OWLS WELL THAT ENDS WELL by Donna Andrews

SERIES/SLEUTH: Meg Langslow
# IN SERIES: 6 (out of 9, including upcoming release)
AUTHOR WEB-SITE: www.donnaandrews.com
GENRE: Cozy/Amateur Sleuth
PUBLISHER: St. Martin's Minotaur (paperback)

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I came to the Meg Langslow mystery series reluctantly. There was something about them that didn't appeal to me (the lackluster early covers? the fact that I'm not a bird person and all the titles reference birds?), despite the fact that I kept reading how great they were. In fact, the acclaim seemed so great that I found myself disappointed in the first couple books in the series.

But then something happened -- I began to enjoy Meg and her crazy family. Around book three, I found myself enjoying each book more and more, and found myself recognizing Donna Andrews' terrific writing style.

To be sure, Meg Langslow has a kooky family, and reading this series means paying close attention because so many strange things happen. Her father (my favorite character) is like a lovable, absent-minded doctor who definitely marches to his own drum. Her mother creates some mother/daughter tension, but only just enough to confound Meg at times -- they love each other but can drive each other crazy. Her (now) fiance Michael is both a professor and star of a hokey cable sci-fi series. Brother Rob stumbles into his career, and is laid-back almost like a surfer dude. Various other relatives come and go through each book, always adding laughs and sometimes helping Meg out in her sleuthing.

Book six is centered around a huge yard sale at Meg and Michael's just-bought home. In the chaos of this event, which ends of getting completely and hilariously out of control, a murder occurs, and of course Meg is the one who sets out to solve it and help Michael and a friend of his in the process.

But like some of the best cozy mystery series, you don't necessarily read these books so much for a brilliant murder plot as much as for the characters and how they develop and deepen in each book. This book is no exception. The murder itself is solved fairly easily at the end, but it's all the subplots and characters that kept me turning pages.

Donna Andrews is a clever writer who pens fun and funny mysteries -- and Meg Langslow is a great sleuth. I highly recommend this series -- and as always, I recommend starting at book one, which in this case is called MURDER WITH PEACOCKS.