New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews first introduced us to Meg Langslow as a crime-solving bridesmaid. In her 31st mystery, Round Up the Usual Peacocks, Meg returns to her roots, juggling cold cases and wedding guests.

Kevin, Meg's cyber-savvy nephew who lives in the basement, comes to her with a problem. He's become involved as the techie for a true-crime podcast, one that focuses on Virginia cold cases and unsolved crimes. And he thinks their podcast has hit a nerve with someone . . . one of the podcast team has had a brush with death that Kevin thinks was an attempted murder, not an accident.

Kevin rather sheepishly asks for Meg's help in checking out the people involved in a couple of the cases. "Given your ability to find out stuff online, why do you need MY help?" she asks. "Um . . . because I've already done everything I can online. This'll take going around and TALKING to people," he exclaims, with visible horror. "In person!" Not his thing. And no, it can't wait until after the wedding, because he's afraid whoever's after them might take advantage of the chaos of the wedding at Trinity or the reception at Meg and Michael's house to strike again.

So on top of everything she's doing to round up vendors and supplies and take care of demanding out-of-town guests, Meg must hunt down the surviving suspects from three relatively local cold cases so she can figure out if they have it in for the podcasters. Could there be a connection to a musician on the brink of stardom who disappeared two decades ago and hasn't been seen since?

Meg’s brother Rob and his fiancee Delaney are getting married. They left all the planning to their mothers and now Meg’s home is filled with family preparing for the elaborate wedding the mothers are planning. So when Meg’s nephew Kevin asks for help when his podcast partner is deliberately almost hit by a car, she jumps at the chance to get out of wedding duties and help investigate the three true crime cold cases that Kevin and Casey feel are most likely to be the ones that upset someone enough to try an assault. One involves a 25-year-old cheating scandal at the local college, the second a singer who disappeared twenty years ago and the third, more recent, a robbery and murder where the person sent to jail may be innocent.  Things get interesting quickly with all three cases and Meg may be on the trail of a murderer.

The Meg Langslow mysteries are always a delight. Even after 31 books they are fresh and amusing.  While I had an idea about the solution to the cold cases the book is still an enjoyable and quick read. The scenes with the peacocks had me laughing out loud. There is always some sort of chaos at Meg’s house with a menagerie that ranges from dogs to llamas to peacocks and a large extended family with various, sometimes esoteric, interests. I look forward to each new addition to this series. Highly recommended. ~~ Stephanie L Bannon

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