When Meg Langslow’s grandmother Cordelia decided to put on a grand Renaissance Faire, Meg is of course chosen to be her second in command. It’s an all-family affair, as Meg’s husband Michael is put on charge of the actors hired to entertain the tourists, and their twin sons help Meg at the blacksmith’s forge, assisting with the demonstrations and selling merchandise.

As part of the entertainment, Michael and Cordelia have created the Game, an elaborate tale filled with memorable characters, intricate sword fights (highly choreographed, so no tourists get hurt), and a fight to see who will be worthy to take over Cordelia’s ream when she is not longer fit to reign. Those participating in the Game are mostly actor friends and colleagues of Michael, and they keep the insults and duels all in good fun.

Except for Terence Cox. Hired to be a troublemaker in the Game, Terence lives up to his role with his bawdy comments and pranks. But as the days go by, his behavior goes from charming and humorous to annoying and downright mean-spirited. He sexually harasses Dianne, the young ingenue playing the beautiful maiden whose father is looking for the right man for her to marry. George, who plays her father, is constantly berated and belittled by Terence. Nigel, a recovering alcoholic and Michael’s friend, is almost tricked into drinking mead because of Terence’s interference. And Tad, the husband to Faulk, Meg’s partner in the blacksmithing tent, gets fired from his tech job when Terence interrupts a call.

So when Terence is found dead, a knife to the back, there is no shortage of suspects. And it’s up to Meg and the local police to bring the investigation to a speedy end, to save Meg’s friends from the suspect list and to save Cordelia’s Ren Fest from getting a bad reputation. But will Meg be able to find the killer before she or he finds Meg?

Some of my favorite words: Donna Andrews is back with another of her brilliant bird mysteries, starring the most interesting family in cozies. Meg and her extended family always deliver the laughs, the support, the random helpful tidbits of information, and the bird puns in these warm, witty mysteries. The Falcon Always Wings Twice is the 27th book in this series (27! Can you believe it?), and it’s just as enchanting as the first.

I am clearly a big fan of Donna Andrews. I adore her characters. Her writing flows in a way that makes reading her books feel effortless. Her plotting is still strong, even after all these books. She is consistently smart, creative, and compassionate, and I will read these until the end. And every time I do, I will hope once again that someone in Meg’s family adopts me so that I can be a part of the fun too! Love these books!

Egalleys for The Falcon Always Wings Twice were provided by Minotaur Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.