This is a fun to read book. Dog stories are funny. Characters are interesting and well written. I like how they are so familiar with each other.

I love the Meg Langslow books. This one was no exception. Ms. Andrews mysteries are smart and appealing. Yes, they are cozies, don't think otherwise. But I've yet to find myself bored while reading one. I would absolutely recommend them, though for the fullest enjoyment, it's best to read a few of the earlier entries in the series first. Meg's family and friends are... unusual, shall we say? But you'll get pulled into the story, the town, the county and as they say, you're off! My thanks to Ms. Andrews, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read a free copy of this book. I'll also check it out when it becomes available at my library and purchase an e-copy because I try to support my favorite authors.

Not the best book in the series, but still enjoyed it overall. Having the mystery be a cold case was a nice idea, but it didn’t quite come together. I also thought it odd that most of the action took place at Rob and Delany’s house, but they were MIA for almost all of it.

Wow! Hard to believe this is the 37th Meg Langlow's mystery. I've read them all and just like any other series, some are better than others. This time, Meg and Michael's home is being used as a staging area for Caerphilly's first Mutt March. Her brother, Rob and his wife, Delaney have bought the property next to Meg and Michael's and are putting in a duck pond. While trying to escape all the chaos at her house, she decides to go over to Rob's and see how the pond is coming along and visit with Iris who used to own the land. During the visit, the bulldozer digs up some bones and that's when the fun begins. Finding out who the bones belong to and why they buried there is the mystery.

I have to say, there wasn't much humor in the book which is something the series has become known for. Meg's grandfather was in his 90's when the twins were babies and now they are pre-teens and he's still alive. Granted he's not that much of a character in the book but it does make you wonder how he can still be in his 90s when the twins are 10 or 11.

The latest book in the Meg Langslow series does not disappoint! Who is the skeleton found in Meg's brothers back yard? Meg's own yard is chaotic and loud, full of dogs needing homes and volunteers getting the dogs ready for a pet parade. It's a good thing Meg's very organized no nonsense mother is in charge. This is a fast paced book with a touch of humor, wonderful characters. lots of red herrings, and a side mystery as well. This book is five stars all the way!

I love this series and this latest installment is a gem! Andrews always brings up a societal problem or two that needs to be addressed - this time, it's dog fighting. I loved that the mystery in this case was a cold case, and the usual large ensemble cast - Meg's family and friends - were all present in their immense variety. These books are always a joy to read and I'm so happy Andrews keeps writing them!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

For Duck's Sake is the 37th book in the Meg Langslow mystery series by Donna Andrews. Meg is supervising the digging of a duck pond on her brother Rob's property and avoiding the chaos of the Mutt March that is being planned at her house. The calm afternoon is disturbed as a worker uncovers a dead body on the property. Meg is enlisted by Chief Burke to help search for local missing persons to help identify the victim. Iris Rafferty, the former owner of Rob and Delaney's home and current resident of the mother-in-law sweet on the property, goes missing during the search. Meg must help determine if she is hiding due to the investigation or if she was taken.

I really enjoy this series and now read all 37 books! The Langslow family is full of fascinating and eclectic characters. One of my favorite parts of these books is the big focus on animals. There is always something wild happening at their home lol. The Mutt March was particularly entertainging. I enjoyed getting to know the neighbor, Iris Rafferty, more in this book. Meg is a great protagonist. She is smart and dedicated to her family and all of their shenanigans. This was another really interesting mystery with some good twists. This series is an auto buy for me and I will happily read 37 more. I know I am always in for a great time with Meg and the crew.

Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Every year I look forward to a new addition to the Meg Langslow mystery series. It remains my all-time favorite cozy series. While I love the extended cast of characters and the murder mystery that generally centers the plot, over the past four books I have been getting tired of the regularity of murder. I know, this is a cozy mystery, it is supposed to feature a body and investigation. However, there are lots of ways to create suspense and mystery without creating a new death.

That is probably why I loved this story and encourage it for anyone who loves the ML series. In For Duck's Sake the mystery is a true surprise, the body is unexpected, and the resolution is classic cozy series.

While I love this series, one thing that falls short, but does not dampen my enthusiasm for this book is that it has less development on the family/personal front. But, given the overall change in the way the plot unfolded it was not an unwelcome change. Growth takes time and I look forward to revisiting all of the main and supporting characters in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed it.

You can always count on Donna Andrews for a fun but compelling mystery filled with strong delightful people, and For Duck's Sake, the #37th Meg Langslow mystery, is no exception!
It is a good think Meg's mom has agreed to organize the March for Mutts, an adoption that includes over 200 dogs from area shelters. Caerphilly's favorite vet might have pushed the limit on the term area as he kept pulling in more and more dogs, but who can say no to an animal in need. Word has reached Kevin that a group might try to kidnap some of the dogs to use a as bait dogs. On top of the chaos back a home, Robb and Delaney have asked Meg to keep an eye on the excavation for their new duck pond. I suspect you can guess what shows up during the digging. Meg is more than happy to spend her time helping the chief figure out who the bones might belong to rather than spending her days bathing and rebathing and bathing the stinky, matted, and not always happy dogs again to attract potential adopters. Thank goodness there are more than enough volunteers to cover the job without her.
Loved it.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martins Press/Minotaur for allowing me to read and review and ARC of For Duck's Sake. My friends and followers are going to love Donna Andrews's newest Meg Langslow!
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #Minotaur #Donna Andrews #MegLangslow #ForDucksSake

I have read this series from the beginning, and love it. This book was of particular interest to me because it revealed name and gender of Rob and Delaney's baby!
Always a pleasure to visit Cairphilly and Meg's family and friends, especially her barely teenage sons: too bad there always seems to be a murder to interrupt the planned activities.
Meg has run away from home (not too far, only next door at Rob and Delaney's farm) because of the frenzied prep for the Mutt March, a community effort to get the animals adopted from their no-kill local shelter that somehow manages to get all the animals from the surrounding areas, due to vet Clarence Rutledge's soft heart.
While she is there, a skeleton is found by Aaron Shifley who is digging a duck pond for Rob. Meg and friends try to find people who left the area during the projected time frame of the death, hampered by the deceptions and out-right lies of their families.
Meanwhile, the former owner of Rob's farm, 90 year-old Iris Rafferty, who has the mother-in-law's suite, is acting oddly and then disappears. Another old lady, Ethelinda Pruitt, the only Pruitt left after the departure of the corrupt Pruitt mayor and associates to prison or flight (see Some Like it Hawk for details.) is not telling what she knows about departed family.
Nephew, Kevin, is always ready with his tech, especially cameras to watch for the person or persons who have threatened to use some of the dogs up for adoption as bait animals for dog fighting. Grandfather is always ready to use his DNA lab at the zoo to help an investigation.
With two investigations, the Mutt March, and the usual run of crimes in the community, the police are stretched thin. Meg enlists the memories of older people such as Judge Jane, librarian, Ms. Ellie and Deacon Washington.
As always Meg and the police chief figure out the culprit(s) and there is more than one happy ending as a result of the investigation

Through NetGalley, I received a free copy of FOR DUCK’S SAKE (Book 37 of the Meg Langslow mystery series) by Donna Andrews in exchange for an honest review. Meg Langslow has been too busy with everything; in fact, she’s been so busy she’s had to delegate and let her mother and her mother’s friends take charge of Caerphilly’s first Mutt March animal adoption event even though all of the preparations and staging are taking place at Meg’s house! Busy, busy, Meg stops by her brother Rob’s new home to check in on the progress with his duck pond. She’s just in time for the bulldozer crew to uncover the decades-old remains of an obvious homicide victim. What’s one homicide investigation on top of all of the other stuff? Meg helps Chief Burke by researching disappearances and criminal activity around the appropriate time. When Iris Rafferty, who lives in Rob’s mother-in-law suite, disappears shortly after the body is discovered, Meg needs to locate Iris (hopefully intact and well) and determine if she is connected to the murder victim. Just for garnish, the organizers of the animal adoption event have received information of a credible threat; it appears that organizers of a local dogfighting ring have plans to adopt or steal bait dogs from the Mutt March! How do you get something done? Give it to someone who’s already busy…

I like the book and enjoy the series. I recommend the book to fans of the series and the series to fans of often humorous cozy murder mysteries all with event and animal themes.

Meg actually gets to step back from her usual boss routines in this installment. The discovery of a skeleton in the spot where Rob and Delany had planned for their duck pond ignites an intriguing mystery. The usual cast of characters appear throughout the story.

So lovely to come back to Meg and friends to solve the latest mystery. I am still not quite sure I believe Iris' reaction was in character. But then, if she'd done the sensible thing, the book might have been a lot shorter. For Duck's Sake is definitely another favourite for a summer re-read.

We are back with Meg Lanslow in Yorktown, Virginia. Her family is helping set up the first Mutt March. A parade to help get local rescues adopted. They have over 300 dogs and assorted animals participating in the parade. Rob & Delaney want a duck pond so they can have duck eggs. They hired someone to dig up a pond in their backyard. When a skeleton arm is found, the police and the archaeology department at the local university are called to excavate the area. Meg helps investigate and try to figure out who the skeleton belongs too.

I love this series and it always feels like returning home to my favorite characters. I loved the mystery and figuring out the cold case. I'm excited to read more of this series. The writing is fantastic. One day I hope to read the whole series.

For Duck's Sake is the 37th book in the Meg Langslow Mysteries. It takes place in the town of Caerphilly, Virginia. Meg Langslow lives there with her husband, Michael Waterman and her twin sons, Josh and Jamie. She works for Mayor Randell Shiffley as an executive assistant in charge of special projects and does blacksmithing commissions. Her nephew, Kevin lives with them. Meg's brother, Rob and his wife, Delany, have bought the Rafferty Farm from Iris Rafferty, a 90 year old woman. They have given her a life-time use of the mother-in-law suite in their farmhouse. Delany has decided she wants her own ducks for eggs. They have hired Aaron Shiffley's Construction to dig a pond for the ducks. Meg is there to oversee the project for her brother as they both work. While digging the pond area he stops digging and tells Meg there a problem. There were bones and an arm. Meg calls Chief Burke of the Caerphilly Police Department. He tells her that he will send over Horace and Dr. McAuser-Crime from the college. Everyone arrives and after viewing the body she tells them that the skelton is modern remains definitely 30-40 years old. Meg calls her father, the medical examiner. Her grandfather who owns the zoo also arrives. He is there to do a DNA analysis. Vern Shiffley is a senior deputy who also arrives.

Meg has a large family that live near by. Meg lives behind her brother's house. There is a small path that takes her to her home through the woods. Her parents live next door to Meg. She has brought her dog, Spike, over to her brother's house as her place is being used for the first Mutt March. Clarence Rutledge, the local vet, is running the Mutt March - an animal adoption and fundraiser for the local shelter. When Meg gets home there is so much going on with volunteers working getting the dogs settled, etc. Aida Butler, Meg's friend and deputy is there overseeing everything. Miss Ellie Draper is the town head librarian who is incharge of gettting all the dogs registered on the computer. Clarence is upset because her nephew, Kevin, who is cyber-savvy, has picked up chatter on line. He is interested in a group who have dog fighting matches and the Mutt March had been mentioned. They planned to come back with some dogs. The dogs would be used as bait dogs. They are hoping that they can identify the woman who is coming.

In working on the skelton they find fancy sneakers. Vern is concerned about the shoes. Billy Taylor was a basketball player who left town. He was good friends with him and not heard from him in yearsl Could this be Billy? Both her father and Dr. McAuslen are at the work site. Her father calls out that they have found the skull. The man had been shot between his eyes. Horace took a long tweezer and fulled the bullet out through the eyes. The skelton is definitely a man. Her grandfather did his DNA test on his database. The skelton is Eustace Pruitt or someone close to him. He got the information from a finger bone. The Pruitt family use to run the town before they were run off. There is only one Pruitt left in town, Ethelinda Pruitt, Eustace's aunt. She is living at the Caerphilly Assisted Living. She disliked her family as much as the town did.

Iris Rafferty is watching everything from the porch of the farmhouse. Her daughter, Eileen, who is a lawyer is there for a visit. Eileen tells Meg she is worried about her mother. Her sister, Mary Catherine dated Gus Pruitt He had arrived at their house drunk and yelling. Her father got his shotgun and threatened him. He also had a rifle. She also told Meg that her mother left the house during dinner and has not come back. Everyone looked for her but she was never found. A BOLO was issued.

This is where the story takes off. There is so much going on that it is hard to put everything on paper. There are twists and turns that it will keep the reader interested until the great ending.

I love the characters in this book with the townspeople and Meg's large family. I plan to read this series from the beginning with the first book, Murder with Peacocks.

Thank you NetGalley and Minotaur Books for this ARC.

Meg and family have gone to the dogs - literally. Veterinarian Clarence has talked them into helping with a massive dog adoption project. Of course this is the perfect time to find a 30 year old skeleton next door. Lots of fun!

As always, Donna Andrews has made a home run. In this case it may be a mutt run and duck pond? Whatever. Read it.

4+ stars

This is the 37th book in Donna Andrews’ Meg Langslow series. I’ve enjoyed all the books in this series, including this one.

This series is the perfect example of a cozy mystery. Despite the plot centering around a murder, the story itself is light-hearted with a fun cast of characters. One of the things I love about Meg is her easy-going attitude when faced with the crazy antics of her family and community members, not to mention murder.

In this book, Meg has offered her home to be the base for a local dog event which means she’s surrounded by over 300 canines and dozens of volunteers. She takes a break at her brother’s house next door to watch the excavation for a new duck pond when a skeleton is unearthed. The bones have been buried for several years and the cold case investigation made for an interesting story.

Each book in the series could be read as a standalone. I think the author does a nice job of introducing the scene and characters to new readers without bogging down the story for return readers like me.

Meg helps solve a cold case when a skeleton is uncovered during the excavation of a duck pond, all while dealing with the chaos of a massive town-sponsored pet adoption event. Beloved characters in this long-running series make their appearances (Meg's mom is a perennial favorite in full Steel Magnolia mode), and the details of how to identify a skeleton were well-explained. Add in a side mystery of a dogfighting ring and there's a lot to hold your interest. It's always a pleasure to return to Caerphilly. Thank you to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for the e-book.

Another wonderful visit to Caerphilly! The town is holding an animal adoption event that’s being targeted by dog fighters, and Meg’s brother and sister-in-law are digging for a pool when 30 year old body is found at the dig site. The police are busy patrolling and Meg begins researching missing people. I always enjoy these books; I enjoyed getting to know new citizens (please bring back Miss Ethelinda!), hearing about new types of ducks, and seeing a bit more of Vern. Another success!