Title: Murder in an Irish Bookshop
Author: Carlene O’Connor

Ch: 32

Pg: 258

Series: Irish Village Mystery

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Rating: 4 stars

Publisher: Kensington Publishing



I’m not going to lie but the last one in the Irish Village Mystery series was a miss for me. So I started reading this one with lower expectations. However I ended up enjoying Murder in an Irish Bookshop. The 7th book in this cozy series set in Ireland read like earlier books in the series. Siobhan sounded more like herself again. But more importantly the banter that I’ve come to love between Siobhan and Macdara was back. And even though there was a murder to solve there were plenty of laugh out loud moments though out the book.



And even though I book 6th let me down I loved this one and I look forward to what book 8 will bring us.





I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.

This was my first book by this author and in this series even though it is the seventh book in the series. I found that I had no problem reading it on its own, having not read any of the others. My first book by this author although it is seventh in a series.

I always enjoy books set in Scotland or Ireland so I knew this would be right up my alley. This is a bit of a different cozy mystery in that the detectives are actual police (or garda as they are called) and not a wannabe detective. That was a bit refreshing. Add in that the murder takes place in a bookshop and I am in cozy mystery heaven.

I loved getting to know Siobhán and all of the other characters. The book is so well written and the murders that take place kept me guessing so much. I loved the surprise at the end. I will say there are a lot of characters that we may learn more about in the earlier books. I do plan to go back and read the first six.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop is the seventh book in A Cozy Irish Murder Mystery.
An intriguing murder mystery that takes place in Kilbane,County Cook,Ireland.
I enjoyed the atmospheric story , mostly taking place in a new bookstore.
The book is filled with witty and charming characters,authentic Irish flavor and charm, this is an entertaining read that'll keep you guessing.

Pub Date 23 Feb 2021
I was given a complimentary copy. Thank you.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the digital advance reading copy of this book.

I love the Irish Village Mystery series! Siobhán and the rest of the O'Sullivan clan are fantastic and real. I love Siobhán and Macdara together and their banter when they are trying to work through parts of the crime.

I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Carlene O'Connor continues her Irish Village mysteries with Murder in an Irish Bookshop. Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan is training a new garda, trying to arrange her wedding to Garda Macdarra Flannery, and wants to relax at the new village bookshop. Then an author who is visiting drops dead. Whodunit? Her agent, other writers, townspeople?
Good Irish cozy with literary flavor.

I just love this series! The use of the Irish vernacular is so appealing and beautiful sounding.
The Sullivan Six are deep into adventure and mayhem again. This time solving a murder that takes place in a new bookshop opened up just down the way from Naomi's Bistro.

Book 7 has the little town all excited over the opening of a new bookshop and as the owners have been rather private about it, pushed the buzz to a new level. Unfortunately, opening day finds a body near the bookshop, a real buzz kill…followed later by a second inside during a storm blackout.

The new bookshop owners Padraig and Oran McCarthy had invited a host of well-known writers as well as an agent to help celebrate the opening, and now they as well as several of the townspeople are suspects.

Garda O’Sullivan is partnered with her betrothed, Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery, as well as a new recruit. The investigation is as twisted as the manner of death—a new one to me. Lots of secrets, revealed in bits and pieces along with the red herrings.

Siobhan is part of the O’Sullivan Six, brothers and sisters in the care of Siobhan who are gradually growing up even as she turns another birthday—an important one. Maybe it’s time to set the date with Mac, they do have a good working relationship.

That Irish sense of humor shines through in the prose, the dialogue, and the descriptions of the weather and the village. The back and forth between Siobhan, Mac, and the identical twins is a hoot as is the discussion of “No crying in the baseball,” and the side knowledge of books, authors, and writing styles shines throughout the book in little quotes and clues.

The mystery is not a hard one to solve, but as always, it’s the ride not the destination and these are always a fun ride. An enlightening peak into life in Kilbane, atmospheric and consistently entertaining.

Author Carlene O'Connor created such an incredible reading experience with her book, Murder in an Irish Bookshop! I enjoyed virtually traveling to Ireland, meeting her quirky characters from the twins who own the Inn in town to the new bookstore owners, to the visiting authors, the book club members and Siobhan and Macdara, gardas extraordinaire! The murderer is not predictable and kept me guessing right up to the reveal which is always exciting. And, I made Eoin's Irish Stew recipe included and it was delicious. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corporation for the opportunity to read this advanced copy for my review.

Murder in the Irish Bookshop earns 5/5 Torn Pages...Engaging Fun!

Carlene O’Connor’s seventh Irish Village Mystery is another delightful story no self-respecting coziholic should miss! “Bucket list” worthy setting, diverse characters, fascinating small village dynamic, engaging mystery, and Irish Stew! Life in Kilbane has, of course, progressed nicely with new people moving into the village, career changes from amateur to professional, family highs and lows, and friends turning to fiancés, but newbies need not fear being at a disadvantage since there are plenty of references to make the reading experience complete and enjoyable. Siobhan O’Sullivan has much going on in her job with the Garda and planning her soon wedding, but investigating a murder overloads her already full plate. The owner of the new bookshop has some quirky, and limiting, ideas of what books to sell, but the idea of hosting an event to highlight some up and coming Irish writers is well received...until one author winds up murdered with pages from a rival’s book stuffed in their mouth.

My cozy criteria often includes the need for a foreign setting, and anything in the Great Britain is high on my list. O’Connor brings this Irish village to life with its pubs, its cottages, and its emerald landscape. Next it’s the characters, and with O’Connor she has created a core diverse group that, including a strong family, loving couple, and quirky village residents, reminds me of people in my own life making it fun to follow their exploits. With a lovely setting well described and close-knit characters bantering about, the mystery requires creativity, a bit of complexity, and often involving the core characters as witnesses, suspects, and/or investigator. O’Connor’s mystery has it all with several having a motive and plenty of misdirection gum up the works, then smoothing out into a satisfying conclusion. And last, I need a theme well woven through the drama with insights, tips, and Google-worthy follow-up and at least one recipe that compliments the story. In this book it is the Irish culture, literature, and a recipe for Eoin’s Irish Stew! This is definitely a cozy that checks all of my boxes!

I love Siobhán! She's so 'normal', that you really feel like you get tpo know her as a PERSON, not a character, along with her family and town. This series truly makes you want to go to Irelans and find this lovely town and just move there! LOL. This is a good little mystery, full of a few red herrings, that will kepp you guessing re motives up to the end! Along the way you'll enjoy the fun characters of the town, including the newcomers and authors (or are they?? hmmmm....). Plenty to chew on in this page turner, so make sure you add it to your Spring reading list!

3.5 stars

This is the seventh book in the Irish Village Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor.

I thought this book was pretty good. I wasn’t as captivated by the mystery as I usually am in a book of this type. But it was well plotted. I guess I just couldn’t connect with the characters and that effected my enjoyment of the book.

I felt like it was just going through the motions. I wish they would have focused more on character building and then this book would have knocked it out of the park.

I am definitely not giving up on this author. I want to check out more books and see what I think to round out my opinion.

If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

I received this as an ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) in return for an honest review. I thank NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this title.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O'Connor is another in O'Connor's long-running series featuring Siobhan O'Sullivan and Madera Flannery, both Irish grade. Siobhan is so happy that someone is opening a bookshop in Kilbane, until she discovers one needs a password to enter and once inside that it only sells literary fiction: no mysteries, no romances, no children's books. She is less happy when, at the book signing and her birthday party, there is a murder. She and Dara, and a new garda, Aretta Dabiri, all set about to investigate the remaining two authors and one agent who had been in Kilbane for the grand opening of the bookshop.

Siobhan and Dara are such a good couple. Professional as the day is long at work and part of the larger O'Sullivan family at rest. Well, not much rest is to be had with the O'Sullivans. Siobhan is an excellent investigator, operating as much off her gut as off the evidence. Dara is the essence of patience. Introducing this new garda, Aretta, is going to be a third dimension to their investigations. She fits in perfectly. These are such fun books, and so Irish. She falls asleep with James Joyce, as do I so we have something in common. She is empathetic and she loves her siblings and her life with grand enthusiasm. Siobhan's traits say it all. She is the heart and lifeblood of the series and makes it worth the read.

I was invited to read a free ARC of Murder in the Irish Bookshop by Netgalley. All opinions contained herein are solely my own. #netgalley #murderinanirishbookshop

An excellent addition to this series, it's engrossing and highly entertaining.
A plot that flows, likable and well written characters, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This is a big week for Siobhan O’Sullivan. Not only do they have a new garda officer joining them in Kilbane, there is also a new bookshop opening in town, and it’s her 29th birthday. And as much as she’s excited about spending her birthday with her 5 brothers and sisters and fiance Macdara Flannery, she is also looking forward to helping train new garda Aretta Dabiri, who was born in Nigeria. But most of all, she has been looking forward to the opening of Turn the Page.

Bookshop owners Oran and Padraig McCarthy had invited three Irish authors to to the opening week of the bookshop. Each author has found some success on their own, but at the end of the week, a successful publishing agent will sign one of the authors to a contract. Darren Killroy is the agent to a popular fantasy writer, and signing with him will take any of these author’s career to a higher level. It’s a huge honor, and the McCarthys are counting on the publicity of the signing to help put their new bookshop on the map.

Nessa Lamb is known for her novel Musings on a Hill. It got enough notoriety to get her on a list of 40 authors under 40 to watch, so she has some momentum. Lorcan Murphy has popular Western and mystyer series. And Deidre Walsh announces that she has been working on a tell-all memoir that will rock the publishing world with its revelations. Killroy has his work cut out for him trying to choose which author to represent, when Deidre is killed in a dark corner of the bookshop, pages of Nessa’s novel in her mouth.

Was Dierdre killed for the secrets she knew, and the ones she was about to about to reveal in her new book? As Siobhan and Macdara investigate, they learn more about the cutthroat world of publishing. But will they be able to find the killer in time, or will they get too close to the secrets that are worth killing for and find out just how cutthroat bookish secrets can be?

Murder in an Irish Bookshop is the seventh book in Carlene O’Connor’s Cozy Irish Murder Mystery series. Siobhan and her siblings (known as the O’Sullivan Six) fill these books with warmth and humor, and the hard working officers of the Garda keep solving the crimes through careful observation, diligent hard work, and insightful interrogations.

I am a big fan of these charming mysteries. They all bring Ireland to life through the people and places, and the mysteries are interesting and challenging. Murder in an Irish Bookshop is the perfect addition to the series, from the first page through to the last, and even beyond, to the bonus recipe for Eoin’s Irish Stew at the end. If you’re looking for a quick read, a lovely setting, strong characters, and a compelling mystery, then this is the series for you.

Egalleys for Murder in an Irish Bookshop were provided by Kensington Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O'Connor is book seven in the Irish Murder Series. It can be read as a stand alone.
An elderly resident is found dead in the Irish town of Kilbane, It appears as if it was a natural death. Siobhan isn't convinced but continues on, The town is excited for the new bookstore to open and the book signing that is scheduled to happen there. Everything seems to be going smoothy even with a storm happening until the lights go out. An author is then found murdered in a back room. Siobhan and her fellow garda has their work cut out for them. Then it's discovered there is a connection in the two recent deaths. Siobhan is on the path to get answers.
This Cozy has plenty of suspects, twists and turns, a great cast of characters, family, humor, and romance. You will feel as if you are in Ireland.
I was given an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley for an honest review.

Siobhan O’Sullivan is a Garda in a small Irish town, Kilbane. She is also one of the O’Sullivan Six who own the local bistro. Her fiance is Detective Sargent Macdara Flannery and together they investigate many of the crimes which seem to haunt this town.

A new and mysterious bookshop opens in town and everyone, including Siobhan want to visit right away. Things are quite that easy which makes for fun and games. The bookshop is hosting a get-together for up-and-coming authors. When one of the authors ends up quite dead, Siobhan shifts gears and, instead of buying books, looks for a murderer.

This is a very funny series with good plots and mysteries. The dialog, especially with the thoughts that Siobhan has to herself, are great. I laughed through quite a lot of this story and look forward to the next one.

In the meantime, I’ve gone back to the beginning and have read books one and two and will catch up by the time the next new entry is read.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop is the 7th book in the Cozy Irish Murder Mystery series by Carlene O'Connor. I picked up this series with Murder at an Irish Christmas (book 6) which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I'm very keen to read books 1 through to 5.

In Murder in an Irish Bookshop, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan is being kept busy training the latest new recruit to the force Garda Aretta Dabiri, as well as trying to set a date for her wedding to fiancé, Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery. In addition, the town of Kilbane, County Cork, is buzzing with excitement over the opening of a new shop and a number of Irish authors are scheduled to visit. Siobhán is keen to rekindle her love for reading but is disappointed to find that the owners, Padraig and Oran McCarthy, are limiting the clientele and refusing to stock romances. The day before the grand opening, while on her morning run Siobhán happens across the lifeless body of village elder Margaret O’Shea near the bookshop. When indie author Deirdre Walsh is found dead inside the store with pages from another author's book stuffed in her mouth, Siobhán and Macdara rush to solve the mystery.

This is an extremely intriguing tale and protagonist Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan is a great character. She is smart and fiery and has sound reasoning for her thoughts and actions which not all main characters of cosy mysteries possess! There are suspects aplenty in this gripping mystery, the details of the plot are very well executed, and the story is amusing and easy to follow.

Carlene O'Connor wowed me again with her fluid writing; I was kept guessing until the very end and really enjoyed this cleverly crafted cosy. I thoroughly enjoyed being back with the O'Sullivan crowd. Unravelling the mystery in the pockets of Siobhán was lots of fun and I found the pacing perfect for the story. Loaded with red herrings and with many humorous one-liners, Murder in an Irish Bookshop is a highly recommended five star read and a fabulous story that will be of interest to many cozy readers. Right up until the surprising conclusion, I just had to keep turning those pages and I didn’t figure out the identity of the perpetrator in this mystery, although I had them on my plausible suspect list. I’m certainly game to see what shenanigans Siobhán and the Kilbane rabble get into next.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Murder n an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O’Conner is an excellent read! It is the 7th installment in the series. It’s one of the best cozy mysteries I have had the pleasure of reading. I always try to figure out who done it when I read but this one kept me guessing until the end and then I still couldn’t believe it. I also like that it is set in Ireland and around a bookstore. Carlene writes a good story, full of plots and twists and I can’t wait to go all the way back to the beginning and read all in the series. I love Ireland and I love mysteries and this book does not disappoint! I recommend it to anyone who wants a good Irish cozy mystery! You won’t be able to put it down.

In this, the seventh of the series, Siobhan O'Sullivan has a lot on her plate. Plans for her upcoming wedding with fellow Garda Macdara, interviewing a new Garda, helping to keep the family eatery running smoothly and keeping an eye on her various siblings. To get the most out of this series it is best read in order so the full character of Siobhan clear. She may be a Garda now and soon to be married to a wonderful fellow Garda but she has come a long way from raising her younger siblings after the death of their parents and having to keep the roof over their heads. She sees a challenge and she meets it head on.
With all that is going on she is looking forward to the opening of a bookshop in Kilbane. The thought of wandering the shelves and discovering a new mystery or a romance to take home and become lost in sounds like the perfect escape. Much to her dismay, the owner has no intention of allowing such tomes on the shelves and only wants Literary Works to grace them. It isn't long before friction shows up in town when he hosts a month long writers event for new Irish writers. One of those authors, Deirdre Walsh runs afoul with another author and is found dead but did the other author resort to murder to make her point or did Deidre upset another into committing murder? Siobhan and Macdara are on the case and soon a killer will be revealed.
This series has it all for this reader - a lovely Irish town, great characters that grow with every book so that the reader feels like it's a letter from home with family updates and a very well constructed puzzle to solve.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

Charlene O’Connor does it again. Though this is the seventh book in her absolutely charming Irish Bookshop series, she still has a knack for suspense and surprise. Though the are marketed as a series, with her way of writing they can easily stand alone too. I’m a fan of the cozy mysteries, she’s a stand out amongst a crowded field.