Stanley Denton asks Meg to go along with him when he is hired by her grandfather to track down his long-lost sweetheart Cordelia who was the mother of Meg's father. Unfortunately, Cordelia has recently died in a fire and her cousin Annabelle is certain that she was murdered by their neighbor. She'll tell Meg all about her cousin if Stanley agrees to investigate the death.

Before Stanley can switch clients, they need to consult with Meg's grandfather who decides to go along since the area is also facing an emu problem. An emu ranch went bankrupt, and the emus were let go. Now they are causing problems at the neighboring national park. Meg's grandfather alerts his network of animal rescuers, and they all converge on a field outside Annabelle's house for camping and emu wrangling.

This situation gives Stanley and Meg the perfect cover for their investigation. Things go sideways when the possibly murderous neighbor is also found murdered.

This was another engaging episode in the long-running Meg Langslow series. I enjoyed the humor and loved the twist at the end. ( )

The Good, the Bad, and the Emus by Donna Andrews is a 2014 Minotaur publication.

The past few weeks I have been required to participate in an unusual amount of ‘peopling’. Family gatherings, holidays, birthdays, traveling, and taking part in activities I don’t ordinarily engage in. This has resulted, as it always does, in a case of introverted stress, anxiety and crankiness…

Which means it’s time for a cup of hot tea and a Meg Langslow mystery!! Just what the doctor ordered!

Installment number seventeen begins with Dr. Blake- aka Meg’s grandfather- hiring Stanley Denton, to find Meg’s biological grandmother, Cordelia. Unfortunately, Stanley learns that Cordelia is not only dead, but that she died under mysterious circumstances. The local law enforcement seems to feel it was an accident- but Cordelia’s cousin, Annabel isn’t buying that. She’s sure Cordelia was murdered and she’s positive she knows who killed her.

So, Stanley stays on the case, and Meg and Dr. Blake joins him, while at the same time trying to rescue a group of Emus who were released after a nearby Emu farm failed. Dr. Blake naturally uses the opportunity to film all this for television while Meg does some amateur sleuthing…

The humor in this chapter of the series was somewhat subdued, but it was replaced by a more reflective Meg, who is grappling with the reality of losing her grandmother, though she never had the pleasure of meeting her. Her emotions are conflicted, and her melancholy is palpable, though the story retains its usual light tone throughout.

There is a nice little surprise in here- though savvy readers will have figured it out early on- but I loved the way it unfolded and how Andrews ties everything up in the end. As for the murder mystery, it was another solid guessing game, but those fabulous Emus nearly stole the show!
Overall, another entertaining adventure for Meg and the gang!

4 stars ( )

I just wasn't interested. Meg's grandfather never really stuck out to me as a character and he doesn't seem realistic and I just couldn't get myself to read it to find out what Emus have to do with it.

I feel like a failure. After all, I'm going to pick up the next one. So I should care.

But I don't. I may return to this at some point. It might be the sleepless nights that strike the mothers of teething kids getting to me.

Book # 17, as good as book #1, which in any series is unusual. My favourite cosy author. Holds my attention when I am feeling like a space cadet.

First time reviewing this (only second time reading) and I love that it continues family story line, as well as an interesting animal. As someone who reads series, it really is amazing that seventeen books in and each new book is as good as the first one. This really is my favourite series.

Life will never be the same for Meg Langslow after family secrets are revealed, introducing a whole new layer of intrigue in Donna Andrews's beloved series. Meg’s long-lost paternal grandfather, Dr. Blake, has hired Stanley Denton to find her grandmother Cordelia. Dr. Blake was reunited with his family when he saw Meg’s picture—she’s a dead ringer for Cordelia—and now Stanley has found a trail to his long-lost love in a small town less than an hour's drive away. He convinces Meg to come with him to meet her, but unfortunately, the woman they meet is Cordelia’s cousin—Cordelia died several months ago, and the cousin suspects she was murdered.

Reread in 2020-loved it.

Reread in October 2023 - the saga continues and the family grows. ( )

I love the humorous ways she portrays people in competitive situations.