Customer Reviews

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Buy this book for the historic re-enactor on your list, or, better still, his spouse. I have volunteered at re-enactiments and historic sites and can't decide if this book is 'so true' or a gentle exaggeration of what goes on and the perils and pitfalls of living 'living history' in the 21st century.

The mystery is my favourite in the Meg Langslow series after Murder With Peacocks - and any woman who is or has been a bride's maid / maid of hounour must read that book. It is such a good laugh provoker is will relieve your stress.

Donna Andrews writes lovely mystery novels. they arent genius.. and they don't take a long time to read and ponder... just good plain reads that take one away from ones every day life. Ive read other reviews of Andrews' work and being juvinile... hardly true. This is a great mystery series... esp since Im awaiting the publication of the next installments in other series.

keep the birds coming Donna!!

Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos takes place at a re-enactment of the battle of Yorktown. The conflict on the field, however, isn't where the real action is. Instead, battles between the craftsmen and the "Anachronism Police", legal wrangles over crafts software, and an unexpected murder make the reenactment look positively tame.

Donna Andrews creates eccentric and engaging characters. Those characters are my favorite element of the Meg Langslow series. Meg's father, enthusiastically recreating 18th century medicine complete with leeches, is a hoot. So are her handsome and irresponsible brother, her elegant and surprising mother, and her boyfriend's formidable mother.

The wrought-iron flamingos of the title remind me of a real-life wrangle in historic Hanover Courthouse over pink plastic lawn flamingos. I found myself wishing there was some way I could have bought those wrought iron ones for myself.

If you enjoy a witty cozy mystery, this one's for you.

To me this did not live up to the first book in the series, "Murder with Peacocks". The writer seemed to spend so much time elaborating on the settings - a craft fair at a Revolutionary War battle re-enactment - that she had no energy left to develop her characters. I would happily have traded several pages of information about craft sales and battle enactment strategies for some decently developed characters. As it is, there are a couple of bad people, a whole lot of bland but nice people and a pair of oddballs for light relief. Whatever happened to complex characters who don't obviously wear black hats or white hats?

Having said that, I'll say that the writer has a pleasant light touch and her sense of humour and practicality shine through. The basic plot is good, but the subplots could have been developed a little further. I liked the juxtaposition of the high-tech computer world with the craft fair and historic background. I also liked the concept of the weaselly cop. We meet a variety of unpleasant cops in the cozy who-dun-it genre but I can't recall a truly weaselly one before.

Now if only Meg's handsome heart throb would develop a mind of his own and some backbone to go with it.....

Meg is participating in a period craft fair as part of the annual celebration and reenactment for the Battle of Yorktown. Trying to get on Mrs. Waterston's good side, she's agreed to help make sure her follow craftspeople stay completely in period. But being the go between just might be more then Meg can handle. Especially since her boyfriend's mother is cracking down on anything and everything. Meanwhile, Michael wants more from their relationship, and Meg is shying away from any form of commitment. And her brother Rob is meeting with someone interested in buying his computer game. But Roger Benson has a shady reputation at best, and when this computer guy turns up murdered in Meg's booth, the list of suspects is long. Not that she needs any more to do this weekend, but now Meg must solve this crime before the police arrest one of her friends.

As with the others is the series, this book has quite a bit going on beside the mystery. And, as the title would suggest, this is a fun, light cozy. If this is what you want, you'll love the book. Even if the mystery doesn't progress quickly, there is so much going on to keep you engaged you really don't care. And the humor, from Meg's father, who insists his air tight alibi is full of holes, to gorilla costume wearing Cousin Horace, is top notch. Yet, the mystery still provides some great twists and turns. And the characters are very well defined.

I love this series when I'm in the mood for something fun and light. Donna Andrews does such a great job of keeping everything balanced that it makes for an entertaining read.

I really enjoyed REVENGE of the WROUGHT-IRON FLAMINGOS, enough that I have recommended, not only this book, but the series to others. I literally found myself guffawing outloud during the scene where the murderer is caught. The series is a good read for those who like mystery, a little romance and a lot of laughs.

This silly and sarcastic spoof takes the reader on to the world of craft shows, reenactments, as well as overbearing, over extended families and overwrought relationships. It is a light frothy read to be enjoyed and not taken too seriously. Parts of this story are pure fun, some of it is sarcastic to the extreme, and some of it muddles around in circles. Meg, a single gal ironworker/artist, never really became quite human for me, thought that did not affect my enjoyment of this silly frolic where colonial times meet the computer age. The cover art snagged me, but the dear pink plastic (actually over-wrought iron) birds were very much in the background.

Revenge Of The Wrought-Iron Flamingos by gifted writer Donna Andrews is an entertaining read that supplies the reader with laughs-a-plenty--it is a story about some of the outrageous demands made by a few family members and friends. A humorous story you won't want to miss...

although Ms. Andrews has a flare for comedy, she obviously has never been a participant in a reenactment, otherwise she'd know that some of the things she describes would never happen. If you don't mind the errors and inconsistencies it's not a bad book.

Meg and Michael have been dragooned(excuse the pun) into participating in a craft fair and reenactment of the battle of Yorktown. Michael's mother is running the event with her usual iron fist. Anachronisms are forbidden and fined. Meg is forced to wear itchy linsey woolsey while she sells her ironworks. Michael, as a member of a French regiment, gets to wear a magnificent uniform. Various of Meg's eccentric relatives are there to add spice to the event. Her father is a particularly gory colonial doctor. Her weasly cousin Wesley is looking for a tabloid story to boost his career, and Cousin Horace is out of his gorilla suit and into the uniform of a Virginia regiment. Meg does her best to hide Mrs. Fennimore's recent commission, a dozen glow in the dark pink wrought iron flamingos, to replace the plastic flock outlawed by the town. A shady businessman is found dead in her booth, and a good friend is accused. Meg and Michael must solve the crime themselves or Faulk will be charged with murder.

I found myself enjoying this book more and more as the story progressed. Meg and Michael's families are always the most entertaining parts of these books and this one was no exception. The background story of the reenactment was pretty interesting also, and blended well with the mystery. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.