Setting- Virginia ( )

The eighth book in the Meg Langslow mystery series was a fun romp. Meg and Michael are getting ready to move into their newly renovated home and hold a housewarming party (from which they intend to elope). However, when the local zoo has some problems and Meg's Dad agrees to take in some penguins (and tells other volunteers that he'll take in any animals that prove too difficult), Meg finds herself living in a modern version of Noah's Ark.

First there are penguins, then llamas, hyenas, and countless other species show up. Knowing her father, this isn't too unexpected. But when the body of the zookeeper is found in a half-dug trench in her cellar, Meg has a mystery to solve and little time to solve it if they want to get to their honeymoon on time.

Adding to the confusion are the Shifley's who begin digging up Meg's yard looking for their long-lost great-uncle when they realize the body isn't him and a visiting world-famous zoologist whose reason for being in Caerphilly seems really suspicious to Meg makes Meg's investigation even more complicated.

This was a fun story with lots of humorous moments and some dangerous ones too. I'll admit that the villain seemed particularly inept but dangerous none the less.

Bernadette Dunne made all the various characters come to life with her narration. ( )

Not only did this cozy mystery have the penguins (that I was expecting to be featured based on the title), but it also had llamas and camels! So cute. Meg and Michael are just finishing up renovations on their house and are secretly planning to elope to avoid a huge wedding and drama with their mothers when unfortunately a body is discovered in their basement. There’s always something quirky and fun going on in each book in this series, and this one ties into a small local zoo and its zookeeper. I especially enjoyed the hijinks of the animals and the colorful cast of characters. Some interesting surprises and reveals towards the end! ( )

" Meg! Guess what I found in your basement?"
I looked up from the box I was unpacking to see Dad standing in the basement doorway, his round face shining with excitement.
"A body?" An unlikely guess, but Dad was a big mystery buff - perhaps if I amused him, he'd stop playing guessing games on moving day.
"Oh, rats - you already knew? Well, how soon will the police get here? I need to move the penguins - we don't want them any more upset than they already are."

Today I finished the book, took a look at it, and it hit me like a ton of bricks:

I have become THAT person. The person who reads cozy mysteries with punny titles and questionable literary value. The person who doesn't like the current styles and the newest technology. In short, I have become old.

Or at least what I thought old was when I was 15. Hopefully, I can forgive myself. And hopefully, somewhere out there there is a store that sells better clothing.

All that aside, 4 stars for the unusual mystery setting though it doesn't live up to her best humor. ( )