Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! by Donna Andrews ~ Review

by Donna Huber

Meg has been roped into participating in a weaponsmithing competition, a Forged in Fire wannabe organized by a blacksmith friend. Meg originally turned down an invitation to participate, but the night before the filming starts, someone attacks Faulk, her blacksmithing mentor, breaking his arm and eliminating him from the contest before it begins. Meg agrees to step in as his replacement to keep the project from failing. She's not thrilled that the filming will take place during December – Christmas is already a crazy time for her. Since the competition is taking place on Ragnarshjem, the picturesque estate that her friend Ragnar, the retired heavy metal drummer, is turning into a Goth castle, Meg won’t have to spend Christmas alone and gets to bring Michael and her twin sons with her.

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October 2023; Minotaur Books; 978-1250893963
audio, ebook, print (304 pages); cozy mystery

I was excited to read Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! after reading the last book in the series Birder, She Wrote (read my review) as I really enjoyed it. I discovered this series when I reviewed last year's Christmas book, Dashing Through the Snowbirds (read my review). I haven't had a chance to go back and read the earlier books, but I still hope to.

If you are a fan of the reality show Forged in Fire, then you will probably get a kick out of this book. I'm not a fan of reality TV in general and I haven't seen the blacksmithing competition (though I have met one of the contestants). Still, it was interesting. Andrews has a real knack for creating great characters.

I'll be honest that I didn't love this book as much as the previous book. Since I finished it I've been trying to figure out why. I think it is because the characters that live there don't have as big of a role as they did in the previous book. I love series because I really get to know the characters and while I know it is necessary to have "one-off" characters, I like to have the core cast front and center as much as possible. Some of the town people were new to me (I'm aware that there are 30-some books in the series and these characters could have appeared before) like Ragnar and Faulk. I would have liked to get to know them more but they had a small part. The cast in the book is large so I get that they don't get a lot of page space but it doesn't mean I don't wish they appeared more.

It is a Christmas book with tree trimming, gingerbread house making, and even caroling. But all of that is in the background and there isn't really a Christmasy theme to the book. So whether you are looking for a festive book for the season or just want a fun mystery, this book fits the bill.

Buy Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.

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