Murder with Peacocks

Donna Andrews

10/28/2006

Meg closes up her sculpture shop for a few months and returns home to be the maid-of-honor in three weddings in a two week span. She is responsible for organizing all of them. One is for her best friend, one is for her brother, and the last is for her mother. Her best friend Eileen keeps disappearing, leaving all decisions unmade or to Meg. Samantha, her brother's fiancee, is demanding and picky. Her mother is basically one of those clueless women. Plus, she isn't remarrying Meg's father, but rather the quiet widower from next door, Jake.

When Meg returns to Yorktown at the end of May everything is chaos. Samantha wants peacocks for decoration. Eileen wants a Renaisance theme. Mother wants to redecorate the house before the wedding. The only bright spot is Michael, the man who is temporarily in charge of the bridal shop making all the dresses. Meg is attracted immediately. Then she is informed he is gay. Despite her hidden disappointment, he turns out to be a good friend.

He is also helpful. When Jake's late wife's sister is found dead on the beach at the bottom of the bluffs, Michael helps Meg's father play detective. When Eileen's beefy, dense future brother-in-law won't leave Meg alone, Michael helps distract him. When Mother dithers between two different fabrics for the furniture, Michael is the one who rescues Meg and convinces Mother to keep the fabric she has already chosen. Somehow Meg keeps going with the three wedding plans.

Then more "accidents" happen and another man who was annoying Meg dies when the riding mower goes out of control and runs over the bluff and drops to the beach. Meg receives a gift with a bomb in it. Her father's car is tampered with. In between all this Meg is dealing with changing bridesmaids, poison ivy, sick ring bearers, opening and labeling presents for the brides, and avoiding the drunk lotharios.

So I'm this close to finishing my Master's work. I need fun, brainless reading. Murder with Peacocks is a light, funny cozy mystery that fills the bill. The most obvious murderer couldn't have done it. But who killed Jake's sister-in-law? What if the accidents aren't accidents but planned murders gone wrong? And is Meg really going to get these weddings off? Is Michael going to officially come out of the closet?

The actual murder mystery is only the background, of course, in this type of novel. Yet it keeps the reader guessing. It's a "locked room" type mystery where they are sure who should have done it but don't know how. If that person didn't kill the woman, who did and why? The ending is satisfying despite a couple harrowing moments. Yes, this is mystery froth. And I enjoyed every bit of it.

You can find more about this book at .

Murder with Peacocks
Murder with Puffins
Revenge of the Wrought Iron Flamingos
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
We'll Always Have Parrots
Owls Well That Ends Well
No Nest for the Wicket