We'll Always Have Parrots

234 Pages·2004·0.94 MB·English

by  Andrews Donna

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Praise for Donna Andrews’s Meg Langslow Mysteries
We’ll Always Have Parrots
“I can’t say enough good things about this series, and this entry in it.”
—Deadly Pleasures
Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon
“If you long for more ‘fun’ mysteries, à la Janet Evanovich, you’ll love Donna
Andrews’s Meg Langslow series.”
—The Charlotte Observer
“There’s a smile on every page and at least one chuckle per chapter.”
—Publishers Weekly
Revenge of the Wrought-Iron Flamingos
“At the top of the list…A fearless protagonist, remarkable supporting characters,
lively action, and a keen wit.”
—Library Journal
“What a lighthearted gem of a juggling act…With her trademark witty dialogue
and fine sense of the ridiculous, Andrews keeps all her balls in the air with skill
and verve.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Genuinely fascinating. A better-than-average entry in a consistently
entertaining…series.”
—Booklist
Murder with Puffins
“Muddy trails, old secrets, and plenty of homespun humor.”
—St. Petersburg Times
“The well-realized island atmosphere, the puffin lore, and the ubiquitous birders
only add to the fun.”
—Denver Post
“Andrews’s tale of two puffins has much to recommend it, and will leave readers
cawing for another adventure featuring the appealing Meg and Michael.”
—Publishers Weekly
“The puffin angle proves very amusing…An enjoyable flight of fancy.”
—Booklist
Murder with Peacocks
“The first novel is so clever, funny, and original that lots of wannabe authors
will throw up their hands in envy and get jobs in a coffee shop.”
—Contra Costa Times
“Loquacious dialogue, persistent humor…A fun, breezy read.”
—Library Journal
“Half Jane Austen, half battery acid…[W]ill leave you helpless with heartless
laughter…Andrews combines murder and madcap hilarity with a cast of
eccentric odd-balls in a small Southern town.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Andrews’s debut provides plenty of laughs for readers who like their mysteries
on the cozy side.”
—Publishers Weekly

Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Preview
Chapter 1
I woke up when Michael began screaming in the bathroom.
I pried open one eye and saw that it was 5:45.
A.M.
“Michael,” I called.
He probably couldn’t hear me, given the volume of noise he was
producing.
“Damn the man,” I muttered, pulling the pillow over my head.
The racket from the bathroom changed to a loud gurgle, and while
the hotel’s meager pillow might be adequate for sleeping—just barely—it
couldn’t muffle the sounds of a classically trained stage actor, diligently
performing his morning vocal exercises. And gargling repeatedly with a variety
of concoctions, to counteract the effects of a bad head cold.
I’d have bet that the alternating doses of salt water, dissolved baby
aspirin, and Listerine did more to irritate his throat than soothe it. But I knew
better than to say so. In the several years we’d been together, I’d learned that
things went more smoothly if I didn’t try to argue with Michael about the
various strange superstitions and crank health notions he shared with his theater
friends.
I shoved the pillow aside, leaned over, and groped on the floor by
the side of the bed until I found the program book I’d dropped there last night.
“Welcome to the Jungles of Amblyopia!” proclaimed the headline. I
paused to look at the group photo below. Michael looked dashing despite the
corny costume—a black velvet wizard’s robe, covered with phony magical
symbols and allowed to fall open to show that he was shirtless beneath. Of
course, maybe I was biased. Maybe to an unprejudiced eye Michael looked just
as ill-at-ease as the rest of the cast of Porfiria, Queen of the Jungle—the low-