How the Finch Stole Christmas! - (Meg Langslow Mysteries) by Donna Andrews (Paperback)

About the Book

Meg's husband is escalating his one-man show of Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" into a full-scale production. When a famous, though slightly over-the-hill, actor comes to town to play the role of Scrooge, he also brings a lot of baggage and enemies with him.

Book Synopsis

Where's that partridge in its pear tree?

It's Christmas time in Caerphilly, VA, and nothing is going by the book. Meg Langslow is trying to be supportive of her husband, who's escalated his one-man show of Dickens' A Christmas Carol into a full-scale production that includes their sons as Tiny Tim and the young Scrooge. But when the real Scrooge comes to town--a famous actor who is known for his personal dramas off-stage--Meg finds that her role as stage manager is a lot more than she bargained for. When Scrooge's inner demons and actual enemies catch up with him, it's up to Meg to solve a holiday murder mystery before the curtain comes down. . .and the killer takes flight.

"Andrews manages her large cast with dexterity and drops clues to the culprits' identity, but the ending will catch most readers by surprise." --Publishers Weekly

Review Quotes

"Andrews manages her large cast with dexterity and drops clues to the culprits' identity, but the ending will catch most readers by surprise." --Publishers Weekly on How the Finch Stole Christmas!

"[A] satisfying, humorous entry in the long-running series." --Booklist on How the Finch Stole Christmas!

"Intrigue...amusement...Andrews reliably delivers. She also manages to slip in profundities and sentiments that warm the heart."--New York Journal of Books on Nightingale Before Christmas

The small town of Caerphilly, VA and its inhabitants provide a charming backdrop for this Christmas cozy.--Library Journal on Nightingale Before Christmas

"Meg, as well as her quirky extended family, makes this humorous cozy a holiday treat."--Booklist on Duck the Halls

"Andrews leavens the action with her trademark humor, including dueling Christmas dinners and an extravagant--and extravagantly funny--live nativity scene."--Publishers Weekly on Duck the Halls

"Produces at least one chuckle--and sometimes a guffaw--per page. Joy to the world, indeed."--Richmond Times-Dispatch on Six Geese A-Slaying

"Andrews . . . scores points for her witty writing and abundance of Yuletide tinsel and tradition."--The Columbia, SC State on Six Geese A-Slaying

"Firmly in the grand tradition of Agatha Christie's Christmas books."--Toronto Globe and Mail on Six Geese A-Slaying

"If you long for more fun mysteries, a la Janet Evanovich, you'll love Donna Andrews's Meg Langslow series." --Charlotte Observer

"A long-running series that gets better all the time. A fine blend of academic satire, screwball comedy, and murder." --Booklist on Lord of the Wings

"With its well-spun plots and distinctive characters, Andrews's amusing avian-named series shows no signs of growing stale." --Publishers Weekly on Die Like an Eagle

About the Author

DONNA ANDREWS is a winner of the Agatha, Anthony, and Barry Awards, a Romantic Times Award for best first novel, as well as the Lefty and Toby Bromberg awards for funniest mystery. She is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the Private Investigators and Security Association. Andrews lives in Reston, Virginia. How the Finch Stole Christmas! is Andrews's twenty-second book and fourth Christmas mystery in the Meg Langslow series.