Buried in Shamrocks
An Irish Bed and Breakfast Mystery #2
Lisa Q. Mathews
Welcome to the town of Shamrock, located in Massachusetts. This town is not only quaint and cozy, but also all things Irish. That`s right, this is a year-round Irish town, and every holiday has an Irish angle to it. This is the second book in the Irish Bed and Breakfast Mystery series, so grab a Guinness and relax while you sip and enjoy this stand-alone cozy. Our sleuth, Kathleen/Katie/Kate Margaret Buckley, is a single mom to Mauve and Elizabeth/Blizzy, a daughter of retired police Chief Dermont Buckley who goes by the nickname Chief, sister to Frank a member of the Shamrock PD, and “not girlfriend” to Garrett McGavin also a member of the Shamrock PD. It makes a lot of sense that Kate would have a propensity for justice and an almost uncontrollable urge to be a sleuth, even if it is to seek out the person responsible for killing her ex-husband’s new and somewhat snobby fiancé.
Kate is a fun and relatable character who finds herself back home in Shamrock, to help at the family B&B for the summer season and possibly even longer. As with many cozies, the sleuth is also the first to find the body which can create a challenge, thankfully she isn’t a suspect or a person of interest, but her ex-husband, the father of her daughter Mauve, is on the top of the list. He isn’t alone, there is the angry artist Athena, next is Marty, one of the members of the Limerick Lads and a good friend of the Chief, plus Marty’s son Noel who was a good friend of Ian’s, even Kate’s old boss, Gabby, makes it on the suspect list. I had a few other people on my list, but the red herrings got me, and I did not figure this one out until Kate was putting the final pieces together. There are multiple secrets, some related to the mystery and some related to Kate’s family. I don’t want to give everything away, but rest assured, there is still a little bit of mystery involving Kate’s sister, Colleen.
The story moves along at a good pace and it almost tired me out to read about all of the places that Kate goes to hunt down clues. From dropping off pies at the fair to dropping off cookies at the hospital. Not to mention all the work that is involved with helping Blizzy to get ready for the Little Miss Shamrock contest. I appreciated that nothing of significance involving the series starter mystery is given away so I can go back and read book one.
Murder at an Irish Session
An Irish Village Mystery #12
Carlene O’Connor
The sounds of love have come to the town of Kilbane, or at least the King of Matchmakers and his latest musical matches who have come together for a festival that featured trad sessions. A third-generation professional matchmaker, Liam Noone, has at the request and payment of one Detective Sergeant Siobhán O’Sullivan Flannery. Siobhan is like a mother hen as opposed to an older sister and just wants to see her siblings, the O’Sullivan Six to be paired, happily paired. She herself has a wonderful husband, Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery, and they are five months away from meeting not one but two bundles of joy. One of my favorite aspects of this series is the way Macdara and Siobhán interact, with respect, love, and a very good bit of humor.
In case you are wondering what is involved in a trad session, it is a performance of traditional Irish music that is impromptu and often takes place in a pub or similar surroundings. Sounds like a grand time, right? Ah but it is also an opportunity for a little drama, a little blackmail, and a little murder in a rather cupid-like fashion paired with a musical accompaniment. It was easy to see how Liam got himself killed and with so many possible suspects it was not going to be an easy apprehension but then again, it never is.
To start the list off there is Grace Collins, harp player, personal assistant and Matchmaker super (maybe over the top) fangirl. Then there is Ron Gallagher, a double bass player and self-proclaimed protege who is ready to take possession of The Lucky Book full of Liam’s tips and tricks, notes and schemes. A small character with a big personality, the Wee Stringman, is an expert shot with a bow and took part in a dust up on the first day. In addition to all that, I am not entirely sure that the musical love birds aren’t playing musical chairs as there seems to have been some wheeling and dealing involved prior to the official matching. Liam’s dad and grandpa would be rolling over in their graves if they knew how Liam had truly monetized his “gift.”
This is a mystery that had several unique and particular aspects that kept me turning the electronic pages of my Kindle. There is the glow in the dark lipstick that shined like a beacon, to the bow that was made into an arrow from a double bass. Like all of the books that came before, this is a stand-alone story, but you really are going to want to start at the beginning and get caught up before the wee ones arrive.
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