cover image Murder Most Fowl: A Meg Langslow Mystery

Murder Most Fowl: A Meg Langslow Mystery

Donna Andrews. Minotaur, $26.99 (320p) ISBN 978-1-250-76016-6

Bestseller Andrews’s quirky 29th Meg Langslow mystery (after 2020’s The Gift of the Magpie) finds Meg’s husband, professor Michael Waterston, directing a production of Macbeth for the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C. The rehearsals are being held on Meg and Michael’s farm outside of Caerphilly, Va., and besides hosting the entire cast and crew, Meg is also dealing with a troupe of medieval reenactors who are clumsily attempting to recreate a medieval Scottish military camp in the woods behind her house. On top of it all, the production—and Meg—are plagued by an obnoxious, intrusive documentary filmmaker; a mysterious vandal; and three “witches” brewing evil potions in the woods at night. The day after the filmmaker shows a rough cut of his unflattering documentary, he’s found dead and his equipment destroyed. Was it because his video contained incriminating evidence? Andrews’s long-running family saga is packed with eccentric characters, witty digressions, and endearing animals galore. And what a family it is: odd, funny, and endearing. Readers will want to come on in, have a seat, and watch the fun as Meg manages the chaos. Agent: Ellen Geiger, Frances Goldin Literary. (Aug.)