This fourth book in the series as always, did not disappoint.
The Irish village and its inhabitants are described in such a way, that you can vividly imagine them.
Siobhán's career, family and romance are written in a contemporary and realistic way.
The whodunit as always, was well written and kept me guessing right until the reveal.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

3.75 stars

The fun further adventures of Siobhan O'Sullivan, proud member of the Irish Garda police force and stern older sister to her five orphaned siblings.

The beauty of this cozy series is the distinct Irish feeling and locale. In this outing, a high stakes poker tournament in their small village creates a lot of hubbub and some ill will. When one of the three finalists is found dead, the big question is murder or suicide?

Siobhan enjoys and has a bent for police work, but her job has a cost. She feels a bit estranged from family and friends at times when they want to gossip about certain events and she feels bound to keep details confidential. She is involved in a serious relationship with longtime boyfriend Macdara Flannery. Since he is technically her supervisor, they know they must keep things secret but they suspect their bond is no surprise to anyone. She is headstrong and intelligent and believes solving the case is more important than following the rules, which leads to some interesting situations.

The mystery itself is intriguing with the normal cast of village regulars plus the dead man's pregnant wife and the other two poker contestants. Thanks to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story quickly unfolds in the opening pages as a classic whodunnit / whydunnit. The national poker tournament has drawn a strange and interesting crowd to the country town of Kilbane, Co Cork where there are already a few suspicious individuals from around the town. We get to know more about these characters as the main character, Siobhan O'Sullivan investigates until she finally uncovers the guilty murderer.

I had to keep reading as the tension and suspense increased and I finally discovered who had committed the deadly act. Great twist in the tail!

MURDER IN AN IRISH PUB by Carlene O’Connor straddles the line between cozy and detective fiction. There’s the classic “locked-room” murder, without too much in the way of blood and guts detail as is typical of a cozy mystery. The detective, Siobhán O'Sullivan, is a garda, or member of the Irish police force, much as would be found in a police procedural. Both elements are present and compliment each other in this, the forth in the “Irish Village Mystery” series.
The small village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland is the location and there is plenty of local color to add to the story. The village and its inhabitants are charming in their own way, and serve to give the reader at least a passing thought of a trip to Ireland in search of a simpler lifestyle filled with pubs, bistros, music, and brown bread.
In this novel, a poker tournament has come to town as part of a larger festival where the village inhabitants have set up tents to sell their wares and enjoy the spectacle of watching some world class poker players. The tournament is halted, however, when one of the players is found hanging in a locked storage room in the pub where festivities had migrated after a temporary halt to the tournament.
Garda O’Sullivan finds the body and is convinced that it’s murder, in spite of the fact the room is locked from inside and there is no apparent way in or out other than through the locked door. Although she is relatively new to the force, she has a knack for asking the right questions and discovering clues overlooked by other, more experienced officers including her current beau and boss Macdara Flannery.
There are several supporting mysteries throughout the book which tie together in the end to reveal a web of plotting and criminal activity. The results were not hard to guess, however, it was still entertaining to read along to verify the correctness of conclusions. In addition, the relationship between Siobhan and Macdara provides a comforting backdrop to soften the story without spilling over into a romantic mystery.
While I had not read any previous books in the series, that did not prevent me from connecting with the characters and getting up to speed on their activities in this novel. Given the opportunity, reading the books in order might be beneficial in that the reader could participate in the growth of relationships that occur across the books.
The pacing was good, with enough suspense to help pull the reader through the book without causing too much tension. One of my favorite parts was toward the end of the novel when Siobhan has an internal dialogue that adds some levity and gives more personal insight into her as in individual.
If you are looking for a book that is a light read and still offers a good mystery and an opportunity to solve the puzzle along with the detective, this is one to consider. My thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an advanced digital read copy of this novel.

When a Poker tournament comes to town Kilbane’s Garda is busy with the crowds, both at the tournament in a local pub, and the crowds as the festival. Siobhan O’Sullivan, big sister, head of her family of siblings, and newest garda, is juggling work, family, and romance.

The first night of the poker tournament has the crowds out in full force at the pub to see the top three seeded players. After a rare hand is dealt and he hotshot number one seed player wins that evening, he is accused of cheating when a cold deck is found next to him. The Poker official will have to make a decision by morning as to whether “The Octopus” will be allowed to continue or eliminated for cheating.

That doesn’t stop the festivities and town moves to another local pub for more festivities and poker. The Octopus is on a roll and wins several large bets from locals who should never have been playing against the pros. But it’s a party and everyone has a little too much to drink that evening, including The Octopus so the pub owners lets him sleep it off in his storage room so he doesn’t go back to the inn and wake his very pregnant wife.

Early the next morning, Siobhan is making her garda rounds and discovers the man dead in the storage room. Was it suicide or murder? That is question the small garda force and towns people have. Can Siobhan and Macdara solve it before everyone leaves town, that is the challenge.

Enjoyable whodunit with characters that pop from the pages. The ending took a clue from Clue and assembles all of the suspects in one room for the final reveal. While this is the fourth book in the series, it is the first I have read and there were no major gaps from not having read the first three. A good standalone, but you will want to read the first three, like I do now.

A great story line with brilliant main characters.. I read this book in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

I thoroughly enjoyed the plot, atmosphere, and characters. I would recommend the book to friends and family for their reading pleasure.

When competing card sharps stir up Siobhán O'Sullivan’s quiet Irish village, a poker tournament turns into a game of Hangman . . .

Kilbane is a small village in County Cork. Hardly a place one would hold an International Poker Tournament, but the people of Kilbane will take the tourists and players if it brings business to the town.

Siobhan O'Sullivan, now a garda, and her off the record boyfriend, Macdara Flannery and their small force are going to be very busy. As are Siobhan's brothers and sisters working the tent for their own Naomi's Bistro.

With the tournament barely started, one of the most popular players is accused of cheating. And winning with the Deadman's hand. As things get rowdy they all are kicked out of the pub and continue their drinking and gambling at Sharkey's. With the understanding that a decision on the cheating will be delivered in the morning.

Early the next morning finds Siobhan walking to work and noticing Sharkey's door is ajar. What she sees through the storage room window will shock everyone. 

This is the fourth in this series and the characters are so real they could be your neighbors. All the earmarks of a great cozy series are here! Great characters, even the sketchy ones, a real mystery and a surprise ending!

Very Well Done!

Netgalley/ February 26th 2019 by Kensington