You’d think by the 40th Meg Langslow Mystery that Donna Andrews would have run put of pithy bird-related titles, but have no fear. While in the past there have been ducks, crows, magpies, falcons, larks, toucans, finches, gulls, eagles, even hens and hawks, to name just a few, this time we have Jay to the World.
Specifically, bluejays, who come to earn a pivotal role in the mystery set at Christmas time. It’s a busy time for Meg as she juggles incoming relatives with holiday preparations, along with her mother’s special projects, which this year includes her role in decorating the great room of a mansion for the Garden Club Holiday show house, plus a playhouse she’s having built for her two- year-old granddaughter, Brynn, whose favorite bird is “boojays.”
When the playhouse is vandalized and her mother hurt in the process, Meg’s mother admits she’s been receiving threatening emails. Meg juggles her other holiday responsibilities to investigate those she’s determined are her mother’s potential enemies, all the while arranging nursing care for a wounded boojay.
All of the usual cast of eccentric and lovable characters are on hand to assist Meg, including her twin sons, many other extended family members, and other Caerphilly residents and law enforcement she’s helped in the past. Now it’s their turn to help Meg.
One of my personal favorite characters is Miss Ethelinda Pruitt, an assisted living resident who earns a tidy side sum selling her untraditional yet intricate needlework samplers and pillows with off-color sayings delicately worked into the canvases. I hope Andrews will keep her in future mysteries. The only person missing is Meg’s drama teacher husband, Michael, who is in New York City with the classes yearly theatre crawl, which this year comes too close to the run-up to Christmas.
Andrews gives readers a nicely twisted plot and believable scoundrels, who do more than their share of creating messes that need to be cleaned up. There’s also plenty of the author’s brand of wry humor to round out a more than satisfying mystery that has a surprising ending twist readers won’t see coming.
This is another winner in a long running series that will delight fans and newcomers to Meg and her crew alike.
