Synopsis (from
the publisher):
eXtreme croquet is the current rage in Caerphilly, where Meg and her
fiancé, Michael, have bought a house. While this society game
can get quite warm, it hasn’t reached the stage of actual
homicide -- at least not until Meg knocks her ball down a small cliff
and encounters the body of a dead woman. Her head has been bashed in,
illustrating, perhaps, one of the many uses of a croquet mallet. It
turns out that Michael knew the woman from years before. Meg finds
herself further drawn in when it’s discovered that the woman was
seeking to expose the bad dealings of a certain local society
lady’s ancestors.
In the meantime, the old house needs many basic improvements and swarms
with an entire family of working men, including countless second
cousins, sawing and pounding away. Meg’s father is the overseer
but is easily distracted since he has a tendency to become wrapped up
in his current animal charges -- this time it’s ducks.
— ◊ —
— ◊ —
No Nest for the Wicket
A Meg
Langslow Mystery
Donna
Andrews
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-312-32940-7 (0312329407)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-32940-2 (9780312329402)
Publication Date: August 2006
List Price: $23.95
— ◊ —
Review: The
mystery and mayhem continue in Caerphilly with Donna Andrews's 7th
entry in the Meg Langslow series, No
Nest for the Wicket. Credit must be given for the clever title,
but this latest book from Andrews simply isn't up to par (to mix sports
metaphors).
Reading No Nest for the Wicket
is like watching a one-act play. Meg sits onstage in front of a
backdrop that represents her farm. Scene changes are unnecessary as the
entire story is essentially played out from this venue. Various family
members, neighbors, friends, and visitors drop in, have a conversation
with Meg, and then wander off to do whatever they do. Meg ponders the
current situation between chats, coming up with a plan to move forward
in the investigative process. All this is well and good, but about two
thirds of the way through the play (er ... book), the audience asks,
What’s all the fuss about? A murder? Oh, that’s right,
someone was found with their head bashed in by a croquet mallet. What
was her name? Are you sure? And that’s the underlying problem
with this book: the reason for its very being ceases to be important,
or even interesting.
No Nest for the Wicket
is definitely not one of the better Meg Langslow mysteries, but will
undoubtedly appeal to readers who have enjoyed previous books in the
series. Despite the large cast of eccentric though admittedly
interesting characters, the ever-present menagerie of animals, and the
novel idea of incorporating eXtreme croquet into the story, in the end
this one-act play is all rather monotonous.
Special thanks to St. Martin's Minotaur for providing a copy of No Nest for the Wicket for this review.
Review Copyright © 2006 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved
Have you read No Nest for the Wicket? How would you rate it?
Mysteries in this series …
Murder
with Peacocks
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), January 1999
ISBN-10: 0-31219929-5 (0312199295)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31219929-6 (9780312199296)
Murder
with Puffins
St. Martin's Press (Hardcover), May 2000
ISBN-10: 0-31226221-3 (0312262213)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31226221-1 (9780312262211)
Revenge
of the Wrought Iron Flamingos
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), October 2001
ISBN-10: 0-31227729-6 (0312277296)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31227729-1 (9780312277291)
Crouching
Buzzard, Leaping Loon
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2003
ISBN-10: 0-31227731-8 (0312277318)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31227731-4 (9780312277314)
We'll
Always Have Parrots
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), February 2004
ISBN-10: 0-31227732-6 (0312277326)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31227732-1 (9780312277321)
Owl's
Well That Ends Well
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), April 2005
ISBN-10: 0-31232938-5 (0312329385)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31232938-9 (9780312329389)
No Nest for the Wicket
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), August 2006
ISBN-10: 0-312-32940-7 (0312329407)
ISBN-13: 978-0-312-32940-2 (9780312329402)
The
Penguin Who Knew Too Much
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), August 2007
ISBN-10: 0-31232942-3 (0312329423)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31232942-6 (9780312329426)
Cockatiels
at Seven
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2008
ISBN-10: 0-31237715-0 (0312377150)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31237715-1 (9780312377151)
Six
Geese A-Slaying
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), October 2008
ISBN-10: 0-31253610-0 (0312536100)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31253610-7 (9780312536107)
Swan
for the Money
St. Martin's Minotaur (Hardcover), July 2009
ISBN-10: 0-31237717-7 (0312377177)
ISBN-13: 978-0-31237717-5 (9780312377175)
Omnimystery keywords for No Nest for the Wicket ...
Location(s) referenced: Virginia.
