Gone Gull: A Meg Langslow Mystery by Donna Andrews

               Usually I suck up every word of the Meg Langslow Mystery books pretty much the moment I get them.  With Gone Gull I had a bit of a hard time getting into the story.  I blame that on tennis, though.  Because the moment I put it on mute, I did not want to put this book down.     

                Blacksmith Meg Langslow is helping her grandmother, Cordelia, run an arts and crafts center she has just opened.  Teaching one of the classes herself, Meg has convinced other artists she knows to become teachers as well.  Members of her extensive family are also on site, helping out in various capacities, as they always do.

                Despite the close connection of many of those working at the center, it quickly becomes apparent that someone is out to do the center harm.  A vandal has been wreaking havoc, and no matter what precautions are taken, he or she always manages to strike again.  There are theories as to who could be causing the problems.  The most popular is either a rival craft center or a developer who wants Cordelia to sell him the land.  Unfortunately, no one knows for sure who is behind the vandalism.  Until some solid proof is found, all anyone can do is speculate.

                If a vandal wasn’t enough to deal with, Meg then finds a body.  It is Edward Prine, the painting teacher and a man who no one particularly liked.  The night before Meg finds his body, her grandfather is seen having a fight with him.  She knows that her grandfather will be considered a suspect and she will have to do whatever she can to clear his name.  That, however, very quickly becomes a secondary concern as Meg comes across a second body, this time one of the students.  Then her children are threatened, and all other cares are thrown completely out the window.  No one is going to hurt her boys.  If they try, they will have to go through Meg to do it, and she has her family to back her up.     

                Even though I have read every book in this series, and there are many, I am always amazed at how no matter what is going on, Meg has a family member, or a connection to a family member, that can accomplish what she wants to get done.  It must be nice to have such contacts, but I also know how crazy Meg’s family can drive her with all their quirks and demands.  That did not happen so much in this book, but it has in pretty much all the others.  What made the difference this time, I think, was the fact that Meg and her family were not at her house as they usually are.  When they are there, some family member (usually members) is invading her house for an event or to stay for an extended period of time.  Now that they are at the craft center, the situation is a little different, but still everyone is far from perfect.  Some family members still had their moments, especially Meg’s grandfather who kept insisting they look for a gull instead of a murderer.  It will be interesting to see how the family members behave in the next book.  Unfortunately, I probably have about a year to wait before I can find out.