Merry Wrath, CIA spy-turned-Girl Scout leader, has just wrapped up another wild Girl Scout meeting when someone sticks a gun in her back and demands the return of “Nye,” in Meerkats and Murder by Leslie Langtry. Merry begins to wonder about the history of her home and learns that the previous owner, Joe Hanson, was connected to Langley. It seems highly improbable that two spies would randomly select the same house in a no-name town like Who’s There, Iowa, so Merry tries to track down her former handler Riley, to question him whether Langley played a role in her purchase of the house. All she finds, however, is that someone has broken into and ransacked Riley’s house.
In confusion over all that has transpired, Merry goes to see her private, personal therapist, a king vulture named Mr. Fancy Pants whom Merry sponsors at the zoo. She regularly breaks into the zoo to visit Mr. Fancy Pants regularly at night and talk things out while sitting on the perch next to the bird. But before she can get into Mr. Fancy Pants’s private enclosure in the aviary, Merry comes across the body of Bart, as she has named the burglar, nearby, lying dead on the floor.
Meanwhile, not all is wonderful in Girl Scout Land. A toxic presence has infiltrated the girl scout troop in the form of a new 4th grade girl named Sharon, who is the niece of Juliette Dowd. This certifiable girl scout employee completely hates Merry because she thinks Rex, Merry’s husband, should belong to her. Sharon manages quickly to divide up the girls in the troop, keeping some as her clones and pushing others away as “losers.” Merry has a lot on her plate to deal with in this adventure.
As usual, I had a great time reading this book. It made me laugh, then laugh, laugh some more. But it also made me continue to enjoy the character of Merry and have fun with her zoo friends. I like that she is now sponsoring another animal, a red wolf she calls “Wolfie,” and I look forward to seeing him appear in future books. I give this book five stars.
