A Meg Langslow mystery

'Tis the season to be jolly--and for Meg Langslow to round up stray animals of all sorts as well as a killer.

"Reluctantly volunteering her home after a haunted house exhibit burns down during her town's over-the-top Halloween festival activities, Meg Langslow is challenged to save the day upon discovering a real murder victim among the creepy displays"--

When town clerk Phineas Throckmorton barricades himself in the Caerphilly courthouse basement to thwart an unscrupulous lender who has foreclosed on the town's public buildings, Meg and her neighbors work to clear Throckmorton of a trumped-up murder charge.

An extreme croquet competition mixes teams concerned about local history and development proposals with strong personalities, all in Meg and Michael's backyard - then a murder is discovered.

"A new side-splitting Meg Langslow mystery from award-winning, New York Times bestselling author of Gone Gull. Meg Langslow is at Trinity Episcopal locking up after an event and checking on the toucan Meg's friend Rev. Robyn Smith is fostering in her office. After hearing a hammering in the columbarium (the small building where cremated remains are held), Meg finds an elderly parishioner lying dead on the floor of the crypt. Several niches have been chiseled open; several urns knocked out; and amid the spilled ashes is a gold ring with a huge red stone. The curmudgeonly victim had become disgruntled with the church and ranted all over town about taking back his wife's ashes. Did someone who had it in for him follow him to the columbarium? Or was the motive grave robbery? Or did he see someone breaking in and investigate? Why was the ruby left behind? While the Chief Burke investigates the murder, Robyn recruits Meg to contact the families of the people whose ashes were disturbed. During this task, Meg learns many secrets about Caerphilly's history--and finds that the toucan may play a role in unmasking the killer. Clues and events indicate that a thief broke into the church to steal the toucan the night of the murder, so Meg decides to set a trap for the would-be toucan thief--who might also be the killer. Toucan Keep a Secret is the twenty-third book in New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews' hilarious Mag Langslow mystery series"--

When her old friend Karen drops by with two-year-old son Timmy, Meg Langslow reluctantly agrees to babysit just for a little while. But when nightfall comes, the toddler is still in residence and Karen isn't answering any phone calls. Meg decides she must find out what's happening, so the next morning, with Timmy in tow, she retraces her friend's footsteps--and begins to suspect that Karen's disappearance is tied to at least one serious crime.