LET IT CROW! LET IT CROW! LET IT CROW! (Meg Langslow #34) by Donna Andrews will be published on October 10, 2023 by Minotaur Books.
It’s Christmas in Caerphilly again, but Meg Langslow’s holiday preparations are disrupted when she finds herself helping out on set of a reality tv competition for blacksmiths. Meg’s plan to stay behind the scenes is ruined when one of the competitors is attacked from behind and forced to drop out of the show. Meg takes her mentor’s spot, much to the dismay of some of the other contestants who are not thrilled to be competing against a woman—especially after she wins the first challenge. The show goes sideways on the second day of filming when the body of one of the competitors is found in a nearby field. Brody was caught attempting to sabotage his fellow competitors, tried to blackmail others, sexually harassed at least one woman, and was just a general annoyance. Despite all of his shortcomings, Meg is determined to help find the killer between her duties at the forge and Christmas planning.
It’s good to see Meg back at the forge, even if it is on the set of a reality show. The cast and crew of the show provide plenty of suspect. The victim was unpleasant, and there were many motives for the suspects to have wanted him dead. While it did take until halfway through the book for the murder to take place, there is the mystery of who attacked Faulk and knocked him out of the competition to investigate. Andrews also gives the reader to see the victim in action as he makes enemies during the first day of filming. There are enough plot twists and red herrings to keep the reader guessing as to the identity of the killer. A great addition to the series.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.