ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS is the thirty-first book in the “Meg Langslow” cozy mystery series by Donna Andrews. This book has some of my favorite things. I adore this series and some of the situations and supporting characters make me chuckle. I also love true crime stories, and in ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS, solving a cold case becomes crucial to figuring out a more recent crime. Meg’s nephew Kevin is involved in putting together a true crime podcast with his buddy. When that friend seems to be targeted by some shadowy villains, he asks Meg to investigate. Of course she can’t refuse.

For a mystery fan, this story is amazeballs. Not only are there several cold cases for readers to chew on, but Meg must determine if what Kevin’s friend thinks is happening, is really happening. Are there bad guys out to get him, or is it just bad luck? Do the strange occurrences have to do with any of the podcast episodes or is something else provoking somebody to action. It’s a mystery-palooza. With each case Meg looks into, I became engrossed, like the true crime junkie I am. Some of the cases are tragic and some are just compelling. As the story progresses, you can’t help but wonder if any of the cases are connected in some way. Things start out with the illusion of relative safety as Meg listens to background on each case and looks up some information online. As she digs deeper into the lives of the assorted victims and suspects, the danger inevitably ratchets up a few notches. I liked Meg taking her grumpy dog Spike on a late-night sleuthing mission. The support, big or small, Meg gets from her family acts as a nice contrast to the thrills and chills in ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS.

ROUND UP THE USUAL PEACOCKS has a multitude of puzzles for mystery fans to pore over. As a fan of this series since the first peacock-themed book, it’s nice to revisit those birds and their shenanigans. Once again, Donna Andrews somehow balances the humor with the seriousness and sense of danger to make a deeply satisfying story. I wouldn’t mind seeing some of these new supporting characters turn up in future mysteries. I can’t wait to read about Meg’s next adventure!

Book Summary