Terns of Endearment - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads:  Terns of Endearment (Meg Langslow #25) by Donna Andrews

Rating:  Very Good
Source: Publisher

Description: Meg's grandfather has been booked to give lectures on a cruise as part of the education/entertainment itinerary, and he's arranged for a passel of family members to join him.
The passengers' vacation quickly becomes a nightmare when they wake up to find themselves broken down and in need of repairs. Things get even worse when a crew member announces to all that a woman has jumped overboard, leaving behind her shoes, shawl, and a note. The note reveals she's a disliked member of a writers' group onboard for a retreat, and the group is split on whether this is in-character for her.

The captain decides not to investigate, saying he'll notify American authorities when they reach their destination. But Meg's father decides they need to look into whether there was possible foul play while the prime suspects are all stuck on board. It'll be a race against the clock to solve this mystery before they make the necessary repairs and return to shore.

Donna Andrews' long-running Meg Langslow series continues to be beloved by its fans, who loyally buy every new installment. Terns of Endearment is a perfect new addition, full of laughter, adventure, and Andrews' wonderful cast of wacky characters.

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I've really fallen in love with this series over the last few books so I knew I had to get this one.

My Impression:  This series has really become a must buy for me and this newest mystery did not let me down!  Meg's family has always played a role in the books but given the close quarters of the cruise ship they were very much front and center and lots of fun.  As well we had a group of writers who really had me sold on the book.  I have no interest in writing myself but I love the kind of behind the scenes feel of having a writer in the book.  In this book we have a group of authors who write in varying genres which was really fun. 

The mystery was solid which I've come to expect from Andrews and I wasn't let down.  The mystery does get a bit convoluted now and then with all the characters and their big personalities but while I usually found this frustrating it worked here.  I think it'd be impossible for Meg herself not to get distracted a time or two here having to run herd on her boys and her rather eccentric family.  Frequently when characters are eccentric they're a bit over the top but this wasn't the case here.  I can easily see Cousin Rose or Grandfather fitting into someone's family. 

While this is book #25 in this series I really think you can jump in on this book without any problems.  It's fun, and crazy with big personalities and intriguing mystery. 

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  Not only do I love seeing what bird/crime pun she'll come up next but I love the mysteries themselves and Meg feels like a friend at this point.

Would I Recommend this Book?  I would!  If you enjoy cozies this is a great series.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *