No Nest for the Wicket

Meg Langslow #7

by Donna Andrews

Croquet is a genteel game, usually played on a summer afternoon on a tranquil green lawn. Extreme Croquet is a whole other story. That's what Meg Langslow and her new friends are playing on the several-acre farm of her new neighbor, a countryside studded with rocks, steep hills, and placid, seemingly immovable cows. While this society game can get quite warm, it hasn't reached the stage of actual homicide at least not until Meg knocks her ball down a small cliff and encounters the body of a dead woman.

Genres: Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Humor, Cozy, Audiobook, Adult

272 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2006

About the author

Donna 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...

Reviews

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews is a 2006 Minotaur publication.

Who knew croquet could be so dangerous?

Meg and her friends are playing croquet on her neighbor’s farm. Not ordinary croquet, mind you, but eXtreme croquet. When Meg’s ball veers off course, she discovers a dead body. No one seems to know who the woman is…. Until Meg’s fiancé later identifies her as a woman he once dated!

As the investigation opens, Meg and Chief Burke work to discover who might have a motive for murder, uncovering several curious suspects as well as some very interesting historical details someone might not want anyone to know.

Meanwhile the croquet players aren’t happy about putting their game on hold and Michael and Meg fret over the possible sell of the neighboring farm, which is slated to become an outlet mall and could thwart their home renovations.

As usual, the recurring characters get up to some pretty crazy and zany antics. The dialogue in this installment is particularly witty and hilarious. The eXtreme croquet rules are hysterical and laugh out loud funny.

The only problem I had was that the motive was weak. However, I never guessed who the murderer was. In my defense, I was so distracted by all the goings on with Meg, her parents, brother, and Rose Noire, not to mention the sheep, dogs, and a duck laying eggs- among other things, to solve the murder.

This series, so far, has always been a breath of fresh air. If you love comedy, sharp dialogue, and a good whodunit, you should give this series a try. I’m reading them in order, but don’t let the sheer volume of installments deter you. I think you could jump in anywhere and still enjoy the series- but you might get hooked on it immediately- especially cozy mystery fans.

I predict you will love Meg and her dry wit and of course, her crazy, eccentric family, and all the residents of Caerphilly.

Another wildly entertaining mystery-can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this 7th book in the 'Meg Langslow' cozy mystery series, blacksmith/amateur sleuth Meg Langslow is participating in an 'extreme croquet' tournament near her home in Caerphilly, Virginia. The book can be read as a standalone.



The tournament has attracted a wide array of players, including college students from surrounding states, members of the Caerphilly historical society, real estate agents, and others.





Meg is tracking her ball through a rugged field - filled with bumpy ground, water hazards, cows, and sheep - when she literally falls on the body of a dead woman. The victim, whose head has been bashed in (probably with a croquet mallet) has no identification.



When Police Chief Burke questions people in the area, no one admits to knowing the deceased. Later, Meg's fiancé Michael shows up and identifies the woman as Lindsay Tyler, a former history professor at Caerphilly College, where he teaches. Tyler left town under a cloud several years ago - so what's she doing back? (and dead?)



Speaking of history, there's an ongoing dispute among citizens of Caerphilly that involves an outlet mall and the Civil War. Developers in Caerphilly want to build a mall on a field near the Langlslow property, while many residents oppose the idea. In fact, snooty Henrietta Pruitt claims that her ancestor won a Civil War battle on that very field, which should therefore be preserved. Meg speculates that Professor Tyler may have had historical information that impacted one side or the other.



Meg, who's renovating a family home close to the proposed mall, has an obvious horse in this race. The blacksmith is also an amateur sleuth, who's solved homicide cases in the past. So Meg jumps right into the investigation and - with the help of her fiancé and father - uncovers clues that lead to the killer. As in many light mysteries, the amateurs solve the case quicker than the cops.

The characters in this humorous series always get up to amusing hijinks, and in this story their shenanigans include: Morris dancing with bells on their shins; arguments over the rules of extreme croquet (What happens if a player is a murder victim? or a killer?); faking historical evidence; teaching a duck and a dog to herd sheep; etc. I laughed when a character suggested that some refined ladies in the 'extreme croquet' tournament might have thought they were signing up for 'extreme crochet.' LOL







I liked the story and enjoyed visiting with the recurring characters in the series. I have to say, though, that Meg seems overly self-satisfied and snarky this time around, which put me off.

This is an enjoyable cozy mystery, recommended to fans of the genre.

You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun Meg Langslow cozy mystery! Meg is playing extreme croquet out in a cow pasture because this is what they do in Caerphilly, Virginia for fun. While she’s out there, unfortunately, she discovers a dead body, and after the police question everyone at the site and no one seems to know who the dead woman is, it eventually turns out she’s one of Michael’s exes.

Awkward.

This is where the story takes some interesting twists and turns. There are boxes and boxes of historical documents, a historical society up in arms, a strip mall that no one wants built nearby, and of course, the croquet game. But how does it all tie in together? As always, the quirky characters and zany situations are the fun of this book. I always enjoy reading Meg’s adventures and seeing what her family is up to next.

[Chaitra · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is a murder. No one cares about the fact, beyond Meg and her Dad. And Meg and Dad only care because, well, someone has to solve them. The police surely wouldn't be able to. And I like these books. I'm not sure what that says about me, but who cares, the cast are hilarious. I'm even beginning to like Mother. I'm so glad I stuck with the series, even after hating the first book.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg and Michael are camping out in the barn while their house is still undergoing renovations when Mrs. Fenniman decides the farmers' fields around the house are perfect for eXtreme croquet. A tournament is organized and Meg and her family are up against some college students, a team of identical relators, and the Caerphilly's finest old biddies. After Meg rolls down a cliff and faces down a cow while searching for her ball, she discovers the dead body of a woman. Chief Burke is not pleased. He's extra grouchy because his arm is in a cast and no one seems to be able to identify the dead woman. When Michael returns from an all day department meeting (he'll do anything for tenure), he recognizes the woman as Lindsay Tyler, an old girlfriend, a colleague from the college long before he met Meg. was only there for one year before the board forced her out. She made a lot of enemies along the way but Michael thought she had moved on, way out west somewhere. Apparently not. Meanwhile, Meg has to deal with cranky and brooding Duck, wayward sheep, cows and wondering what happened to the professor from UVa who was supposed to come pick up the 29 boxes of papers Edwina Sprocket left behind. Oh and a developer wants to build a mega outlet mall next door! Meg wants to see justice done for the poor dead woman and soon she's on the trail of one very strong motive with two possible suspects.

The mystery was pretty good. The motive was obvious but whodunit kept me guessing. There were enough twists to keep me reading very late. I was a little surprised. I liked seeing Meg's family again. They always make mine look normal. The eXtreme croquet game and antics of the Langslow clan are amusing and a lot of fun. Meg's sleuthing is the one normal thing in this book. She doesn't do anything illegal or snoop. Everything she does is aboveboard and legitimate forms of research.

I didn't like Meg at first but she seems to have given in and joined her crazy family. She's willingly and enthusiastically participating in eXtreme croquet and finds ways to involve her family in her investigation. She's gentle with her mom and co-sleuths with her dad at one point. Michael is even a lot nicer. He has embraced farm country and seems to enjoy living there. He's still eager for tenure and has to toe the line around the stuffy professors. He's not really in the story much. Rob is still an idiot and his staff seem to be cranking out Lawyers From Hell derivatives causing stock prices to soar and the Lansglows rich. In the last book I missed Duck and here we have Duck but no Eric! Eric is there, just not on page. Duck is brooding and laying eggs everywhere which interferes with the game and the farming next door. Duck seems to know how to avoid being trampled by sheep and cows so I think they need to leave her alone. The solution to her problem was very sweet and surprising.

Rose Noire is back and she really doesn't sound that wacky. She has a couple of men vying for her attention. Poor Cousin Horace has a crush on the distant cousin who saved him from his miserable girlfriend. He's smitten but so is Deputy Sammy! Both of them would do anything for Rose Noire. She's a good people person. She'll figure it out. Now Mrs. Fenniman is even wackier than ever. I thought she invented eXtreme croquet but she just brought it to the Langslow clan and now to Caerphilly. She's CRAZY! She makes up her own rules, claims to be consulting the Board of Regents and is so competitive, her rules are always in her favor. She even does something not quite legal to make the game easier to play.

It was fun getting to know Eric's older siblings a bit. Older brother Kevin is the family tech guru. He doesn't know how to do anything extraordinary yet just like my family, the older generations think he's some kind of genius. He's not hacking or anything like that. It's all legal and normal. He even has to tell Meg how to get a picture on her phone. Eric and Kevin's sister Joss is into history. Hooray! She loves historical research, local history and can't get enough. If Michael ever manages to get tenure, maybe he can get her into the history department to teach at Caerphilly College.

Mrs. Pruitt, Mrs. Butler, Mrs. Briggs and Mrs. Wentworth are the Dames of Caerphilly. They're nasty old biddies. Mrs. Pruitt frequently reminds everyone her ancestors founded the town and her ancestor, Jedidiah Pruitt, was a hero during the Civil War Battle of Pruitt's Ridge right there on the farm behind the old Sprocket house. Her story sounds fishy to me. I think she made it up or somehow the story got embellished over the years. Something seems wrong there, like she's using this story to stay in power and justify being mean to everyone. The other women are her underlings. Mrs. Briggs is the wife of the developer who wants to build a mall. First Meg is told outlet mall and then that seems to morph into indoor shopping mall in her mind. They're not the same thing but yes outlet malls cause traffic and require highways. I would oppose the plan too. Lacie Butler seems to copy everything Mrs. Pruitt says and does but is more of a follower and acts like a damsel in distress. Mother Langslow takes Lacie under her wing and tries to make Lacie more assertive but Meg says that's just trading one domineering personality for another. How much can Lacie stand? Claire Wentworth is second in command of this quartet. She's tight with Mrs. Pruitt but also wants to take over the Caerphilly Historical Society from her friend. Mrs. Wentworth has a very strong motive to have wanted the victim gone but it's been a few years since the scandal so why now? Maybe she thought Lindsay's return would bring up old gossip? Meg is hoping they'll be disqualified from the tournament or lose because Henrietta Pruitt is nasty. It's stuffy women like that who have turned Meg and Michael off joining the country club and the historical society. Mr. Briggs is a blustery businessman, rather a two-dimensional character, like the old ladies. Yet he has a soft, kind side when it comes to his wife.

The Mountain Morris Mallet Men college students are driving Meg up a wall. First the incessant noise of the bells is driving everyone crazy and then Tony hits on Meg! oh ew! He's still in college and her fiancé is right there! They OWN the house and some of the land as she points out. She's old enough to know what she wants and be settled in a career and home. Tony and his buddies are computer science nerds. Bill wants to work for Rob's company. He's brooding and moody. He doesn't seem eager to participate in eXtreme croquet but neither is he eager to leave and return to college. Graham is English and very friendly but I think he also LIKES Meg. He's trying to score with any female he can. They're likable enough young men I guess but more like Rob than Michael.

Two realtors, both named Suzie, look enough alike that even Chief Burke thinks of them as clones. They sound young and perky and therefore are annoying at times but nice enough. They don't seem like the eXtreme croquet types and they didn't have the opportunity for murder. Their heels would have sunk in the mud anyway!

Farmer Early raises sheep, long wooled sheep he doesn't sheer often enough for the liking of the croquet players. No Spike can not learn to herd the sheep. He's a terrier not a herding dog. It's not in his DNA and realistically speaking, the farmer should HAVE a farm dog to herd the sheep when they go missing. He sounds cheap and is very cranky. He, too, develops a crush on Rose Noire. I don't understand the appeal but it's funny. Meg and Michael need to be nice to him so having Rose Noire cozy up to the old farmer helps.

Mr. Shiffley, the dairy farmer, lets a the Langslows (etc.) do a lot of crazy stuff on his farm. The cows don't seem to mind much. He's about to sell his land to a developer for a mega outlet mall! oh no! Why would he do that? The usual reasons or something else? The victim was anti-mall. Maybe Mr. Shiffley made sure his deal would go through? He seems too old and hard working to commit murder but maybe one of his nephews? They're contractors/construction workers fixing up Meg and Michael's house but they seem a little lazy to me. Meg suspects the Shiffleys know more about the motive for murder than they're letting on. As old timers, I bet they know all the history of the area and I wouldn't be surprised if it disputes the Pruitts' version of history.

Minerva Burke comes along to drive her husband around since his arm is in a cast. She's sanguine about her husband's personal drama and puts up with his occupation. She seems to be a quiet mischief maker in the background, observing everything, waiting for an opportunity to speak up. Ms. Ellie, the librarian, is no nonsense now but back in the day she sounds like fun. She was the troublemaker of her gang of friends. I can see her running afoul of Mrs. Pruitt and the like but what connection does she have to Lindsay?

This book contains an excerpt of the next one and that one sounds good too! I guess I have to continue reading after all!

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun romp on the farm that has me interested in playing eXtreme Croquet.

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this entry in the delightful series of Meg Langslow mysteries, Meg takes part in an "eXtreme croquet" tournament, and finds herself embroiled in a murder mystery instead.

I always find it amusing in these cozy mysteries that the lead character, a civilian, attracts dead bodies. As witty and fun as I find Meg, if I knew her in real life, I'm sure I would keep my distance as a matter of personal safety. Reading about her adventures is another matter entirely. She, Michael, her family and friends; they make for wonderful characters and I'm always sorry to say goodbye to them at the end of a book.

Unlike other series that I've now given up on, Donna Andrews makes every entry in her Meg Langslow stories different. She doesn't just slap on a new title and give us the same old story. Also, refreshingly, she never wastes my time laboriously describing Meg's wardrobe and hair styling habits as if they are useful information to the story. Donna Andrews is more interested in crackling dialogue, fun plot twists, and seemingly unrelated threads that come together in an intriguing way.

Now I have to find out if anyone plays "eXtreme croquet" around here, because it sounds like a heckuva a lot of fun.

[K. · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid, if slightly forgettable addition to the Meg Langslow series. The story revolves around Meg finding a murder victim while playing eXtreme (not a typo) croquet, and obviously it turns out that the victim was someone slightly nefarious who no one actually liked, so it's totally fine that she's dead. Similarly, it turns out that half the croquet players have a reason to have killed her, so all the suspects are conveniently located in one place to assist Meg in her better-than-the-police investigation.

It's fairly mindless reading, but it's entertaining and the characters are fabulous as always. Besides, sometimes you need a little mindless reading...

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventh in the Meg Langslow amateur sleuth cozy mystery series and revolving around Meg, a blacksmith. The focus is on murder(!), naturally, as well as that threat of an outlet mall!

In 2007, No Nest for the Wicket was nominated for the Left Award.

My Take
When I realized how many of the Meg Langslow stories I hadn’t reviewed, oh mama. I had to go back and re-read, just a few, so I’d be up-to-date with what was happening in those stories before writing those reviews. Dagnabbit, I finished No Nest for the Wicket and immediately had to head into The Penguin Who Knew Too Much. And surely there was no harm in carrying on into Cockatiels at Seven. Yeah, well, now I’m reading The Hen of the Baskervilles. No self-control. Oy.

This is one of those series that you simply can’t stop with just one story. Andrews always leaves me wanting more. It’s humorous, family-oriented, compassionate, and supportive. Both Meg and Michael are more life-oriented and could care less about “moving up in society”, and yet, their compassion does that for them.

Told from a first person protagonist point-of-view from Meg’s perspective, you learn everything she knows, thinks, and feels — including that self-directed snark with a very distinct range of characters.

No Nest for the Wicket has a critical turning point regarding Fred Shiffley’s farm and his reasons for selling it to a developer. It’s a good lesson in understanding the why behind some decisions.

Sure, Meg is nosier than any three gossipy biddies, and most of her sleuthing is due to the inciting incident being related to her, someone she knows, or someone in the family. She simply can’t let it go. When you include her sense of what’s right, Meg will plow right in. Much to the chief’s dismay. This one will be a character arc for both of them. I’m sure the chief will eventually come to trust her . . .?

I reckon you’ve guessed it, this is a character-driven story with some action. Dang, I’m lying. There’s plenty of action between roqueting someone’s croquet ball, demolishing parts of the house, Dad’s inability to focus on the here and now, the constant potlucks — it amazes me how quickly Mother can pull this together for hundreds!, the inner workings of higher society and the town/county rulership with battles between the Shiffleys and the Pruitts, threats of an outlet mall, the struggle to achieve tenure, betrayals, pranks, blackmail, poison ivy, computer hacking, to name a few.

You know how it is, when you need a house in a house-strapped area and have dreams of raising a family. Yep, Meg and Michael overlooked a lot of issues that house had/has. With winter over, they’re hitting it hard and will be living in the barn.

Is it a red herring when no one recognizes someone they know? ‘Cause they’d need a strong net for all the fish they caught! Michael, however, has quite a bit to say about Lindsay, as he learned more and more about her. Whoa.

Ooh, we get some back history on Mother and Dad’s innocent betrayal of her prideful history. More history is on the decorating end when Mother learns to her horror that those tasteful Williamsburg colors she so adores were actually bright, electric, and vibrant.

”Mother knew more ways to cause someone trouble without actually being rude than anyone I’d ever met.”

On the other hand, the pranking! That seems to be part of the Caerphilly history as well, lol. Andrews adds another bit of salacious history — why croquet was banned in Boston! A sadder aspect of history is Dad’s wish to have had his own family history and Randall’s noting how long the farms have been in Shiffley families.

This is the tale in which Meg and company get friendly with Seth Early.

Andrews dips into the “toys” Meg and Michael pick up along the way, the excuses for acquiring them and their future, likely, fate. Michael is being seduced into the farm life, and it’s so cute.

Okay, yeah, the Pruitts are the series bad guys, so I’m naturally inclined to applaud anything that tips over their apple cart. That truth behind Jedidiah’s “battle” was an absolute crack-up! It does pay to be observant and, um, have some other historical bits and pieces on one’s mind. The speculation on Ms Ellie’s previous work history is another “revelation”.

That ending! Yep, the worm turns . . . and turns. One is the exposure and the other is the rescue, and such a rescue. I love it!

I do love a happy ending, especially one that involves so much renovation.

The Story
Finding a body by sliding down a cliff is one thing, but discovering that an outlet mall may soon be built in view of their farmhouse? No! That’s going beyond the pale.

The Characters
Meg Langslow, a blacksmith, and Michael Waterston, a drama professor and Meg’s fiancé, own a three-story Victorian with farm, a.k.a. the Sprocket House, that is in need of work. Spike is the Small Evil One, an 8-pound dog who’s fiercer than fierce, whom they’re babysitting for Michael’s mother until she determines if she’s allergic to Spike.

The Langslow-Hollingsworth family
Rob Langslow, the inventor of some amazing computer games, is her brother. Mutant Wizards is his gaming company, which is doing exceedingly well — as long as Rob stays away. Family is very involved with Mother as chairman of the board and in charge of personnel.

Rob's Ninja Accounting Ducks and Lawyers From Hell are quite popular.

New Ager “Rose Noire” (known to the IRS as Rosemary Keenan), a cousin, is deep into herbal lore. The stately Mother commands hordes. Dad, Dr Langslow, adores mysteries and murders. Eric McReady is Meg’s young nephew who is enthralled with Duck, his pet duck. Cousin Ralph has a history of developer problems. Kevin McReady, Eric’s older brother, is a computer whiz. Jocelyn “Joss” is their older sister with a passion for history.

Seth Early is a farmer who raises sheep. The same ones who are always escaping into Meg and Michael’s yard. Pam had been a neighbor in Meg’s childhood years.

Caerphilly, a.k.a. Toad Bottom . . .
. . . is a small college town surrounded by farms. Ms Ellie Drayer is the town librarian. Jessica is her teenage library aide. Some of Ms Ellie’s older friends include Grant Boyd who immersed himself in Civil War history and went on to become an historian in medieval studies; Blair, Ellie’s brother (somehow Paul Drayer is also Ellie’s brother), who dove into photography of the period; and, Edwina Ballantine née Sprocket was into costumes and handwriting. Edwina’s husband had been a botany professor. Reverend Riggs is at Trinity Episcopal.

Fred, a Shiffley cousin, is a dairy farmer with the perfect pasture for eXtreme croquet; Bess is Fred’s wife. Shiffley nephews are part of Randall Shiffley’s construction team. Judge “Aunt” Jane Shiffley is a source for warrants.

Caerphilly PD
Chief Henry Burke has a broken right arm. Sammy is one of the chief's deputies, who likes Rose Noire. Debbie-Anne is the dispatcher. Cousin Horace Hollingsworth does CSI for the Yorktown PD which occasionally loans him out to Caerphilly — and he likes Rose Noire. Minerva Burke is the chief’s wife who is also in the church choir.

The eXtreme Croquet Teams
Mrs Fenniman is Mother’s best friend who proposed the eXtreme tournament and is team captain for Meg’s group. May Briggs (her husband, Evan Briggs, wants to build an outlet mall) and the two Suzies. Another team is the Mountain Morris Mallet Men who entice the other young men to try out the bells. Tony (he keeps trying to pick Meg up), Graham, and Bill, a computer science major with an interest in computer animation, are students who wanted to play. I did like Bill’s animated résumé! Then there are the Pruitts, who include Henrietta Pruitt, the captain of the Dames of Caerphilly, who belong to the Historical Society, and is married to Lucius. Claire Wentworth is the wife of the history department chairman at the college, the susceptible Dr Marcus Wentworth. Lacie Butler seems to be the Pruitts’ lapdog. Dr Hayes is president of Caerphilly College.

The Pruitts are very proud of “Colonel” Jedidiah Pruitt who won a medal for the 1862 Battle of Pruitt’s Ridge. Victoria Virginia Pruitt is one of his children. The colonel’s brother, Virgil Pruitt, was the then-mayor. The Shiffley Brothers Distillery of the time was looted and burned. It’s up to you to figure out which side burned it — the Pruitts or the Yankees. The Pruitts owned the Clarion from just before the Civil War into the 1960s. Tiberius Pruitt had owned it back in the fifties.

Dr Helen Carmichael is a history professor at the University of Virginia. The combative Lindsay Tyler, who had once dated Michael, specialized in Virginia history. She’s now working at Pineville College in West Virginia.

The Cover and Title
The cover is a pale blue that gradates down to an almost white. An info blurb is at the very top in black with the author’s name in red beneath it. Below this is a montage of four croquet balls with a wicket on either end of a patch of grass with four ducklings looking off to the right. Below this is the title in blue. The series information, in black, is at the very bottom.

I do enjoy Andrews’ punny title, and No Nest for the Wicket is true enough, there is no rest for the wicked.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meg is in the middle of renovating her house and gets involved in a new game called Xtreme Crocket. This is crocket but in very challenging circumstances. This game in played in the fields of the surrounding farmlands, around cows on one field and sheep on another - through bogs and thickets and down ravines.

Meg is sent down a ravine and almost falls on top of a dead woman. Even though there are 8 teams of 3 people, assorted family and tons of construction workers on the site - no one admits to knowing the dead woman. Or do they...

Duck is going around laying eggs and Meg's Dad is insistent on building Duck a pond. With Duck and Spike and sheep and cows and wickets, it makes for a typical Meg mystery. I enjoyed this very much.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Meg is hosting an eXtreme croquet match when she finds a body--which turns out to be Michael's former girlfriend. Fortunately, he has an alibi, and the chief of police in Caerphilly has learned to trust Meg (a little) but things like a visiting group of Morris dancers and the local historical society interfere with Meg's sleuthing.

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

After years of library searches, I snagged the ebook. Why is this one so difficult to find? Is it the eXtreme crochet? The civil war references? Rose Noire's relationship with a lackadaisical sheep owner? Meg at her most iconic. Fun for those who remember Alice's queen and the flamingos. And for anyone with a sense of humor.

[Kav · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fourth reading and just as full of zany wonderfulness as I remembered!

---

Two words: Extreme Croquet. Need I say more? Bwahahaha! Meg Langslow and family are up to their sublime zaniness. One of my favourite in the series and yet this is only the second time I've read it. What is wrong with me?!

[Anastasia · Rating 5 out of 5]

No Nest for the Wicket by Donna Andrews is the 7th book in the Meg Langslow series. Blacksmith Meg Langslow is playing in an Extreme Croquet tournament when she comes across the body of a woman who appears to have been killed by a croquet mallet. A fun mystery where we see further progress on Meg and Michael's house and meet some of the local residents. Meg's crazy family is always around to help out. Highly entertaining and lots of laughs.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series. Meg and her family are totally crazy, in a good way. It was interesting reading about the eXtreme croquet going on in this book, even though I've never played regular croquet. I also don't know how Meg deals with all the craziness that constantly goes on in her life and all the people who just randomly show up.

[Mary Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally Allowed on the Computer! Sorry, I know they are different genres and different uses, but this is the first time in 5 days I have been allowed on the computer! We have 3 computers and 5 people and someone is always on the computer and I hate doing updates on a tablet or phone, so I have been waiting for a computer to be vacated so I could get on and make updates. 
 
Since I finished the Civil War book first, I will start there. This is another book that I got for school use. It was a really good read and full of some interesting facts, that I will be using when I lecture on the Civil War (tomorrow). The girls are not going to be happy, but there is a test at the end of this study grouping. This book was full of names, dates, and facts that they may not be aware of, for instance, our current army is uniform in looks and dress, while Revolutionary to Civil War forces were mixed and matched adding problems to the fight, attacking their own sides. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for information on the Civil War or Wars in general. 
 
I finished "No Nest for the Wicket" by Donna Andrews today. I love her books and this book is no exception. I reread this book because she had a new book come out in August and another coming out in time for Christmas. Her books are full of words that are fun to use in vocabulary tests (yep, my kids were groaning as I would say, "Oooooh, here is another word!" 
 
In this story, Meg's family member referred to as Mrs. Fenniman, reads about a new sport, Xtreme Croquet. She loves croquet and loves the idea of playing Xtreme Croquet. With the help of Meg's family, her dad getting the farmers to let them use their land, and Mrs. Fenniman posts that they will be having a competition and opens it to anyone who wants to play. A team of college boys comes to play and "The Dames," members of the Historical Society and another group from town with "The Clones" and Meg's family team are playing. As they play, the competition is ruthless and Meg's ball is hit into some briars and she finds the body of a woman, no one admits to knowing. When they find out who she is and where she is from, it becomes apparent that many of the competitors are lying. Meg tries to find out who really did the deed and stumbles across another mystery and learns the truth about the Pruitts that make them appear to be less than they are, because of a prank from some college kids in the 1950's. 
 
 

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

AudioBook Review
Stars: Overall 4 Narration 4 Story 4

The first introduction to Meg, her fiancé Michael and the little town of Caerphilly came in the form of an extreme croquet tournament – and what an introduction it was! Rather than a manicured lawn and the parasols and picnic baskets there are hillocks and sheep, cows and rocks to navigate, play around or even through as the game progresses. Or doesn’t progress as early on Meg emerges from a ravine only to find a bludgeoned blonde lying dead in the middle of the playing ground. But, when the game stops, the fun just begins. The teams in this tournament mean that there are plenty of suspects (24) to choose from, and while Meg would really like to play, she can’t help but do a bit of investigating.

If the tournament wasn’t enough upset, Meg and Michael are sleeping in the barn while their house is being renovated, so aside from the players for the tournament, there are construction workers and residents who could all be suspects: and until the woman is identified, anyone could have hit her in the head with a mallet or sledgehammer. But that’s only the beginning of this crazy yet engaging mystery: from animals to people, the characters are funny, quirky and completely fresh and unique. No wasted time on overthinking descriptions: dialogue and interactions drive this story forward, dropping hints, red herrings and laughs in equal measure. With a little side-trek to a Civil War battle site and some drama surrounding development and the potential future of the Caerphilly community, there are plenty of pieces in this little gem of a story.

Narration is provided by Bernadette Dunn and I couldn’t help but be impressed with her ability to navigate some of the ridiculously hilarious moments without pause, but always adding that smile to her voice so the humor was easy to recognize. Each character was distinct in voice or pace, and the dialogue was always crisp and clear, so much so that even the rapid-fire moments of dialogue were flawless. As an introduction to a series and narrator, this was one that I won’t forget for a very long time, and am interested in starting this series from the beginning to see if the fun hold out.

I received an AudioBook copy of the title from the publisher via AudioBook Jukebox for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

My heart says this is a great cozy! My brain will give in and forgive it for having so many suspects! This is my first venture into this cozy series written by Meg Laslow. I now want to go back and read the first of this series, “Owls Well That Ends Well”.

The story starts off with an "eXtreme croquet" which means croquet played in rough terrain, this time involving cow and sheep pastures. Which means that you could end up with a cow standing guard over your wicket? Meg, the main character finds a tall, beautiful blonde bludgeoned a by croquet mallet. Since there were four teams of players that means there was a plethora of suspects. But I really enjoyed. I felt at home with Meg, her fiancé Michael, both her quirky parents and in particularly Spike, a very unusual dog. All this happens in the little town of Caerphilly.

Since Meg’s house was undergoing major renovations Meg and Michael were sleeping in the barn during the time of the croquet match. After the discovery of the victim, all the suspects and even the Shiffleys had to stay put. The Shiffleys were a large family that you went to get anything done. The Shiffleys won my heart with their huge breakfasts that they cooked up for everyone. They set the spread on horses and sheets of plywood. I could almost smell their cooking.

This may sound a bit confusing but it wasn’t for me. I let the narrator, Meg carry me along with story and even ventured a guess or two about who committed the murder. This book is so rich in quirky characters and even a strange event, the Battle of Pruitt’s Ridge during the Civil War. Sometimes even battles need to be questioned!

I highly recommend this book to all cozy mystery lovers and quirky character lovers.

[Teri-K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extreme croquet - I think it was called cutthroat croquet in the Bridgerton books - is a lot of fun whether you're reading historical romances or modern day cozies. And this author is tops at choosing fun settings and milking them for smiles. In this book Meg and Michael have purchased a run down show place and their efforts at renovation are interrupted by a relative's insistence on holding an extreme croquet invitational on the grounds. This brings together lots of potential suspects when Meg finds a dead body near a wicket.

If you read any Sherlock Holmes you know that he solves the case by finding some obscure clue, like rare mud or cigar ash, that can only point to one particular culprit. I never liked that as I can always think up other possible explanations that he ignores, so I'm delighted to find Meg turning up one clue after another, none of which actually help her narrow down the suspects at all! As Michael points out in the case of poison ivy, for instance, people could have poison ivy for perfectly innocent reasons, or the culprit could be immune. So the clue doesn't really help. I think that's a lot more realistic than Holmes method. It's also more fun.

I breezed through this book, and am seriously contemplating teaching my grandsons to play croquet. By the time they're older we might be able to field an extreme, cutthroat team of our own... Hopefully without the dead bodies. :)

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Donna Andrews mysteries. Yes, there are murders, and sometimes it bothers me that it doesn't seem to bother anyone else, but the story of the hilarious family and all the animal antics more than makes up for it. Very light, fluffy, easy, enjoyable reads. AND, there are a lot of them! Win!

[Mabel Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason this one just did not hold my attention as much as the other books in the series have so far. I kept leaving it and reading another book and coming back to it. Normally I pick one of hers up and finish it in a day. Crossing my fingers the next one is better!

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, really starting to love this series. Already have the next one on my nightstand!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another delightful installment in the Meg Langslow series!!

[gardienne_du_feu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bei Meg und Michael ist mal wieder Highlife angesagt - genauer, auf dem benachbarten Farmgrundstück, wo sich ein eXtreme-Croquet-Turnier abspielt. Die Damen der örtlichen High Society sind begeistert dabei, ebenso eine Handvoll Studenten von einem Provinzcollege, und auch Meg tut ihr Bestes, ihre Mannschaft voranzubringen, was gar nicht so einfach ist, wenn Kühe und Schafe auf dem Spielfeld die Tore plattdrücken oder Bälle im Matsch versinken. Der Name "eXtreme" kommt nicht von ungefähr.

Dass Meg auf der Suche nach ihrem Ball eine tote Frau findet, die allem Anschein nach mit einem Croquetschläger umgebracht worden ist, erscheint dann doch ein bisschen arg extrem. Zunächst ist gar nicht klar, wer die Tote überhaupt ist, und als deren Identität feststeht und man auch weiß, dass sie kein sehr netter Mensch gewesen sein soll, stellt sich immer noch die Frage, wer sie warum ausgerechnet an diesem Ort getötet hat. Besteht ein Zusammenhang mit den höchst umstrittenen Plänen, auf dem Grundstück von Farmer Shiffley ein monströses Einkaufszentrum zu bauen? Spielt die lokal berühmte Bürgerkriegsschlacht von Pruitt's Ridge hier irgendeine Rolle? Oder ging es "nur" um persönliche Animositäten?

Während Meg gemeinsam mit Officer Burke herauszufinden versucht, was eigentlich Sache ist, bestehen die croquetbegeisterten Ladies darauf, dass das Spiel weitergeht, Megs Vater schmiedet Pläne für einen Kräutergarten und einen Ententeich, und es wird erbittert gestritten über das Einkaufszentrum und die Bedeutung der ominösen Schlacht von Pruitt's Ridge.

Es geht also wie immer chaotisch zu rund um Megs Ermittlungen, mit dem üblichen Großaufgebot an Nebenrollen für schräge Vögel mit und ohne Flügel, und es gibt auch wieder einige amüsante Szenen und Wortgefechte, allerdings konnte mich dieser Fall nicht so richtig fesseln, und das Drumherum war mir streckenweise ein bisschen zu überzogen. Herrlich fand ich allerdings die Pointe des Handlungsstrangs um die Bürgerkriegsschlacht.

[Laurel Bradshaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

And we're back in the groove. A little less crazy. Some reviewers have even suggested it is too "tame," but I liked that this one was dialed back a bit. We got to see a little more of Michael, and MAYBE, just maybe, their relationship is finally edging toward setting a date for the wedding. Plans to refurbish their newly purchased farmhouse might be on hold with speculation that someone plans to develop a giant mall on the farmland for sale next door. Meanwhile, they are hosting an extreme croquet tournament for the college students, with one of the teams being a troop of Morris dancers. The croquet field (boggy farmland with lots of poison ivy) might have been the site of a local Civil War battle, which the historical society hopes might forestall any mall plans. And Meg discovers that among the 23 boxes of papers and photos saved by the previous owner of the farm she might be able to prove the claim. Meanwhile, Meg's brother Rob is trying to teach Spike how to herd sheep... Okay, I said a LITTLE less crazy. But now I really want to play extreme croquet...

Description: The hilly terrain next to the old Sprocket house that Meg Langslow and her fiancé, Michael, are refurbishing is the perfect location for an "extreme" croquet field—even the legs of cows and sheep are convenient extra wickets. A sport traditionally reserved for genteel society, croquet has become all the rage in Caerphilly…until it appears someone in town has taken the "rage" a bit too literally. While stumbling down a steep bank after her ball, Meg encounters the body of a fresh female corpse with a mallet-sized dent in her head. If that isn't reason enough to call a time-out, it turns out that Michael knew the woman from years before. Ever curious, Meg decides that playing arm-chair sleuth is far more important than working on her game…and soon she finds herself in the perfect position to solve the murder mystery—or become the next victim.

[Cookie M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am half tempted to give this book a five, but if they keep getting better, I will run out of rating stars.

The Meg Langslow mysteries are the littlest, silliest things I have read in a long time. This one revolves around a fascinating new sport, which has got me and my daughter looking at our local cattle pastures in a whole new light - extreme croquet!

That's right. Just try to play it without murdering someone.

No one writes a cozy mystery like Donna Andrews, and no one reads one like Bernadette Dunne.

[L Y N N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another solid installment in this series! Though the editing was a bit sloppy… I identified no less than 10 errors in spelling, grammar, etc. Definitely glad I discovered this series.

Andrews is amazing at weaving in some bizarre trivia along with bits of historic information, unique characters, interesting animals, and twisty-turny plots with red herrings galore that are logical, reasonable, and rather misleading! 😃

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story gave more info on the little town they live in but I feel the story plot is weak. Poison Ivy seems to be involved with this murder plot. Why wasn't Meg affected by it? No one admits to knowing the murder victim to the police but several people have had interactions with her. This story line just wasn't interesting to me.

[Chrisanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books really alternate from average to hilarious for me. This was average because you didn't know if a person was important enough to remember(crucial for a mystery) which meant that, at the end, two people were brought forward who I had apparently been introduced to but had no memory of. Not bad. Still chuckled a bit. But I know she's capable of better.

[Amybeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice, easy read. Not as "wacky" as a few of the previous in the series.