MERRY WRATH

Full Name:	Merry Wrath
Nationality:	American
Organization:	CIA
Occupation	Agent

Creator:	Leslie Langtry
Time Span:	2014 - 2024

ABOUT THE SERIES

Fionnaghuala Merrygold Wrath Czrygy is an agent with the CIA.

With a mouthful of a name like just shown, it is no wonder that to one and all the name she normally goes by is Merry Wrath. If I were her, I would use it as well, despite the apparent contradiction in 'Merry' and 'Wrath'.

Now it is important to state up front that she is not currently an agent. She was for several years and has an impressive field record to show for it. Then she stopped.

As she put it when we first meet her and is trying to explain why an Agency operative was also a Girl Scout troop leader, "I used to be a covert operative in the CIA - a career that has remarkably prepared me well to lead Troop 0348. (And yes, you have to have a zero at the beginning-it's very important for some reason that no one can explain). I was a CIA agent, that is, until I was unceremoniously and allegedly mistakenly outted by the Vice President of the United States' Chief of Staff. That's right. I was outted. My name and photo were leaked to The New York Times 'inadvertently'. This is a fancy way to say that the Vice President was pissed off at my father, who was the head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, because he didn't back the Veep's re-election campaign (a fact even more curious because the VP was a Republican, and my dad was a Democrat). So, my name got leaked, and the Chief of Staff took the fall, and was fired the next day just before going to prison (and of course, pardoned later by the President)".

Wrath goes on to explain how once she made it back, just barely, from the mission she had been on in Chechnya, "I testified before Congress, got a nice fat check from my boss at the CIA, along with a short letter explaining why I couldn't work there anymore, and just like that, I was out of a job and internationally infamous." The 'infamous' part is why, at her father's recommendation, "brunette, brown-eyed Finella (the true pronunciation of my name) Czrygy became blonde, blue-eyed (You have to love what they do with contact lenses these days.) Merry Wrath".

That explains why she 'is not' an agent. The 'is' part comes from the fact that despite her having changed who she was and gone into her own version of seclusion, bad things still come her way and she still has to do the sort of stuff she did when she was getting a paycheck for it. Officially, of course, she is not an agent. Just ask anyone.

The Girl Scout Troop leader part is a bit more complicated.

BOOKS

Number of Books:	30
First Appearance:	2014
Last Appearance:	2024


1			Merit Badge Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2014 "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…"

2			Mint Cookie Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2015 "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! "

3			Marshmallow S'More Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2016 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.

4			Movie Night Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2016 "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 to be diffused quickly before any more dead bodies appear."

5			Mud Run Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2017 "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. From a bizarre organization called Coats for Cats to redecorating her guest room with bullet holes, her life is turning into a Merry-go-round of misdirection, miscreants and misdemeanors."

6			Motto for Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2018 "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 fiance, 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."

7			Map Skills Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2018 "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!"

8			Mean Girl Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2018 "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 with her wedding date approaching, her groom-to-be's twin taxidermist sisters are insisting on doing the decorating. "

9			Marriage Vow Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2018 "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."

10			Mystery Night Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2019 "It was supposed to be a fun weekend of pretend murder. Girl Scout Troop leader Merry Wrath and four of her scouts play an important role at the Murder Mystery Night Fundraiser on a secluded island in the middle of Dead Otter Lake. The guests, major donors, have all arrived in period costume, are eager to play, and can’t wait for the "killer" to strike! Unbeknownst to them, a very real murderer roams the mansion’s halls, and the first victim falls with the first round of cocktails. A violent storm leaves the guests stranded and cut off from the outside world, as our cast of characters, one by one, are dying off in a very real mystery in a very unusual house."

11			Meerkats and Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2019 "Just as Merry Wrath’s former career as a CIA agent seems to be fading into a distant memory, the agent turned Girl Scout troop leader discovers that her beloved little suburban ranch house may not be what it seems. When a masked gunman breaks in to demand the return of "Nye," she fears that she may not have been the first spy to live there. What…or who is "Nye?" And when Merry trips over the dead body of that same gunman later at the zoo, she realizes that her favorite king vulture and his mouthy scarlet macaw friend may be witnesses to a murder. Suddenly this becomes much more personal, and her list of suspects grows from a cosplaying teenaged demigod zookeeper, to a possible plot by the Russians... which may even include Merry's old arch-nemesis. "

12			Make Believe Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2019 "Merry Wrath’s summer plans didn’t originally include an unexpected visit from her old friend, Hilly—a quirky CIA assassin who’s been forced by HR to take her first vacation in…forever. The fact that Hilly chose a small town in Iowa for vacation doesn’t bother Merry or her scout troop (especially since Hilly’s teaching them how to kill a man with one punch), but her former handler, Riley, believes something sinister is afoot. After all Lana, Merry’s arch-nemesis, is sighted all over town, and when a Chinese operative ends up murdered in her backyard, Merry starts to wonder if Riley is right and Hilly is secretly on the job."

13			Maltese Vulture Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2020 "Merry Wrath, former CIA turned Girls Scout troop leader, is over the moon when her wacky taxidermist sisters-in-law present her with a stuffed King Vulture named Nellie Lou. But while the bird is beautiful, the deceased vulture has a secret past that leads to unanticipated trouble—ranging from a bad LSD trip to actually tripping over a dead body in Merry's garage! When a bizarre pair of men named Mr. Sun and Mr. Moon start lurking about, and Central Iowa is plagued with a rash of taxidermied animal thefts, Merry wonders how she's once again managed to get in the middle of it all. It doesn't help that she has to mentor a younger troop with two unmotivated leaders and a kid who experiments with napalm."

14			Musket Ball Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2020 "Merry Wrath has a problem. Her Girl Scout Troop co-leader has signed them up to participate in a Civil War reenactment based on the little-known Battle of Idiot Creek. In full 19th century costume, Merry is just hoping she can keep her troop out of trouble. Unfortunately, things start to fall apart immediately—from the cannon the kids buy with her credit card, to one girl sneaking off at night to beat the other reenactors at poker, to avoiding a rumble between her troop and the haughty Magnolia Girls. But things take a sharp turn for the worse when a real human leg appears in the pretend amputation tent...only to disappear while Merry's guarding it."

15			Macho Man Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2020 "Who expects to come home and find an angry Chechen strong man in their front yard? That’s what former CIA turned suburbanite Merry Wrath discovers when she comes home from a disastrous pool party with her Girl Scout troop. Only this is Iowa, not Chechnya, and Aslan is anything but friendly, having realized Merry doubled crossed him in her former CIA life. As revenge for the humiliation, Aslan has an ultimatum for Merry: kill her former handler, Riley Andrews, or Aslan’s goons, Ron and Ivan, will kill Merry’s husband, Rex. "

16			Mad Money Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2020 "When Merry Wrath inherits an urn of cremains, she isn’t sure which is more surprising—that she was now the owner of a body or the fact that her family’s mythical Aunt June actually existed. Besides the urn and the deceased’s collection of lethal pets, from an assassin caterpillar to a deathstalker scorpion, the ex-CIA agent turned Scout Leader also inherits a mystery: “If you’ve received this, it means that I need you to find out who murdered me.”"

17			Mind-Bending Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2021 "Former CIA agent and current suburbanite Merry Wrath knows she's having a bad day when she wakes up wearing someone else's clothes in a locked room with a dead body and a dozen copies of the book, Boats of the Midwest. It doesn't help matters any when the police burst in and arrest her on the spot for the murder of a man she's never heard of. With an unimpeachable witness placing her at the scene of the crime, her Girl Scout troop trying to bust her out of jail, and a sister-in-law who's launched a one-woman campaign to send her to prison, Merry knows that this time she's in trouble."

18			Mascots Are Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2021 "A 10 year high school reunion happens only once, and to many, they can be a nightmare of revisiting past slights, humiliating moments and the class paste-eater—aka Officer Kevin Dooley. But ex-CIA agent turned Midwestern Girl Scout troop leader Merry Wrath figures that when you've been undercover with Colombian drug lords, embedded with Yakuza, and chased by an armed chicken through Chechnya, how bad could it be? Even her scout troop gets in the game by handling registration with overly enthusiastic weapons searches and background checks."

19			Mosquito Bite Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2021 "In her career as a spy, Merry Wrath had her share of camping trips—from glamping in a yurt at Oktoberfest with drug lord Carlos the Armadillo to an awkward team building campout in the backyard of a Yakuza mob boss who thought "trust falls" should have lethal consequences. So when the former CIA turned Girl Scout troop leader has the opportunity to take six girls from her troop into a vast, private nature preserve in search of an abandoned scout camp, she jumps at it. The fact that she can secretly use this as a chance to meet up with another spy who has asked for her help just seems to be an added bonus. Of course she doesn't expect to find a guy named Chad in a shallow grave. He's still alive, at least for the moment, and he insists on accompanying them further into the woods. Merry's contact is a no-show, but another, more dangerous colleague surprises them on the..."

20			Manga and Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2021 "Welcome to Druid-Con! It's Who's There, Iowa's first Druid-Con, a comic book themed convention organized by the teens of The Cult of Nicoderm (a group of four local teens who've taken the idea of extracurricular activities a bit too far). Ex-CIA agent turned suburban Girl Scout troop leader Merry Wrath doesn't know how she was talked into making an appearance at the con as a giant beetle, but once she finds out that her favorite TV horror show host Deliria is going to be there, things are looking up! Meet Beetle Dork & Deliria... Always ready to take advantage of any opportunity, the little girls of Merry's scout troop are at the con in full force and princess dresses, hoping to help ambitious eleven-year-old Ava with her campaign to be the youngest mayor in Who's There's history. Unfortunately trouble comes in the form of a confrontation with rival teen..."

21			Mayor for Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2022 "Former CIA assassin turned Girl Scout Troop leader Merry Wrath, can't believe it's finally here—the Who's There, Iowa mayoral showdown between the dull and clueless Mayor Van Meter, and uber-ambitious eleven-year old girl scout Ava. It's a campaign like no other with a debate worthy of any three-ring circus! To make matters worse, there's disharmony among the teen druids at the Cult of NicoDerm, CIA assassin Hilly and fifth grader Betty get up to some questionable practices, and a political worker is thrown off the roof of Sugar Lip's Feeling Lucky House of Delights Ice Cream Parlor. It doesn't help at all when the mayor goes missing and many think Betty finally acted on her goal to kidnap him. "

22			Mardi Gras Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2022 "It's Spring Break, and ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath decides to take her precocious scout troop to a small town in Louisiana for Mardi Gras. Who Dat, LA is Who's There, Iowa's sister city, so naturally the whole town turns out to greet them with carriage rides, a swamp tour, and a cake party. Unfortunately for them, someone isn't happy they're in town... Bring the big guns—we'll have some fun on the bayou!"

23			Munchies and Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2022 "Ex-CIA agent turned scout leader, Merry Wrath, faces her greatest challenge yet when her cranky new neighbor is convinced Merry’s cat is melting her mind from across the street. But when Merry tries to extend an olive branch in the form of Girl Scout cookies, she finds the neighbor murdered! Worse yet, the security footage puts her not-too-bright nemesis, Kevin Dooley, at the scene of the crime. Murder wears a tin foil hat… "

24			Memories Are Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2022 "It's been years since ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath was undercover with Carlos the Armadillo in Colombia. So why is Teo the Tapir suddenly in Who's There, Iowa looking for her? Merry and Teo were not on the best terms back then, especially after he attempted to blow her up. Is he in town to get revenge, or is he telling the truth about wanting to retire and let bygones be bygones?"

25			Method Actor Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "Whether they like it or not, culture is coming to Who's There, Iowa in the form of community theater! Merry Wrath, former CIA operative turned suburban Girl Scout Troop leader has high hopes when Ye Olde Opera House is renovated, and newcomers Ophelia and her husband Dante arrive from off-off-off Broadway (...Street in Peoria) with their stage pig, Iago, to put on a production of Derek the Sparkly Unicorn Ninja, which was written by the mysterious SeBasquetian deCatalonia Braveheart."

26			Marked for Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "Merry Wrath has been out of the spy biz so long that she's sure the CIA has forgotten all about her. Life in suburban Who's There, Iowa is pretty quiet in comparison to the Company, and as long as her Girl Scout Troop isn't inadvertently burning down her garage (again), Merry is thinking it's time to clean out all the plastique and booby traps she's been hiding in the basement, once and for all. That is, until assassin Hilly Vinton (who isn't an assassin because the CIA doesn't have assassins...but totally is) shows up with an agency-ordered Termination Contract on Merry."

27			Mythic Melee Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "Ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout Leader, Merry Wrath is wondering if maybe it was a bad idea to have her girl scouts over for a Lord of the Rings marathon...because now they’ve signed the entire troop up for a LARP (Live Action Role Playing Game) event in Des Moines. The girls have decided they are the Skullcrushers from the country of Skullgraviastan—a land made up of mercenaries from other nations. They will be part of the Realm of Ulm for a weekend, fighting pirates, Mongols, Romans, and Vikings for supremacy! Okay, so maybe it’ll be fun, Merry thinks. No real dead bodies, her husband dressed in a kilt as a Highlander, and she gets to be General Dorcas the Dark One. But things don't stay innocent for long as Andy the Necromancer tells them Steve the Sorcerer was murdered a month ago and the police are convinced it was an accident... even though Andy isn't so sure."

28			Monster Mash Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "What’s scarier than ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath’s Girl Scout troop? How about the spookiest Halloween haunted house ever? And the girls have found the perfect place to hold it—a disturbingly dilapidated Victorian with something in the basement that gives off some serious we're-all-gonna-die vibes. Tween mayor Ava bought the house with city funds, which has drawn the ire of grumpy city inspector, Gilbert Moody. Who also happens to be the only one in town who is not afraid of the most terrifying Girl Scout in Merry's troop, the infamous Betty. This cranky civil servant has the paperwork to condemn any building, and he’s not afraid to use it!"

29			Merry Christmas Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 Ex-CIA agent turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath is about to have a holiday to remember! It's not Christmas in Who's There, Iowa without a severely mandatory holiday lights policy, passed by thirteen year old Mayor Ava and her henchman...Betty! The girls show up on their troop leader, Merry's, doorstep with a box of lights and an ultimatum. The whole town has gone crazy in preparations, and with Merry's husband Rex gunning for the prize, she has no choice but to help. Putting up lights is the last thing Merry wants to do, and she's hoping to get by with the barest minimum needed to comply. Unfortunately, as she's working on the display, she finds a dead man tangled in her lights. Can Merry find the killer and get her display back on track before the lights go out on Christmas?

30			Museum of Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2024 "Who knew that the town of Who’s There was the murder capital of Iowa? And its new Museum of Murder is a hit, though Ex-CIA spy turned Girl Scout leader, Merry Wrath is less than happy that she’s featured in the exhibits. Besides its quirky and somewhat disturbing charm (and a gift shop with questionable practices), everyone wants to know who’s behind Who’s There’s hottest attraction? Some speculate it’s hometown boy Sheldon McBride—a reclusive, ultra-wealthy inventor of ethanol-fueled cars, drones (and, rumor has it, a flock of robot turkeys). Be careful, or you might become the next exhibit!"

NOVELLAS AND SHORT STORIES

Number of Stories:	2
First Appearance:	2023
Last Appearance:	2023


1			Fishing Badge Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "Merry Wrath has been out of the CIA for two years when she decides to take her precocious Girl Scout troop fishing. Merry expects the biggest trauma she’ll deal with is getting the girls to put worms on hooks. Turns out that’s the least of her problems, when a man is shot dead not far from their fishing hole. The sheriff seems to have it under control until a Fed named Jones shows up to take over. But is the FBI agent really who he says he is? Merry soon discovers that’s not the only thing that isn’t what it seems as government agencies suddenly find her hometown of Who’s There, Iowa far more interesting than it has any right to be..."

2			Match Box Murder Written by Leslie Langtry Copyright: 2023 "It's just another weekend camping trip for ex-CIA agent Merry Wrath and her precocious Girl Scout troop. This time the girls are learning riflery, taught by Merry's assassin friend, Hilly (who isn't an assassin because the CIA doesn't have assassins because that would be illegal...but she totally is). What could go wrong? Plenty, because the creepy camp caretaker is soon found inconveniently dead behind the rifle range. Naturally, a violent storm comes out of nowhere and strands the troop with four suspect camp staffers. The scout manual explains how to keep kids safe during storms, hiking trips, and the overly-enthusiastic application of matches to start a campfire, but there's nothing on what to do when trapped in a lodge with a murderer. Can Merry unmask the killer before she and the girls get burned?"

MY COMMENTS

I will freely admit to anyone who challenges the membership of Merry Wrath in this compendium that they have a valid argument, this without even hearing any of their arguments or facts or rationales. But here she is anyways because though she stopped being an agent, things agent-y do not stop happening to her and all around her.

Since the motto of the Scouts, both boy and girl, is 'Be Prepared', it figures that former operative and now Troop Leader Wrath is ready for action. Notice I did not say willing because she left all that back in Langley but still ...

Do they give out any merit badges for spy stuff?

GRADE

My Grade: B

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