Tag Archives: Donna Andrews

Holiday Whodunnits: Five Golden Wings and Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings

24 Dec

Five Golden Wings
by Donna Andrews
It is wedding time again in the funny Meg Lanslow Mystery series. In Five Golden Wings, it isn’t one, but two weddings that are happening between two of Meg’s feuding cousins who have chosen the same day to celebrate their nuptials in Caerphilly. This is mystery thirty-eight in the series, but you do not have to be familiar with the previous book to enjoy the mystery and humor in this novel. I’ve often bailed on series after they go on to long and stop being fresh, but Andrews’s writing continues to be engaging with another fun mystery and her always charming cast of characters. I also liked that in cozy novels sometimes characters can seem too perfect, but the stress of the wedding is making even Meg and some of her sweet family members get a bit cranky. The first in the series Murder with Peacocks also centered around wedding preparations so if you enjoy this one definitely check the original out as well. Andrews also has several other holiday themed entries including Halloween as well as Christmas in the series.

Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings
by Liz Ireland
Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings was our holiday pick for this year’s December Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Discussion. This year we decided to have added fun by inviting the Mystery Discussion members to join us. There are six books in the series so far including the latest Mrs. Claus and the Very Vicious Valentine. The first book takes place not long after April married Nick Claus and moved with him to the North Pole where he is taking over the role of Santa after his brother passes away. When a grumpy elf named Giblet Hollyberry dies after discovering a black widow spider apparently hiding in his stocking, April decides to help solve the crime and hopes that it will exonerate her husband who the night before had been decried by Giblet. I liked that though there is a sense of whimsy in some of the description that this still felt like an adult novel and not overly juvenile. April’s adjustment to her in-laws and worries about the fact that she had a short engagement before marrying Nick are those many new brides experience. Ireland builds on bits of Santa legends and adds interesting twists of her own such as the sled reindeer all being female (based on the real life fact that males lose their horns in early fall/start of winter and females keep them through the spring). If you enjoy this unusual spin on the Claus Dynasty you may also enjoy Sara Raasch’s romance about another version of the North Poler rulers, Nightmare Before Kissmass.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Great Mysteries Part 2-Who Let the Dogs (and ducks) Out: For Duck’s Sake and Two Parts, Sugar, One Part Murder

6 Aug

For Duck’s Sake
by Donna Andrews
For Duck’s Sake is the latest in Donna Andrews long running Meg Langslow Mystery Series. Sometimes series when they run a long time can run out of ideas and become boring, but I always find Andrews stories full of charm. This novel certainly has a lot going on it. Meg must help with the town’s dog adoption festival including a doggie parade of the adoptable canines. On top of that her brother and his family are putting in a duck pond on their nearby property (hence the ducks in the title). When the digging for the pond unearths a body, a mystery about both who the body is as well as why they were murdered is added to the mix. Unlike some cozies the body is found early on in the story so if you are a new reader and like your mysteries focused on solving the crime, you will enjoy this story. There are plenty of appearances though of Meg’s quirky family and friends like New Age Maven Rose Noir, kind hearted vet Clarence, and Meg’s cantankerous grandfather for long term series fans to enjoy. All the various plot threads knit together nicely in the end. I’m looking forward to Meg’s next outing in the Winter holiday themed, Five Golden Wings, which will be available in October.

Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder
by Valerie Burns
I adored reading Valerie Burn’s latest in her Baker Street Mystery Series that I couldn’t resist going back and reading the first book, Two Parts Sugar, One Parts Mystery. I found this one equally charming and I didn’t find it detrimental to my enjoyment reading out of order. I loved seeing how Maddy went from urban social media influencer to moving to a small town in Michigan near the Great Lakes. Here we see her inheriting her Great Aunt’s home and business along with a gigantic English Mastiff named Baby (his full show name comes from a tribute to Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra). It was nice knowing reading this one, that despite her heartbreak that caused her to take this plunge, that true love was in her future. I gave up on a long running mystery series that never felt like it progressed in a satisfactory manor a love triangle between the main character and her suitors, so I it was great to see that this series allowed for sufficient character development. The mystery about the death of New Bison’s mayor is intriguing and it is also nice to see another African American amateur detective; for those looking for more diverse, cozy foodie mystery reads you can check out Abby Collette’s Ice Cream Parlor Mystery Series and her Books & Biscuits Mystery Series as well as Valerie Wilson Wesley’s A Glimmer of Death and Olivia Matthews’s Spice Isle Bakery Mystery Series.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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