Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishers for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is Ms. O'Connor's 5th in her Irish Village Mystery series. In a small village in County Cork, Ireland Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan has to solve a murder and how does one do that exactly when the reported criminals are fairies?

The most important part of Siobhán's life is her family. She has been left to care for her 5 siblings and to help run the family's bistro. Macdara Flannery is now her fiance but she has yet to tell her family that he asked her to marry him.

Siobhán and Dara race to a rural village to help cousin Susan who is legally blind. Her mother - Aunt Ellen - is found dead. Surely it was not the fairies but rather someone more human and used poison or smothered her to death with her own pillow. The villagers however, insist that it was the fairies as the house is built in an unfortunate spot - on a fairy trail. They feel that no investigation in necessary as Ellen is not the first to have died at the cottage.

The Irish village and its inhabitants are described in such a way, that you can vividly imagine them.
Siobhán's career, family and romance are written in a contemporary and realistic way.
The whodunit as always, was well written and kept me guessing right until the reveal.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The opening chapter drew me in and really piqued my curiousity. There were times when I really didn't want to put it down.

The story leans into Irish folklore while the mystery is solved by asking and answering many questions. Patience and enquiring minds eventually result in the mystery being solved. As with every well-written murder mystery, the characters are complex and no-one and nothing is quite what it seems.

I particularly enjoyed the relationships amongst the main characters. The complex nature of family is evident throughout. This dimension added to the main plot. In some instances I have found it to quite be the distraction.

With thanks to #Netgalley, Kensington Books and the author for my advanced reader copy. The opinions in this review are entirely my own.

This is the 5th book in the Irish Village series. This one finds Siobhan and her Macdara heading out of town as Dara receives a frantic call from his cousin Jane to say his Aunt Ellen has been killed. The local townspeople and perhaps the local Garda (police) think is related to Fairies. This book will give you insight into Irish folklore. Apparently Dara’s Aunt Ellen is renting a cottage that is built on fairy lines and the fairies are none too happy about it. Aunt Ellen was going to prove them wrong as well as find some hidden treasure that is supposedly buried there as well. Unfortunately she does not have a chance before she is murdered. Lots of twists and turns so the misdirections can have you spinning but Siobhan is keen on solving the crime and she has always has a way to find the guilty one over everyone else. This was a good addition to the series and very interesting to learn about fairies and their nasty reputation if they get on their wrong side. Keep more stories coming. Recommend.

Ireland, law-enforcement, cosy-mystery

It's bad enough that the victim is family and the locals appear to believe that she was murdered by faeries, but finding the victim staged was really just the last straw. Although Siobhan and Dara are Garda, it happened in another district so they can't officially be involved. All of the characters certainly are and that's a good thing! The killer is devious and the whole story is filled with misdirections. Excellent!
I requested and received a free ebook copy from Kensington Books via NetGalley. Thank you!

This was Carlene O'Connor's best ever. I have read all her books in this series and have enjoyed every one. But this book had me reading till the early hours trying to figure out who did the dastardly deed of murder. I could not guess who it was but I did make many wrong choices. I love the way she develops her characters and each one becomes so distinct and loveable. Her choice of storylines are different and exciting and that is amazing when she continues to write so many mysteries. I highly recommend this book and dare you to figure out who the murderer is.

While I have read and enjoyed earlier books in this series I found it difficult to care about the characters in this novel. Behaviors and motivations are disconnected.. Events are reported as they happen in a straightforward, journalistic style with little psychological insight. Why would a reader want to spend time with abrasive and rude characters with no sympathetic traits ?

Murder in an Irish Cottage
Carlene O’Connor
February 25, 2020


Carlene O’Connor has now written six books in the Irish Murder series. I now have read them all and enjoyed reading each of them. They each have different stories when it comes to the murder intrege. This last book, Murder in an Irish Cottage had a different spin to it. The plot was not humorous as it has been in the past. Siobhon and Dara stayed with their garda duties when it came to solving the killing of his Aunt in the cottage. The garda from Ellen’s village of Ballysiogdun were the police on duty so Siobhon and Dara were not supposed to be investigating the case.
This thriller gives us a view of Irish mythology. The villagers views still display a fear of what the fairies can do to them. They were quick to point out that past residents of the cottage had come to an unfortunate demise. Dara’s Aunt Ellen and cousin Jane moved into the cottage. Ellen had lied about the purchase but rented the cottage and spent her first days in the cottage while Jane went to a conference in Dublin. Ellen was bound to prove the townsfolk and local historian Dylan Kelly wrong about the presence of fairies living in the hills and under the Hawthorn tree. Fairies were claimed to try to prevent locals from building on their ground. Once a cottage was built, mythology has it that nasty, evil ways come to those who live on the premises. Ellen had no belief in the ways of the spirited creatures but heard that gold had been buried somewhere on the grounds. The government states that if residents find gold that it must be given back to the Irish People. She was bound to find the treasure, keep it for herself and Jane, then move on elsewhere. Other townsfolk had heard the same tales of the buried hoard and each had thoughts of discovering it for themselves.
This plot was filled with twists and turns. Siobhan’s tricks as a detective surpassed other garda and she is always able to outthink the case and bring a solution with an arrest of the perpetrator.
O’Connor’s book was a good read until the upcoming conclusion. It seemed that there were too many conversations about who may or may not be guilty. I had to stop reading for awhile as the ultimate ending was difficult to invision. Perhaps it was the lateness of the hour that caused me trouble. I do enjoy O’Connor’s writing style and will certainly pick up a new title when available.
Murder in an Irish Cottage will be published on February 25, 2020 by Kensington Books. I appreciate their confidence in allowing me to read and review Carlene O’Connor’s newest title. Please pick up a copy and enjoy.

Murder in an Irish Cottage by Carlene O’Connor is the 5th book in the Irish Village Mystery Series.

I honestly think that this series gets better with each book I read. I have to confess that I have read a few out of order, but honestly the reader can actually dive right in at any spot and still enjoy the book. I will be reading the 4th book next (as I have read 1-3 already). However I love this series so much, that I have purchased the first 4 books. (As of note, there is a novella that squeezes in between books by Ms O’Connor that is beyond excellent as part of the Christmas Cocoa Murder trio by Kensington that was out late last year and it should definitely be read.)

I love Siobhan and Dara. They have great chemistry and compliment each other well. I also like learning more about his family through this book and I feel even more invested into these characters now that I have been learning more of their backgrounds.

I enjoyed the murder/mystery component and actually did not know who did it until the end! It was complex with some nice puzzles and twists. I even liked the Irish lore and fairy aspect and it definitely gave the mystery an eerie vibe which was fantastic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read more!

5/5 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan takes family seriously, so when her new fiance Macdara Flannery gets an emergency phone call from his cousin Jane, Siobhan is at Macdara’s side. The scene they encounter at Jane and her mother’s house is grim. Jane, who is blind, is outside the cottage, frantic, and her mother is inside in her bed in her best dress, dead. There is a pillow and a tea cup nearby, pointing to poisoning or smothering, or both as the cause of death. Is it, as the locals insist, the fairies, that have done away with Ellen? She isn’t the first person to have dies in the cottage purported to be in the middle of a fairy path. Combining modern policing with ancient beliefs, O’Connor pens a story that readers will love