Cozy Mystery Review: Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O'Connor

 

Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,

   

    Murder in an Irish Cottage is the fifth book in Carlene O'Connor's Irish Village series of cozy murder mysteries. It is published by Kensington Books and is available now in hardcover. In this fun and whimsical book, we are once again brought back to the village of Kilbane, Cork County, Ireland. Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan and her fiancé (and superior in law enforcement), Macdara Flannery, are back to solve the latest murder in Ireland. Unfortunately, this time the deceased is Macdara's Aunt Ellen, and Siobhan is worried that she may have to solve this case alone because Macdara is too close to the victim. But that is not her only issue. The townsfolk in Ellen's village believe she was killed by Fairy folk and will not hear any other explanation, even though Ellen was clearly murdered by a human.

  The investigation is made easier with the help of an old friend of Siobhan's from the Garda academy. But soon it is becoming clearer that everyone may be a suspect, even Ellen's own daughter, Jane, who has a sharp tongue and a dubious alibi. Can Siobhan solve this case before she becomes the next victim of Ellen's killer? Or will she become the latest tale told by the villagers?

  Murder in an Irish Cottage was a fun read that whisked me away to Ireland. O'Connor has a wonderful way of describing the beautiful scenery that surrounds her characters. It was an excellent backdrop for this often funny romp in the world of the fairy folk. The characters O'Connor introduces are filled with secrets and Siobhan and Macdara have their own secret that they are keeping. Twists and turns abound in this quirky tale. I was intrigued by the folklore and even more intrigued by the way the author used art to deliver clues to the reader. I all led to a finale that once again had Siobhan gathering the guilty together for an Agatha Christie-like reveal. And the reveal of the killer was a surprise to me.

  Caroline Lennon returns to deliver another fun performance for the audiobook. Her use of various voices and accents delivers authenticity to O'Connor's words. She is a fantastic performer that always makes me smile.

  Murder in an Irish Cottage was a four-star read that had me taking it slow. I enjoyed the story a lot and found it to be a fun Summer read. And also check out my other reviews here for the remaining Irish Village books.

  

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