Donna Andrews and her Meg Langslow mysteries are reliably well-done cozy mysteries with strong clues and sneaky red herrings. Add a large crazy family and an interesting selection of animals and you are bound to have a fun few hours of reading.
In this installment, (35th in the series, but can definitely stand alone, too) there is a collision between a shady reality show, a very cranky neighbor and a large herd of feral turkeys. As the mayor’s go-to person for handling random problems, Meg must keep everyone’s temper from flaring as she confronts noisy construction, spying neighbors, and turkey poo while trying to figure out a murder.
As always, I love the care that Meg has for her friends, family, neighbors and town. She is smart and willing to get her hands dirty, but she doesn’t run into danger without thinking or letting someone know where she is going. She is generous, but not a perfect person as is most of the other supporting cast. The complex characters and their relationships are what keep me returning to this series. On top of that, these books are very funny—I never realized a turkey could seem both menacing and goofy at the same time.
The one thing I noticed in this particular novel, and it may be because I had an early reader’s copy that has not perhaps been fully edited, but on several occasions, there would be two people having a conversation, and a third would chime in that I had no idea was in the vicinity. It was strange and took me out of the story.
All in all, this was great fun and highly enjoyable.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the free digital copy. ( )

I look forward to every single book by Donna Andrews. Her cozy mysteries are simply a delight and all the Meg Langslow characters in Caerphilly are so much fun. BETWEEN A FLOCK AND A HARD PLACE has to be in my top five favorite books in the series. Between the troublesome turkeys and the incompetent home improvement show, this one was just a hoot!

Meg’s neighbors, the Smetkamps, have won a home makeover. But things aren’t going well. Not only are the neighbors upset, but the renovations aren’t up to code… and then there is the giant flock of feral turkeys that has invaded their yard. Every cozy mystery series has a theme, and Donna Andrews knocks it out of the park with quirky bird appearances in every book, from peacocks to toucans to falcons. The turkeys manage to cause quite a bit of chaos, which is hilarious to read on page, and as Meg and her friends are trying to help their neighbors, the question remains… how did the turkeys get there?

Just as they think they may be coming up with a plan to snatch the turkeys, they find the body of poor Mrs. Smetkamp… and then Meg not only has to figure out who set the turkeys loose on the neighborhood, but who killed her neighbor, and if the two crimes are related. I enjoyed this one. The mysteries are always well plotted with good clues that are not easy to figure out and keep you guessing all the way to the very end! I can’t wait for the next Meg Langslow mystery! 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books and NetGalley for review purposes. ( )

pet-dog, TV-film-industry, amateur-sleuth, Virginia, unpleasant-victims, unputdownable, scam, situational-humor, verbal-humor, local-law-enforcement, sniffer-dogs, family, relatives, small-town, elitism, cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, friends, friendship, frustration*****

I couldn't wait to read this one even though I've preordered the audio! Pub Date 06 Aug 2024
If you're new to this series, don't pass it up. Each one can easily be enjoyed as a stand alone, but you'll want to find out why there are so many Pomeranians (and some of them are sniffer dogs!) Meg comes from a large family but only a few of them are highlighted in this episode. There are nasty neighbors, lots of feral turkeys causing a mess, a work crew without a clue, a film manager who isn't what he says he is, and a whole lot more. Loved it!
This cannot be an unbiased review because I reread some of them (the print copies walk away so now I have them in audio) and wait with bated breath for each new one.
I requested and received a temporary EARC from St. Martin's Press/Minotaur Books via NetGalley. Thank you!
#MegLangslowMysteries Pub Date 06 Aug 2024 ( )