[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Minotaur Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]
Summary
Trinity Episcopal Church is an important part of the Caerphilly community and an important place for Meg Langslow and her family. So when their priest goes on maternity leave, Meg of course jumps in to help. Armed with her notebook-that-tells-her-when-to-breathe, Meg is ready to corral obstinate vestry members, supervise a parishioner’s toucan, and keep the church and grounds locked and secured.
Despite the best efforts of Meg and her team, however, someone breaks into the crypt (columbarium), removes some of the cremains from their niches, and bashes one of the more tiresome vestry members on the head.
It seems as though the niches that were disturbed had some connection to an unsolved jewelry heist. Mrs. Beatrice van der Lynden reportedly staged a heist with her son for the insurance money. But the college guys they planned to use ran into some real criminals trying to get in on the job. In the end, two men were dead and the jewels disappeared. Meg can’t see how the dead vestry member ties into the jewelry case, but her specialty is asking questions. She might be surprised by what she uncovers this time.
Review
This is the 23rd book in the delightful Meg Langslow mystery series. Meg is one of my favorite book characters, and she doesn’t disappoint this time.
I love this series for its quirky and eccentric characters. This book introduces some new ones who were a lot of fun. Donna Andrews does an amazing job of building a community I love while not sacrificing the core mystery in each book.
The mystery in this one is good. The contemporary crime ties into a cold case which opens up some interesting investigation options.
I loved the church setting for a lot of the book. There’s no preaching or moralizing that might put off a non-religious reader. But the characters connected to the church – Robyn the priest, Dr. Womble, and the rest – were fun. My favorite part of the whole book was the wrap up piece at the church at the end. There is even a moment there that brought tears to my eyes. It’s a lovely scene in a fantastic story in a series I love.
If you haven’t read any of the Meg Langslow books before, start with the first few (Murder with Peacocks, then Murder with Puffins and then Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos) to get the characters in mind. After that the order probably doesn’t matter. Book 24, Lark! The Herald Angels Sing releases in October, 2018.