TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET by Donna Andrews
The Twenty-Third Meg Langslow Mystery

With Reverend Robyn Smith on bed rest, Meg Langslow is on duty at Trinity Episcopalian. Loud banging interrupts her from securing the church for the night and leads her to the graveyard only to find Julius Hagley, one of the Muttering Misogynists, dead inside the vandalized columbarium. Did he interrupt an intruder or did the women in the vestry finally have enough of him? Or was his murder somehow connected to an old unsolved jewel robbery, an event that ties all the disturbed cremains together?

A return to Caerphilly, Virginia is a return to fun. Donna Andrews leads her zany cast of characters through a well plotted mystery filled with laughs.

It doesn't matter if you've read each previous book in the series, have been away a while and missed a few, or if this is your first Meg Langslow Mystery, you can jump right in and not feel lost or as if you had missed something. Despite being the twenty-third book in the series TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET remains fresh.

I quite enjoyed the tie in to an unsolved mystery. Delving into the past while seeing its effects on the present bring added dimension to the story. I also love how Meg gets the whole family and community involved, in helping the toucan, helping the Smiths, and solving the murder! TOUCAN KEEP A SECRET is a great addition to this long-running series.

If you read mysteries—especially cozy mysteries, where there’s no hard violence, little bad language, and amateur sleuths do all the detecting—and you haven’t read any of the now 23 books in the Meg Langslow series by Donna Andrews, you have really missed out on something special. I recall the universal delight with which the first book in the series was met. Murder with Peacocks came out in 1999, won four major mystery fiction awards, and was a finalist for two more. Overall, the series has won seven major awards and been a finalist for 23 others (according to www.StopYoureKillingMe.com, the mystery lover’s go-to source for all things to do with crime fiction). The books are perennial New York Times bestsellers.

One caution before I start singing the praises of this funny, creative novel: You probably need to have read a few of the earlier ones to really appreciate this one. You simply can’t understand the gently wacky nature of many of the characters without having known them for a while. For instance, you won’t know that their diminutive dog Spike is a cantankerous little beast that will attack and terrorize anyone and anything except his family—and the family isn’t always immune from his bad temper. Late in the book, our knowledge of Spike’s nature makes what happens inevitable and believable. Then there’s Meg’s father, who after much time in the earlier books has become the medical examiner. He’s a doctor, but he’s also a huge mystery fan who falls into serial obsessions with offbeat topics and behaves in lovably odd ways. Her mother is a force of nature; she can get anyone to do anything and thank her for it afterwards.

Anyone new to the series would also seriously question Meg’s conveniently chummy relationship with the Chief of Police. He lets Meg mess around in his investigations with impunity. Even Murder She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher didn’t get that kind of genial blessing from the local constabulary. If you’ve read many of the earlier books, however, you’ll understand how this came to be.

Now, given that caveat, let’s look at this story. Meg Langslow, the mother of twin baseball-playing boys and wife of a local college’s drama professor, is a decorative blacksmith in a small Pennsylvania town inhabited by a host of cousins and several clans of related odd-ball families. (What’s a “decorative blacksmith”? Read the books to find out.) Meg is super-organized, working out of a little book-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, as she puts it. As a result, when odd things like murders happen, she tends to involuntarily wind up in the center of the action.

At the opening of the story, Meg is making the rounds of her local church’s property to lock things up for the night because the rector, her friend Robyn, is under medical orders to stay in bed for the last few months of her pregnancy. She hears a loud banging from the crypt at the rear of the churchyard. (OK, it’s a columbarium, but if I said that, how many of you would know that’s a room or building with niches for storage of funeral urns?) Going to investigate, she finds the freshly battered body of the church’s foremost curmudgeon. Protective panels have been pulled off of several niches and ashes are scattered all over.

The investigation leads to a 30-year old unsolved jewel robbery when a fabulous ruby ring from the robbery is found among the ashes. As Reverend Robyn’s representative, Meg has to track down the relatives of those whose ashes were disturbed to apologize and arrange to re-inter them. Somehow, this becomes inextricably tied up with the robbery. All agree that it is high time to figure out where the millions in jewels have gone.

The robbery occurred at a high-society New Year’s Eve party at a local snooty socialite’s mansion. Meg’s dad hits on a scheme to re-enact the robbery in hopes of learning more about the possible location of the lost loot. It seems like a silly idea, but it’s best to humor Dad in these matters. The mansion is now the property of a genial retired rock band drummer who is converting it—using blacksmith Meg’s talents with wrought iron—into a Gothic fantasy complete with dragons, warriors, and the like. The re-enactment with Meg, her father, the wealthy rock star, and actors from Meg’s drama professor husband’s classes is the riotous climactic scene, where all is finally revealed with the help of Spike and a bevy of angry black swans. (Yes, swans come in bevies. Look it up.)

This story is downright fun. It’s funny because of all those lovably wacky characters, who are just far enough beyond normal to be amusing without being grotesque. The mystery is finely drawn with logical reasons for everything that happens. There was one theory put forward by Meg to explain all the currently-known facts at one point that had me shaking my head with disbelief, but that was the only false note in the entire proceedings.

Oh, yes. Where is the toucan in all this? Reverend Robyn has been tending a navy man’s pet toucan while he is deployed. She kept it in her office. Now that’s she’s confined to bed with her difficult pregnancy, someone has to take care of the toucan for her. Things like that always fall to Meg. She sends it to her grandfather’s private zoo (which we have learned all about in earlier books) for tender loving care. The only problem is that the killer knows the “parrot”—who knew it was a toucan?—heard him repeating something incriminating just before the murder. Thinking the bird is a parrot leads him to worry that it might repeat what it heard. He doesn’t know toucans do not speak. Some parrots do, but never toucans. So the killer is trying to break into places where the toucan is kept in order to silence it. See what I mean when I say the story is wacky?

Buy this book and read it when you need to be cheered up. It’s certain to lighten your mood.

In the latest book in the series, Meg Langslow finds herself smack dab in the middle of a decades old jewel robbery gone incredibly wrong. It all starts while she’s on volunteer duty at Trinity Episcopal Church, covering some of Reverend Robyn Smith’s duties, while the Reverend takes a bit of unofficial maternity leave.

Investigating an odd noise coming from a crypt on the church property, Meg stumbles upon a dead body and very expensive ruby ring spread among the ashes of…past parishioners. This leads Meg on a trip through Caerphilly’s sorted history as she tries to solve the latest mystery and keep the body count to a minimum.

As with the entirety of the Meg Langslow series, Toucan Keep a Secret was humorous, full of the craziness that is the Langslow family, with an interesting, if slightly outlandish mystery at its center. You can pick up any book in this series and start reading it. No need to start at the very first book.

How does Donna Andrews keep coming up with all of the bird puns? She is so clever, and I really enjoy her sense of humor.

“Toucan Keep a Secret” is a typical Andrews book. The heroine is Meg Langslow, worker in wrought iron, wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter and sometime sleuth; and the rest of the gang is all here, too. The setting is Caerphilly, VA, which would be a very odd little town indeed if it were real. (And oh, how I wish it were real!) In this book, Meg is helping fill in at her local Episcopal church while the priest is on bedrest for her pregnancy.

Naturally, there is a murder. And naturally, this being a Donna Andrews book, things turn zany and madcap although while you are reading the book it seems very plausible. This is Andrews’ genius; everything seems ordinary on the surface, while underneath it is all very odd. What a pleasure these books, and this one in particular, are for readers with a sense of humor.

No spoilers from me as I do not want to ruin the book for future readers who should have the fun of discovery for themselves. Do yourself a favor and read “Toucan Keep a Secret.”

Toucan Keep a Secret is the twenty-third book in the Meg Langslow Mystery series and can be read as a standalone. The story does not rely on previous books for its information nor will the reader feel lost.

While Meg is locking up the church, she hears noises from the columbarium. Upon inspection, she finds one of the vestry committee member’s incapacitated on the floor surrounded by shattered glass and front pieces marble splinters. Turns out he has passed onto the non-living.
Meg assists the families involved in the disturbance of their families’ remains and in solving the murder and 30 year old jewelry robbery gone bad through her questioning of others. She passes the information onto the local police.

I liked that Meg was not compelled to solve the mysteries alone. She just assisted the police through questioning others and sharing that information wit Chief Burke.

cozy-mystery, murder-investigation, family, situational-humor, verbal-humor, law-enforcement, women-sleuths, amateur-sleuth

Wacky! Meg gets hijacked into more responsibilities when their overachieving parish priest is placed on bedrest and Meg is to coordinate the nonclergy duties. Of course her parents and other relatives are *helping* as well, but it all goes sideways when Meg interrupts an odd burglary that includes a murder. The publisher's blurb gives more hints and there is no need for spoilers, but it's the anticipation of the author's signature humor and wacky characters that brought me back to a town and family nuttier than mine. The mystery is well done and full of suspects and red herrings, but the suspense is what keeps me reading late in the night. If you haven't met the Lanslows before you're in for a treat, and if you haven't read them for a while (like me) you'll still fit right in, so read and enjoy!
I requested and received a free review copy from MacMillan Minotaur via NetGalley.

Toucan Keep a Secret is a very entertaining murder mystery. Loved the plot and the quirky cast of characters. Mystery fans will love this one. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley for this unbiased review.

I can always count on Donna to consistently keep me entertained and engaged in the lives of Meg and her friends and family, especially when murder and mayhem prevails.

The author does a great job in delivering a well-written mystery involving a quirky cast of characters with plenty of suspects where anything is possible. Connected to a past event, it was fun watching it all play out as one by one, the clues presented itself with some surprises that enhanced how well this story was being told. I love the interactions among the characters and how the family help with solving this case, and of course, there are several laugh-out-loud moments. The best part of the book for me was the punch line (last sentence) and how fitting for the title of this delightfully endearing series.

I enjoy this series. The self-talk that Meg does and even some of the dialog is funny and snappy. A bit like the Gilmore Girls. Megs family is very unique and everyone of them has at least one quirk. Meg keeps lists of everything anyone asks her to do or things she wants to do. Her father loves mysteries and in this one sets about re-creating a jewelry heist. Meg is busy as always. She is covering for their priest who is on bed rest, she is also trying to figure out why someone would want to break in to Trinity Church. She is doing all this while juggling a Toucan, her two boys, and the rest of her family. You would think that would be enough, but No--someone is taking shots as her as well!! The mystery has lots of potential suspects, and the murderer was a bit of a surprise. He/She was kinda hidden among all the other characters. This book at times had me chuckling and at other times, trying to figure out who the bad guys were.

Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna AndrewsIn addition to her regular duties of blacksmithing, being a mother to twins, helping the mayor, Meg Langslow is helping out the Episcopalian priest while she's on bed rest. After a meeting one night, she sees light moving in the columbarium (crypt). When she goes to investigate, one of the most contentious lay officials has been killed and many of the niches destroyed.

Linked to a robbery in the late-80s, this crime will result in more crimes including someone shooting at Meg.

Another great book in the series. Andrews knows how to move the timelines and still keep readers involved without an info dump.



Four stars

This book comes out August 7

ARC kindly provided by NetGalley

4 stars

Toucan Keep a Secret by Donna Andrews is so much fun with a cast of quirky characters that are completely believable and relatable. I loved this book! This 23rd outing in the Meg Lanslow mystery series is not showing any signs of fatigue. This book is fresh and fun and even better, one doesn’t need to read all the other books in the series to understand what is going on!

Meg has become wrapped up in a current murder mystery with ties to a 30-year-old jewelry heist. She investigates the current murder, the jewelry heist as well as dealing with her rather delightful family. The ending takes a rather unexpected twist.

I have to say, I enjoyed so much about this book. It is very well written, funny, a tad bit quirky, clean language and no sexual situations. I did not figure out who the murderer was before it was revealed which is highly unusual for me.

I highly recommend Toucan Keep A Secret. I cannot wait to read others in the series.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. #ToucanKeepAsecret #NetGalley

Donna Andrews' very delightful 23rd Meg Langslow Mystery, Toucan Keep a Secret, was very quickly read by this cozy enthusiast in just a few hours on a rainy Sunday afternoon. Our heroine, Meg, is locking up at her church one evening when she hears a loud banging and sees a light in the supposedly empty (well, except for the dead people!!!) crypt. Upon entering she discovers the body of a member of the vestry who's been bludgeoned to death with a crowbar, and also the scattered ashes and broken urns of several late members of the congregation, as well as a priceless ruby ring! Who did this and why did they choose these particular niches to desecrate? Is there a connection to a 30-year-old jewelry robbery? Can a non-speaking toucan really hold the secret to the crime? Do yourself a favor and take a trip to the town of Caerphilly to discover the answers to these, and other, burning questions! Note: You don't need to read the first 22 books in the series prior to picking this one up (unless you want to!), as this book works perfectly well as a standalone read. 5 stars!

In this next book of the series it is Meg's turn to close up her church after a nightly meeting being held there because their Reverend is pregnant and on bed rest. While locking up and checking on their guest, a toucan the Rev. Robyn is fostering Meg hears a banging noise. The noise sounds like its coming from the church's crypt so Meg goes off to investigate. What she finds is the dead body of one of the church members and several of the niches have been tampered and among the ashes a ring. The dead man had been making noises about retrieving his wife's ashes from their niche and it looks like maybe he had taken matters into his own hands, but who killed him and why? While the police look into the death Meg is tasked with finding the owners of the niches that have been disturbed and asking the families how they would like the church to fix the problem. Along the way Meg learns of a robbery that happened years ago and begins to wonder if it is at all related to what happened at the crypt. Follow along as Meg tends to her family, helps out her church, takes care of a toucan, and all the while still looks for clues into who could have killed her fellow parishioner. This is such an entertaining series filled with unique characters, a lovely setting, and plot line that is always fun to try and figure out. This series is still going strong after 23 books, I look forward to many more.

Meg is helping out at Trinity Episcopal while the minister is on forced maternity bedrest. One night while she is closing up the church she sees a light on in a crypt in the graveyard.. she goes to investigate and instead of an empty room she finds a bloody body surrounded by broken urns and spilled ashes..

This is a fun light mystery, perfect as a holiday or weekend read for when you want something not too taxing. The characters were charming and warm and you really get a great feel for the community the book is set in.

Review from 17 July at http://www.thereaderhub.com/toucan-keep-a-secret/

Meg Langslow is locking up Trinity Episcopal one evening when she hears some loud hammering sounds coming from the columbarium. She finds elderly vestry member Mr. Hagley lying dead on the floor. Several niches have been chiseled open, cremated urns knocked over and a large ruby ring is left on the floor. Mr. Hagley had demanded his wife's ashes back but who followed him to the columbarium and why? While Chief Burke investigates the murder, pregnant rector Robyn recruits Meg to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed. Meg learns about an unsolved 30 year old jewel robbery that may provide the motive behind the break-in. A toucan in Robyn's office could help police identify the killer.

This was another zany, fun read in this long-running mystery series.

I received an eARC via Netgalley and St. Martin's Press with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book and provided this review.

I have loved Meg for quite a few books now! The characters are quirky and fun
The mysteries are interesting. I everything about this series and get excited for the newest installment. I was given an arc of the ebook by the publisher and netgalley, the opinions are mine.

Toucan Keep a Secret is the twenty-third book in Donna Andrews’ Mag Langslow mystery series. Ms. Andrews provides sufficient character background to allow this book can be read as a standalone. The mysteries are well plotted and the characters well developed in this steadily paced book. There are lots of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

Meg Langslow lives in Caerphilly with her husband, Michael, and their twin sons, Jamie and Josh. She’s locking up Trinity Episcopal Church and checking on Admiral Nimitz, Larry Baker’s toucan her friend, Reverend Robyn Smith, is taking care of while his owner is on active duty. Robyn is in the third trimester and her doctor has placed her on bed rest for the remainder of the pregnancy. It’s late in the evening when Meg hears a hammering sound in the columbarium (the crypt where cremated remains are held) she finds an elderly parishioner, Junius Hagley, lying dead on the floor. She also notices several vandalized niches as well as urns and cremains scattered on the floor. The victim, a vestry member who wasn’t well liked, had been ranting about taking back his wife’s ashes. Meg spots a crow bar that is the murder weapon and a ring with a large red stone. Horace, a county police officer and one-man forensics team, secures and documents the evidence and Dr. Langslow, Meg’s dad, a doctor and the medical examiner, examines the body to determine time and cause of death. While Chief Henry Burke, a retired Baltimore homicide detective, investigates the murder, Meg is recruited by Robyn to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed to determine how they want to handle reinternment. Chief Burke is trying to determine if the murder and vandalism had something to do with the theft of Mrs. van der Lynden’s jewelry during the Dames of Caerphilly’s New Year’s party she hosted in1987, and Meg’s dad wants to reenact the robbery that occurred the van der Lynden house. Meg leaves the major investigating to the police, but she asks questions every chance she gets and shares the information with Chief Burke, who is happy to have her help, although she does end up in over her head.

I received an Advance Reader Copy of this book from NetGalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I cannot help it. I love Meg Langslow and her crazy family!

We find Meg assisting at her church, Trinity Episcopal, as Robin is on bedrest. While the entire church community seems to be helping out, Meg is the one locking up after an event and inadvertently discovers that one of the parishioners has been killed. While the man has been a devoted parishioner, he is not friends with many. As Meg soon discovers, there are a few suspects in his death, as well as a decades old mystery that has come to light. As usual, she has her family "helping" her solve the crime, and they add humor to the story.

What I love about Meg is the fact that she is a working mom of twins (like me), and balances both her work and family life while keeping a great attitude about things.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I don't know how I missed finding this series much earlier - I think I found it at 22 and now at 23. While I'm not much of a bird person, this series is fun! Lots of characters (Meg, spouse, twins, father, mother, grandfather, friends). Meg is very organized and does it all. The mysteries are always interesting .

Maybe Toucan keep a secret, but maybe Toucan ought not too. The writing and plot felt very contrived and a bit too cutesy for me. Try as I might, I could not get into it nor care about the characters.