Murder with Puffins (Meg Langslow Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Donna Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 15, 2001

Winner of the St. Martin's Malice Domestic Award in 1997 for her first work Murder With Peacocks, Donna Andrews brings back her zany characters and disastrous events.

In an attempt to get away from her family, Meg and her boyfriend go to a tiny island off the coast of Maine. What could have been a romantic getaway slowly turns into disaster.

Once there, they are marooned by a hurricane and that is only the beginning of their problems. Meg and her boyfriend arrive at the house only to discover that Meg's parents and siblings, along with their spouses are all there. When a murder takes place, Meg realizes that she and her boyfriend can no longer sit by a cozy fireplace, but must instead tramp around the muddy island to keep try and clear her father who is the chief suspect.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Meg Langslow and her boyfriend Michael want to be alone, but fate's conspired to make it all but impossible. Meg takes her aunt Phoebe up on an invitation to spend an Indian summer weekend at Phoebe's supposedly empty cottage on the coast of Maine. Braving a hurricane and a horde of determined birdwatchers, they make the last ferry to Monhegan Island, only to find their plans to be alone dashed by the unexpected appearance of Meg's entire family, including Aunt Phoebe. To make matters worse, a famous and slightly megalomaniacal sculptor, who may have been Meg's mother's lover years ago, has taken up residence on the island. When he's killed in an accident that turns out to be murder, Meg's sweet, slightly dotty father is fingered as the suspect. The elusive puffin, revered by bird lovers and captured in kitsch by an island artist named Rhapsody, is the leitmotif in this charming cozy, the second outing in author Donna Andrews's series. The first book, Murder with Peacocks, won the Agatha Award for the best first traditional mystery. Murder with Puffins is a bit short on drama and suspense, though long on charm. Meg and Michael are appealing, but the minor characters, especially Meg's parents and the colorful island locals, are infinitely more interesting. --Jane Adams --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

YA-Meg Langslow and her boyfriend take a ferry to an island off the coast of Maine to share a quiet, romantic weekend together. Instead, they arrive during a pre-hurricane storm and find most of her family staying in what should have been her aunt's empty summer cottage. With the ferry cancelled and the tempest upon them, they all try to make the best of several uncomfortable situations: the weather, cramped quarters, coping with the many birders who are also stranded on the island, and everyone's anger at the island's resident artist, Victor Resnick. When his body is found in a tidal pool, Meg focuses her sleuthing skills on finding the murderer, a wet and slippery proposition as the storm rages on. Andrews creates a host of quirky individuals, complete with intense birders and cranky curmudgeons. Her sense of humor adds a lot to the novel, with one-liners and situations guaranteed to bring a smile. Built on the plot lines of a traditional "cozy" style of mystery, the story wends its way to a satisfying ending, treating readers to an entertaining cast of characters in an interesting locale.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; First Edition edition (June 15, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312978863
• ISBN-13: 978-0312978860
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #308,440 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I've been writing since I learned to print, but didn't get published until Murder with Peacocks won the Malice Domestic/St. Martins Press Best First Traditional Mystery contest in spring 1998. Since then I've written six more comic mysteries books featuring ornamental blacksmith Meg Langslow: Murder with Puffins (2000), Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos (2001), Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon (2003), We'll Always Have Parrots (2004), Owls Well That Ends Well (2005), and No Nest for the Wicket (August 2006). I've also started another series in with the sleuth, Turing Hopper, is an artificial intelligence personality living inside a corporate computer: You've Got Murder (2002), Click Here for Murder (2003), Access Denied (2004), and Delete All Suspects (2005).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Murder and Mayhem off the Coast of Maine, November 7, 2002

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Murder with Puffins (Meg Langslow Mysteries) (Mass Market Paperback)

All Meg wanted was a quiet weekend alone with her boyfriend Michael. She thought she'd hit the perfect solution when she remembered the family cabin on the island of Monhegan. When they arrive, however, they find that the island is in the path of hurricane Gladys. Furthermore, her family has also decided get away for a few days. Trapped in the small cabin with her family on an island full of stranded birdwatchers, Meg and Michael try to make the best of it.

Then a local celebrity is found murdered near his house. His list of enemies includes most of the island, but Meg's dad is the chief suspect. Now, Meg is searching the rain soaked island for clues, hoping she can clear her dad before the real killer leaves when the ferry resumes after the storm.

While I enjoyed the first book in this series, I loved this one. The plot is more focused here. It starts out slowly, but once the body is found, things quickly get moving. There are several great plot twists, and the story reaches a satisfying conclusion. Yet, the book is still filled with the humor that made the first fun to read. And the characters are alive and interesting as well.

Anyone looking for a fun, light-hearted mystery need look no further then this series. I'm already planning my next visit with Meg and her family and hope to enjoy many more to come.

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It was good, but, May 22, 2000

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suzatm (PA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Murder With Puffins (Hardcover)

Donna Andrew's second book was good but certainly did not measure up to her first book, Murder with Peacocks. Missing was the wacky craziness that had you laughing out loud and turning the pages as quick as you could to find out the ending. Murder with Puffins carried you along, but there seemed to be a lot lacking from the first. You read and felt like you didn't get as involved with the characters as you did in the first book. I was able to pick this one up and put it down a number of times with no problem, where with the first one I sat and read it from cover to cover without putting it down at all. After having such a wonderful hit her first time, I know it must be hard to measure up to that the second time. Don't get me wrong, Murder with Puffins was still a good mystery, just not as good as Murder with Peacocks. If you haven't read either of the author's books, I would suggest reading Puffins first and then read Peacocks which in my opinion was a 5 rating.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Donna Andrews is a find!, May 29, 2000

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"wishbury" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Murder With Puffins (Hardcover)

Meg, the delightful heroine of Andrews' first mystery, MURDER WITH PEACOCKS, is back with another charming, often hilarious mystery. Instead of the south, the book is set on a New England island, in the middle of a hurricane. Meg and Mike escaped there for some quiet time. Ha! Not with Meg's parents, relatives, and assorted loony inhabitants of the island (not to mention the puffins) around. Meg and her long suffering boyfriend are drawn into a delightful mystery concerning the murder of the dastardly island painter. The mystery is engrossing, the characters likeable, and Andrews' writing is first rate. What more could you want in a book? Great reading!