Gone Gull by Donna Andrews

Murder has never been funnier than it is in the hands of Donna Andrews and her creation Meg Langslow. Andrews is as reliable as they come when you are looking for a fun cozy mystery to settle down with. Gone Gull is another winner!

Gone Gull sees Meg Langslow out of Caerphilly and up on Biscuit Mountain helping grandmother Cordelia get her craft center studios running. Acts of vandalism are upsetting the students and the teachers. As Meg begins to compile a list of suspects, the case becomes more serious when a body is discovered. Are the crimes related or coincidental? The list of suspects and targets is dizzying. A rival center? A greedy developer? Personal rivalries and vendettas? In the midst of all this, Meg’s grandfather is hot on the trail of a breed of gull long thought extinct. But is her grandfather a target, or a suspect? And can Meg unravel it all in time to save Cordelia’s studio from bankruptcy and keep her family safe?

The seemingly endless clan of Langslow relatives are both a tremendous resource and an incredible distraction. It is spending time with these looney and resourceful people that makes these books fly by and keep a smile on your face the whole time. Half of Meg’s time is spent trying to solve the crime and the other half corralling her wayward family, particularly her irascible, curmudgeonly grandfather.

Andrews keeps the pages turning with suspects, new motives and theories, red herrings and dead ends before ultimately arriving at the solution. She juggles a large and familiar cast while introducing a fair share of new and interesting characters, both enjoyable and despicable. Chapters end on mini cliff-hangers that defy you to put the book down.

Gone Gull will satisfy long-time fans and win legions of new ones. There is satisfaction in following Meg’s adventures from the beginning, but there is enough exposition in each book that new readers can jump in at any point. Either way you choose to experience it, you are in for a treat. Highly recommended!

I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book.

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