Love when I find a new author and Ellie Brannigan has a way of building characters, intertwined with humor and of course a mystery to be solved. Rayne McGrath is so excited! Celebrated turning 30 with her BBF the night before and now a meeting with the bank to expand her designer wedding business on the exclusive Rodeo Dr, Meeting her boyfriend and business partner at the boutique to strategize first she was daydreaming of the celebration tonight and hopefully a engagement ring. But he wasn’t there and she can’t get into the shop, there is something jammed in the keyhole. And the rest of her day only gets worst. Then her mom tells her that her favorite uncle in Ireland has passed away and she is needed there for the reading of the will.
Broke and upset about all Rayne is going through her mom tells her to getaway and fly to her uncle’s castle. Only problems seems to be added to Rayne. She now owns a castle and her uncle has several requests of which one is sharing responsibility with his daughter, a cousin she never knew she had. Plus her cousin thinks her dad was murdered.
Several twists and turns which will keep you turning pages. Love the quirkiness of the characters and looking forward to reading more. And the narrator was fantastic! Thank you NetGalley for this eARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #MurderatanIrishCastle

This sounded like the perfect mystery for me. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Not. At. ALL.
[Turns out that this is the pseudonym of another author I have read and disliked. I wish I had known this ahead of time. Sigh.]

1. The MC and the main secondary character are completely unlikeable. 100% unlikeable. Rayne [the American] is so out of touch it is unbelievable. I like nice things, but my whole life doesn't revolve around them; I only wish that was the case for Rayne - she loves an expensive label. WHO travels to Ireland and not check the weather [even if she is upset..I mean really]? She was there when she was 11 but didn't remember that IT. WAS. A. FARM?? So she brings white and cream and cashmere? Seriously? Google is a great thing; she should have utilized it [INSERT MASSIVE EYE ROLL]. Unfortunately, Ciara isn't much better; she is a whiny, entitled, obstinate, self-centered, judgmental, defensive, snarky, arrogant woman who was born out of wedlock and thinks the world owes her something because she was dealt a bad hand. PUH-leese [like she is the only woman who has ever been dealt a bad hand. She might have found a kindred spirit in Rayne had Rayne felt the need to SHARE ANY OF HER OWN LIFE, but I digress...]. Neither women even TRIES to understand where the other is coming from [it IS a bit outrageous to expect Rayne to drop her whole life and business to run the Castle; I have to admit that I was a bit baffled by this] and it is constant snipping and bashing and OH MY GOSH JUST SHUT UP ALREADY. And Rayne's entitlement is totally outrageous ["I MUST HAVE INTERNET. RIGHT NOW" <--insert eye rolling again]; like she is the only one who exists because she is from AMERICA.

2. There is really no mystery. I mean there is, but not really. It is just a lot of snarking between the women mixed with some other stuff. I was so not surprised at the ending/reveal. Meh.

3. Do I really need to know what the MC thinks of the thighs of a man she just met? Especially when she is supposedly devastated from her boyfriend absconding? I like a good looking man as much as anyone else, but this was written in such an EW way, that it felt skeevey and not admiring.

4. I am pretty sure the author has never stepped foot in Ireland and am totally unsure if she actually knows anyone who is from Ireland. There is so much stereotyping that more eye-rolling happened [I am pretty sure my eyes are now broken] - perhaps if there is another one, the editor or publisher should think about getting an Irish proofreader. Seriously. It is borderline offensive in parts.

5. That end. Seriously? I mean, ugh. NO. U G H. It is official, my eyes are completely broken from rolling so hard.

The best part of the book is the dog. He is fantastic. I loved him.

I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook before publication and other than the dog in the book, this was the best part of the whole read. While I didn't love all of her "Irish" accents, I am not as put off by them as some of the other reviewers were. For the most part, I really enjoyed the narrator and how she told the [awful] story. My dislike of the book had absolutely nothing to do with the narration and I will look for her in other books that are on my list. I am glad that something decent came out of this awful read. ;-)

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Brannigan, Traci Odom - Narrator, Crooked Lane Books and Dreamscape Media for providing book and audiobook ARC's in exchange for an honest review.

**NOTE: The four-star rating is for the narration ONLY, not for the book. While I highly recommend the narrator, I cannot recommend this book or audiobook, but it is not because of the narration**

I love this book and it's the first in a new cozy mystery series can't wait for more. The characters in the series are fun and well-developed. Add a dog to the story and the fact it takes place in Ireland and you have me. I wish I had an Uncle to leave me an Irish family and castle. I loved how Traci Odom narrated this book and I hope she is able to narrate future books in the series. Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie Brannigan, and Dreamscape Media, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

THERE ARE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the arc of this book. This book was very cute and wholesome. I loved the the cousins coming together as found family and bonding. The setting and writing is very cute and whimsical as well! There were multiple times I audibly gasped at what was going; especially at the beginning in the first chapter. That first chapter really hooks you! There were just a few things I didn't like. The first being the conflict of Landon that we're introduced to in the very beginning ended in such a lackluster way. The mystery of what happened, is she going to get answers, have they found him is sprinkled throughout the novel. But then he's just found in Costa Rica at the very end of the book. It felt like a very lackadaisical way to solve that problem. I also wished that we got to see more romance between Rayne and Amus. I know that she's grieving what happened to her with Landon, but the set up is there, the supporting characters all joke about them dating and nothing comes of it. It left something to be desired. We're also left wondering if the castle and town are even going to survive at the end of the book. Rayne and Kira still have the issue of having no money; only that they know who's been stealing from the castle. Maybe if there's a sequel to this book we'll see how everything turns out with the castle and any future romances, but the ending just left a lot to be desired. 3.5/5 stars

3.5 ⭐️ I enjoyed the story, but it does not match the feel of the title. The cover, however, does fit the story.
It has mystery and some well-developed characters. The suspense factor isn't as dynamic.

The description;
“Featuring a sharp and endearing protagonist, a colorful and quirky locale, and twists and turns befitting an old Irish village, the first in Ellie Brannigan’s mystery series transports listeners to a milieu as romantic as it is deadly.”

Rayne was endearing as a protagonist. The people and village were colorful and quirky.
There were not so many twists and turns. Did the story need more? No, but it’s not a good selling point. The setting could be romantic, and there were hints of possible romance to come if this is a series. There is no romance in the book. I would be disappointed if I wanted to read a suspenseful romance novel.
If this were promoted without that last description, I would not have been disappointed. I feel like this story was about heartbreak and family. The murder was a side note.

I cannot wait to continue on with this series!! I just need more!

This is the first book in the new series, Irish Castle Mysteries, and I feel like I have been reading this series for years. The setting is incredible, and the character development is fantastic. One book in and I am completely invested.

Rayne, down and out on her luck, gets news of her uncle's untimely death. She is summoned to Ireland for the reading of the will. She has a pretty big inheritance coming her way... with a catch.

The writing is clever and witty. I look forward to seeing what the future holds for the cast and the town. I did not figure out the mystery in this book and was surprised by the reveal. Also, the dog steals the show!

I received the audio version of this book from NetGalley for an honest review. The narrator, Traci Odom, did a great job. Highly Recommend.

Murder at an Irish Castle

This is EXACTLY the type of mystery story I love! Rayne McGrath is a wedding dress designer ready to launch her business to the next level with an investor that she and her boyfriend were working to impress. It's her birthday and the day of the investor meeting, what could be better? Apparently everything because she arrives at her boyfriend's house to find him gone, her money gone, her dresses in progress gone. That same day she finds out her uncle from Ireland has died and she has to fly out immediately to hear about his will. Imagine her shock when she is put in charge of the failing castle and village her uncle ran OVER her cousin who was her uncle's illegitimate daughter. What a mess right? Oh it gets better, they believe the uncle was murdered but WHO could have done it?!

I swear if someone tells me they guessed who did it before it was revealed I'm calling them a liar. HAHA I would not have guessed who it was. This book was an easy 5 stars for me. It had everything and the mystery was fun to follow. I am very interested in more from this series ASAP.

With this book due to release on February 7 you need to run not walk to preorder it.

#MurderAtAnIrishCastle #EllieBrannigan
#CozyMystery #MurderMystery #ARC
#NetGalley #DreamscapeMedia #TraciOdomNarrator

I wanted to love Murder at an Irish Castle. On her 30th birthday, Rayne’s boyfriend leaves her, taking all of her money and the wedding dresses she’s made with him. As the police search for him, Rayne heads to Ireland for her uncle’s funeral and finds out she’s inherited a castle, but with stipulations. And the uncle’s death was murder.

Rayne was fine enough as a character on paper, kind of a fish out of water, but creative and determined. I just never really connected to her. Why didn’t she check the weather before she packed for Ireland? Why does she not have any normal clothes? Yes, I get that she loves fashion and comes from Hollywood, but it’s no wonder her cousin, Ciare, calls her princess. Ciare thought she was going to inherit the castle and is angry that Rayne got it instead. But Ciare is angry and mean and prickly almost the entire book. It’s a bit too much. She and Rayne need to work together, I don’t understand why she would be just so constantly irritating. The castle and town are full of quirky characters, including of course a love interest for Rayne.

The mystery was good. We had several suspects, a few good clues, and several red herrings.

I listened to the audio and enjoyed the narrator’s accents. The narration was smooth and she did a good job distinguishing between characters.

Overall, this is a fun, light cozy. I loved the Irish castle setting and will probably read the second in the series when it comes out just to see how Rayne’s ideas turn out. And hopefully the cousins will get along better after this first bumpy meeting.

3-1/2 stars rounded up to 4 stars

Congratulations Ellie Brannigan on your debut novel and Book 1 in your new mystery series. The narrator Tracy Odom did a fine job with both Irish and American accents, female and male. This is a "cozy mystery", the sub-genre being relatively new to me. I am a huge mystery/thriller/crime/police procedural reader, but now that I have a bit more time in my life, I am adding some sub-genres, such as this. IMO, they don't replace the on-the-edge-of-my-seat thrillers, but they satisfy my love of novels set in Ireland, Scotland, or the UK (most of Europe frankly), so I requested this from NetGalley. And I would like to thank NetGalley, the audio publisher, Dreamscape Media, and the author, Ellie Brannigan for this audio ARC.

The main character, 30 year old Rayne, lives and works in Beverly Hills, owning her own bridal salon. She will soon upend her life with a move to Ireland, home of her deceased father and now uncle. It turns out that Rayne's steady boyfriend left her high and dry on her birthday, as well as absconded with all her money, the wedding gowns, etc. That's a whole lotta drama for just the beginning of this novel. Whew!

The rest of the novel now takes place in a small Irish village where the "castle" has been in the McGrath family for decades and many townspeople depend on them for their livelihood. Rayne has been left the castle by her uncle, whose recent death may not have been from natural causes - hence the mystery. We meet Ciara (Key-r-a), her uncle's daughter, a result of an affair 30 years ago, and Rayne's cousin. Ciara is the most irritating and annoying character, which brings even more drama than being dumped by a boyfriend and finding out your uncle may have been murdered. On the positive end, I loved hearing about the amazing meals that the cook made, and I laughed at the antics of some of the Irish castle employees who are either in awe of Rayne or have much disdain for her and her fancy clothes and shoes (Jimmy Choos, etc.). Rayne falls in love with Blarney, a dog on their property, and their relationship is sealed. I was happy that Rayne has a very close relationship with her Hollywood actress mother, TG, no stereotype there (other than calling her mom by her first name - lol). There's a caveat.....Rayne must bring the defunct castle back to its prime so that the owners, employees, and towns people can earn a real living...all in ONE YEAR'S TIME.

Wondering what happened to the boyfriend who duped Rayne and ran off with her money and bridal gowns? It was weird that Rayne wasn't very involved in dealing with police and focused solely on life at the castle, but there is an ending to it....that I won't spoil. Either way, I recommend this as a good, light read that won't freak you out or scare you, and you'll learn some interesting things about starting a new business and some Irish lore.

Publisher's Blurb:
Rodeo Drive bridal-wear designer Rayne McGrath expected her thirtieth birthday to start with a power lunch and end with champagne, lobster, and a diamond engagement ring from her fiancé. Instead, flat-broke and busted, she’s on a plane to Ireland where she discovers that she’s inherited a run-down family castle. Uncle Nevin’s will contains a few caveats—for example, if Rayne doesn’t turn McGrath Castle around within a year, the entire village will be financially destroyed.

I cannot with this premise. Why must we humble women? I am not interested. The main character is 30 but she’s written like she’s 50. We’re immediately served someone who we’re told is career obsessed, marriage obsessed, goals obsessed. Why? Why do we need to see this woman brought low? I hate when cozies do this. Not for me.

This is the first in a new series and I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. I hope the future books will have more mystery because that’s all I felt was missing. I listened to the audio version and the narrator was fun! I will definitely be looking for the next ones in the series.

Rayne McGrath starts her 30th Birthday with a shock! Not exactly what she was expecting but from a bad situation something worse happened.
Rayne’s beloved Uncle passed away In Ireland and she was summoned to go, only to find out she had inherited the family castle.

This is where the story takes off and while it is sad her Uncle was gone, it was suspicious how he died, so everyone is a suspect and the mystery of who would want her Uncle dead spurs on the investigation and if that’s not enough, she needs to stay there a year and make the castle thrive with the help of her Uncle’s illegitimate daughter or lose all that was promised.

This is the first story in this series and I completely enjoyed listening to it and fell in love with the characters and all that Ireland has to offer in this quaint town.
There are many stories that could easily come from this first book and I look forward to the next installment and definitely recommend it!

4 Happy stars!

Much thanks to Ellie Brannigan, Dreamscape Media, and Netgalley for allowing me to listen to a free eaudiobook in exchange for an honest review.

Spoilers

If you're looking for a juicy mystery, you won't find it here. This is primarily a women's fiction story about a woman who not only loses everything but who also has to move to Ireland or she'll destroy hundreds of lives. I'm honestly impressed she was able to function; that kind of stress would have me in the psych ward gorked on tranqs.

There is a murder mystery, but you're not going to be on the edge of your seat chewing your nails down to the quick as the main character goes about sleuthing and flirting with danger. The little bit of sleuthing she does really doesn't even count because she needed to go over those accounts regardless. She spends far more time hanging with/arguing with her housemates---estatemates?---and figuring out how to get her wedding dress business up and running again than she does looking for clues or interviewing witnesses. Doesn't help that the primary witness is a dog.

I loved that dog, though. ;)

Even if viewed as women's fiction, the story meanders. MC goes on a "date," explores the culture, tours the estate, spends way too much time shopping for fabrics---skipped that---setting up a workspace---skipped that---and trying to find room for all her designer clothes---definitely skipped that. It almost felt like the author had an idea for a story---cliched as that idea may be---but didn't know how to execute it. Or didn't know how to reach the word quota and just started throwing in filler scenes. No tension, except when Keira and David were around being walking conflicts.

God, they were unlikeable, Keira especially. Whiny, entitled, obstinate, self-centered, judgmental, defensive, snarky, arrogant. Born out of wedlock and thinks the world owes her something because she was dealt a bad hand. I couldn't stand her. The MC was likeable and sympathetic, but I didn't relate to her much because she has a WAY different lifestyle and interests than me.

It didn't help that the narrator, Traci Odom, portrayed the Irish women with rather high-pitched tones. Keira's was the highest, and at times I actually physically cringed when she spoke. I really hated Keira scenes, and she was the foremost secondary character, so she was around a lot. And just to be clear, I blame the narrator's performance, not an Irish accent in general. Her Irish men's tones were fine and so was the MC's American accent. But for some reason the voices she gave the Irish women grated. Unfortunate.

I'm inclined to say that if this is any kind of mystery, it's more of a cozy, but I hesitate because I don't read many cozies. For all I know it's common in cozies for cops to be so inept that they don't investigate the victim's final days or question if the victim kept a journal until over a week after the homicide. Or if it's common in cozies for the MC to not have a relationship, friendly or romantic, with a cop or PI. Makes sleuthing a lot easier if they do.

Overall, this was not my kind of book. Couldn't relate to the MC, wasn't overly fond of any of the secondaries---except Blarney, such a sweetie pie---and was underwhelmed by the confused genre/plot.

Additional nitpick: [Thinking on it, I find I'm rather confused on the uncle's death. To my understanding, he was originally thought to have been killed in a tractor accident, but the ME's report reveals he actually overdosed on heart medication---while he was mowing, and the tractor crashed because, ya know, dead driver.

What baffles me is something that's said toward the end: the villain cut the hydraulic lines of the tractor. The book had lost my full attention by then, so it's entirely possible I misunderstood---and if that's the case, my profuse apologies for this rant---but cutting the hydraulic lines makes absolutely zero sense.

1. Per my dad, who has lived and worked on farms his entire life and uses machinery, including tractors with mowing attachments, regularly: "Modern hydraulic lines are usually covered by braided stainless steel mesh and rubber on top of that. Cutting a hydraulic line would be a fairly aggressive process and quite obvious. It'd be easier to just loosen a fitting so only a slow leak would occur. Fittings work loose all the time, far less suspicious. I had trouble with my Bobcat last summer because one hydraulic hose fitting was loose by just a quarter turn. Tightened it up, has worked fine since."

2. If the villain had cut the hydraulic hoses despite how difficult it probably would have been to do so---well, first, you only would have needed to cut one hose---also, I don't remember if the villain was to have done this before or after the uncle's death; I'm going to assume beforehand, because doing it after would make even less sense. Anyway, if the villain had cut the lines, it wouldn't have mattered. Nothing would have happened, except the attachment wouldn't work---assuming they cut the lines to the attachment and not the tractor's steering. Well, doesn't matter, the point is the same---the hydraulic fluid would have leaked out where it was parked, and without fluid, the steering wouldn't work at all. Period. Or the bucket wouldn't lift, the mower wouldn't engage, etc. Just like a brake line on your car---even if the brakes themselves are perfectly sound, without brake fluid in the lines, they aren't going to work.

Whiiiich means that if the hydraulic hoses had been cut preemptively, the Uncle wouldn't have been mowing that day at all, unless they could have acquired and replaced the hoses within the day, which I doubt. But assuming they couldn't fix it that quickly, Uncle wouldn't have been out mowing that evening, which means there wouldn't have been a tractor accident. He would have perhaps been relaxing at home when he died. So if the author wanted the uncle's death occurring in a tractor accident, wanted him ostensibly killed by said accident, cutting the hydraulics would make that impossible. Thus my confusion.

All I can figure is that mentioning the tractor had been tampered with made David, the unofficial mechanic, appear more guilty. So, unless I misunderstood something, that was an epic fail of a red herring.

Murder at an Irish Castle, a debut cozy mystery, features a resourceful main character, Rayne McGrath. She has the worst birthday ever, ruining her personal life and professional career, and then receives news of her uncle’s demise. With significant help from her mother, Hollywood star of a long-running family show (I adored the homey “swearing”—please keep this if made into a series), Rayne leaves her home in LA and attempts to save the family castle that she unexpectedly inherits. However, some of the villagers are happy to see her while others are decidedly not. These characters were well drawn—both the likable and unlikable ones. I especially liked her cousin and the initial animosity between them as well as the endearing canine, Blarney. The Irish setting was a big win and I am certain this will be a draw for many, especially with this beautiful cover to highlight it. Who does not want to explore what owning a castle would be like? The writing style was easy to settle into and the story unfolds at a nice pace. While the plot was strong overall, the solving of the mystery was the weakest part—the ultimate “twist” felt like a stretch for me and I admit that I did not guess it. The found family element and learning about the culture in Ireland more than made up for any inadequacy in the plot. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would read further in a series. I really believe there is room for these characters to grow and the estate to progress. The narrator was absolutely lovely and I felt the accents were especially well done. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Ellie Brannigan's first in series is a breath of Ireland. Little did Rayne McGrath, wedding dress designer to the L.A. elite, realize her 30th birthday would alter her life so dramatically. She certainly never expected to find herself ensconced in the family castle in Ireland with her business in L.A., California. Rayne is an amazing protagonist, at once strong, resilient, and caring. This book skillfully weaves relationship and character development into the investigation of a potential murder and family secrets. There are so many stories yet to be told, and I look forward to more of the McGrath family.

The narrator did an excellent job with American and Irish accents, as well as male and female voices.

📚🎧 Audio Book Review 🎧
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Murder at an Irish Castle
Written by Ellie Brannigan
Narrated by Traci Odom
published/produced by Dreamscape Media
👉🏻 Swipe for more!

Overall:
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Story:
📘📘.5
Narration:
🎙🎙🎙🎙️

I had high hope for this cosy mystery set in Ireland. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. Very little of the story revolved around the actually mystery. I understand the first book in a series needs to set the scene for the remaining books, but this one went off track. The mystery is a central theme to how the characters end up where they are, yet maybe 10% or less was the mystery. If I’m reading a cozy mystery, I need MYSTERY! I will likely read the next book in the series because I like the premise, but this one fell flat.

This book was good a mystery that I couldn't tell who the killer was I had suspects but it wasn't who i thought it was. I like to see where these characters go in future books that for sure..

What a wonderful new series! The cast of characters is extremely well-developed with back stories that add depth to their characters that is usually not found until you are several books into a series. I am loving the characters and being set in an Irish castle is a delightful setting that really kicks the plot into high gear! The characters need to figure out if there was a murder and if so who committed the crime while trying to figure out how to relate to each other and how to live together. The plot is truly wonderful with so many layers that you will be wonderfully entertained for hours to come! I absolutely can not wait to read the next book in the series as there is so much more for these characters to figure out! The narration absolutely made the book come to life. I think this series is going to be the newest to hit my "must listen" list!!!

Murder at an Irish Castle (Audible version)

While this was a great story. It was well thought out and contained fun characters and a bit of humor.

I would give the book itself (if it were a physical or eBook copy) an overall rating of 4 stars.

The narrator did an amazing job and I would give her 5 stars.

This review is based on the audio recording that I listened to.

The technical difficulties were abundant.

I listened to the book on my tablet while at home and my phone (as it’s synced to my car) when I’m driving.

When I would switch devices, it would go back to the beginning of the chapter that I was listening to on that particular device (when I was lucky). Sometimes it would go back to the beginning of the book.

This makes it extremely difficult and frustrating to find where I was in the story as all of the chapters in the Table of Contents only have the name of the book listed for each individual chapter instead of the chapters number or maybe a title for each individual chapter.

I loved all of this!!
The family relationships aren’t easy, but they don’t give up on them. There are cultural differences that they work through as well. I loved the development that happens throughout the book.
It was a unique to see Rayne’s life fall apart in the first chapters and then see how that played out in the rest of the novel. That was a good under current while she was also trying to rescue the castle and town.
The mystery is woven in with Rayne’s management of the castle and learning the people and the town. All parts of the story are woven together really well. So there aren’t separate parts to evaluate. It is all one flowing story. Even the solution to the mystery flows with other parts.
There are also hints as to where the story is going. I can’t wait for book 2!