EXCERPT: Siobhán was headed for the entrance once more when a woman's scream rang out. the next thing she knew, the crowd had shifted directions, voices raised in panic. 'Call the guards,' she heard a voice shout. 'Call an ambulance.'
'I'm a guard,' Siobhán said, moving sideways to get clear of the stampede, getting jostled left and right. When she finally stumbled her way into the building, she encountered a large open space with a timber floor and stone walls. A second-floor gallery with a railing was situated just above their heads, and a spotlight shone on the space below. Harry, Moira and Leah were huddled in the area near the center that was lit by the spotlight. Siobhán followed their gaze to a broken railing above, then to the felled ebony harp below. Why were they all so panicked about a harp? Was it that valuable? A harp doesn't need an ambulance. It took another second to see that the harp had a pair of wellies sticking out from its base.

ABOUT 'MURDER AT AN IRISH CHRISTMAS': Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan's holiday plans hit a sour note when murder rearranges the Yuletide carols into unexpected eulogies...

This December in Kilbane, if you're planning to warm up with a cuppa tea at Naomi's Bistro, you may have a bit of a wait--the entire O'Sullivan brood has gone off to West Cork to spend the holidays with brother James' fiancée Elise's family, including her grandfather, the famous orchestral conductor Enda Elliot. Siobhán is so happy for James and Elise but also quietly disappointed that she must put her own wedding to fellow garda Macdara Flannery on hold. Mac will have to join them later, so he can spend part of the holidays with his mam.

When the O'Sullivans learn everyone will choose a name from a hat to buy a music-related Christmas gift for someone else at the gathering, it seems like their greatest concern--until the cantankerous conductor is discovered crushed under a ninety-pound harp in a local concert hall.

With the extended family--including Enda's much-younger new wife Leah, a virtuoso violinist--suspected in his murder, it's up to Siobhán to ensure the guilty party faces the music. But as a snowstorm strands both families in a lavish farmhouse on a cliff, Siobhán had better pick up the tempo--before the killer orchestrates another untimely demise...

MY THOUGHTS: It is always a pleasure to catch up with the O'Sullivan family. They are a joy to behold, as entertaining that they are. It really won't matter if you haven't read any of the earlier books as there is enough information provided so that you'll easily know who is who to whom.

The characters are fun and easily recognisable. The younger siblings must get frustrated that every time they set off on a family holiday, Siobhán ends up entangled in an investigation. However, in this case, they have Christmas shopping and plenty of crisps and chocolate to keep them entertained. Apparently it's not Christmas without crisps and chocolate!

Siobhán is an excellent guard. She has excellent powers of observation and listens to her intuition. Her fiancé, Guarda McDara Flannery, calls her 'Boss'. Together they make a great team.

I really enjoyed the mystery in Murder at an Irish Christmas. Enda kept his family close, including his ex-wife and their children who live alongside Enda and his new wife. There's a wide pool of suspects and a lot of lies told and secrets revealed. And there may be a wee conflict of interest: Siobhán's brother James is engaged to the dead man's granddaughter.

I had fun trying to solve this. I never believed that the main suspect was the murderer, although my certainty did waver towards the end. I'd had another suspect in mind. Was I correct? You'll need to read Murder at an Irish Christmas for yourself to find out.

The motive is as interesting as it is ingenuous.

I enjoyed this read and look forward to connecting with the Sullivan clan again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

#MurderatanIrishChristmas #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Born into a long line of Irish storytellers, Carlene O'Connor's great-grandmother emigrated from Ireland filled with tales in 1897 and the stories have been flowing ever since. Of all the places she’s wandered across the pond, she fell most in love with a walled town in County Limerick and was inspired to create the town of Kilbane, County Cork, the setting of her Irish Village Mystery series.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Kensington Books via NetGalley for providing a digital ARC of Murder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'Connor. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

This Christmas the entire O’Sullivan brood heads off to West Cork to celebrate with eldest sibling James’ fiancée Elise’s family. Things aren’t what they hoped with strange grab bags and unconventional family dynamics. When Elise’s grandfather is discovered dead under a harp in the Event space where he was to conduct his last performance Siobhán investigates. Sorting through the craziness of Elise’s family and the orchestra members to try and find out who might have the motive and opportunity to get rid of the old man. Siobhan and the O’Sullivans never fail to discover the truth, amuse us and remind us how important family is.

This cozy mystery follows the O'Sullivan family and relatives while solving the murder of Enda Elliot. Enda is a famous orchestral conductor who was found under a heavy harp just before the group was about to play. Being a local and also a known conductor creates a lot of potential murderers, so Siobhán has to be careful and smart to find the right person that killed Enda.

Murder at an Irish Christmas is the sixth book in the Irish Village Mystery series. That definitely shows when reading the book. I had more problems with getting into the book and understanding the characters than I've had in the past with other cozy mysteries that where in the middle of a series. So I'd say it's not a bad idea to start at book number one. It took more time for me to connect with the characters, but also to understand the relationships in between and know their behaviour.

Talking about the relationships between the characters, I thought there were too many. The amount of characters in the book made me not able to focus on the right things and had my mind wander off. I could say that's because it's the sixth in a series, but if this was the first I'd still have trouble focusing on the many characters. There's simply too many for me. Every character had ties with mutiple other characters and I got lost in the web.

When it comes to the murder there were some interesting clues and things happening that were exciting. Mysterious sightings around the cliff house they stayed in and some evidence found around the cliff that felt like good clues. Though over time it got a little boring to me. It felt like we were circling around the same things over and over again and not getting anywhere. So the middle could've had more action. The end was more fast paced, but because I lost some interest halfway the book it wasn't as revealing and shocking as I'd hoped.

Overall it might be a better book if you're into the series and read all the other books and gotten familiar with the character. I didn't read the other books, so maybe that's where my struggles came from. Though from the cozy genre I expect you can read any book in any series without too much trouble, whether you start in the middle or not.

This is such a fun read for the holiday season, if you’re looking for a murder mystery set in a beautiful place that features holiday and Christmas themes, this is the book for you. I love the characters and I think they are what make the story go in conjunction with the setting itself. I had a lot of fun reading this and was guessing until the very end.

Carlene O'Connor continues her Irish Village mysteries with Murder at an Irish Christmas. Garda Siobhan O"Sullivan has come home for a family Christmas to Kilhane but her grandfather Enda, harpist, is murdered. There is one favorite suspect but Siobhan thinks that the choice of suspect is too pat. Intrigue in the family and the village add to the atmosphere. Read and find whodunit.

This is the 6th book in the series and it can be read as a standalone. I love Siobhan and her family and really who doesn't love the idea of Christmas in Ireland. This is a well written cozy that has plenty of twists and turns to keep the reader engaged.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. This is a very interesting quick read I was able to finish in an afternoon

This is a cozy mystery, and it is the 7th book in the Irish Village Mystery series. I really enjoyed this book, and it pulled me for the beginning. There is a lot about music. I really enjoyed the mystery part of this book, but I really enjoyed the characters. The characters where fun and felt real to me. This is a fast-paced cozy mystery with wonderful characters. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Kensington Publishing Corporation) or author (Carlene O'Connor) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

The whole O'Sullilvan clan heads to West Cork for the holidays. A fiancee for James means a new family to get to know, made even more interesting by a death and a snowstorm. I always root for Siobhan and this was no exception.

Another great read. As I said above, Carlene O'Connor never fails to entertain me. I did not figure this one out ahead of time, and for me, that makes for a good mystery story. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in purchasing it.

I had not read any of the previous books in this series, but it was no problem jumping right into the story. I read this on my Christmas break and then forgot to review it. It was a perfect holiday cozy mystery read for me. Actually, I liked the setting so much that I borrowed Murder in an Irish Cottage from my library after finishing this one.

I loved this. I am becoming a huge fan of the cozy mystery genre due to books like this. You can read this as an escape from the everyday in a weekend. A really good mystery.

So far, I enjoyed this one in the series the most. It's Christmas time for the OSullivan Six and they are spending it in another village, the home of brother James' girlfriend Elise and her family. The family is musically talented and will be hosting a Christmas concert on Christmas Eve. However, a murder of the family patriarch occurs and Siobhan is once again pulled into solving another murder. The answer isn't as obvious as the local Garda thinks it is and when he's removed from the case, Siobhan and her fiance' Macdara are called into action.
This is a perfect holiday read. Thank you to Kensington and NetGalley for letting me preview this ARC and write my own review .

This is such a fun series, and I had a great time with this cozy mystery. I loved the plot, the twists and turns, and the characters!

Siobhan O'Sullivan gathers her brood of siblings to celebrate Christmas with her brother James' fiance's family and to enjoy a Christmas concert. Before the concert can happen, renowned conductor Enda Elliott is found dead in the local concert venue. Luckily, Siobhan is on hand to help find out what really happened to Enda.

Carlene O'Connor's mystery is a fun, holiday who-done-it, filled with lots of suspects. While her books are filled with lots of characters, it never seems overwhelming - they all have their own personalities. I have enjoyed reading about Siobhan's transformation from baker to capable and confident garda. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the O'Sullivan family.

Another excellent edition to a wonderful series! Full of twists and turns that leaves you wanting more and enjoying each moment until the end when the killer is caught!

Siobhan, a garda (police officer), is looking forward to a Christmas holiday with her brothers and sisters. James, the oldest, and Elise are engaged, and she has invited them to meet and stay with her family. An added bonus is Elise is the granddaughter of Enda Elliot, a world-famous conductor. The orchestra will perform, giving Siobhan the opportunity to hear the talented Leah Elliot play the violin.

Siobhan’s own fiancé, Macdara, also a garda, is scheduled to join her in a few days. That plan changes when the group meets at an old whiskey distillery where the performance will be held and find Enda’s body. It looks like he fell from the second floor.

First looks can be deceiving, though, and it’s soon discovered Enda was murdered. Rumors fly about his increasing memory loss, outbursts of anger, and nighttime wanderings. Family members tried to get him to a doctor but he refused.

When Siobhan’s life is in danger, Macdara cuts short his holiday and arrives to take part in the investigation with Siobhan’s help.

It’s hard to get a straight answer from any of the family members. Siobhan finds they are all lying, but to what purpose? Video recorded from a hidden camera, a slashed tire, an odd costume, and a harp, all play a role in solving the case, if only they can put the clues together.

This is book six in the series. Siobhan has her dream job and her dream man. She truly enjoys the company of her brothers and sisters as much as she loves her job. The relationship between Siobhan and Macdara is a caring one with a lot of humor. This is a series I always look forward to reading.

O’Connor also writes the Home to Ireland mysteries, two so far, both reviewed here. At the back of the book, find the recipe for Siobhan’s Irish brown bread, a tasty treat smeared with butter and jam. She swears it’s simple to make.

My rating: 1 of 5 stars, Did not finish.

Book 6 of the series.

This series has really been hit or miss for me. I have really enjoyed some of the books, and others, not at all.

Unfortunately, this one was a miss. I just couldn't get into it, at all. After finding myself putting it down for something else multiple times, I finally decided to called it DNF.

It always takes me a few chapters to get into the Irish Village Mystery books--maybe because I haven't read the series from Book 1 on. But if I give it just a bit of time, I fall in love with Siobhan, Macdara, and Siobhan's siblings. Her caretaking of her younger sibs always gets me.

This book has a wonderful holiday setting, a fabulous tragic atmosphere, and a good plot with a resolution centering around a substance my daughter loves but many folks want to ban. SPOILER ALERT! (glitter) With sly humor, Siobhan manages incompetent local law enforcement, prejudiced townspeople, and dramatic musicians. What a satisfying read!

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

I really loved this book in a new to my series. Tha characters and location really and to the story. I can't wait to read the next one. This book keeps you guessing until the end