Book ~ "Marriage Vow Murder" (2019) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Wedding Traditions as good as gold ... Let’s start out with Something Old ...

When this creepy message is found with an elderly, murdered florist in the first pew of a church the day before Merry Wrath's wedding, her hopes wilt like day old, discount flowers. And when the groom, Rex, vanishes into thin air, she can only assume the worst - and she’s not talking about the ugly, Vegas showgirl-like flower girl dresses her Girl Scout troop have picked out.

Weddings make a family of two ... Let’s add in Something New ...

The clues come with diabolically difficult puzzles so Merry enlists the help of her former 4th grade teacher - a champion puzzler - while she turns the town upside down, in a frantic search for her fiancé. Once a surprising past is revealed, it doesn’t take long for the investigation to spin out of control faster than ten fourth-graders high on Pixy Stix on a merry-go-round.

With many suspects, few leads, and the clock ticking, will Merry find her groom in time for a happily ever after?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed three years ago, she was forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. She returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life. She's engaged to Rex, a police officer, who lives across the street.

As Merry prepares to marry Rex, a murder disrupts the wedding plans when the town florist is found dead in the church where the ceremony is scheduled to take place. This it's discovered that Rex has disappeared. Investigating both events, Merry discovers that the murder and Rex's disappearance are linked. Following a series of clues, riddles and hidden connections, she works to identify the killer and locate Rex before the wedding day arrives. 

This is the ninth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36). It can be read as a stand alone but it's better to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. 

I've been reading these books in order and thinking they are okay but I wasn't crazy about this one. Rex has disappeared the day before his wedding and no one seems overly concerned that he is missing. I don't find this to be realistic ... I'd be freaking out if if was me. Merry's parents had come to town for the wedding and head back home when the wedding doesn't happen like it was no big deal. And Dooley's constant eating is getting old. Every second he's in the story he's eating eating eating. He's a police officer so you'd think someone would have a chat about how to act professional but no one does. Finally I found the story and whodunnit and why convaluted.

Despite my not liking this one, I'll keep moving forward with the series.

Book ~ "Mean Girl Murder" (2018) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ The Halloween Parade is coming up and former CIA agent-turned-suburbanite Merry Wrath’s Girl Scout Troop hopes to repeat a 1st place trophy for the 3rd year in a row. But when they find a dead woman dressed as a witch, a mysterious treasure and face a ruthless kidnapping, it looks like Merry’s in for a different kind of triple threat.

To add fuel to her bonfire, Mom’s in town - meaning Merry has to replace all that bullet-riddled furniture in the guest room - and wither her wedding date approaching, her groom-to-be's twin taxidermist sisters are insisting on doing the decorating.

Between her family fiascoes and a dead witch who was loathed by everyone in town, Merry's head is spinning faster than an apple in a bobbing barrel. Who wanted this mean girl dead? Will this Halloween end with a treat? Or has Merry been tricked?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. She returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life. She's engaged to Rex, a police officer, who lives across the street.

During the town's Halloween festivities, Merry and her scouts discover the body of a woman who was not particularly well-liked by many people in the community. Despite promising Rex she'll stay out of it, as Merry looks into the murder, she uncovers plenty of suspects and finds herself dealing with other unexpected problems, including a possible treasure hunt and a kidnapping. At the same time, she is trying to prepare for her upcoming wedding. The story follows Merry as she works to piece together the clues behind the murder while juggling the many personal and community obligations that keep landing on her doorstep.

This is the eighth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Map Skills Murder" (2018) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Summer is moving fast for ex-CIA Agent turned Girl Scout troop leader, Merry Wrath. Wedding plans are underway, with the groom's twin sisters on a mission to decorate the festivities with taxidermized animals and a full troop of flower girls with terrible taste in dresses. 

If that wasn’t enough to deal with, the Girl Scouts dig up a treasure map in Merry’s yard. A century ago, the mysterious axe murder of Mad Mimi and the secret of her missing treasure were never solved. Merry thinks this map could be the key ... but unfortunately, the investigation of this cold case - complete with a secret diary, gold bullion and a llama named Tinkles - yields a modern day murder! 

Are these crimes connected? And more importantly - who has an axe to grind with Merry Wrath?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. She returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

While dealing with wedding planning and Rex, her fiancé’s unusual family, Merry’s troop discovers a treasure map buried in her yard. The map is tied to a century-old unsolved axe murder involving a woman named Mad Mimi and her missing treasure. As Merry investigates the old mystery, the search leads to a modern-day murder involving hidden clues, a diary and gold bars. Merry works to determine whether the past and present crimes are connected and who is responsible. During this Merry is wondering if she is making the right decisions with her life and missing the action from her life as a CIA agent.

This is the seventh in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I liked it. There were some odd things that I would have like more info on, though, and wondered why they were included in the story. Like what was the point of making such a big fuss about the hobby of the present day murder victim? It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Motto for Murder" (2018) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ For ex-CIA Agent turned Girl Scout troop leader, Merry Wrath, planning a wedding is infinitely more terrifying than the time she was a mole in Carlos the Armadillo’s drug cartel. To make matters worse, while plagued by insomnia (brought on by diabolical details that include bizarre things like "boutonnieres") Merry and her cat, Philby, witness a midnight murder next door. 

Or do they? With her record of sleeplessness, everyone from her fiancé, Rex, to her Girl Scout troop are questioning her sanity. And when strange incidents of arson start popping up all over Who’s There, Iowa, and a mysterious woman vanishes, Merry begins to believe her neighbors are foreign spies. 

Throw in meeting her fiancé’s odd twin sistersa nd a scary sleep study, and Merry wonders if she’s in danger of losing her mind ... or her life.

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

Merry is getting ready for her wedding but things get complicated when, during a sleepless night, she thinks she sees a murder happen in the house next door. Since she’s exhausted and stressed, nobody is sure whether she really witnessed something or imagined it. As strange fires, missing people and suspicious neighbors start piling up, Merry starts digging into what’s going on in town. Along the way, she also has to deal with wedding chaos, her fiancé’s eccentric family (who she recently discover exist), and reminders that her old spy instincts are still hard to ignore.

This is the sixth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and for the most part I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Mud Run Murder" (2017) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Ex-CIA Agent turned small town Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath, thinks she has her hands full getting her troop ready for the Mud Run out at scout camp. But a trip to the movies, where she sees her whole career played out on the big screen, turns her world from little girls to great big lies. Turns out her former handler, Riley, is hiding something and the Agency is on the warpath, thinking Merry has leaked classified intel.

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

When Merry goes to see a movie at a theatre, she stunned to realized that it's her life as a spy on the big screen. The movie shuts down abruptly during the viewing and across the country. Merry is concerned the CIA will think she was behind the movie, which it turns out is based on an yet-to-be published book, which will send them after her. So she starts digging to see who was behind it. In the meantime, her scout troup is excited about the upcoming mud run and training hard.

This is the fifth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and for the most part I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

I found the relationship between Merry and Rex, her boyfriend of a couple years, a bit unrealistic. I'm assuming they are in their mid to late thirties and have had sleepovers. But when Merry has to stay at Rex's, he puts her in the guest room? And she doesn't question that? In general, they tend to act like the neighbours they are rather than a couple.

Book ~ "Movie Night Murder" (2016) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Merry Wrath has seen dangers galore in her former job as a CIA field agent. But nothing has prepared her for this - an overnight Mommy and Me lock-in with her Girl Scout troop, complete with movies, dodgeball, four cats, a baby … and a dead body. 

When the mysterious corpse’s identity is revealed, Merry and her former handler, Riley, realize they might have a domestic terrorist situation on their hands ... one that needs diffused quickly before any more dead bodies appear. Merry once again calls on her former professional skills to track down a killer. Between a new, hottie female medical examiner - who seems a bit too interested in Merry’s boyfriend, Rex - the President of the United States, the world’s 2nd largest snail collection and an incident with pink hair dye, Merry has her work cut out for her. 

Can she stop an attack before it begins? Or will this be one Movie Night without a happy ending?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

Merry and Kelly organize a girls’ night with their Girl Scouts and the girls’ mothers. Merry brings along her cat, Philby, and her three kittens, while Kelly brings her baby. The evening starts off fun with food, movies, and games until it takes a dark turn when Merry opens a door and a dead body falls into the room. The shocking discovery draws in the police investigation, which the Girl Scouts find thrilling.

Things get more complicated when the victim is identified and Riley, Merry’s former handler, soon shows up, intent on stealing the body and trying to recruit Merry into helping. But those plans quickly fall apart when the corpse is stolen by someone else.

Meanwhile, Soo Jin, a striking coroner newly arrived from San Francisco, arrives into tow. Merry becomes fixated on the idea that Soo Jin is interested in both her boyfriend, Rex, a police officer, and Riley, with whom Merry shares a past. I found Merry’s jealousy annoying and immature, especially since Rex has never given her any reason to doubt him. This same dynamic played out in the previous book with another woman.

I had issues with how the cats were handled. Bringing them along for an overnight and free to roam around seemed irresponsible ... what if they escaped? They weren’t supervised and she didn't bring a litter box or and there was no mention regular feeding. At one point in the story, Riley feeds the cats meatballs covered in tomato sauce, they would probably wouldn't eat and if they did, it wouldn't be a good thing. It often seemed like the author treated the cats more like dogs. On top of that, I had an issue with Merry considering getting the cats declawed!!

This is the fourth in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and for the most part I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Marshmallow S'More Murder" (2016) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ What could be better for former CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader Merry Wrath than taking twelve little girls to Washington DC for a bit of summer fun? Almost anything. 

Unfortunately, between her girls terrorizing the Secret Service and "accidentally" destroying the hotel pool, Merry has her hands full with this troop. And when her former handler, Riley, is kidnapped Merry has to turn to an old friend from her spy days and her parents, Senator and Mrs. Czrgy, to help her wrangle the troop and rescue the man she once briefly called her boyfriend. 

Armed only with a perpetually AWOL parent, stalked by a runaway King Vulture, and plagued by a mysterious death from her past, Merry's mayhem weaves a wacky trail from moonshiners in the Blue Ridge Mountains, to the bowels of the Japanese Embassy, to the ductwork of the International Spy Museum. 

With things heating up with current boyfriend, Detective Rex Ferguson, can Merry decipher clues from her past to find ex-boyfriend Riley and finally solve the murder of Yakuza boss, Midori Ito, before the target on her back is filled with lead?

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her job and was very good at it. But when her identity is exposed, she’s forced into early retirement, given a severance package and told to start over somewhere new. After changing her appearance, she returns to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. Together they run a Girl Scout troop while Merry tries to adjust to a much quieter life.

Merry and Kelly’s Girl Scout troop has earned a trip to Washington, D.C. after selling the most boxes of cookies. But Kelly, who is due to have a baby any day, can’t make the trip, so one of the girls’ moms accompanies them. While in Washington, Merry receives an unexpected call from Riley, her former CIA handler, asking for help. Merry contacts her CIA friend, Maria, to look into it. Maria soon uncovers troubling chatter linking Riley to the Japanese mafia and his phone signal has been traced to Washington. 

Merry begins to piece things together and realizes Riley has been kidnapped by the head of the Japanese mafia. The mob boss’s mother was the woman Merry and Riley discovered murdered in Merry’s kitchen the previous year. They had secretly disposed of the body but it was recently found. Now Merry has two problems on her hands ... supervising 12 Girl Scouts on their Washington trip and and trying to track down Riley before the Japanese mafia settles an old score.

This is the third in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read them in order. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Mint Cookie Murder" (2015) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ Ex-CIA agent turned suburban scout leader, Merry Wrath, is just trying to live a normal quiet life. But all that goes out the window when a convicted traitor (who’s inconveniently not in his prison cell) dies on her doorstep and an obese cat, who bears a disturbing resemblance to Hitler, decides to move in. 

To make things worse, it’s time for the annual troop cookie sale, her new boyfriend’s old college flame shows up to win him back and someone’s shooting at Merry in the frozen foods section of the grocery store. 

Is the assassin after her or the cat? Is Riley, her hot former CIA handler, hitting on her? Is Rex, her boyfriend, going to dump her? Will she sell enough cookies to take her troop to Winter Sniper Camp? If Merry doesn't find answer to these questions soon, it may be too late!

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her work and was very good at it. After her identity is exposed, she’s forced into retirement with a severance package and a brand-new life. She alters her appearance and heads back to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives and they run a girl guide troop.

One night she finds a dead man on her doorstep. Merry isn't a fan of cats but an obese one moves in that night (and eventually grows on her). Merry contacts Riley, her former CIA handler, and discovers the dead guy is a traitor who had escaped from prison that morning. On top of that, Merry has other things stressing her out. An assassin keeps popping up in her yard, Merry is torn between Riley and Rex, her boyfriend, Rex's gorgeous ex-girlfriend is in town and her girl guide troop has a deadline to sell lots of boxes of cookies to fund their activities.

This is the second in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I liked it. It can be read as a stand alone but it's fun to read the first one first. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.

Book ~ "Merit Badge Murder" (2014) Leslie Langtry

From Goodreads ~ When CIA agent Merry Wrath is "accidentally" outted, she's forced her into early retirement, changes her appearance, and moves where no one will ever find her - Iowa. Instead of black bag drops in Bangkok, she now spends her time leading a young Girl Scout troop. But Merry's new simple life turns not-so-simple when an enemy agent shows up dead at scout camp. Suddenly Merry is forced to deal with her former life in order to preserve her future one. 

It doesn't help matters that the CIA sends in her former, sexy handler to investigate ... or that the hot new neighbor across the street turns out to be the local detective in charge of her case. And when Merry is forced to take on a roommate in the voluptuous form of a turned KGB agent/bimbo, things become trickier than wet work in Waukegan or cookie sales in the spring. Nothing in the CIA or Girl Scouts' training manuals has prepared her for what comes next.

Merry is a former CIA agent who loved her work and was very good at it. After her identity is exposed, she’s forced into retirement with a severance package and a brand-new life. She alters her appearance and heads back to her small hometown in Iowa, where her best friend, Kelly, still lives. They lead a Girl Scout troop  and during a troop training session, Merry stumbles across the body of someone from her past. Soon after, she accidentally runs over and kills another. Then a third body turns up in her kitchen. It’s obvious this isn’t random so Merry reaches out to her former handler, Riley, and the two start piecing things together while protecting her secret identity. Meanwhile Rex, the police officer who has just moved in across the street, is assigned to the case.

This is the first in the Merry Wrath mystery series (there are currently 36) and I enjoyed it. It's written in first person perspective in Merry's voice so we can to hear her thoughts (and she has a lot!). I liked the writing style ... it was conversational as if Merry was speaking to us. It was a quick fun read and I look forward to continuing on with the series.