Review of "Murder With Peacocks: A Meg Langslow Cozy Mystery" by Donna Andrews

This is the first book in the Meg Langslow cozy mystery series, which has been going strong for many years. The story arc has come a long way since this initial tale, and I enjoyed seeing where it all began.

Virginia native Meg Langslow is an ornamental blacksmith who agrees to spend the summer in her hometown of Yorktown, Virginia.



Meg has agreed to be the maid of honor for three Yorktown brides: her best friend Eileen, her brother Rob's fiancé Samantha, and Meg's own mother, who's marrying for a second time.



To these bridezillas, maid of honor is synonymous with wedding planner, and Meg is expected to do EVERYTHING: send invitations, order food and flowers, oversee fittings of wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses, open wedding gifts, supervise thank you cards, obtain peacocks for the festivities, organize pre-wedding parties and rehearsals, and so on. Meg can hardly catch her breath among all the requests and instructions.



When Meg discovers that her friend Eileen hasn't managed to choose a wedding gown or bridesmaid dresses, though the nuptials are mere weeks away, she hustles over to the Yorktown bridal salon to make arrangements. There Meg meets a dramatic arts professor named Michael, who's supervising the shop while his mother recovers from an accident.



Meg is attracted to Michael - who's tall, hunky, handsome, and personable - but town gossips tell her he's gay. So Meg and Michael become friends, and he practically becomes a member of Meg's extended family. Meg is pursued by other eligible bachelors, though, especially a doofus named Barry who has a big crush on her.



Meg is willing to plan her mother's wedding, but she's not happy about it.



Meg's parents recently got an amicable divorce, and her father - a retired physician - is still around the family home all the time. He mows the lawn, takes care of the garden, and grows poisonous plants, which are his hobby.



Now Meg's mom is marrying a bland boring widower from down the street, and Meg doesn't get it.



The stress of all the wedding prep is heightened by the arrival of a guest from Florida, who has something nasty to say to everyone, even children.



This woman is soon found dead, and the sheriff calls it an accident. Meg's father, however, thinks the victim was murdered, and he sets out to prove it with Meg's help. A series of deadly 'accidents' follows, and it seems a killer is on the loose.

Though the mystery is interesting enough, the book's main strength is the array of quirky characters, including Meg's mother - a southern lady who gets things done; Meg's father - who has many oddball pastimes and interests; the Yorktown sheriff - who's clueless about murder investigations; Meg's uncle - who likes to wear a gorilla costume; Meg's friend Eileen - who wants renaissance style wedding garb; and more.



The book's final chapters hold some surprises, but wily readers will suspect what's coming. This doesn't spoil the fun though, and I recommend the book to fans of cozy mysteries.

Rating: 3.5 stars