Features
- Cover Type: Mass Market Paperback with 320 pages
- Published by: St. Martin's Paperbacks June 15, 2001
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 0312978863
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-0312978860
-
Book Dimensions:
6.6 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
- Weighs: 4.8 ounces
Product Review
Meg Langslow and her boyfriend Michael want to be alone, but fate's conspired to make it all but impossible. Meg takes her aunt Phoebe up on an invitation to spend an Indian summer weekend at Phoebe's supposedly empty cottage on the coast of Maine. Braving a hurricane and a horde of determined birdwatchers, they make the last ferry to Monhegan Island, only to find their plans to be alone dashed by the unexpected appearance of Meg's entire family, including Aunt Phoebe. To make matters worse, a famous and slightly megalomaniacal sculptor, who may have been Meg's mother's lover years ago, has taken up residence on the island. When he's killed in an accident that turns out to be murder, Meg's sweet, slightly dotty father is fingered as the suspect. The elusive puffin, revered by bird lovers and captured in kitsch by an island artist named Rhapsody, is the leitmotif in this charming cozy, the second outing in author Donna Andrews's series. The first book,
Murder with Peacocks, won the Agatha Award for the best first traditional mystery.
Murder with Puffins is a bit short on drama and suspense, though long on charm. Meg and Michael are appealing, but the minor characters, especially Meg's parents and the colorful island locals, are infinitely more interesting.
--Jane Adams
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA-Meg Langslow and her boyfriend take a ferry to an island off the coast of Maine to share a quiet, romantic weekend together. Instead, they arrive during a pre-hurricane storm and find most of her family staying in what should have been her aunt's empty summer cottage. With the ferry cancelled and the tempest upon them, they all try to make the best of several uncomfortable situations: the weather, cramped quarters, coping with the many birders who are also stranded on the island, and everyone's anger at the island's resident artist, Victor Resnick. When his body is found in a tidal pool, Meg focuses her sleuthing skills on finding the murderer, a wet and slippery proposition as the storm rages on. Andrews creates a host of quirky individuals, complete with intense birders and cranky curmudgeons. Her sense of humor adds a lot to the novel, with one-liners and situations guaranteed to bring a smile. Built on the plot lines of a traditional "cozy" style of mystery, the story wends its way to a satisfying ending, treating readers to an entertaining cast of characters in an interesting locale.
Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Reader Reviews
In general, I am not a fan of the 'cozy' mystery story. No offense intended, but my taste runs to dark fiction, horror, and other equally bleak genre. However, every once in a while, an uncontrollable fit comes over me, and only the lighter side of the mystery world will do. The 'cozy' is my way of escaping my normal fare without turning my back on murder and mayhem. No doubt a form of having my cake and eating it too. In pursuit of these sudden urges, I recently discovered Donna Andrew's stories about Meg Langslow and her romantic partner Michael Waterston, and have been keeping 'Murder with Puffins' on hand for just such an emergency. Meg and Michael are also trying to escape, in their case they are trying to get away from their charming but eccentric families and friends. Meg takes advantage of a standing offer and heads off with Michael to Monhegan, a semi-civilized island off the coast of Maine. What they did not count on was finding that the entire Langslow clan has independently arrived at the same idea. Upon arriving on the island, Meg discovers that she has fled the frying pan for the fire. True to form, in the middle of a chaos concocted of a mass of birdwatchers, an equal number of Langslows, and a hurricane, the most unpopular person on the island dies in mysterious (and inconvenient) circumstances. Since one of the possible suspects is Meg's father, our two intrepid vacationers thrust themselves hip deep in an investigation that leads them to every quirk and secret Monhegan contains. Nor does it help that the weather has made communication with the outside world impossible. One of Andrew's admirable traits it that all her characters seem to have some level of native intelligence. They may be weird, suspicious or inexplicable, but they generally can indulge in repartee and make the occasional quip. Even the lesser lights are not completely dim. Thus, her stories are comedies of manners, not simple burlesques. Her plots move along lightly, and she manages to avoid the sins of over-writing. All of which creates a very pleasant entertainment, and explains why the author has enjoyed immediate acceptance and received several notable awards. Whether you are addicted to this genre, or are, like me, an occasional visitor, you will find this series excellent reading. While 'Murder with Puffins' will not suffer from being read out of order (it is the second in the series), I still think it best to start at the beginning with 'Murder with Peacocks.' Take my advice and read them all.
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