Publishers Weekly
08/15/2022
A cold and snowy Christmas season is in full swing in Agatha Award winner Andrews’s lively 32nd Meg Langslow mystery (after Round Up the Usual Peacocks), with every corner of Meg’s large Victorian house in Caerphilly, Va., festooned with evergreen garlands, red bows, and cheery baubles, courtesy of her indefatigable mother. In addition to the large extended family, Meg is also playing host to 11 Canadian employees of AcerGen, a Toronto “wannabe Ancestry.com” and their boss, arrogant and slovenly Ian Meredith. Meg must cater to the whims of the Canadians for the sake of her brother Rob, whose company, Mutant Wizards, has landed a lucrative contract to revamp the AcerGen website now that they have expanded into home DNA testing. When Ian is murdered, credible suspects pop up around every corner: dissatisfied and possibly dangerous clients, stalkers, and disgruntled employees. Andrews does a masterly job juggling all the elements of the plausible plot and fills it with entertaining red herrings. As usual, it’s the well-drawn and amusing cast of characters, including some fine dogs and cats, that’s the main draw. Readers will hope Meg has many more adventures to come. Agent: Ellen Geiger, Frances Goldin Literary. (Oct.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Donna Andrews:
"As always, Andrews knows her stuff. The plot is sufficiently intricate, and the story line involved enough for just about any reader of the genre. Andrews creates marvelous characters and puts them in situations that vary from almost slap-stick to Wodehouse-esque (is that a word?) contrivances to incredibly subtle bon-mots." —Reviewing the Evidence on Dashing Through the Snowbirds
"Agatha Award–winner Andrews’s fast-moving, high-spirited 30th Meg Langslow mystery finds witty Meg preparing to host her large extended family at her home in Caerphilly, Va., for the Christmas holidays...This Christmas romp, complete with a litter of adorable puppies, will certainly please fans and newcomers alike. Andrews consistently entertains." —Publishers Weekly on The Twelve Jays of Christmas
"Andrews lays on the good cheer with a trowel." —Kirkus Reviews on The Gift of the Magpie
"Caerphilly, with its endearing residents, is the kind of place every cozy fan would like to escape to during stressful times. Andrews consistently entertains." —Publishers Weekly on The Gift of the Magpie
“Exceptional....[with] plenty of twists and turns en route to the satisfying ending. As always, spending time with Meg and her wonderful family is a delight. Andrews reinforces her place at the top of the cozy subgenre." —Publishers Weekly on Owl Be Home for Christmas
Kirkus Reviews
2022-07-27
The run-up to Meg Langslow’s latest holiday celebration is complicated by a houseguest who behaves badly, a series of stalkers on her tail, and the fear that Caerphilly, Virginia, won’t have a white Christmas.
While Mutant Wizards, the tech firm founded by Meg’s brother, Rob, is working on the software they’re supplying AcerGen, a genealogy-tracing firm founded by Gordon Meredith, several AcerGeners have taken up residence in the house Meg already shares with her husband, drama professor Michael Waterston, their twin sons, and what seems like every relative imaginable, though some of these may just be passing through. Meredith Senior is reputed to be a lovely man, but Ian Meredith, his son and heir apparent, is rude, high-maintenance, and getting sued by Katherine Anne Koenigslutter, a client who claims that AcerGen shared her DNA profile with a predatory half brother who wants half the value of her farm. Also lurking in the shadows is Cyrus Runk, a convicted killer freed on a technicality in which AcerGen was involved. So even though Meg manages to act surprised when her father reveals the ice rink he’s been building on the grounds, it’s hard to imagine anyone being surprised when Ian, unwittingly one-upping Mutant Wizards’ decision to sever its ties with AcerGen, gets fatally attacked on the newly opened ice rink with a hockey stick containing the fingerprints of Cyrus Runk. The few and obvious suspects have to fight for attention with the regulars who vastly outnumber them. Despite the avian title, the seasonal guest of honor is the very pregnant ginger tabby cat who’s taken up residence in a local church’s creche.
Andrews’ sturdy formula shows distinct signs of wear. Merry Christmas anyway.
