Carlene O'Connor

Finally! In this eighth in series book, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan and her beloved Detective Sergeant MacDara Flannery are about to tie the knot. Of course those plans are derailed when her brother bursts into the church and announces that he's encountered a dead body in a barn's slurry pit. Yeah, that same barn on the property of the O'Sullivan-Flannery recently purchased marital home. Oh wait, that was supposed to be a surprise wedding gift from MacDara to Siobhán. Oops! So much for that. It turns out that it's the body of someone who was believed to have absconded with €30,000.00 on his own wedding day - the exact same day (but 50 years previously), leaving the bride jilted at the altar. Hmm, amazing coincidence which Siobhán doesn't believe for a moment. Well, no wedding bells until Siobhán and MacDara get to the bottom of this mystery and solve two murders and hopefuly avoid getting themselves murdered in the process.

Even though these books can stand on their own, the personal stories which unfold around the various mysteries is well worth reading them in their order. As cozy mysteries go, this is one of the most enjoyable series for its charm, wit and warmth. Although considered a "cozy" mystery, the protagonist is a member of the local constabulary (and not an amateur sleuth) which gives the book an element of believability and a touch more gravitas.

Publisher: ‎ Kensington Books
Publication date:‎ February 22, 2022
Number of Pages: 402
ISBN:‎ 1496730836… (more)

This is an anthology of short novellas by three authors who are fairly well-known in the cozy world. (And if you don't, you should pick up on of their other books!) Of course, we all have our favorites, but I do love anthologies as you can finish them very quickly and they are interesting. That is, if they are done well, which these three certainly are.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Irish Soda Bread Murder: When Tara Meehan moved from the states to Ireland to scatter her mother's ashes, she discovered her Uncle Johnny, who owns a salvage mill and welcomed her into his life. Since then, she's been running a successful business and has acquired a fiancé as well. On this day, though, there is going to be a psychic fair that will benefit charity. There is also a bake sale, and since her Aunt Rose is ill, it was up to Johnny to bake the soda bread. But all is not well when the first person to try the bread -- another psychic, Ronan Stone, eats it and is found dead. Now everyone present is a suspect, and it's up to Tara to find the killer, as the police are stumped.

This is a very good mystery. With all the psychics as suspect, and all seem to have motives, including Rose, Tara needs to find out who hated Ronan enough to kill him. She listens in to the police interviews to gather clues, and then has a chance to figure it out later in the night, with everyone present. The murderer was well hidden, and I didn't figure it out until Tara did. A worthy read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐An Irish Recipe For Murder: When Bettina and Pamela are at a soda bread bake-off, it doesn't last long. The man tasting the bread falls over ill from the first bread offered. He later dies, and the woman who baked it is riddled with guilt. But is she a killer? Neither Bettina nor Pamela think so, and they must put their heads together to figure it out.

A good mystery. I have read all the books in the original series, and enjoyed them. This addition is enjoyable as well. I have my own issues with Pamela, but it did not color my enjoyment of this. The clues are hidden well, and the murderer was a complete surprise. This was the best part, as figuring it out wasn't easy, and the reason for the murder was rather sad. Recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐Mrs. Claus and the Sinister Soda Bread Man: When April Claus is called away early from the North Pole to her inn in Oregon, it's due to a broken pipe that has leaked everywhere. When she arrives with three of her elves, not only is there water everywhere, but a foul smell no one can figure out. Also, her caretaker Ernie seems to be missing. Since her main goal is to keep the elves from being recognized, she's surprised when people liken them to leprechauns and want them to appear in their St. Paddy's day parade. With that solved, there's a new riddle: who sent her a text, and why is there a dead body inside her front door?

Although I'm not big on fantasy, I really enjoyed this story. The elves bring a little laughter to the tale, and April is up to her ears in both getting her inn ready for summer and trying to figure out who killed the man. It doesn't help that her local nemesis is making her life miserable as well. But when the ending comes, it's all that one would desire, with a nice resolution to everything, and another story well worth reading. Recommended.

In the end, I enjoyed all three tales and these are perfect for St. Patrick's Day stories. I would definitely recommend them to others.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.… (more)