It is always fun to spend time with Siobhan and her siblings! For Christmas, Siobhan O'Sullivan and her family are spending time in West Cork with her brother James' fiance's family, which includes her grandfather, a famous orchestra conductor, his much younger concert violinist wife, Elise's siblings, her mother and grandfather's second wife and son...plus a few other non-blood relatives! Siobhan is not happy about spending Christmas away from home and from her fiance Macdara Flannery, but she makes the best of a difficult situation. Not long after Siobhan and her family arrive in West Cork, they discover Elise's grandfather dead, under a concert harp, in the barn where a Christmas concert was to have been held. As a Garda, Siobhan tries not to investigate, however she is constantly pulled into solving the murder as she learns more and more about Elise's family. An interesting turn of events gets Macdara involved in solving the murder and together, they unravel the crime and expose the real murder, all while celebrating a family Christmas.

This book is the 6th in the Irish Village Mystery series and is a wonderful addition. The whole series is outstanding and should not be missed. You quickly get pulled into the story, become puzzled over a few of the clues (glitter?), and remain engrossed until the very end. I highly recommend this book and await the next in the series.

This is a great cozy mystery with wonderful Christmas accents. Great way to get in the mood for the holidays-even if there is a murder!

I've not read earlier books in this series (this is the sixth) but other than being slightly confused at the beginning on the O'Sullivan family structure, it was completely fine as a standalone. But it was such an enjoyable story, I've already got the first two books on hold at the library.

Our protagonist, Siobhan O'Sullivan is a garda (police officer in the Republic of Ireland) but she is with her family (she's the oldest of six and responsible for her family since their parents' death) celebrating Christmas with her brother James' fiancee's family. Her grandfather, Enda Elliott, is a famous conductor and the town is holding a private holiday concert in his honor.

When they and the orchestra as well as the Elliott family arrive to decorate the mill where the concert is to be held, they discover Enda's body which appears to have fallen off the second story with a harp.

Although Siobhan is a garda, she had promised her siblings a nonworking holiday and is also told by the local garda not to get involved. But she does, and there appear to be many folks who could have wished Enda Elliott ill. There are a lot of red herrings and I didn't have a clue until almost the end of the book.

I also enjoyed the dynamics of the O'Sullivan family and the way they make the best of not being in familiar surroundings for Christmas-some of them are still quite young.

I received an ARC from Kensington via NetGalley however, the opinion expressed is my own.

As always, Carlene O'Connor delivers - Murder at an Irish Christmas is a great entry in the Irish Village Mystery series! I loved that this book included more interactions with Siobhan's siblings and the cozy Christmas vibes (with a touch of murder) are perfect for the upcoming winter months.

I'd highly recommend this series to seasoned or new cozy mystery readers alike.

Garda Sidobhán O’Sullivan is off duty, spending Christmas in another part of County Cork with her 5 siblings, and her soon to be sister-in-law’s family. All of that changes when the family patriarch, a famous conductor, is discovered murdered in an old mill that was to have been the venue for a holiday concert. With plenty of suspects, most from her soon to be family by marriage, Sidobhán is torn, she wants to leave the investigation to the local Gardaí and enjoy the holiday, but when circumstances arise that she can’t ignore, she gets put to work as an investigator. Joining her is her fiancé, also a Garda. The feeling of family, and in this, the 6th book in the series, of Christmas, is a joy. The book can definitely be read as a stand alone, but to do so would deprive the reader of the fun of following the O’Sullivan family story. Sidobhán has grown and matured throughout the series, maybe we’ll see a wedding in book 7. Thank you to the author, and to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy.

In this entry to the series, protagonist and Guarda Siobhán O’Sullivan is out of her element as well as district when she puts her own wedding aside to join brother James and his fiancé Elise at her family’s estate in West Cork for the Christmas holiday celebration. It’s not just a full house, but the cottages as well as they begin the task of creating their own Christmas decorations while they join with Elise in her family’s Christmas traditions, which includes a “secret Santa” style of gift-giving. Her extended family includes her grandfather, a famous orchestral conductor as well as his much younger wife. His orchestra is poised to present an outstanding concert and all the members are present. Unfortunately, it is he who is picked off shortly after the O’Sullivans get settled.

I enjoy this series, the female Guarda O’Sullivan, even if she is tall, red-haired, and pretty. Her own fiancé, Macdara Flannery, is no slouch. Despite trying to stay out of the murder investigation, you know that won’t happen and sooner or later Dara joins her. Then it’s a long list of suspects between the family drama, the mystery, and the orchestra members.

I always enjoy the immersion into Irish culture, lore, food, unpronounceable names…and descriptions of the countryside. The well-plotted narrative is an easy pace and often punctuated with that great Irish sense of humor I’ve come to expect from the author and the enlivening and perceptive dialogue. There are an abundance of red herrings and twists, and the conclusion may surprise the reader. It’s been fun and I’m looking forward to Book 7.

All Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan wants if for her and her siblings to enjoy a happy Christmas together when they leave their home to spend the holiday with her brother James' fiancee Elisa's family. There they expect to meet Elise's grandfather Enda Elliot who is a famous orchestra conductor. But everything changes when Enda Elliot is found dead under an expensive harp. As Siobhan tries to help out the Garda in the district it seems that more than one person had a reason to want Enda dead. Can she find the killer or killers before someone else loses their life? This was another enjoyable book about the O'Sullivan clan. It is easily read as a standalone even though Carlene O'Connor has written several other books in this series. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a mystery. Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.75 stars

This sixth Irish Village Mystery would probably be fine as a standalone, however having read the previous books and gotten the family history is bound to enhance enjoyment of the book.

Siobhan O'Sullivan became both mother and father to her five brothers and sisters after the death of her parents in a car crash. They are a close-knit bunch, lively and loyal to each other but with the usual sibling tussles. Siobhan is a very appealing heroine: smart, protective of her family, strong, and very human. She is now an Irish police officer, a garda, and is engaged to Macdara Flannery, who is a police detective.

There are lots of characters in this one, not only the O'Sullivan six, but also Macdara and his mother, and the entire family of Siobhan's brother James' fiance, Elise. They have all arrived in a small West Cork village for a Christmas tribute concert arranged by Elise's charismatic grandfather. He is a famed conductor who is rumored to be experiencing dementia like symptoms. Both his second wife (in a wheelchair after a car crash rumored to be his fault) and his third much-younger wife are present, along with assorted children.

Siobhan is determined to have a festive Christmas with her family and leave her police job home for the holidays. But when Elise's grandfather is found dead after a fall, that goes out the window. Siobhan has to navigate two sets of families and their secrets, local prejudices and gossip, and the sometimes hostile attitude of the local garda.

These are fun, fast-reading mysteries that are a pleasure to read. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

An unusual murder, well orchestrated by the author around some classical Christmas scenes.
A relaxing read.

Carlene O'Connor managed again to put together a great story.
Siobhán siblings are getting older and that brings up a new set of concerns. She has a bit of a problem warming up to James fiancée and vice versa. Elise feels James should side with her instead of his sister and Siobhán is a bit overprotective. She also has a future Mother In-law to deal with who isn't exactly a big fan of Siobhán. On top of it we are having the next sibling starting to notice the male sex.
Add the death of Elise’s grandfather (Accident, homicide or suicide?) a bunch of musicians, local law enforcements who have their own ideas on how to proceed and we are celebrating Christmas.
It’s an interesting and fun read which keeps you guessing.

Siobhan (shi-vawn) O’Sullivan and her family, known as the O’Sullivan Six, are in action again as they visit a colorful village in West Cork. Christmas is near and they will be spending time with the family of James’ fiancé, Elise. Siobhan is a bit apprehensive about her older brother’s engagement, but the rest of her brood of brothers and sisters, Grainne (Grawn-ya), Ann, Eoin (Owen), and Ciaran (Keeran) seem just fine with it. They are all looking forward to a peaceful Christmas with all of them together just enjoying each other. Of course, wherever Siobhan goes, a dead body soon follows – even at Christmas.

The village is hosting a concert, conducted by Enda Elliott, who is the Conductor for the RTE National Symphony Orchestra. The aging Enda lives in the village and is its most renowned citizen. To say Enda is eccentric would be putting it mildly, but everybody seems to love him – so – imagine the shock when the entire village shows up at the old mill to decorate it for the concert – and they find a very deceased Enda sprawled in the middle of the musicians seating. Oh! My! At first glance, it appears to be an accident, but as a Garda, Siobhan has to secure the scene and await the arrival of the local Garda. It soon becomes evident that it wasn’t an accident. Oh! My!

With suspects galore and red herrings aplenty, you’ll have a time unraveling this mystery right along with Siobhan and her fiancé Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery. What could the motive be? Who hated Enda enough to murder him? Could it be his son Jason? His second wife Faye? His third, and current, wife Leah? His daughter Moira? One of his grandchildren – Elise, Paul, or Orla? The harpist, Ruth? The artist, Catherine? The artist's lover, Theodore Baskins? The venue owner? His rival, Harry Williams? Oh! My! Too many suspects to count.

As everyone’s secrets are revealed (including Enda’s) – like peeling an onion – and Siobhan is attacked – the solution is still not evident. Will they find the murderer before another death occurs? You’ll just have to read this delightful story to find out.

This is one of my favorite series and I really love all of the characters. It is well-written, the mystery is well-plotted and well-delivered, the characters are robust, likable, and well developed. I mean – what else could you possibly want. Goodness – there is even an excellent Irish Brown Bread recipe in the back!

I loved the book and can’t wait for the next one.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this fun cozy mystery! I’ve enjoyed all of the ones I’ve read in this series. In this one I felt like I saw more connection and feelings between Dara and Siobhan. Siobhan is full of nostalgia and reminisces a lot about Christmas with her parents growing up. I loved seeing the small Irish town at Christmastime and seeing her and her family celebrate.

The mystery element itself was a little predictable, but still held my interest. This one shines because of the vibrant characters, the fantastic setting, and a warm and fun incorporation of Christmas.

If you’re looking for a light, cozy read to take your mind off 2020, this one is a delightful choice. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my complimentary copy.

I really enjoyed this book. The mixture of family dynamics along with the murder made an interesting read. The main character having to battle between the responsibilitys of home life and a duty of finding the truth was well balanced. I usually get confused when a lot of characters are introduced at once, this book certainly had a lot of people all related in one way or another introduced quickly. However the names were so different it was easy to remember who belonged with who. The book is based around Christmas time and managed to include the Christmas spirit in a natural way it was neither overbearing or too little. Over all it was a pleasant read i managed in one sitting, I will be hunting down other works from this author without a doubt

What I Loved:

The Murder Mystery. I have a tremendous amount of love for Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series, particularly the installations that feature country house mysteries. Here, while Irish Christmas did not take place literally in the country house, it had the same closed circle, dead patriarch setup. This is a favorite of mine because it dives deep into each family members’ psyche, motives, and desires, and exposes all sorts of secrets both related and unrelated to the murder. O’Connor set this book up much the same way, where each family member of the paternalistic and domineering patriarch has a motive and a web of lies. Siobhán is just the woman to sort through everything as both an outsider and professional policewoman. I love it when she makes people squirm.

The Setting. Ah, Ireland. While most of the Irish Village Mystery books take place in Siobhán’s village of Kilbane (central Co. Clare), this installation took place in West Cork on the seaside. Here, there is beautifully rugged beaches and high winds, snow on Christmas, and peat fires. I love scenes of decorating the Christmas tree with seashells and driftwood, and cliffside drama. Poor Kilbane didn’t stand a chance. Even Siobhán wants to move after her vacation.

The O’Sullivan Six. While in prior books, Siobhán and her pack of siblings have been a bit annoying, in this book, the family is endearing. It is Christmas time and they are in unfamiliar territory with a group of people that look down on them slightly, and the O’Sullivan clan come out swinging. It makes the reader want a lot of siblings to celebrate and mourn with at the holidays; people who will have your back no matter what.

What Didn’t Work as Well:

Elise and James. James is Siobhan’s older brother, the only sibling older than her, and he is a bit of a sod. His fiancée Elise is the one whose grandfather is killed, and she acts defiant and hardheaded throughout the entire investigation. Elise tries to make James lie for her as an alibi and expects him to break his own family traditions (such as buying presents among just the siblings) to only follow her own family’s. Siobhán doesn’t get their relationship, and frankly neither do I. James can do better, and while he does stand up to Elise once or twice, it is at the expense of his happiness.

Some Loose Plot Points. This may be an ARC problem, so I am not too concerned, but there were one or two points that kind of dissipated as unimportant but remained unsolved. Why did Enda buy the beautiful harp that contributed to his demise? Was he actually going senile, or was he just tying up loose ends? There are others that I cannot reveal due to spoilers, but needless to say, there are questions at the end of Irish Christmas that I wish were solved.

The murder is second to the family dealings, those of the concert group and atmosphere of West Cork. It's a slow read but I did enjoy our main character's humor
Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this arc

Siobhan and the rest of the O’Sullivan family head to West Cork to spend Christmas with her brother James’ fiancée Elise and her family. While there, they’re going to witness a performance from by the famous orchestra conductor Enda Elliot, and a whole orchestra of others including the violin virtuoso Leah Elliott (Enda’s third wife) who will be having a Christmas Eve performance. But when everyone finally is able to get into the locked mill to decorate and practice, they discover the body of Enda Elliot. He’s found underneath a valuable harp and appears to have been there for a while.
While Siobhan secures the scene and the Garda are called in, Siobhan switches from just being James’ sister into Garda O’Sullivan, Garda are never really off duty, are they?
With the list of potential suspects growing by leaps and bounds, Siobhan is frustrated when the local Garda only have eyes for one man. When a mistake is made, luckily Siobhan’s fiancé Macdara happens to be there and can step into the investigation and make sure that all suspects are looked at with a critical eye. With everyone from family members to neighbors lying, there’s no telling who the killer really is.
If you love locked room mysteries, I recommend this story. This is the sixth story in the series, but you don’t have to read the first five to enjoy this one. Good writing, interesting characters, and a snowy Irish setting at Christmas, what more could you ask?

**I received an ARC of this story from Netgalley and the publisher and this is my honest and voluntary review.

This sixth book in the series does not disappoint.
Irish village life and its inhabitants are a pleasure to read about.
The whodunit was well written and kept me guessing right until the reveal.
The relationship between Siobhan and her siblings and their personalities ring true to life for me.
I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.

The holidays are never easy when you have new in-laws to be added into the mix- suddenly you have to add in your traditions and theirs, and they may not mix at all. With James engaged to Elise, it makes sense for the family to travel and take in Elise's grandfather's special Christmas concert, and get to know the in-laws to be. But great plans never go as planned. Siobhán quickly finds herself immersed in what appears to be a murder made to look like a cruel accident. As she finds more clues, the local constable has to admit she might be right. Luckily help comes from an unexpected source, and soon she is trying to figure out who among Elise's family could be a killer. Not the Christmas anyone expected. This is a great book to get you in the holiday book, and it offers great insight to Irish family traditions as well!

There’s nothing like a beautifully delivered book around Christmas time! This author truly appreciates Christmas as much as I do! Ireland is officially a wonderful Christmas destination with family, except maybe for a murder...

This is the Sixth book in the Ireland Village Mystery series and the first one I’ve read. I truly enjoyed the Irish culture coming alive in front of my eyes; with the scenery, Irish names and language, all the way to Siobhan’s perfect love of tea. I was completely swept up in this book. I didn’t want to put it down! The twists and turns made it thrilling. I’m excited to get ahold of the rest of the series and catch up with the O’Sullivan Clan. I’m marking this one, a must read.

‘“Never underestimate the power of chocolates and crisps,” Siobhán said.’ (Chapter 6)

Another great read by Carlene O'Connor. I really enjoy The Irish Village Series and was delighted to get a chance to read book 6. I liked that this book took us to a new place and we got to meet many more people. I always look forward to this series and Carlene O'Connor didn't disappoint with this one.

A Christmas cozy mystery set in Ireland in which Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan's holiday isn't going as she had hoped. This one is a little slower paced that previous ones in the series, and that just may because of the Christmas setting. But it was till an enjoyable installment of the Irish village mystery series.