Another thoroughly enjoyable read. Meg and her family once again are involved in a suspicious death. This time it is bees rather than birds at the forefront. As usual, all the family steps in to help out where needed.

I have only read a few of the books in this series, but this is a nice addition. I did figure things out before the big reveal, but it was still an enjoyable read. There are enough twists to keep readers guessing.

Entertaining story of a woman sleuth who tries to solve crimes. Someone killed off a neighbor's bees and her grandmother is being stalked by a nosy reporter.

I absolutely love this series. It's one of the ones that I'll put down whatever else I'm reading to read. There's so much packed into this installment that I won't even attempt to share the plot. Andrews is a master at weaving multiple plots lines together around multiple (and there are more than a few) characters, all with their own personalities and quirks. As usual, it's not just Meg who holds the Langslow Family together but at times seemingly the entire community, all of with admirable people skills, humor, patience, and intelligence. I've admired her and wished I had her for a friend for years now, so she and the entire family and community feel like ol' friends. That said, while I can certainly imagine the multitude of characters in and out of the story, most regulars, might initially confuse new readers, the book works nicely as a standalone. Wow, #33 and still going strong.

So, since I'm not delving into the plot, what can you expect to find in this book? First, of course, there's a murder victim. Meg doesn't find him but, well, she's on hand doing a good deed when the victim, a cranky NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) from the upscale neighborhood of the community is found. And, hey, did you know Poms make good cadaver dogs? You'll also get a wealth of info on raising and catering to another sort of resident, bees. I knew next to nothing despite some friends actually raising them, so this was interesting. Andrews either has experience with bees and/or did some meticulous research, that's for sure. And, oh, have you heard of bully hummingbirds? Apparently there is such a thing and you'll discover how to remedy that situation.

Let's see, there's also the search for a lost African-American graveyard that dates perhaps to the Civil War. Never mind it sounds like it's mostly in a muddy bog. Land was precious back then and needed more for the living, after all. The modern world intrudes with mentions of drugs and extortion. Finally, there's the little matter of grandmother Cordelia tolerating an unlikable reporter for a story that sounds poised to present her as a snooty, pretentious socialite rather than the tough, outdoorsy type who harbors no fools. Somehow, Donna Andrews ties it all together smoothly, hopefully in time for Meg to squeeze in that relaxing session in the hammock she missed in chapter one.

Bottom line, if you love character driven mysteries with multi-layer plot lines, you will love this one, Then, most likely, if you're new to the series, you'll quickly be on the lookout for the previous books to discover how Meg's life evolved to where we find her in this book. I've never been disappointed and frequently find myself chuckling as I envision some of the scenes playing out in front of me. My thanks to #NetGalley and #StMartin'sPress - #MinotaurBooks for inviting me back to Caerphilly again to spend some quality time with Meg and the whole gang. Love the cover.

Fun and funny read. I love this series and highly recommend it. The writhing is concise and tight. The characters are friends and I love the shenanigans they get up to. The ending was surprising and caught me off guard. The book was well-written and amusing. I laughed so hard and enjoyed myself. This is a must read. Do yourself a favor and read this.

Meg is responsible for making sure the residents of Westlake, a ritzy neighborhood are happy but one man has the neighbors up in arms. The problem is his bee hives. Edgar, Meg’s Father, has been keeping bees for several years but recently someone poisoned his hives. Meg is certain it was one of the NIMBY’s, short for “Not in my Backyard “. While helping the local police find a potential suspect he is found dead!
There is a reporter, Britni ,trying to interview Meg’s Grandmother, Cordelia, for her low budget magazine. As word gets around it seems that Britni has reported on several other neighbors in Westlake.
There are so many threads that tie everything together it is very enjoyable and entertaining.

Birder She Wrote by Donna Andrews.
A Meg Langslow Mystery.
I have not read this series before and this book can be read as a standalone.
Meg lives in a small Virginia town where farmland has been converted to housing and the newcomers are complaining about the farm smells. Meg tries to run interference between the two groups. The latest has been complaints against a beekeeper. Unfortunately one of the newcomers is found dead in a remote location and the local beekeeper might be responsible.
Meg seems to be related to half the town and there are quite a few characters. An enjoyable read - a very cozy mystery!

This was my first book in this series. I was attracted to the title and the description of the book. This book lived up to the cozy mystery genre, it was a fun, light read. The reason I gave four stars was because there were so many characters that it was a bit hard to follow at times. I also found the story a bit hard to follow at times because there were several side stories happening, a bully hummingbird, bee keepers, a murder, a blackmailer, and a magazine article. However, I really enjoyed this story and the setting. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author.
Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I received a copy from NetGalley agreeing to review. This is a cozy that includes a bully humming bird, bad neighbors,, bee killers, bee keepers, a tacky house and garden magazine reporter, a blackmailer, and starts with the murder of a nasty neighbor (peeping tom). Which means we have to discover a solution to outsmart the bully humming bird, find the bee killers, discovered who murdered the nosy neighbor, and who is doing the blackmailing. I enjoy cozies, I enjoy this series, I like this author but…Problem-to many characters. Solution-include a detailed listing of them all, including all the adorable dogs. Then this book becomes 4 star book. Could someone tell me who killed the bees?

Book Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars
Birder, She Wrote
Author: Donna Andrews
Pub date: August 1, 2023
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Genre: Mystery & Thrillers

Meg Langslow thought she would have a relaxing afternoon but between her Dad bringing new bees for their hives, the Mayor recruiting her to talk to the neighbors who they call the NIMBY’s(Not in my Backyard), her grandmother, Cordelia, asking Meg to help her and Deacon Washington search for a cemetery she isn’t able to relax.

One of the NIMBY’s has disappeared and Meg investigates the neighbors trying to find out what she can.

Cordelia is being interviewed by a reporter from a southern magazine and she comes along with the group looking for the cemetery when they discover a dead body.

This is my first time reading this series and the 33rd Meg Langslow mystery. I thought it lived up to its cozy mystery type. I may start reading from the beginning to get to know all the characters. Nice, easy read.

Thank you @netgalley @donnaandrews @stmartinspress for an electronic book ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) in exchange for an honest review.

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This had such promise but falls short. :-( This reads like a first draft - the editor really failed here. I love the premise but it reads like a birding manual trying to be a novel. :-/ Couldn't get into it enough to finish.

Donna Andrews is back with her 33rd Meg Langslow Mystery. In this installment, Meg is concerned with hummingbird bullying, her father's beekeeping, a reporter for a substandard magazine that wants to interview Meg's grandmother, Cordelia and the search for a long lost African-American cemetary. On top of all that, as the mayor's assistant, Meg is being kept busy by the families that have moved into their countryside and then take offense with the smells, sights and noises of the long standing farms around them. Meg has to wonder if things have gotten out of hand when the body of one of the newcomers is found in a local woods. This book is sure to please fans of the Meg Langslow series. Although the books do not need to be read in order, I think new readers would appreciate the series better if they start off at the beginning, Murder with Peacocks. It's more fun to read the books if you get to know Meg's circle of family and friends as they are introduced.

The newest installment in the Meg Langslow series. In this edition we learn about bees. Meg's dad has become interested no obsessed with bees and bee hives. He and several neighbors have gotten into saving the bees and have their own hives. Only one of the bee keepers neighbors are not happy having them in their backyard and they will go to great lengths to keep them out. Will they go as far as kill someone to keep the bees away. Meg's usual cast of characters oh I mean family members help her find out who done it in this installment. Reading these books are like spending time with a close friend and their family.

This was my first cozy mystery by Donna Andrews and I am now hooked. Apparently, this is #33 in the series featuring sleuth Meg Langslow and her quirky but lovable family. Andrews had me engaged from the first page to the last as I needed to know who killed the awful neighbor who was the terror of the neighborhood watch and creepy stalker of teenagers. Beside helping to find the murderer, Meg has to find out exactly why some city reporter wants to feature her grandmother Cordelia in a rag magazine that is all about grander than life Southern Belle living, so unlike Cordelia. As Meg goes along, ticking off her list of to-do, she uncovers shady dealings about the reporter as well as doings on in the uppity neighborhood of Westlake that overlooks the farmland of Edgar, keeper of the bees. I love the community feeling of friends and family that work together to proudly protect their small town against the newbies coming in who want the open space, but not the smells that go with it. Lots of funny moments, but some suspense. Twists and turns with surprises and also a feel-good redemption of always trying to not judge people. Cordelia is a strong person, comfortable in who she is and not afraid of what others think which I find admirable. You can't but help rooting for the people in this town and admire Meg and her cool head and in solving the crime. I found it interesting as well learning about bees and some of the other animals given the information by Meg's dad and grandfather. Even though this is part of a series, it can also be a read alone. However, I'm going to be searching out now the rest in the series and I think I'll start with the first. I loved this cozy mystery by Donna Andrews and you will too. A great read on a rainy day. many thanks to #netgalley #birdershewrote #donnaandrews #St.martinspress for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A cozy mystery story with lots of information on bee keeping, hummingbirds and general wildlife. Follow along with the heroine and her family in their small town while they strive to uncover who is a murderer, who is a bee saboteur and who is a blackmailer. What secrets is each character hiding?

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this ARC.
This is the 33rd book in the Meg Langslow series. Meg is apparently a stay at home mom who is also an amateur sleuth. She gets involved in helping anyone who asks. Meg is on a search with her grandmother and friends for a slave cemetery in the woods and they come upon a dead body. Let the sleuthing begin. Along the way there is an obnoxious reporter for a magazine hoping to interview Meg's grandmother, blackmail and kidnapping. There is also a teen, Shane, who is pouting in his backyard because he was grounded due to 2 DUI's. Oops, later we find out it wasn't alcohol, but cocaine that resulted the grounding. I would think possession of cocaine would result in more than a grounding. Miraculously, an epiphany occurs as he turns his life around.
I am sorry to say that there was no character development. So maybe more time was spent in the previous books to have one vested in at least Meg. The writing was simplistic and the author seems to have forgotten about "show, don't tell." I felt like I was back in elementary school reading a Nancy Drew mystery.

Donna Andrews is among the finest cozy mystery writers I have encountered. Her 33rd book of her Meg Langslow mysteries was most entertaining and a quite amusing addition to the series.

The family is off pursuing other adventures as Meg settles in for a relaxing rest in her new hammock. The phone rings and Meg quickly puts on her assistant-to-the-mayor hat. The NIMBYs (not in my backyard) are on the warpath again and this time it's Edgar Bortnick and his bees in their sights. One thing leads to another, a body is found and Meg is on on the case (peripherally, of course). Meanwhile, Meg's grandmother, Cordelia, is dealing with Britni Colleton, a rather less than cordial magazine reporter who is supposed to be crafting an exposé on Cordelia. As fierce protector of her family's interests, Meg decides to do a bit of sleuthing about Britni and her publisher.

So much information is packed into this delightful book. One learns about the challenges of beekeeping, the search for 19th centiry African American graveyards and its inherent challenges, cadaver vs. search and rescue dogs (who knew there was a difference?!), drug trafficking in rural areas, the fine art of blackmail and extortion, and the challenges when the well-to-do city folks settle into their McMansions out in the farm country.

Andrews writes a most engaging story. The cast of characters is rather extensive and their banter - quite fun and amusing. The tension mounts steadily, as each suspect is grilled and evidence procured, until the entire story arrives at a satisfying conclusion. I look forward to each new book in this series and have never been disappointed. Please note: there are many characters which have been fleshed out in earlier books. Yet the reader should not be too far asea if this is their first introduction to this series. If a mystery featuring quirky family dynamics, set with warmth, love, and lots of red herrings in the Virginia countryside appeals to you, then this book is not to be missed.

I am grateful to St. Martin's Press for having provided a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Their generosity, however, has not influenced this review - the words of which are mine alone.

Publisher: Minotaur Books
Publication Date: August 1, 2023
ISBN: 978-1250760241
No. of pages: 304

A fun and easy read, missing the normal madcap, hijinks! This one was pretty easy to figure out, but still fun to read about everyone’s antics. Definitely a smaller cast of characters this round, mostly focusing on our MC, but not at all in a bad way.

Donna Andrews is back with another mystery in the Meg Langslow series. Caerphilly has a community of working farms and newcomers, who don't always get along. This time bee's hives seem to be upsetting the newest residents. Unfortunately, when a much disliked resident is murdered, Meg is needed to help get to the bottom of what happened. This is a complex mystery, and Meg is good at figuring things out. The story starts with lots of threads and they were all brought together in a satisfying way. Reading previous books in the series will help with knowing who all the characters are but it isn't absolutely necessary. I enjoy reconnecting with these characters and of course am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Thank you Minotaur Books and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy. This is my honest review.

Another great book by Donna Andrews in the Meg Lanslow series! Meg and her slightly bizarre family live in Caerphilly, VA and have a small farm. Meg is the designated person to handle complaints by the NIMBY’S (Not-in-my-backyard folks!) who live in the fairly new and ritzy neighborhood of Westlake. They aren’t fans of their neighbor farmers, who were there first, and the pigs, bees, etc that they keep. This book centers around Edgar Bortnick, a beekeeper. After numerous complaints, the bee hives are discovered to have been all killed with insect spray and the hunt is on for the culprit! The Lanslow family are some of my favorite characters, including Meg’s dad and grandmother Cordelia, and as a group they really keep me entertained and laughing! I do highly recommend this series and the latest book in the series (#33 or so?). I received an ARC from Net Galley and write this review voluntarily.