The Hen of the Baskervilles: A Meg Langslow Mystery

by Donna Andrews

Overview

A dastardly murder and the kidnapping of a prize chicken threaten to ruin Caerphilly's state fair—fortunately, Meg Langslow is on the case of The Hen of the Baskervilles

The newest mystery in Donna Andrews's gut-bustingly funny, award-winning, New York Times bestselling series is anything but elementary. Meg Langslow is helping Mayor Randall Shiffley organize the Virginia Un-Fair, Caerphilly's entry in the race to replace the old state fair (which has gone bankrupt). Before a line can even form outside the ticket booth, however, a pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens are stolen from their coop in the chicken tent. Soon, a rash of vandalism crops up at the fair, showing no heritage farm animal, prize vegetable, or artisanal craft to be safe.

While patrolling the fairgrounds, determined to catch the perp, Meg runs into her friend Molly, who has been building a successful business making goat cheeses. Molly is terrified that she may lose her farm because her idle husband Brett has left her for Genette Sedgewick, a rich hobby winemaker, and is demanding his half of the land. Meg enlists Mother's help to find Molly a divorce lawyer, but later that night, Brett is found murdered and Molly is swiftly accused as his killer.

Meg is convinced that her friend wouldn't so much as harm a fly, but can she find the real killer before it's too late? Will she track down the vandal who has been terrorizing—however creatively—the fair's participants? And will Michael be able to convince her to add members of his new favorite heritage breed to their growing menagerie? Meg's most hilarious caper yet, the curious incident of the hen in the nighttime will have readers rolling on the floor with laughter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250022998
Publisher:	St. Martin's Press
Publication date:	07/16/2013
Series:	Meg Langslow Series , #15
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	31,178
File size:	654 KB

About the Author

DONNA ANDREWS is a winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry Awards, a Romantic Times Award for best first novel, and three Lefty and two Toby Bromberg awards for funniest mystery. She is a member of MWA, Sisters in Crime, and the Private Investigators and Security Association. Andrews lives in Reston, Virginia.

Donna Andrews is the author of the Meg Langslow mysteries, including Stork Raving Mad and Swan for the Money. She has won the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry awards, a Romantic Times award for best first novel, and two Lefty and two Toby Bromberg Awards for funniest mystery. When not writing fiction, Andrews is a self-confessed nerd, rarely found away from her computer, unless she's messing in the garden. She lives in Reston, Virginia.

Editorial Reviews

Loved for her humor and endearing characters, the award-winning Andrews brings her 15th chuckle-inducing entry (after Some Like It Hawk). This time, things go badly at the fair when a local farmer dies and Meg's friend is accused of the crime.

Library Journal

At the outset of Andrews’s diverting 15th Meg Langslow mystery (after 2012’s Some Like It Hawk), Meg, the deputy director of a fair in Caerphilly, Va., looks into the disappearance of two rare bantam Russian Orloffs from the fair grounds. Meanwhile, Meg’s friend Molly Riordan’s cheese business may be in trouble because Molly’s husband, Brett, has left her for Genette Sedgewick, a hobbyist winemaker disliked by just about everyone in Caerphilly, and may demand his half of the business. On patrol that night, Meg and fair director Randall Shiffley find Brett with a bullet through his head. Unfortunately, Brett’s head lies over the county line in Clay County. Deputy Plunkett of Clay County manages to contaminate every piece of evidence he touches in the ensuing investigation, with Molly as chief suspect. Fortunately, Meg and friends, with a little help from Jim-Bob, the donkey, succeed in bringing the real culprit to justice, in this enjoyable, if predictable cozy. Agent: Ellen Geiger, Frances Goldin Literary Agency. (July)

Publishers Weekly

A gaggle of praise for Donna Andrews and the Meg Langslow Mystery Series:

 “If you long for more fun mysteries, a la Janet Evanovich, you’ll love Donna Andrews’s Meg Langslow series.” —Charlotte Observer

“Donna Andrews is known for combining wicked crimes with witty storytelling, and her latest novel featuring blacksmith Meg Langslow, Some Like It Hawk, lives up to its 13 predecessors…. Will prey on the reader's little gray cells and funny bone alike.” –Richmond Times-Dispatch

“A satisfactory whodunit with plenty of wrong turns and red herrings… Just the cool tonic for a hot summer afternoon.” –Star News (Wilmington, NC) on Some Like it Hawk

“A long-running series that gets better all the time. A fine blend of academic satire, screwball comedy, and murder.” —Booklist

“With colorful characters, a solid mystery and laugh-out-loud moments. . . readers will have a rollicking good time with the new Meg Langslow mystey.” —RT BookReviews (4 stars) on Swan for the Money

“Andrews’ eighth Meg-centric mystery moves along like the best beach reads.” —Entertainment Weekly on The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

“Deliciously daffy. . . Andrews demonstrates her absolute mastery of the comedic mystery, deftly balancing outrageously funny scenes with well-paced suspense.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review) on The Penguin Who Knew Too Much

From the Publisher