“A mélange of clues from classic mysteries plus plenty of Irish charm produce an enjoyable read.” —Kirkus Reviews Join a bestselling author and travel to County Cork in Ireland to solve a bookish mystery full of twists in a cozy whodunit perfect for fans of Sheila Connolly, Kate Carlisle, and Laura Childs! Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, … garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán O’Sullivan is feeling a bit overwhelmed. She’s looking forward to visiting the new bookshop and curling up with an exciting novel—only to discover the shelves contain nothing but Literature with a capital L. The owner not only refuses to stock romances, mysteries, and science fiction, but won’t even let customers enter his store unless they can quote James Joyce or Sean Hennessey.
Despite the owner deliberately limiting his clientele, he’s hosting a reading and autographing event featuring up and coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in Kilbane for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who spends more time complaining about the unfairness of the publishing industry and megastar bestsellers instead of her own creative works, causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb.
Then Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store—with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane’s literary guests took Deirdre’s criticisms so personally they’d engage in foul play . . .
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Murder in an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O’Connor is an excellent cozy mystery full of Irish charm, wit, and banter. This is the 7th book in one of my favorite series ever: Irish Village Mystery.
I have read every book in this series, and I truly feel as if they keep getting better and better. I always love visiting the small, quirky, and endearing village of Kilbane in County Cork. The full cast of characters make it feel like home. I also adore Siobhan O’ Sullivan and her partner in crime (or in this case law enforcement and fiancé as well ) Macdara Flannery. The chemistry is there, they work so well together, and the one-liners are hilarious. I enjoyed the new addition of Aretta to the force. I think it will add a valuable member to the team, and maybe even a romantic interest to one of the O’Sullivan men.
I enjoyed the murder/mystery plot. It was complex, had plenty of twists and turns, and the reveal was quite surprising. I love it when that happens!
I also really enjoyed the ending. It was so sweet, romantic, and perfect in every way.
I truly love this series and cannot wait to see what is in store for Siobhan, Macdara, and the whole gang in Kilbane again.
If you love cozy mysteries with an excellent character cast, fascinating murder/mystery plots, and a wonderful Irish setting, then this book (and series) is for you.
I cannot recommend this book enough!
5/5 stars enthusiastically
Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this wonderful ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR, Bookbub, and Instagram accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 2/23/21