⭐⭐⭐⭐

I don't think I have ever started a series at book 7, but this held up perfectly as a standalone. I was never lost or confused, nor felt I needed more background to enjoy the story. So kudos to the author for that. I enjoyed this book a lot. It was well written. I adored the setting. The mystery was well plotted. A lot of twists and red herrings to keep us guessing, and the characters (a plethora of them) were likable. I definitely want to go back and read the first 6 now!

However, there was one minor issue I had. The timeline. A character gets murdered in the new bookshop and they seemingly leave her body there for days?! I skimmed other reviews, and no one seems to have mentioned this, so maybe it was just me. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But it threw me out of the story enough that I made a comment on Goodreads and put the book down to tell my husband and daughter. 😂

**ARC Via NetGalley**

The opening of a new bookstore becomes the closing chapter in an author’s life...

Kilbane’s new bookshop is hosting an event featuring up-and-coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in the town for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who has been causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb.

Then Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store - with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth. Now, Siobhán must uncover which of Kilbane’s literary guests took Deirdre’s criticisms so personally, they’d engage in foul play....

I really enjoyed this book. It was hard to put down as it drew me in immediately and before I knew it I was in the middle of the book!

Fans of Agatha Raisin and Midsomer Murders are going to love Carlene O’Connor’s latest cosy mystery, Murder in an Irish Bookshop.

A coterie of rising stars in the Irish literary scene have gathered at Kilbane’s newest bookshop for an event celebrating their talent and brilliance. These writers will be taking up residency in the town for an entire month and it doesn’t take long for tempers to begin to fray and temperatures to rise. Deirdre Walsh is certainly not one to hide her light under a bushel and she definitely has been putting people’s backs up with her opinions and distaste for other people’s writing. Deirdre is not a huge fan of author Nessa Lamb’s books -and she has made sure that everybody is aware of that fact. However, it soon transpires that somebody is keen on shutting up Deirdre for good as her body is found in the bookshop the following day with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth!

With a murderer loose on the streets of Kilbane, Siobhán is determined to get to the bottom of this mystery and put the killer behind bars before somebody else ends up getting murdered. But who would want to kill Deirdre? There is certainly a long list of suspects who have their own reasons for wanting to kill her. Can Siobhán find the killer in time? Or will there soon be another dead body cluttering up the streets of Kilbane?

Carlene O’Connor has written a fabulous Irish-set cosy mystery full of charm, intrigue, tension and suspense that I simply couldn’t stop reading. Murder in an Irish Bookshop clips along at a very fast pace and will have readers biting their nails and eagerly turning the pages as they find themselves completely caught up in this first class mystery.

A fantastic tale full of red herrings, bucolic mischief and Irish charm, Carlene O’Connor’s enjoyable mystery Murder in an Irish Bookshop is not to be missed.

Firstly, I love the title of this book and that is what drew me in. But having said that I really enjoyed reading this one. It is not a long drawn out book, it is intriguing and mysterious, it is set in Ireland in a Bookshop. What's not to love.

This book was easy to read, the characters are great and the story interesting making me want to keep reading from start to finish. There are twists and turns, some humour and plenty of goings-on. I haven't read any of the others in this series but think I will have to and then re-read this one as it will probably feel a bit different if read in order.

All in all I enjoyed this book and have been getting into the cosy mystery genre lately and think they are fun to read and not too heavy, which I like.

Murder in an Irish Bookshop - Carlene O'Connor

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to NetGalley and Canelo and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Between training the new town garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiancé, Macdara Flannery, Siobhán O’Sullivan is feeling a bit overwhelmed. She’s looking forward to visiting the new bookshop and curling up with an exciting novel—only to discover the shelves contain nothing but Literature with a capital L. The owner not only refuses to stock romances, mysteries, and science fiction, but won’t even let customers enter his store unless they can quote James Joyce or Sean Hennessey.

Although this is the seventh book in the series, this is the first book that I have read - it can easily be read as a standalone. As a booklover I had to read this book, based on the title alone - who doesn't enjoy a book involving a bookshop?

I enjoyed everything about this book; the setting, the characters and even the way that the mystery unfolded. This is a cosy mystery, just perfect for reading on an overcast day when a pleasant escape is always welcome. There are many twists and false trails to keep the reader invested in the mystery until the final reveal.

Rating 4/5

When I started reading Murder in an Irish Bookshop by Carlene O'Connor, I didn't realise that it was the latest in an ongoing series. That explains why I felt so completely at sea. That feeling did lessen as the book progressed but I continued to be perplexed. As far as I could work out, the book is set in an Irish village which has a police station staffed by a detective sergeant and (I'm guessing here) the Irish equivalent of a constable as well as other unnamed personnel. And introduced into the mix is a trainee. That seems like a lot of officers for a village.

I enjoyed the book but I felt that it was a strange mixture of police procedural and contemporary romance. The solving of the crime seemed a bit haphazard, without any structure to it, and , to be honest, I didn't really care about the victims or the murderer. Perhaps that would be different, though, if I'd read the preceding books in the series?

Sorry, I thought this was a new book in this series but I noticed I already read it.
This was my review: "An excellent addition to this series, it's engrossing and highly entertaining.
A plot that flows, likable and well written characters, a solid mystery that kept me guessing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine"

Siobhán O’Sullivan has a lot going on. Between her new career as a local Garda, trying to arrange her wedding and dealing with her large and chaotic family, she's looking forward to getting a chance to relax when her small town finally opens its first bookshop. But when it finally opens it's doors .. she's greeted by riddles, strange hosts ... and murder.

Three Authors gathered with the townsfolk for opening night, showcasing their new novels and fighting for the attention of a legendary Irish Literary Agent, but only two made it through the celebration. As a storm raged outside, Deidre Walsh was killed, her mouth stuffed with pages from another writers books. Now Siobhán finds herself living in the pages of a murder mystery novel, as she races to figure out exactly what an small indie author from a small Irish town could have known to leave her dead ...

"Even the cows are nosey in this village."


Now, I'm from an Irish family but have never visited the country where my great-grandparents grew up, but this story had me homesick in all sorts of ways!

The seventh in the Irish Village Mystery series, this book is a brilliant standalone or addition to the series, no loose ends and no questions about backstories left for the reader.

With that classic whodunnit vibe, this has all the makings of a perfect mystery; hidden doors, cryptic clues, secret affairs, betrayals and of course ... Murder. But despite all the murder, this book kept its cozy small-town atmosphere all the way through to make a very easy and enjoyable read. The characters were brilliant - hilarious, clever, and so memorable.

A slow-mover, this story had a lot of domestic squabbles and administrative policing, which while that gave it a certain air of authenticity, it made for a slow read in parts for me and I found myself drifting at points, but will definitely appeal to a lot of other readers. The grand reveals were wickedly clever, with plenty of possible villians to choose from, keeping us guessing until the very end.

Irish Village Mystery #7

Between training the new town Garda and trying to set a wedding date with her fiance, Macdara Flannery. Siobhan O'Sullivan is feeling a bit overwhelmed. She's looking forward to visiting the new bookshop and curling up with an exciting novel - only to discover the shelfs contain nothing but literature. The owner refuses to stock romances, mysteries and science fiction, but won't even let customers enter his store unless they can quote James Joyce or Sean Hennessy. But the bookshop owner is hosting a reading and autographing event and among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh. But Deirdre's body is found the next day in the back of the bookshop with pages from a book stuffed in her mouth.

I have not read any of the other books in this series and I did struggle at first with the authors style of writing. The opening of the bookshop is surrounded by death and mystery. Ds Macdara Flannery, Garda Siobhan O'Sullivan and new Garda Aretla Debiri are investigating two deaths. This book is a real cosy mystery. There is quite a lot of characters but they may have been added to this series over the previous six books. The story does end with a cliff hanger. This book can be read as a standalone. I quite enjoyed this story.

I would like to thank #NetGalley #Canelo and the author #CarleneOConnor for my ARC of #MurderInAnIrishBookshop in exchange for an honest review.

As usual in my reviews, I will not rehash the plot - plenty of reviews like that out there already.

I was drawn to this title by the combination of books and murder mystery, and I wasn't disappointed.

Although this is the 7th book in this series, I have not read any of the previous titles (though I will try and do so now!) - however the book works just fine as a standalone, as we learn about the backstories of the main characters as we go along.

The book - despite the fact that it contains not one, but two murders! - has a lovely cosy vibe, with plenty of vivid descriptions of the surroundings and characters to set the scene. I liked the main characters, and the interplay between them felt believable.

The plot has several layers, covering the ongoing lives of the detectives and the inhabitants of the village as well as the murders. The descriptions of food sounded so tasty that I developed a craving for brown bread (I could not get any brown soda bread .so had to settle for white!).

I feel that this book will appeal to lovers of police procedurals, and it is gentle enough not to horrify anyone. I will happily read more novels by this author.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC. All opinions my own.

I was really looking forward to reading it but it was just a bit too quirky for me.A good few twists and turns to keep me interested. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

'Murder in an Irish Bookshop' is the seventh book in the cosy mystery series by Carlene O'Connor. Each title begins with the words, 'Murder in an Irish ...' and follows the adventures of Siobhán O'Sullivan (now a garda - member of the Irish police service), as she navigates a series of murders in her home village. The stories are all standalone but can be read as a series. Either way, no introduction or previous knowledge was required for me to jump in with the newest novel.
As is typical with cosy mysteries, the violence tends to occur of the pages and our heroine discovers the bodies. This is a light-hearted read, but one with plenty of twists and red herrings. The characters are well-drawn and amusing, especially when I came across the addition of typical Irish phrases in their conversation. For example, the same of the word 'grand', 'me' being used as a possessive, etc.
I enjoyed the references to literature and bookshops that are scattered throughout the text and in particular the reaction of Oran to 'popular fiction'.
A fun read, perfect for an easy day on the beach.

The setting is everything in this cozy Irish mystery. The opening of a new bookshop in town coincides with an Irish writer’s conversation. Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan will have to see if murder has come to Kilbane with the writer’s or if it is closer to home. A nice paced story for a wet afternoon.
I was given an arc of this book by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Eccentric characters abound in charming Irish village . All the village is excited for the new bookshop opening, none more than Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan. On the morning of the scheduled opening, OAP Margaret O’Shea is found dead on the path, right in front of the new bookshop. Quite a mystery as Margaret O’Shea never left her rooms in the hotel. Then,on the evening of the opening, aspiring author Deidre Walsh is murdered in the bookshop. It may be Garda O’Sullivan’s 29th birthday, but she has a murder to solve, possibly two.
A cosy mystery that jumps around a bit, sure to please many.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy.

A bookshop has opened in Kilbane. There's an event featuring up and coming writers. Things don't end well.

As usual, Garda Siobhan is at the sharp end, trying to get to the bottom of it all

#MurderInAnIrishBookshop #NetGalley
Wow. A fun read.
Kilbane’s new bookshop is hosting an event featuring up-and-coming Irish writers who will be taking up residency in the town for a month. Among them is indie author Deirdre Walsh, who has been causing a heated debate among the writers. She seems to have a particular distaste for the novels of Nessa Lamb. Then Deirdre’s body is found the next day in the back of the store - with pages torn from Nessa’s books stuffed in her mouth.
I think it's an intriguing novel and the author has done a good job.
Thanks to NetGalley and Canelo for giving me an advance copy.

Death Shatters Peaceful Town....
Death shatters peaceful town in this seventh book in the Irish Village series of mysteries. Enjoyable cosy crime with a likeable protagonist and a colourful cast of supporting characters as well as an attractive backdrop. A fun, entertaining read and a worthy addition to the series.