Did Not Finish @20%

I will not tolerate abuse in real life [this was not always the case, but I am much braver now that I am no longer in my own abusive situation and will fight tooth and nail for those who are in the same situation], much less in a book series that used to be spectacular and has since devolved into one of the hottest messes I have tried to read. I disliked the previous book in the series quite a bit and was pretty sure I was going to skip any upcoming books, but decided to take a risk [because the first three books were just fantastic] on this new one and was sorry almost as soon as I started it. The abuse Megan takes from her girlfriend is dangerous. And diminishes the whole book. NO ONE SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH THAT EVER. Not that there needs to be any more of a reason, but you are dropped into the story not really knowing what is going on and it just gets more chaotic as the book goes on [and the abuse starts almost immediately] and I just found that I could not [and WILL NOT] read a book where the MC is being treated so badly.

I am very disappointed in this series and the author - I am not sure when it became okay to write book with abuse as something that everyone just deals with and mostly ignores, but in my book, it is NOT okay and I cannot support that.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This series used to be fun and interesting. I loved following along as Megan explored her new home of Dublin and got to know the various areas. Now, her girlfriend, Yelena, has been dominating the stories, the adventures have become relationship woes and all the fun has been sucked out of the books. I don’t begrudge anyone finding love but this is not a healthy relationship and I don’t feel that it adds anything to the story. The investigating was at a minimum because Megan spent most of the book wailing and moaning about her lost love. When the mystery was resolved, which it really didn’t feel like it was, it was so confusing that I am not sure exactly what happened. I am done with this series.

Interesting addition to the Dublin Driver Mystery series. A murder occurs during a whiskey festival that Megan and her friends are attending. Even though she promised, Megan just can't help getting involved in the case and trying to figure out whodunit.

Plenty of twists and turns in this one. Megan's personal life features heavily in this one. I'm glad things worked out as they did. Looking forward to reading whatever happens next.

For an easier understanding of the dynamics between Megan and her girlfriend, I recommend reading the previous book first.

Many thanks to Kensington Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

This is such a fun series. And I've got to say that even more than the mystery Megan solves in this book, I'm relieved to have another issue resolved. Jelena was fine, but the whole whining about Megan getting involved in solving murders was wearing extremely thin to me by Book 5. So. I'm happy that things came to an end there, and it was handled in a really realistic, relatable way. Even a way that made me feel sympathetic to both of them.

I love the little Irish-isms that the author teaches me through Megan, an expat in Dublin. And I love the look at Irish culture, whiskey, and murder :>)

Review copy provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Prepare to be whisked away to the heart of Dublin's whiskey festival in Catie Murphy's latest installment, "Death by Irish Whiskey." Limo driver Megan Malone is back in action, finding herself entangled in a double murder mystery that threatens to rock her world, despite her vow to stay out of trouble.

Murphy's writing shines through in this captivating blend of Irish humor, sleuthing, likable characters, and the irresistible charm of the Emerald Isle. From the bustling festival grounds to the cozy pubs, the author paints a vivid picture of Dublin that transports readers right into the heart of the action.

In "Death by Irish Whiskey," Murphy strikes a flawless balance between light hearted moments and gripping suspense, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as Megan delves deeper into the case. The intricate web of rivalries, secrets, and unexpected twists adds layers to the story, ensuring that there's never a dull moment.

Say goodbye to Jelena (yay)—the character readers love to hate—and hello to a more focused investigations led by Megan. With well-paced writing and a mystery packed with twists and turns, "Death by Irish Whiskey" keeps you hooked until the very end.

Overall, "Death by Irish Whiskey" is a delightful addition to the Dublin Driver Mystery series that will appeal to fans of cozy mysteries and Irish-themed novels. With its engaging plot, vibrant setting, and a cast of memorable characters, this book sets the stage for more thrilling adventures to come. Grab a glass of your favorite whiskey and dive into this charming tale—it's a journey you won't want to miss!

⚠️This review was written based on personal opinions and experiences with the book. Individual preferences may vary⚠️

Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy is a fast-paced mystery with lots of Irish Whiskey.

Will Megan Malone find the killer before another competitor dies?

This is the first book in this series I have read. It is set in Dublin, Ireland, and the author gives us an honest look at the countrymen. Her descriptions are wonderfully insightful and bring the entire setting to life.

Megan Malone, the Murder Driver
Our sleuth is Megan Malone. She is American and retired from a branch of the United States military. Megan lives with two Jack Russell terriers and her significant other. She has lived in Ireland for a while and has made some good friends who will stand by her no matter what.

I like Megan. She seems to have a good handle on her life, even if she isn’t lucky in love. Being an American, she uses it to her advantage at times.

The Mystery
At the Irish Whiskey competition, a local retired boxer and new whiskey brewer dies in a punch bowl. Megan is trying to stay out of the investigation, but her reputation as the Murder Driver keeps getting her dragged into the case. After another death and an equally dramatic personal issue, Megan is called to action, and she brings her A game.

The whole installment takes place in three days. Although the story moves fast, the clues are expertly hidden, and I didn’t get the whodunit until right as the sleuth figures it out. My favorite character is Uncle Rabbie. He is like the quintessential Irish grandpa.

Three Stars
My rating for Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy is three stars. I like the setting and the characters for the most part, yet I didn’t feel like it was calling to me. However, I would still suggest that you check it out. Stories don’t always resonate with everyone, and where this one didn’t with me, it may with you.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out Baroness Book Trove.

This is the latest book in The Dublin Driver series. Megan Malone finds herself caught up in a series of murders again. This time it is effecting her relationship with her significant other. I didn’t enjoy this one as much as the last one in this series that I read.

It’s a Dublin’s whiskey festival and they’re on the search for the best local/amateur brew. When contestants start turning out dead there’s gonna be more than sorrows, drowning in your whiskey glass.


Limo Driver Megan Malone, locally known Murder Driver. She has a habit of stumbling over dead bodies. When one of the contestants of the whiskey making contest is found dead in the punch bowl, Megan does everything she possibly can to avoid getting involved. But then, when her uncle’s recipe whines up in a dead man’s pocket, it’s all she can do to stay away.

This was my first forte into the series, and while I did find the story entertaining it was not the best book as an introduction. Death by Irish Whiskey is a twisty mystery, but yet I find it to be more of a character building novel as Megan is faced with some tough choices about her relationship in the story. I did like the cast of characters. Megan’s pals are quite funny and entertaining. Although Megan did not get fully involved in the solving of the murder, I can see how she would have loved to be more involved. I really love the diversity that we saw it within the story. Kudos to the author.

This book is the fifth book in the Dublin Driver Mysteries, and I chose it because of an upcoming trip to Ireland. The story follows Megan Malone the so-called "murder driver" because she has a tendency to stumble upon murders and then later solve them.

This time, the story is set at an Irish Whiskey festival, where small-time distillers are vying for a spot as the top whiskey maker. When one famous maker dies at one of the events and the recipe for Megan's uncle's whiskey is found in the dead man's pocket, Megan knows she has to investigate.

This story was good, although it took me a while to get into. I was able to get into it and enjoyed the story. I had not read any of the previous books in the series, and although it did not matter much, I think it would have been helpful to have read some previous books to understand why Megan's girlfriend is so upset with her about being present when the dead man was found.

I enjoyed this story and I'm excited for the taste of Ireland it provided.

The competition for best whiskey in Ireland will be a publicity bonanza for the winner, and that means there are celebrities involved—like boxer Angus McConal and Megan’s friend Niamh, an up-and-coming actress who’s teamed up with Megan’s uncle, the retired Sligo harbormaster. But rivalries and revelries turn out to be a bad blend when McConal dies at a whiskey tasting. Megan promised her girlfriend she’d quit her amateur sleuthing, but with Niamh and her uncle as suspects, she’s over a barrel .
. .A man is found dead in the punch bowl. Who is responsible for his death?
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. This in no way affects my opinion of this book.

Death by Irish Whiskey by Catie Murphy is part of a continuing series, this being the first one I’ve read. Megan is an American woman, relocated to Ireland. For a living she drives a limousine for Leprechaun Limousines. For a life, she lives with and loves Jelena, a woman from Poland. She also has her uncle Rabbie who is not really her uncle, but probably a second cousin. Uncle simplifies things. She has met interesting people driving the limo, including her best friend, movie star, Niamh and Niamh’s boyfriend, police detective Paul Bourke. They were all at the whiskey festival, along with hundred of others. Robbie had a whiskey entered. As did Hannah Flanagan, a podcaster who was kind of a pest, but from an old and established whiskey family. Angus McConal was the face of another brand, but sadly he had just fallen over dead. It was quite the conundrum, when another of Megan’s customers, the very wealthy Carmen de la Fuente called for her, across the room. She could be heard every where. Paul was immediately excused from the investigation as he was too closely involved and Jelena excused herself from Megan’s life, as this murder business had happened once too often for her.

Megan didn’t really investigate. She just asked questions and listened carefully. Paul respected that, the detective on the case, Dirvla Reese, did not. Angus McConal had been a boxer before this whiskey distilling business. Why would anyone kill him? Well, aside from his women, of course. The next morning another distiller, Sean Keane, died. What was going on here? Now Megan and all those involved with the whiskey distillers were wary, even as Megan was warning them to not talk to Hannah, who always had her phone on record. It was a good mystery and these characters were fun. It was fun to listen to Irish idioms at the same time Megan was trying to explain her American ones. Yes, they did figure out the killer, but not until one more person died. Good setting, pacing could be better, fabulous characters, and an interesting setting. Also, two dogs. What more could a cozy mystery want? Thanks Ms. Murphy for an entertaining book.

I was invited to read Death by Irish Whiskey by Kensington Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #Kensington #CatieMurphy #DeathByIrishWhiskey

I'm a fan of Catie Murphy since I read The Walker Paper and this cozy series is another winner. Megan, the characters, and the plot are always great, entertaining and surprising.
I strongly recommend this one and hope to read another soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Megan the Murder Driver is back, to support her uncle in a local whiskey competition. When one of the competitors suddenly dies, she switches gears to investigate, despite having promised her partner, Jelena, that she would avoid playing detective.

Murphy is a solid writer, and I always enjoy her work and spending time with the characters she creates. This series feels 'real' in a way that cozies sometimes don't, probably because in real life, people would start avoiding someone who had so many deaths around them, and I wouldn't think an amateur sleuth would have a long life expectancy, either.

In Death by Irish Whiskey, though, something just never gelled completely for me. Maybe it was my irritation with Megan for risking her relationship with Jelena to investigate, especially when she's good friends with one of the detectives, and really has no reason to be poking her nose in.

This book, and the previous one, have had a LOT more characters in them than the earlier entries in the series, so it was great seeing Megan interact more with some of the secondary characters, like Carmen and Niamh. Unfortunately, Megan had time to do so because Jelena left. No spoilers, so I won't say whether they patched it up in the end or not, but Megan was definitely distracted because of her self-inflicted relationship woes during this case.

Why you should read it: Even though this isn't my favorite in the series so far, it's a nice puzzle with people you'll enjoy reading about.

Why you might not want to read it: If you would put a relationship before risking your life as an amateur sleuth, you might give this one a pass and pick up the next book.

3.6 out of 5 stars, rounded to 4

I received an advance copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Summary
Megan Malone, is an American living in Ireland and working as a limo driver. She has earned herself the nickname of “Murder Driver” because, since she started at her job, she has developed an unfortunate tendency to find herself swept up in murder investigations. It turns out she’s really gifted at solving mysteries, but her girlfriend, Jelena, does not appreciate Megan’s nickname or her involvement in murder mysteries. In fact, it is endangering their relationship.

When Megan and Jelena are at the Dublin Whiskey Festival’s opening party, one of the competitors ends up dead in a punch bowl. Jelena is furious with Megan because she knows that Megan will not be able to resist getting involved. Megan realizes this is likely to be true because her Uncle Rabbie and close friend Niamh are competing in the festival, and they may well fall under suspicion. The question is whether Megan can protect Rabbie and Niamh, solve the murder, and keep her relationship from falling apart.

My Thoughts
This is the 5th in the Dublin Driver Mystery Series.
I very much enjoyed this book. It had a well-crafted mystery with a good number of suspects, clues, and red herrings. The characters were well-developed, and the recurring ones were very likable. The plot was nicely developed and nicely paced.

Because I hadn’t read the other books in the story, the first chapter felt a bit overwhelming because of the number of characters, but I quickly figured out who everyone was.

Megan is a great lead character. She’s smart, funny, charming, nurturing, and compassionate. I was touched by the wise advice she gave to some of the younger characters. Her self-control is impressive because though she was willing to speak her mind, she knew when holding her tongue was better for the investigation. Fluent in Spanish since her childhood, she also knows some Polish, is studying Yoruba, and wants to learn Irish. Before moving to Ireland, she was an army medic, so she’s also willing to offer medical assistance in emergencies. Plus, she’s got great fashion sense. All around, an amazing character.

The story has a great Irish atmosphere. The author does a magnificent job of writing the Irish accent. She incorporates details about Dublin and Irish culture in a very natural and authentic way. The author lives in Ireland, and had I not known she grew up in the US, I wouldn’t have suspected she had. Too often I find people writing stories based in countries other than their own go so over the top with “local color” that the book actually feels inauthentic - a tourist’s view of what the place is rather than a local’s. That was not the case here. Catie Murphy clearly knows what it is like to live in Ireland.

I was a little bit concerned with having whiskey as a central theme because I know very little about whiskey. I feel like I learned, and actually would enjoy learning more.

I will definitely be seeking out the other books in this series!

I received a free eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy this series. I like all of the characters and the setting, the fact the MC is American and is in Ireland makes it interesting to me since I've never been to Ireland. The mystery kept me guessing.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for my eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 5 in the series and it brings about some changes for our favorite driver! Megan crosses paths with another dead body (she can't help it) and because her favorite policeman is there and potentially involved, he can't investigate. So Megan will have to use his guidance from afar and try to work with someone she doesn't like (and doesn't like her), to try to clear her uncle, and keep more bodies from piling up. A quick read, this is a fun take on a whiskey promotional festival, and helps to set up the next couple of books in the series.

Megan of course must investigate when one of the competitors in a whiskey competition is murdered- and is found with her uncle's recipe in his pocket. This latest in the series can be read as a standalone but it might be most appreciated by those familiar with the characters. This time out, the mystery is a tad more complicated and the humor less obvious but it still has the charm of an ex-pat in Ireland. Know that there's a heavy focus on Meghan's relationship. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Not my favorite of the series but it's always nice to spend time with Meghan and the crew.

Megan and pals are headed to an Irish Whiskey competition, but when one of the competitors drops dead things start looking dicey for the other competitors. Can Megan figure out who offed the competition and appears to be out for the others before another body hits the floor or will she be watching as her friends and loved ones become victims too? With bodies dropping and her personal life in turmoil, Megan needs to scramble if she is going to be able to sort the clues and save her relationships. The characters of this series are so well crafted that they feel as if they are standing next to you rather than just being read off a page. The plot of this story was woven tremendously well showing the angst of personal life while mixing the mystery of murder throughout the story. I am so absolutely engrossed in these characters that I am on pins and needles already waiting for the next book to come out so I can see what happens in Megan's life next! FYI: You really do need to read the entire series in order or you will be completely lost in the relationships and the backstory. Plus, it is hours of entertainment that you don't want to miss out on!

This latest outing in the ex-pat American living in Dublin, Megan Malone, mysteries takes place at an Ireland-wide whisky competition. Unfortunately, Megan’s uncle is implicated in the death of a rival distiller. As Megan tries to help him, her relationship with her girlfriend flounders as Megan, once again, involves herself in solving a whodunnit. I usually enjoy this series very much for the people, locations and the mysteries. This time, there was so much attention on Megan’s personal relationship and the accompanying depressing aspects of a break-up that I just didn’t enjoy this cozy that much. I look forward to the next in this series as Megan moves on.

3.5/5 ⭐️

The latest Dublin Driver mystery finds Megan involved in a murder that takes place at a whiskey festival. She especially must investigate as her uncle’s whiskey recipe was found in the dead man’s pocket.

This one was slower for me than others in this series. I still enjoyed it and we got a lot more characters along with Megan so it was fun to see those people involved. I do wish it had been spread out across more days so we could have maybe gotten more clues and sleuthing. But I am interested in where the next mystery will go as it seems like Megan’s friends Raf and Sara will be visiting from the states! I do like too that Megan is leaning more into solving the mysteries.

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