From USA Today bestselling author Leslie Langtry comes a Civil War reenactment, a missing body, and one ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout Troop leader with hilarious results!
Merry Wrath has a problem. Her Girl Scout Troop co-leader has signed them up to participate in a Civil War reenactment based on the little-known Battle of Idiot Creek. In full 19th century costume, Merry is just hoping she can … just hoping she can keep her troop out of trouble. Unfortunately, things start to fall apart immediately—from the cannon the kids buy with her credit card, to one girl sneaking off at night to beat the other reenactors at poker, to avoiding a rumble between her troop and the haughty Magnolia Girls.
But things take a sharp turn for the worse when a real human leg appears in the pretend amputation tent…only to disappear while Merry’s guarding it. The rest of the body doesn’t seem to exist, making Merry wonder if she’s losing her mind… or if there’s a murderer among them. To complicate things, Merry’s ex CIA handler, Riley, appears as a dashing cavalry officer investigating a real case, her married best friend is swooning over the Sam Elliot-like Provost, and during the battles, a tiny Union soldier appears to be running guerrilla ops that weren’t in the script.
With a group of soldiers threatening Merry, the Sheriff refuses to investigate, and the danger mounting, can Merry prove that there was a murder before the reenactment ends?
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Musket Ball Murder takes the reader to a reenactment of a battle that never was! Kelly signed up the troop to participate and Merry hopes to keep them out of trouble! Without a body Merry cannot even prove a murder happened. Betty keeps disappearing. Nothing is easy in this well written mystery. Do not miss this very creative Civil War reenactment!
I couldn’t stop laughing through most of this book! At first, you think, how much trouble can a Girl Scout Troop get into at a Civil War Reenactment? Well, no spoilers here, but, there is definitely no shortage of trouble here! Mischief galore, questionable antics, a group of girls from a rival town, and familiar characters all grace this book in a way that makes you not want to put this book down…I had trouble finding stopping points so I could go to sleep. There are plenty of twists to keep you guessing, as well as have you wondering who are actually good guys and bad guys. The ending is as much of a surprise as the rest of the goings-on in this laugh-out-loud story you don’t want to miss. BTW, it does just fine as a stand-alone, but this will make you want to read the others for a little backstory, but, this story and the characters are both entertaining and easy to follow. I received a complimentary copy of this wonderful book and am happy to leave my honest review. Get this! You won’t be sorry!
Merry, Kelly and the girls participate in a totally bizarre Civil War reenactment, where Merry comes across a dead leg in a med tent. Not a dead person, just a leg. So in typical Merry fashion, she sets out to find the body the leg belongs to. There are a lot of shady characters in this place, and strange things going on, making her job that much harder.
Betty is hands-down my favourite character in this series, and she is AWESOME in this book. Riley also cracked me up with his interactions with Merry.
This was a great read, lots of fun, as the Merry Wrath books usually are!
Musket Ball Murder earns 5+/5 Cannon Balls & Skunks…Engaging Fun!
A last minute “plea” for an invite to the upcoming civil war reenactment creates a frenzy of excitement among Merry Wrath’s Girl Scout troop who are going overboard about immersing themselves into the local history surrounding the 1865 Battle of Idiot Creek; even though the real battle and the re-enactment have little in common, what’s the problem with providing participants and tourists a full experience even if it happened differently…except for the skunk. Period costumes are set, including corsets, camping and cooking gear are provided, except the princess sleeping bags may not be historically accurate, and acting the part of the Ladies Auxiliary Aid Society is appropriate for the young girls, but ”Do we get rifles?” No, the muskets the girls ordered online, using Merry’s credit card, were promptly cancelled, but a cannon? The battle, as it is, begins with a bang and the girls are squealing with excitement desperately wanting to get into the middle of the melee. However, the event makes a suspicious turn when Merry is grabbed and warned, “It’s not safe here, Merry Wrath!” Then, a down soldier, who doesn’t get up when the battle is paused, disappears, and a real leg pops up in the amputation tent and disappears. The local sheriff isn’t interested in pursuing the matter, but Rex has been called in about a missing government employee, and PI Riley, dressed as a officer, is on his own “confidential” case. Connections? Merry may again be in jeopardy, but who better to provide assistance than a bunch of pen and ink toting ten-year-olds. Look out!
Brilliant! I am hooked on Leslie Langtry’s very well-written Merry Wrath series, and this fourteenth book with its clever premise, intriguing local history, and empowered pre-teens was a perfect read during these “stay at home” days to provide a few well needed giggles. Her writing style with a first-person narrative from Merry’s “I” perspective gives me a vicarious role in the drama, and she does well to illustrate setting, characters, tone, and personalities through her sensory-filled descriptive language and entertaining dialogue. I enjoy Leslie’s story organization which starts with a fight with some “southern gentlemen” and personal peril in the present to grab your interest, then flashback events to show how we got here. The actual evidence of foul play takes awhile to be revealed, but I was never impatient since I was totally engrossed in the lead up. The drama was clever, but it’s Merry’s snarky humor and some age “not appropriate” retorts from the girls that I thoroughly enjoy. All of the girls, especially Betty who wanted to fight as a boy, are quite entertaining, but some suspension of disbelief is needed. With my experience as a retired fourth-grade teacher, parents of even the most precocious or inquisitive student might balk at helping out in the doctor’s tent. All in all…I love this series and it seems each new book becomes a favorite!
Another great book in the Merry Wrath series! Merry, Kelly and the troop are headed to Idiot Creek for a reenactment of the Battle of Idiot Creek. That name should say it all! The girls are camping out in period-specific clothing, including the full hoop skirts but that doesn’t stop Mary (or Betty) from doing what has to be done – intimidating both sides, and solving a murder in the process. Seriously? You have to experience Merry fighting in full dress, it’s hilarious how she can maneuver in this get-up! Betty just keeps getting smarter, more dangerous, and girly all at the same time (that’s right, girly, well…some of the time). You don’t have to be a Civil War buff to enjoy this very clever book of the series. Kelly has some surprises as well, but I won’t give it away, you’ll have to see for yourself. This book is action-packed, fun, with several twists to the plot that makes this one a definite page turner, read from beginning to end because you can’t put it down kind of book.
Another hilarious edition to this series. I love Merry Wrath & her Girl Scout troop. This time they are at a local war battle re-enactment and put course they find themselves in the middle of trouble. Pick up a copy to see how it all unfolds.
Merry Wrath and her band of misfit scouts, leaders, and friends never fail to entertain! Every Merry Wrath mystery is a uniquely crafted story with brilliantly intertwined adventures and familiar characters that fans already love. This is another visit to Merry, Kelly and the scouts, Riley, Juliette, Rex and the extended favorites in Who’s There, Iowa. As always, pick this one up right away. Merry Wrath and Leslie Langtry never disappoint!
I received an ARC from the publisher for purposes of an unbiased review.