My feelings on this are slightly complicated. Overall, I really enjoyed it. My only issue is that parts of the story had a disconnected feeling to them. Other than that, it was great.

How the Finch Stole Christmas! By Donna Andrews is the 22nd book in the delightful Meg Langslow series. I love this series, and the wonderful characters. Caerphilly sounds like a great town, with all their quirky people and large families. The plot of the stories are always well written and developed and often make me laugh out loud. This book has more twists and turns, that kept me reading page after page. I strongly recommend this book and the whole series for anyone who likes well written cozy mysteries that are unique and delightful.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

OH how I love these books. Totally and completely love them. And all the wacky characters that come with them.

This time around, Michael [Meg's husband] is putting on The Christmas Carol as a whole, instead of as a one-man play as he has always done. And he has managed to persuade a "has-been" actor to play the part of Scrooge. But that man has a drinking problem and things are not going well. Especially when they find out that someone has been supplying him liquor after everyone had been warned against that very thing. Meg follows him one night and doesn't find booze, but what she does find is much worse and much more dangerous. And chaos ensues, as only it can in Caerphilly.

And the killer is a complete and utter surprise - that is the BEST part of a mystery book.

I loved this book - every second of it. I highly recommend this series to anyone!

Wow! This is book #22 in the Meg Langslow series. If, like me, you look at a number that high thinking you’ll never get around to the first 21, don’t pass up the opportunity to read this one. The author, Donna Andrews, filled in all the blanks, and at no time did I feel lost because of something that happened in a previous book that I wasn’t clued in to. This works very well as a standalone.

While it is a murder mystery, there are quite a number of lighthearted situations and people that make this book an enjoyable one to read. Not the least of which is the 33 rescued finches that are part of a twelve days of Christmas decoration. Of course they are standing in for four calling birds, and while there are 33 today, Grandfather keeps sneaking in more in because he has so many, he doesn’t know where to place them all. There is a also a town, mostly filled with Shiffley’s; a snow plow that looks like Darth Vader is sucking up snow; and a fleet of silver accords owned by the local rental place—the owner has OCD and likes them to match.

The mystery is serious business, however, and there are many twists and turns before the guilty party is found. The murderer turned out to be someone I never suspected; however, the ending was neatly wrapped up, and I did appreciate how everything worked out so well.

Donna Andrews' latest Meg Langslow mystery, "How the Finch Stole Christmas!", is filled with holiday havoc and hilarity. It's the perfect holiday read for any cozy mystery fan.

It's Christmas in Carphilly and Meg Langslow has her hands full with a real Scrooge! The college is putting on A Christmas Carol and this year with her husband Michael directing, the town has brought in a renowned actor. Unfortunately, along with renown he also seems to trail rabid fans and empty liquor bott.les. Meg has a handle on the situation until she discoveres a body in the snow and that's when the mystery in this book picks up. This novel is a fun, Christmas addition to the overall Meg Langslow series and I was excited to see how it wrapped up.

The town of Caerphilly is once again planning a fun holiday season. Meg Langslow's husband, Michael, is the director of this years production of A Christmas Carol. The town hires a once-semi-famous actor, Malcolm Havers, to star in the show. Meg sets out to take care of the star and to find out who is supplying alcohol to Mr. Havers. There is a menagerie of animals, family and of course those multiplying finch that are turning up everywhere! Oh what fun, it is to solve a murder and a mystery!! This delightful cozy mystery combines colorful characters and funny circumstances to make a satisfying holiday read.

How the Finch Stole Christmas by Donna Andrews will be available October 24, 2017 by Minotaur Books, an imprint of St. Martin's Press. An egalley of this book was made available by the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

Meg takes center stage along with a quirky cast of characters, that includes a washed-out-drunken-past-his-prime actor, in this delightfully charming tale that spans the Christmas season of the annual production of a holiday show as well as murder and mayhem. Thanks to the author’s visually descriptive narrative and play by play action, this fast-paced drama had me devouring every page as I had to know what happens next. What we have is an overabundance of animals that cast their light on the story being told with smugglers and murder. What prevails is a fantastic story where every time I thought I had a handle of the person responsible, the author changes direction with sneaky twists and turns that enhances the telling of this tale. Donna continues to keep me engaged and entertained in the latest adventures of Meg and her friends and family in the town of Caerphilly, Virginia.

Great mystery but missing usual comedic family subplots.

It's Christmastime in Caerphilly. Michael's college has decided to bring in a has-been actor named Malcolm Haver to increase tourist attendance for its annual play, A Christmas Carol. Unfortunately, Haver has a drinking problem, which means slurred speech and missed rehearsals. Meg convinces her family and friends to not sell Haver any alcohol. So where is he acquiring it? The answer leads to an illegal animal smuggling ring, elder abuse and murder.

There are red herrings aplenty in this excellent mystery plot. The solution is clever. However, the usual family interplay is missing. Michael, the twins and cousin Rose Noire seem to be only bit characters in this novel. Meg's mother was only used to provide obscure family members for other forgettable roles. The plot of How the Finch Stole Christmas is good enough to be a 5 star entry in the series but the lack of the usually hilarious family banter drops it down to 4 stars.

Thanks to the publisher, Minotaur Books, and netgalley for an advanced review copy. This book will be published on October 24, 2017.

I am a huge Meg Langslow mystery fan! I binge-read the entire series up through book 20, then had to wait (rather impatiently) for books 21 and 22.

How the Finch Stole Christmas is another delightful story in the series. I really enjoy the Christmas-themed mysteries, and was glad to see Meg's husband continue on with his "Dicken's A Christmas Carol" show. This time, he changed from a one-man show to a full production, with Meg as the stage manager (while still working for the mayor) and their twin boys with parts in the play. An actor who is past his prime was hired to play the role of Scrooge, and while he could play the part well, he's an alcoholic who'd prefer to be drinking rather than acting. Despite help from the town to keep him sober, Meg finds herself struggling to find out where he gets his booze. At the same time, we've got animal smuggling, exotic finches, an overzealous fan who may be just a tad crazy, and a dead body (or two)!

I felt like Meg's family was more on the sidelines this time around, but I did enjoy the ending and the Christmas-feel of the book. I can't wait to read this one again at Christmastime!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

The general area of the village of Caerphilly is home to some of the most unique people and situations in both the fictional and real world. Meg Langslow and extended family are right in the thick of whatever is going on. The fact that Meg, husband Michael, and the Langslow family are some of the most unique and unusual people in fiction adds to the charm of the series. Meg and Michael seem to have limitless energy, as well as a genuine desire to help endlessly in any town project both positive and harmful or negative towards their beloved Caerphilly. In this book, it is nearly Christmas and the production of A Christmas Carol will soon be opening. In order to raise attendance and more money, this year they have hired a former television actor (Malcolm Haver) to play the part of Scrooge. Hoping his presence will result in more ticket sales, it is actually turning into herculean efforts to keep him sober and on task for even a complete rehearsal.

On one of Meg's frequent raids of his dressing room, she discovers not booze, but a gun and cartridges. She has the opportunity to follow Haver and possibly learn who is selling him the booze since the county is dry. Following Haver in a snowstorm, Haver leads her to a farm property on the edge of a wooded area. She takes the opportunity to look around and discovers a barn full of exotic animals and some birds as well as golden retriever dogs and puppies. A peek in the front window of the house shows her a woman in a wheelchair surrounded by hundreds of cats! During a quickly planned raid the next day, a body is found on the ground near the barn.

Who is the murdered man? How are they going to find foster homes for the many cats and dogs? Where will the tiger and the other exotic animals go? (This has a relatively easy solution-to Grandfather Langslow's zoo. of course.) And where is Malcolm Haver?

This is a fun book with many parts that made me laugh out loud. The wonderful characters we have met for the most part in previous books, are highly developed personalities that work together in a way that proves their loyalty and affection for the town and the people who live in it as well. Aside from the warm Christmas spirit that leaks out and oozes onto the reader, this is a book that will make you feel generally good about your fellow man. A wonderful book to put you in the holiday mood and give you warm and fuzzy feelings, in spite of murder and mayhem. You won't want to miss this episode in the series!

Christmas with Meg and her family... of course there's a murder -- but Meg and the family will fix everything!. Funny and quirky -- highly recommend this series!

A Christmas Play, an Animal Smuggling Ring, and a Body in the Snow
How the Finch Stole Christmas! Is the 22nd installment in Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow Mysteries series and is an enjoyable read. This is the first book I’ve read written by this author and I enjoyed her writing style. Even though I haven’t read the previous books in this series, Ms. Andrews provided enough character background that I didn’t feel lost jumping in so late in the series. The storyline is well thought out and the characters well developed. There are lots of twists and turns and the final reveal surprised me.

It’s almost Christmas in Caerphilly and Meg’s husband, Michael, is directing Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, their sons, Jamie and Josh, are cast members, and Meg is helping out as the stage manager. In an effort to boost ticket sales, a well-known actor, Malcolm Haver, has been hired to play the role of Scrooge, but he has the bad habit of overindulging in adult beverages. Malcolm keeps showing up drunk for rehearsal or disappearing altogether and Michael is prepared to take his place on stage, if necessary. While Meg is following Malcolm to try to learn who is supplying him with beverages, she discovers a rare tiger, exotic animals, Goudian finches, a puppy mill, and a house full of cats, and a corpse. Soon Meg finds herself juggling her family, holiday festivities, an uncooperative lead actor and his rabid fan, and helping to investigate the animal smuggling ring, a murder.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

It's nearly Christmas in Caerphilly. Michael is directing the production of <i>A Christmas Carol</i>. Scrooge is being portrayed by an almost forgotten actor named Haver who has a drinking problem. In the meantime, Goudian finches are plentiful in the area thanks to a wildlife smuggling ring. Meg finds more finches, a tiger, a puppy mill, other exotic animals, and house full of cats, and a corpse, after following Haver to locate his drink supplier. Haver keeps disappearing so Michael is prepared to fill in, if necessary. Various townspeople, including Meg's grandfather the vet and her father the doctor, get involved in the plot while the police are sorting things out. It's a fun read, but not one of the strongest in the series, which is typical with most holiday reads. Still it provides a pleasant distraction for readers during a busy season when readers need a little escape. I received an advance electronic review copy from the publisher through Netgalley with the expectation

September 12th I finished Donna Andrews upcoming holiday themed Meg Langslow Mystery, How the Finch Stole Christmas. This one is out October 24th and published by Minotaur Books. I love the cover, and this is the first in series I have ever read. Even though I had not read the series, I found this was easy to follow and I was pleased that it was not at all predictable. Having read similar themed Christmas cozies, I was sure I had it all figured out but I was really thrilled that Donna did not take the easy way out with this mystery! I enjoyed how the title really came into play into the mystery itself . The story was well done and thought out, with strong characters and purpose. I really enjoyed the storyline and I am happy I found a series I can continue to enjoy!

It’s Christmas in Caerphilly once again. This year brings Michael directing A Christmas Carol but, instead of a one-man show, it’s a full-on play. The university is insisting he bring in an aging B-list (on a good day) television actor in as Scrooge. Too bad the man is not only ill-tempered, he’s drunk more often than not, even with the mayor threatening retaliation to anyone who gives the man liquor. And Meg Langslow’s usual web of spies can’t figure out where the man is getting his booze.
While it might be expected that the grumpy actor is the one to get bumped off, it is actually the man who is supplying him the alcohol. Oh, and seems to be illegally smuggling animals at the same time.
This is your usual Langslow book though lately I’ve felt like the books have fallen into the trap of some other long-time series – there is a certain smugness combined with seemingly miraculous fixes at the end. This has always been a fast, fun, and fluffy series without a lot of depth but the ending on the last couple books have felt more… judge-y than usual.

Three stars
This book comes out October 24
Follows Gone Gull

This is the first book I've read in the series and enjoyed it enormously.I don't feel I missed anything by not reading the others first although I will go back and read the others just because I so enjoyed Meg and her family/friends.

I've like this series from the beginning and now with this being book 22 in the Meg Langslow series you can see the family has changed and grown. This book is dealing with the college and town collaborating in a big production of the Christmas Carol. Michael is in charge but the big name British actor is causing him nothing but pain. All the usual assortment of friends and family are around to celebrate the holidays. Meg has another murder to solve and the mystery story is a good one. Can stand alone but the previous books are too good to miss.

Donna Andrews continues her entertaining Meg Langslow series. In this Christmas caper Meg is investigating a smuggling ring, trying to wrangle an alcoholic lead actor, deal with a rabid fan and solve a murder. I know I am guaranteed a few laughs whenever I read a book in this series and this book does not disappoint.

Once again, Donna Andrews has created an exciting, engaging story.