It is always wonderful to enter the world of Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan and her five siblings in the wonderful small Irish village of Kilbane. Only Siobhan and her fiance Macdara Flannery would postpone their in-progress wedding for a newly discovered skeleton, a skeleton that has been unearthed at the old farm newly purchased by Macdara as a wedding surprise for Siobhan. Meeting the new neighbors has never been quite so interesting. The twists and turns in the investigation gave me lots of opportunities to want different characters to be guilty. I enjoyed my escape to Siobhan’s world, and look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Kensington Books and Netgalley for access to an early digital copy of Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor.

Murder on an Irish Farm by Carlene O'Connor opens with Siobhan and Dara's wedding, which they almost made it through when Siobhan's brother James, late, appeared at the back door of the church in his work clothes rather than the tux he should have been wearing. He had come to report his discovery of a skeleton he has discovered while working on Siobhan and Dara's farm. Yes, Dara had bought her a farm as a wedding gift! Of course, the wedding had to stop that moment so they could investigate. It was a decades old skeleton, which had been dressed in a suit, it seemed. When all the neighbors flocked into gawk, one of the older ladies, exclaimed, "It's my Tommy!" and so the story flowed out. 50 years to the day she was supposed to marry but was left standing left at the altar. So began a murder investigation totally made up of extended family members. As always, families are complicated.

Siobhan and Dara are a wonderful couple. Between him and her siblings, Siobhan is kept busy. Of course, there are other complications, as well. It's always a pleasure to revisit this little family. They radiate warmth and love, but not without problems, of course. Both Siobhan and Dara are good examples of garda, although their viewpoints are completely different, as their new colleague doesn't hesitate to point out. There is such a strong flavor of Ireland; it fulfills that need in my reading life. The plot, although complicated, was a good one, the guilty party a family member no one ever suspected. The characters, as already mentioned, drive this lovely mystery, and make it what it is. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Murder on an Irish Farm by Kensington, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own. #netgalley #kensington #carleneoconnor #murderonanirishfarm

Visiting with Siobhan and her siblings is always a high point but this time we also got the wedding! In true O'Sullivan fashion, nothing goes perfectly and the wedding is postponed (only for a short time) and Siobhan and Macdara are solving a murder. While the murder was in the forefront, I loved the idea of them buying a farm and raising their current and new family there. This story sucked me in pretty quickly and I had no idea who the killer was until the big reveal. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Murder on an Irish Farm is the 8th book in the Cozy Irish Murder Mystery series by Carlene O'Connor. I picked up this series with Murder at an Irish Christmas (book 6) which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I'm very keen to read books 1 through to 5.

In this instalment, Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan is being kept busy on the force of Garda Aretta Dabiri and is all set for her wedding to fiancé, Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery. Everyone is at the church and the couple is close to saying "I do" when there is a sudden announcement from a missing key guest about a dead body having been found in a farmhouse slurry pit.

This is an extremely intriguing tale and protagonist Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan is a great character. She is smart and fiery and has sound reasoning for her thoughts and actions. There are suspects aplenty in this gripping mystery, the details of the plot are very well executed, and the story is amusing and easy to follow. Carlene O'Connor wowed me again with her fluid writing; I was kept guessing until the very end and really enjoyed this cleverly crafted cosy. I thoroughly enjoyed being back with the O'Sullivan crowd. Unravelling the mystery in the pockets of Siobhán was lots of fun and I absolutely love the way Dara and Siobhan work together. Their love and support for one another are wonderful and their combined skills ensure success. I found the pacing perfect for the story. Loaded with red herrings and with many humorous one-liners, Murder on an Irish Farm is a highly recommended five star read and a fabulous story that will be of interest to many cozy readers. Right up until the surprising conclusion, I just had to keep turning those pages and I didn’t figure out the identity of the perpetrator in this mystery, although I had them on my plausible suspect list. I’m certainly game to see what shenanigans Siobhán and the Kilbane rabble get into next.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

Wedding bells are finally ringing for Siobhan and Macdara. He's in his tux. She's in her dress. The priest is there and so are the guests. It's a done deal! Until they get interrupted by Siobhan's brother...who's found a dead body on their new property. Now Siobhan and Dara have to do what they do best - solve the crime and catch the killer.

This is one of my absolute favorite cozy mystery series. I love Macdara, Siobhan, and all her siblings. They are fun and interesting and remind me of my own crazy family. And the mysteries are always intriguing and keep me guessing. It definitely had me reading past my bedtime.

Many thanks to Kensington Cozies and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. My thoughts and opinions are my own and without bias or favor or expectation.

Garda Siobhán O’Sullivan is about to be married when the nuptials are interrupted by her older brother James announcing the find of bones on Siobhan’s new property. The property is more of a surprise than the bones, if that’s possible. Thus starts the latest mystery in this series. This murder dates back 50 years to the day and is a challenge to solve. I loved this book. I have read a few in this series and whereas you can just jump in and read, it does take awhile to sort out the characters. But it’s worth it! Take a chance and jump in now or start at the beginning.

Author Carlene O' Connor delivers again in what might be one of her best novels yet? Do they get married? You have to read this cozy mystery to find out. Laced with humor and fun facts about birds. 😉

Ah! What a delightfully satisfying read! We start with the wedding that wasn’t, end with the wedding that was, and everything between was absolutely wonderful. The mystery was interesting with a plethora of murder suspects for Dara and Siobhan to sort through and not one, but two murders to solve. Are the murders related even though they are fifty years apart? Who knows – you’ll have to read the book to find out.

Garda Siobhan O’Sullivan and Detective Sergeant Macdara Flannery are at the altar saying their vows when her older brother, James, flies through the door with news of a body having been found – on their new property. They postpone the wedding and the investigation begins and what a twisted mess it is. The body, it appears, has been in that pit for years – and that proves to be correct. Now, everybody knows what happened to Tommy Caffrey on his wedding day fifty years earlier. He didn’t skip out on the wedding; he was lying dead in a cow pit. Before Dara and Siobhan can get the first body cleared there is another body. This time it is Alan O’Leary, the man who would have become Tommy’s brother-in-law. Alan’s body was discovered directly on top of Tommy’s bones. Surely the two murders are connected – or are they?

I absolutely love the way Dara and Siobhan work together – their love and support for one another is very special and their complementary skills assure the villains will be caught. When you add in Siobhan’s brood of brothers and sisters, you have an absolutely delightful cast of characters to accompany an equally delightful mystery.

This is the eighth book in the series, and I have read and adored all eight of them. I highly recommend both the book and the series. You could read this as a standalone, but if you want to understand the complete dynamic of all of the relationships, you really need to read all of the books in order. The characters have grown so far and it was such a delight to see that growth happen from book to book.

I highly recommend this well-written mystery filled with delightful support characters and vile villains – and goodness, there are even trained hawks to pique your interest. Happy reading!

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

What better way to escape a dreary winter than to settle down with the 8th installment of Carlene O'Connor's delightful cozy Irish Village series. We are invited to the wedding of Siobhan O'Sullivan and Macdara Flannery and everyone is ready to celebrate.....but, wait, there is soon to be a major spanner in the works. First Siobhan's brother seems to be a no show which would be bad enough but when he does show up his news puts the wedding on hold.. The old dairy farm that Macdara was going to surprise Siobhan with seems to come with a very old cold case. Who is the skeleton James has found? As both the bride and the groom are Garda they pause the wedding and go investigate. If that wasn't enough they soon have a fresh corpse to investigate. Nobody can say that life is dull in the village of Kilbane.
This series always gives the reader a top notch mystery to solve while at the same time it's like a visit with old friends or a long letter from family back home. Family and friends play a very big part in every book and the setting makes me want to pack my bags and take a very long vacation there. This series has earned its place on my 'must be read'' list.
My thanks to the publisher Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

‘Murder On An Irish Farm’ by Carlene O’Conner is the eighth in the series, but can most definitely be read as a standalone. It is the first I have read and had no problem understanding the background. The story starts on the day of the wedding of Siobhan and Macdara, a wedding the has to be put on hold when a skeleton is found in a disused slurry pit on a nearby farm. The pair put duty first and run off to investigate. When the case harks back fifty years, the elderly neighbours to the farm become involved and long held secrets lead to more danger - and peril for the detectives. Will they be able to solve the murder before anyone else gets hurt?

I loved the small Irish village setting. It was beautifully described, and the people and their use of language was spot on. I could imagine it so well and hear the dialogue spoken in the wonderful Irish accent. There is humour too, which points to a nation that does not take itself or anyone else too seriously. The author blends this humour with a steely determination to solve crime. It was a fantastic mystery, with lovable characters and the perfect setting.

I was given this ARC for review.

At long last, Siobhan and Macdara are getting married! But wait! Siobhan's brother James turns up late because he's found.....human remains on the farm Macdara bought as a surprise wedding present. Of course, this couple. both members of the Garda, must investigate the cold case- is this the man wo disappeared on his own wedding day? Things become more complicated when there's another murder. I like this series as much for the characters (especially Siobhan's family) as for the mysteries. The setting is terrific and the story always keeps a light touch of humor at hand. This latest is no exception. And the wedding?..... Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. Fans of the series will be happy and new readers - because tis will be fine as a standalone - will as well.

This is the 8th book in the series and I have not read the others. It can easily be read as a standalone but I think it would probably be nice to read them all in order, to fill in some of the background.

Garda's Macdara and Siobhan are finally getting married but their wedding is interrupted by Siobhan's brother with a garbled message which they are obliged to follow up. This then leads them into a case which has more than a few twists and turns, indeed.

I find myself drawn to books set in Ireland and I have to admit to wanting to have curry chips after reading this book! I loved the Irish vernacular as well. One day, I will get over there :) Siobhan and Macdara's relationship is very sweet and I also enjoyed Siobhan's relationship with her siblings, very much.

This was a nice story but I do think it could have been reduced by about a third. Some parts of it seemed to meander quite a bit to the point where I was starting to mutter at my Kindle, lol.

3.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington.

“Murder on an Irish Farm” the 8th instalment in the "Irish Village" Mystery series by Carlene O’Connor. This is one of my many favourite cozy series and I loved this story!

The long-engaged garda of County Cork, Ireland, Siobhán O’Sullivan and Macdaras Flannery, are about to get married at last. But just as the rowdy O’Sullivan brood and all the regulars of the local bistro have gathered at the church, the nuptials come to an abrupt halt when the discovery of an unidentified skeleton puts the wedding on pause…

I always love visiting the village of Kilbane in County Cork and the O'Sullivan Six. Siobhán is getting married to Macdara finally but best man James hasn’t shown up yet. Now Siobhan is worrying what could of happened to him as he wouldn’t miss her big day. I love the characters which are well developed, plus we were introduced to her new neighbours the O’Learys.

The mystery is super interesting and well plotted, and loaded with red herrings. I kept guessing and second-guessing myself on whodunnit right to the very end.

I highly recommend this book to all my cozy loving friends.

I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Kensington Books and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This series continues to get stronger with each entry. Early on, we saw young Siobhan O'Sullivan trying to be mother and father to her orphaned posse of siblings. We have watched her evolve into an independent professional, a member of the Garda (police), and an excellent detective.

She and longtime beau Macdara Flannery have finally finalized wedding plans, when at the last minute (when they are standing at the altar) one of her brothers bursts into the church with news of a body found on the property that Macdara has secretly bought for them. So much for the wedding -- they postpone the ceremony and send their family and village friends off to enjoy the reception.

It turns out the body has been there a long time -- for 50 years, in fact. The story harks back to another wedding where the bride was left waiting at the altar and the groom (the dead body) was presumed to have fled, along with a satchel full of money. There are intertwining relationships, secrets and betrayals that still affect behavior half a century later.

It's not long before another body turns up in exactly the same place. Was this the original murderer and someone figured it out and exacted revenge? Or was someone nosing around and got too close to the truth? Siobhan and Macdara and their co-workers try and untangle the old passions and storyline.

These books are quite enjoyable reads, with a lot of local flavor and character development and a strong relationship between the two main characters and the O'Sullivan family. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Murder on an Irish Farm
Carlene O’Connor
February 22, 2022

In Kilbane, County Cork, Ireland we are getting ready for a long awaited wedding. Siobhan and her sisters are fluttering about for the day ahead. Friends and family are gathered in the church excited for the celebration. The sun was out and so it would be a grand afternoon for the reception. MacDara had waited for this day as he had a special gift for the bride. When the duo left the church he and the family would take her to their new home on the farm. With help from James and his company he planned to upend the old farmhouse. Unfortunately, as seems to happen with the Irish clan, we find that James is missing.
This is the 8th book in the Irish Murder series by O’Connor. It has been an invigorating ride and this trip to the dairy farm is no exception. All of her main characters return with Siobhan and Dara leading the cast. Murder on an Irish Farm will be published on February 22, 2022 by Kensington Cozies. I appreciate their allowing me to read and review via NetGalley. I do hope that Ms. O’Connor’s series continues as it always is a pleasant, amusing tale that keeps me apprised of the O’Sullivan/Flannery adventures.
This is a wonderful selection for those who enjoy a cozy mystery. It is completely Irish centered so you will find the dialect to be part of the journal of daily life. Most is easily understood but on occasion I need to google the mention of a food or animal. It makes it interesting and witty to read. Do check out this series if you are new to Carlene O’Connor’s work. If you are a fan, this one cannot be missed!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing Corp. for a copy of "Murder on an Irish Farm" in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was the 8th book in the Irish Village Mystery series. It starts out with the interrupted wedding of DS Macdara Flannery and Garda Siobhán O'Sullivan. Interrupted by her brother James when he arrives late to the wedding after finding a body at the farm Dara bought as a surprise for Siobhán. The story is a bit complicated with a lot of characters moving about.

One thing that has continued since she was first introduced is a body shaming of Garda Aretta Dabiri. Siobhán never fails to complain that Aretta eats too little. In this book she complains that Aretta is only eating a small salad and a cup of soup. She doesn't know Aretta's personal story so she should not be micromanaging how Aretta eats. If she's not interested in curried chips, she doesn't need to eat them.

I like this series and this is another good addition. It's an entertaining and compelling mystery that kept me reading.
I was glad to catch up with the characters, and the solid plot kept me guessing as there's plenty of suspects.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

DNF @20%

When I first saw this, I was excited. I had never read past book 1 and here was a chance to catch up and then read the new one. So I jumped in with book 2. And remembered why I stopped reading this series. I didn't like it. I didn't like the characters or the stories or the narrator [as I was listening to the audiobooks]. But I was committed to reading this and so I started this one.

I thought that this would be better read rather than listened to. I was wrong. All of the things that I struggled with in the first one, were still here in this one. There was just so much wrong with the story and I knew the killer and most of the why by 20% [which is as far as I got] and though I missed another murder by reading the end and not wading through the blather in the middle, it wouldn't have mattered in the end; and lets talk about that tepid ending. Or let's not as it was just as disappointing as the first 20% was. I have a really hard time believing that anyone would just cancel their wedding because someone shows up late and disheveled. Nothing was really believable in this [of course, it doesn't need to be 100% given that its fiction, but SOME semblance of believability helps in the reading of the book] and I never really trusted anyone's feelings and thoughts after the shenanigans at the wedding. The tidy end was bland and disappointing and made me again realize that I just don't care for this series and I really don't want to read anymore.

Thank you to NetGalley. Carlene O'Connor and Kensington Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest 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!

Carlene O'Connor's An Irish Village Mystery series just continues to provide the best in a cozy mystery. 'Murder on an Irish Farm' is from start to finish perfection. I loved being inside of Siobhan's head, it is a wonderful place to be. The setting in Ireland, the decades old murder mystery, the entire delightful cast of characters in the small village and the exceptional prose are charming and unforgettable. I cannot recommend this series highly enough.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.