A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - Duck the Halls

Donna Andrews is my favorite writer. I've read all of her Meg Langslow Mysteries. All the characters by now feel like old friends. Yet...I found it a little too much Meg and not enough of her slight odd ball family. Even so, "Duck the Halls" was a joy to read.

This book was laugh out loud funny. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Meg is so used to her wacky family and friends that she just takes whatever comes her way in stride. I enjoy all of the Meg Langslow mysteries.

I wanted a light, quick, fun read while visiting relatives for a long weekend around the holidays & downloaded a sample of this on my Kindle. I liked the sample so I bought the book. After the first chapter, however, it drug on. I liked the wacky antics but I also started to get confused over which character belonged to which church. I noticed how the other church-goers were actually not very nice to each other. I also found it hard to believe a local judge would be allowed to hold court in her barn with barn animals around. The main character was kind of whiny and, as much as I like a husband who takes care of the kids and the house, he pretty much had to completely take over & she barely saw her kids, at Christmas time, nonetheless. But there were animals and churches involved and it was festive, so it's not a bad book. But I had to force myself to finish it.

The weekend before Christmas, Michael is awakened by his new beeper. He's joined the local volunteer fire department, and they're being called to the Baptist church. Only when they arrive, they find out that it wasn't a fire - someone had left a bunch of skunks in the choir loft.

Meg is drafted to work out schedules to allow the services and concerts of the Baptists and the other churches in the area to go on as planned but with new locations since the Baptist church is unusable until they get the smell out, but things don't improve when another prank hits another church the next night. Who is behind it all? And what might the motive be? Things become even more urgent when a body is found in one church's basement.

Those who follow this series will quickly note that this is the second Christmas entry in the long running cozy series, and there are some references in this one that recall the traditions the first one centered around. This book is all new, and Meg and Michael's twins weren't around the last time either, which gives this book a feeling of being new.

And it is pure delight as always. Meg and her family are charming as ever, and the events unfold at a great pace. The book never lost my interest once. I did figure out the ending early on, but I didn't have all the pieces in place, although they all made sense. The twins add a great new dimension to the book; as always, they totally steal their scenes.

Fans will love this Christmas visit with Meg. In fact, anyone who wants a light, comedic mystery to put them in the Christmas spirit will love this book.

I've enjoyed Meg Langslow and her crazy family since Donna Andrews first featured her in Murder with Peacocks. Meg is a wonderful combination of modern independent woman and semi-old fashioned girl-next-door. She's able to manage her sometimes conflicting roles as an independent business (blacksmithing), fellow townspeople (nepotistic politians, ongoing feuds, snobby grand dame wannabes) and family (siblings, cousins, lawyers, gorilla-suited crime scene specialists) with a combination of tact, stick-to-it-iveness, and loving exasperation. Donne Andrews writes with her tongue firmly in her cheek. A great read.

Someone is pulling pranks but it gets out of hand when the latest prank results in a death. Was it the pranksters or someone else using it to disguise their murderous act? To find out, you’ll have to read this hilariously entertaining whodunit that I could not put down until the killer was revealed. Meg and her eccentrically quirky family are back in this character-driven drama that leaves you wanting more. Donna does a wonderful job in crafting a delightfully engaging and well-written tome with a mystery that kept me guessing and comedic moments that was both enjoyable and fun. As apropos with Meg and her family, the way this book ended was exactly as it should be. Great job Donna! As apropos with Meg and her family, the ending was perfect. A terrific read and I can’t wait for the next book in this fabulous series.

Sixteenth in the Meg Langslow humorous mystery series based in Caerphilly, Virginia, and revolving around the village blacksmith and her extended family.

My Take
A sweetly easy mystery with a focus on merry and not-so-merry pranksters and the goodwill and cooperation of truly Christian people as they help each other out. I do love this example of true Christianity with people of different denominations helping each other out so beautifully. Exactly how it should be.

Lucky for Meg, both Michael and Rob have joined the Caerphilly Volunteer Firefighters, which means she learns quickly where the mysterious excitement is. Our girl simply cannot resist being in on all the action.

I love the description of the Christmas decorations Mother has put up---definitely my style, LOL. But it’s the sound of the old ballroom-turned-library that really has me melting in my wing chair.

It’s a different sort of Nativity scene in several ways with a surfeit of skunks, a brace of ducks, a herd of rabbits, a table for one (I love the twins’ hopeful looking around at all concerts and performances after that first time, LOL), appearing in churches while the most official reason requiring critters in this holiday season is the menagerie Mrs. D requires for the living Nativity play on Christmas Eve. Then there’s the Nativity play with its assortment of animals, including dinosaurs. Hey, God created them two-by-two, LOL.

Definitely a lesson in how to handle skunks!

I do have to laugh as we read of all the different ways Meg is scheming to get out of her mother’s plans for organizing repairs and scheduling. I think we should vote Mother in for president of the U.S.A. She’d tidy the country up right quick.

How unreasonable can someone get? Remove the communion rail? When it’s just as easy for a couple rows to stand in front of it?? Fortunately there are more in town who simply step up to help---I do love the description of the port-a-potties!

That sneaky Christmas Eve dinner implodes. There's just too much nosiness rampant. Definitely worth a rueful laugh.

This particular story was an excellent example of how not to do an info dump and still convey the relevant information as well as help us catch up with who’s doing what. Very nice. Good point on the boy-who-cried-wolf...a very useful character device.

LOL, I need to buy this one if only for Meg’s finely developed plan to counter her mother-in-law’s nasty comments. Too, too funny...and even more fun is watching mama-in-law’s reactions when she can’t get a rise out of Meg. It’s such a positive way to approach this divisive, mean holiday problem. Oh, lord, if you have family who never crafts you the right gift, this could well be another reason to buy! You’ll crack up reading about Cousin Sylvia’s Christmas gift giving propensities! And it’s a great segue into the denouement of the story!

The Story
Someone is pranking the churches in Caerphilly until it turns to murder. Until that point, however, rooms, concert halls, and spaces for the myriad of activities---including a much-beloved choir performance---that a church enjoys during the holiday season must be accommodated while repairs are made, and it’s up to Meg to coordinate it all. Much better than having to help with clean-up!

There’s also the new clash of mothers over who’s doing the most fabulous Christmas dinner---and not a traditional one.

Ah yes, it’ll be a Dickens of a Christmas...

The Characters
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith and her husband, Michael Waterston, is a drama professor at the local college. Their twin sons, Josh and Jamie, are now four years old and have chosen to have their own bedrooms. A brave move on their parts. Rob is her klutzy but very computer-literate game developer little brother who lives with them in their renovated old (and big) Victorian farmhouse along with Rose Noire, a cousin into organics and nature. Tinkerbell is Rob’s Irish wolfhound while Spike is the vicious little furball.

Dad is Dr. Langslow, one-half of where Meg got her desire to be involved. He can’t resist keeping an ear out for the action on the police band radio. Mother, a very classy lady, is more circumspect but doesn’t hesitate to take over and impose her decorative taste on everything and everyone.

Dr. Montgomery Blake is Dad’s father, the distinguished zoologist who has a show on Animal Planet; he runs a private zoo in Caerphilly. Victor is the zoo’s night-shift head keeper. Caroline Willner is an old friend of Grandfather’s and a frequent partner in mischief who runs a wildlife sanctuary. Cleopatra is an emerald tree boa.

Dahlia Waterston is Michael’s mother with the mean comments. She normally takes a cruise at Christmas. This time around she’s thinking of an Asian dinner.

The Shiffley family
It’s a big family with their fingers in a lot of different pies. Randall is the town’s mayor and runs a construction company that handles a lot of things including snow removal, vandal repair, and hay bale placement. Caleb is one of the young ones. Quincy Shiffley is a bachelor recovering from heart surgery; his farm has been a source of multiple complaints. Judge Jane Shiffley prefers to hold court in her family barn.

Sammy Wendell is one of Rose Noire’s beaus. Charlie Gardner is the registrar at the college with the tips on where to look to confirm someone’s bona fides; he’s also the friend loaning Michael the basement apartment.

Caerphilly PD
Chief Henry Burke is a good guy and has come to accept Meg’s sleuthing; Minerva is his truly lovely wife. Debbie Ann is the local police and emergency dispatcher. Eli Slattery, the animal control guy, get a break when Grandfather shows up at the scene. Horace Hollingsworth, Meg’s cousin, is the lone crime scene specialist. Aida Butler is one Burke’s deputies and a member of New Life Baptist; Ronnie is her son. Vern Shiffley is another deputy.

Caerphilly Volunteer Firefighters
Chief Featherstone is the new fire chief and still trying to get used to how much the people in a small town know.

New Life Baptist church
Ambrose Wilson is the reverend. Nelson Dandridge is the church’s caretaker. The Burkes are members of the congregation, and Minerva heads up the Ladies’ Auxiliary, similar to St. Clotilda’s Guild. Jerome Lightfoot, a.k.a., Bigfoot, is the pain in the butt choir director with no clue how to handle people and a pushy attitude.

Trinity Episcopal Church
Robyn Smith is the new reverend / rector / pastor at the church, replacing Dr. Rufus Womble. She’s married to Matt who may well be bringing Great-Aunt Brynhild (eek) back with him. St. Clotilda’s Guild is filled with volunteer ladies who take up the slack for most things. Riddick Hedges is the office manager, bookkeeper, and general factotum---the only paid staff member who never seems to get anything done unless it’s to hinder others. The Langslows and family belong to this congregation. Barliman Vess is a member of the vestry and everyone’s bête noir, picking away at anything he sees as an excessive expense.

Mrs. Thornefield donated her entire estate to Trinity Episcopal. A lovely thought, only it’s taking up so much room in the church’s undercroft.

Temple Beth-El
Rabbi Grossman sends over a brilliant calendar with thorough information.

St. Byblig
Father Donnelly is concerned about whether the church will need to be reconsecrated. Thankfully, the Bowl-o-Rama steps up to help out.

Methodist Church
Mrs. Dahlgren, the church secretary, has a rep for being difficult. Doesn’t sound like she thinks much, either. Reverends Trask and Larsen are quite cheerful about the addition and the children’s help.

The Cover
The cover is an orangey red with a lighter focus on a green sleigh loaded with a Christmas tree and presents popping out all over the skies, haphazardly pulled by two white Pekin ducks in belled harness and green-and-white striped scarves, LOL.

The title focuses on one of the pranks, one that seems to spread itself through this Christmas story, and Duck the Halls.

Skunks in the Baptists’ choir loft, an emerald tree boa in the Episcopalians’ Christmas decorations, and several hundred ducks in the Catholics’ sanctuary - a prankster is targeting the churches of Caerphilly and, as usual, it falls to Meg Langslow to clean up the resulting mess. And that’s before a dead body is found in the basement (the ‘undercroft’ as Meg’s mother insists on calling it) of Trinity Episcopal.

As with most of the Meg Langslow books, the mystery takes a backseat to the general mayhem that is Meg’s family. The pranks start happening right at the beginning of the story but the murder doesn’t happen until about halfway through. This time, there isn’t only one mystery but three interwoven ones (the prankster, the murder, and an attempted theft).
All the characters, even the secondary ones, have distinct personalities and it’s great fun to see what they’re up to this time. While this book can be read as a standalone, much of the enjoyment (in my opinion at least) is derived from seeing the latest antics of already beloved characters like Meg’s father and her brother Rob.
I especially enjoyed hearing about some of the characters that didn’t show up in the last couple of books. We get a quick update on what Eileen, Timmy, and Dr. Smoot (among others) are up to. Also, Michael’s mom makes a reappearance (finally!) and stages a duel with Meg’s mother over who can produce the most outlandish Christmas dinner. We also get to meet the formidable Judge Jane. Her ‘courtroom’ scene is a hoot.

This is a humorous cozy mystery where the emphasis is definitely on the humor. If that’s what you’re looking for, I can only recommend this book and all the others in the Meg Langslow series.

When I have trouble getting in the Christmas Spirit, and life gets in the way, I pull out my Donna Andrews books! Presently I am reading Two Deadly Doves for about the 2nd or third time! Thank you Donna!! you're the BEST!!

I love Donna Andrews and Meg Langslow. However, after Ms Andrews had Meg and Michael having twins, I found the books to be less then funny and almost boring. BUT, this holiday book has definitely gone back to a lot of the previous books and is a fun, enjoyable read. I'm glad I bought the hardback, because it will be joining my collection (I have sold a couple of the books I did not enjoy). Thank you Ms Andrews for bringing life back to your stories.

Another great book in the series by the author. Plenty of sly humor and more than a few surprises and twists. Each book seems to get better and better. I have even gotten my husband into reading the series, and he gets a kick out of the crazy characters too. I look forward to the next books, as always.

Welcome home. Meg and some of her friends and family are looking forward to an old fashioned Christmas, but of course you know that a Langslow family Christmas is going to be anything but calm.

Donna Andrews creates wonderful, over the top characters, then puts them into crazy situations.