Cruel Winter is a very well written cozy mystery. I loved the setting of Ireland and the pub.. The book has a smooth flowing plot and an excellent cast of unusual and quirky characters. The characters are trying to solve a decades old murder. If you enjoy a good mystery I recommend this book.

When a snowstorm threatens tiny Leap, in Ireland, and as Maura Donovan's pub battens down the hatches to prepare, I was ready to be entertained. Not wanting to turn any travelers away, Maura keeps the pub open and is rewarded with several folks, looking to ride out the storm. Within this limited pool of characters, one is discovered to have been the chief suspect in a two decades old murder. In this framework, Diane relates the story of what happened the night of that long ago murder, with help from some of the long memories of the townsfolk. The groups acts as jury, with Maura in charge, all listening and proposing other ideas of how the crime may have been committed. And while it got a bit repetitious at times, I liked how they group was able to come to other conclusions. Although the fifth in a long running series, it would read well alone because of the way this story is told.

Connolly has chosen an interesting device to tell and solve a mystery and it mostly works. I hadn't read the earlier books in the series but I read all of this without actually realizing it was the third book. Some of this is a little illogical but it's a genial read and a breather from the usual cozy format. I liked Maura even though she was a little silly occasionally. THanks to Netgalley for the ARC- I'm going to look for more from Connolly.

Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly is the sixth book in A County Cork Mystery series. Maura Donovan owns Sullivan’s Pub in Leap, Ireland. Maura inherited the pub from Old Mick Sullivan nine months ago, after the death of her grandmother. This is Maura’s first winter is Ireland and she is unprepared (she had originally only planned to spend a week in Ireland). Maura heads to Sullivan’s to check in with Mick Nolan, her bartender. A big snow storm is expected to come through that night and Maura is unsure what to do to prepare for it (she is from Boston where they have big snowstorms frequently). It turns out that other people do not want to stay home alone during the storm and decide to visit the pub. One of pub’s patrons turns out to be Diane Wolfe Caldwell. Diane was questioned in the murder of her neighbor, Sharon Morgan twenty years ago. In the court of public opinion, Diane was found guilty. The murder is still unsolved. Maura decides that this is the perfect opportunity to hear Diane’s story and get some answers (Maura wants to prove that Diane did not commit the crime).

Cruel Winter is nicely written and can be read alone (the author provides the necessary background information on Maura and how she ended up in Ireland). I did, though, find the pace of the novel to be extremely slow. The story takes place over the course of one day (a very long, drawn out day). I give Cruel Winter 3 out of 5 stars. The mystery is one that plays out over the course of the novel. Most readers will be able to figure out the whodunit before the reveal. I did find some elements of the story to be unrealistic. Maura knew winter was coming, but she has no winter clothes (wouldn’t you purchase some clothes if you did not bring them with you). Maura has been responsible for the pub for nine months, but she has no clue how it is run. I found it odd that after living in Boston, Maura has no idea on how to prepare for a storm (making sure you have fuel, food, batteries, blankets, water). There is some information that is repeated throughout the novel (how Maura only planned to stay in Ireland one week and facts about the murder). For some reason, Maura felt it necessary to keep recapping the facts presented about the murder. I found Cruel Winter to be atypical for Sheila Connolly. I have read her other cozy mysteries and enjoyed them. In future books of A County Cork Mystery series I would like to see Maura start to grow up and take responsibility. In Cruel Winter, we do get to catch up with Jimmy, Rose, Mick, Gillian, Harry, Sean, Eveline, and Old Billy.

This is the fifth book in the County Cork series by Sheila Connolly, but only the second one that I have read. This book can be read as a stand alone as there is enough background about how Maura ended up in County Cork that you can catch up quickly. I would recommend that if given the opportunity, you read the others first so you have a complete idea of who the characters are and the situation.

Winter in Ireland does not usually get much snow, but when the storm blows through in this story, Maura, friends, co-workers, and strangers are stranded at Sullivan’s Pub to wait out the storm. They have plenty of ale and fuel for the fire, but food is scarce as well as beds if they need to spend the night. When the power goes out, they have a couple of kerosene lanterns and candles but that is about it. As people straggle in, one of the strangers is Diane Caldwell. Diane's grandparents had a farm in the area that she inherited and used as a vacation home, that is until she was suspected of brutally murdering her neighbour, another Londoner with a vacation home. There was not enough evidence to arrest her, and the case is still open. The locals still think she did it and when she is recognized at the pub, some sparks and allegations begin to fly. Diane has lived with this for twenty years, never getting the chance to tell her side of the story. Because they are all stranded, there is nothing to do and they are a captive audience, they decide to revisit the crime and see if they can figure out if someone else could possibly have been the murderer. With Diane's blessing and participation, the investigation begins.

The author gives the story a few twists, now that there are fresh eyes looking at the situation. They create a suspect board and set out several hypotheses of what happened, some pretty hilarious. Diane tells her story and Maura and the other patrons ask questions and test out theories trying to find some way to prove Diane really is innocent and maybe give the gardai a new lead on this old crime.

The characters in this story are wonderful and complex. I love Maura, but I really love Old Billy. He is an elderly man that holds court in the pub each day telling stories and living upstairs. This time his knowledge of the history and the land in the area help Maura and the others to keep pushing forward with new ideas. The one character that I disliked immensely was Jimmy. He is lazy, nasty and takes advantage of everyone he can. His daughter Rose is such a sweetheart and deserves better. Side stories include Gillian, a pregnant friend who is going to have some major changes and decisions coming up in her life.

This reminds me of an old time mystery. It is a cold case, not a recent murder with a lot of clues around. This one will take ingenuity, lots of questions and a little luck to solve. Very entertaining.
This book will be a hit with those who love stories about Ireland, old time mysteries like those written by Agatha Christie as well as those who like some drama.

The premise here is odd, but it works. Maura has moved from London to Ireland when she inherits a pub. She intends to stay just long enough to make it work, but starts to fit in. This story takes place mostly in one long night in her pub. She, several locals and some travelers are stranded in the pub by a snow storm. While there, they end up in the middle of an old local murder. Enough of the main players are there that they spend a good bit of time digging through what happened and try to determine what really happened.

Plenty of character development here. I didn't expect much as I started but it picked up as I read. If you like a good murder mystery, this would be worth your time.

What Carl Jung called "Synchronicity" I have always referred to as "The Law of Awareness." Thus, still surrounded by the remains of the blizzard known as Stella (and without Marlon Brando to lend a hand with a snow shovel), as I turned the final epages of a Cold Case cozy set in the middle of a serious snow storm in Ireland, the clock chimed in St. Patrick's Day.

This is a real page turner and, like Chaucer's tales, there are multiple stories unfolding as the crime is solved. (Here's a poser: can it be a "cozy/cosy mystery" if the crime is left UNsolved?) And I was at least 2/3 through the novel before I became aware (besides from the title) that this was not the first in the series. I will be looking for new titles from this author and am likely to delve into some of the earlier ones now, too.

NOTE: I selected this to read from Netgalley because the subtitle mentions County Cork, one of the ancestral homes of my maternal grandfather. More "coincidence" at play for you!

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I have been a fan of this series since the first book came out. I love how the author really makes you feel like you are in Cork Ireland sitting in Sullivan's Pub with the gang. The characters are well written and each book in the series works well as a standalone novel. Very few continuing story lines from book to book and the ones that are, enough background information is given so that you don't feel like you've missed out on anything.

I have to say that this book was my favorite in the series so far. It really had an Agatha Christie mystery-type feel to it. I loved how the characters took apart a decades old murder case and put their own modern day thoughts into solving it. Stranded in the pub during a snow storm, characters both old and new all participated in the drama of retrying the case. The story moved briskly and kept me highly entertained. Stop in at Sullivan's and pull up a stool...Maura, Billy, Mick and the gang will be happy to share a story or two with you!

I always love returning to Leap and Sullivan's Pub, having the chance to visit with friends. Sheila Connolly has a way of writing that makes me feel like I was in the pub. Trapped with the other patrons during the blizzard discussing and trying to solve a 20 year old cold case murder.
This is a book once started will have you so engrossed that putting it down is impossible until the very end.
I have been to Ireland and reading the County Cork series always gives me the chance to go back.
Thank you Sheila Connolly for another wonderful trip back. Even if it meant being in a blizzard.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

A blizzard hits the tiny village of Leap,, Ireland causing a few locals and strangers to take refuge in Sullivan's Pub. Marura Donovan, owner, finds out one of those people is the prime suspect in an unsolved murder from 20 years ago. Diane, the suspect, knows people are talking about her and wants to tell the true story so someone knows what really happened. An informal type of jury is formed and some new facts emerge. Now Maura is hoping the police will reopen the case. I liked the way the author had me re-examining the facts throughout the book and how everything came together at the end.

This is book #5 in the A County Cork Mystery series but the author does a good job of filling in the necessary facts so that it could be read as a stand alone.

This is my first book by Sheila Connolly. It is the sixth book in the series. I have not read any of the previous books however, I was able to follow along pretty well with the characters and plot lines. I love reading mystery books. This one set in Ireland is a special treat since Ireland always seems like a beautiful place to visit.

Maura Donovan owns a pub in Leap, Ireland. She inherited it from a friend of her Grandmother's. Maura came to Ireland for a visit and ended up staying to run this pub. She really enjoys the town and the people here. However, her first winter will bring many surprises. When many in town decide to ride the winter storm out at the pub, Maura must do what she can to accommodate so many. With the storm comes an old patron who was once accused of murder. She was found guilty by the majority, but the murder remained unsolved. Maura takes this opportunity to hear her story and maybe find out the truth. Was it a good idea to bring up so many questions while being snowed in at the pub? Will they find out who murdered the woman 20 years ago?

Great story line and wonderful character development.
I received a copy through Netgalley. I was in no way asked to write a review.

Dollycas’s Thoughts

What happens when it snows in Ireland? Like Maura I had not really thought about it but Sheila Connolly gives us and Maura just a little taste of the Irish lands covered in snow.

The snow is falling and friends and strangers are gathering at Sullivan’s Pub to wait out the storm. They have plenty of ale and fuel for the fire. Food is a little sparse but with a little creativity from Rose she stretches what she has enough to feed everyone. One of the strangers is Diane Caldwell, like Maura she had family that lived in the area, but she hasn’t been back to Leap in years. The local authorities had her pegged as the prime suspect in the murder of another young woman several years ago but never has enough evidence to make an arrest. Most of locals recognized her immediately. So because of the snow storm she has a captive audience. Could there be a better time to tell her side of the story? Heck, her listeners may even be able to shed light on something that had been missed all those years ago.

At first I thought this was going to be a closed room type mystery where the real guilty party just happened to be in the room too, but Ms. Connolly gives the story a nice twist showing fresh sets of eyes and ears can uncover new clues on an old cold case. She lets Diane tell her story and Maura and the other patrons ask questions and test out theories trying to find some way to prove Diane really is innocent and maybe give the garda a new lead on this old crime.

The characters in this story are so rich. I love Maura, but I really love Billy. He is an elderly man that basically holds court in the pub each day telling stories. This time his knowledge of the history and the land in the area help Maura and the others to keep pushing forward with new ideas. The author has set the scene so well in all the books in this series it is so easy to picture him in his overstuffed chair in front of the fire regaling everyone with his thoughts about the case.

Connolly also describes the rest of the pub, including the basement, in such detail readers are given a bird’s eye seat for the whole story. Even the snow falling outside and the drafts around the windows are easy to see and feel. They were so real I found myself pulling a blanket around my shoulders to keep away the cold.

In addition to the main plot, Gillian has some changes coming in her life and she is getting near to having her baby. Jimmy has a new woman in his life and Rose is growing up so fast.

I have enjoyed every book this author has written and this one is no different. I am so glad Maura decided to stay in County Cork. That little bit of the Irish in me anxiously awaits for each trip to Sullivan’s where Maura pours me a pint and I can sit and relax among friends.

Thank you Sheila for another wonderful escape!

I love books set in Ireland. This one kept me interested and made me want to check out the others in this series

Cruel Winter: A County Cork Mystery Hardcover – March 14, 2017
by Sheila Connolly (Author)


Snow is a rarity in Maura Donovan's small village in County Cork, Ireland, so she wasn't sure what to expect when a major snowstorm rolled in around Sullivan's pub. But now she's stranded in a bar full of patrons--and a suspected killer in a long-ago murder.

Maura’s been in Ireland less than a year and hasn't heard about the decades-old unsolved crime that took place nearby, let alone the infamous suspect, Diane Caldwell. But the locals have, and they're not happy to be trapped with her. Diane, meanwhile, seeks to set the record straight, asserting her innocence after all this time. And since no one is going anywhere in the storm, Maura encourages Diane to share her side of the story, which she’d never had a chance to do in court.

Over the next few hours, the informal court in Sullivan’s reviews the facts and theories about the case--and comes to some surprising conclusions. But is it enough to convince the police to take a new look at an old case? A clever spin on the classic locked room mystery, Cruel Winter, the fifth in New York Times bestselling author Sheila Connolly's series, will delight fans of the Emerald Isle.

I really liked the story idea it was well written, with an interesting plot and characters, I got so caught up in the story I could not put it down until it was finished. I just love a great mystery and look forward to reading the other four books in this series.

A quick easy read, amusing mystery, building on the others in this series. Enjoyed it! Wish Maura would get on with her love life already!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley.

When a snow storm arrives in the area Maura Donovan plays host to a variety of people in her pub, one of which was a suspect in a murder twenty years previously. So to keep the customers occupied while they are snowed in, the murder is discussed looking for a motive and the real killer.
This is the first in the series that I have read, I don't think it is necessary to have read the previous books.
I found the telling to be too long winded and slow, with a repetition of information. Also Maura seemed to be totally unprepared for winter and a running a pub, and I didn't find the characters that plausible. I can't imagine that I will be reading any of the other books.

A rare winter storm hits County Cork and everything comes to a halt while it passes.
Maura Donovan, who runs Sullivan's pub, offers refuge to those stranded and in need of shelter.
Diane, one of the stranded, was suspected but never charged of murder, 20 years earlier.
The plot was a bit different in that the murder already occurred and the stranded characters try talking to solve the cold case and figure out who really did it.
It was a bit slow in parts with the description of the crime being repeated several times.
There was some suspense but the action happened 20 years ago. I missed the tension that comes from the action as it happens as compared to the telling of it afterwards.
The characters were realistic and dialogue convincing. I felt Maura was a very caring and generous person.
It was an easy relaxing read, I liked the story but I did miss not having the heart pumping tension.

My rating: 4 of 5 stars, I really liked it.

Book 5 in the series.

I really enjoyed this book in the series, the Cold Case aspect really appealed to me, since it didn't have the "oh we're a tiny village and here's another dead body since you've arrived" aspect that sometimes makes a reader cringe at the unlikelihood of it. I think it is so far my favorite book in the series and I read it quickly and in one sitting.

I loved the character movement with Jimmy and Rose and I would love to see more of Rose's interests be featured. I would also be ok with less Jimmy, he's really a jerk and taking advantage of the pub.

The one turn off about this series is that Maura still needs some character development. I am tired of hearing about how she never meant to stay, never meant to run a pub, etc as an excuse for why she doesn't know how to do things.

She's been in Ireland long enough now that really, she should be taking the time to learn some basic things about the pub. Ordering, heating, taxes, etc, she needs to know it instead of depending on other people to do it for her, and she needs to keep on top of stuff like that. For her own sake as well as her employees. I also don't understand how she could be so unprepared for a serious snow storm, she's from Boston, which typically gets a ton of snow every winter!

All in all, this is another good cozy mystery by Sheila Connolly and I am actually a bit sad that she doesn't have anything new coming out again for a while now, haha.

This book failed to grab me, but it's well written and drew me into the situation, but not into the story. A clever premise, where a group of people are stranded in an Irish Pub during a snow storm. In order to pass the time, they try to solve a cold case murder that took place in the area 20 years ago. No big surprises, but the writer managed to portray the Irish countryside and the characters were interesting.

Cruel Winter by Sheila Connolly. How I love being swept off to Ireland again. Maura, Rosie, Mick and Old Billy all feel like old friends. Snowed in the pub durring a rare but big storm Maura and her pub mates are engaged in solving a cold case. Diane, accused by public opinion, has come back to close up and sell her family cottage. Having been caught out in the storm, Diane comes into the pub for shelter. She is recognized by some of the older men. As the storm brews others take refuge from the storm, the musicians that were booked to play the weekend, and a Guarda who had worked the original muder case. As the storm rages Diane tells her side of the story. Between music and refill breaks this crowd hears the side that they'd not heard before and new details emerge, as does the truth. Excelent read.