Cover Image: Death on the Green

Death on the Green

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Member Reviews

***I received an advanced reader's copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

Megan Malone, American now living in Ireland, is immediately entangled in murder from page one, on a gold course. I‘m not a golf fan, so the golfing bits were a bit above my interest level, but I enjoyed the almost flirtatious banter between Megan and at least one of the characters. And, puppies! I may be a cat lover, but it‘s pretty fun to read a cozy with puppies.

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I liked this second book by Catie Murphy but as I am not a fan of golf it was not as enjoyable as her first one. A murder is committed during a golf tournament and the man with the greatest motive has an alibi of playing golf in front of tons of fans. Who could have done it? Megan Malone gets up to her shenanigans and solves the mystery.

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Ever watch a show or read a book and the time flies by and you go "It's over already?" That's now how I feel when I read this series. The books aren't particularly long (under 300 pages), but they read as if they're longer. Cozies tend to be light, quick reads. Read all three books in the series and haven't figured out why I feel this way.

The story lines are diverse enough that I finish the books, but I do put them down a lot.

The series, and this book in particular, crosses over in to more main stream mystery given the subject matter and some foul language. The subject matter isn't really expounded on.

Another review I read mentioned the reviewer thought the author was trying to be POC given the sexuality and ethnic backgrounds of many of the characters. Have to say I briefly got that feeling too, but settled on it probably more accurately reflecting the diversity of Dublin today. It's just unusual in a cozy.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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This is the 2nd book in a new series but the first I have read though I will read the first one now. I felt this was a good beginning needing more character development.

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“Death on the Green” by Catie Murphy

American Army veteran, Megan Malone has relocated to Dublin, Ireland and earns her living as a driver for Leprechaun Limousine Service. Meghan’s job often requires her to deal with high-profile celebrity clients, such as her current one: world-class champion golfer Martin Walsh. Martin has invited Meghan to join him while he plays at Dublin’s prestigious Royal Dublin Golf Club, and while Meghan is walking the course, she discovers the dead body of another professional golfer, Lou MacDonald, floating in a water hazard.
Lou was well-loved among the golfing community and Martin appears devastated by his tragic death. Everyone is shocked when Lou’s daughter, Saoirse, appears and slaps Martin publicly, accusing him of her father’s death. As the police begin to investigate, it becomes apparent that Martin may be the only one with a motive to kill Lou. There’s only one problem with that, however – Martin has an airtight alibi, since Meghan and hundreds of fans were watching him play golf when Lou was killed.
This is Meghan’s second experience with the murder of a high-profile client. She was involved with the death of a celebrity food blogger several months ago and was helpful to handsome Detective Paul Bourke in solving that crime. Because Meghan’s in the same unique position this time, Bourke asks her to keep her ears open as she continues to drive Martin Walsh and his wife, Heather, and report back to him on any information she may overhear that might be helpful to solving this case. When Lou’s desperate daughter reaches out to Meghan for justice for her dad, and Martin’s wife confides some of the Walsh family secrets to her, it becomes apparent to Meghan that money and fame can buy anything – even murder.
“Death on the Green” is the second in the Dublin Driver mystery series by Catie Murphy. It’s a tightly written, well-developed plot with a likeable protagonist and a cast of wonderful characters. Highly recommended.

Reviewed by Susan Santangelo, author of “Politics Can be Murder,” published by Suspense Publishing, an imprint of Suspense Magazine

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I'm a big fan of Catie Murphy (aka C.E. Murphy) and was excited to dive right into this new series... this is book two, I somehow started backwards, but that is okay. Megan is a plucky protagonist who finds more than she bargained for while driving for a limo service. What I like most about her is she is forthright in her wanting to know everything, even as she is being warned away by the authorities. The story is well plotted, easy to get into, and has a few twists that seems obvious, but reading along with Megan as she makes her discoveries ends up turning the story in another direction.

If you love cozy mysteries and Ireland, you'll enjoy this series. Also, there is a small glossary of character names with how to pronounce the names... I found this so helpful, let me just say the Irish spelling of 'Evelyn Nee Gallaher' is not easy to pronounce or easy to figure out. *lol*

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This is the second book that I have read by Catie Murphy and it was just as good as the first! Our sleuth is Army Veteran Megan Malone who is now working as a limo driver in Dublin. Her newest is a professional golfer and he invites her to a golf tournament. However, when she is there she discovers something floating in the water---is it trash, an animal, or something much more!? This was seriously such a great cozy and I am highly anticipating book 2. I love that Catie Murphy's books are fast paced. She knows how to keep you on your toes wanting more! One great thing to keep in mind is that this book can be read as a standalone, but if you start with book two you will have some good character development.

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This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters! I enjoyed being back in Ireland with the characters.

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I love this author and this series is becoming a favorite.
Megan is a great MC, clever and strong willed.
The story was highly entertaining and engrossing, the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I love the descriptions of Dublin and the character/plot development are excellent.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

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Megan Malone has been hired to drive Martin Walsh and his wife Heather while they are in Ireland for golf tournaments. Martin is hoping for a spot on a Wild Card competition, and Heather is well-regarded player in the women’s league. Megan is Texan, transplanted to Ireland via a dual passport, thanks to her grandfather. As she says, they couldn’t keep her out.

It’s work she enjoys. She gets to see the sights and meet strange and wonderful people. Her boss is a pain, but there are drawbacks to everything. At the moment Megan lives with Mama Dog and two puppies, mostly Jack Russells, one promised to a friend as soon as they’re old enough.

Martin seems charming enough, but Megan notices that Heather acts as peacemaker and lets him have his way more often than not. Megan is invited to walk the course as Martin plays through on his own as a demonstration and a bit of publicity. Heather is at the other golf course where women are allowed to play. Their good friend, Lou, opts to wait at the clubhouse and will meet up with Martin toward the end of the eighteen holes.

When the group tops the hill on the fifteenth hole, they’re shocked to see a body face down in the water hazard. It’s Lou. The Irish waters are icy cold so Megan takes a chance that he’s in shock and can be revived, but it’s a futile attempt. Lou was dead when he hit the water.

On the face of it, in spite of their long friendship, Martin has the most motive to kill Lou but also has a full compliment of witnesses who followed him around the course, oohing and aahing over his every shot. Word travels fast and Heather runs to the scene, sure Martin has been killed.

Megan was on hand when one of her clients died just a month or so ago. Detective Paul Bourke is the only policeman she knows by name so she calls him for help. Megan also gets to meet Lou’s daughter, an environmentalist and pretty good golfer herself. Understandably, she’s a mess and also convinced Martin murdered her dad. Considering she used to call him Uncle Martin, it seems odd, but then, the whole case is odd and only gets worse when there’s another death.

This is an enjoyable series. Megan is someone I’d certainly want for a friend. She knows all the best places to eat, the tourist spots to visit, and takes a genuine interest in her clients. The scenes with Paul, especially when he escorts her to a party a crazy client throws, are filled with humor. The difference between American and Irish wording is also a source of humor and confusion—as in we say pants, they say trousers, we say ride, they say lift, and you see where that could go wrong.

This is the second in the series, the third, Death of an Irish Mummy, due out in June 2021, available for pre-order now. I’m looking forward to it.

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I found this cozy to be fresh and fun. I loved the setting and the premise that a 20 year Army vet moves to Ireland. The mystery is well written with plenty of red herrings to keep you guessing and the characters are definitely interesting.

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Book 2 in the series.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, I really didn't like it.

This series has been a huge disappointment. I love the author's Urban Fantasy series, but this just left me bored to tears. It's a shame too, because there's not a lot of LGBTQ+ represented in the Cozy genre, so Megan could have been ground breaking, instead she was just blah. And some of the situations she was placed in were actually bordering on icky. Dressing up so a client can oogle you? She's a limo driver, not a sex worker.

It took me days to finish this book as I kept putting it down for something else every time I got bored or annoyed with the characters/plot.

I gave both books in the series a try, but I think I'm done. I'll stick with re-reading the author's Urban Shaman series instead.

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This is book 2 of the Dublin Driver series and it's a great read. It can be read as a stand alone. I love the idea of an American of Irish ancestry moving to Ireland to gather more information on her family history. Army vet, Megan is a limo driver and tour guide and loving her job. She has a bad habit of running into dead bodies and then helping out a charming police detective. She is currently assigned to famed golfer Martin Walsh and they find a grounds keeper dead in a water hazzard. The books give you a lot of history and detail of life in Ireland and is a good cozy mystery to solve. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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Catie Murphy has the bodies dropping on Death on the Green in this second Dublin Driver mystery. Megan is an Irish American driver for the Leprechaun Limousine Company who was hired to drive a golf contender at the Royal Dublin Golf Club and his wife. She finds the murdered golfer and calls Detective Bourke in to take over the case. Everything went to hell in a handbasket as she discovers the complicated and deadly relationships of the golfer's friend and family. A well written cozy.

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Great follow up to the first in this series!

When Megan finds a dead body floating in a water hazard at a golf course, will she be able to help find the killer?

I really enjoy Megan as a character. She is fun to read about and I like seeing Ireland from her point of view. I also enjoy the fact that she is a veteran. I feel like so many veterans in books are men, it's a nice change to have a woman. I also like all of the other characters in this series. It's fun to read about all of them. The mystery in this story was great. It kept me guessing the whole time. It was so twisty! I loved it! I can't wait to read the next book!

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I was so happy to return to Dublin and the fun life of limo driver for hire, Megan Malone. The atmosphere and setting is great, and by involving a golf course, both famous and historic, is a great touch to add to the sense of place. Hired to drive around a famous golfer while he attempts to qualify for a bigger contest, everyone is shocked when his fellow golfer is found in a water hazard. Developers and environmentalists all seem to a monetized stake in what goes on at the historic club and area, amazing it may all lead to murder. Looking forward to more adventures with Megan.

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Death on the Green by Catie Murphy
Book #2: The Dublin Driver Mysteries Series
Source: NetGalley and Kensington
Rating: 4/5 stars

**MINI REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: After book one, I wasn’t expecting a great deal out of this read and I am happy to say, I was pleasantly surprised. From start to finish, I felt far more invested and interested in this book. Yet again, Megan finds herself entangled in a messy situation that involves the death of a good and well-liked man, a broken-hearted and very bitter daughter, and strained marriage that is seemingly at its breaking point. Everything came together in a much better way in this book and I found myself far more engaged with the characters and the plot. Megan is rather cheekier in this read and liked that aspect of her personality quite a bit. Her wit, humor, and true compassion for others really shone through in this read and I particularly liked the steel in her spine when she needed to be tough. In all, a much better showing in this read than in the first and I find I am no longer on the fence, but ready to dive into the next book.

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Great read by a new author for me. The plot is well written and enticing to the reader. The author writes in a way that makes the reader feel like part of The story.

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When Army veteran, Megan Malone, decides to move to Ireland she takes a job as a limo driver for Leprechaun Limousine Service and finds that her job involves more than driving important clients - in this case it's solving a murder.

I loved the idea of a cozy mystery set in Ireland. The descriptions are so lush, the reader feels as if they're right there, solving crimes with Megan. Megan is an independent and curious person who is drawn into a mystery when the client she was driving is charged with murder. The mystery is filled with "red herrings" and twists that I loved. The golf theme enhanced the mystery without overshadowing the book.

I'll be checking back with Megan for her next case!

I received an ARC from NetGalley and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

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I enjoyed the first book in this series; set in the exotic country of Ireland and filled with rain, wind, and lots of golf, Death on the Green did not disappoint. The main character of Megan is very likable, and readers will find her to be a great representation of what it would be like to be an American working and living in a foreign country. Other characters, especially Megan's gruff boss, Orla, are better defined in this book. Orla is beginning to grow on me. Even Detective Paul Bourke is softening up a bit.

The murder of golfer Lou MacDonald while the main suspects are on the green seems like an impossible task to figure out, but Megan goes to work straight away. Suspects aren't limited to just one or two, there is a golf tournament going on, and golfers have flocked to Ireland to participate. The killer could be anyone, and the motive is anyone's guess. By all accounts, Lou was a great guy, a loving father, and a loyal friend; a motive doesn't jump out for the reader or those investigating. It takes a while, relationship drama, and another murder before Megan and the detective figure out who the murderer is and track them down, but they succeed, and justice is handed out.

Ireland's setting evokes ideas to the reader of chucking everything, moving to an exotic location, taking up a new career, and making new friends. Even if they don't play golf, twist, and turns in this story help readers come to a conclusion about who the killer is, but some will come to the wrong conclusion. The introduction of Carmen, a new character, was completely unnecessary and, in some ways, distracted from the plot. The story verse on its path from time-to-time but eventually comes back to the main plotline. Overall I feel that readers who enjoyed the first book will also enjoy Death on the Green. I hope we see more from this author and this series.

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