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The Good, the Bad, and the Emus: A Meg Langslow Mystery    by Donna Andrews Amazon.com order for
Good, the Bad, and the Emus
by Donna Andrews
Order:  USA  Can
Minotaur, 2014 (2014)
Hardcover, CD, e-Book
* * *   Reviewed by Hilary Williamson

The Good, the Bad, and the Emus follows The Hen of the Baskervilles as the seventeenth (wow!) in Donna Andrews' Meg Langslow cozy mystery series. Meg's regular entourage shows up this time too - husband Michael Waterston, lively small twins Josh and Jamie, babysitting niece Natalie, brother Rob, cousin Rose Noire, eccentric parents, and choleric grandfather. But not Police Chief Burke.

You see, this mystery occurs outside his territory. It all begins when PI Stanley Denton asks to borrow Meg's face. Meg's grandfather hired him to find her grandmother Cordelia (long story). Stanley has tracked down Cordelia's cousin Annabel Lee in Riverton (in the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains) and learned that Meg's grandmother was murdered by an arsonist. The cousin won't talk to him, but he hopes that Meg's face (Meg looks like her grandmother did at her age) will change her mind.

When they meet, feisty Annabel promises to share all she knows about Cordelia's life, but only if Meg solves her murder. Of course, she agrees to do so. Why emus in the title? There's a feral emu problem in nearby Biscuit Mountain. Which prompts Meg's Grandfather to set up an expedition to capture them and relocate them to a wildlife sanctuary. Her sons are thrilled at the prospect of camping, which Meg arranges on Annabel's property.

The plot quickly thickens with two poisoning attempts, a film crew, power outages, emu sightings and roundups (by horse and motorcycle), mining companies - and another murder. And as always, Meg confronts the killer. She has an extremely close shave herself and a surprising revelation from someone close to her. I love spending time with Meg, her ever growing extended family, and the critters with which they surround themselves. Don't miss this spectacular series!

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