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Type of bind: Mass Market Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 813
EAN num: 9780312996758
ISBN number: 0312996756
Label: St. Martin's Minotaur
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 352
Printing Date: February 01, 2005
Publishing house: St. Martin's Minotaur
Release Date: February 01, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 75929
Studio: St. Martin's Minotaur
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Product Description:
Meg Langslow knew the fan convention for her actor-boyfriend's hit television series was going to be the ultimate in weird. But she came along because she figured Michael could use an occasional dose of sanity-and because it was an inspired place to sell her hand-crafted weapons. And so far, she was dealing pretty well with the costumed fans camped outside, the batch of escaped parrots and monkeys frolicking throughout the hotel...and the minefield of egos lurking behind the show's success.
But soon after Meg goes head-to-head with egomaniacal series star Tamerlaine Wynncliffe-Jones, the 'Queen B' turns up brutally murdered. Now, with Michael in the running as prime suspect, Meg will go up against an all-star cast of not-even-innocent parties, hidden identities, and buried motives. And she'll cross swords with a deviously obsessed murderer determined to write her out of this picture for good.
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Rated by buyers 
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This book was not as good as the others. I figured "who done it" right away. I hope the rest of the series get beter. I like Meg but if I were Michael I find someone else to live with. Meg finds too many dead bodies. I like her dad. He's a hoot.
Rated by buyers 
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This is the fifth book in an ongoing "bird" mystery series featuring amateur sleuth Meg Langslow. Other titles include "Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon" and "Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos." In this book, Langslow and her fiancé actor Michael are participants in a weekend fan convention of the cult fantasy show "Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle," in which he stars. When the actress who plays the title character turns up murdered, it appears an African grey parrot is the only witness. The hotel hosting the convention is overrun with parrots - and some monkeys - that were supposed to help create a "jungle" atmosphere for the weekend event, but somehow escaped from their cages. Eventually an escaped grey does play a role in the chasing down the murderer, but not in any conventional sense you might anticipate (but then what else would you expect from a grey?)
I found the book to be highly entertaining. The author's characterization of greys is very well done - I could see my own birds (I have two African greys) engaging in some of the behaviors she describes. While I love the story, I do have a problem with the artwork on the cover, however. It features a macaw prominently, as well as a lorikeet - but no greys. (I guess they're not "colorful" enough.) I would think since they do play a prominent role in the story - more so than any of the other parrots - at least one grey could have been featured on the cover, and still have the more colourful macaw featured, if the publisher really wanted one on the cover. No reason not to buy the book, however. I'm looking forward to reading her latest, "Cockatiels at Seven."
Rated by buyers 
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When I read the previous book to this one, "Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon", I loved everything about the book and worried that it was just because heroine Meg was in a world I adored (computer game development) and her boyfriend was far away. This latest installment sets my fears to rest. Michael is fully back in the picture here, and the story couldn't be better. In fact he's front and center, as his acting career in the cult TV series "Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle" has brought the dynamic duo to an east coast convention for the weekend. Now, I happen to love sci-fi conventions just as much as I love computer games, so it could be the setting again being a fantastic one, but if author Donna Andrews keeps turning out books like this, I'll be happy for years to come.
Just as with pretty much any TV cast set, the actors and actresses have their quirks. There are romantic entanglements in their past, bitter feuds, issues with money, love, family, you name it. None of this comes across as bizarre - it's all quite natural, given the egos involved in many Hollywood situations. The main character, Porfiria, ends up dead only a short while through the con, and of course pretty much everybody is a suspect. I found Meg's reasons for interfering to be a little less compelling than in previous books, though. She wants to clear Michael as a suspect? Heck, he's no more suspected than anybody else. I would believe it more if the book mentioned the many previous mysteries she'd solved and at least gave her some interest in the process. Instead, she vaguely hints at her father's mystery books. It's almost as if they want us to believe, with each subsequent book in the series that it's the very very first murder Meg has ever seen. Where, in reality, she seems to attract death like honey attracts bears.
That aside, though, the book is great. Meg's sword-making skills fall right in line with sci-fi convention wares, and the characters are interesting and fun. The book easily pegs the behavior of many avid sci-fi fans. In fact, Donna was a little low key and lenient in some areas :) At a real con, putting out a fresh spread of food and beverage would cause a trampling :)
I do want to comment that in the previous book Meg was eyeing with interest one of the hunky co-workers at her office - and in this book she's eyeing with interest other guys. It's fine and good to say that Meg is allowed to have open eyes and appreciate human beauty, but it is starting to seem that any time a well built guy shows up, she is pondering in her mind "If only I didn't have Michael, I could have enjoyed him ..."
On the other hand, Meg and Michael have both matured SO much since the very first books that I'm hard put to really complain about this minor quirk. Yes, it irks me a bit - but in general Meg has a great combination of tolerance, headstrong interest, intelligence and an ability to take care of herself that I really enjoy her.
I really do recommend reading the previous books to understand the whole background on Spike, Michael and the other characters - it makes the tiny moments really rich in layers of meaning.
Highly recommended!
Rated by buyers -
Donna Andrews is a favorite of mine because of her humour -- her books are full of burst out laughing lines and situations. This book is no exception. The setting is a "con" -- a convention of fans of a Xena-type television show. Her detective Meg (also a blacksmith who makes decorative items, swords, etc. -- not a shoer of horses blacksmith) has a boyfriend with a role in the show so she's there with a vendor's booth and her boyfriend. The convention is zany, with most of the attendees dressed as characters in the show, and the conveners have decorated the hotel to look like a jungle, complete with parrots and monkeys. Unfortunately, the parrots and monkeys get out of their cages, and to judge from this book, there are a lot of parrots and monkeys loose in the hotel, causing chaos with their stealing (the monkeys) and imitating sounds (the parrots). The Xena-type character, Porfiria, is disliked thoroughly by everyone on the show -- she's a Queen B, and I don't mean bee. Someone gets murdered, and Meg is the very first one to find the body. She begins her own little investigation in this crazy little world (the Porfiria con goes on).
I don't think this is Andrews' best, but it's still well worth a read. It made me want to go to one of these cons to see if they're really as zany as the one she describes. I think anyone who has attended one of these will find this book particularly funny.
Rated by buyers -
Although this is a part of a series, each book in this series can stand alone. Meg is a superb character. She is funny and sensible and has a hilarious family. Michael her boyfriend is just as funny with a very dry wit.
In this book Meg has decided to try to sell some of her swords while Michael caters to his fans of a show he's on. When the Queen Bee is found dead and Michael is suspect; Meg has to solve the mystery.
This is a funny book that made me laugh. It is a quick moving read. Well worth the money.
Enjoy.
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