Customer Reviews:
 Helplessly fu;nny November 12, 2007
All of Ms. Andrews books are written with a great deal of hilarity. This one is the funniest I have read and will continue to reread it from time to time. Her characters are well written and after reading all of her books, I feel that I know them as well as I know my own family. Keep up the good work, Donna!
 Such a fun read October 31, 2007
This Meg Langslow mystery has Meg and Michael ready to move into their remodeled home. They'll be marrying in a few days, unbeknownst to their mothers who would make it too big an affair. Meg's family is helping with the move and his is flying in from out of town. This all makes it more inconvenient when her father comes to tell her about his find in her basement. Seems while digging a pond for the penguins, he stumbled across a dead body. Since Dad loves a mystery, Meg isn't sure if she should call the police immediately-but hold the phone, did he say penguins?
It turns out Dad has promised a local mini zookeeper to help with the penguins until the zoo is more solvent. The dead man turns out to be said zookeeper. Meg has to help solve this crime or her honeymoon may end up being a cruise on Noah's Ark. Animals may be the least of her worries when she has to coax a claustrophobic medical examiner, who also has a fear of vampires, to the basement, and deal with family members of the previous property owner who show up with shovels. They plan to find their long missing great-uncle, even if they have to dig up the entire farm.
Meg and Michael were planning some excitement for their families, but it didn't include dead bodies and this strange cast of characters. A solid mystery with a cast of zany characters makes it an entertaining read for everyone. The author has won several awards for her work: an Agatha, an Anthony, and a Romantic Times for her first books in the mystery and romance genres. Reading The Penguin Who Knew Too Much will illustrate why I will be finding her previous works to enjoy.
Armchair Interviews says: This book, the eighth installment in a series, is too fun not to share.
One of Donna Andrews best offerings September 8, 2007
I've read all of Donna Andrews books, and this one is one of her best yet. The characters are very well defined and if you have any sense of humor at all you'll love this book! I can highly recommend Donna Andrews books. If you want a good story peppered with great humor, these books are for you. The Penguin Who Knew Too Much is a scream! Enjoy!!
The Penguin Who Knew Too Much (A Meg Langslow Mystery) September 6, 2007
Loved it! Have read it repeatedly, and I keep laughing at the antics of Meg's odd family and neighbors. Somehow, I begin to feel that I know them pretty well.
Thanks to Donna Andrews for another great book! I have all her others, in well-worn condition, and am looking forward to her next!
Laughs, Murder, and Zoo Animals September 3, 2007
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
Meg and Michael are finally moving into their new house. All of Meg's relatives are coming to help. And in the middle of the house warming party to follow, Meg and Michael plan to slip away to elope.
Everyone is just beginning to work when Meg's dad appears, announces he found a body in the basement while digging a swimming pit for the penguins, and disappears again.
Dead body? Penguins? Unfortunately, both prove to be true.
The penguins are refugees from the local zoo which has closed temporarily due to poor financial management. And they are just the beginning of the animals that begin to show up since Meg's dad has volunteered to take care of any animals that need to be watched.
Even worse, the body turns out to be the zoo's owner. Now Meg has a few days to find the killer and solve her sudden animal problem or risk watching her carefully planned elopement fall apart. Can she do it?
The books in this series are always funny, and this book is no exception. I chuckled and laugh the entire way through. There are some great new characters that provide some of the best laughs of the book. And, of course, there are the antics of the animals as well.
The plot suffered a little at the expense of the comedy. It starts out strong and develops pretty evenly. But the ending seems rushed to me.
Frankly, fans of the series won't care. They'll be laughing so hard at the antics of animal and human alike. This is another treat from a master of humor.
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