The real macaw : a Meg Langslow mystery (edition 2011)

A really nice written book, that got you interested in Meg's life as she went about her life that just so happened to involve a murder and a theft. The premise that she would always just be in the spot where the clues were happening did wear a little thin by the end. But all in all a fun book to read.
( )

Rating: 3.75* of five

The Book Report: The book description says:
“Meg juggles twins, murder, and a back-talking bird in the next side-splittingly funny installment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling series.

During a 2am feeding for her four-month-old twins, Meg Langslow hears an odd noise and goes downstairs to find her living room filled with dozens of animals—cats, dogs, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits, guinea pigs, and a stunningly foul-mouthed macaw. She soon learns that financial woes have caused the local animal shelter to repeal its no-kill policy.

Her kindhearted father, her zoologist grandfather, and other like-minded citizens have stolen all the shelter’s animals, both as a gesture of protest and to protect them until the hated policy can be repealed. But the volunteer who was to transport the animals to new homes has been murdered. Was it the victim’s tangled love life that drove someone to murder? Or the dark secrets behind local politics? And will Meg ever succeed in finding homes for all the animals that have landed in her life?

Full of the hilarious shenanigans – avian as well as human – that have come to surround Meg and her eccentric band of friends and family, the latest from the one and only Donna Andrews will have you laughing until the very last page: it’s The Real Macaw!”

My Review: Oh dearie me. Such a description! So overripe.

I really don't think a review is called for when a series reaches the bajillionth volume. I'm not really reviewing the book, but the experience.

Fun. Uncomplicated, familiar fun with familiar friends. Sex with the ex.

But how many times can ya come to the well, drop the bucket, and fill 'er up with the same ol' same ol'? I'm a little bit past the sell-by on this series. Kinda done. Not that this wasn't fun! It was! But oh lawsy me...the little nods to the early parts of the series, some specific details that were important once are now used as window dressing and I found that a little annoying. It's increasingly obvious that the past entries of the series are tying the author's hands, and she gives the nods and winks to keep the people happy.

Letting it go comes as a relief. I think, in the end, for all of us ( )

The book opens with Meg conducting a 2 a.m. feeding of her four-month-old twins, only to be interrupted with the relocation of the county animal shelter to her home and barn. The shelter is closing because of a town financial crisis. Her father, grandfather, and brother are part of the citizen activist group formed to "break the animals out" before they are all exterminated. But their plans fall flat when the Parker Blair never shows with his furniture store truck to transport the animals. Her family naturally rallies together, and brings every shelter animal to Meg's.

By dawn the police have arrived, because Parker Blair was murdered. Before this wild and long day ends, Meg will find surveyors on her property. Political fraud in small town Caerphilly shocks the townspeople. The foul-mouthed Macaw ends up playing into the solution.

This is my first Meg cozy so I have none of the prior books to compare to, no pre-twins Meg. Meg does seem one of the few sane people in her family, and even in the town. Since the series has been around for many books, there is not much character development on her family. But what is revealed of family and the town's citizens, shows an eccentric cast.
The plot of an unethical local politician selling a town to developers for his own interests under the guise of budget concerns is realistic. This has the town frantic while the police try to investigate during relocating their office. Meg naturally asks questions and informs the police chief as she goes. But the twins becomes too much in a busy plot. Meg has too much going on and the twins are shuffled around. Michael is the ever-in-the-background husband amidst late night feedings, milk-pumping and so on.

The killer was not obvious, which was nice. The pacing took some time to get going, but took off fairly soon. I was expecting more humor and laughable situations, but I felt there wasn't the much. The beginning had the zaniest mix. I don't know if that is standard since I am new to the series.

Overall this was a fun cozy, but I believe that newcomers would be best to begin with earlier books to get to know Meg and her family. The first book, Murder with Peacocks, would be best to start with. I hope to go back and start with that one myself.

Series: 11th? in Meg Langslow Mysteries

Main Characters: Meg Langslow, Artistic wrought-iron blacksmith

Setting: Modern day, Caerphilly Virginia

Obtained Through: library

Join me at my book blog, Mysteries and My Musings
http://www.mysterysuspence.blogspot.com/ ( )

There are some fictional characters that would make great friends, and Meg Lanslow is one of them. Despite the fact that she's so busy, she always seems to have time to talk over tea.

In this, the thirteenth book in the series, Meg is especially busy because she now has 4-month old twin boys, Jamie and Josh, along with her blacksmithing business, her husband, and her large (and seemingly ever-present) extended family.

For example, the book begins with Meg getting up for a middle-of-the-night feeding. Just as she is dozing off with Jamie in her arms, she hears what sounds like a dog barking. At first, she assumes it's just someone watching television with the sound turned up too loudly, but when it continues, she goes downstairs to find the living room filled with animals.

Her brother, father, grandfather, and the local animal doctor appear, to tell her a convoluted tale of rescuing the animals from a no-kill shelter about to be closed for lack of funds. Apparently the local furniture store owner, Parker Blair, was the only one with a truck large enough to hold all the animals, and he'd missed the "rendezvous". As a result, the men had loaded the animals into various smaller vehicles and brought them to Meg's place temporarily. They'd tried to put them in the barn, they explained, but it was locked.

Just then, police chief Burke arrives on the doorstep, holding Parker's cell phone, which Meg's grandfather has been calling repeatedly. Recognizing Meg's number, Burke comes to see why they've been calling a man who was found murdered behind his store.

Of course, being Meg's life, things only get more confusing after that. Dealing with all the animals, all the people who arrive to help care for them, trying not to wake the babies forces the already-sleep-deprived Meg lose more rest.

Super-organized Meg takes this all in stride, and still manages to retain her sanity. And there's more chaos to come as Burke tries to investigate the murder, and Meg tries subtly to help him while taking care of everything else on her plate.

This is the way most of the Meg Lanslow mysteries proceed, and though the bare bones of all the plots are similar, the books still manage to not feel repetitive.
As always, there's lots of humor, and the reader can only admire Meg's patience and fortitude as she tries to deal with it all. ( )

I get such a kick out of the Meg Langslow mysteries. It's a great combination of cozy mystery, humor (lots), and quirky characters - her family is a hoot. As usual, Meg juggles her family (now with twins) and a murder investigation - and a bird, is of course, center stage. Highly recommended ( )

The newest Meg Langslow mystery. A man is found dead instead of helping with the raid on the country animal shelter (to save them from being euthanized as a cost saving measure). He was having a few affairs. He was found in the wrong part of town. He had been investigating the mayor about some bad loans. The city has taken out loans on county owned buildings & defaulted on the mortgages. Who killed him & why? Meg is involved because the animals ended up at her house as usual & because in order to raise money to pay the mortgages the mayor was going to have her property taken through imminent domain & sold to developers for a golf course. It’s ok. It’s awkward, in some ways. Meg has 4 month old twins & working a sleuth around that logistically is very hard to do believably. Andrews tries & manages to deal mostly by working in a very short timeline. but I think a live in Nanny who is not a plot point herself like Rose Noire often is, needs to be in Meg’s future.

Also, Meg really needs to learn to say 'No' before the twins start walking

http://lilacwolfandstuff.blogspot.com/2011/08/real-macaw.html

This has the classic Meg Langslow cover. I love that every title and story in the series has at least one animal as a central part of the mystery. And yes, in this one it's a Macaw...apparently very rare and with a colorful vocabulary. lol

Meg Langslow is back with her quirky and very large family. She has just had twin boys, so her and Michael are dealing with lots of sleep deprivation. Despite her worries in previous novels, she is a great mother. She still has her "notebook that tells me when to breathe" and I am happy to see she is willing to ignore it to snuggle with her boys. She adores them, and her and Michael shifted from being a married couple to being parents with little to no added friction. It helps that they are both smart and even tempered.

On night after putting one of the twins' down after a feeding she hears animal noises coming from downstairs...praying someone turned on Animal Planet, she goes to investigate. Turns out the CORSICANS (read the book) stole all the animals from the county shelter because it had just changed into a kill-shelter. Most of the area is outraged...and things are destined to get worse before they get better. In all of this mess a murdered body is found behind the victim's furniture store.

Meg really stays on the outside of this investigation more than any other book because of the boys. She wants to stay safe, but being that all the animals are at her house and most of the discussing of the town's problems happen at her place, she gets pulled in anyway.

Donna Andrews does a fantastic job of writing a witty and charming story and weaving a fantastic mystery into the middle of it (and yes I was surprised). She also makes me laugh, the comedy in here is so dry and subtle and completely fits my sense of humor...especially Meg's goofy, large family on her mother's side.

Yup, 5 stars...I love these books! If you read them out of order, it's not too big of a deal. But if you read them all I doubt you'd regret it either. ( )

Another fine installment in the Meg Langslow murder series. This time, we find our heroine resigned to her sleepless and selfless existence in caring for her 4 month old twin boys. Just when she thinks that she can get a moment's rest, her serenity is shattered by the noises of the menagerie her father, brother and grandfather have assembled in her living room. It's all part of a plot to rescue the animals from the county shelter destined for certain demise owing to cost-cutting measures. But one of the rescuers failed to show up for duty and winds up dead. So much for his taking care of the animals and getting them into new or foster homes. The usual family dynamics ensue and mayhem takes over. Meg tries not to engage but gets sucked into the mystery unravelling vortex and eventually saves the day. But what a ride it is getting her there! ( )

Meg Langslow is now the mother of twins and is caring for a friend's child while her friend is serving overseas in the Army. The mayor decides to abandon the town-owned shelter's no-kill policy so the citizens steal all the animals, and Meg finds them in her living room. One of these animals is a foul-mouthed macaw. They were supposed to have been transported by the local furniture store owner in his truck, but he didn't show up at the appointed time and place. Instead, he is found dead with his earring ripped from his ear. There are a lot of other themes in this book such as town finances, corrupt officials, and real estate development that play important roles. As with most of the Meg Langslow mysteries, there are some pretty funny scenes. I was quite pleased that Meg turned evidence over to the police chief rather trying to investigate it herself.. She did a fair amount of snooping, but she generally did so with permission. A great installment in an excellent cozy series. ( )

The town of Caerphilly, Virginia, is in financial trouble, and the denizens of its animal shelter wind up at Meg and Michael's farm. As if they didn't have enough trouble taking care of four-month-old twins, Meg finds herself helping to investigate a murder while trying to keep Caerphilly's crooked mayor from ruining everything. ( )

The twins have arrived, and would be settling in nicely, if it weren't for Meg's assumptive family. During one of those glorious 2am feedings Meg is roused by what she thinks - what she hopes - is an inconsiderate family member watching animal planet, but what turns out to be an animal shelter heist instead. Things are far from peaceful in Caerphilly, and the tension and conflict has come straight to Meg and Michael's door. After the trademark dastardly deceased makes an appearance things start to get even uglier, and (between pumpings) Meg finds herself caught in the middle of weaselly political manipulations. The Real Macaw is more day-to-day than thrilling mystery, as both Meg and her readers try to figure out how to balance four-month-old twins, a fostered five-year-old, and the work of an accidentally-crime-solving blacksmith. Some of the most endearing of Andrews' characters are still in residence, and the story itself feels like curling up with a favorite battered quilt. ( )