Murder at an Irish Bakery is the 9th 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 this instalment, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan is being kept busy on the force of Kilbane Gardaí and there is a bake-off competition being held in Kilbane. 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. 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 absolutely love the way Dara and Siobhan work together. Their love and support for one another are wonderful. I found the pacing perfect for the story. Loaded with red herrings and with some humorous one-liners, Murder at an Irish Bakery 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.

This is my favorite in the series so far. Siobhan and Macdara are settling in to married life, her siblings are thriving, the restaurant is coming along, and there’s a baking contest. The mystery was well paced and plotted, and kept me guessing. My favorite parts are where Siobhan and Macdara discuss the investigation and talk through what they know so far; their banter is fun and informative, giving details without rehashing them. Highly recommend this series!

Pie Pie Love, the local bakery in Kilbane is hosting a reality baking show and our favorite Garda, Siobhán O’Sullivan and company are called upon to monitor the event. The assignment is a dream come true for Siobhán who has a massive sweet tooth. She doesn’t get to enjoy the latest assignment because two murders are committed within a short time of each other. Seemingly unrelated at first, Siobhán suspects there’s more at play.

This story felt quite a bit chaotic to me because of the introduction of so many characters and suspects. It took a bit to jumpstart the story. The groundwork needed to be laid, but it felt like I got a lot of Siobhán hankering after pastries. She seemed a little too distracted which is something I’m not used to with her character.

I thought this was a neat mystery, though with a more sinister vibe to it. I liked seeing more of Garda Aretha Daibiri who was introduced 2 books ago. It was also cute how Siobhán and Garda Macdara Flannery newly wed moments would briefly sneak in at work.

This is also the book that shows how the O’Sullivan Six’s dynamics are changing. Everyone’s growing up so her younger siblings don’t need her parenting them as much. They’re still there in the background, and there are exciting changes ahead for the family.

This is my comfort series, and O’Connor my comfort author. I love her style and the gentleness of her descriptions. I love this fictional town that she’s created, and the various personalities that inhabit it. I wish Kilbane was real so I could visit it in real life outside of my imagination.

If you crave a cozy mystery, a tight knit village, adorable characters, then this is for you! And now that I’ve finished book 9, I’m eager for book 10!

Thank you to @netgalley & @kensingtonbooks for my ARC. This is my honest review.

𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗜𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗕𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿𝘆 is available now!

A mystery to delight your taste buds as well as your brain! A baking competition is in town and our favorite garda are on the job to make sure everything goes smoothly, but someone is determined to not only kill the competitors but also their accessories to the crime! The author weaves a wonderful brain teaser of a mystery while leaving cake crumbs to the killer! The characters are so well crafted that you feel like you are walking beside them rather than just reading about them. I absolutely can't wait to see what the author comes up with next!

This book is the ninth in a series called “Irish Village Mysteries,” a cozy mystery series that features Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan and Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery in the fictional village of Kilbane in County Cork, Ireland.

Siobhán, who married Macdara in the last installment, has now been married for one year. They still feel as if they are in the “honeymoon phase” of their marriage.

This book begins at the site of Pie Pie Love, housed in a historic flour mill next to the Kilbane River, known as Kilbane’s best bakery. It was set to host the top Irish bakers in all of Ireland for a festival and competition sponsored by an anonymous benefactor.

The gardas are not at all dismayed at providing security, since Siobhán and Macdara both have sweet tooths, and although Garda Aretta Dabiri does not, she is a good sport about helping Siobhán procure samples. Siobhán reported having been “looking forward to this sweet, sweet assignment for ages…”

One of the competitors was the famous celebrity chef and cookbook author, Aoife McBride, known as “the Queen Baker of Ireland.” The other five included Ethan Brown, the youngest baker and a graduate of the Parisian Baking School; Trisha Mayweather, daughter of a famous baker who was a rival of Aoife’s; Martin Murphy, known for his baking sculptures; Barry Ryan, who claimed to be able to replicate any recipe after just one bite of the dish; and Sophia Hughes, the most inexperienced baker.

The competition was being filmed, and the director was determined to stir up controversy, which would help ratings. She was aided right from the start by the presence of a protestor, who claimed sugar was poison and bakers were drug pushers. He didn’t last long, however, as he suddenly collapsed and died in the middle of his diatribe.

Then, in the middle of the first round of baking, there was another death. Although both seemed like accidents at first glance, it was soon clear the victims were murdered. The gardas had to find out who was responsible before any more bodies turn up.

Siobhán, Macdara, and their partner, Garda Aretta Dabiri, interviewed the small pool of possible suspects, which included the bakers themselves, Fia O’Farrell, the owner of the mill and bakery, the two judges for the competition (both bakers in their own right), and the cameraman and director.

The secrets and lies surrounding the case gradually unfolded, and while Siobhán and Macdara didn't get all the samples they looked forward to, they did finally catch the killer.

Evaluation: Even those who have not read any of the previous books in the series will have no trouble figuring out who everyone was and what were the relationships among them. This was a pleasing story, with plenty of entertaining baking puns and an endearing set of characters.

Set in County Cork, ‘Murder In An Irish Bakery’ is the ninth in this series, and a very welcome addition. Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan is asked to keep an eye on a reality baking show taking place in an old mill in town. Excitement amongst the villagers peaks when it is revealed a very famous celebrity baker will be taking part. But it’s not all sweetness and light, when the competition show a ruthless determination to win. When one of them dies on day two, Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, are called to investigate. Can they find out who is behind it all – and can they solve it before anyone else dies?

One thing is sure about this book – you’ll get hungry reading it. I couldn’t help but crave something sweet every time I picked it up. The bakery descriptions are yummy.

Carlene O’Connor has a wonderful light touch, bringing humour into all of her stories. She weaves a great mystery, making her readers really think. There’s kindness too, and a family feel. I love that Siobhan’s family are part of the story – and the many villagers and colleagues.

I was given this ARC for review.

The Great British Bake Show version of Chopped meets Survivor, and an amazing Stout Chocolate Cake recipe included. Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan, newly wed and looking forward to this piece of cake event assignment at a local bakery housed within a historic mill, while her husband, DS Macdara Flannery is out of town attending work related meetings. The best of the best in Ireland and set to compete and hopefully the proceeds with help to repair the wheel that hasn’t turned for as long as Siobhan can remember. As with any reality show, there is drama, even before the cooking event starts off. Protestor drama, contestant drama (suspects), cooking chaos drama (can someone say sabotage), oh and a death that leads to even more drama. But isn’t that what reality TV is all about, drama? Siobhan, fellow Garda, Aretta, and DS Macdara (arriving in time for cake and clues) have plenty of suspects, with plenty of motives. There is even a bit of bait and switch and a mysteriously elusive attorney who gives a rather unusual (fake) name. The one thing that Siobhan wants as much as catching the culprit is a piece of pie or a baked good. Speaking of baked goods, there is an AMAZING Chocolate Guinness Cake recipe at the end of the book that pairs quite nicely with a cup of coffee and this book. This is a stand-alone mystery from an entertaining series that you are going to want to start from the beginning with.

EXCERPT: The O'Farrell's had operated this flour mill, and now bakery, for several generations. Fia O'Farrell was the last living member, and given she was single and past middle age, many wondered what she envisioned for its future. The back room, which used to house events, and the ground, middle and top floors of the mill, which used to be open for tours, had all been closed to the public for over a decade. But it was still a gorgeous structure, and the bakery, which was housed in the very front portion of the building, was as cheerful inside as it was out. Siobhán took in the outdoor tables with colourful umbrellas, flowers beaming from planters along the front of the building, and the banner above the wooden doors that read: WELCOME IRISH BAKERS!

ABOUT 'MURDER AT AN IRISH BAKERY': In Kilbane, opinions are plentiful and rarely in alignment. But there's one thing everyone does agree on--the bakery in the old flour mill, just outside town, is the best in County Cork, well worth the short drive and the long lines. No wonder they're about to be featured on a reality baking show.

All six contestants in the show are coming to Kilbane to participate, and the town is simmering with excitement. Aside from munching on free samples, the locals--including Siobhan--get a chance to appear in the opening shots. As for the competitors themselves, not all are as sweet as their confections. There are shenanigans on the first day of filming that put everyone on edge, but that's nothing compared to day two, when the first round ends and the top contestant is found face-down in her signature pie.

The producers decide to continue filming while Siobhan and her husband, Garda Macdara Flannery, sift through the suspects. Was this a case of rivalry turned lethal, or are their other motives hidden in the mix? And can they uncover the truth before another baker is eliminated--permanently . . .

MY THOUGHTS: This is the second book I have read in this series and I enjoyed it far more than the first.

Murder at an Irish Bakery is a delightfully Irish cosy-mystery featuring a husband and wife garda team, both of whom have a sweet tooth.

You're going to have to suspend a bit of belief with this but, hey, it's a cosy, not a police procedural. Similarly, there's no great depth to any of the characters. But I had great fun trying to figure out who was behind the killings, and there's a praiseworthy twist or two to confuse the issue.

WARNING: stock up with snacks before you settle down with Murder at an Irish Bakery, because the beautiful pastries, cakes and desserts described in the course of this book will have you salivating and your stomach rumbling.

BONUS: There's a recipe for Nigella Lawson's Chocolate Guinness Cake at the end with a link to the recipe published in the New York Times.

Murder at an Irish Bakery is easily read as a stand-alone.

⭐⭐⭐.9

#MurderatanIrishBakery #NetGalley

I: @writergirlchi @kensingtonbooks

T: #CarleneOConnor @KensingtonBooks

#cosymystery #contemporaryfiction #detectivefiction #irishfiction #murdermystery #smalltownfiction

THE AUTHOR: Born into a long line of Irish storytellers, Carlene O'Connor's great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places she’s wandered across the pond, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork, the setting of her Irish Village Mystery series.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books for providing a digital ARC of Murder at an Irish Bakery, written by Carlene O'Connor for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage

Fia O’Ferrell’s family bakery, Pie Pie Love, is in danger of shutting down. Her hope is a week-long baking contest, featuring Ireland’s best bakers. Even famous Irish baker Aoife McBride, not seen since a public meltdown a few months ago, is coming to Kilbane to compete. The competition is also being filmed for television, bringing Pie Pie Love much-needed publicity.
The promise of endless baked goods, specifically desserts, means this baking competition is Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan’s dream assignment. The assignment quickly turns into a bad dream when a protester, trying to stop the show, is murdered. The bad dream morphs into a nightmare when bodies begin to pile up, but clues and the murderer’s identity remain elusive.
In Murder At An Irish Bakery, the O’Sullivan Six have moved to a new home. They are growing up and branching out into new lives and careers. Siobhán, married a year, is a happy as she’s ever been, while at the same time is she is trying to come to grips with the fact her siblings are spreading their wings.
The mystery is also tricky to solve. Figuring out the puzzle isn’t just figuring out the ‘who dun it,’ but also the ‘how was it done.” Sometimes the ‘who dun it’ isn’t hard to pinpoint, but the ‘how was it done’ keeps me guessing until the end of the book. I’ve read all the books in this series, and what keeps me reading are not only the tricky mysteries, but the way the characters continue to evolve and change, without losing their strong family bonds. That foundation is what gives them the courage to grow into individuals, knowing there is a safe place to land if needed.

Thanks to #NetGalley for providing a copy of #MurderInAnIrishBakery

I’ve read all of the books in the series. They’re so much fun to read. I enjoyed this one as well, but I would have liked to have seen more interaction between Dara and Siobhan. Their banter is one of my favorite things about the series, and it was there, just not as prevalent. I think if you’re a cozy mystery fan then you’ll enjoy it. I would recommend reading the other books in the series to get the most enjoyment out of them. I can’t wait for the next one. I also recommend the audios. They really have a way of bringing everything to life.

Kilbane is getting its own baking competition, and Siobhan is set to act as security during the competition. Things are a bit wonky from the start, then people start dying.
The story is well-designed and I had no idea for the longest time who the culprit might be. I enjoyed reading Murder at an Irish Bakery.
I think it’s a book that you could pick up and be able to follow without having read other books in the series. I have read some of the other books in the series and have found that the series is getting better as it goes along.
Come meet Siobhan, McDara and the O’Sullivan siblings.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

“No one should die in a baking competition.” Too true, Garda O’Sullivan, but you should know by now that a baking competition anonymously sponsored, at a fiscally endangered bakery located in a small town in Ireland is the perfect set up for murder, especially one that happens under your watch when all you want is to sample all the sweets. You did a great job solving the puzzles, and had me hanging on every step of the way as new details were cleverly revealed. My only disappointment is that I read the story too fast and have so long to wait for the next adventure.

Thank you to Kensington Books, Kensington Cozies and Netgalley for early access to Murder at an Irish Bakery by Carlene O'Connor.

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks to the publisher and the author. This is a book of mystery and intrigue. This talented author has written a whodunit with likable characters. This is a page turner. The story moves quickly. The setting is an important part of the story. Enjoy

In the 9th mystery in this well written cozy series, newlyweds Siobhan and her husband Macdara are, again, on the trail of a killer. As Garda Siobhan she will be on hand at the live reality baking show. Who would find anything to protest about a baking contest? Well somebody did and soon ends up dead. Accident or murder? Later death comes to the contest and the logical question becomes...were they connected?
I have enjoyed every one of the nine books in this series. Each has a satisfying twisty puzzle to follow and a cast of returning characters to catch up with. Siobhan is one of a large family - siblings taking each other with love and respect. The Irish setting is the best escape for the armchair traveler. Put is all together and this is a series (best read in order in my opinion) that should be on every cozy readers TBR.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

“ Murder at an Irish Bakery” the 9th instalment in the "Irish Village" Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. This is one of my many favourite cozy series and I loved this story!

Locals are simmering with excitement over the reality TV baking contest coming to town —until someone serves up a show-stopping murder that only Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan can solve.

All the talking about sweets and pastries had me drooling, for one to go with my tea as I read the story. The mystery is super interesting and well plotted, and loaded with red herrings. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy loving friends.


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I very much enjoyed this book. The setting and characters are always a fun place to visit and this time was no different - it was a fun and intriguing story. I love that the Irish countryside and culture are on display. The setting of a reality bake show competition allowed for some interesting interactions and much talk about food with amazing descriptions. There were a couple instances that seemed a little too much over the top and almost derailed the plot but the amount of fun in this book made it easy to overlook these few issues. The recipe at the end sounds fantastic! Many thanks to NetGalley and the author/publisher for receiving an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was a fun cozy mystery. It is the 9th in the series, but the first I read and I didn't have any trouble following along.
Our main character Siobhan is in the Irish police (Guarda). She is hired to work security at a baking competition in a local bakery. When a protestor falls down dead before the show even starts, everyone thinks it's just bad luck. But when one of the contestants is found face down in her pie, they start to think something else might be going on.
I really loved the atmosphere of this book. Anything in Europe just really piques my interest. This book takes place in the small town of Kilbane and it really does seem like the cutest Irish village. It made me want to get up and go there. The bakery is in an old flour mill (that doesn't run anymore) and the parts that were open to the public, I could almost smell the pastries. The parts that were closed were spooky and creepy but at the same time I felt like it would be fun to take a tour of it.
The characters were all likeable, Siobhan and her husband Macdara had a really cute relationship and Siobhan also had a really heartwarming relationship with all her siblings (she has like 6). I fell like there may have been other books in the series that went deeper into these relationships with her siblings and that alone makes me want to read the others in this series.
The plot was easy to follow and the pacing was good. I'm not really one to try to figure out "whodunnit" but that's how I enjoy reading mysteries, so I didn't figure it out until almost when it was obvious who it was. It made sense and came to a good conclusion.
I'm very interested to continue this series from the beginning and I'm happy I chose to read this one!

The town is excited as well as the garda. A cooking show competition will take place at the local bakery. A celebrated Irish baker will be the star of the competition. But things start off poorly with a protestor and things go from bad to worse as they work through a confusing puzzle. I loved this book.

Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan is elated when she is tasked with security for a televised baking show. She's hoping to nab free samples and see just how the professionals do it. When it's announced that one of the contestants is a celebrity cook who has published books and is about to write a memoir, the grounds are full of onlookers who want to meet the woman.

But there's a disturbance in the form of a young man who uses his bullhorn to disrupt the proceedings -- which haven't even begun yet. While the owner of Pie Pie Love (where the contest is being held in an old flour mill) asks her to get rid of him, she does her best. But it's not long before there's a tragic occurrence which changes the rules.

Now she and her fellow Garda, including her husband Macdara Flannery, are investigating more than baking gone wrong. It's murder. And they need to find a killer before anyone else is found dead in the mix...

This is the ninth book in the series, and I swear that they keep getting better. Of course, we have the O'Sullivan family members (all six of them) and watch their changes, as we have throughout the series. But this time, it's Siobhan's game, and she's on top of it. Her mind churns even as she samples devilish delights, and Flannery is willing to allow her to take the lead while he searches for facts.

It's obvious that one of the players is a killer; but is it one of the bakers, the owner of the bakery, or even the cameraman or his boss? With things happening around them, it appears that the killer is always one or two steps ahead, and they need to find out why. Watching Siobhan is the best part of the book, as I love how her mind thinks. She mentally theorizes, then uses that to sort fact from fiction.

Although I discovered the killer before her, it's probably because (and I have mentioned this enough to be ad nauseum) I read a lot of mysteries. I look for clues. It makes me enjoy the book more. But finding the killer was enough to make the entire book worthwhile. It was rather sad in itself, but worth the journey. And at the ending, all was as it should be (as of course we knew it would).

Journey to Ireland with Siobhan and the rest of the crew, and you will not regret it. It seems such a lovely place that I would like to visit it someday. Highly recommended.

I received an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley but this in no way influenced my review.

Murder at an Irish Bakery, Carlene O’Connor
5 *****

I read this over the course of 24 hours and I will definitely seek more from this author. The plot progressed naturally, as the mysteries developed in layers. Every revelation was well founded and natural. The characters were well drawn with telling details. Despite a goodly number of characters, I never got confused among them.

I enjoyed the bits of Irish terminology, both those I recognized and those that were new to me – one I figured out from context and the other was beautifully and subtly explained in the next sentence by the character’s response to the statement. (I think it was the only time I sort of stepped out for a minute to admire the writing craft rather than just being caught up in the story.)

I see this is the author’s 9th Irish Village mystery and I see why they’re so popular. Highly recommend!