annieb123's Review of Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! (Meg Langslow Mystery, #34)

by Donna Andrews

'Tis the season for sleuthing in Donna Andrews' cheery new addition to the New York Times bestselling Meg Langslow series.

Meg has been roped into participating in a weaponsmithing competition, a Forged in Fire wannabe organized by a blacksmith friend. Meg originally turned down an invitation to participate, but the night before the filming starts, someone attacks Faulk, her blacksmithing mentor, breaking his arm and eliminating him from the contest before it begins. Meg agrees to step in as his replacement to keep the project from failing. She's not thrilled that the filming will take place during December - Christmas is already a crazy time for her. Since the competition is taking place on Ragnarshjem, the picturesque estate that her friend Ragnar, the retired heavy metal drummer, is turning into a Goth castle, Meg won't have to spend Christmas alone and gets to bring Michael and her twin sons with her.

So Meg joins the cast, to the dismay of several old-school blacksmiths who think women have no place in the profession anyway. And if the show's producers were hoping for drama, they're in luck. The blacksmithing world is a small one, and some of the contestants arrived already laden with grudges and feuds.

It's a high-stakes, cutthroat competition between people who wield large hammers and make swords and have forges full of fire at their disposal. What could possibly go wrong?

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! is the 34th(!) Meg Langslow cozy mystery by Donna Andrews. Released 10th Oct 2023 by Macmillan on their Minotaur imprint, it's 304 pages and is available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout.

This is such a delightful and long running series and it's refreshing to see that the author still has adventures and mysteries for MC blacksmith Meg and her family. The books are like a visit with a good friend with whom you feel comfortable, even if you haven't seen them for a while. This time, Meg and family are involved with a reality TV show, first as a consultant, and then through a series of mishaps, as a last minute substitute contestant.

There's a lot going on behind the scenes and it's not long until she's drawn into investigating sabotage and murder on the set.

It's a holiday themed mystery, and perfect for cozy reading. The author does a good job of relating some interesting metallurgy and weaponsmithing info without being pedantic or boring at all. Meg's family are a delight and her mom, sons, and husband make appearances. The mystery is well crafted (if a -tiny- bit easy to anticipate), and the denouement and resolution are satisfying and well written.

Four and a half stars. This would make an excellent binge/buddy read, as well as a super pick for inclusion in a holiday themed shelf read.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Reading updates

22 November, 2023: Started reading

22 November, 2023: Finished reading

22 November, 2023: Reviewed