Maura Donovan goes to Ireland to honor her grandmother’s last wish, but didn’t expect to stay in County Cork. She inherits a pub called Sullivans and brings traditional music back to the pub. Mick Nolan is her special friend. Billy Sheahen is in his 80’s and lives at the end of the building and visited the pub daily. When Maura finds a dead body behind the pub, she called Sean, a local policeman who called Detective Hurley to help him investigate. They started their investigation at the pub. I enjoyed the County Cork, Ireland book series that Sheila Connolly has written. This story has a good plot, enjoyable drama, and likeable characters. I can’t wait to read the next one. Thank you to Net Galley for allowing me to review this book.

I have loved this quirky series since the first book, but I have to say that this one was my least favorite so far. The story was slow and repetitive. You have Maura asking questions or being in a situation and then repeating all of that to the next three or four people she encounters. The Maura in this book didn’t seem like the Maura in previous books. This Maura just seems to be floating on the surface of life without really participating in it. She has employees she has worked with for over a year, and they have become very close, but she doesn’t even know where they live – in a very, very small community. She owns the pub, but she seems more like an employee than the owner. I don’t mean she should be dictatorial, I like the participative management style, but she seems to let the employees just manage things and she shows up to work. What I think is that she should know how to do all of the jobs (including the internet, etc.) whether she is the one who actually does them or not. In this book, she also appears very indecisive – should she do the kitchen or not, etc. She seems to be leaving all of that in the hands of a seventeen-year-old girl rather than being responsibly and actively involved. Anyway, if this is your first book in the series, please don’t judge the series by this book. The series really is better read from beginning to end because you get the full character development and come to understand the relationships.

One of the things I love is the way the writer manages to write regular, every-day English and makes you swear you ‘hear’ an Irish lilt there. I love the descriptions of the Irish culture and countryside. Makes me want to move there and visit with Billy, Mick, Rose, Bridget, Sean, and Gillian.

The mystery in this book seemed a bit flat. It seemed to be more about discovering the identity of the dead man rather than what happened to him. I think it could have been much more interesting if the Travellers had played a more central role in the whole thing. Just as an FYI – the title is misleading. Maura seems to just leap to the conclusion that the murder has something to do with illegals entering the country rather than it being a crime of passion or a vendetta or – well – just anything else.

Maura wanted to enjoy the sunshine on a beautiful day and took her lunch outside to eat. As she’s sitting there thinking, she looks up toward the bridge that crosses over the ravine that gave the small town of Leap its name. She’s amazed that she sees a bag of garbage that has been dumped near the midpoint underneath the bridge. Well, since it is on her property, Maura supposes she is the one who should clean it up – until she takes a closer look and discovers that it is a dead body. She immediately calls her friend at the local Gardai (police) station, Garda Sean Murphy.

Not only was the body dumped on Maura’s property, but the face had been mutilated so that it was impossible to identify it. Was someone trying to send Maura a message? Could it have something to do with her staff or a local patron of the pub? Was it maybe even meant to be a message for the previous owner Old Mick? Lots of questions, and few answers.

I am already anxiously awaiting the next book in the series and hoping that it will be better than this one. Don’t get me wrong, I did enjoy the book, but it just isn’t the quality I have come to expect from this author and this series.

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"I requested and received this e-book at no cost to me and volunteered to read it; my review is my honest opinion and given without any influence by the author or publisher."

The Lost Traveller in the seventh book in the A County Cork Mystery series.

I love stopping into Sullivan’s Pub to catch up with the engaging residents of Leep. Maura is settling and is enjoying managing the pub, but still has doubts about adding meals. Her young helper, Rose, thinks this is the next thing that needs to be added. She’s working part-time in a small restaurant in Skibbereen learning food preparation and the management side and feels confident in being able to handle the cafe side of the pub. Maura and Mick’s relationship seems to be going just fine, they’re taking it one day at a time. Seamus and his pals are again around to help Maura with her sleuthing and of course to have a lottery as to who might be the killer. As always, Billy can be found sitting in his favorite chair near the warm fireplace. Billy, having lived all his life in Leep knows and for the most part has remembered everything and everyone in Leep. His clues that he gives Maura may be rather cryptic but are always spot on.

It’s rather a quiet day at Sullivan’s Pub and Maura decides to grab her lunch and go outside for a breath of fresh air and enjoy the nice weather. Soon she notices what looks my trash in a ravine and when she goes to investigate she finds that it is fact a dead body. A search of the body provides no identification and the victim was badly beaten about his face that it will be a while before it can be learned who he was.

As Maura starts to investigate the death, speculation begins to be centered around some Travellers who have recently shown up in the area or possibly might be an illegal immigrant as there seems to a shortage of workers in the area. Maura asks her garda friend, Sean, for measurements of the victim’s face and she will give that information to Gillian, her friend, and a local artist, to see if she can provide what the victim may have looked like to aid in the investigation.

I thought the story was very interesting, well-.told and plotted and a cast of very interesting and believable characters.

I am looking forward to my next visit with Maura and the wonderful residents of Leep.

This is the 7th book in the County Cork Mystery Series set in Ireland. i have enjoyed the series and highly recommend this series for all who enjoy a good mystery, strong likable charcters and a fabulous location.
This book can be read as a stand alone. Thank you for the ARC which does not influence my personal review.

In this next in series Maura is happily ensconced in her new life in the Irish countryside of Ireland. Maura inherited Sullivan’s Pub and has enjoyed making it a success. The pub descriptions are very rich and lively as if the reader is at the pub. I love how the locals meet together and share their lives. It has proven to be popular but when a body is found near her business she finds her business drops off and she is under suspicion.

The victim is unknown to the locals and may have been a Traveller without a fixed home. Maura investigates and soon finds some help from other Travellers . Along her investigation is mention of immigration in in Ireland. i found this a most interesting read and a fun sleuth. Maura is a able investigator and has proven again that she will do whatever it takes to solve a murder. I look forward to the next in series.

Maura Donovan honored her grandmother's last wish by leaving her home in Boston Boston and traveling to Cork County, Ireland. She didn't expect to stay, but when she got there she found out she had inherited a cottage and pub so she decided to give it a try. It wasn't long before she knew that this was where she belonged.
In this book Maura discovers a murdered body that has been discarded behind the pub. She immediately reports it to the local officials, but they're unable to solve the murder or even identify the victim. Maura has no choice but to become involved as her business is steadily declining with each day the murder is unsolved.
This is the second book I've read in this series. I love reading about life in a charming Irish small town. The characters are great and it was a good story. The only thing I didn't like was the repetitive storytelling. I really only need to read it once even though Maura needs to tell it to different people. This one complaint wouldn't stop me from reading more in this series.

Another enjoyable book in Cork county. I really liked how the plight of immigrants/travelers is worked into the plot. And very happy to see the relationship between Maura and Mick develop. #TheLostTraveller #NetGalley

In this seventh outing of the County Cork series, protagonist Maura is in the midst of exploring new possibilities for Sullivan's when a nondescript dead man is found behind the pub. Plot threads involving restaurant staff, immigration, travellers, and everyone's favorite Leap citizens all weave together in to an interesting and intriguing mystery. The plot slow-burns its way to a probable but slightly dissatisfying conclusion.

*I have read all previous books in the series. I would recommend starting from the beginning with the series to enjoy the richness of the series' landscape and the gradual development of the main characters. However, this has enough "intro" bits that it could be read as a stand-alone.

Pub owner Maura Donovan is settling into a charmed life in Ireland—until a mutilated body on her property ends her lucky streak. 

Maura has been in County Cork for a year now, running Sullivan's Pub and adjusting well to life in Ireland after moving from Boston. 

One busy afternoon she is sitting on a low wall behind the pub and discovers a body. No one seems to know who he is or why he was dumped behind the pub.

Maura seems prone to whining about problems rather than solving them, which I found annoying. Her pub seems to be empty most of the time and yet she is usually not even there, but out thinking about her problems of staff, putting in a kitchen and keeping the pub in the black. I just found her to be a bit flaky to tell the truth. 

I really did like that the author used common Irish speak. I loved the travellers but there just wasn't enough about them and the ending was a bit disappointing. 



Netgalley/Crooked Lane Books January 08,2019

This was incredibly disappointing. Not only was the plot held together by an old, frayed shoestring, but the focus on Travellers and immigrants and negative stereotypes was so problematic and offputting. ‘Oh but they’re technically Irish, so they’re fine’ was kinda the theme. The racism and prejudice was astounding and the protagonist’s constant consultation of the police was incredibly offensive. If this was actual life, she would have gotten many people deported.

I’ve been a fan of this author for years but I don’t know if I feel comfortable reading her books going forward.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was not paid for this review.

Sheila Connolly's 7th book in the Country Cork Mystery Series, The Lost Traveller, comes out in January, but I had the opportunity to read it over the last week. I absolutely loved it. This series features the main character Maura who is of Irish descent and arrived in Ireland to honor her grandmother's wishes. She finds a life and family she never could have dreamed of back in Boston and she inherited a Pub, which she runs as she learns the Irish way. In the Lost Traveller Maura's luck at finding herself involved with latest murder in the area, after finding a dead body on her property. Maura is a character who is always under pressure and at a disadvantage but her different perspective helps her along the way. Learning as she goes and helping solve a very difficult crime, this one was more complex than the past and I loved the story lines. Maura is happy, and in a really great place in this story. I find the characters in this story to be easy to believe and like, trust and route for. I cannot wait for another book in this series.

Thankyou to NetGalley, Crooked Lane Books and the author, Sheila Connolly, for the opportunity to read an advanced readers copy of The Lost Traveller in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.
I thought this book offered a good, quick read. It was wonderfully descriptive in the setting. I thought the storyline was well written and look forward to reading more from this author.

This series needs to come with a warning! If you read this book, your desire to visit Ireland will grow tenfold! The wonderful vivid descriptions of the countryside without going overboard are enough to suck you in and make you lust for travel, but the unique personality development of the characters wrapped into the well thought out plot of the book will have you absorbed and entertained! This is a must read series as the characters are realistic, the storylines are multi-layered and of course the murder mystery adds a layer of intrigue. I'm a bit sad when the books end and I come back to reality leaving behind the Irish countryside. I can not wait to see what happens in the next book and hope the author releases the next book soon!

Sheila Connolly returns to the Irish countryside with The Lost Traveller. Maura Donovan inherited Sullivan’s Pub one year ago and has worked hard to make it a success. She has brought in bands for music events and is planning to install a kitchen to serve food. There are just two problems. Maura is having trouble finding additional employees, but she has found a body in the ravine behind her pub. Word spreads quickly and has an immediate effect on her business.

The body was badly battered and no one has been able to identify him. With no missing person reported in the area, the murder is not likely to be solved quickly. Maura has the support of her regulars as well as her employees, Rose and Nick. One of the regulars raises the possibility that the victim may have been a Traveller. These are residents of Ireland who have no fixed home or permanent jobs, but take on short-term work before moving on. When Maura meets a family of Travellers, there is finally help in finding some answers to her problems.

It is easy to immerse yourself in the Irish pub scene. As the regulars meet and share the local news, there is a true cozy feeling. Maura, who was originally from Boston, now fits in well with the community but is still learning about the area and life in Ireland. This gives Connolly an opportunity to explain the history of the Travellers. She also touches on the immigration and employment problems faced in Ireland.

Fans of Stella Cameron’s Alex Duggins series will enjoy meeting Maura and the patrons of Sullivan’s Pub. I would also recommend this series to fans of cozy mysteries. I would like to thank NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for allowing me to review this book.

I enjoy Ms. Connolly's County Cork mysteries. They main character, Maura, tends to solve the mystery more by talking to her customers instead of putting her life in danger in stupid ways. The other characters are interesting and the setting is great. You can really get a feel for the slower pace that would exist in an small Irish town.

I received an eARC from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. - I look forward to many more in this series.

I used to love this series. After the last one, I swore I was finished with it. But I decided to give it one last shot. Again, there's no character development from Maura. There was a lot of repetition, which annoyed me greatly. This author used to be such a wonderful writer. This series used to be so good. Ever since the series changed publishers the writing has just been horrible. I honestly think it's time this series ended and the author took a break from writing. Lord knows I hate writing negative reviews, but it's like a switch was flipped and the author went from writing everything well, with cleverly crafted mysteries and great character development, to all of a sudden writing as if she's a novice. This will definitely be the last book in this series that I'll read... unless the author returns to writing the story the way it was with her previous publisher.

Note: I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for my fair and honest review.

#The Lost Traveller # NetGalley #

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance reading copy of The Lost Traveller. I did enjoy the book, but did not realize that it was a continuation of a series of Cork County, Ireland. Since I had not read any other books by the author, this left me somewhat in the dark on previous happenings to the storyline. I had to try to fill in the blanks. So, perhaps, there should be a recommendation for future readers to reading the books in order. The mystery was slow to unwind and seemed to stand still at first, but then it built up steam. The dead man was identified and the search was on for the killer. There were not many characters in the story so it was not a book that you could determine the killer on your own, and that took some of the fun out of the story. The main character, Maura Donovan, was a very likable sleuth and she did not give up unless justice was served for all. It would have been nice to know how she had inherited the pub and what the back story was. Shelia Connolly seems to have a good grasp on Ireland, but it would have been nice to have had some picturesque description of the surrounding setting. Over all, a strong 3 star rating.

I have not read any of Sheila Connolly' books before so thought I would try this, Unfortunately it wasn't really my cup of tea. I don't think the plot was thick enough and found it lightweight. I found that I didn't really engage with the characters so didn't really care about what happened. I don't think I would try any more - sorry.

Another amazing and wonderful to a great series! Just when I think I can’t love this series anymore Sheila Connolly writes the next book and I fall deeper in love with the wonderful characters and Ireland.

When Boston born Maura Donovan inherits an Irish pub, she finds it a challenge to staff it, add entertainment, plan for future food service and manage a new romance all at the same time. Last thing she expected is to find someone in the ravine behind her pub, whose death provides the premise in this 7th book of the County Cork mystery series.
Enough background is provided so you don’t have to read previous series’ books. Setting is richly detailed and characters are vividly portrayed but the book lacks a strong story line. There is also too much repetition of the story points and the final reveal is a disappointment. It would have been a more interesting book if the colorful “Travellers” had a stronger role.
I want to thank Net Galley and Crooked Lane Books for providing an advance digital copy.

Sadly the writing has gone downhill in this series. The plot here seemed forced and we had the main character repeating her story and thoughts every other page it seemed. Not to mention some truly strange behavior from previously well loved characters such as Mick, Billy, Gillian, and Bridget.

With a bit of editing and some fleshing out this could be a decent read. This series was quirky in the beginning but for how long can Maura really play the dumb American card?

Also the title doesn't make any sense. The plot had nothing to do with a lost traveller. Irish or otherwise. The plot minimally touched on Irish travellers though none of the, could be considered lost.