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Charlotte MacLeod
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An Owl Too Many (The Peter Shandy Mysteries Book 8) Kindle Edition

by Charlotte MacLeod (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.4 out of 5 stars 506 ratings
Professor Peter Shandy returns in “a high-flying farce with humor that ranges from broad slapstick to quiet witticisms. . . . This murder most fowl is a hoot” (Publishers Weekly).
 Emory Emmerick comes to Balaclava Agricultural University as a scout for a television station. Although the faculty and students are hardly ready for prime time, Emmerick’s interest is in environmental programming—a subject that inspires even the driest Balaclava professor to wax poetic. In his search for material, Emmerick joins Peter Shandy and a few of his colleagues on the annual owl-count. And though the television producer’s loud mouth and heavy feet make him a dismal birdwatcher, none of the academics expect him to make a fatal blunder. Chasing what appears to be a badly lost snowy owl, Emmerick stumbles into a trap that yanks him into a tree. By the time the professors reach him, he’s been stabbed to death. Discovering that the snowy owl was nothing more than a handful of feathers attached to a fishing pole, Shandy concludes that Emmerick was murdered. Plenty of people might like to kill a television producer, but which would-be killer had the gall to make the helpless Nyctea scandiaca an accomplice?
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  1. Book 8 of 10
    The Peter Shandy Mysteries
  2. Print length
    287 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    MysteriousPress.com/Open Road
  5. Publication date
    November 6, 2012
  6. File size
    6.6 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

McLeod's myriad fans, and other readers with funny bones, will welcome the return of Professor Peter Shandy and his quirky colleagues at Balaclava Agricultural College, seen before in The Corpse in Oozak's Pond . On a midnight owl-counting expedition, a net nastily set becomes a murder weapon. Adding the melodramatic abductions of two women, a tugboat journey on swollen floodwaters and hypnotized police officers, McLeod develops a high-flying farce with humor that ranges from broad slapstick to quiet witticisms. Highly memorable characters include the buxom and oft-abducted Viola Buddley, eager local newsman Cronkhite Swope and the endearingly eccentric heiress, Professor Winifred Binks. The latter's decisions to fund a TV station for the Massachusetts college and to back a struggling natural-foods company have several people more than casually interested in her assets. When Binks goes missing, real adventure follows. From the first flutter of owl feathers to the solution offered in the final pages, this murder most fowl is a hoot. Author tour.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

“Farcical humor, from slapstick to quiet witticisms, abounds in this mystery.” —Publishers Weekly “The screwball mystery is Charlotte MacLeod’s cup of tea.” —Chicago Tribune   “Charlotte MacLeod does what she does better than anybody else does it; and what she does is in the top rank of modern mystery fiction.” —Elizabeth Peters, creator of the Amelia Peabody series

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B009S33L9C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ MysteriousPress.com/Open Road (November 6, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ November 6, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 6.6 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 287 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 out of 5 stars 506 ratings

About the author

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Charlotte MacLeod

Charlotte MacLeod

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Charlotte MacLeod (1922–2005) was an internationally bestselling author of cozy mysteries. Born in Canada, she moved to Boston as a child, and lived in New England most of her life. After graduating from college, she made a career in advertising, writing copy for the Stop & Shop Supermarket Company before moving on to Boston firm N. H. Miller & Co., where she rose to the rank of vice president. In her spare time, MacLeod wrote short stories, and in 1964 published her first novel, a children’s book called Mystery of the White Knight.

In Rest You Merry (1978), MacLeod introduced Professor Peter Shandy, a horticulturist and amateur sleuth whose adventures she would chronicle for two decades. The Family Vault (1979) marked the first appearance of her other best-known characters: the husband and wife sleuthing team Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn, whom she followed until her last novel, The Balloon Man, in 1998.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
506 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers enjoy this mystery book, praising its many plot twists and good writing style. They appreciate the humor, with one customer noting they laugh out loud while reading. Customers like the character variety, with one mentioning how the characters become old friends throughout the series.

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24 customers mention "Enjoyment"24 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable, describing it as a fun and delightful read with humorous incidents woven throughout the story.

"...Her characters are full, real and interesting as their lives play out in the story in ways you never dreamed could happen...." Read more

"...of humor, her choice or fabricated names, her sense of the ridiculous and the absurd, her Feisty and intelligent Main Characters and her silly..." Read more

"...It is amazing how much mischief people can get up to in small towns where everyone is known...or are they? Charlotte MacLeod has a way with a story...." Read more

"I love the series and am now re reading it. I find them just a fun and entertaining as they were the first time..." Read more

14 customers mention "Mystery depth"11 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the mystery depth of the book, with one review highlighting its many plot twists and surprising ending.

"...If you love an old fashioned mystery with great characters and many plot twists--this book and series are for you...." Read more

"...Yet, somehow, compelling plots......" Read more

"...Each character becomes an old friend. Each mystery is handled with aplomb. What a shame she is no longer with us to continue the fun!" Read more

"Enjoyable book that is more slap-dash comedy than it is mystery. Very unrealistic but even so, I loved it." Read more

9 customers mention "Character variety"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the variety of characters in the book, with one customer noting how they become old friends throughout the series, and another appreciating the funny situations they find themselves in.

"...Her characters are full, real and interesting as their lives play out in the story in ways you never dreamed could happen...." Read more

"...her sense of the ridiculous and the absurd, her Feisty and intelligent Main Characters and her silly and Yet, somehow, compelling plots......" Read more

"...Charlotte MacLeod has a way with a story. Each character becomes an old friend. Each mystery is handled with aplomb...." Read more

"...to be very wordy in her novels, the mystery, the witty humor, the zany characters all make it worth the reading...." Read more

8 customers mention "Humor"8 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's humor, with several mentioning they love the author's sense of humor, and one customer noting it's a hilarious mystery.

"...The Peter Shandy mystery series is funny, always surprising and a total joy to read...." Read more

"...Anyway, love her sense of humor, her choice or fabricated names, her sense of the ridiculous and the absurd, her Feisty and intelligent Main..." Read more

"...They are "who done its" but Hilarious to boot. For those who haven't read them I'd highly recommend you do...." Read more

"...They are funny and literate and great detective stories." Read more

7 customers mention "Writing style"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, with one noting its wit.

"I love Charlotte MacLeod and her style of writing. The Peter Shandy mystery series is funny, always surprising and a total joy to read...." Read more

"Charlotte McLeod never disappoints me! Her books are witty and there are always a couple of words I’ve never heard of to look up. They’re fun!" Read more

"Ms. MacLeod is one of my favorite mystery writers as I enjoy her smooth writing style and her sense of place and time...." Read more

"...They are funny and literate and great detective stories." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Jane Blythe
    5.0 out of 5 stars I Love the Peter Shandy Mystery Series
    Reviewed in the United States on April 5, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I love Charlotte MacLeod and her style of writing. The Peter Shandy mystery series is funny, always surprising and a total joy to read. Her characters are full, real and interesting as their lives play out in the story in ways you never dreamed could happen. I read this series as I waited in the pickup line at my kid’s school. I can't tell you how many times other parents would come up and ask me what I was reading that was so funny I was laughing out loud or so engrossing that I didn't notice school was out and the line was moving. If you love an old fashioned mystery with great characters and many plot twists--this book and series are for you. You’ll be so glad you got this book!
    One person found this helpful
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  • pollymom
    4.0 out of 5 stars Well crafted. Great Main Characters. Love her sense of humor...hahaha...
    Reviewed in the United States on March 3, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    A bit confusing in slots...so sad she is no longer here to ask about some of her finer points!!!
    Anyway, love her sense of humor, her choice or fabricated names, her sense of the ridiculous and the absurd, her Feisty and intelligent Main Characters and her silly and
    Yet, somehow, compelling plots...
    Recommend these books to those who wish to expand their vocabulary, learn more about authors and poets one may or may not recognize, expand ones knowledge of flora and fauna, have an appreciation for true imagination when it comes to names, and those who enjoy a cozy, sometimes silly, fast read.
    I wish she had been able to write more!
    Helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Skulduggery in the heartland
    Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    How I love the doings of Prof. Peter Shandy and the stalwarts of Balaclava College! It is amazing how much mischief people can get up to in small towns where everyone is known...or are they? Charlotte MacLeod has a way with a story. Each character becomes an old friend. Each mystery is handled with aplomb. What a shame she is no longer with us to continue the fun!
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
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  • barbara Mandile
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Pter Shandy mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I love the series and am now re reading it. I find them just a fun and entertaining as they were the first time
    Charlotte Macleod writes also as Allisa maccraig .she is unfailingly entertaining and you will fall in love with her characters.
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  • Deborah Allen
    3.0 out of 5 stars Thin on plot, heavy on British idioms
    Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Apparently this is a "cozy" mystery set in Pennsylvania, a state in the USA. However, all the characters, except for a Swede, speak as if they were from the UK using UK idioms like "argy-bargy" for argument. The story starts with an owl prowl, but that's the only appearance of a bird (and an ersatz one at that) in the book. The use of Latin binomials by the characters, apparently a bunch of pretentious college professors, did not convince me that these birder characters knew anything about birds or botany. I won't comment on the plot.
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  • Gloria M.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful
    Reviewed in the United States on June 13, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Years ago, I read this book in Paperback. Since my eyes aren't what they use be and wanted to read them again I found the hard copy. I enjoyed it just as much as I did then. I found the complete series in hard copies from various dealers and I'm having a ball reading the books over again. They are "who done its" but Hilarious to boot. For those who haven't read them I'd highly recommend you do. I think you'll get just as much pleasure as I did.
    One person found this helpful
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  • MY Library
    4.0 out of 5 stars Never Disappoints
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Charlotte McLeod never disappoints me! Her books are witty and there are always a couple of words I’ve never heard of to look up. They’re fun!
    Helpful
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  • Boz Dijango
    5.0 out of 5 stars I love Peter Shandy Mysteries
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    I think the setting of an agricultural college to be unique. A agricultural professor and his librarian wife are unusual heroes. In short, it's a grand mystery. Start with the first book in the series (Rest You Merry) and enjoy!
    Helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on January 15, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Grear
    Report
  • bookworm
    5.0 out of 5 stars Danger: birders at work.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    MacCleod has done it again! An almost incredible plot and characters come to life in her hands with serious points about ecology and the American love affair with firearms gently held up to scrutiny. President Svenson is his usual behemoth self and there are also some new characters to love and laugh at.
    Report

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