Featured Author - Apr 2013 - Donna Andrews

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ, Cozy Mysteries Group Owner]

Our featured author this month is Donna Andrews. Her official website is: http://www.donnaandrews.com

The Meg Langslow series

1. Murder With Peacocks
2. Murder With Puffins
3. Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
4. Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
5. We'll Always Have Parrots
6. Owls Well That Ends Well
7. No Nest for the Wicket
8. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much
9. Cockatiels at Seven
10. Six Geese A-Slaying
11. Swan for the Money
12. Stork Raving Mad
13. The Real Macaw
14. Some Like It Hawk
15. Hen of the Baskervilles

The Turing Hopper series

1. You've Got Murder
2. Click Here For Murder
3. Access Denied
4. Delete All Suspects

Anthologies/Short Stories

Powers Of Detection: Stories Of Mystery & Fantasy
Chesapeake Crimes I
Chesapeake Crimes II
Chesapeake Crimes: This Job Is Murder
Chesapeake Crimes 3
Death Dines In
The Mysterious North
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe
Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy

A Murder Hatched

[☯Emily]

Great choice. Have never read the first of the Meg Langslow series, so I'll go look for it. Loved the later books in the series.

[Leslie]

Yay!! I have read a couple of the Langslow series but happy to read more. Love the Turing Hopper books, which I recommend to anyone who likes Jasper Fforde - similar sense of humor, in my opinion.

[Nell]

Fabulous! Her Meg Langslow series is a favorite. I have the last 3 in my TBR. Just the nudge I need.

[Karen]

I have been wanting to try one of hers and they do have them at the library. YA!

[Paula]

It's been a long time since I read a Donna Andrews' book. I like the 4 Meg Langslow series books I have. Good cozy mystery.

[Susan]

Excited about reading the series, will get them all loaded on my ipad tonight! (I hope).

[Barb]

I loved the Turing Hopper books and was sad to see the end of that series. I've read one of the Meg Langslow series, but have had the others on my TBR list ever since -- I just never get around to reading them! I'm not sure I'll be able to work any into this month's reading plan, but I'll try :)

[Jane Reads]

I am currently reading #9 of the Meg Langslow series, . The first eight have been great, and so is this one!

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ, Cozy Mysteries Group Owner]

I quite honestly, havn't read any of her work yet. The only ones I have in my home library are several of the short stories in the anthologies so will start there.

[❂ Murder by Death]

I love her Meg Langslow series - Murder with Peacocks had me laughing until I cried. I'm all caught up on her books - I devour them as soon as their published, but I can't wait for the Hen of the Baskervilles to come out! :)

[Valorie]

Oh goody! I love the Meg Langslow series! I'm going to read

[Elaine]

I met her at Bouchercon in Indianapolis a couple years ago. She was so nice and funny. Love her books and this will encourage me to fill the gaps in her series.

[Susan]

I just started the first one and love it! She's so funny and the characters are awesome. I keep adding more and more cozies to my TBR stack, I hope to get them on my pinterest page soon.

[☯Emily]

Just ordered the first book in the Meg series today. I hope to have by the weekend.

[Melodie]

I think I have one of these around here somewhere. Haven't read any of hers in a long time. Read the Turing Hopper books some time ago.

[Sandra J]

I'm going to reread my favorite. I laugh every time I read it.

[Beth]

OOOO C Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon is my favorite too! But I might go back and read the first one, I can't read one I haven't read as I have read them all, and I don't think the next one comes out until after the deadline!

[Diana]

One of my favorite Authors. Meg's family is fabulous. My favorite of that series if WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARROTS. Reminds me a little of BIMBOS OF THE DEATH SUN by Sharyn McCrumb.
Only read the first of the Turing Hopper series. Didn't realize there were more. I'll have to look for them.

[Julie]

I just read . For some reason, I had a hard time finishing this one. I remember enjoying the first of the series, but this book didn't grab me. Not sure if it was the storyline or what. I will definitely try the third in the series to see how the characters progress.

[Sylvia]

I love this author! I'm so glad to see the list at the top. Printing it out! I've missed some of them.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

I picked three of the first four ML books up at a library used book sale a few months ago. Am currently about 50 pages into Murder With Peacocks.

[[deleted user]]

I do wish she could get more of the Turing Hopper books published. I absolutely love them! (I don't think it was her idea to stop writing them, I think the publisher decided to stop publishing them.)

[Katherine]

Excellent choice. I've read the first 7 Meg Langslow series and loved them. Looking forward to reading more and trying out the Turing Hopper series.

[Jackie]

I've read several of the Meg Langslow series and found them very entertaining reads. Haven't tried any of the Turing Hopper series yet but plan to.

[Heather L , Cozy Mysteries Moderator]

Finished Murder With Puffins last night. Guess whodunnit early on, though not "how" it was done. Will have to watch the library book sale and Half Price Books for books three.

[Sandra J]

I liked it very much. I especially liked (view spoiler)[the way Meg gets around Michael's insufferable mother (hide spoiler)]. It was pretty funny.

[Beth]

I just finished re-reading murder with peacocks. I have kept up with the series, but had not returned to re-read any. Think I might have to, this was such fun!

[Sandra]

I am on the 11th book in the series - love, love these books. Great characters, love the humor!

Had not hear of the Turing Hopper series - will mark "To Read".

[Leslie]

I finished No Nest for the Wicket yesterday. I had forgotten how crazy Meg's family is! I really appreciated the way Meg doesn't try to keep information from the police - despite her crazy family, Meg herself is less ditzy than many cozy heroines!

[Nell]

Finished Stork Raving Mad and started The Real Macaw. Meg goes into labor at the end of Stork Raving Mad in the middle of a confrontation with the killer. In The Real Macaw, the twins are a few months old.
I remember Meg having a large family and was surprised to realize that she is one of three children. Her brother Rob, who appears in most of the books and a sister, Peg, who I don't remember but may have been in some earlier books. It's her extended family that is large - mostly cousins on her mother's side.
Really enjoying the books and getting caught up with the series. There are scenes that are LOL and the mystery is good.

[☯Emily]

Peg is in the first book which I am reading now. I started the series in the middle and didn't remember Peg at all, so I guess she has been written out.

[Susan]

I just finished Murder With Peacocks and loved it, I'm starting the next one tonight. It was fast paced and kept you interested the whole time. I'm loving cozies!!!!

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I've finished Murder With Peacocks and it's well written and some funny details, but I don't like how her family behaves with Meg. I'm not sure I'm going to read anymore.

[Nell]

Just finished The Real Macaw . Great mystery, lots of suspects and the real killer was a surprise to me. Also like how the real macaw plays a role in solving the crime. A lot is happening in Caerphilly. I'm glad I can start the next one without having to wait a year to find out what happens next.

[Jane Reads]

Marisa wrote: "I've finished Murder With Peacocks and it's well written and some funny details, but I don't like how her family behaves with Meg. I'm not sure I'm going to read anymore."

Meg develops a backbone as the series develops, plus the later books (through #11) don't take place in Yorktown, her parents' hometown. Meg learns how to handle the family - ignoring, avoiding and refusing.

[Marisa, Cozy Mysteries Assistant Moderator]

I'll try because I found it really annoying.

[☯Emily]

Marisa wrote: "I'll try because I found it really annoying."

I am reading the first book too and I find the treatment of Meg to be quite irritating. I actually started reading the series in mid-stream and really love the later books. I suggest giving a later book a try.

I find out if I like a series by reading one in the middle. Those books are usually the best. The new writer has improved, but hasn't had time to tire of the characters. That is not the normal way of getting hooked, but it works for me.

[Kathy]

Marisa, these books can be very annoying for sure. I find the chaos very unsettling. If I did not consider them one of the funniest books on the market today, I would definitely feel that everyone is pretty rude to everyone else.

I particularly hate when everyone just moves into their house and into every room. Also a pain is her mother going around trying to redecorate in a style clearly not in keeping with the couples' interest or style.

And if I was married and had just had babies, while the extra help would be great, all these weirdos and moochers would drive me insane!!!

It is just that they way Andrews blends all this with the characters and the story appeal to me. I don't say I could live like this in reality. That dog would have to go!!! But she has to be pretty creative to invent these stories.

[❂ Murder by Death]

I agree - no way could I live like Meg and Michael, but the way Ms. Andrews makes it all work, and often work to Meg's advantage (by putting them all to work) makes it a situation I can find amusing. It really is a credit to her writing - I think a lot of other authors trying to pull this off would fail miserably.

Marisa - I can also vouch for the fact that in later books Meg doesn't let her family push her around the way they did in the first book - she gets very adept at manipulating them to do her bidding. :)

[Nell]

The chaos, created mostly by Meg's extended family, are why the books are so funny.

I really like the relationship between Michael and Meg - the way he takes everything in stride and, in the newest books, I like their co-parenting. It's refreshing to read a series where the author did not create one of those annoying love triangles.

I agree with Jennifer - Meg becomes adept at using the talents of her family members and friends. Like in The Real Macaw when she recruits her mother to do 'exterior decorating' or uses one person to divert another and get what she wants. I wouldn't want that chaos in my house but I enjoy reading about it and seeing how Meg manages it. Just like I enjoy reading about amateur's finding a killer often putting themselves in harm's way. I'd never do that either!

[Valorie]

I just finished and loved it (as usual)! Can't wait to move on to the next book in the series!

[Nell]

Yesterday I finished Some Like It Hawk so I'm all caught up with this series thanks to the featured author pick. Enjoyed catching up with Meg and Michael. They are new parents of twins now.
Her newest comes out in July. Looking forward to how the kids will develop in Hen of the Baskervilles. They will be toddlers in that book.