We'll Always Have Parrots [Hardcover]

Donna Andrews (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 19, 2004

In We'll Always Have Parrots, Meg travels with her fiance Michael to a fan convention for Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle--a cheesy cult TV show on which Michael has a minor role. Michael hopes the weekend will give him a chance to talk Miss Wynncliffe-Jones, the show's temperamental leading lady and executive producer out of enforcing a certain provision in Michael's contract.

Of course, Michael's not the only person whose career the dictatorial star has manipulated. So when the star is found murdered, the police have plenty of suspects. Trouble is, Meg doesn't believe they're going to arrest the right one. Soon she finds herself following the murderer's trail through a hotel filled with egotistical actors, costumed fans, and a motley flock of monkeys and parrots who, rebelling against their role as live scenery, have escaped from their cages to take an active (and noisy) role in the festivities.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Always heavy on the humor, Andrews' most recent Meg Langslow outing is her most over-the-top adventure to date. By setting the story at a convention for fans of the TV show Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle, Andrews opens the door to all variety of zany characters--including the show's cast, its die-hard fans, and the vendors who are trying to hawk Porfiria -related merchandise. Meg's boyfriend, Michael, one of the show's leading hunks, has to sign lots of autographs, leaving Meg plenty of time to snoop around and get into mischief. Although she should be minding her booth, where she peddles merchandise, Meg instead tries to find the killer of Tamerlaine Wycliffe-Jones, the evil leading lady whom everyone calls "The QB"--with Q for queen and B for something other than bee. Adding to the atmosphere are hundreds of monkeys, parrots, and a tiger, brought in to make the hotel more junglelike. Meg remains an imminently likable heroine, and the wacky supporting characters make Parrots a hoot--perfect for fans of Hess' Maggody series. Jenny McLarin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review

"Perfectly showcases Donna Andrews' gift for deadpan comedy." --Denver Post

"Laughter, more laughter, we need laughter, so Donna Andrews is giving us We'll Always Have Parrots...to help us survive February." --Washington Times

"I can't say enough good things about this series, and this entry in it."-Deadly Pleasures

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books; First Edition edition (February 19, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312277326
• ISBN-13: 978-0312277321
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #230,854 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

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zany look at culture with charming protagonist. A good one., April 17, 2004

By 

booksforabuck "BooksForABuck" (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: We'll Always Have Parrots (Hardcover)

It's an ordinary convention, celebrating the stars of a 'B' grade television show, Porfira, Queen of the Jungle. Meg Langslow accompanies her actor-boyfriend Michael and hopes to sell some of her swords (Meg is a blacksmith). But ordinary SF conventions are anything but ordinary. Parrots and monkeys escape and run wild in the hotel, space-suit clad fans mingle with angry writers and actors, and everyone is angry with leading lady Wynncliffe-Jones. But when the actress ends up killed, her dying words echoed by an African Gray parrot, Meg knows she needs to get to the bottom of the mystery. Because if she doesn't, her boyfriend is likely to be a chief suspect.

With occasional assistance from her nerotic doctor-father, Meg explores the world of comic books (graphic novels) on which Porfira was based, the 1960s culture that spawned some pretty good art and bad story-telling, and the web of contracts and bad will that Wynncliffe-Jones used to maintain control over the Porfira franchise.

This was a very funny book. Author Donna Andrews has an eye for the zany world of fantasy fans, prima-donna actors, and ambivalent family relations. Protagonist Meg Langslow makes a good and sympathetic character with real personality and skills.

I picked up my first Meg Langslow mystery, Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon, because of the title and WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE PARROTS is another great title. What's great, though, is finding a book that can live up to a title like this. And Andrews delivers exactly that book. Anyone who enjoys a slightly zany approach to mystery, kick-ass female protagonists, and a tongue-in-cheek look at American culture will want to get their hands on this one. Highly recommended.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars So-So, February 25, 2004

By 

Sharon (Grove City, OH USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: We'll Always Have Parrots (Hardcover)

I think the Meg Langslow mysteries are charming, funny, and witty and I very much looked forward this installment. I did not find We'll Always Have Parrots up to that standard. Like the other characters in the book, I did not lament that the victim was murdered and about halfway through the book I decided that I no longer cared who murdered her. I went ahead and finished it until the end but it took longer than previous Donna Andrews' books. For some reason I found the almost exclusive use of calling the main character the QB annoying and after a while I just wanted all the parrots and monkeys to fade into the background. I missed Michael and Meg's father playing more prominent roles. With Michael playing such a minor role and he being the reason behind Meg's desire to solve the mystery, I just felt it could have been better. Every series has their less than best book. We'll Always Have Parrots was that one for me but I look forward to the next one in hopes that it will be as enjoyable as the first three were.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not a Conventional Murder, July 8, 2004

By 

Mark Baker (Santa Clarita, CA United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: We'll Always Have Parrots (Hardcover)

Meg isn't thrilled to be spending the weekend at the convention for Porfiria, the TV show that boyfriend Michael stars in. This year's festivities have been enhanced by the addition of monkeys and parrots, which have escaped from their cages and are wandering the hotel at random. Meg is hoping to make some money off her swords in the dealer room to keep the weekend from being a complete loss.

All that's before the star of the show is murdered. Nicknamed the QB (which doesn't stand for Queen Bee), there isn't a person who works on the show who didn't have some beef with her. Despite protests that she's not going to get involved, Meg begins collecting clues. But can she follow them back to the real killer before the convention ends?

If you are at all familiar with the books in the Meg Langslow series, you know to expect plenty of antics along with your mystery. This book is no exception. Donna Andrews pokes gentle fun at fandom with some of the over the top antics. I grinned and laughed my way through the entire book. At the same time, there's a great mystery. While it takes a while to get going, it is a cleverly plotted story with several nice twists before the ending.

Donna Andrews continues to set the bar high for herself. How she manages to juggle everything she puts in these stories is beyond me. But they are a fun ride none-the-less. If you love humorous mysteries, be sure to check this series out.