This is book number 22 in the Meg Langslow Mysteries series.
As in her previous Christmas mysteries, Six Geese a-Slaying, Duck the Halls, and The Nightingale Before Christmas, Andrews continues to write “firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie’s Christmas books” (Toronto Globe and Mail).
New York Times bestselling author Donna Andrews takes us home to Caerphilly for the holidays in her new hilarious Christmas mystery How the Finch Stole Christmas!
Meg's husband has decided to escalate his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production with a large cast including their sons Jamie and Josh as Tiny Tim and young Scrooge and Meg helping as stage manager.
The show must go on, even if the famous—though slightly over-the-hill—actor who's come to town to play the starring role of Scrooge has brought a sleigh-load of baggage and enemies with him. And why is Caerphilly suddenly overrun with a surplus of beautiful caged finches?
How the Finch Stole Christmas! is guaranteed to put the "ho ho hos" into the holidays of cozy lovers everywhere with its gut-bustingly funny mystery.
"Andrews manages her large cast with dexterity and drops clues to the culprits’ identity, but the ending will catch most readers by surprise." —Publishers Weekly on How the Finch Stole Christmas!
"[A] satisfying, humorous entry in the long-running series." —Booklist on How the Finch Stole Christmas!
"Intrigue...amusement...Andrews reliably delivers. She also manages to slip in profundities and sentiments that warm the heart."—New York Journal of Books on Nightingale Before Christmas
The small town of Caerphilly, VA and its inhabitants provide a charming backdrop for this Christmas cozy.—Library Journal on Nightingale Before Christmas
"Meg, as well as her quirky extended family, makes this humorous cozy a holiday treat."—Booklist on Duck the Halls
"Andrews leavens the action with her trademark humor, including dueling Christmas dinners and an extravagant—and extravagantly funny—live nativity scene."—Publishers Weekly on Duck the Halls
"Produces at least one chuckle—and sometimes a guffaw—per page. Joy to the world, indeed."—Richmond Times-Dispatch on Six Geese A-Slaying
"Andrews . . . scores points for her witty writing and abundance of Yuletide tinsel and tradition."—The Columbia, SC State on Six Geese A-Slaying
"Firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie's Christmas books."—Toronto Globe and Mail on Six Geese A-Slaying
"If you long for more fun mysteries, a la Janet Evanovich, you'll love Donna Andrews's Meg Langslow series." —Charlotte Observer
"A long-running series that gets better all the time. A fine blend of academic satire, screwball comedy, and murder." —Booklist on Lord of the Wings
"With its well-spun plots and distinctive characters, Andrews’s amusing avian-named series shows no signs of growing stale." —Publishers Weekly on Die Like an Eagle