Read about 1/3 of it and skimmed the rest. The book sounded interesting but fell short for me when I actually sat down to read it. Just wasn't the cozy for me.

I received this book on NetGalley and was not required to post a positive review. All thoughts are my own.

My first book in this series. Pretty good read. Nice cozy mystery set in Ireland. Main character has unique job driving a limousine.

The first in this Dublin set mystery series has a lot of potential to keep going quite a while. Transplanted American Megan Malone enjoys driving tourists around for a limo service. Of late, she has driven a food blogger and her husband, Elizabeth and Simon, around as repeat customers. After Elizabeth collapses after dinner at her friend's restaurant, Megan becomes an advocate for Simon in navigating the mystery and the garda. I liked how the secondary characters were revealed slowly and the tie in to the famous Molly Malone was a nice touch.

My rating: 2 of 5 stars, it was okay.

Book 1 in a new series.

I wanted to love this book. It's by one of my favorite Urban Fantasy authors (C.E. Murphy), so when I saw it on NetGalley, I snapped it up.

For some reason, it just didn't hold my interest until about halfway in. I found myself putting it down and reading other things, a lot. In the end, it was okay. And I will definitely read the next in the series. In fact, with her Urban Shaman series, the books just got better and after the first one, so I am hoping for the same here.

The series has a lot going for it, interesting setting, a different career for the protagonist. And I liked Megan. I know some people were upset about a bit of cursing, but that doesn't bother me a bit.

Megan Malone has been living in Dublin for the past three years after a career as an Army combat medic. The native Texan has made a new circle of eclectic friends and thrives on early morning visits to the gym and meeting tourists whom she chauffeurs around town in style. Megan's routine takes an unexpected turn, however, when one of her current clients dies shortly after having a meal at a new local restaurant. The deceased client was highly-respected food critic Liz Darr, and the restaurant co-owner/chef is Megan's pal Fionn.

Megan is immediately drawn into investigating the circumstances, hoping to clear Fionn's reputation before her restaurant is ruined. What really caused Liz's death? Megan and Fionn are both sure it couldn't have been food poisoning. The plot thickens when less than 48 hours later, Martin Rafferty, the restaurant's co-owner is found murdered. Are the two deaths somehow related?

Megan's inquiries and leads take her to various points of interest in Dublin, where she crosses paths with Detective Paul Bourke of the Irish Garda, who is also investigating the deaths. They form a collaborative relationship that ultimately leads to solving the case after various twists and turns.

Murphy has created a delightful environment and cast of characters in the new Dublin Driver series set in Ireland. In addition to the fast-moving plot and ample number of suspects and red herrings, the story is filled with entertaining Irish witticisms, local vernacular, and an insider's view of the city. The author has also planted the seeds for further character development and adventures sure to please cozy mystery fans and armchair travelers alike.

Dead in Dublin is a fun read and a great start to a new series by author, Catie Murphy. Let’s get straight to the meat of the matter.

The mystery we have to solve is who killed Liz Darr, travel blogger and food critic. At first it doesn’t seem as if there will be many suspects, with her and her husband being on vacation and all, but the tale starts spinning and motives and possible suspects start popping. Megan’s involvement in the case isn’t too unrealistic as she simply promises to help find a few answers for Liz’s family. She’s also trying to help a friend clear her restaurant’s name of any wrong-doing. Along the way, Liz meets a sweet and competent detective, who just happens to be quite good-looking too! The clues are revealed at a good clip and enough red herrings are placed to keep the reader guessing. The plot does, at times, get more intricate and it’s only when certain connections are made that it’s possible to figure out the key to this murder-mystery puzzle.

In terms of characters, we meet several animated and interesting folks. Megan’s closest friends are a restaurateur, Fionn and an actress, Niamh, both of whom lend an element of sweetness and hilarity to the story. Their friendship will be a fun one to enjoy as the series progresses. Readers also meet the surly Orla, Megan’s boss, and the quirky Brian who runs a small-press publishing house out of his spare room.

The show-stealers, however, would have to be Mama dog and her adorable newborn puppies who manage to worm their way into Fionn’s restaurant and Meg’s heart. I can’t wait to find out if/ how Meg is going to keep these guys.

The Dublin setting is described in just the right amount of detail. Readers get a very real sense of the location and ambiance.

My only peeve is the constant ‘American comparisons’. One of the reasons I chose to read this story is that I was excited to read the Irish setting. I don’t need to know how everything from street sign locations to temperatures to ground floor locations compare between the countries. I’m happy to simply explore and enjoy the setting for what it is. Hopefully, as the series continues there will be less need to constantly compare U.S. versus Ireland.

That said, I really did like that the story is prefaced with a pronunciation guide for common Irish names. It is super informative and I’m pleased to be able to pronounce the names correctly! And I was thrilled to learn about the hauntingly beautiful Sinead O’Connor version of the Molly Malone song, which features quite prominently in the story.

Overall, Dead in Dublin is a clever beginning to what promises to be an intriguing series with quirky characters and an old world setting.

A well-written and plotted mystery set in Dublin, Ireland with a Texan limo driver made for a really interesting and intriguing read. I fell in love with the little Jack Russell who had two puppies. Meg was babysitting them, and as she kept telling them that she wasn't keeping them but was growing closer and closer to the little dog family, I was hoping she'd weaken. I sure didn't like her boss much. That lady needs an attitude adjustment lol. Meg's friends were fun, but she was more of a loner while investigating the murder of her limo client's wife. She was ex-military, so it wasn't like she was unaware of danger and couldn't handle herself. A couple of friends and her uncle did some consulting for her. Uncle Rabbie was quite the character!

Meg proved herself during the showdown with the killer, and it was awesome! I'll be interested in seeing if Meg has to move in the next book due to her little dog family that she "wasn't adopting." ;)

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

DEAD IN DUBLIN by Catie Murphy
The First Dublin Driver Mystery

Originally from Texas. Megan Malone now calls Ireland home. Enjoying life abroad, Megan works as a driver for Leprechaun Limo Service. For months she'd been the regular driver for Liz Darr, noted American restaurant critic and blogger, and her husband when they visit Dublin. Leaving dinner one night Liz dropped to the ground and died at the foot of the famous statue of Molly Malone. Surely food poisoning couldn't have killed that quickly-and the fish was fresh! Trying to support the grieving husband as well as her friend who owns the restaurant where Liz had her last meal, Megan has some questions. Will her curiosity help her or will it be her downfall?

DEAD IN DUBLIN is a more grown up mystery. Harsher edges show a more realistic city, not a bucolic setting. Our protagonist is mature and has worked as an army medic before becoming a driver in Dublin. This experience helps to make her an intelligent, confident woman with lots of ingenuity. Megan is also likeable. I love her dealings with Mama and the puppies, as well as the detective.

Having never been to Dublin, I can't say for certain, but the author brings an air of authenticity to the work with not only detailed descriptions of the area, but an attitude, as well as the cadence of the language. The effect was that I could hear the sounds and felt I was there, in an amazing place filled with the problems major cities face, as well as the historic charm with which it's also endowed.

DEAD IN DUBLIN is a intriguing mystery filled with Irish charm and a capable protagonist. I look forward to seeing what's in store for Megan Malone...and those puppies she's not adopting.

Megan Malone is an American expat living in Dublin and drives limos and town cars for Leprechaun Limo Service, her current charge is food blogger Elizabeth Darr and her husband Simon. When Elizabeth drops dead shortly after dining at a local restaurant, owned by Megan's friend who is not only distraught that someone has died after eating at her restaurant but also worried how it will impact her business, she begs Megan to look into Elizabeth's death. Was it food poisoning or something more sinister as murder?

Megan has spent a lot of time with Liz and her husband Simon and she offers to help him as best she can to find out what happened to his wife, and when Megan discovers it was being treated as murder she wonders if Simon has something to do with it, but why? what would be his motivation to kill her? Megan uncovers a host of suspects and to be honest I had no idea who it was going to end up being. Catie Murphy did a great job of keeping Megan and the reader on their toes trying to work out the who and the why.

Dead in Dublin was a great start to this series and I loved all the colour cast of characters we meet in this book and hope we meet some again in the next one, this series is off great start and I cant wait to see what is in store for Megan Malone next.

5 stars.

Though it might be categorized as a cozy, the plot of this story is anything but cozy. An american driving for a limo service in Dublin with well connected friends might seem like the normal cozy plot, but I think the story reads a bit darker. The plot well and had some great plot twists. I look forward to the next in series.

PHEW! I thought this was going to be a gentle read over a couple of evenings, at 02.00 hours I turned the last page and wanted more!

Megan Malone did 20 years in the US military and she has now ended up in Dublin, renting an apartment and being a driver for the Leprechaun Limo Service and is working one day when she sees one of her clients collapse under the bronze statue of Molly Malone, the client's husband is frantically doing CPR when Megan comes to assist (she was a Medic whilst in service), regrettably they are unable to save Elizabeth and it is now that the story really takes hold. One of Megan's friends is the chef in the restaurant Elisabeth and Simon Darr had just been eating in and Fionnalla is worried that the restaurant (and more to the point herself!) will be blamed, then there is another death, which is without a doubt murder, and Megan finds herself trying to help Simon Darr, and Elizabeth's parents make sense of what is happening. Can she do this without stepping on the toes of the Garda (and one Gardai in particular), look after a mama dog and two brand new puppies, oh and keep on the right side of her boss! Read this and enjoy it, I certainly did!

“Elizabeth Darr died at Molly Malone’s feet.” The statue of Molly in Dublin looked on impassively as the restaurant critic’s husband Simon tried to administer CPR. Megan, the driver of the paid limo that drove them to Canan’s, a popular Irish cuisine restaurant, looked on with horror. Well, talk about a very touristy way to be Dead in Dublin.

Megan is a fish-out-of-her-American-pond working as a limo driver in Dublin. Her boss, Orla, never met a quid she couldn’t squeeze. She asks, really demands, Megan investigate Liz’s death to prevent bad luck and bad poublicity from sticking to Leprechaun Limos.

There are plenty of suspects and even more red herrings in this superbly fun tale. It is an atmospheric journey to Ireland for the day with a complex mystery to unravel. 4 stars!

Thanks to Kensington Books, Great Escapes Book Tours, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Megan Malone has been ferrying a couple around Dublin in her Leprachan limo; the wife drops dead. Whodunit? Megan starts looking into the murder; who will succeed? she or the handsome garda. Lots of blarny and suspects.

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the beginning of A Dublin Driver Mystery series. Megan Malone retired from the military after twenty years and relocated to Dublin, Ireland where she works as a driver for Leprechaun Limo Service. Megan is shocked when Elizabeth “Liz” Darr collapses at the base of the Molly Malone statue and passes away. Liz Darr was a renowned restaurant critic and food blogger who had been traveling for the last year around Europe with her husband Simon. Megan had been ferrying them around the last three months whenever they were in town. When food poisoning is suspected, Megan’s friend, Fionnuala Canan comes under suspicion as the chef from Canan’s where Liz had her last meal. Both Fionnuala and her boss, Orla Keegan ask (beg) Megan to investigate. Detective Paul Bourke admires Megan’s tenacity, but he would rather she keep her nose out of the investigation and stick to driving. Megan has no intention of giving up especially after the victim’s parents also ask her to get them answers. Megan has her hands full between her driving duties, sleuthing and taking care of a Jack Russell terrier along with her two pups that were discovered in the kitchen of Canan’s. When another death occurs at Canan’s, Megan is sure they are connected. Can Megan steer the investigation towards the killer? Dead in Dublin takes readers to Dublin, Ireland with her vivid descriptions of this charming city. Megan lives just outside Dublin in an apartment in Rathmines where she must make sure her landlord and boss, Orla does not discover the mama dog and her two puppies (which Megan keeps saying she has no intention of keeping). I appreciated the pronunciation guide at the beginning of the book for the various characters names (Niamh is pronounced Neev). It was very helpful. Megan is a Houston native who wanted a fresh start after retiring from a twenty year career in the military. She enjoys ferrying people around the city, though, she is not fond of her boss, Orla Keegan. I like that Megan is intelligent as well as friendly with a unique profession for a cozy mystery. Detective Paul Bourke is in charge of the case, and he likes that Megan is determined (though he does wish she will quit meddling). There is definite chemistry between them. There are a variety of eccentric characters from Niamh O’Sullivan who is an actress and activist to Megan’s Uncle Rabbie with his varied connections. The mystery was multifaceted and suited the Irish setting. We follow Megan as she questions various people searching for answers. I believe readers will enjoy this challenging whodunit. I was surprised by the foul language present in Dead in Dublin since it is not normal for it to be present in cozy mysteries. Dead in Dublin is a stimulating new cozy mystery with darling dogs, ineffable Irish charm, a dashing detective, a rash of rumors, and one determined driver.

This is the first book in The Dublin Driver series. I really enjoyed it, and can't wait for the next one. The premise is a nice change from the typical cozy mystery formula. Set in Dublin, the descriptions made me feel like I was right there with Megan. I also liked learning a bit about the language and customs of another country. Megan and the other characters are interesting and the pacing and twisty story line kept my attention right to the end. I highly recommend this book.

I received an advance copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this is my honest review.

Thank you @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for the review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was such a great start to a new cozy mystery series. The cover and title really caught my eye the moment I first spied this book. I’m a sucker for stories that take place in Ireland and this one was full of foreign charm. I found myself looking up the correct pronunciation of names/terms and enjoyed all of the descriptions of the area and the differences between living there vs the US.

Megan is a wonderful main character. I like that she has a military background which you don’t stumble across too often in light, female leads. I appreciated the fact that the author included scenes of her working out and simply walking her new dog. Those actions and dialogue made her seem incredibly relatable. Plus she shows amazing empathy towards the people around her. The fact that she is a hired driver, opens many storylines for her encountering interesting characters. I like that she has good friendships, including strong male bonds. Niahm and Fionn were both great side characters. Ones a free spirit while the other is a professional so they cover all the bases and offer the best support. I really liked the interactions with Detective Bourke. The two had some great chemistry and scenes as they crossed paths throughout the investigation.

The mystery was fantastic too. The opening scene started with the murder already occurring so the reader has to slowly gather clues from there. I definitely had my suspicions about several characters and was quite surprised when the main culprit was revealed. I liked Megan’s involvement in helping solve this case as well.

I look forward to continuing this series later this year when the sequel, Death on the Green, is released. I hope Mama officially joins the cast and I’d love to learn more about Megan’s backstory.

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the first book in the new cozy The Dublin Driver Mysteries series. As with most cozy series this first book contains it’s own mystery that is solved within so readers could only read the one and not worry about cliffhangers.

Megan Malone is originally from the US but after her years in the military as an Army combat medic she decided she would move to Dublin. Making her new life in a new country Megan took on a job at the Leprechaun Limo Service where she drove other tourists and regulars around the town.

One day Megan is driving one of her regular customers around town when they stop at a restaurant owned my one of Megan’s friends. However, Elizabeth Darr, Megan’s customer, ends up dropping over dead at the restaurant. Megan feels for her husband just losing his wife and also for her friend who’s restaurant will be in danger due to the suspicious death so Megan decides to look into the murder herself.

Dead in Dublin is a solid start to a new cozy series. There are the usual quirky characters and some cute critters in the mix along with the mystery. This one did seem a bit more complex and dare I say darker than what the normal cozy brings on the mystery side so I will be interested to see what book two might bring. For me I would rate this opener at 3 1/2 stars for now though.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

Dead in Dublin is the first book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series by Catie Murphy. It is currently scheduled for release on December 31 2019.

Ferrying tourists around Dublin for the Leprechaun Limo Service makes quite a change after years in the military. Still, Megan Malone is enjoying her life in Ireland. She likes the scenery, the easy pace, the quirky, quick-witted locals. Everything—except having one of her clients drop dead at the statue of fabled fishmonger, Molly Malone. Most restaurant critics notch up their share of enemies. Elizabeth Darr, however, was a well-loved international star. She and her husband, Simon, had just had dinner when Elizabeth collapsed, and spoiled seafood is the first suspect. The restaurant’s owner, worried her business is doomed, begs Megan to look into it. Between her irate boss and a handsome Garda who’s both amused and annoyed by her persistence, Megan has her hands full even before she’s cajoled into taking care of two adorable Jack Russell puppies (which she is almost definitely not keeping). But if cockles and mussels aren’t to blame, can Megan find the real culprit . . .before another fishy death occurs?

Dead in Dublin is a great introduction to a series. I liked Megan's character, and the fact that she had friends and a community that felt real- and while there is much more background that could be explored for her and her friends, I felt like readers got just enough to hook them. I also liked that Megan was more mature that the typical twenty something that is found in current fiction. I could relate to her love of sleep, food, and routine more than I usually relate to lead characters. I like that there were hints and bits about Megan's past and family that were revealed through the entire book, there was no huge information dump to overwhelm readers- which sometimes happens in first books of intended series. I loved getting to meet people right alongside Megan as she gets caught up in answering questions that Liz's death stirred up, and getting to know her circle of friends as well. I love that the group was eclectic in the way many of our chosen family are, and could only be envious of the friends that Megan has. The mystery was well plotted and paced, and I was thrilled to be surprised with the culprit, method, and motive of the murder. The addition of a grumpy boss, super cute puppies, and the possibility of romance for friends kept the read even more interesting and enjoyable. I look forward to whatever comes next from Murphy.

Dead in Dublin is an engaging and entertaining read. This is a series that I look forward to following.

Dead in Dublin by Catie Murphy is the 1st book in the Dublin Driver Mystery series, and my first book by this author. Megan Malone recently retired from the military, and moved to Dublin. She has a duel citizenship with US and Ireland. Megan is working for Leprechaun Limo driving tourist around, and enjoys it. When one of Megan's regular customers, a restaurant critic, dies suddenly on the sidewalk after eating at her friends restaurant, Megan is determined to find the truth. I really wanted to like this book, but it took me forever to get into it, I can not pin point my reason why. I plan on reading the next book in the series, and giving this author another shot. A lot of people enjoyed this book, so if you love cozy mysteries, decide for yourself.
I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and Kensington Publishing. Thank you.

I received this ARC via Netgalley and Kensington Books, in return for an honest review. I loved ‘Dead in Dublin’! This is the first book in a new series and I hope there are many more to come.
Megan Malone moved to Dublin (dual citizenship because of her grandfather), after serving in the US military for 20 years. She drives hire cars (chauffeured cars) for a small company in Dublin city, bridging the gap when Americans come to Ireland and need navigational assistance. The author has done a brilliant job of setting an environment to support lots of story arcs in future stories and I can’t wait to read them all! On to this one – Megan is driving a famous food vlogger and her husband. After dinner at Megan’s friend’s restaurant in downtown Dublin, the woman collapses at the base of Molly Malone’s statue and dies. Is it food poisoning, natural causes or something else? Megan is drawn into investigating Liz’s death and all the possible outcomes.
Ms. Murphy does a superb job of realistically building a rationale for Megan’s involvement. The supporting characters are well-developed and lend depth to the story. Megan is independent, maintains her ‘Americanisms’, while loving and honoring her new home. Her military training occasionally comes in handy when encountering difficult situations. The end result of Megan’s investigations results in a well-resolved ending, while setting the stage for the next book. I appreciated the ‘translation’ guide in the front of the book, in addition to the vivid word pictures of the Dublin areas. Can’t wait for the next one!