Meg’s first clue that things aren’t going exactly as planned occurs on the first night of the convention when the monkeys let the parrots out. Then the son of the man who originally wrote the Porfinia comic books many years ago, Ichabod Dilley, arrives at the conference, not knowing much about the series or comic books, or caring much about the legacy he is there to promote. Finally, Meg is persuaded to participate in a sword fighting demonstration, leaving her little time for murder.

The aging Queen of the Jungle owns a large part of the rights to the show and controls and manipulates everyone involved with the show, so no one is surprised when she is found dead. The police have rooms full of suspects and one cantankerous tiger, yet as the investigation narrows around one suspect, Meg can’t help but feel the police are on the wrong track. Now in between sword demonstrations and sales, Meg finds herself hot on the trail of a murderer once again.

We’ll Always Have Parrots is a very funny mystery. Meg’s wry sense of humor and offbeat way of looking at things, coupled with a convention of oddballs and a lobby full of parrots and monkeys, set the stage for a delightful quick read. As likable as Meg is, Porfinia is very unlikable and very difficult to get along with, leaving no one surprised when she is found dead. Once again, Meg’s family arrives on the scene, a habit they have, which often adds to the zaniness of the plot, but also begs the question, doesn’t Meg ever get a chance to be completely alone (along with hundreds of screaming fans) with Michael?

There are several obvious suspects, and even the motives of less obvious ones can be detected through careful reading. Even amidst all of the hubbub usually found whenever Meg is around, clues are carefully placed leading to an easily solved mystery. As fun as the mystery is, some may wish for some more insight into Meg, and everyone will certainly be rooting for Meg and Michael to finally get some time alone away from fans and families, even if a dead body or two happens to show up.

--Jennifer Monahan Winberry