photographer finish

Meg Langslow and her family is back, and just in time for the holidays. The greenery is hung, the music is playing, and the extended family is heading for Caerphilly. But this year will be different. Family friend Carolyn shows up with three eagles and hopes for a big donation from a visiting philanthropist. And there are two cousins who are both getting married. On the same day. At the same church.

The brides, second cousins on Meg’s mother’s side, do not get along. One set of the bridesmaids are staying at Meg’s house and the other set is at Meg’s brother and sister-in-law’s house. But both brides have similar tastes, so they both have bachelorette parties the same night. They both hired the same seamstresses to add the finishing touches to the bridesmaid dresses, They both hired the same photographer. And that becomes a problem when the photographer is murdered.

Meg, the woman who hears (or overhears) everyone’s secrets, had seen how badly the photographer had treated his assistant. But it wasn’t until she learned about some of his other bad habits that she could start a list of potential suspects. Apparently he had a habit of writing contracts that only allowed his clients a handful of the pictures they would want, making them go back and negotiate for more money to get them all. And he had been known to peep on bridesmaids as well.

The murdered photographer had his camera with him, but the data card had been removed, so Meg believes that he had taking incriminating photos. Now, all she has to do is find that card to catch the killer. That is, unless the killer finds her first.

Five Golden Wings is a typical Donna Andrews Christmas mystery. There is a lot of family around, animals, music, friends, food, hospitality, and one notebook-that-tells-Meg-when-to-breathe. This mystery also has avocado toast, fake shepherds, hangovers, beetles that are eaten by frogs but not digested, fascinators, killer whale stories, sleepovers with wombats, and monks who make fruitcake. There are several crimes, aside from the murder, and Meg has to keep calling in her cousin who is a lawyer to make sure the brides and everyone else in the bridal parties are out of jail in time for the ceremonies.

I listened to the audio book of Five Golden Wings, narrated by Bernadette Dunne. I’ve listened to several books in this series narrated by Dunne, and I feel like she beautifully captures the voice of Meg and the hopeful spirit of Caerphilly. While I have to admit that I didn’t think this was her strongest mystery, I still love spending time listening to this book.

I have been a big fan of this series of book for many, many years, so I will admit to being prejudiced. But for me, hanging out with Meg is a sort of vacation. It’s a chance to spend time with a family who is loving, generous, and thoughtful, even to those who are less than kind. These characters are not perfect or overly good, but they believe in basic human decency, and they help out when they can. This book felt really hopeful to me, in a way that I needed. It’s partly the holiday theme, but it’s also just the warmth and hospitality of Meg and her family. When the world is cold, Caerphilly is there to remind us of the importance of family, of the wonder of animals, and of the importance of breathing.

An early copy of the audio book of Five Golden Wings was provided by Macmillan Audio through NetGalley, with many thanks, but the opinions are mine.