Meg Langslow never thought that moving into a new home with her fiancée would be easy. But a Virginia basement full of arctic penguins? And a dead body? That’s just bad manners…from Meg and Michael’s perspective, at least. As for Meg’s father, he took in the penguins as a favor to the bankrupt Caerphilly Zoo, where they’re set to return just as soon as the zoo’s fundraising efforts pay off. Problem is that the zoo-keeper himself has gone missing—and only the animals know the truth about his whereabouts. Now it’s up to Meg to find out more about her DOA houseguest…before the ice melts on this very cold case.
Meg Langslow and her fiancé, Michael, are finally moving into their newly renovated house, assisted by numerous members of Meg's extended family. Unfortunately, Meg's father finds a body in her basement while he is digging a hole for a pool for some penguins he is fostering. The body is identified as that of Patrick Lanahan, owner of Caerphilly's bankrupt zoo. More chaos follows—and the Langslow menagerie quickly grows—after Meg's father's tells all those fostering the zoo animals to drop them off at Meg's place if fostering gets to be too much for them. Soon llamas, wolves, and hyenas are frolicking in the backyard. Meg investigates the murder and tries to save the zoo (so her many house guests can return home), all while planning her secret wedding. The levelheaded, unflappable Meg takes it all in stride: the parade of wild animals, her quirky relatives, an irate police chief, and a father who loves a mystery. This eighth cozy in the series makes the most of humorous situations, zany relatives, and lovable characters. O'Brien, Sue
Description:
Meg Langslow never thought that moving into a new home with her fiancée would be easy. But a Virginia basement full of arctic penguins? And a dead body? That’s just bad manners…from Meg and Michael’s perspective, at least. As for Meg’s father, he took in the penguins as a favor to the bankrupt Caerphilly Zoo, where they’re set to return just as soon as the zoo’s fundraising efforts pay off. Problem is that the zoo-keeper himself has gone missing—and only the animals know the truth about his whereabouts. Now it’s up to Meg to find out more about her DOA houseguest…before the ice melts on this very cold case.
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. In Agatha-winner Andrews's deliciously daffy eighth Meg Langslow mystery (after 2006's No Nest for the Wicket), blacksmith Meg and her fiancé, Michael, are at last moving into their new house in Caerphilly, Va., assisted (and occasionally hindered) by Meg's vast clan of maternal relations. Then Meg's dad announces that, while digging a pool in the new house's basement for penguins fostered from a bankrupt local zoo, he has discovered a dead body. As the police investigate, more fostered animals arrive at Meg's place, and when the zoo's missing owner turns out to be the corpse, Meg has to sort out the mystery, along with her plans to elope and the problems relating to various animals roaming around her property. As usual, Meg takes the familial eccentricities in stride while coping with one crisis after another. Andrews demonstrates her absolute mastery of the comedic mystery, deftly balancing outrageously funny scenes with well-paced suspense. Author tour. (Aug.)
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From Booklist
Meg Langslow and her fiancé, Michael, are finally moving into their newly renovated house, assisted by numerous members of Meg's extended family. Unfortunately, Meg's father finds a body in her basement while he is digging a hole for a pool for some penguins he is fostering. The body is identified as that of Patrick Lanahan, owner of Caerphilly's bankrupt zoo. More chaos follows—and the Langslow menagerie quickly grows—after Meg's father's tells all those fostering the zoo animals to drop them off at Meg's place if fostering gets to be too much for them. Soon llamas, wolves, and hyenas are frolicking in the backyard. Meg investigates the murder and tries to save the zoo (so her many house guests can return home), all while planning her secret wedding. The levelheaded, unflappable Meg takes it all in stride: the parade of wild animals, her quirky relatives, an irate police chief, and a father who loves a mystery. This eighth cozy in the series makes the most of humorous situations, zany relatives, and lovable characters. O'Brien, Sue