a couple of Michael's grad students who'll have fun with the video equipment.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a shiny red bordered by tinsel and garland. A swooping, embossed gold banner takes up most of the cover 'cause that title (in a dark green) is long. One end of the banner is caught in a Santa-capp'd lark's beak, his feet holding a long trumpet. At the very top is an info blurb in a pale yellow with the author's name directly below it in an embossed silver. At the bottom left is the series information in silver.
The title is too cute, as Lark! The Herald Angels Sing out the baby's name.
My Take
I want to visit Caerphilly at Christmas! It sounds as though they go all out to create a gorgeous setting for the townsfolk AND the tourists. I also like Michael's idea of hiring his drama students to provide the "street theater". As for the Waterstons' house. I want that too. I mean, two-story high bookcases in a former ballroom-turned-library? Hullo...!
As for the story, it's all goodwill and peace on earth, Meg-style. Aiding and abetting a criminal, planning a prison escape, singing Christmas carols to the enemy. It's always a cozy tale in Caerphilly with family staying and helping out, townspeople stepping up and being supportive. It's the kind of town anyone would want to live in.
Fortunately, Meg is always at the center of things, so it makes sense that Andrews uses first person protagonist point-of-view, so we know everything Meg does. It appears that everyone in Caerphilly also knows Meg, and you will. Crack. Up. As "everyone" in town shows up at Meg's place.
It's an army Meg's assembling that includes the Baptist, Methodist, Lutheran, Catholic, Jewish, and Presbyterian women, the ladies participating in the retreat, and what seems to be every other woman in Caerphilly!
And, Andrews, thanks for reducing the number of times "my notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breath" is mentioned.
The Story
A suspected murderer has escaped from Clay County, and Sheriff Dingle is demanding constant updates from Chief Burke...who's more concerned with finding the alleged fugitive and getting him into the hands of any county but Clay.
As for the mysterious baby taking the place of Baby Jesus? It's a miracle, and Meg is hoping she'll take Baby Noah's place.
Nor do the menfolk want to be left out of the rescuing, as tracking/rescue teams invade the county. Thank goodness their women know what to do!
The Characters
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith married to Professor Michael Waterston who teaches drama at Caerphilly College. They have eleven-year-old twins, Josh and Jamie, who are protected by the Small Evil One, Spike, the dog who hates everyone.
Rob is Meg's brother who started up a successful computer company, Mutant Wizards, with a focus on gaming and security. Tinkerbell is Rob's Irish wolfhound. He and Rose Noir, a cousin and the town's natural food and wellness expert, live with Meg and family in their sprawling farmhouse. Delaney McKenna is Rob's jealous girlfriend. Dad, Dr James Langslow, loves all things crime and is the local medical examiner, who donates his time to the shelter, and is the town Santa. Mother has high standards and is excellent at organizing and decorating anything. Wait'll you read what she did for the shelter's decorations, lol! Thurston and Bruce-Partington are Mother and Dad's cats.
Dr Monty Blake is the Langslows' grandfather who owns the Caerphilly Zoo and is passionate about all things animal — a zoologist and environmentalist with his J Montgomery Blake Foundation. Blake's Brigade are volunteers Grandfather calls on when he needs help with an animal welfare project. Great-grandma Cordelia (Dr Langslow's mother) had played in the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and is now the batting coach for the Caerphilly Eagles Little League team. Caroline Willner runs the Willner Wildlife Sanctuary and seems to be dating Dr Blake.
The Nativity play
Baby Jesus will, hopefully, not be played by the Reverend Robyn Smith's four-month-old Noah. The reverend is the rector for Trinity Episcopal. Matt is Robyn's husband. Kirstie will play the Virgin Mary. Josh and Elijah are shepherds, but Elijah may be replaced by Kyle. Colin is one of the three kings. Jamie plays the Angel Gabriel.
The note says her name is Lark.
Meg and Amber (a very skilled Jill-of-all-trades) and Brianna Shiffley (she's a licensed electrician) are the only ones in town allowed to do repairs at the women's shelter. (Brady Shiffley is Brianna's brother who works at Dominion Energy and said to be careless with his keys, ahem.) Josephina Diaz arrived as a resident and has stayed on as cook, housekeeper, and den mother at the shelter. Dr Clarence Rutledge, the local vet, provides board for any of the residents' pets. Mo Heedles, the police chief in Riverton, will hold down the fort at the emergency shelter. Young Lilly is very suspicious of Santa Claus.
Caerphilly PD
Chief Henry Burke and his wife, Minerva, are raising their three grandchildren: Frank Jr, Calvin, and Adam, the youngest and Josh and Jamie's best friend. Debbie Ann is the emergency dispatcher. Horace Hollingsworth is Meg's cousin and the crime scene specialist. Burke's deputies include Vern Shiffley, Caleb Shiffley, Wayne Shiffley, Aida Butler (her daughter, Kayla, fills in at the station on school holidays), and Crowder.
Randall Shiffley is the mayor, county manager, and unofficial head of the Shiffley clan. Fred Shiffley is the cousin who has taken over running the Shiffley construction company. Aunt Jane, er, I mean Judge Jane Shiffley helps out with those warrants. Meredith Flugleman is with Child Protective Services and dislikes children. Bertha Shiffley and Rabbi and Joyce Grossman are some of the fostercare volunteers. And then there's Meg and Michael Waterston. Viola Wilson is the wife of New Life Baptist's minister. Ginnie Shiffley drives for the Caerphilly school system.
Pemberly, Mrs Thistlewaite's ginger tom, is missing. Again. Seth Early pastures his escapist sheep across from the Waterstons' farm; Lad is his Border collie. Ekaterina Vorobyaninova is the assistant manager at the Caerphilly Inn and a friend of Meg's. She has two Russian blues, Alexei and Tatiana. Oksana is her sister. She claims that their dad was a spy. Luigi owns the pizza place, and Muriel runs the diner. Osgood Shiffley runs the local service station and car repair shop. Taylor Shiffley joins the tracking team. Maudie Morton runs the funeral home.
Clay County is...
...a hateful place made up mostly of Dingles, Whickers, Plunkets, and Peebleses and wars with Caerphilly. A Dingle is the mayor, another is the sheriff, yet another is the judge, and another one is a reverend. The deputies include Brad Peebles and D Plunket. Ben Dingle has been spying in Caerphilly. Anse Dingle and Bo work for Cyrus "Cy" Whicker at Clay County Towing (and chop shop).
Mark Caverly is an accountant hired to straighten out the county's books; he's on the run from the law for the murder of Lucius Plunket. Mark's wife, Janet, is also on the run with their baby, Andrea, and Sammy the Siamese cat. Rachel Driver Plunket is Lucius' sister who works at Rocky's Burger Barn. Grendel Plunket is a greedy pig and a cousin. Tyler Whicker and Urisha Peebles have a really stupid idea. And compound things by claiming Ellie Peebles is in there. The Clay Pigeon is a sleazy bar whose owner also operates the Clayville Shooting Range.
Richmond, Virginia, is...
...where Inman works in a federal office. Special Agent Durham doesn't like vigilante tactics. Well, okay, maybe this one time...
Samantha is one of Rob's ex-girlfriends, as is the cake-popper-outer, Relentless Stalker Desiree. Mrs Valerie Peters claims to have lost a baby. Paton is a guard at Mutant Wizards. Mona is part of Rose Noire's retreat group, and she has a lot of experience with conflict de-escalation and resolution. Devon and Annika are a couple of Michael's grad students who'll have fun with the video equipment.
The Cover and Title
The cover is a shiny red bordered by tinsel and garland. A swooping, embossed gold banner takes up most of the cover 'cause that title (in a dark green) is long. One end of the banner is caught in a Santa-capp'd lark's beak, his feet holding a long trumpet. At the very top is an info blurb in a pale yellow with the author's name directly below it in an embossed silver. At the bottom left is the series information in silver.
The title is too cute, as Lark! The Herald Angels Sing out the baby's name.
December 31, 2024
Maybe I’d appreciate this book more if I was invested in the series.
(I read it to fulfill one of my last reading challenge prompts left for the year, and was glad to find a Christmas book that would fit.)
The story has some good Christmas prep and small town charm with quirky characters mixed in with a mystery.
Meg is helping with her church’s Christmas pageant, and everyone is surprised when an unknown baby is found in the manger. This begins the mystery, and it’s pretty interesting as the community rallies to find out whose baby it is. But then things get a little out of hand as the mystery grows into all kinds of illegal happenings and county line feuds. I didn’t care enough to try to keep up with all of it, but the story took what could’ve been an interesting mystery and snowballed it into a big outrageous mess. Kind of interesting, but too over the top to be great. I’d say fans of cozy mysteries might enjoy this adventurous Christmas story. I found it to have too many people doing too many crazy things, making it more outrageous than engaging. Interesting to an extent, but not great.
(I read it to fulfill one of my last reading challenge prompts left for the year, and was glad to find a Christmas book that would fit.)
The story has some good Christmas prep and small town charm with quirky characters mixed in with a mystery.
Meg is helping with her church’s Christmas pageant, and everyone is surprised when an unknown baby is found in the manger. This begins the mystery, and it’s pretty interesting as the community rallies to find out whose baby it is. But then things get a little out of hand as the mystery grows into all kinds of illegal happenings and county line feuds. I didn’t care enough to try to keep up with all of it, but the story took what could’ve been an interesting mystery and snowballed it into a big outrageous mess. Kind of interesting, but too over the top to be great. I’d say fans of cozy mysteries might enjoy this adventurous Christmas story. I found it to have too many people doing too many crazy things, making it more outrageous than engaging. Interesting to an extent, but not great.
November 30, 2018
I had never heard of this author, but the cheerful cover and title beckoned to me from the new book rack at the library. I normally don't read series out of order, but this one sounded like it could stand on its own. The author did a good job differentiating between some of the characters, but overall, there were way too many people to keep track of. The good guys were very good and the bad guys were pretty bad. Two women with a hammer and a frying pan, respectively, were able to overcome two bad guys with guns. (That seems unlikely.) Every church choir in the county is persuaded -- a few days before Christmas when *no one* has anything to do -- to travel by bus to sing carols to somehow help get people out of jail. The main character is directing the Christmas pageant, has a husband, two twin boys, and a houseful of company, but for two days she is barely home and barely sleeps. I'm tired just thinking about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 1, 2019
In this book Meg is working with the kids in town on a Christmas pageant when they discover a baby girl left at the church with a note implying Meg's brother Rob is the father. Did Rob really have a baby with someone other than his current girlfriend?
Something fishy is going on in Clay County and the baby's family needs the help of all the residents in town to save one family so they get to have a Merry Christmas. When the men in town get themselves in legal trouble it's up to the women to straighten things out but will it work in time?
I love this series and the things they go through some of it is just way lol moments. They pull you in for a totally dysfunctional bumpy ride that won't let go until the story is told! I will definitely be checking out other books in this series as they are a recipe for complete success!
Something fishy is going on in Clay County and the baby's family needs the help of all the residents in town to save one family so they get to have a Merry Christmas. When the men in town get themselves in legal trouble it's up to the women to straighten things out but will it work in time?
I love this series and the things they go through some of it is just way lol moments. They pull you in for a totally dysfunctional bumpy ride that won't let go until the story is told! I will definitely be checking out other books in this series as they are a recipe for complete success!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2021
Meg is directing the Christmas pagent when one of her twins announces that the baby Jesus needs a diaper change, cause he stinks.
Meg is thoroughly confused as the doll, they are using, should not stink. Meg discovers a baby in the manger, who is very happy but also has a note indicating since Rob has more money, he can take better care of the baby, but, Rob is about to propose to his girlfriend.
When Rob finally arrives for Meg to confront, his girlfriend Delaney arrives, the two of them have a blow out argument.
It turns out that little Lark, is an abandoned baby, but then the difficulties arrive in attempting to determine whose baby she is.
Meg*s grandfather decides to rescue an employee from the next county and Meg comes to the rescue that is a dawn Christmas carolling in the next county under filming and directed to the internet.
Meg is thoroughly confused as the doll, they are using, should not stink. Meg discovers a baby in the manger, who is very happy but also has a note indicating since Rob has more money, he can take better care of the baby, but, Rob is about to propose to his girlfriend.
When Rob finally arrives for Meg to confront, his girlfriend Delaney arrives, the two of them have a blow out argument.
It turns out that little Lark, is an abandoned baby, but then the difficulties arrive in attempting to determine whose baby she is.
Meg*s grandfather decides to rescue an employee from the next county and Meg comes to the rescue that is a dawn Christmas carolling in the next county under filming and directed to the internet.
December 5, 2025
This series is one of my absolute favorites, and I'm thrilled that it's still going strong after all this time. I love Meg and her extended family, but am sooo happy they're not *my family. I wouldn't survive all the chaos that she has to deal with all the time!
There is no murder in this book, but instead the primary focus is a puzzle that's introduced very early in the book. A secondary thread is interwoven with the first, and Meg and her family/friends solve both with their usual humor and (for lack of a better word) goodwill. I loved the final scene at the neighboring county's police department :)
The next book in this series is in my audio library, and I'm eager for another visit with Meg, Michael and the rest to see what they get up to next.
There is no murder in this book, but instead the primary focus is a puzzle that's introduced very early in the book. A secondary thread is interwoven with the first, and Meg and her family/friends solve both with their usual humor and (for lack of a better word) goodwill. I loved the final scene at the neighboring county's police department :)
The next book in this series is in my audio library, and I'm eager for another visit with Meg, Michael and the rest to see what they get up to next.
January 6, 2019
This has an interesting premise: an abandoned baby in the manager at Christmas.
Meg is designated as the most appropriate (and available) foster family to take care of the baby girl.
Pageant practice is put on hold while the town invades Clay County to locate the father, who appears to have been set up as a fall guy by the local families who run the county.
Meg is able to rouse the town choral groups and infiltrate the jail to determine if their intelligence is correct and to wait for the professionals to arrive.
No matter how busy she is Meg always finds a way to solve the murder in time for the festivities.
I bought a copy at Audible.
Meg is designated as the most appropriate (and available) foster family to take care of the baby girl.
Pageant practice is put on hold while the town invades Clay County to locate the father, who appears to have been set up as a fall guy by the local families who run the county.
Meg is able to rouse the town choral groups and infiltrate the jail to determine if their intelligence is correct and to wait for the professionals to arrive.
No matter how busy she is Meg always finds a way to solve the murder in time for the festivities.
I bought a copy at Audible.
October 31, 2019
Donna is back on form with this newest entry. She has a formidable challenge in utilizing the extensive list of Meg's family members and friends in her books. In the last couple of books, I felt like many of them had little more than walk-on parts and were not fully realized. Lark! The Herald Angels Sing has the full cast, including her brother Rob who in the last few books was almost non-existent. The mystery plot was a good vehicle to move the characters along, and the culmination of the story was over the top ridiculous, but that's why I read this series. I would like to see Michael more, at least in this book he did more than just babysit the twins. And when will Meg get to do blacksmithing again?
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