Owls Well That Ends Well (Meg Langslow Mysteries) [Mass Market Paperback]

Donna Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 7, 2006

Meg Langslow was actually looking forward to renovating the old Victorian mansion she and her boyfriend Michael bought. But she wasn't thrilled by the lifetime of junk accumulated by the house's eccentric previous owner, Edwina Sprocket. The easiest solution: hold the end-all and be-all of gigantic yard sales. But when the event attracts the late Miss Sprocket's money-hungry heirs, the over-enthusiastic supporters of some endangered barn owls, and customers willing to go to any lengths to uncover a hidden treasure, Meg suspects things have gotten a little out of hand…
Then an antiques dealer is found stuffed in a trunk with his head bashed in--and the yard sale turns into a day's-long media circus. Even worse, the suspect arrested for the crime is the person Michael needs to secure academic tenure. Now, Meg is juggling an ever-growing list of suspects. And she's going to have to outthink and outwit one clever murderer who lives by "everything must go…"

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Andrews' sixth Meg Langslow tale is a loony, utterly delightful affair featuring the zany Meg, her affable boyfriend, Michael, and a collection of Meg's wacky relatives. Meg and Michael have bought a dilapidated mansion containing a huge collection of possessions from deceased owner Edwina Sprocket. Agreeing to sell the items and give the remaining Sprockets a cut, Meg and Michael prepare for a huge yard sale--with Meg's entire extended family camping out in the house; however, the discovery of a dead body puts a damper on the festivities. The dead man is a local antiques dealer, but suspicion quickly turns to Professor Giles Rathbone, whose owl bookend was the murder weapon. Meg has a vested interest in clearing Giles--he's one of Michael's few supporters on the tenure committee. As usual, Andrews provides plenty of fun, including Meg's penchant for reciting collective nouns that pertain to birds, such as a "parliament of owls" and a "murmuration of starlings." Another laugh-out-loud lark that will leave readers singing Andrews' praises. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"It's a hoot...a supporting cast of endearingly eccentric characters, perfectly pitched dialogue and a fine sense of humor make this a treat."--Publishers Weekly

"Death by yard sale epitomizes the 'everyday people' humor that Andrews does so well…for readers who prefer their mysteries light...Andrews may be the next best thing to Janet Evanovich."--Rocky Mountain News

"Andrews delivers another wonderfully comic story....This is a fun read, as are all the books in the series. Andrews playfully creates laughable, wacky scenes that are the backdrop for her criminally devious plot. Settle back, dear reader and enjoy another visit to Meg's anything-but-ordinary world."--Romantic Times (starred review)

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks; 1st edition (March 7, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312997906
• ISBN-13: 978-0312997908
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #339,599 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

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Hoot!, April 7, 2005

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Owls Well That Ends Well (Meg Langslow Mysteries) (Hardcover)

When Meg and Michael bought their house on the edge of town, they knew it would take lots of work. For one thing, it's old, so there's plenty of repair work. More immediate, the former owner was a pack rat, and they bought the house with all the contents as well.

Now, after several months of hard work, they're ready for the yard sale to end all yard sales. With plenty of Meg's relatives on hand to "help" and sell their own items, it promises to be an event.

The customers start coming before dawn. Among the first is local antiques dealer Gordon McCoy. Always out to make a quick buck, no one trusts him. Sure enough, he's quickly hording treasures in the barn to check out later, even though the barn is off limits because of the owls nesting there. But when a customer drags a trunk out of the barn, Gordon's body is locked inside. The police quickly zero in on one of Michael's fellow professors since he was seen wandering around the sale with the murder weapon. Since Meg is trying to win the man over as a friend, she sets out to make sure the police have a better suspect. With the yard sale temporarily on hold while the police investigate, Meg is able to dive in, especially since the crowd, suspects included, seem to be staying around the house hoping the sale will reopen. Can Meg deal with the restless crowd and solve the murder?

With each book, I fall further in love with this series. I giggled and laughed my way through this entry. There are several funny sub-plots that weave their way through the book, and I think there are a larger then normal assortment of relatives, adding to the general wackiness. The mains storyline is handled well with some nice development the entire way through.

Donna Andrews proves with each new book that she is at the top of her game. I can't wait to see what she does next.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars in this series, one good tern deserves another, March 21, 2005

By 

E Rice (western ny state) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Owls Well That Ends Well (Meg Langslow Mysteries) (Hardcover)

and we have a first rate turn in this volume.

the usual cast of appealing characters is back, with some additions. the dialogue is wonderful, the puns are wonderful, the situations are hilarious, and the plot is wonderfully twisty and surprising.

if you've been reading the previous books, you will definitely enjoy this one--the quality remains high. if you haven't read any of this series, start right now, then read this one.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Yard sales can be murder, March 21, 2005

By 

Robyn Russell (Fairbanks, Alaska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Owls Well That Ends Well (Meg Langslow Mysteries) (Hardcover)

Meg and Michael have taken a big step on the road to couplehood. They have just bought a three story Victorian fixer-upper. The catch: they have to remove from the premises the amazing amount of junk the former owner, Emma Sprocket, had secreted there over a lifetime. The relatively simple solution--have a yard sale--rapidly spirals out of control and between the obnoxious, money-grubbing Sprockets, odd family members, and a bizarre group of bargain hunters, Meg is rapidly losing her calm and her mind. When the body of a much-hated antiques dealer is found in a trunk in the barn, the cherry is really on the cake as far as Meg is concerned. Naturally, neither Meg nor Michael can resist assisting with the investigation, especially when suspicion falls on one of Michael's mild-mannered English professor colleagues.

One of the things I like about Donna Andrew's Meg Langslow mysteries is how she focuses on a different locale for each one, giving us the flavor of each particular community. In this book, Donna introduces us to the college town of Caerphilly where Michael works and where Meg has relocated. Although most of story takes place off-campus at the couple's house, there is a certain amount of college politics and intrigue involved. I also enjoyed the twist ending.

Another excellent entry in the Meg Langslow series.