Princess Fuzzypants here: As we head to St. Patrick’s Day, what could be better than three stories from three well loved authors with a common link of Irish Coffee and St. Paddy’s Day. In the first one, reporter Lucy, gets involved in the murder of one of the mothers of a group of Irish Folk Dancing teens. Stage mothers on steroids could describe these ladies and mean girls have nothing on them.

In the second, restauranteur Hayley is asked to host a party for a famous comedian who is coming home for a show. Her best friend, Liddy, is deeply involved in all of this so there is no way Hayley can say no. When something goes terribly wrong, Hayley feels compelled to find the killer even though her brother in law is the chief of police.

The third involves a long ago murder and a ghost story told around the fireplace when the power goes out during a March storm with lots of Irish coffee lubricating the tales. Everyone has a different take on the story and Julia becomes engrossed in finding the truth. She finds part of it in a graveyard in another location only to discover the key to the story is held by someone close to her.

All three were great stories- easy to read and highly entertaining. Five purrs and two paws up.

The only thing better than stories set in Maine are stories set in Maine that feature Irish coffee and snowy weather. This collection of three mystery novellas set around St. Patrick's Day includes stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. Only Leslie Meier's work was familiar to me and I hadn't read it in years, but in this novella, Lucy writes a story about Irish dancers for the local newspaper, only to learn that one of the dancers' mothers was murdered. Who would have killed the beautiful, vivacious actor?

In Bar Harbor, Hayley agrees to cater an after-show party for a local-born comedian. When he drops dead after drinking his Irish Coffee, everyone assumes his drink was poisoned. But who wanted the comedian dead?

Julia and her friend are planning a quiet evening at home, drinking Irish coffee and watching television, but a late-winter storm and power outage drive various members of the community to gather in Julia's mother's house, each telling a different version of a century-old murder. Which version is correct? After the storm subsides, Julia is determined to discover the truth.

This is a delightful collection of novellas that will have you craving Irish coffee and snow, but hopefully not murder. I know I need to explore the backlists of authors Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross, because I've been missing out. #IrishCoffeeMurder #NetGalley

Congratulations! Your review for Irish Coffee Murder, captioned
below, has been published. Visit
<https://freshfiction.com/review.php?id=81360> to view your
published review.

Please share your review via Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest,
Instagram and other social media venues. Include the #FFreview
hashtag or @FreshFiction in your posts.

Irish Coffee Murder Earns 5/5 Juiced Javas … Clever Cozy Gems!

St. Paddy’s, Irish coffee, and … murder? Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross have teamed up with three different takes on St. Patrick’s Day. In “Irish Coffee Murder,” Leslie Meier puts the rivalry in an Irish step dance competition with one of the moms dead. Accident? Suicide? Murder? Newshound Lucy Stone sees the latter. Meier provides the clues for us arm-chair to test our skill, but masks enough to make the conclusion an entertaining surprise. In “Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker,” Lee Hollis starts with a community needing a break from the weather with Hometown boy Jefferson showcase his comedic talents, but it’s his dramatic death that makes a splash hit. Several suspects are revealed, but one thing’s true … watch out for the secret ingredients. Entertaining characters kept me engaged. St. Pat’s treats follow: Irish Stout Onion Soup, Irish Mudslide for two, Whiskey Ginger, Irish Stew, Randy’s Irish Coffee, and Kelton’s Corned Beef and Cabbage. In “Perked Up,” Barbara Ross has her heroine serving up Irish coffees to her friends, but a power outage has ghosts stories being shared. Everyone has a different version of the long-ago tale of murder, but by the end of the evening Julia believes she’s cracked the cold case. Very clever perspectives. The recipe for Vee’s Soda Bread is included.

All three popular authors (Meier, Hollis, and Ross) are “cozy” experts providing clever murder mysteries, eclectic characters, and some delicious surprises. And, of course, a full menu of recipes for your St.Patrick’s Day celebration!

I really enjoyed this collection of books. I love Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis books and both of these were wonderful.. It doesn't hurt that they are set in Maine, one of my favorite places to visit. Lucy Stone managed to help solve the murder while staying busy with the Courier. And Haley Powell was also ready to help to help clear her bar after a poisoning. Overall another nice Maine trilogy.

The nice thing about novellas like this is that you get introduced to other series that you may not have read before. That was the case for me.

I have read and loved all the Lucy Stone stories, this one was no exception! Irish Mom's feuding over not just dance competitions but about future building in Tinker's Cove was enjoyable to read about.

The stories by both Lee Hollis; Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker, and Barbara Ross; Perked Up were both very enjoyable and now all the books in both of their series are on my TBR pile. I was able to read and enjoy both of these other 2 novellas without feeling lost, a big plus in my book.

I love all of Kensington's holiday-themed novella collections, but this one may be my favorite yet!

The opening story by Leslie Meier gives this collection its name, and sets the stage for seasonal shenanigans. Intrepid reporter Lucy Stone is working on what she thinks will be a nice fluffy St Patrick’s Day piece about teenage Irish step dancers. Visiting an actual competition, however, makes her start to worry more about the dancers' mothers than about the girls themselves. The moms have a penchant for getting together over Irish coffees, and perhaps letting the alcohol loosen their tongues and inhibitions. When one of these women turns up dead, her daughter is convinced that it was one of the other dance moms who did her in. Will Lucy be able to discover who’s truly responsible without becoming a target herself?

In Lee Hollis' contribution, up-and-coming comic Jefferson O’Keefe agrees to return to his hometown of Bar Harbor for a special St Patrick’s Day performance. Liddy, one of our heroine Hayley Powell’s best friends, is especially happy to welcome him back and to rekindle their high school romance. Not everyone in town has similarly warm feelings towards him though. After he drops dead at his own after-party, Hayley must identify and confront a crafty killer who may have used Jefferson's favorite coffee drink to end his life.

Barbara Ross’ Perked Up closes out the collection with a clever spin on both the historical mystery and the telling of ghostly tales. When a storm takes out the electricity in Busman's Harbor, Julia Snowden's family and friends come together over a roaring fire and several rounds of Irish coffee to discuss the origins of a local ghost story. Once the night is over though, Julia can't quite shake the tale. With the help of her close friends, she decides to investigate and perhaps solve the centuries-old crime.

All three of these authors are high on my list of favorite cozy writers, and each of the novellas here fits seamlessly into their established series. I love how Lucy Stone continues to champion the underprivileged as she investigates both a murder and a seemingly shady redistricting. Lee Hollis’ mastery of both snappy dialog and humor helps the effervescent pace of the middle novella ratchet along, while Ms Ross uses her trademark thoughtfulness to have Julia think long and hard about her own future even in the midst of interrogating the past. This collection is a perfect sampler for readers new to any of these authors and an absolute must-own for fans of each.

There were several food and cocktail recipes included, but I really wanted to try what looked like a simple recipe for one of my all-time favorite dishes, from Death Of An Irish Coffee Drinker:

QUOTE
Kelton’s Corned Beef And Cabbage

3 to 4 pound corned beef brisket with the spice packet
3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
3 cups water
1 bottle of Guinness beer
5-6 garlic cloves, peeled (more, if you love garlic)
1 cabbage, cored and cut into wedges
1 sweet onion, peeled and cut into wedges
6 large carrots, peeled and cut into two-inch pieces
1 ½ pounds small baby new potatoes

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will need a large Dutch oven or roasting pan.

Rinse your corned beef brisket in cold water and pat dry. Place in the Dutch oven, fatty side up.

In a bowl, combine the whole-grain mustard, brown sugar, and black pepper and rub the mixture all over the brisket.

Sprinkle the seasoning packet into the Dutch oven and pour the three cups of water and beer into the pan, careful not to pour onto the seasoned brisket. Cover your Dutch oven and bake for 1 ½ hours.

Remove the Dutch oven from the oven and add the rest of the ingredients, starting with the garlic, cabbage, onions, carrots, and potatoes. Spoon juice all over the vegetables. Place back in the oven and roast covered for 1 hour.

Check meat and vegetables to see if fork tender. If not, roast uncovered for 30 more minutes or until fork tender.

Remove your brisket, transfer it to a warm platter, slice it, then arrange the vegetables all around the meat. Serve and enjoy!
END QUOTE

I’ve never made corned beef and cabbage myself before, and always thought it would be rather an arduous process. This recipe went a long way towards debunking that notion for me! This was a super easy recipe, with an end result that was incredibly delicious, if perhaps a little sweeter than I ordinarily prefer.

I was fooled by the size of the raw brisket into adding a little bit more than the recommended amount of vegetables. This was only a mistake insofar as I wound up with quite a bit less meat than vegetable, but can easily be remedied by getting a slightly bigger brisket next time. If you’re looking for a fool-proof recipe with which to celebrate the upcoming holiday, I highly recommend this, to be followed by a round of Irish coffees, of course.

Next week, we travel west to bake a savory snack while trying to keep a wedding from being derailed by murder. Do join me!

*Thank you NetGalley for sending me an eARC in exchange for a honest review!*

I am a BIG fan of the Lucy Stone mysteries so I was very excited for a chance to read her latest novella in the Irish Coffee Murder collection. I am super familiar with the characters so it is always fun to go back to Tinkers Cove for a bit and see what dramatic events have unfolded! I actually didn't even guess the murderer until the end!

The second novella was part of the Hayley Powell Food and Cocktail series. I have read a few of these mysteries before so I was also pretty familiar with these characters. The snippets of Hayley's articles are still not my favorite. I totally understand why they are included (for me they aren't always necessary.) The mystery was pretty good in this one though! I really liked it!

The last novella was from the Maine Clambake Mysteries series. I have been wanting to read this series for ages so I am glad I was able to get an introduction through this collection. This mystery was the most unique out of the three. It was a part local urban legend and part ghost story. I loved hearing the different versions from different people in the community!

Overall, this was a really fun read. Perfect for anyone who loves cozy mysteries!

This is an excellent trio of murder mysteries, all involving Irish coffee and St. Patrick's day. This will be a great St. Patrick's day read for many.

I received a free copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley. My review is voluntary and the opinions expressed are my own.

Irish Coffee Murder is a collection of three novellas, all set in Maine around St. Patrick's day. All three include Irish coffee in the plot. These are all parts of long-standing series that I had never read before and by authors that are new to me. It seemed like a nice way to sample these authors.
I enjoyed all three stories with Perked by Barbara Ross being my favorite. I loved the historical mystery and the ghostly aspects of it.

Thank you, Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross is a collection of three novellas featuring the Lucy Stone series, Haley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery series, and Maine Clambake Mystery series. Each story takes place in Maine and has a theme of St. Patrick's Day.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy of Irish Coffee Murder. I'm a huge fan of Leslie Meier and Lee Hollis, so I was thrilled to be approved to receive it for free in exchange for my honest review. I am now a fan of Barbara Ross.

Irish Coffee Murder (Lucy Stone, #28.5) by Leslie Meier opens with Lucy being tasked to cover an Irish Step Dancing School and their upcoming regional competition called a feis. When one of the dance moms is found dead, rumors start to spread about the ex-husband being the murderer. I loved this novella particularly because I used to be an Irish Step Dancer and competed in a couple of feis. I had my suspicions of who actually was the killer, and I was correct in who I thought it was. The only complaint I had is that wigs aren't a requirement at a feis . . . at least, not the ones I competed in. Five out of five stars.

Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker (Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails, #15.5) by Lee Hollis opens with Hayley Powell agreeing to cater an after party for comedian Jefferson O'Keefe. When Jefferson collapses after drinking an Irish coffee, Hayley knows she must find out who poisoned him. I enjoyed this novella because I had no idea who the murderer was and was led astray by all the red herrings. I also really liked the characters in this story. Five out of five stars.

Perked Up (Maine Clambake, #10.5) by Barbara Ross opens with Julia Snowden and her friend Zoey settling in for the night to watch a movie and drink some Irish Coffees when the power goes out due a snowstorm. Neighbors and family decide to gather at the Snowden home and tell ghost stories to pass the time. Everyone gets into a disagreement about the story told about a founding family and who murdered the husband. Julia decides to investigate this ghost story that is really based on a cold case from 150 years ago and finds out who the killer was and what happened to the rest of the family. There are so many reasons why I loved this novella, but the biggest reason is I love that the characters were telling ghost stories and delved into a cold case. All the characters had good reason to believe a particular person was the killer, so I had no idea what to believe and loved the conclusion that brought closure to the case and revealed who the killer was. Now, I can't wait to go read the other books in the series. Five out of five stars.

I gave each and every novella in this collection, Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross, five out of five stars and highly recommend it to people who love cozy mysteries. These authors are the best of the best.

I absolutely love these anthologies from the different writers! I was introduced to both Lee Hollis and Barbara Ross through a previous one and look forward to them each year. All three stories focus on St. Patrick’s Day in Maine, and each has Irish Coffee in the story. Of the three stories, Lee Hollis’s Hayley Powell was my favorite; it just had the feel of a novella. Barbara Ross’ story was a compilation of different versions of a ghost story, which I enjoyed. Lucy Stone solved the murder of a dance mom, which introduced me to a new type of Irish dancing. Overall, an enjoyable read!

Irish Coffee Murder
This book was so good! But, all of Leslie Meier’s books are! I didn’t have a clue who the murderer was until the very end! I love catching up with Lucy and all of her friends.


Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker
Loved it! I enjoyed the murder mystery and the characters in the book. Also, I like the recipes scattered throughout the book.

Perked Up
This mystery was so good! Wow! I didn’t want it to end! Don’t hesitate to pick up this book with all 3 stories in it!

You get three wonderful stories by three great authors. The tie together is, of course, Irish Coffee. You’ll start with Leslie Meier’s Irish Coffee Murder and get to hang out with the good folks of Tinker’s Cove. You will get to enjoy some Irish dancing and meet some interesting moms. Next you’ll hear from Lee Hollis with Death of An Irish Coffee Drinker. You’ll get to know the good folks that hang out at the Drinks Like A Fish. It’s always fun to have a local celebrity to come help with a fundraiser. Next comes Barbara Ross and Perked Up. So interesting that several people have the correct version of the same incident. Story telling is always more fun with the power out and with the light of a fireplace. I enjoyed all three stories. They have great storylines and wonderful characters. I received this book from NetGalley, but my opinion is my own.

Irish Coffe Murder is a collection of three novellas. The first is part of Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone series; the second features Lee Hollis's food and cocktail columnist Hayley Powell and the third one is a short Maine Clambake mystery by Barbara Ross called Perked Up.

All three are absorbing tales with a St Patrick's Day theme, and if pressed for a favourite I would choose Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker by Lee Hollis for the humour as I had such a laugh! In Perked Up I loved the writing style of Barbara Ross which is a good fit for me. Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier was engrossing with the discerning and intrepid Lucy Stone. These novellas are a great way to discover new-to-you cozy mystery authors and love the holiday or seasonal approaches they often have. Very highly recommended.

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

I liked the first story in this collection, didn't like the middle story and was a bit disappointed in the third, but only because I like the Barbara Ross series so much and I wanted a bit more from it because of that! But anyway - three mysteries based around St Patrick's Day, two involving a current death, one involving a very long gone one, and characters that will be familiar if you read any of the series featured - but you don't necessarily have to read the series to follow them (as I said, I only really read one of the three).

Irish Coffee Murder, three novellas by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross. All are featuring their signature sleuth as well as Irish Coffee. Lucy Stone is one of my favorites, a newspaper reporter in a small town in New England, she is almost more of a neighborhood celebrity than a reporter. She knows everyone and shows up everywhere. She is middle aged with four grown children, who have now all left home. She is everywoman and an excellent character. The murders in Meiers’ books are small town, jealousy or money, never anything weird. It is always one of her neighbors. The plots are good and she follows them well. Always a good read. I had never read one of Lee Ellis’ books before but I found her heroine, Hayley, much as Lucy. Happy living in her town and running her restaurant. The mystery was good, again, a small town murder, not a weird serial killer or anything. Barbara Ross’ sleuth, Julie, in this case, was following the murder of a town legend, who had died 150 years earlier. She learned of it on a spooky night in her mother’s living room when a group of neighbors came together to spend the evening after the electricity went out. Each person told the story differently and she was intrigued. I liked this one the best, today, because of the genealogy involved. Julie got many of her answers from tombstones and old wills, just as a genealogist would. I loved it.

This is not exactly an introduction to the three series included, although I guess it could be. Lucy’s story doesn’t really have much of a backstory, Hayley’s probably not much more, I don’t know for sure. There is definitely backstory in Julie’s books that would be fun to read, although it wouldn’t stop a reader from moving forward. I like to read in order, but not everyone does. These were three terrific novellas, all with mysterious deaths, all with amateur sleuths. What more does a cozy mystery reader need to know?

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Irish Coffee Murder by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #LeeHollis #LeslieMeier #BarbaraRoss

Irish Coffee Murder is a collection of three mysteries by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and Barbara Ross that all revolve around the theme of Irish coffee. The book offers a thrilling and engaging reading experience for mystery lovers and those who enjoy cozy, small-town stories.

In the first story, Lucy Stone is writing a piece for the Courier about four Irish step-dancing students from Tinker's Cove. The article takes a dramatic turn when the mother of one of the students is found dead in her bathtub, leaving Lucy to investigate who may have taken the rivalry too far.

The second story, Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker, follows Hayley Powell, owner of Bar Harbor's newest restaurant. She is tasked with catering the after-party for popular comedian Jefferson O'Keefe. However, when Jefferson suddenly dies after drinking an Irish coffee, Hayley must uncover who decided this joker had gone too far.

Finally, in the third story, Perked Up, we follow Julia Snowden as she shares ghost stories and Irish coffees with friends and family during a snowy St. Patrick's Day in Busman's Harbor. As the night progresses, they may even solve the coldest case in town. Irish Coffee Murder is a fun and entertaining book that offers a unique blend of mystery and holiday spirit, making it an excellent addition to anyone's reading list.

Irish Coffee Murder by Leslie Meier - 4 stars

Lucy Stone is covering a story about four Irish step dancing students. Her story takes a turn when one girl’s mother is found dead. There were plenty of suspects to keep me guessing about who the guilty party was.
 
Death of an Irish Coffee Drinker by Lee Hollis - 5 stars

Hayley Powell is roped into catering the after-party for a popular comedian. There is a lot of drama around the event. I really loved the ending. Hayley is an interesting, intelligent woman.

 
Perked Up by Barbara Ross - 5 stars

Power goes out on a snowy St. Patrick’s Day. Julia Snowden plans to spend a girls evening drinking Irish coffee and watching a movie but the power outage draws friends and family and they start telling a ghost story. This story works for St. Patrick’s Day or Halloween. I really enjoyed this story and was craving Irish Coffee by the time I was done. It was a great way to gather the characters together.

Thank you to the author, Kensington Books, and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

Irish Coffee Murder contains three wonderful tales by three amazing authors. I love all of the series which these installment novellas continue. Leslie Meier's Lucy Stone Murders is an all time favorite. When Lucy writes about the Irish Step Dancer team from Harbor Cove, she must put aside her reporter cap and use her detective skills in order find the killer of one of the Mom's from the team. Was it rivalry gone wrong or something more sinister? With Lee Hollis, Bar Harbor's newest restaurant might not make it past the grand opening. Will Hayley be able to find out who killed the comedian just after drinking their wonderful Irish coffee? Or will the restaurant be to blame? Finally Barbara Ross's Julia Snowden hosts family and friends for food and Irish coffee after the lights go out in Busman's Harbor. When each person remembers the night differently, Will they be able to solve the longest unsolved mystery in their town? Follow along as they just might surprise everyone with their discovery.
Each of these series are wonderful with mystery, intrigue and just a little bit of romance and fun. I look forward to the next installments. I received a copy through Netgalley. A review was not required.