Toucan keep a secret, if one of them is dead. Meg Langslow is at Trinity Episcopal Church locking up after an event and checking on the toucan her friend Rev. Robyn Smith is fostering in her office. When she investigates the sound of hammering in the columbarium (the underground crypt where cremated remains are buried), Meg finds the murdered body of an elderly parishioner. Several niches have … Several niches have been chiseled open; several urns knocked out; and amid the spilled ashes is a gold ring with a huge red stone.
The curmudgeonly victim had become disgruntled with the church and ranted all over town about taking back his wife’s ashes. Did someone who had it in for him follow him to the columbarium? Or was the motive grave robbery? Or did he see someone breaking in and investigate? Why was the ruby left behind?
While Chief Burke investigates the murder, Robyn recruits Meg to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed. While doing so, Meg learns many secrets about Caerphilly’s history–and finds that the toucan may play a role in unmasking the killer. Clues and events indicate that a thief broke into the church to steal the toucan the night of the murder, so Meg decides to set a trap for the would-be toucan thief–who might also be the killer.
Toucan Keep a Secret is the twenty-third book in New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews’ hilarious Mag Langslow mystery series.
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As usual Andrews delivered a great story. I am enjoying watching Meg turn into her mother. I wonder if Andrews will let her realize it. The mystery of who killed the curmudgeon in the crypt and why was was entertaining. I can usually figure out who the killer is in advance, but I confess this time I didn’t. What he thought he was going to accomplish by planting loot in the crypt was weak, but then readers already knew he wasn’t very bright so as a plot twist it was fair.
In this next book of the series it is Meg’s turn to close up her church after a nightly meeting being held there because their Reverend is pregnant and on bed rest. While locking up and checking on their guest, a toucan the Rev. Robyn is fostering Meg hears a banging noise. The noise sounds like its coming from the church’s crypt so Meg goes off to investigate. What she finds is the dead body of one of the church members and several of the niches have been tampered and among the ashes a ring. The dead man had been making noises about retrieving his wife’s ashes from their niche and it looks like maybe he had taken matters into his own hands, but who killed him and why? While the police look into the death Meg is tasked with finding the owners of the niches that have been disturbed and asking the families how they would like the church to fix the problem. Along the way Meg learns of a robbery that happened years ago and begins to wonder if it is at all related to what happened at the crypt. Follow along as Meg tends to her family, helps out her church, takes care of a toucan, and all the while still looks for clues into who could have killed her fellow parishioner. This is such an entertaining series filled with unique characters, a lovely setting, and plot line that is always fun to try and figure out. This series is still going strong after 23 books, I look forward to many more.
Meg Langslow is taking a turn locking up the Episcopal Church in town. She’s part of the brigade helping out since Reverend Robyn Smith is out on bed rest for the remainder of her pregnancy. Meg just about has everything taken care of when she hears a pounding coming from the columbarium. When she goes to investigate, she finds several of the crypts have been opened, and the dead body of Junius Hagley on the ground. Mr. Hagley was a grouchy old man who Meg and her mother secretly call one of the Muttering Misogynists, but Meg didn’t wish him dead. What has Meg stumbled into now?
My biggest issue with this book involved the use of the term misogynist to describe the victim as well as describing some of his actions as mansplaining. Honestly, I felt both of these terms didn’t have much to do with the mystery plot in the slightest and were there more to lecture us than to entertain. Which is a shame because the mystery itself was very entertaining. Between a mystery from the past and how it is factoring into the events of the present, I was hooked until Meg pieced it together at the end. We get most of the series regulars here, and they entertain as always. The new characters are colorful and therefore plenty of fun as well. A few of the scenes were so much funny they literally made me laugh out loud.
Read 9.3.2018
Oh how I love these books!!
Once again Donna Andrews delivers a great book, full of fun, relatable characters, a very good mystery and laughter throughout the whole book.
Meg, Michael and the Twins are just such a great main base family and add all of Meg’s kooky family that swirls around them and then the characters of the town of Caerphilly just top everything off like a lovely cherry on top of a fantastic ice cream sundae!
This adventure features mostly Meg and her father with showings from her Mom and Michael and the boys, but its mostly Meg and her Dad [plus the sheriff] and a very messy toucan. And several very dead people. And a old mystery that also needs solved before the murderer strikes again.
This was such a good book and I loved every second of it. She really cannot write them fast enough to suit me! 😉
Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Donna Andrews delivers another great read in the Meg Langslow cozy mystery series. Caerphilly may be small but there is a lot happening. Views into small-town life mix well to provide a wonderful setting for the story especially with the “diverse” family Meg has. Enjoyed it!
I love this author and this character’s huge wild and crazy family!
She always gets me in the scene and helps me get out of my world and into hers.
It is hard to believe that TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET is the twenty-third installment in the long running Meg Langslow series. Time spent with Meg and her zany family is always time well spent. At this point, these characters are like extended family to me, and they are what keep me coming back for more.
This time around, Meg helps out at her church when the reverend is put on bed rest. While locking up to the building and checking on the temporary resident toucan, Meg discovers one of the vestry members murdered in the columbarium. Additionally, several of the crypts have been damaged and a rather impressive ring has appeared, leading to a thirty year old crime. Meg, along with Chief Burk and her father, work through the suspects and the clues to get to the truth.
The mystery within the pages of TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET is interesting but quite easy to solve. Even so, figuring it out along with Meg is fun and always entertaining. Meg’s family is not featured as much as in previous books, and I miss them. The pace is steady and Andrews always manages to insert plenty of humor and absurdity in the story.
I recommend TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET to any cozy reader. I cannot wait to see what Meg gets into next.
I received an ARC of this title from the publisher and voluntarily shared my thoughts here.
Donna Andrews’ very delightful 23rd Meg Langslow Mystery, Toucan Keep a Secret, was very quickly read by this cozy enthusiast in just a few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Our heroine, Meg, is locking up at her church one evening when she hears a loud banging and sees a light in the supposedly empty (well, except for the dead people!!!) crypt. Upon entering she discovers the body of a member of the vestry who’s been bludgeoned to death with a crowbar, and also the scattered ashes and broken urns of several late members of the congregation, as well as a priceless ruby ring! Who did this and why did they choose these particular niches to desecrate? Is there a connection to a 30-year-old jewelry robbery? Can a non-speaking toucan really hold the secret to the crime? Do yourself a favor and take a trip to the town of Caerphilly to discover the answers to these, and other, burning questions! Note: You don’t need to read the first 22 books in the series prior to picking this one up (unless you want to!), as this book works perfectly well as a standalone read. 5 stars!
Wacky! Meg gets hijacked into more responsibilities when their overachieving parish priest is placed on bedrest and Meg is to coordinate the nonclergy duties. Of course her parents and other relatives are *helping* as well, but it all goes sideways when Meg interrupts an odd burglary that includes a murder. The publisher’s blurb gives more hints and there is no need for spoilers, but it’s the anticipation of the author’s signature humor and wacky characters that brought me back to a town and family nuttier than mine. The mystery is well done and full of suspects and red herrings, but the suspense is what keeps me reading late in the night. If you haven’t met the Lanslows before you’re in for a treat, and if you haven’t read them for a while (like me) you’ll still fit right in, so read and enjoy!
I requested and received a free review copy from MacMillan Minotaur via NetGalley.
TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET by Donna Andrews
The Twenty-Third Meg Langslow Mystery
With Reverend Robyn Smith on bed rest, Meg Langslow is on duty at Trinity Episcopalian. Loud banging interrupts her from securing the church for the night and leads her to the graveyard only to find Julius Hagley, one of the Muttering Misogynists, dead inside the vandalized columbarium. Did he interrupt an intruder or did the women in the vestry finally have enough of him? Or was his murder somehow connected to an old unsolved jewel robbery, an event that ties all the disturbed cremains together?
A return to Caerphilly, Virginia is a return to fun. Donna Andrews leads her zany cast of characters through a well plotted mystery filled with laughs.
It doesn’t matter if you’ve read each previous book in the series, have been away a while and missed a few, or if this is your first Meg Langslow Mystery, you can jump right in and not feel lost or as if you had missed something. Despite being the twenty-third book in the series TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET remains fresh.
I quite enjoyed the tie in to an unsolved mystery. Delving into the past while seeing its effects on the present bring added dimension to the story. I also love how Meg gets the whole family and community involved, in helping the toucan, helping the Smiths, and solving the murder! TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET is a great addition to this long-running series.
FTC Disclosure – The publisher sent me a digital ARC provided through NetGalley, in the hopes I would review it.
I enjoy this series. The self-talk that Meg does and even some of the dialog is funny and snappy. A bit like the Gilmore Girls. Megs family is very unique and everyone of them has at least one quirk. Meg keeps lists of everything anyone asks her to do or things she wants to do. Her father loves mysteries and in this one sets about re-creating a jewelry heist. Meg is busy as always. She is covering for their priest who is on bed rest, she is also trying to figure out why someone would want to break in to Trinity Church. She is doing all this while juggling a Toucan, her two boys, and the rest of her family. You would think that would be enough, but No–someone is taking shots as her as well!! The mystery has lots of potential suspects, and the murderer was a bit of a surprise. He/She was kinda hidden among all the other characters. This book at times had me chuckling and at other times, trying to figure out who the bad guys were.
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Another solid entry in the Meg Langslow series with a twist. They mystery is unusual for this series and is nicely complicated. It also gives us the opportunity to know more about the local church and Meg and family’s activities within it.
While Andrews has almost all of the usual Langslow sidekicks and bird du jour make a brief (really brief in some cases) appearance, this story really focuses just on Meg. Michael was used to better effect this time, actively assisting in a way than just doing his job as usual at the college. But even he gets barely any actual page space. I sort of missed some of them, but since the story kept me engaged, I really didn’t miss them.
There were a couple of details that were mentioned more than once which irked me just a tad. I thought the editor should have caught that.
I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.