A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - Lord of the Wings
ByDonna Andrews
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Readers` Reviews
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
doris tanase
Humorous rather than funny, although a couple of scenes gave me a real smile (and a new respect for ravens). The book is a pleasant read and gives us a chance to relax and escape reality. Not a bad deal.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
nameet
Nineteenth in the Meg Langslow amateur sleuth mystery series and revolving around Meg, a mother and blacksmith in the town of Caerphilly, Virginia.
My Take
I usually enjoy Andrews' writing, and Lord of the Wings was missing something. I suspect that all the focus on the Halloween activities in town was my problem, as there wasn't much focus on the family. It's the family that I adore the most. Dad is so pushy when it comes to doing his doctor-thing, and if he can combine it with solving a mystery…he is so there! It felt as though Grandfather only had a cameo piece, although he was fun with his costume and ravens, but his personality really didn't shine through. Mother wasn't as present nor was Rose Noire. Rob popped in, and I loved his part in this. I especially enjoyed how active his company was with those costumes! I am so jealous!! Y'all have got to check out the coat of arms! I want one! Hmmm, I want one of those robot costumes too…
I'm rather envious of the town. Seems that people really pull together to accomplish things. Most places would need to do a study, argue with a committee for six months, and maybe get it done in two years. Nope, in Caerphilly, it just takes overnight.
Meg is an indulgent mom with all those costume changes, lol. A girl (and the boys) after my own heart. I loved the bit where Andrews describes the evolution of Jamie's costumes — ahh, if only we had all had moms like that, *giggle*. Then poor Meg gets shot down when her concept and Josh's concept of a robot costume clashes. Ya can't help but feel for her. I'm not sure if I'd've been as complacent about it as Meg. No, no, I'm positive I wouldn't have.
Meg's annoyance with Lydia Van Meter is justified and funny in that want your cake and eat it too way. Meg doesn't want to run the Halloween festival, but she hates how Lydia deals with it. I do have to grant that Meg is absolutely right — and that's before things get really deep in Caerphilly. Just look at Meg's suggestion about the protesters. I do appreciate Meg's honesty in admitting to herself that some of her irritation is that she'd have done things differently from Lydia.
Oh, yeah! Scarecrows set up to simulate a zombie attack, lol.
I know that in the past I've whined about Andrews mentioning that bloody "notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breathe" much too often, and Andrews has almost cut it out of this one. I don't mean to be a hypocrite, but if I hadn't read the previous stories, I wouldn't have picked up on it in Lord of the Wings. And, ahem, when is Meg gonna get an iPad? I'd think it'd be easier…
I may not agree with Dr. Smoot's taste in décor, but ya gotta appreciate a man who's willing to go with what he likes. I enjoyed Grandfather's blending of science and the spirit of Halloween as well. What a great way to spark children's interests!
"'Always open season on tourists,' Osgood said with a straight face. 'The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries considers them a nuisance species…'"
It's a great story for those who are working to promote their towns with ideas on how to generate some income. A few stories back, Caerphilly almost went bankrupt thanks to one family's shenanigans, so the core characters have been working hard.
The Story
It's another holiday and Mayor Randall Shiffley has turned Caerphilly, Virginia into Spooky City, USA. The residents are covering every window with cobwebs and roaming the streets in costume to entertain the tourists, and Meg's grandfather is opening a new "Creatures of the Night" exhibit in the zoo.
When a suspicious fire burns the museum and a body is found, Meg Langslow surrenders her home as a safer party venue. But all too soon a real body mars the town's creepy fun, and it's up to Meg to save Halloween.
The Characters
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith and mom to twin boys: Josh and Jamie. Michael Waterston is her husband who teaches drama at the local college; he's also heir apparent for the drama chair. The llamas are still trotting around and being coopted into various roles, *more laughter*. They even have their own llama costume closet. Spike is their "Small Evil One". Do NOT try to pet him! Dahlia Waterston is Michael's mother, and now known as "Grammy".
Rob Langslow is her somewhat scattered lawyer brother, who made his fortune with a computer game. Mutant Wizards is his computer gaming company. Sounds like it's taking off in a variety of directions. Tinkerbell is his Irish wolfhound. Rose Noire is their cousin. Both she and Rob live with Meg and Michael.
Dad, Dr. Langslow, loves to stick his nose into everything. So, it helps that he's now Caerphilly's medical examiner. Mother has exquisite taste. Their grandfather, Dr. Montgomery Blake, owns Caerphilly Zoo; he's a famous zoologist and environmentalist. Caroline runs a local private wildlife sanctuary and is one of Grandfather's usual allies — and one of the few able to boss him around. She also organizes Blake's Brigade, a loosely organized group of fanatically devoted bird and animal lovers who volunteer to help Grandfather with his animal welfare and environmental projects. They must have a blast with all the odd calls-to-arms they have! Vincent Price is a thirteen-foot male alligator. Dr. Clarence Rutledge is the local veterinarian.
Randall Shiffley is the current mayor of Caerphilly. The thoughtless and self-absorbed Lydia Van Meter was recently hired to a new position, Special Assistant to the Mayor.
Caerphilly PD
Chief Burke has come to accept Meg's help. Debbie Ann is the emergency dispatcher. Deputies Vern Shiffley; Aida Butler, who's a friend of Meg's (her Aunt Niobe is acclaimed as one of the best cooks in the county); Sammy Wendell; and, Jabba the Hut, who is a civilian liaison in costume, are all working this week. Deputy Paulsen is on loan from Goochland County.
Horace Hollingsworth is one of Meg's cousins who likes to wear an ape costume. He's also Caerphilly's current scene-of-crime investigator. Cousin Festus Hollingsworth is a very good defense attorney.
Chief Jim Featherstone is head of the fire department.
The Goblin Patrol is…
…more properly known as the Visitor Relations and Police Liaison Patrol. Meg is heading this, and she's enjoying the more limited role. Charlie Gardner is her second-in-command. Other patrollers include Osgood Shiffley who runs the gas station and is one of Randall's cousins; Ragnar Ragnarsen is the closest thing Caerphilly has to a celebrity — a retired heavy metal drummer; Ashley Shiffley is another cousin; and, Thor Larson (he works for Grandmother Cordelia, one of Meg's grandmothers, during semester breaks and summer vacations).
Dr. Smoot is obsessed with all things vampire (the Chief is so pleased he's no longer the local medical examiner!) Now he's struggling to open Caerphilly Museum of Oddities and Antiquities about the town's history, and it's this year's Haunted House (it's the Smoot family house left to Smoot by Aunt Venicia).
Muriel owns the local diner. Mason and Noah are Jamie and Josh's best friends. The Reverend Robyn Smith is rector at Trinity Episcopal. Harris Griswald bought his wife, Becky, one butt-ugly brooch. Branson Flugleman runs the feed store. Mrs. Ellie Draper is the head librarian. Dr. Sengupta is an orthopedist. Dr. Carper is treating Smoot. The Rancid Dead are a local heavy metal band who play throughout the festival. Luigi owns the pizza restaurant. Frank Ledbetter owns the Caerphilly Clarion and has his own take on Brimfield's demands.
The Shiffleys are…
…an old Caerphilly family who have stuck around. Arabella Shiffley was one of their black sheep. She married a no-good, dishonest bootlegger, Billy Pratherton. Yep, he was unlike the honest bootleggers in the family, ahem. Arabella Pratherton Walmsley is a great-granddaughter who died in an accident as she was tracking down ancestors. Mary Walmsley is Arabella's mother. Randall is renting his aunt's house's to Lydia. Judge Jane will help at the museum. Cousin Peewee owns the field where they'll set up the concert venue. Velma Shiffley is the kids' teacher.
The Brimfields are…
…another old Caerphilly family who fled in the 1930s. Josiah is the current head of the family. William Henry Harrison Brimfield , John Tyler Brimfield, and Millard Fillmore Brimfield were in and around World War I.
The Paltroons are…
…members of the DAR in Caerphilly. Captain-Major-Colonel Habakkuk Paltroon fought in the Revolutionary War. The current Mrs. Paltroon is a snob and a pain in the neck. She'll get her fall, lol. Meanwhile, she's holding court at the Weed booth. Dr. Gwinnett Cavendish is an art restoration and conservation expert.
The Pruitts are…
…the longtime family who almost bankrupted Caerphilly.
The scavenger hunt is…
…wreaking havoc on the festival with all the stunts they're pulling. The prize is a copy of Vampire Colonies II published by Mutant Wizards. Justin Klapcroft is only the first. James Green has a spotted past and not much of a future. Tyler Rasmussen has an ornery father. Wayne Smith is a student at Christopher Newport University.
The Raven Clan is…
…but one of the clans at the festival and is in charge of decorating the barn. And what they're doing running around with real swords, I don't know. Norton Brewer is a nineteen-year-old computer science major; the Elders of Clan Raven include Bill Higgins, Tony Ruiz, and Celia Smith.
A LARP is a live action role-playing game.
The Cover and Title
The cover is Halloween orange with ravens flying over the silhouette of the perfect "haunted" three-story Victorian house. True to the story, there is one raven with the "one ring".
The title is pushing it a bit to continue with Andrews' avian theme for titles, but it is catchy as it plays off the Lord of the Rings idea with that naughty raven who is the Lord of the Wings.
My Take
I usually enjoy Andrews' writing, and Lord of the Wings was missing something. I suspect that all the focus on the Halloween activities in town was my problem, as there wasn't much focus on the family. It's the family that I adore the most. Dad is so pushy when it comes to doing his doctor-thing, and if he can combine it with solving a mystery…he is so there! It felt as though Grandfather only had a cameo piece, although he was fun with his costume and ravens, but his personality really didn't shine through. Mother wasn't as present nor was Rose Noire. Rob popped in, and I loved his part in this. I especially enjoyed how active his company was with those costumes! I am so jealous!! Y'all have got to check out the coat of arms! I want one! Hmmm, I want one of those robot costumes too…
I'm rather envious of the town. Seems that people really pull together to accomplish things. Most places would need to do a study, argue with a committee for six months, and maybe get it done in two years. Nope, in Caerphilly, it just takes overnight.
Meg is an indulgent mom with all those costume changes, lol. A girl (and the boys) after my own heart. I loved the bit where Andrews describes the evolution of Jamie's costumes — ahh, if only we had all had moms like that, *giggle*. Then poor Meg gets shot down when her concept and Josh's concept of a robot costume clashes. Ya can't help but feel for her. I'm not sure if I'd've been as complacent about it as Meg. No, no, I'm positive I wouldn't have.
Meg's annoyance with Lydia Van Meter is justified and funny in that want your cake and eat it too way. Meg doesn't want to run the Halloween festival, but she hates how Lydia deals with it. I do have to grant that Meg is absolutely right — and that's before things get really deep in Caerphilly. Just look at Meg's suggestion about the protesters. I do appreciate Meg's honesty in admitting to herself that some of her irritation is that she'd have done things differently from Lydia.
Oh, yeah! Scarecrows set up to simulate a zombie attack, lol.
I know that in the past I've whined about Andrews mentioning that bloody "notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breathe" much too often, and Andrews has almost cut it out of this one. I don't mean to be a hypocrite, but if I hadn't read the previous stories, I wouldn't have picked up on it in Lord of the Wings. And, ahem, when is Meg gonna get an iPad? I'd think it'd be easier…
I may not agree with Dr. Smoot's taste in décor, but ya gotta appreciate a man who's willing to go with what he likes. I enjoyed Grandfather's blending of science and the spirit of Halloween as well. What a great way to spark children's interests!
"'Always open season on tourists,' Osgood said with a straight face. 'The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries considers them a nuisance species…'"
It's a great story for those who are working to promote their towns with ideas on how to generate some income. A few stories back, Caerphilly almost went bankrupt thanks to one family's shenanigans, so the core characters have been working hard.
The Story
It's another holiday and Mayor Randall Shiffley has turned Caerphilly, Virginia into Spooky City, USA. The residents are covering every window with cobwebs and roaming the streets in costume to entertain the tourists, and Meg's grandfather is opening a new "Creatures of the Night" exhibit in the zoo.
When a suspicious fire burns the museum and a body is found, Meg Langslow surrenders her home as a safer party venue. But all too soon a real body mars the town's creepy fun, and it's up to Meg to save Halloween.
The Characters
Meg Langslow is a blacksmith and mom to twin boys: Josh and Jamie. Michael Waterston is her husband who teaches drama at the local college; he's also heir apparent for the drama chair. The llamas are still trotting around and being coopted into various roles, *more laughter*. They even have their own llama costume closet. Spike is their "Small Evil One". Do NOT try to pet him! Dahlia Waterston is Michael's mother, and now known as "Grammy".
Rob Langslow is her somewhat scattered lawyer brother, who made his fortune with a computer game. Mutant Wizards is his computer gaming company. Sounds like it's taking off in a variety of directions. Tinkerbell is his Irish wolfhound. Rose Noire is their cousin. Both she and Rob live with Meg and Michael.
Dad, Dr. Langslow, loves to stick his nose into everything. So, it helps that he's now Caerphilly's medical examiner. Mother has exquisite taste. Their grandfather, Dr. Montgomery Blake, owns Caerphilly Zoo; he's a famous zoologist and environmentalist. Caroline runs a local private wildlife sanctuary and is one of Grandfather's usual allies — and one of the few able to boss him around. She also organizes Blake's Brigade, a loosely organized group of fanatically devoted bird and animal lovers who volunteer to help Grandfather with his animal welfare and environmental projects. They must have a blast with all the odd calls-to-arms they have! Vincent Price is a thirteen-foot male alligator. Dr. Clarence Rutledge is the local veterinarian.
Randall Shiffley is the current mayor of Caerphilly. The thoughtless and self-absorbed Lydia Van Meter was recently hired to a new position, Special Assistant to the Mayor.
Caerphilly PD
Chief Burke has come to accept Meg's help. Debbie Ann is the emergency dispatcher. Deputies Vern Shiffley; Aida Butler, who's a friend of Meg's (her Aunt Niobe is acclaimed as one of the best cooks in the county); Sammy Wendell; and, Jabba the Hut, who is a civilian liaison in costume, are all working this week. Deputy Paulsen is on loan from Goochland County.
Horace Hollingsworth is one of Meg's cousins who likes to wear an ape costume. He's also Caerphilly's current scene-of-crime investigator. Cousin Festus Hollingsworth is a very good defense attorney.
Chief Jim Featherstone is head of the fire department.
The Goblin Patrol is…
…more properly known as the Visitor Relations and Police Liaison Patrol. Meg is heading this, and she's enjoying the more limited role. Charlie Gardner is her second-in-command. Other patrollers include Osgood Shiffley who runs the gas station and is one of Randall's cousins; Ragnar Ragnarsen is the closest thing Caerphilly has to a celebrity — a retired heavy metal drummer; Ashley Shiffley is another cousin; and, Thor Larson (he works for Grandmother Cordelia, one of Meg's grandmothers, during semester breaks and summer vacations).
Dr. Smoot is obsessed with all things vampire (the Chief is so pleased he's no longer the local medical examiner!) Now he's struggling to open Caerphilly Museum of Oddities and Antiquities about the town's history, and it's this year's Haunted House (it's the Smoot family house left to Smoot by Aunt Venicia).
Muriel owns the local diner. Mason and Noah are Jamie and Josh's best friends. The Reverend Robyn Smith is rector at Trinity Episcopal. Harris Griswald bought his wife, Becky, one butt-ugly brooch. Branson Flugleman runs the feed store. Mrs. Ellie Draper is the head librarian. Dr. Sengupta is an orthopedist. Dr. Carper is treating Smoot. The Rancid Dead are a local heavy metal band who play throughout the festival. Luigi owns the pizza restaurant. Frank Ledbetter owns the Caerphilly Clarion and has his own take on Brimfield's demands.
The Shiffleys are…
…an old Caerphilly family who have stuck around. Arabella Shiffley was one of their black sheep. She married a no-good, dishonest bootlegger, Billy Pratherton. Yep, he was unlike the honest bootleggers in the family, ahem. Arabella Pratherton Walmsley is a great-granddaughter who died in an accident as she was tracking down ancestors. Mary Walmsley is Arabella's mother. Randall is renting his aunt's house's to Lydia. Judge Jane will help at the museum. Cousin Peewee owns the field where they'll set up the concert venue. Velma Shiffley is the kids' teacher.
The Brimfields are…
…another old Caerphilly family who fled in the 1930s. Josiah is the current head of the family. William Henry Harrison Brimfield , John Tyler Brimfield, and Millard Fillmore Brimfield were in and around World War I.
The Paltroons are…
…members of the DAR in Caerphilly. Captain-Major-Colonel Habakkuk Paltroon fought in the Revolutionary War. The current Mrs. Paltroon is a snob and a pain in the neck. She'll get her fall, lol. Meanwhile, she's holding court at the Weed booth. Dr. Gwinnett Cavendish is an art restoration and conservation expert.
The Pruitts are…
…the longtime family who almost bankrupted Caerphilly.
The scavenger hunt is…
…wreaking havoc on the festival with all the stunts they're pulling. The prize is a copy of Vampire Colonies II published by Mutant Wizards. Justin Klapcroft is only the first. James Green has a spotted past and not much of a future. Tyler Rasmussen has an ornery father. Wayne Smith is a student at Christopher Newport University.
The Raven Clan is…
…but one of the clans at the festival and is in charge of decorating the barn. And what they're doing running around with real swords, I don't know. Norton Brewer is a nineteen-year-old computer science major; the Elders of Clan Raven include Bill Higgins, Tony Ruiz, and Celia Smith.
A LARP is a live action role-playing game.
The Cover and Title
The cover is Halloween orange with ravens flying over the silhouette of the perfect "haunted" three-story Victorian house. True to the story, there is one raven with the "one ring".
The title is pushing it a bit to continue with Andrews' avian theme for titles, but it is catchy as it plays off the Lord of the Rings idea with that naughty raven who is the Lord of the Wings.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
annie
Once again, Meg Langslow gets pulled into a chaotic event in Caephilly. This time, it's an over-the-top Halloween festival that I almost want to see happen in real life. From vampire LARPers to spider-dogs, this book is filled with hilarious surprises and skillfully-written twists. I'm not a fan of Halloween in general, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. We just got this out of the library yesterday, so it was a little painful to pull myself away and go to bed last night.
A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - The Hen of the Baskervilles :: the First Two Books in the Meg Langslow Series (Meg Langslow Mysteries) :: A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - Die Like an Eagle :: Murder with Peacocks (Meg Langslow Mysteries) :: A Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - The Good
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
wende
Yay, Meg the Lady Blacksmith is back at work with iron and the forge, not yay, it's all off screen, yay again, her ironmongery is a vital aspect of the plot.
Meg is still organizing everything for everyone, but she is also trying hard to organize her blacksmithing into her life without giving up family time. First Graders + Hot Iron = Bad Idea.
The plot involves Halloween costumes, multiple groups with different goals, and oh yeah, one greedy murderer. Try finding one vampire among two hundred. What do they look like without the pancake makeup and evening cloak?
I really do wonder if there are non Christians in Meg's world. Whenever there is a holiday, every single person celebrates, and there is no mention of other faiths.
Meg is still organizing everything for everyone, but she is also trying hard to organize her blacksmithing into her life without giving up family time. First Graders + Hot Iron = Bad Idea.
The plot involves Halloween costumes, multiple groups with different goals, and oh yeah, one greedy murderer. Try finding one vampire among two hundred. What do they look like without the pancake makeup and evening cloak?
I really do wonder if there are non Christians in Meg's world. Whenever there is a holiday, every single person celebrates, and there is no mention of other faiths.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
marco aquilani
This series has enchanted me from the very first book - enough so that I've often reread it when a new book comes out. That said, I picked this one up at my library and really enjoyed it. The title doesn't reflect the Halloween season that is the core of the setting but the book gave me several great ideas for next year! Not only was the story detailed and interesting, but the dialogue was fabulous. You don't have to read the series to enjoy the book, but it does help to explain the characters and why some of them wear costumes pretty much year round. This is also a series that is readable by all age ranges and sensitivities - I can read bits out to my 30+ year old daughter, my 50+ year old husband and my 80+ year old mother and they all laugh with me - not just hush me to go back to what they were doing. This is a solid 4.5.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
thomas
Read as a library book. Read her 1999 Murder with Peacocks about 2 months ago. Continued reading the books in the series one by one. Just finished Lord of the Wings. I thought this one was one of the best. I enjoyed the Halloween theme this time. There were some great twists to get to the motivation of the murderer. Lots of red herrings as usual. It's been fun reading the series back to back - binge reading so to speak.
★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
mohammmad
I have been reading this series for many years and this one was not one of my favorites. I love Halloween Cozies and this has a lot of Halloween in it but not much of a mystery. I felt like the author spent more time describing the Halloween events and decorations instead of the mystery. The mystery is really secondary. We do not get to know the characters involved at all. There are of course some laugh out moments and Meg's Family is wonderful as always. This will make a fun Halloween read just not a great mystery.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
gilbert
Happenings around town occupy Meg's time yet again. It's nice to see the gang together and solving the mysteries. Books like this are wonderful for letting me escape reality for a while, and the fact that I enjoy the writing and the story makes me feel like a part of their family. Great read and I look forward to the next book.
★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
amy delis
Donna Andrews does not disappoint! This novel is set in Caerphilly during their Halloween Festival. The characters are eccentric, main and minor. I had 2 strong suspects for the murders, but I did not know until the end if I guessed correctly.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
valent
I love all of Donna Andrew's Meg Langslow Mysteries. They have been nothing but fun since the first in the series. In fact I am planning to start the series all over again with book 1 "Murder With Peacocks"!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
emilyhill422
I love all of Donna Andrew's Meg Langslow Mysteries. They have been nothing but fun since the first in the series. In fact I am planning to start the series all over again with book 1 "Murder With Peacocks"!
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
lisa martin
Ravens, rascals, and a rash of body parts make for a humor-filled thriller with each turn of the pages in "Lord of the Wings". Donna Andrews has authored what surely should become a Meg Langslow Halloween Classic.
Please RateA Meg Langslow Mystery (Meg Langslow Mysteries) - Lord of the Wings