The Twelve Jays of Christmas

A Meg Langslow Mystery

By: Donna Andrews

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

The cast of Donna Andrews’ New York Times best-selling Meg Langslow mystery series is back for an unforgettable holiday story in The Twelve Jays of Christmas.

Meg's brother Rob and his fiancé Delaney have been engaged for some time now. In fear of their mothers’ propensity for over-the-top celebrations, they decide to throw a party just before Christmas and then elope.

When a blizzard traps their guests inside, the two mothers find out about the planned elopement and start trying to pull together the kind of over-the-top event the couple was trying to avoid in the first place.

To make matters worse, a murder is afoot. Will Meg manage to help the snowbound would-be eloping couple thwart their mothers' grandiose wedding plans and solve a murder among the assembled friends and relatives?

A Macmillan Audio production from Minotaur Books

©2021 Donna Andrews (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Another Christmas in Caerphilly!

Sometimes characters and plots in long and successful mystery series can become formulaic. Not so the case in The Twelve Jays of Christmas, number 30 in the Meg Langslow series. This delightful entry finds Meg nursing a sprained ankle, coping with a houseful of relatives, and without husband Michael and their twin boys. Meg's booted ankle keeps her from joining the family on a long planned ski trip so she ends up coping with an an eccentric (read rude and obnoxious) artist, his browbeaten assistant, annoying trespassers not to mention pair of wombats in the basement and escaped jays endangering the Christmas decorations. Of course murder ensues and there is no dearth of suspects with reason to detest the victim. A neatly woven sub plot concerns Meg's brother and his new fiancee who are trying to avoid the grandiose wedding plans of Meg's formidable mother. The narration is excellent and it does not have to be the Christmas season to enjoy this book.

Another hit for me

I am wondering though is Meg’s mother ever going to get up off her throne and do something besides give orders. I’m kinda tired of “Meg Dear”

Cozy mystery

As always, the Donna Andrews Christmas mystery delivers. Although the mystery is predictable, the warm fizzles did not disappoint. All the characters are familiar and lovable. What always brings a year to my eye is the continuing good will displayed by the Carfilly community. Enjoy this feel good mystery

A bit disappointing

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, with the bits of animal lore and the quirky town, but the mystery was telegraphed from the start. Nevertheless, I look forward to the next installment!

Charming and fun with a twist

Meg is back to her old form! The characters are varied but sympathetic or at a minimum, intriguing. This was one of my favorites.

Great book

I have enjoyed all of these books . You can listen with excitement as she describes the details of the story!

Nicely twisty

The beginning was slower than most. However it picks up well in the middle and finishes strongly. Follows the rest of the series with a great color.

Fun!

family, family-dynamics, friendship, artist, curmudgeon, wombats, holiday-madness, law-enforcement, cozy-mystery, verbal-humor, situational-humor, Virginia, small-town, murder, murder-investigation*****

Welcome back to an addictive, funny cozy mystery series that is always a fun read even if you've never read any of the earlier ones. This time it's Christmas time in Virginia and there's a visiting Scrooge in the house with several angry people wanting to get him to pay what he owes. The Waterston household is bursting at the seams with visiting relatives, and a couple of clueless family members have decided to house a pair of juvenile wombats in the basement. Laugh your way through the suspects and red heairrings (not a typo).
Bernadette Dunne really knows how to add to a good story while narrating.
This cannot be an unbiased review because I reread some of them (the print copies walk away so now I have them in audio) and wait with bated breath for each new one.

A Christmas Treat!

I try to wait. I do. But the joy of reading about Caerphilly beacons! The characters come to life and inhabit my mind, as I recall the colorful family stories I grew up with. In enjoying this story, it brings my memories closer. Brava!

Her books just get better and better! And they started out great!

I will not talk about the storyline or plot - I don’t want anything to spoil the enjoyment of reading/listening to any of the Meg Langslow series. The characters are well rounded, Megs family is funny and quirky, and the murders and their solutions are - you should see for yourself. Run, do not walk to the bookstore!