Publication October 11, 2022
As a fan of this series from the beginning, it's no surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed joining Meg's family for the Christmas run-up. I often wonder if I keep coming back as much for their antics and the animals as I do the mystery. In this case, the mystery is who killed the obnoxious, mean-spirited Scrooge, er, Ian The antics, oh, too many to mention although can't ignore that surprise ice rink in the back pasture. Humor, always. Meg has a zen like ability to face danger and remain calm or find the perfectly snarky comeback to someone's comments. Fortunately, we only "hear" most of them in her head though I did like the snarky, surely intentional misinterpretation of someone's comment about wanting to remain silent and a lawyer. Nope, not telling. See if you guessed right and read the book. Enjoy those accidentily gold sprayed Pomeranians, too, although they are now naked Poms dressed in an abundance of outfits supplied by friends and family.
As for the crime, it kept me guessing. Just when you think Meg has rounded up the last of the suspects, another appears. Heck, they even toss in a cyber stalker for good measure who has decided Casey, half of the crime podcast team with Kevin, is her soul mate. Never mind she thinks he's a tall redhead, mostly likely Irish, and Casey is, well, not. The crime centers about a quite current topic, however, DNA testing and it's legit uses.
So, who whacked Ian with the hockey stick in the pasture at the ice rink? There are multiple suspects who'd wish him dead, that's for sure. Was the person in the silver car cruising past Meg and Michael's home involved? How many uses can you think of for a dumbwaiter? What happened to the soon-to-be mama cat in the manger at the church nativity? Can Juncos really predict the weather? Is it suspicious that Maeve planned to basically quit on Friday anyway? How much would it cost to outfit your town's police force with electric cars? Do you know what "curds and whey" is the ol' fashioned term for? Who is that supposed lawyer that is looking for Ian? In fact, who are all those strangers that keep turning up? What mischief is Meg's grandfather into now that is annoying Caroline? And, oh, there is always more in a Meg Langslow story? Trust me, you won't be bored. Even now, on book 32, this series hasn't gone stale.
Thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress - #MinotaurBooks for letting me spend some time hanging out with Meg's family and friends, not to mention the dogs, llamas, peacocks, oh, never mind. I'd be here all day listing all the much loved critters in their lives.
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